The Ambush
Elizabeth led Bagan to a spot a short distance from Arcrei's tent before turning to him with a question.
“How do you know about Guides?”
Her face was clouded with confusion.
“I read about it somewhere. There are elementalists who return lost spirits to Harmonia.”
Bagan didn’t lie. If he tried to deceive her clumsily, she would see right through it. Spirits were far more sensitive than most people realized. Especially when it came to someone like her—who commanded water spirits, the most delicate of all, and a high-ranking one at that—any falsehood would be instantly exposed.
And just as Bagan expected—
‘I’ve never even heard of a book like that.’
‘I know, Elestra. Sorry for making you use your power for something like this.’
After finishing their conversation through spirit power, Elizabeth spoke aloud.
“I still don’t understand how you know about Guides, but this is going to be quite difficult.”
“I’m prepared for that much.”
No matter how hard it got, could it really be worse than fighting a dragon? For Bagan, “difficult” only truly applied when his life was on the line.
And—
“I have to do this.”
Bagan hadn’t forgotten that the current state of the Zairan Forest and De Meca was partly his fault. Countless lives were still being lost, and he bore some responsibility for it.
Perhaps his sincerity had reached her.
“Fine. But if you get in my way, I’ll leave you behind immediately. Don’t do anything reckless.”
Elizabeth’s tone carried the dignity of a senior Guide, warning him not to become a hindrance. Bagan nodded.
“Let’s cancel the request here and start gathering information.”
“That was my plan too. We need to ask Raksh if there were any elementalists in the village. Just do that much. I’ll be the one to tell Arcrei we’re dropping the request.”
Bagan’s opinion of her shifted. She had been collecting information far more methodically than he’d expected.
‘She’s serious about this Guide business.’
He hadn’t planned to slack off either, but he reminded himself to stay sharp. With that resolve, he headed toward Raksh.
Raksh had just stepped out of Arcrei’s tent and was checking on the condition of the village’s lizardmen. Bagan approached him directly.
“Raksh, was there anyone in this village who could command spirits?”
“Ssssh, you’re the young man who visited the tent earlier.”
His voice was more energetic than before, and his complexion had improved. His expression was sharper too—he seemed to have mostly recovered.
“Ssssh, why do you ask?”
Deciding they needed to know about the situation, Bagan explained.
“I’m working to resolve this crisis. I can sense spirit power in this sudden cold wave. So if you know anything, tell me everything.”
His sincerity must have gotten through. The lizardman, who had seemed slightly annoyed, fixed him with a sharp gaze before answering.
“Ssssh, unfortunately, our village only gathers and hunts. We have no shamans, let alone anyone who commands spirits.”
Bagan had hoped for at least some clue, so the complete lack of information left him deeply disappointed. Just as he was about to leave—
“Ssssh, I don’t know about spirits, but I do know of those who use sorcery. Go to the ‘Blue Wave’ village. Ugly frogs waving their staves around. They might all be frozen to death by now, though.”
Though he clearly disliked the rival village, Raksh had still given them valuable information.
‘Blue Wave Village.’
Bagan knew the place. Among the various race settlements in the Zairan Forest, it was the only one that wasn’t a lizardman village. If anyone had a lead, it would be them.
‘I’m sure some of them could use magic, too.’
Updating their next destination in his mind, Bagan told Raksh,
“...Hang in there just a little longer. I’ll get rid of this cold somehow.”
He couldn’t say it with absolute certainty. They might fail and be forced to live in this freezing hell forever. But giving someone hope was something anyone could do, no matter how small that hope might be.
Raksh seemed to sense that belief in Bagan.
“Ssssh, I’ll trust you. And I’ll cheer you on.”
Raksh was incredibly busy, so Bagan didn’t want to hold him up any longer. He quickly left and returned to Arcrei’s tent.
Outside the tent, Elizabeth and Arcrei were waiting, having already finished their conversation.
“Good luck to both of you.”
Arcrei handed Bagan one gold coin.
“What’s this for? It feels awkward.”
“It’s not some grand ‘investment in the future’ or anything. It’s half the payment for the request you’ve helped with so far.”
“Oh, that makes sense.”
Bagan accepted the gold without hesitation and slipped it into his pocket. No matter how rich he might become later, every coin mattered right now.
“Honestly, I’m a little afraid with our two strongest fighters leaving, but if anyone can solve this, it’s you two. So I’ll be rooting for you.”
Bagan nearly lost a bit of respect for Arcrei when he referred to adventurers as “manpower,” but he still nodded at the words of support.
“Let’s go, Bagan.”
“Yeah.”
The two turned their backs on Arcrei and prepared to leave Red Fang Village.
Wait a second.
“Do you actually know the way to where we’re going?”
Bagan was stunned to see Elizabeth simply start walking without direction.
“Where was it again?”
“I hadn’t told you yet?”
“I see.”
No way.
“Elizabeth, you’re a—!”
Whoosh!
Splash!
Bagan barely dodged the sudden jet of water flying toward him. He made a mental note to never say the word “directionally challenged” in front of her again.
“Ahem. Raksh said we should check out Blue Wave Village. They might know something.”
“...You could have said that sooner.”
Elizabeth’s face was redder than it had ever been. Before her embarrassment could fully fade, Bagan continued.
“Head south, toward the sea.”
(Adventure! Joy!)
Even Sally seemed delighted, darting around excitedly. Bagan warmed their path with a red glow even brighter than Elizabeth’s flushed cheeks. Together, they pushed through the frozen forest, heading south.
After walking for a while, Elizabeth spoke, clearly thinking about what would have happened without him.
“I can’t believe we’re moving through the Zairan Forest this easily. The fire spirit really is warm.”
She moved closer to Sally as if she wanted to hug the little spirit, rubbing her hands together. Then, perhaps sensing some jealousy from her own spirit, she began muttering to the air.
“Ah, sorry, Elestra. You know you’re still my favorite, right?”
Watching Elizabeth talk to her spirits while walking, Bagan finally understood why she worked alone instead of in a party. Having to pay attention to both spirit conversations and normal dialogue at the same time would give anyone a headache. It was like trying to reply to multiple messages at once. Responding here, responding there—it was maddening.
And it was still happening now.
“I thought I was going to die from exhaustion.”
And then—
“Sorry, Elestra. I’ll hug you too. Whoa, you’re cold!”
Even though they were walking the same path, they were each engaged in completely different conversations. It was enough to make anyone’s head spin.
“Are you sulking because I hugged Sally? Come over here too. Let’s stay warm together.”
It seemed Elestra had gotten jealous when Elizabeth hugged Sally. Bagan decided he had to step in.
“Elizabeth, you’re from Elven Terra, right?”
The spirits didn’t interrupt when their contractor was speaking to someone else, and he figured talking to her was the right move right now. Even while struggling with Elestra’s mood swings, Elizabeth didn’t miss his question.
“Hm? Yeah, Elven Terra.”
“I’d love to visit sometime. The elves’ heavenly fortress, protected by the World Tree—Elven Heim.”
He had been there several times already, but he spoke as if it were an incredible place to spark her interest. As expected, Elizabeth looked pleasantly surprised.
“You know a lot. Only those permitted by us elves can enter Elven Heim.”
Elven Terra was a vast nation located even further east than the Sog Kingdom, which bordered the Seiros Kingdom to the east. Although half of it was forest, the capital, El Lundi, was protected by powerful barriers. Unauthorized visitors could live their entire lives without ever seeing it. And the ultimate version of those barriers was the one surrounding Elven Heim, known as the Forest Where the World Sleeps.
Bagan decided to press a little further.
“Are you from El Lundi?”
He already knew the answer, but he asked anyway.
“Oh, most people don’t even know the name of our capital. That’s surprising.”
“Well, it is the capital.”
He played it off casually, but as Elizabeth said, Elven Terra rarely allowed outsiders in. The elves had to protect the World Tree, so opening their borders would lead to chaos. That was why their nation remained hidden. Most people in the world only knew Elven Terra as “the land of the elves” without any idea where it actually was.
“That’s right. I used to be a warrior serving Her Majesty in El Lundi. I had to leave on this journey to carry out this mission.”
That explained her strength. She hadn’t just been any warrior—she had been part of the Queen’s personal guard.
“...Was that your choice? Or...”
Bagan hesitated, unsure if he should ask. In the game, this part had been hidden, so he was curious, but he didn’t want to offend her.
“You mean, was it an order?”
She was the one who opened the door. Bagan nodded.
“I can’t fully trust you yet, but this isn’t exactly classified information. So... I guess the answer is both?”
The reason Elizabeth had opened up this much was simple.
“What about you?”
“Huh?”
“Why do you have to do this so badly?”
Bagan thought for a moment at her counter-question. But the hesitation didn’t last long.
“Because it’s my responsibility.”
“?!”
Elizabeth was visibly shocked. Thanks to Bagan and Sally, she didn’t feel the cold, but goosebumps still rose on her skin. The reason was—
Elestra had confirmed that Bagan’s words were the truth.
“H-how is that possible? You’re a person. How could you...”
Elizabeth’s mind couldn’t process it.
“It’s a long story. Just trust me for now. I’ll tell you when the time is right.”
At Bagan’s words, Elizabeth found she couldn’t hold back. She wanted to dig into his secrets. But if she did, she would probably have to reveal some of her own. Her head was a mess. It felt both warm and cold, like standing at the boundary where warmth and chill coexisted.
‘Stay calm.’
Elizabeth reminded herself of her mission.
‘I absolutely cannot reveal any secrets until I obtain information on the Commedia dell’arte.’
That secret was far more serious than it appeared.
In the end, Bagan and Elizabeth ended up revealing nearly everything about themselves as they walked. It had started when Elizabeth, unable to contain her curiosity about Bagan’s past, suggested they trade secrets one by one. In simple terms, it was an exchange of information. In more complicated terms, it was a contest to see who could edit their story more cleverly. The rule was that if you wanted to hear the other person’s secrets, you had to offer some of your own. Eventually, they had spilled everything.
“I’m ruined.”
Elizabeth clutched her head, disappointed in herself.
“My story wasn’t that interesting, was it?”
“Are you kidding? Even if you made it all up, I wouldn’t believe it!”
Having learned the full truth about Bagan, Elizabeth realized that what he had told the Adventurers’ Guild was a lie, and the real story was something else entirely.
“Everything makes sense now. Why this winter won’t end. Why you have to be the one to fix it.”
“I get it now too. That you’re returning spirits in order to gather information on those clowns.”
To put it simply: Something had gone wrong with the World Tree in Elven Heim, causing the spirits to go berserk. The masterminds behind the incident were a group of clowns known as the Commedia dell’arte. No one understood their intentions or goals, and with no information available, the Queen had sent her most trusted guard—Elizabeth—on this solo mission to find out. It had to remain a secret mission. The moment the enemy learned they were being hunted, they would go into hiding. That was why it could not be known to anyone.
“People who would toy with spirits... I find that even harder to believe.”
“Anyway, I have no choice but to trust you now, whether I want to or not. Everything we’ve said to each other stays between us. Understood?”
“I don’t want my past spread around either. So I agree.”
With their promise sealed, they continued sharing all kinds of stories until the sky grew dark.
“It’s already this late.”
“We should camp nearby. Is that okay with you?”
“I’ve been an adventurer for quite a while. It’s a bit cold right now, but I can manage.”
Elizabeth was more down-to-earth than her elegant appearance suggested. Though she looked like a noble elf, she was actually playful and sociable.
“Then let’s bivouac around here. I’ll start a campfire.”
Bagan used his mana to clear the area, melting the snow and gathering firewood. He created enough space for the two of them to lie down, dug a small pit, and lit a fire.
“Haa, that’s warm. Looks like this little one likes the campfire too.”
Sally had taken the form of a small lizard and was happily flying back and forth above the flames. Bagan felt a pang of guilt for never having seen this side of her before, and he was grateful to have met Elizabeth.
“I’ll set up an alarm spell while we sleep.”
There probably weren’t many monsters in this bitter cold, but it was always better to be safe than sorry.
“You can do that? Elestra would let me know, but...”
“This covers a much wider range.”
While there was an alarm spell classified under utility magic, spreading one’s mana over a wide area and maintaining it was far more effective in situations like this. And with his core, he didn’t have to worry about mana consumption.
Bagan focused immediately and took control of the surrounding mana. Once he felt he had secured an area of about a hundred meters, he sat back down.
Crackle. Crackle.
Amid the burning campfire and the blooming conversation, the two of them stayed up together until the sky was completely dark before finally going to sleep. Exhausted from all the walking, they fell asleep easily despite the cold.
And Bagan had trusted his magic too much.
Rustle. Rustle.
“Bagan, wake up.”
She was waking him in the dead of night. He immediately sharpened his senses through his mana, trying to detect if they were under attack.
“You probably won’t be able to sense it with mana.”
She seemed to have guessed what he was doing and gave him a hint.
“Try using spirit power.”
Following her advice, Bagan used the spirit power that had slowly been building inside him since forming the contract with Sally to scan the surroundings. What he found were countless presences surrounding them.
‘What are they? They’re not living creatures.’
He soon saw them with his own eyes.
They looked like... snowmen.