The True Winter
Once the chaotic atmosphere in De Meca had somewhat settled, the warm autumn quickly ended and the true winter arrived. The fact that someone's wife, someone's child, someone's parent—everyone's clothes had grown thicker—was proof that the weather had turned cold. When you exhaled, white breath would escape your mouth, shimmer before your eyes, then rise high into the sky and vanish. The once-bustling market streets were now packed with merchants selling firewood and stockpiled provisions. The adventurer guild was no different. As Bagan had experienced before, when winter came, most requests shifted from hunting or errands to escort missions and light problem-solving. Because of that, nearly every adventurer was either out on escort duty or resting on their saved earnings. Bagan was the same. Though the winter was milder than before, his body still grew stiff all the same. Moreover, since Seleana—the High Spirit of Fire—had become Sally, the Spirit King of Condemnation, the Blessing of Flame that once warmly wrapped around him had disappeared. Nothing remained to shield the cold-weak Bagan from the chill.
(If you're going to daydream like that, why not crawl out of the blanket and head to the adventurer guild?)
"But the world outside the blanket is dangerous, you know?"
Having picked up some hikikomori tendencies from somewhere, he had zero desire to leave the house.
"I've already stuffed the subspace full of food. No reason to wander around and leave this warm house."
(Huu~ Well, it's better than learning skills just to use them for weird things.)
Not entirely sure what counted as "not weird," Sally nevertheless fell for Bagan's absurd persuasion. It had already been thirty days since she was talked into this arrangement.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Bagan! Your girlfriend is here!"
Still living at the inn "Sweat Shed by Iron" run by Ganesha, Bagan answered her call.
"I told you not to call her that. Absolutely! We're not like that."
The only time of day Bagan ever dragged himself out of the blanket. It was when she visited. Bagan, who had been lounging in his underwear beneath the warm covers, immediately threw on clothes and burst out the door.
Descending to the first floor, he found her wrapped in a thick fur coat instead of her usual adventurer gear, shivering from the cold.
"Natalie!"
"Tsk. Bagan-nim! I heard everything, you know?"
"W-what?"
Bagan asked back, flustered by her icy tone.
"You could've just said no. What's with the 'absolutely'?"
She had overheard Bagan insisting to Ganesha that Natalie was not his girlfriend.
"T-that's... If I don't say it like that, Bloomberg teases me nonstop... Just let it slide this once, okay?"
"Fine. Today I won't even let you touch my ears. Hurry up and eat."
Bagan despaired at her thoroughly sulking expression.
(So Natalie likes you, you know? Just accept her feelings already.)
It was Sally, who had been saying for a while that Natalie liked him. The words of the insidious spirit who peeked into living beings' hearts were never wrong. Bagan himself had gradually come to realize it—that Natalie admired him.
"You two look so good together, how can you not be lovers? If you have no intention of dating, don't even show your faces around here."
Ganesha said with a laugh, then suddenly turned serious and uttered something absurd.
"Ehh, what are you saying, Ganesha-ssi~!"
Natalie laughed pleasantly while Bagan despaired at the thought of being kicked out of the inn.
"Natalie too, and Ganesha too... Why are they like this today..."
Wondering if there was anything to lift his gloomy mood, Bagan—who had been pondering—found a ray of light descending upon him.
"Looks like you've ordered some delicious food! At a place like this, alcohol can't be missing. Honey! Bring the beer! Beer!"
"Aigoo! You must have left it to me?"
It was Bloomberg, Ganesha's husband and the blacksmith of the adventurer guild.
"Krahaha! Bagan will pay, of course!"
"Why does it turn out like that? What money do I have?"
Bagan protested against Bloomberg, who naturally tried to mooch off him. However, Bloomberg revealed an enormous fact.
"Yeah, that's right. You don't have money... Indeed! That's true, but instead! There's the Akray Trading Company."
"That's the same thing!"
It was something that happened because Akray had publicly announced sponsoring Bagan and Elizabeth to promote the trading company's image. At first, Bagan had gone to scold Akray for doing this without permission, but upon thinking about it, he concluded it wasn't bad and left it alone.
"Ehh, whatever! Ganesha! Give me the alcohol!"
(In the end, eating and playing around again today. Sigh~)
Before he knew it, Bagan had Natalie sitting in his arms, stroking her head like a butler.
"Krha!"
"Kihya!"
Though it was just beer, perhaps they were drunk on the atmosphere? Bloomberg's face had turned red as he brought up the story of Gion.
"That guy! Even though he's busy to death, he keeps bringing repair requests from somewhere, and today there was even more than yesterday!"
"Gion! He's blinded by success! His greed is too much! We shouldn't have saved him back then! Krahaha!"
"Krahaha! You're right!"
As the two noisily drank and made a ruckus, the first floor of the inn shook with noise, but no one said anything. It wasn't that there was no one, but who could say anything to the inn owner's husband and the man rumored to be the strongest in the adventurer guild?
"So you thought of me like that usually?"
"Of course!"
"Can't say it's a lie!"
"B-Bagan-nim! I don't think you should do that..."
Though not drunk, caught up in the atmosphere, he ended up answering someone's words, and Natalie—who had been lying comfortably in Bagan's arms—stiffened and looked for Bagan.
"G-Gion?"
"Let me see you for a moment."
Gion called Bagan outside with a face full of anger. Bagan had no choice but to be dragged out.
"Natalie, I'll be back."
With shoulders slumped, Bagan left the inn.
"So, are you happy?"
Though no snow had fallen, in the chilly cold, those were the only words Gion uttered. He had dragged him out with an atmosphere of scolding him harshly, yet the words he sincerely spoke were only that.
"What? Is something wrong?"
The cold air held his lips captive, making pronunciation difficult, but he continued the conversation.
"When are you planning to leave? You still haven't given up on that thought, right? After the day I introduced the party that would go together, you barely came to the adventurer guild, so I came to find you."
"Ehh. Was it because of that? Didn't Natalie tell you?"
"That you hate winter?"
Bagan had once explained to Natalie the reason he didn't act during winter. Since the Dawn's Wolf, who steadily did escort missions and worked hard to raise their party ranking, would have a chance to tell Gion, Natalie had been telling new stories every time she came.
"Haa~"
After a white breath passed before his eyes, Bagan let out a sigh as if the ground would sink and began to explain the reason.
"I just hate winter. Because it reminds me of someone."
(......)
Sally watched Bagan silently from the air.
"Would it be rude to ask who?"
"Doesn't matter. Want me to tell you?"
Then Gion nodded. At that, Bagan began his story.
"There was an angel named Barret. An angel who only looked at me. She was so warm that she doesn't match this cold winter at all. That's why I can't muster strength either. Because she's still in my heart. Because I'm afraid she'll be cold."
It was a story of Bagan's that could be called absurd or made up. However, Gion's expression gradually brightened.
"I see. Anyway, I'm glad. That you're still Bagan."
Bagan turned his gaze to Gion, who said such words.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Even with such powerful strength—no, even if you're the strongest guy in the world—you don't get cocky, and it seems like you're the kind of guy who acts according to your own will."
Whooo~ After Gion's words, the chilly winter wind passed by persistently.
"Ugh~ Cold. Well then, have fun. Tell Bloomberg to keep his work hours tomorrow... I'm going."
Putting his hands under his armpits, Gion waved once at Bagan as he left, then headed toward the guild building.
Even after Gion disappeared, Bagan couldn't take a step, replaying what he had said.
"Not getting cocky, huh~ Gion's something else."
After mulling it over once more, Bagan soon shuddered from the cold and entered the inn.
"Hey~ Where's Gion? Did he leave?"
"Hmm, Bloomberg, he said not to be late tomorrow!"
"Krha! You think I won't be late? In winter, being late is a given! Krha! Have a drink!"
"Sure!"
Bagan was eating with Bloomberg again, with Natalie sitting in his arms.
***
Chirp chirp! Sparrows chirped, breaking the silence and starting the busy daily life.
"Kkeuuuaa!"
After staying indebted for a long time at "Sweat Shed by Iron," Bagan stretched and looked around. The blue leaves, the fresh sprouts, and the flowers by the roadside welcomed Bagan. Even though it was early morning, children freely walked among them, people carried things on their heads, and carriages rumbled past. The noisy front of the guild building announced that winter had passed. Decisively—
"It's warm."
Bagan savored the sunlight warmly pouring down from the morning.
(Is it finally today?)
"Yeah. First, report to Gion."
After lightly exchanging words with Sally too, Bagan headed toward the guild building.
"Gion!"
Bagan, who went straight to Gion's room, called for Gion without knocking.
"Ah, Bagan! Is it today?"
"Hmm, sorry for not showing my face during winter."
"It's fine. I'm sorry for forcibly calling you when you had such a story."
Gion hadn't forgotten the words he exchanged with Bagan in early winter. Bagan, who was even more grateful, bowed his head to Gion.
"I'm departing for De Marinda today. After that, De Pruna. And next, heading to De Seiran."
"Well, I know what you mean by saying that. It means it'll be hard to return to De Meca."
Gion's eyes were already determined. His expression also seemed to say that it was enough even without Bagan. It seemed like he had already done a lot.
'It's not particularly like that, with one teleport...'
(Bagan, please, this is a touching moment...)
At Sally's words, Bagan didn't bother to voice it out either. Rather, he thought that if he suddenly visited, it might be even more welcome.
"Here! Take this. It's what Montihall hyung-nim gave and what I prepared."
Bagan ended up receiving various things in a fluster. Checking what he had prepared during that long winter, it was a new registration card.
"This is a Titanium rank registration card?"
"Even Adamantium rank wouldn't be enough for you, but the authority I can give is up to there. And the others are recommendation letters from Montihall hyung-nim not only for De Marinda but also for De Pruna and De Seiran. All of them are Dragonians and royalty, so it's possible."
Recommendation letters were optional, but the Titanium rank registration card was different. Of course, passing would be quick, but it was an exceptional situation to be issued without even taking the exam.
"Thanks. I'll definitely come back. This place is like my hometown."
"Chi, what hometown... Hurry up and go. Time doesn't wait."
"Hmm!"
Thus, Bagan came out of Gion's room.
Thud thud!
Then, someone who had been listening with their ear to the door stood there pretending nothing happened.
"Huu~ Natalie!"
When he looked at Natalie with a mischievous smile, her eyes quickly turned red.
"Bagan-niiiim~"
Biting her lips tightly, Natalie rushed forward, and standing at a slight distance were Paul and Reina. Bagan soothed Natalie sufficiently. In the space filled only with her crying sounds, the voice that was heard was from Reina's mouth.
"Bagan, of course it's not related to the Sog Kingdom, but I think there's a direct connection. Take care of yourself!"
"Well, you could think that way."
She was still being tsun tsun. Leading Natalie past her, he looked at Paul standing silently.
"Paul, if you make Natalie get hurt, you're dead."
"Of course."
Nodding, Paul vowed to protect Natalie even if he died. Paul was the guy who had realized his shortcomings in the battle with Caliban earlier and had been working hard. He felt stronger than before, but there were still signs of inadequacy. However, it was to the extent that he could entrust Natalie to him.
"Bagan-nim! I can take care of myself too, you know?"
"Got it. Is it okay now?"
"Yes, my heart has calmed down a bit. Please don't get hurt and come back safely."
Natalie, whose emotions were at her own will—crying then laughing—but such an appearance was just cute.
Now, letting go of Natalie's hand and completely turning his back as he went down to the first floor. Other adventurers followed to the end and waved from the stairs of the adventurer guild building. Following them, the Dawn's Wolf party members waved. Unable to hold back, Natalie tried to shed tears. Seeing that, a smile spread across Bagan's face.
"It's really departure!"
(Yeah!)
Thus, Bagan moved to De Marinda, the city with the sea and romance.