A Shard of Memory
Around that time, Commander Mikhail of Fort Polruin and the Trio of Black Blood stood in the cemetery of the academy cadets who had fought and fallen in the war.
"It has been a long time since we last visited this place. It is a pity Priscilla could not join us," Mikhail said softly, his gaze sweeping over the gravestones.
"Priscilla said it would be too hard for her to look at..." Reina replied.
It was a tragedy. They had sacrificed themselves at such a tender age—for their country, for their families, or for humanity. Flowers that withered before they could fully bloom always left behind a profound sense of futility.
"It was not an easy time. Not for you, and not for me." When Mikhail had first received orders from high command during the war to lead a unit comprised entirely of academy cadets, he had wondered if they were playing a sick joke on him.
But as they say, heroes shine brightest in times of crisis. Mikhail's eyes drifted to Reina and Edward. The Trio of Black Blood. They were war heroes who had performed brilliantly on the battlefield.
Though Mikhail himself possessed outstanding leadership, these three were like the queens on a chessboard. The strongest pieces. They had swept through the battlefield as if age were nothing but a number, slaughtering countless demons.
"Do not look so downcast, you two. It was because of your presence that these children found the courage to fight... Is Kaliman still over there?"
"Yes. I believe we should give him some time alone," Edward replied quietly.
Kaliman had lost his lover in the war. She had been a pure, innocent female cadet who attended the academy alongside him. When she died, Kaliman had nearly lost his mind and tried to charge blindly into enemy lines; Reina and Mikhail had struggled immensely to hold him back.
In silence, they walked through the cemetery, tracing the names carved into the stone. They were comrades who had bled together, irreplaceable friends, and loyal subordinates.
Just as Mikhail was swallowing his bitter regrets and sinking deep into thought, a soldier came running toward him in a hurry.
"What is it?" Mikhail asked, nodding at him.
The soldier, sporting an incredibly grave expression, approached and whispered in his ear.
"Commander. The Lich in the snowy mountains has resurrected. However..."
"The Lich has resurrected...? What is the extent of the damage?"
"Well... it has already been subjugated. There is no damage to the fortress..."
"What?"
"Circumstantial evidence suggests that an academy cadet who was at the scene defeated it single-handedly, but the matter is still under investigation."
"A cadet defeated a Lich alone...? Why is there an investigation?"
"The thing is, the body of one of our Allied Coalition soldiers was also found at the scene... and, well... a demonic book was discovered on his person."
"Sigh..." Mikhail pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a heavy sigh at the headache-inducing news.
"It seems he used the demonic book to resurrect the Lich..."
"That seems to be the case. But what about the cadet, rather than our soldier... Is there any chance the cadet was involved in the resurrection?"
"The cadet at the scene is... blind. So..."
"He wouldn't have been able to read the book..." Mikhail cut the soldier off, his voice trailing away.
It was the moment that confirmed the soldier had indeed been a demonic spy. A spy had emerged from within the Allied Coalition, the very force opposing the demons. Mikhail was already aware that there was a blind student among the first-year cadets visiting the fortress. He had even bickered with Edward over the latter's absurd request to assign that blind cadet to the night patrol.
"And why did this blind—no, this cadet... say he was up in the snowy mountains?"
"According to the cadet, he wanted to memorize the paths to make his patrols easier. I was skeptical when I heard the report myself... but can a blind person even be assigned to a patrol unit?" the soldier asked, tilting his head.
Mikhail barely held back another explosive sigh before continuing the conversation.
"...That cadet is indeed on the night patrol. I personally assigned him there at the instructors' request. There doesn't seem to be any issue on the cadet's end... How many people know about this?"
"Only the soldiers who went up the mountain, the academy's medical officer, and the cadet who was at the scene. Not many."
"Sigh... Very well. Prepare for our immediate return to the fortress."
"Yes, sir!"
Mikhail dismissed the soldier, rubbing his throbbing forehead as he bowed his head. He then called out to Edward, who was standing a short distance away.
"Edward, a word."
While cooperating with the Allied Coalition's investigation, I ended up speaking with Mikhail, who had rushed back to the fortress. The topic of our conversation was the reward for my solo subjugation of the Lich. He handed me a small box. That was my reward.
"I happened to have an elixir on hand. I heard you use a technique that places a severe burden on your body. Since both Priscilla and Edward vouched for you, do not feel burdened and take it." Mikhail had said those words as he handed me the box.
This was different from the reward I was originally supposed to receive. In the game, the reward obtained from Commander Mikhail after defeating the Lich varied depending on how the situation was handled and what weapon the player used.
If you defeated it with the help of the fortress, there was no real reward. However, if you succeeded in a solo subjugation, you could receive weapons or armor. The only exception was if the player used a spear, in which case Mikhail would gift a spear he used to wield in the past. It was an Epic-grade spear, widely considered a decent weapon until the mid-game.
Because of that, I hadn't expected much, but I ended up receiving an elixir—exactly what I needed for Reverse Heaven, Chapter 2. It was an unexpected windfall.
The elixir I received from him was a byproduct shed from the horn of a 'Dius,' a deer-like spirit beast native to the North. One could call it the outer layer shed from its horn. I wasn't entirely sure how to consume it, but it seemed to be an elixir of much higher quality than Mandragora.
Mikhail mentioned he had originally intended to gift it to the next commander assigned to the fortress, but given how things had turned out, it seemed no commander-level figure would be stationed here for a while.
Sierra glanced at the contents of the box and muttered to herself.
In any case, the cadets' field trip to the fortress was suspended after that. Fort Polruin officially announced the incident and launched a massive investigation targeting the soldiers. The aftermath played out exactly as I had anticipated, and things concluded smoothly without drawing any suspicion toward me.
The only minor issue was Sierra, who threatened me, saying, "Thou shouldst go to a temple and make a confession," regarding the blasphemous words she had uttered earlier.
Eventually, time passed, and the final day at the fortress arrived. The first-year cadets, who had been scattered across different posts, gathered once more to throw a secret party, with Lucia and Crank leading the charge.
"Thanks to you, Zeto, I didn't freeze to death while standing guard on the ramparts!" Lucia shouted excitedly, raising her glass of juice high into the air.
Orphel glared at her and chimed in. "...Did you even stand guard? Weren't you just dozing off the entire time?"
"W-Well, standing still is just so boring... and I got sleepy..." Everyone burst into laughter at the exchange between Lucia and Orphel.
It seemed everyone had struggled to adapt to the northern cold, as they all agreed how wonderful it was to rest for the final two days. Amidst the chatter, Kaen, who was sitting next to me, whispered in my ear.
"By any chance, did you already know that Buckland was a worshipper of the Evil God?"
"No, it was a coincidence."
It seemed Kaen was still bothered by the fact that I had subjugated the Lich alone.
The Lich had indeed granted me many rewards. Especially the Tears of the Deceased...
My eyes drifted to Eisel, who was sitting across from me, sipping her drink.
Giving the Tears of the Deceased to Eisel wouldn't save her from her cycle of repeated deaths. I had to solve the root of the problem.
To keep Eisel alive, the only way was to erase the demons targeting her from the face of this earth. With my current growth, it was about time I started making my move against them.
Though I'll have to meet Deidros before that. I could only hope that Deidros hadn't grown tired of playing the village chief yet.
Just like during our previous drinking session, Sierra didn't speak to me much when we were surrounded by others. It was as if she didn't want to disturb me, allowing me to fully enjoy this moment.
Just then, Lucia stood up from her seat and called out. "Ah, right! Everyone, I bought souvenirs! Since today is our last day in the North!"
At the mention of souvenirs, everyone's attention focused on her. "I heard it's a special souvenir you can only buy here!" Lucia said, handing out a souvenir to each person. "Here, Zeto. Hehe."
I stared down at the souvenir Lucia handed me. It was a small shard of ice. Strangely, it wasn't cold, nor was it melting.
"What is this?" Yuri asked, holding up her souvenir and looking to Lucia for an explanation. Lucia, who was busy distributing them, spoke up.
"They said if you channel mana into this ice while thinking of a memory you want to keep, it stores that memory!"
"Uh... Lucia... just hearing that makes it sound pretty expensive...? Storing memories..." Crank, who had been listening quietly, asked with a skeptical look.
"It wasn't expensive at all! It was only one gold coin each!"
""One gold?!""
Lucia's cheerful reply was met with collective shock from everyone in the room.
"W-Why is everyone reacting like that...?! The merchant definitely said it was only one gold... and that he was practically giving it away..." Lucia began to stammer, flustered by their reactions.
Orphel looked at the panicked Lucia and calmly broke down the situation. "No one buys souvenirs for a whole gold coin. Especially not in bulk like this..."
"Considering the Windless Patriarch's personality... she'll probably get scolded."
"Getting scolded would be a mercy. He is a gentle man, after all." Yuri and Amon chimed in one after another.
Listening to Lucia's explanation, it seemed the merchant was a wandering peddler traveling around the North. This led to the conclusion that getting a refund would be impossible.
Though Lucia sniffled a bit, everyone patted her on the back and thanked her, which quickly brightened her expression. Fortunately, since she had only bought enough for the small group gathered here rather than the entire first-year class, she had only spent around a dozen gold coins.
No wonder I didn't recognize it if it cost a whole gold coin. I had wondered why it didn't look familiar, but it turned out to be incredibly expensive for a mere souvenir. Besides, there was never any reason to buy such a thing while playing the game.
The atmosphere warmed up again, and the conversation shifted to what kind of memories everyone would store. "Fortunately, it does work." Orphel tested the souvenir first, proving that it was indeed worth its steep price.
It worked by channeling mana into the ice, which would then replay the stored memory directly inside one's mind. However, because of its unique crafting method, the memory could not be shared with anyone else. It was a relief that it was private.
After sitting back down, Lucia turned to Orphel and asked, "Orphel, what kind of memory did you store?!"
"Just... something memorable from recently."
Amon immediately began to mimic Orphel's voice in a ridiculous tone. "It's obvious... 'The ice of the Eisin family... does not break easily...'"
"Pfft!" Crank, who had been quietly sipping his drink, couldn't hold back his laughter and spat it out. It was the story Lucia had shared with everyone earlier. Apparently, right after Orphel made that grand declaration, the Lich resurrected and shattered the massive block of ice.
Orphel directed a freezing glare at Amon. Crank, unable to watch any longer, stepped in to mediate. Afterward, the cadets continued to chatter excitedly about what memories they would preserve.
Yuri looked over at me and spoke up. "Zeto, how do you think your memories will be stored?"
"I still have my sense of smell and hearing, and there's also my Ki Sense. It should be more than enough to vividly recall the moment."
"What kind of memory are you planning to store?" Yuri asked. At her question, even Eisel and Kaen, who had been pretending to look elsewhere, snapped their gazes toward me.
If I had to choose a memory to preserve... "Probably this very moment."
I wanted to capture this exact moment, where everyone was laughing, chatting, eating delicious food, and enjoying themselves without a single worry in the world. Everyone looked so incredibly happy.
"That is... incredibly boring." Eisel reacted to my dull answer, and the others also showed signs of disappointment. Feeling a bit embarrassed, I quickly changed the subject and asked Yuri back.
"What about you, Yuri? It seems everyone is storing memories of the North."
"Hmm... It's a secret!"
"So that's how it is..." I didn't give up and asked Kaen and Eisel as well, but—
"I-I'm keeping it a secret too!"
"...Who knows."
Their responses were no different from Yuri's. I wondered what kind of memories and precious moments they would all choose to lock away.
As the moonlight began to seep through the windows, the long party finally came to an end. On their way back to their quarters, each of them held a small shard of ice in their hands. The memory-storing ice.
One of them captured the sight of their precious friends laughing, chatting, and being happy together.
"The view is beautiful."
"......Pfft, indeed."
Another stored a memory that they would never forget, even without preserving it in this ice.
"Since they said only I can see this..." Yet another stored the memory of stealing glances at a man sweating with his muscles fully exposed in a hot, steamy place... and promptly got a nosebleed.
And then, someone else...
"I knew it wouldn't work..."
...was in deep agony because her memories and moments with him could not be stored. Soon, she dropped the shard of ice onto the floor.
Crunch.
She crushed it under her heel.
And with that, their field trip to the North came to a complete close.
Meanwhile, in a city near the academy, far away from the North.
In the deep, quiet hours of the night, a luxurious carriage came to a halt on a dark road. A female knight clad in polished silver armor, who had been riding behind the carriage, dismounted her horse. She stepped forward and opened the carriage door.
The woman who stepped out was dressed in a flawless, pure white dress. She spoke as she began to walk.
"Are you certain this is the house?"
"Yes. According to our investigation, this is the residence of the merchant Antony."
"To think he was once called a great merchant back when he was in the Holy Kingdom. I had no idea that wicked man's tongue could reach even outside our borders... Let us move quickly. I heard his daughter is in critical condition."
Sharing this brief conversation, they made their way to the front door of the mansion. Fortunately, the lights inside were still on.
I hope we are not too late. Please, may the Lord have protected this poor little lamb...
Hiding her growing anxiety, the woman in the dress knocked on the door. Soon, voices echoed from inside the mansion.
"Daddy, I want to open it!"
"Emilia, it is already past your bedtime."
The voices coming from inside were entirely unexpected.
Click.
The door swung open. However, there was nothing at her eye level. It was only when she lowered her gaze that she saw who had opened the door—a young girl.
"Uh... Who are you?" the girl asked, tilting her head in curiosity.
"Emilia, go back inside..."
A man's voice came from behind the girl. He stepped forward, and upon seeing the woman waiting at the door, Antony was instantly frozen in shock.
"......Saintess...? And even the Knight Commander..."
But the Saintess was equally bewildered.
I was certain I heard his daughter was on the verge of death.
Placing a hand over her chest, the Saintess bowed her head slightly and spoke.
"...Antony, I apologize for visiting at such a late hour. If you do not mind, could we speak for a moment?"