< 136. Come, Spring (1) >
#136
“Welcome to Lodolan.”
Karaka with an eerie smile on his face entered the fortress. The group who took turns looking at each other’s faces followed him into the room.
thud. The moment I closed the door the warmth mixed with the sea breeze disappeared without leaving a trace. Every time I exhaled pure white steam dissipated. Ronan cursed as the chill bit his skin.
“I thought things were getting better.”
“You will feel better if you wear this.”
The cabinet next to the door was filled with coats worn by guards and interrogators. Karaka who was searching through the cabinet looked back at Asher and said.
“Hmm I don’t know if there are any clothes that fit your physique.”
“Oh no Miss…!”
Asher protested gritting her teeth. Luckily she was able to find clothes that fit. Four people wearing fur hats and gloves took steps again.
“There are less people inside than I thought.”
“Because access is controlled and we can’t stand it. On average I spent about three times as much time warming up to her as I did facing the witch. “It would be a little better if you had prepared a separate defense plan but it looks like you don’t have anything like that.”
“I see…damn but isn’t this too thick?”
Ronan muttered irritably as he walked down her stairs. Her clothes were so thick that it was difficult to see beneath her feet.
“I guarantee you that after a while you will think that even that is too thin. “Close her collar tightly.”
Karaka said with confidence. It seemed like the Winter Witch was amazing. He said that many changes have occurred since the witch was sent to Rodolan.
“It’s a bit annoying to have to make sure the prisoners don’t freeze to death but it’s still not that bad. “There are a lot of new torture…or rather interrogation methods.”
“Which one is it?”
“It’s simple. Just strip her of all her clothes and throw her in a prison cell near the witch. “After just a few repetitions even the most steadfast prisoner will break down in body and mind.”
Karaka described in detail what it felt like to cut the toes of her frozen hands with scissors. Also the story of a prisoner who had his tongue stuck to the floor and had to be cut out.
“We call it ‘frozen.’ Haha isn’t it fun?”
Karaka huffed shaking her shoulders. So no one laughed. Only Ronan who was now used to it responded in a grave voice.
“How about we warm up the top and just take off the pants and throw them on? “Even if my leg breaks I can still hear the answer.”
“Oh…you seem to have a talent for being an interrogator. “Didn’t I tell you this before?”
Erzebet and Asher looked at the two people as if they were devils from hell. They entered deep into Lodolan listening to the screams of the prisoners.
As I went down the stairs I felt the temperature drop rapidly. People with pale lips passed by them.
“Damn it…! “Go quickly!”
“It’s impossible to destroy that thing…you cursed witch…!”
As Karaka said people were leaving to warm up. Footsteps echoed incessantly. After walking for about thirty minutes they stopped in front of a huge gate.
“Now we are there. Ahead of this is the Abyss Giudecca the deepest place in Rodolan.”
It seemed as if it had reached the roots of the reef. Perhaps because it was under the sea outside my ears were deaf. The all-black door seemed to block the entry of shapeless ghosts.
“Rodolan’s three-year budget was used to build this door. If you look at the corner over there the names of the artisans who worked hard to keep the empire safe are engraved.”
Karaka who was giving some minor information put the key in the door hole. Rumbling…! The door opened with a sound like vomiting thunder. A chill that I had never experienced before hit the four of us.
“Hey!”
“This much….”
Asher screamed. Erzsebet’s face which had maintained its composure distorted for the first time. Ronan pressed his fur hat harder and took a deep breath.
“Damn it…!”
“Hehehe. Isn’t it huge? Thanks to this all the violent criminals imprisoned in the Giudecca had to be moved upstairs.”
Ronan gritted his teeth. As Karaka said the coat has lost its meaning. It felt like the cold turned into a knife tearing my skin and tearing through my internal organs.
It was a level of cold similar to the one she felt when she caught the witch in her previous life. The group moved forward along the long hallway. A halo of blue light was flickering in front.
The rumbling sound was coming from there. Eventually an open space appeared. The group’s eyes widened.
“Here…”
It wasn’t as wide as I thought. About a dozen people were gathered in groups of threes and threes standing around.
Most of them seemed very used to coming here. It was impressive that each person had prepared their own defenses to withstand the murderous cold a little longer.
“Damn if I had known it would be this bad I would have brought something too…”
There was a woman holding a magic tool that produced heat and an old man wearing the skin of an animal she had never seen. They were looking at Ronan and his group who were only wearing thick clothes as if they were strange animals. Karaka said extending his index finger and pointing to the back of the people.
“That’s the lady in question.”
A huge pillar of ice stood in the middle of Juteca. A bluish glow was seeping from the surface of the ice.
Although it had color it was basically transparent allowing the inside to be seen clearly. Erzébet with his eyes wide open muttered as he touched the scar on his neck.
“Ibelin….”
Ibelindroza the Witch of Winter curled up inside her like a fetus. She was an ordinary girl a bit thin. I couldn’t see her face because she had her face buried in her knees.
Her hair which had been floating in the air before hardening turned white. It was an eerie white like dead coral a far cry from her Iril’s beautiful white hair.
“Damn…it’s so cold hurry up and get this over with!”
At that time she saw a knight in splendid armor and a man who appeared to be his squire walk out from among the people gathered. In the hand of the knight which was as large as a bear was a battle hammer so ferocious that it could have been considered a streetlight. He shouted looking around at the people around him.
“I am Baron Bunta a knight of the Kingdom of Hmatu! “I will save the fallen empire by breaking the evil witch’s shell!”
It was a grandiose shout as if threatening. The servant next to her clenched her fists and shouted.
“You can do it Bunta! “You will become a hero who saves the empire!”
“Of course haaaaap!”
The knight called Buntar raised his arms above his head. The hammer fell in a huge arc and hit the ice.
Kwaaaaang! A loud noise rang out and the hammer head exploded. Bunta his face as hot as lava fell on his butt.
“Kwaaagh! “Hand my hand…!”
The armor made of metal shattered. The hammer with only a stick remaining fell to the floor. There wasn’t even the slightest scratch in the ice that surrounded her witch. Bunta who was trying to get up let out a scream.
“Huh! “The cow’s hand was stuck to the floor…!”
“Joe just be patient! “I’ll take it off!”
The servant hurriedly ran to me but his hand did not come off. Bunta was eventually able to regain his freedom only after he sacrificed part of his palm skin to Lodolan. He fled through Juteca hiding his hands which had frozen and turned into gloves.
“It’s not a good country to call it Hmatu or anything. “A guy like that is a baron.”
Ronan laughed as if he was shocked. Seeing handprints like that left on the floor it seemed like this wasn’t the first time an idiot like Bunta had been involved. Karaka looking at his back sighed.
“These days most people are idiots like that. “Wanting to be a hero.”
“Can I just go and try it?”
“Waiting for your turn comes first. “Everyone here has come to break out of their shell.”
Karaka looked around at the people and said. As expected before the sound of Bunta’s sobbing disappeared another person came out and stood in front of the ice.
The middle-aged woman was wearing a robe with the symbol of the Manwol Magic Tower engraved on it. She said in a quiet voice.
“This is Mage Urslo from the Full Moon Magic Tower. “Let’s get started.”
It seemed like it was customary to reveal one’s name and affiliation. A low chant flowed from her woman’s mouth. Ugh…! Nine huge magic circles were created surrounding the witch and then nine huge rock pillars shot out.
Kwaaaaang! A sound about nine times louder than Bunta’s hammer rang out but the ice pillar that was revealed as the dust settled was still intact. Pursing her lips she turned her back.
“Excuse me.”
“It’s better that way.”
It wasn’t bad to see her calmly accepting her failure. Even after Bunta and Uslo attempts continued. People tried to break the ice in their own way and they all failed.
Among the challengers there were especially many wizards and among the magic they used there were some that looked good even to Ronan who was an outsider. Every time that happened Asher and Erzebet’s eyes lit up and they appreciated the magic.
“I can’t believe I drew the mana circuit that way…! As expected many outstanding talents are coming.”
“Uh yeah. “I think it can be applied to other places as well.”
I couldn’t understand what was being said but it certainly seemed like it was having a positive impact. As expected it was a good idea to bring him. It was a car where I spent time thinking about various things. Ronan noticed that no one new was coming forward.
“Oh it’s my turn.”
“Ro Ronan…! cheer up!”
“I can do it.”
Asher said clenching his fists. Erzsebet also sent simple encouragement. Ronan walked forward and stood in front of the ice pillar. The witch was still asleep with her body curled up.
‘also.’
Ronan who saw her ice twisted her lips. His vague reasoning was consistent to some extent. The shell surrounding her witch felt similar to the crystal that covered her own body.
‘…a little different.’
But when I asked if it was exactly the same it wasn’t. Although it seemed similar it felt quite different.
Should I say it is the difference between a shield and a prison? If Ronan’s crystal was made to protect something this one seemed to be made to trap it. He gently touched it with his finger but the ice did not melt or crack.
‘I have no choice.’
Now I had no choice but to destroy it. Ronan tugged at the hilt of his sword. Slurp! La Mancha’s sword body dyed red appeared.
“This is Ronan from Phileon.”
He opened her mouth keeping her eyes fixed on the witch. He didn’t need to waste any time. Ronan took his stance and swung his sword. Kaaaaang! A belated collision sound rang out.
“Surprise!”
“What is it? “When did you swing it?”
People were startled and shrugged their shoulders. No one at the scene saw his sword strike. Ronan frowned feeling his bones crack.
“…It’s solid.”
The ice was intact. Although about 30% of the blade was dug inward it was far from the ‘complete destruction’ he was aiming for. The panicked people sighed.
“That’s right.”
“Wait a minute isn’t that the blade inside the ice?”
“That can’t be possible. “You probably saw it wrong.”
They all reacted indifferently probably because they had no expectations in the first place. Either way Ronan had no intention of giving up.
‘If it is chipped away even little by little it will eventually break.’
Even huge rocks are eventually chipped away by raindrops. He was just about to put away his sword to try again. Something strange caught my eye.
‘hmm?’
Ronan narrowed his eyes and studied the ice. Sharp scars were engraved on the bluish surface. It was a faint trace that you couldn’t help but miss if you didn’t look really closely.
‘This shape…I saw it somewhere.’
Ronan tilted his head. Even though it seemed like his drawings were made at random there was a beauty of balance. It was unnatural to say that it happened by chance. After thinking for a moment Ronan switched his core.
‘perhaps….’
From here on it was purely an act of intuition. Ronan raised his hand and placed it on his pillar. And sparkling mana flowed onto the surface of the ice. Suaa… Blinking mana began to fill her scars like water flowing down a ditch.
“What are you doing?”
“Hey if you’ve seen the ball quickly get out of the way. “We have to destroy that dragon before it comes.”
People waiting for their turn began to grumble. She couldn’t help it because the sparkling mana was invisible to other people’s eyes. The mana that had been spreading along her scars stopped expanding. Ronan’s eyes widened as if they were about to pop out.
“This is…!”
It wasn’t a coincidence either. The shallow scratches in the ice painted a familiar picture. I felt like I was hearing voices in my head.
-【Funny sound. Do you think that the lives of my servants and those of you insects have the same value?】
– At least it is to me.
The scenes she had seen during Hae-ju passed before her eyes at high speed. Ronan still remembered the world he saw through his eyes. Ronan stretched out his hand as if possessed and touched the shining scar.
‘What on earth…what is your intention?’
He had only seen it a few times but he could never forget it. It was a sword blade used by the progenitor savior of Nebula Clazier who kicked up the sky and cut down dragons.
