The Return of Sally
The names 'Frost' and 'Elion.' I thought I'd heard them somewhere before, and they were indeed familiar. But I never dreamed they'd come up in a place like this.
"Frost and Elion. They're both names of Spirit Kings."
Elizabeth had noticed as well and revealed the origin of the two names. Just as she said, one was the Spirit King of Cold and the other was the Spirit King of Water.
"Hmm, that's what I knew too."
However, Bagan had never looked into their stories in the game, so there was no way for him to know more. While he was momentarily confused by this unknown tale, Padok continued.
"You two seem to wield a mysterious power I can sense. One feels like Lady Elion's strength, the other like something else entirely. Croak."
Bagan couldn't be entirely sure, but since Padok mentioned sensing Elion's power, it was likely the spirit energy he had detected.
"You can feel the power we possess?"
"Croak! Yes. If I hadn't sensed that power, we wouldn't be able to converse like this."
It probably had something to do with the shamanism Rakshi had mentioned earlier. If so, only one question remained: the method to end the bitter cold.
"In that case, do you know where Frost is? The only way to end this terrible chill is to put him to sleep."
Sending Frost back where he belonged. But there was no way to know his location.
"Croak! Unfortunately, I do not know. However, there is a way to make an educated guess. I shall lend you the village's sacred relic. It is a cup imbued with Lady Elion's tears."
The moment Padok made this decision on his own, the elders erupted in protest.
"You must not! Croak! How can you entrust the sacred relic to outsiders who know nothing!"
"All the Froguests will freeze to death! Croak!"
Faced with their fierce opposition, Padok wore a troubled expression. It was clear their authority was roughly equal.
"What can be done with this sacred relic?"
"It contains Lady Elion's blessing. Croak. The fact that we few survivors can still live here is entirely thanks to it!"
Whether the relic truly held such power was unknown, but faith had always been blind.
"That is precisely why we cannot possibly allow it! Croak! There is no guarantee an outsider could actually subdue the heretic!"
The elder's eyes bulged as he continued with firm resolve. When it became clear Bagan and Elizabeth would receive no help, Harvik finally stepped forward.
"The great warrior who possesses the heart of the deep sea. Harvik speaks. Croak! You need not doubt their abilities!"
"Great warrior. Even if you vouch for them, what cannot be done cannot be done!"
"Croak! However..."
"The great warrior! Croak! Would stake the entire village's fate on outsiders?!"
No matter his status, even the great warrior could not force the issue when the village's survival hung in the balance. After all, his role was to protect the village above all else.
Just as Bagan began to feel disappointed, a welcome voice reached him.
The enthusiastic shout and the cold click of a tongue. Their completely contrasting personalities made the reunion even more welcome.
Sally. And even Elestra.
Though he hadn't seen her in some time, Elestra was impeccably polite from the very first words. She wore an overall blue-toned dress, with water droplets constantly rising and falling around her, creating a mysterious aura. She was clearly showing her displeasure toward Sally.
The words might have sounded stiff, but considering Elizabeth's personality, Bagan thought the pairing was perfect.
"That's an impure thought, Bagan."
Elizabeth, as if she had read his mind, openly expressed her distaste.
"Ah, sorry."
"It was true?"
When he admitted it so readily, she puffed out her cheeks and turned away in a huff.
Leaving the two of them to their bickering, Sally began to tell her story.
At Sally's words, Bagan's ears practically perked up as he asked,
What is it?
If it was Ifrit's power, it would be more than enough. After all, it belonged to a Spirit King.
Can I use it?
Bagan smiled, sensing an opportunity had arrived. He turned to Padok and declared,
"I'll take the sacred relic."
The response, as expected, came from the elders.
"Croak! We already said no!"
Padok shook his head with a troubled expression. But there was a way to silence these elders.
"I'm not asking for it for free. I'm proposing an exchange, following the Froguest way."
At Bagan's words, the elders coughed awkwardly and fell silent as if honey had glued their mouths shut. Padok's eyes regained some of their spark as he asked,
"Croak! What item would you offer in this barter? I cannot permit anything trivial."
Though his words were stern, his expression had clearly improved. As Padok said, he couldn't present a mediocre item.
Bagan immediately asked Sally to retrieve the object.
Sally blew gently, forming a sphere. The Essence of Fire that appeared in Bagan's palm melted the trembling elders' bodies with its mere presence.
"Croak! It's warm. How can such intense power exist?"
As if they had forgotten their earlier protests, they threw off their thick wool blankets to fully bask in the heat, leaning forward eagerly. Only Padok maintained his dignity while the elders nearly drooled.
However, showing the item too openly would be poor trading technique. One had to tease with it.
Bagan handed the Essence of Fire back to Sally, allowing the cold to sweep over the house once more.
"Hing, it felt so nice and warm."
Elizabeth sounded genuinely disappointed.
Why are you like this?
Bagan was dumbfounded, but their reactions told him his plan had succeeded. Padok and the elders were frantically glancing at each other with desperate expressions.
Now it was a battle of nerves. They needed to protect their pride yet obtain the item, so someone would have to swallow their pride and complete the exchange.
"Croak..."
"Ahem, croak..."
Only coughs and sighs filled the air.
With no time to waste, Bagan made a decisive move to force the issue.
"Never mind. I'll find it myself. Now that I think about it, leaving an item of Ifrit's in a village that serves Elion feels fundamentally wrong."
He spoke as if stating the obvious, and Elizabeth immediately played along.
"That does make sense."
The groundwork was complete.
"What is wrong, croak!"
Padok spoke urgently, but the elders merely watched in silence.
"I don't mind exchanging it, but it seems the elders disagree."
Bagan continued to prod them. Padok shifted his massive body from side to side before exploding.
"Croak! You fools! Have fish bones lodged in your brains? Just moments ago you spoke of the village's life and death, yet now you abandon that very survival for the sake of your pride?!"
The elders turned to Padok with troubled expressions.
"Croak, that's not it!"
"Croak, we were thinking..."
"Croak! Is this the time for thinking? You're about to disregard our sacred traditions!"
The tradition of exchange. Recalling it, all the elders nodded in unison.
"Ahem. Then we shall 'temporarily' exchange Lady Elion's sacred relic for your item. Croak."
"We are servants of Lady Elion. Croak. If the relic remains absent too long, it will bring misfortune."
"Once the bitter cold ends, croak, return it to us."
Even after agreeing, the elders continued offering excuse after excuse.
"Enough talk. Make the exchange."
Bagan brought out the Essence of Fire once more and handed it over. Padok retrieved the cup containing Elion's tears from behind him.
"Croak. As I said, we exchange back once the cold has ended."
"I know, I know."
With that, the transaction was successfully completed. Bagan entrusted the cup containing Elion's tears to Elizabeth and formally bid them farewell.
Padok spoke to Bagan with genuine feeling.
"Croak! I truly hope you will be the ones to end this winter..."
"Yeah. Wait for us."
Leaving those final words with Padok, Bagan and Elizabeth prepared to depart with Harvik.
"You're leaving immediately? Croak?"
He wanted to help the Froguests further, but ending the winter quickly might be the greatest help he could offer.
"Can't be helped. The longer this cold persists, the more suffering it will bring."
"I cannot deny it. Croak. I wish you safe travels."
With Harvik's farewell, Bagan and Elizabeth emerged from the cave once more.
He had thought the cave door opened and closed through some unknown power, but according to the Froguests, it was Elion's power that controlled it.
He had learned new information, discovered the answer, and now possessed the solution. The next destination was wherever the tears led. For that was where Frost would be.
Seeming to have something to say on the matter, Elestra spoke up.
Elion, the Water Spirit King. As a high water spirit, Elestra was her subordinate. In this situation, Elestra's power was essential.
"I'd appreciate it."
Thus, the sacred relic passed to Elestra. Just as Sally had received the essence before, Elizabeth handed the relic to her contracted spirit.
"How is it? Do you sense anything?"
"Alright..."
Elizabeth had asked after only a single second, and Elestra scolded her in her usual manner. Bagan, curious about their exchange, was surprised by how strict Elestra could be. Still, given her bouncy personality, he supposed this was simply how she always interacted with Elizabeth.
"Bagan, that's an impure thought."
How had she noticed again? This time, however, he said nothing.
"When you have impure thoughts, it shows on your face... The corners of your mouth turn up slightly, you know?"
"Really? Then I'll have to watch my expression from now on."
"You're admitting it?"
"Ah, no?"
"Ugh!"
Elizabeth, seemingly angry once more, lightly pounded his shoulder with her fist.
As they passed the time this way, Elestra finally spoke as if she had discovered something.
"Holy Grail?"
Elizabeth's eyes widened in surprise.
The liquid inside had apparently just been seawater.
"Then can we locate Frost using that Holy Grail?"
Elestra emptied the water inside, filled it with proper spirit water, and activated the Holy Grail. As the spirit water entered, the red gem embedded in the cup began to glow. A beam of light shot forth, pointing in a single direction.
"South? Even further than this?"
Bagan was surprised by the unexpected location. After all, his decisive battle with Palamus had taken place in the northern Moral Mountain Range. It seemed strange that the spirit responsible for turning the Zairan Forest into this frozen wasteland would be located in the south.
As expected, Palamus's technique was the trigger.
It made sense that the power Palamus had unleashed had awakened Frost from his slumber within the Zairan Forest.
"Let's head there immediately. I have a mountain of questions."
"Hmm, I have something I want to ask Frost as well."
Elizabeth nodded in agreement and began walking in the direction indicated by the Holy Grail.
"No. Please keep indicating the direction. He might move, after all."
Bagan and Elizabeth continued onward, following the direction maintained by Elestra through the Holy Grail. After walking for half a day, the sky darkened and the weather grew even colder.
"Even with Sally's power protecting us, the cold is still seeping through like this."
"Indeed."
It was proof they were drawing closer to Frost.
"By the way, how did you know about the Spirit Kings when you're not even a spirit mage?"
At times like these, conversation was the only way to warm their bodies. Given her spirit-obsessed personality, Elizabeth was surprised Bagan knew of the Spirit Kings.
"I read about them before."
The spirits certainly possessed the ability to distinguish truth. But even they wouldn't know that what Bagan had "read" wasn't any ordinary book.
Reading the game settings still counts as reading.
Despite that, Elizabeth, with her characteristic love for spirits, eagerly continued the conversation.
"I see! No wonder you knew so much. Can you tell me what spirits were mentioned in the book?"
"Hmm, do you know about the World Tree spirits?"
"World Tree spirits?"
"There's one called Ness..."
Bagan shared everything he knew about spirits, every detail that came to mind, as they drew ever closer to Frost.