Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Wind of the West
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"Granny said the wind from the west is the great Bahrr."
"Bahrr... So, that's the word for mage in your language?"
"Bahrr, Bahrrsha. Same thing as mage."
Shmok, who had gone into the tent, returned quickly. Having properly heard the story from inside, he continued his explanation with a confident expression.
"Where is this wind from the west?"
"At the end of the frozen west."
Swoosh—
Shmok stretched out his hand and pointed to the blinding white snowfield.
"How much farther from here?"
"I don't know. I've never been there. Granny said she doesn't know either."
"Pardon...?"
"I only know the direction. No one goes there because it's too cold."
The people of Eilsnor described it this way. Perhaps it was a place so frigid that your feet would freeze the moment you stepped in. As I pondered that alone, Shmok stood up from his seat.
"Is that all?"
"I've told you everything I know. If you need anything else... feel free to ask. Bahrr Lumia. You're our village's benefactor. We'll give you whatever we have."
Shmok seemed to feel the information he'd provided was quite lacking. Since I planned to stay a few more days anyway, it wasn't a proposal I could refuse. I nodded and made my request.
"I'm thinking of staying one or two more days. Just some food and a place to sleep, please."
"As much as you need."
The dawn at the boundary between day and night. A strange time when both moon and sun hung in the sky, the pure white snowfield sparkled in navy blue. It almost looked like the sea.
I naturally shifted my gaze away. Staring blankly might make me fall into that white navy sea.
"Hoo..."
I breathed heavily and looked around. I'd walked to a spot not far from the tribal village. The pure white snow beneath my feet changed shades with the shadows.
The vast expanse was excessively quiet.
Even after a long sleep, Lionel and the expedition members hadn't returned. Were they planning to leave just like that? I'd thought we'd grown a bit close, but greed made even short-lived bonds meaningless.
I took the golem core from my pocket. The quiet surroundings were perfect for focus.
Too many useless functions.
The golem core was terribly inefficiently designed. Forming the body required an unnecessary amount of energy. Reducing size and increasing durability would be far more efficient.
Because it was made by ancient people?
Passed time signifies human progress. Of course, that doesn't always mean the new is definitively better than the old.
At least, in front of this golem core, I could say it with certainty.
I'm much better.
Better than the one who designed this core. The new core structure would be far more advanced. Nature's mana whispered it. This was conviction.
How should I restructure it? The deliberation didn't last long. Inspiration rising in my mind naturally showed the way. Clear out the useless parts and carve a wide path. As my Mana Circle began to rotate, mana from my body flowed through my hand into the golem core.
Similar to when I repaired the Warden Stick. Not difficult. I'd done it before.
No need to supply mana... It should sustain infinitely. Base it on the Mana Circle...
Whoooosh—!
Nature reacted to the mana flow. Wind burst from underfoot, wildly shaking my cloak and hair. The piled white snow shot up into the sky as if time were reversing.
For the body, just gather whatever's nearby...
Rumble—!
The golem core in my hand shook violently. Strange. The internal structure was simpler now, yet it thrashed as if it couldn't hold.
It's at its limit...
If the core were larger, maybe, but as is, it couldn't hold more functions. The Mana Circle took up a lot of capacity. But it was fine. I'd met the minimum requirements.
The moment all work finished, the mana enveloping my body exploded outward. White snow scattered like an explosion with the natural wind.
Right after, I lightly tossed the golem core in my hand. It rolled forward across the snowfield, then absorbed mana. The surrounding white snow began sucking toward one spot.
Crunch—
Compressed to the extreme, the snow formed a body. What emerged was a two-meter-tall doll made of pure white snow.
The reborn golem did nothing. It just stood blankly in front of me, as if awaiting orders.
"Oh..."
It came out exactly as I'd envisioned. Now, what about strength and durability? The golem's command system was simple. Move and swing. As I thought it, it moved accordingly.
Thud—!
Each step of its heavy legs echoed with thuds, and its massive arms swung with menacing whooshes.
"Not bad."
Durel and I decided to leave about two days later. Shmok provided us with one means of transport as we prepared to depart: a large snow sled and a white wolf to pull it.
Over those two days, Durel had been sticking close to Shmok, who must have taught him how to drive the sled.
I don't need the wolf...
For simple labor, I could use the golem. Taking the wolf would require extra food, so I refused it.
"The wolf's fine. I have something else to pull the sled."
At my words, Shmok looked at Durel with a puzzled expression. He must have imagined something gruesome. Before more misunderstandings piled up, I pulled the golem core from my pocket and tossed it forward.
The core flew lightly, absorbed snow, and in the next moment became a two-meter giant.
"Huh..."
"Master... this is..."
"A golem. I pulled the core from there, remember?"
Durel nodded blankly at my answer. He circled the snow golem, inspecting its body closely.
"Incredible... like what you did with the Warden Stick...? This is..."
He'd always had keen mage senses. He was sensing something from the golem. Not wanting to interrupt, I returned the wolf to Shmok.
"Bahrr Lumia. Your companions still haven't returned. Are you leaving?"
I shrugged and replied.
"They left first. No need to wait."
"I'm not sure... But okay. If they return, I'll tell them you left first."
"Do as you like."
Lionel and the rest of the expedition were already out of my concern. They'd abandoned us first. I wasn't kind enough to look after such people.
Besides, I'd achieved my original goal. With the meaning and location of the "wind from the west" known, there was no need to travel with an expedition of different aims.
Better this way.
The end of a chance encounter is a light farewell. Adventurers live like that, mostly. I climbed onto the snow sled with Durel.
"Let's go."
"Is this... okay? No issues with the power source... I worried needlessly."
Depart.
The moment I commanded mentally, the snow golem began moving. With each thudding step forward, the sled slowly followed.
Faster than walking, slower than running.
Maybe boost the speed next time...
Not possible now. The golem core was nearly saturated. If I got another core, making one just for travel might be good.
And so, Durel and I left the tribal village amid Shmok's farewell.
Not fast, but ceaseless movement was a huge advantage. Even while Durel and I slept, the self-moving golem pressed endlessly westward.
Eilsnor was already a wondrous region. Days and nights were short, most of the time dawn. But as we neared the west, the phenomenon intensified.
Day was a blink, night even shorter. With sun and moon together longer, my sense of time blurred.
"Strange place... Nothing like reality... Like another world..."
Durel murmured, staring blankly at the rippling aurora above. I was thinking the same.
Then it happened. The steadily walking golem stopped abruptly. It only halted for something unusual. So, something lay ahead.
Durel and I jumped off the sled and approached.
"Is it broken?"
"Broken? What..."
No way something I made would break. Approaching the golem, I frowned.
Whoooosh—
Before us swirled white wind over the pure white snowfield. An ordinary sight so far. But something was off.
"This is..."
Durel beside me didn't know, but I did. Arcana is the eye that sees mysteries.
A pure white world overlaid with a transparent veil. Something hazy beyond it. That's what lay before us now.
Only passages where wind blew were free. Reaching out, I couldn't touch the other world inside. Special magic. Immense scale. Who cast such a spell?
"What are you doing? Reaching into empty air..."
Something familiar...
Familiarity from this first-time magic. I'd felt it from Golden Wind, Raymond's spells. Frowning, I activated Golden Wind magic.
The transparent veil split with a crack, revealing a massive path of wind before us.
Kwaaaaah—!
"Wh-what...! Master! What magic was that...!"
"Wasn't me..."
I shook my head, frowning. This wasn't my doing.