CHAPTER 88……………………………
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The sorcerer of the snow mountains unleashed his raw, untamed magic in every direction.
The ground split open, trees turned to powder and crumbled, and rocks disintegrated into sand.
“…Call for me, Linnegrim.”
He fiddled with the earring that gave no response.
The cold metal swung idly from his ear.
What if Linnegrim couldn’t call him right now?
No—that shouldn’t be possible. The spell he’d placed on her wasn’t something that would break easily.
Then there was only one possibility left.
He couldn’t hear her call.
And so, once again, he had broken his promise.
“…I can’t hear you, Linne.”
So please—just a little louder.
Speak a little louder so that I can hear you.
Dangerous magic that even he could not control began to leak out.
“If I destroy everything, maybe then you’ll come running to me.”
Yes, that’s right. She’d come, furious, asking how he could dare ruin the holy beast’s mountain, striking at him with those little fists that didn’t even sting.
It was worth trying.
Luce began firing magic wildly. Each burst erupted with a deafening roar.
But louder than the explosions was the pounding of his heart. It throbbed so violently it felt as though it would burst his eardrums.
“…So noisy.”
It was too loud—he couldn’t hear her voice.
—Luce, Luce.
A strange light flickered in his eyes.
A voice—Linnegrim’s voice—reached him.
But he couldn’t locate her. Luce guessed her direction and began to run.
—Hey~ Luce, when are you coming~
“…I’m on my way now.”
Just wait a little longer.
The more Linnegrim called his name, the more the restless magic converged in one place.
Even with the cursed divine power hanging like mist, the path grew clearer.
“Just one more time. Call me one more time…”
So I can find you. Just once more…
—I really do miss you, Luce.
And then, at last, he found a small cave.
As Luce approached, he struggled to suppress his overflowing magic. He was far too violent, too dangerous, his aura oppressive and unstable.
Linnegrim would be frightened if she saw him like this.
But just like his racing heart, his magic refused to calm.
“This won’t do. If Linnegrim sees me like this…”
Step. Step.
“She’ll be scared…”
Finally, he stood before the cave.
“…Linnegrim.”
Would you fear me, too?
“Lu… Luce…?”
In that instant, countless emotions flashed through Linnegrim’s eyes—fear, confusion, surprise—and then, at last…
“…It really is you, Luce.”
Relief.
The small dagger in her hand fell to the ground, and before he knew it, she was in his arms. Luce stared quietly into her eyes, as though gazing into a clear lake—eyes filled with a miraculous shade of green.
Had anyone ever looked relieved to see him before?
His magic was violence itself. A remnant of chaos beyond reason.
Had anyone ever looked at him, the cursed one, and felt relief?
Never before.
Everything—everything was Linnegrim.
The one who worried for him, embraced him, made him restless, and now, the one who gave him peace.
“…It’s all you.”
Yes. All of it was her.
Luce wrapped his arms around Linnegrim, holding her tightly—as if he would never let go.
* * *
“Sniff… hic… sob.”
“…I’m sorry.”
“What are you, hic, sorry for, huh? Sniff…”
Right. Luce hadn’t done anything wrong.
He’d only helped Ethan because she had asked him to. The avalanche had been the fault of those damn golems, not Luce.
He hadn’t answered her call right away only because this was the divine snow mountain.
So really, not one thing was his fault.
Then why—
“Why do I still feel so miserable!?”
Luce wiped away her endless tears. His touch was light, cautious, as though afraid to hurt her.
“Sniff… I think I know why I feel this way.”
“Why?”
“Because you—you keep comforting me! You never do that! Sniff—if people leave me alone, I get over it on my own, but if someone’s kind to me, I just keep crying!”
“Really?”
“Yes! So just leave me alone!”
“But I don’t want to leave you alone.”
“That’s exactly what I mean! Don’t be so nice to me!”
“You don’t like it when I’m kind?”
“That’s not what I—”
Why did he have to be kind now, of all times?!
“It’s not like it’s the first time you’ve seen me cry.”
“Which makes it even more embarrassing… It feels like I only ever cry in front of you.”
Turning her head away didn’t hide her tears, but it made her feel a little better.
“Sniff… you know what? I fell from that high cliff, but I don’t have a single scratch.”
“I know.”
“Did you… do something to me then?”
“When?”
“You know, that time—you pulled some weird trick on me.”
“I don’t know what weird trick you’re talking about.”
“Oh come on! You know! On my cheek—!”
When he kept pretending not to understand, she turned her head sharply—and found his face right in front of hers. His lips parted.
“Oh, that?”
A soft sensation brushed her cheek. She tensed, worried he might bite again, but his lips soon pulled away with a faint, pop.
“Th-that… yeah.”
He smiled faintly.
“I did.”
“I knew it! What did you do?”
“A protection spell.”
“A protection spell? What kind of spell is that?”
“Exactly what it sounds like. It protects you—from most physical harm.”
“That’s amazing! Why didn’t you use it sooner?”
If only she’d had that before! She could’ve been safe even when the palace was attacked!
“…Yeah. If only. It was always going to end up like this, though.”
What did he mean by that?
Before she could ask, he leaned against the cave wall and closed his eyes.
The firelight outlined his profile in soft gold.
“Luce, are you tired?”
“…A little.”
With his eyes still closed, Luce answered quietly. She watched the flickering firelight dance, and before long, his breathing became steady and deep.
So she whispered softly, not wanting to wake him.
“…Thank you, Luce. I was so scared and lost… but now that you’re here, I feel safe.”
Hmm. Saying it out loud felt embarrassingly sentimental, and she scratched her cheek.
Thunk. Something warm rested against her shoulder.
Luce had fallen asleep, his head leaning on her.
“Sleep well, Luce.”
May you dream of peace.
* * *
“Ugh… mmm…”
A chill crept in. She curled up, shivering.
But—why was the floor so warm?
The air was cold, yet the ground felt soft and toasty?
Blinking sleepily, she tried to focus her blurry vision—and saw a familiar black robe.
Then a spill of dark hair, smooth and fine, trailing down a pale neck.
“…Ha. This must be a dream.”
There’s no way I actually slept on top of Luce, right? Ha… ha…
“You wish it were a dream?”
“Oh, please tell me it is.”
Luce was looking right at her—fully awake, and not the least bit drowsy.
How long had he been awake?!
“You sure didn’t seem to mind when you said I was warm.”
He sat up, leaning lazily against the cave wall, and murmured,
“Could you maybe not say things that people could totally misunderstand if they heard?”
“I just said the truth! Who cares if others misunderstand?”
“I care!”
Unlike you, I actually care about social reputation!
“I just hugged you because you said you were cold. Kindness shouldn’t come at such a high price.”
“You can’t just hug someone because they’re cold! You could’ve covered me with your robe or something!”
“I was cold too. I chose the most efficient way for both of us to stay warm.”
“…How considerate of you.”
He was so calm that she felt ridiculous for being the only one flustered.
“Linne, I’m cold.”
“So am I! Sorry, but I’m not taking off my clothes for you.”
“I didn’t ask you to. I was going to say we should just—”
“Here! Take the robe!”
She quickly pulled off her robe and threw it over him. But Luce only pouted, unsatisfied.
“What now? What’s wrong with you? No matter what, I’m not hugging you. If I were some proper noble lady, you’d have ruined my chances of marriage ages ago!”
“Marriage prospects?”
“Yes! Don’t you realize how scandalous your behavior’s been? You’d be called a complete scoundrel if people knew!”
“But you’re the one who tackled me first. It’s unfair that you can and I can’t.”
“When did I ever—?! That thing in the greenhouse was an accident!“
“Mm. Sure. I’ll believe you.”
“I’m serious!”
“Right. People usually call things ‘accidents’ when they’re avoiding responsibility. Didn’t think I’d see it firsthand.”
“Re-responsibility?! For what? We just fell over!”
All we did was fall over! What’s there to take responsibility for?!
“Enough nonsense—let’s find the others. They must be worried sick. The blizzard’s stopped, so let’s move.”
Despite her urgency, Luce remained unhurried. Still seated, he extended his hand toward the cave mouth and fired a bolt of magic into the sky.
BOOM! BOOM!
Like fireworks, two loud blasts echoed through the air.
“That should get their attention.”
Indeed, just as he said, their companions soon arrived, having seen the signal.
“Linne!”
“Waaah! Linnegrim! You’re safe!”
Lauren’s face looked haggard even after just half a day.
“Eve! Senior Lauren! I’m fine.”
“Sir Ethan pulled me out…! Waaah, I was so worried! I was so, so scared!”
Lauren threw her arms around her, Eve rubbing her reddened eyes beside her.
Ethan took the longest to arrive—he must have gone far down the slope searching for her.
“Linnegrim! Are you unharmed?”
“I’m fine, Sir Ethan.”
He checked her shoulders, hands, neck—every visible part—before finally sighing in relief.
“I’m sorry, Linnegrim. I should have been by your side…”
“You don’t have to apologize! This was a natural disaster, not your fault. Let’s just be grateful no one was seriously hurt.”
When their eyes met, Ethan nodded heavily.
—Grrr! Grrr!
Even the snow leopards had followed the signal, running up to circle around her and rub their heads against her legs.
The sight reminded her of the three cubs back at the palace, and she couldn’t help but smile.
“Alright, shall we continue?”
It was finally time to enter the Axsion tribe’s domain.
