The Shaman's Request

"Is this acceptable?"

"Yes. My grandfather always said that helping others is good, but you must collect payment from those who can afford it. Otherwise, you'll starve."

"That's quite a pragmatic grandfather."

"He rose from a common soldier all the way to knight commander."

After the tournament at the temple concluded, Yuran and Elsid sat in a small adventurer guild located in Agatram, filling out a single document as client and designated target respectively. More accurately, Yuran was the one writing while Elsid simply watched.

"Yes, the request has been confirmed."

Once the form was complete, the black-haired boy at the reception desk took the document away. With that, the designated request was officially established. In exchange for information as compensation, Elsid would lend Yuran his strength.

If one were to ask how things had come to this, Elsid had stopped by the adventurer guild to submit his completion report for the hero candidate escort request, met Yuran whom he had brought along, and after some conversation, accepted her suggestion to form this mutual assistance contract.

"Then I'll be counting on you, Client Yuran."

"N-no, the pleasure is mine. Elsid."

Thus, Client Yuran and the adventurer who accepted her request, Elsid, set off toward the northern region without a moment's waste.

The sky was filled with white clouds, and a man and woman climbed a snow-covered mountain range.

"The northern region is closer than I expected."

"The Ice Palace where ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I live is at the very entrance of the north. Besides, Agatram is practically the entrance to that entrance, separated only by a single mountain."

Elsid wore the thick black coat made of bear hide that he had bought in Nao and kept stuffed in his pack until now. Yuran, clad in a similarly thick brown coat of a different color, replied. Thanks to their coats, the two were able to maintain their body heat while ascending the snowy mountain, their breaths slightly labored as they made their way toward the Ice Palace.

"By the way, what exactly is this Snowflower Sword?"

Whether to pass the time or because he had been curious from the start, Elsid asked Yuran as they walked side by side.

"It's the title my sister earned after participating in the tournament to determine the strongest warrior of the north. She won the finals and became champion. Someone gave her the name after seeing dozens of swords made of snow defeat her opponents."

The name sounded beautiful, but its origin was quite martial.

"Thanks to winning that tournament, my sister became the guardian of the Ice Dragon's shrine—the most honorable position—surpassing all other warriors of the Ice Palace."

Yet the more she spoke, the sadder Yuran's expression became.

"Now that guardian is trapped alone in the shrine, surrounded by countless ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠enemies..."

"Then, by 'rescue,' do you mean—?"

"Let's continue this conversation later. It seems we've arrived."

At Yuran's words, Elsid looked straight ahead. After pushing through the snow, they had reached Yuran's village—the Ice Palace.

A village buried in snow—the Ice Palace.

"So this is your village."

Elsid looked around as he spoke. Igloos built from blocks of snow stood everywhere, and people wearing bear hides or thick fur coats occasionally passed through his field of vision.

"Then allow me to guide you to my home first."

While Elsid took a brief moment to observe his surroundings, Yuran took the lead and headed somewhere. Her destination was an igloo tucked away in a rather remote corner of the village.

"What exactly do I need to do?"

"As I mentioned earlier, my sister—the Snowflower Sword—is surrounded by countless enemies and trapped alone in the shrine."

"I heard that part. Then who are these enemies surrounding her?"

Elsid asked as he removed his black coat upon entering the igloo. Yuran answered with a dark expression.

"Snow Wolves."

"Snow Wolves?"

"Yes. They are a subspecies of werewolves that live in the Frost Forest beyond the Ice Palace. They lack the trait of physical enhancement under a full moon, but otherwise they are nearly identical to werewolves as monsters."

"There are monsters like that?"

"Yes, there are."

From there, Yuran continued her explanation. The northern region of the continent was divided into three zones. The Ice Palace occupied only ten percent of the habitable northern area—the entrance. Twenty percent consisted of the North Sea, home to marine life. The remaining seventy percent was the Frost Forest, filled with frozen trees and snow.

Elsid now understood that the north was split into the Ice Palace, the North Sea, and the Frost Forest.

"However, there is one strange point. Snow Wolves are extremely powerful, yet they are monsters that normally never leave their territory. For some reason, they descended all the way to our Ice Palace and suddenly attacked."

"That is strange."

If Yuran was correct, Snow Wolves possessed a strong territorial instinct. So why would they do such a thing?

"Fortunately, thanks to my sister the Snowflower Sword fighting them off, the villagers—including myself—were able to escape. But that was the last time I saw her, battling near the shrine."

Elsid could feel the deep sorrow in her words.

Well, I suppose that's enough thinking.

People with good heads on their shoulders were the ones who should do the efficient thinking.

"Where is this shrine located?"

"It's between the southernmost part of the Ice Palace village and the entrance to the Frost Forest... but why do you ask?"

"I'm going to save your sister."

Elsid put his black coat back on and spoke to the puzzled Yuran. There was no longer any reason to delay.

"Are you truly all right going alone?"

"I've run out of patience to leave things as they are any longer."

Having left the Ice Palace, Elsid stood at the path leading to the shrine. Thankfully, Yuran had guided him this far.

"Thank you. I'll go on alone from here."

"Please take care of yourself."

Leaving Yuran's words behind, Elsid advanced. From here the path was a straight line, so even someone as directionally challenged as Elsid had no fear of getting lost. Because it was a cold region, the days were short and the sun sank quickly, yet visibility was still manageable. He moved forward slowly and cautiously.

While walking, Elsid spotted a flickering campfire not far ahead. He hid behind an ice boulder and observed the area around the fire. Several shadows came into view.

Two meters tall, with lithe builds and bodies covered in visible muscle despite their fur...

So those are Snow Wolves...

Aside from their white fur—unlike the silver fur of werewolves—he could find no other differences. Their fangs and claws were identical to the werewolves Crane had transformed into before. They were roasting meat from their hunt over the campfire they had lit and devouring it ravenously.

Indeed, with their entire bodies covered in fur, they had no need to worry about losing body heat. The reason they had built a fire was simply to cook their meat. That alone made it impossible to dismiss them as mere beasts that ate raw flesh.

Fortunately, there are only two of them...

Two Snow Wolves were greedily tearing into the roasted meat. Whoosh. Thud. Clatter. Elsid picked up a stone lying on the ground and threw it in their direction.

"Grr..."

One of them reacted.

"Grr..."

"Grr."

The two Snow Wolves exchanged beastly sounds, communicating with each other. Then the one that had reacted first moved toward the spot where the stone had landed to investigate. Once some time had passed and only one Snow Wolf remained at the original location—

"Take this!"

Elsid revealed himself and swung his Arming Sword—still in its scabbard—at the lone Snow Wolf.

Clang!

"Grr!"

However, the Snow Wolf reacted with incredible speed and blocked Elsid's attack with its sharp claws. There was no time to be surprised. He had no idea when the other Snow Wolf that had left earlier would return. Before that happened, he needed to render the one in front of him combat-incapable.

The Snow Wolf that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had blocked the attack swung its other claw at him. Seeing this, Elsid immediately rolled his body and struck the Snow Wolf's leg with the sword in his hand.

"Grr!"

The Snow Wolf let out a pained cry. One leg was now temporarily unusable. As a result, its center of gravity shifted to its remaining leg, causing its head to lurch forward. Elsid aimed for that head and swung his Arming Sword, but once again the sharp claws blocked the attack.

"Grrng!"

Yet despite blocking the attack, the Snow Wolf let out another cry of pain. The secret lay in Elsid's wooden sword, which was striking the Snow Wolf's abdomen. In that single moment, he had demonstrated the true value of dual-wielding attacks from different directions.

"It's not over yet."

But the real attacks were only beginning. Seizing the opening created by landing the first proper critical hit on the Snow Wolf before him, Elsid swung both swords without rest. Even if ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠one strike was blocked, the second and third would land. As time passed, he used the opponent's quick reflexes against it by attacking out of rhythm, landing clean hits. The longer the fight continued, the more Elsid overwhelmed the Snow Wolf...

"Grr..."

In the end, he reduced the Snow Wolf's entire body to a pulp and claimed victory.

"Huff... huff... That thing had one hell of a tough hide."

Having secured victory, Elsid gasped for breath. It had been an exhausting fight.

"Grrrng!!"

And as if that weren't enough, the other Snow Wolf that had briefly left returned at the worst possible moment.

"Haa... So the second round starts already."

Looking at the Snow Wolf, Elsid gripped the two swords in his hands even tighter.