Chapter 306
I instinctively reached for my sword to swing it, but stopped when I realized the figure in front of me was a human, not a monster.
Even though he had his mouth covered with a cloth and wore a hat pulled down deep over his head, he was definitely human.
“Shh.”
The man made a gesture for me to be quiet, then lifted his hand from my mouth and pointed silently toward the entrance of the cave.
Following his finger with my gaze, I saw the giant peering in.
‘……!’
My eyes widened. The giant was trying to force its way inside by pushing its body through the entrance.
Given its size, it could only fit its head through the entrance, but astonishingly, its body was merging with the icy wall as it slowly passed through.
‘Is it not an ordinary giant?’
The moment I saw its face, I was once again shocked.
The face, which had been hard to see in the darkness, was entirely made of ice. The ice giant, crudely sculpted from pure white ice, had already succeeded in pushing its upper body through the wall.
At that moment, the man beside me tugged on my sleeve. It was a sign to flee immediately.
‘Come to think of it, the giant’s movement through the wall has significantly slowed down.’
Realizing the giant could pass through the ice but move slowly, I nodded.
We retreated deeper into the ice cave. Though the paths branched out in all directions like a complex maze, the man seemed to know the way perfectly and moved without hesitation.
After a long trek, and thinking we had evaded the ice giant, the man finally stopped.
“This should be far enough.”
Phew.
The man lowered the cloth from his mouth and exhaled a breath he had been holding.
The youth, hidden beneath the cloth, had curly brown hair and a face that seemed no older than his early twenties at best.
“It’s safe to talk now. We’ve lost it.”
“…Thank you for saving me.”
“Huh?”
The man, Ringug, widened his eyes in surprise, not expecting my gratitude.
I found his reaction puzzling. Why was it so surprising to thank someone sincerely?
‘This man, he seems to know something about me.’
The fact that he had saved me so naturally implied there was more to the story.
Looking at my reflection on the smooth ice wall, I saw myself clearly.
My skin was as white as the first snow of early winter, completely flawless. My long black hair, starkly contrasting my skin, flowed like silk woven from the night sky. I couldn’t help but admire my appearance.
‘Is this the form of my incarnation?’
The mysterious aura that emanated from my appearance clearly indicated that this incarnation was not an ordinary human.
While I examined myself in the ice mirror, the man who had been waiting patiently spoke cautiously.
“So, what’s your plan?”
“Ah, excuse me. What do you mean?”
“I’m planning to return to the city. Are you coming with me?”
“…I don’t have anywhere else to go, so I’ll follow you.”
“Is that so… Oh, where are my manners. My name is Ringug. And you are?”
“I am…”
I was about to introduce myself.
“Kaira.”
Before I could speak, my lips betrayed me and uttered a different name.
I was startled by my own words, but Ringug nodded as if he had expected it.
His reaction did not go unnoticed by me.
“Ringug, you know something, don’t you?”
“Of course. It’s happened several times before.”
“Several times…?”
I recalled that I wasn’t the first to come here. Many Tellers before me had been exiled to this place.
If they had taken on incarnations, what form would they have taken?
‘They must have appeared in this form too.’
And, Ringug had met those predecessors.
Seeing my expression, Ringug gestured for me to follow him.
“Since you probably don’t know much yet, let’s move while I explain.”
“Understood.”
I followed Ringug through the ice cave.
As we walked, Ringug explained everything he knew. He told me about the predecessors who had been here before me and how survivors had gathered in a city to live together.
I nodded occasionally, responding to his words as we walked.
The first thing I noticed was that Ringug was quite talkative.
He kept talking without pause, and I found it fascinating how he could do that. Surprisingly, it wasn’t unpleasant to listen to, suggesting he had a natural talent for it.
The next thing I realized was that this world was in worse condition than I had imagined.
Due to the sudden [Curse of the Frozen Land], this world had become covered in ice.
Ice giants, manifestations of the curse, roamed the land, killing any humans they encountered.
“What are those ice giants?”
“I don’t know the details. They appeared with the curse, so they’re probably related. We call those monsters Yarnehorim, which translates to Frost Giants in our language.”
“They seem very dangerous.”
“Indeed. Yarnehorim, those Frost Giants, are incredibly dangerous. You saw how they moved slowly through the ice wall.”
I nodded.
Seeing them pass through solid ice was like a scene from a horror movie.
“Their entire bodies are made of ice. If you accidentally touch them, you’ll get frostbite instantly, even us Gardians.”
Gardian referred to the natives of this world.
Born with exceptional physique and strength, they were a people who did not feel the cold.
They were similar to the Scots or the Germanic tribes on Earth, but far superior.
I thought my incarnation was similar to these Gardians.
“Although it’s possible to kill a Frost Giant, it’s difficult to do alone. You have to behead them or target their core to kill them. Besides, I’m more of a scout than a fighter. I was lucky to find you while wandering around. If I had been a little late, you would’ve been in trouble.”
Before long, we left the ice cave and stepped onto a vast, white plain.
The sky was still overcast with dark clouds. Occasionally, the wind swept the snow on the ground.
In the distance, giant rock formations carved by the blizzard loomed like massive tombstones.
“Hmm. The weather is calm, and there’s no blizzard right now.”
“Judging by your reaction, that’s not a common occurrence.”
“Exactly. Since the Curse of the Frozen Land, the weather has been unpredictable. It’s rare for the wind to be so still. We’re lucky. Let’s move quickly.”
Crossing the icy expanse, we finally stood before a massive mountain.
“There it is.”
“There?”
“Our city is there.”
At the base of the mountain was a passageway just large enough for a person to pass through. Ringug went in first, and I followed.
Unlike the natural ice cave we had fled from, this passage was artificially constructed.
As we went further in, the passage widened. My vision, which had been narrow, suddenly expanded, revealing a massive ice wall.
The grand ice wall, carved from ice, stood tall, and within it were buildings that could indeed be called a city.
The wall was made of ice, but the buildings inside were made of wood and stone. A tall spire in the center naturally drew the eye.
“Welcome to the city of survivors, Gard.”
This place, carved inside a giant ice mountain, was the last city of the Gardians, who had survived the Curse of the Frozen Land.
* * *
Following Ringug through the city gate, the air that touched my skin changed instantly. The temperature inside the walls was warm and pleasant, like a spring day.
I could see the inside of the city more clearly.
‘Despite appearances, it has a rather gloomy atmosphere.’
While it did have the scent of human habitation, the people’s expressions were filled with gloom and anxiety. Those walking on the dry pathways quickly avoided my gaze, and some even sent hostile looks my way.
I couldn’t understand why they were so hostile toward a stranger, and Ringug gave a bitter smile.
“Sorry, please understand. Everyone’s on edge. We’ve had many casualties among the scouts recently.”
“Even so…”
“You’re wondering why they’re overly cautious of you, right? It’s understandable.”
“Did my predecessors, or the ones before them, cause some serious trouble?”
Ringug didn’t answer, only offering a bitter smile.
Passing through a sparse marketplace and arriving at a narrow square, a group suddenly blocked our way.
Among them, a young man with a mean look in his eyes glared at Ringug and me.
“Ringug, what have you done?”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you even realize what you’ve done?! You brought that witch here!”
It wasn’t hard to guess who the witch was.
I sighed softly, closing and opening my eyes.
I didn’t know what the previous incarnations had done, but the fact that they openly called me a witch suggested it wasn’t anything good.
‘No one seems to want to intervene.’
Looking around, people were merely watching.
I must have been naive, thinking everyone would welcome me because of Ringug’s kindness. I didn’t expect such rejection from so many.
“Witch? Hender, don’t you think that’s a bit much?”
“A bit much? The only thing that’s much is your thoughtless actions!”
Hender, the man, yelled angrily.
“Have you forgotten what the previous witch did? What atrocities they committed?! They’re no help to us! They always look down on us!”
Ringug didn’t bother to argue. Or rather, he couldn’t.
Hender lowered his voice, half-threatening Ringug.
“Ringug, drive that witch out. For the sake of Gard.”
“Sorry, I can’t do that, Hender. As a scout and rescuer, I saved someone who was about to die. Besides, Hender, don’t you think it’s hypocritical to say that while you’re holed up inside the city?”
“What does that have to do with anything?!”
“I mean, you have no right to make such statements.”
“You…!”
Just as Hender’s face twisted with rage and he was about to shout, a commotion started from the back of the crowd, like a wave.
I narrowed my eyes, listening intently.
I heard people murmuring, “Lean is here,” and “Is he here to meet her?”
At the same time, Ringug, who had been taunting Hender with a mocking smile, also stiffened.
Before I could ask who was coming, a man appeared, parting the crowd.
‘That man…’
He had the most radiant blonde hair among everyone there.
Compared to the predominantly brown or gray-haired Gardians, his hair was extraordinarily rare.
He appeared to be in his mid-twenties, but his half-closed eyes and melancholic face made him look older.
His decadent gaze, wrapped in a fur armor, landed on me.
‘What’s with those eyes…’
For a brief moment, I noticed a change in Lean’s gaze when he looked at me.
It was fleeting, and before I could comment on it, Lean spoke first.
“Follow me.”
With that, Lean turned and walked away.
As I hesitated, Ringug pushed me forward.
“Just follow him. My role ends here.”
“…”
There was no way Ringug would say that without reason. Nodding, I followed Lean.
Hender, who I passed by, glared at me as if he wanted to kill me. His followers did the same.
It was as if they were saying they wouldn’t tolerate any mistakes.
I ignored those hostile glares.
‘Where is he taking me?’
The place we arrived at following Lean was a somewhat shabby inn.
Why would this city even need an inn? Before I could wonder, Lean led me inside.
Unlike the chilly outside, the interior was filled with warmth. It was almost stiflingly hot.
“This will be your place from now on.”
Leaving those words, Lean turned to leave.
“Wait a minute.”
“…What?”
He stopped, not even turning to look at me.
His blatant disregard didn’t bother me at all.
“Since I’ve come this far, I’d like to hear a detailed explanation.”
“Giving explanations is not my job.”
“What….”
“I’m busy, so don’t hold me up. The owner here will explain.”
Without waiting for a reply, Lean quickly left the inn. It was as cold as the winter frost.
“Lean, that brat.”
At that moment, someone muttered irritably from the kitchen.
A robust woman in her forties with impressive arm muscles appeared. She glared intensely at me standing idly.
“What are you standing there for? Sit down somewhere.”
“Excuse me…”
“Use any empty room on the second floor. You don’t have any luggage anyway. Just stay out of sight and don’t wander around.”
The innkeeper wasn’t friendly either. She said what she had to say and disappeared into the kitchen.
‘Things don’t seem very good.’
Despite being called the city of survivors, the people’s faces were filled with despair.
Moreover, the survivors held a strong hostility towards me, or rather, this incarnation called Kaira.
Not everyone was like Ringug, but there were more people who weren’t.
‘I have to take it step by step.’
To do that, I needed to get closer to people.
Why did Lean bring me here? And who is this innkeeper?
At the very least, she seemed to know Lean to some extent.
“What are you doing?”
When I entered the kitchen, the innkeeper glared at me. Her muscular arms twitched.
Though she looked intimidating, I responded with a soft smile.
“I was wondering if there was anything I could help with.”
I needed to get closer to her first.