Chapter 5B- The Girl in The Cask

“Now, now Yuelei. Sit still or I’m going to mess up.”

A girl with a noble demeanour gently patted Yuelei’s shoulder as she combed through Yuelei’s hair. Yuelei sighed as she had trouble dealing with Arfled’s daughter, Silfy, and her carefree and lighthearted personality.

After the ritual had taken place, Lin had said that the girl would have to stay another month, to deal with any side effects that may occur. Lumnieve and company had frolicked in the gaping hole where the lake once existed while gathering the fish and edibles. A huge bonfire was lit that night, and human and beast alike had sat together and heartily enjoyed a meal.

The very next morning, Lin shooed Lumnieve away. The temporary measure to suppress her freezing aura had vanished later that night, and Arfled had nearly frozen to death. Even Silfy had a thin line of frost along her skin when Yuelei was sent to check on her.

Afterwards, Lin had given Silfy a sleeping drought right along with some tonics. Her father, Arfled, had stayed by his daughter's side the entire time after thanking Lin until he was annoyed and had a scowl on his face. It was the first time Yuelei had seen Lin make that sort of face.

It has been four days since Lumnieve and company had left. Life returned to the way it was, with the exception of an additional person in the winter cabin, and the lack of a lake outside. Arfled came by every day to check on his daughter, and his fatherly dedication was quite admirable.

However, most of the days, Lin would be locked away in the cabin doing who knows what in the alchemy lab or going away on long trips otherwise. He had left a number of potions for Yuelei along with a list of what each of them treated, in case something happened. Yuelei was nervous being alone and in charge of the patient, but Silfy was a masterful conversationist. Before long, the two of them were speaking on casual terms.

“Spare me, Silfy.” Yuelei sighed again. “I have no idea why I decided to let you do this. I haven’t bothered with my hair in almost a year.”

“Eh? No way! But it’s so silky and smooth….” Silfy protested. “And this color…. it’s natural!?”

“I wouldn’t know. There’s no point keeping up with appearances around here.”

“Now, now, Yuelei. That’s not good at all.” Silfy put down the comb and patted her head. “If you ever walk around people, I’m sure you’re going to have a lot of admirers, both male and female.”

“Hmph. What a waste of time.” Yuelei shook off Silfy’s hand and stood up. “If what Lumnieve said is true, then I-”

Silfy interrupted her before she could finish. “Nothing will change the fact that you’re human, Yuelei. Goddess Ecclisa too, was once human, but to protect the weak and innocent she adorned wings and inherited the power of the heavens. You are no different.”

“Ecclisa was human?” Yuelei asked, surprised at this information. “But I was told-”

“That she was an avenger sent from the heavens above? That’s what most people outside our borders believe.” Silfy waved her hands in protest. “The Ecclisa Church has three factions, the first is the Heavenly Sonata, consisting mostly of silver knights, priests, and healers. Then there’s the Templar Order, which consists mostly of black knights, mages, and those that work from the shadows. Finally, there exists the Devout Guild, which consists of the everyday individuals and the militia.”

“Most of what you hear, or been told is given out by the Templar Order, despite protests from the Heavenly Sonata. Although all of us work in the grace of the Goddess, they believe in eradicating any threats. The aspect that Ecclisa was once human is hidden, since some may take that as a sign of weakness.” Silfy explained.

“Is it alright for you to be telling me this?”

“Of course. I do not believe in hiding away the truth. And you are a fellow healer, aren’t you?”

“I am an alchemist in training, and I don’t even have affinity for light based magic. How can I possibly be a healer?” Yuelei sighed.

“Your mentor was an alchemist, and yet he managed to bring me back from the brink of death. What is he if not a healer? And you are his apprentice are you not?” Silfy responded. “I fear that this favor is one I would never be able to pay back in this lifetime...”

Yuelei did not know what to say at those words. Luckily at this time, the cabin door opened and the chilling cold creeped in. Silfy felt goosebumps rising from her skin but they quickly went away as Lin closed the door behind him.

“Yuelei. Why did you not light a fire for our patient?” Lin snapped a finger and a roaring blaze was set alight in the fireplace. “You may be immune to the cold, but do not forget about our guest.” He scolded her as he unhooked his pack and started unloading it.

“I’m sorry.” Yuelei apologized quickly.

“Don’t say that to me. Say it to Silfy.” Lin grumbled as he quickly fetched a pot and left to fill it with snow.

“Sorry Silfy. I didn’t realize.” Yuelei took the hint and apologized to Silfy.

“It’s alright, Yuli. It’s not that cold. Up north, back in the Holy Land, this is considered warm during the Month of Darkness” Silfy laughed. “Don’t underestimate someone that was born in winter.”

“As long as you stay here, you must take care of yourself.” Lin interjected rudely as he returned. “The most dangerous scenario has already been dealt with, but your body is still weak. Your father made great sacrifices for you.”

“Yes sir.” Silfy replied meekly as Lin scolded her as well.

“And Yuelei. Let Silfy borrow your cloak.” Lin directed as he start preparations to make a herbal broth. These past few days have been nothing but the same medicine-tasting stew, but Yuelei dared not to complain.

Yuelei nodded and went to fetch the cloak. Ever since she ingested the phoenix essence, she was immune to the cold. She could even walk outside without the Sheive Cloak and go barefoot in the snow and it would almost feel comfortable. Her Winter’s Breath also seemed to occur naturally now, and like Lumnieve, she would emit an aura of frost, but not as deadly or noticeable. To a passerby, it would feel as if a cold wind had suddenly passed. Realizing this, Yuelei berated herself for not taking care around Silfy.

“...Is this made from a Sheive furskin?” Silfy whispered, as she raked her hands along the pristine white fur. She turned and stared incredulously at Yuelei. “You managed to defeat-”

“No, my old mentor did.” Yuelei responded quickly.

“And this sensation… it’s enchanted?”

This was news to Yuelei, who shot a glance at Lin, who simply shook his head.

“The Snow Princess probably did it.” Lin answered Yuelei’s thoughts. “It’s a unique enchantment which interacts with the Snow Butterfly’s sigil she placed on your heart.”

“Snow Princess?” Silfy repeated quietly.

“A fickle and whimsical being that lives in these mountains.” Lin explained. “She likes to take on the appearance of a young girl, except one should never approach her lest they freeze to death.”

“She… sounds dangerous.” Silfy mumbled. “That sounds like the legend of the snow lady, who appears during snowstorms and lures travelers to their doom.”

Lin did not reply for he knew better than anyone due to his firsthand experience with Lumnieve, where he wandered through a blizzard when he first came to the Whitefrost Mountains. Instead, he finished preparing the stew and placed a lid over it.

“The two of you, come with me.”

Outside.

“Teacher, what are we doing out here?” Yuelei protested, as she shot Silfy a look, who was huddling under the Sheive cloak. Wasn’t Lin the one who said she should stay warm?

“Sparring.” Lin replied, walking over to where Silfy was and dropping the sack he had picked up next to the cabin. From it, he took out a short silver sword and a small silver shield and handed them to Silfy, along with a bright red potion. “A bit of moving around will help her recover.”

Yuelei did not know what to say. She had never heard of having a sick person move around, much less spar out in the cold. However, Silfy simply nodded and equipped the weapons she was given.

“Arfled asked me to give these to you. I assume they suit your needs?”

“Yes, these were the same gear I used during my time in the Knight Academy. Although I would prefer a mace over a sword.” Silfy replied. “And this potion-”

“Drink it.” Lin urged. Yuelei watched as she chugged down the glowing orange-red liquid.

“What is this? I feel… rejuvenated.” Silfy exclaimed as she flex her arm and legs. Her body felt light and the cold seemed to vanish from her fingers and feet.

Lin merely nodded. “It’ll expire in thirty minutes, so make use of the time to get some exercise in. Yuelei will be your partner.”

Silfy nodded and walked out towards the snowfield. The snow covered ground was not quite suitable for a match, but should be fine for some simple sparring. Yuelei stood a bit further away, with her Frost Edge already created and ready.

“A blade of ice?” Silfy asked as she stared at Yuelei’s choice of weapon. “I was wondering this for a while now but Yuelei, are you some sort of snow fairy?”

“No, why would you think that?” Yuelei asked.

“Just speculation, don’t worry about it.” Silfy finished stretching and held her sword out, ready to begin the spar.

“No dangerous magic!” Lin cautioned as the two touched weapons and leaped backwards, signifying the start of the duel.

“May the Goddess grant me protection.” Silfy chanted, as faint white light attached itself to her shield. “And may her grace bless my sword in my time of need.” Faint white light danced along her short sword.

The two of them circled each other as they observed the other's movements. Suddenly, Silfy felt her feet stuck to the ground, and she turned to see that her feet were encased in ice. Sensing that something was off, Silfy quickly held her shield up to block Yuelei’s swing.

“Quite the opportunist, aren’t you, Yuli?” Silfy said as she counteracted with her shield, which forced Yuelei to take a step back to avoid being bashed in. “I had thought that your sword of frost was some sort of magical artifact, but to think you’re using a variant element...” Silfy quickly freed herself from the ice binding her feet with her holy-fire enchanted blade.

“It is nothing special, and only common sense to strike when your foe is distracted” Yuelei said as they exchanged blows. Try as she might, Silfy was extremely efficient with her shield, and would even position it before the next blow came. However, at the same time, Silfy’s fiery short sword was easily blocked by Yuelei’s ultra-light blade of ice and even the flames were extinguished by the chilling blade. Yuelei was slightly better with her weapon than Silfy, but she had no way getting past Silfy’s shield.

Yuelei leaped back and grabbed a handful of snow off the ground. She tossed it into the air and three Primal Ice Bolts formed and shot towards Silfy.

“Goddess, be my shield.” Silfy murmured a small prayer and held the shield in front of her. The faint white light from before grew brighter and brighter, and expanded until it was almost as large as a great shield. The Primal Ice Bolts smashed into the glowing shield and exploded in a flurry of ice, but Silfy was untouched behind the light barrier. She pointed the glowing shield at Yuelei and slammed it with the hilt of her weapon, and a bolt of solid light shot out towards Yuelei.

Yuelei knelt down and placed her hand on the ground as the bolt shot towards her. A wall of ice burst forward and intercepted the bolt, releasing a flurry of harmless ice shards. Yuelei prepared to call forth a Primal Frost Lance just as Silfy pointed her sword upwards and fire started to condense into a spear.

Like a pair of kids comparing the size of their weapons, the two of them started to gather more and more energy to form their spell. However, something suddenly blocked out the sun and blanketed the area in shadow. Both of them stared up to see four elemental spears the size of small hills float around them.

“That’s enough!” Lin shouted as he clapped his hands and dispersed the four lances he had created. “I said you were to spar with a minimum amount of magic, we are here to train, not to see who has the bigger stick!”

Yuelei and Silfy held their heads down in embarrassment and dispersed their spells. For the next twenty-five minutes, they sparred physically under Lin’s strict gaze. When they finally worked up a sweat and were getting familiar with each others attack patterns, Lin called for them to stop.

“Enough! It’s time for lunch!” he called out, and waved for them to get into the cabin.

“By the Goddess, you are amazing, Yuli.” Silfy commented as they gathered around the table. Lin was adding the finishing touches of spices and herbs to the stew and a zesty aroma like that of cilantro permeated all over the cabin. “Your stance and style is remarkable and has few openings, and you possess a variant element. Is it true that you have only been training for a few months?”

“You overestimate me.” Yuelei replied as she set out the tableware. “I did not even manage to break your guard.”

“But….to be able to call four spears of different elements and that size….who is your mentor really?” Silfy lowered her voice and asked. “Isn’t he just a healer?”

Yuelei couldn’t help but recall back to the night of the ceremony. Lin’s spell today was comparable to the destructive ones used by Lumnieve to disperse the Shadowless horde. And the ceremony of rebirth… Yuelei had never seen or heard of magic that could do such a thing.

“Merely a wanderer from a land that no longer exists.” Lin’s voice interrupted before she could answer. “Yuelei, set aside another set of tableware, and prepare an additional bowl. We’re going to have guests soon.”

Yuelei nodded and went to retrieve the items from one of the shelves near the cieling. She had long given up on figuring out how Lin would know such things. Just as she sat back down, someone knocked on the door.

“Come in. Arfled. Liur.” Lin shouted loudly.

“Father!” Silfy shouted and tackled Arfled in a hug as he entered. Liur flew over and perched on Yuelei’s shoulder as usual, and they had a conversation through their minds. Meanwhile, Lin took the extra two bowls and filled them with stew. There was a faint glimmer of a smile on his face as the cabin became rowdy and filled with noise.

“Lin, Sir. As you’ve asked, I’ve prepared lodgings for you and your student...” Arfled said as Yuelei was clearing away the dishes. Silfy was assisting her, and Liur had left.

”As long as the Justinia family stands, you are welcome to stay at our abode as long as you wish. We are forever in your debt.” Arfled promised.

“I did not heal Silfy for a reward, but because it is my duty. There was always a chance for failure.” Lin said quietly. “I am simply asking you for a few favors, and you can consider the debt paid.”

“But-”

“The spell I used draws upon the energy in the land, which is why the spirit’s lake is gone. After I settle things in this place, it is time for me to wander again.” Lin said, with a hint of nostalgia in his voice.

“It is her wish as well...” he mumbled.

“Sir?”

“Never mind. Continue.”

“As for enrolling Yuelei into the Royal Knight’s Academy, it shouldn’t be a problem. However, since she enrolled so late, both her knight mentor and herself will have to go through a combat trial. I will personally volunteer to be her knight mentor, and Silfy can guide her through basic chivalry etiquette.”

“That won’t be necessary.” Lin mumbled. “I will represent her as her knight mentor.”

“But, Sir. With all due respect, one has to be registered-”

“Will this suffice?” Lin reached into his robes and pulled out a gold-lined silver pendant with a cross hanging from it. Delicate runes ran along the sides and a deep red gem sat in the center, and within the jewel was a crest shaped like a rose.

With a heavy slam that attracted Silfy and Yuelei’s attention, Arfled crashed to the ground and knelt on both knees, his pair of swords on the ground in front of him.

“Father?” Silfy opened her mouth to ask before she caught sight of the crest. She quickly stood up and gave a graceful and dignified bow, with one hand at her waist and another behind her back.

“Lin? What’s happening?” Yuelei asked in confusion as she stared at the daughter and father pair. “What’s that you’ve got in your hand?”

“I have no idea.” Lin replied. “A long time ago, on a battlefield, I chanced upon a heavily injured female knight. I healed her wounds and advised her to leave the battlefield as I had watched the knight ranks fall beneath the waves of Shadowless and it was only a matter of time until the battle was lost. She refused and gave me this pendant as thanks for giving her another chance to fight for her people,, saying that it would give me the title of a knight in her country.”

“May I ask if this person had red hair, pure white armor trimmed with silver, and wielded a spear one and a half times her height?” Arfled asked from the ground.

“...I believe so. Would the two of you kindly sit down and explain?” Lin gestured. “I’m getting tired at all of this pomp and circumstance. Does this pendant allow me to act as a knight mentor?”

Arfled stood up with a face betraying no emotion, however Silfy only gazed at Lin in a mixture of shock and admiration. After a bit of hesitation, Arfled sat back down in his chair.

“What you have in your hands is the Rose Knight’s Crest. The woman you happened to help, was Beatrice Lheim, she was one of the heroes during one of the first wars, who led the attacks against the Shadowless when they first emerged from the tundras north of our fair country. To commensurate her deeds, the pope at the time had this crest made. The one who holds it has the same authority as the pope or high priestess themselves!”

“So I assume that means that it is fine for me to act as Yuelei’s knight mentor while she is at the academy, yes?” Lin went straight to the point.

“I… well, no one will dare to stop you.” Arfled replied after thinking about it. When he attended the academy, he was taught that anyone bearing a Holy Crest was an extremely important person. The holder reserves the right to pass it onto anyone they want, and delicate magic ensured that anyone not worthy to hold the crest would have their skin burn on contact.

There were only three Holy Crests ever made. The Pegasus Knight’s Crest was never passed onward after its original holder died, and is now residing in a museum behind tempered glass. The Maiden Knight’s Crest belonged to High Priestess Geisla, who is the current head of the Church. And finally, the last and thought to have been lost Rose Knight’s Crest ended up in the hands of a mysterious individual. Thinking this, Arfled made up his mind and clasped his hands together.

“Healer, I have a request.” Arfled adopted an even more respectful tone. “May I see the Rose Knight’s Crest?”

“Be my guest.” Lin placed the pendant on top of the table.

“Father, what are-” Silfy started to say as Arfled took off a gauntlet. He picked up a the pendant with his other hand and pressed it against his hand, and a sizzling sound was heard along with the smell of burnt skin. Before the others could react, Arfled had replaced the pendant on the table, and a the faint mark of a cross was branded into his hand.

“It’s the real deal....” Arfled said as he put back on the gauntlet.

Arfled rubbed his hands together. “Sire, it is my suggestion that you keep the Rose Knight’s Crest hidden from prying eyes. Although we of the Heavenly Sonata will respect the significance of the symbol, the others may not be so kind. No doubt, you will have those seeking to take it from you by force…”

“That’s going to be a nuisance.” Lin grumbled. “If it just brings me trouble, then I may as well just give it away…”

“No!” Arfled shouted. “Apologies for my tone, Sire, but that pendant was entrusted to you by Beatrice Lheim, the titled Rose Knight that represents justice! You cannot just give it away!”

Lin fingered the pendant, as he thought upon the matter. After a few minutes, he tucked it back into his robes.

“For one reason or another, these titles just keep coming my way…” Lin sighed. “But as long as it serves my needs, I shall hold on to it.”

“Sire.” Arfled saluted, relieved that such a sacred holy artifact would simply be given away like a common bauble.

“Now for the other matter on hand…” Lin left the table and descended the stairs to the alchemy lab. A few minutes later, after several sounds of clanking and hissing, he returned carrying a medium sized parcel and placed it on the table. As he undid the knot, the color of pure gold was visible through the cracks.

“This….” Everyone stared in shock as one by one, Lin took out four bars of gold from the bag. Even Yuelei who had seen plenty of gold and other valuables when she was the Kingdom of Macha’s princess, started to grow curious about who Lin truly was.

“-will be used to pay for any expenses.” Lin finished their sentence for them, pushing the pile towards Arfled. “I am not familiar with how currency operates, so I would like to leave this in your possession.”

“I… cannot accept this.” Arfled shook his head. “Our family is already in your debt. We will cover all of your expenses.”

“This gold will be used to build an alchemy lab and buy ingredients. You have already seen the prices of the herbs I asked you to obtain before. Do you truly believe you can cover that cost at least once or twice a day?”

“….then I have no choice but to accept it.” Arfled sighed as he hesitantly tuck away the gold bars beneath his armor. As he retrieved his hand, he pulled out a small sack.

“I almost forgot. These are the winter seeds you asked for.”

“Yuelei, come.” Lin accepted the sack and stood up and moved towards the door. As soon as the door closed, Silfy and Arfled glanced at each other, and their curiosity led them to follow them.

Lin opened the sack and poured the delicate black seeds into his hands. He slid one of the seeds between his thumb and index finger, and inspected it closely. Satisfied, he knelt and dug with a hand at the densely packed snow until the solid earth was visible. Then he dropped the seed down and covered it with snow.

“Teacher?” Yuelei asked. “Are we planting these seeds?”

“I will be. But you, you will be sparring with me.” Lin raised his right hand forward, his the palms facing downwards. Droplets of water started to condensate beneath his hands, and as Arfled and Silfy watched from the steps of the cabin, Lin’s fabled blue-crystal sabre appeared.

“Do make this interesting for me, Yuelei.”

Lin pointed the sabre at Yuelei, and a heavy gust surrounded him as a green jewel emerged from the skies and floated next to Lin. The ground started to shake and ripple, and an orange jewel appeared from beneath the ground. Finally, Lin traced a finger along his sabre and both a red and blue jewel appeared as he pulled away.

“This is a unique spell unlike no other. Four Sacred Jewels.” Lin said as the gleaming tetragonal crystals rotated around him. “They form an impenetrable fortress with both offense and defensive magic. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some seeds to plant.”

Yuelei watched in shock as Lin sheathed his sword and pulled out a miniature shovel. While the four crystals rotated around him, he knelt on the ground and started digging at the snow. Before Yuelei could fathom his attitude, the red crystal sparkled momentarily, and four Fire Bolts shot towards her.

“Wha-” Yuelei cried out as she deflected the bolts with her Frost Edge, only to watch the crystals sparkle in a kaleidoscopic array of colors and a combination of Fire, Water, Earth, Wind bolts shot towards her in a volley like the barrage of a hwacha.

In desperation, Yuelei raised a large Ice Wall in front of her. Yuelei frowned as she started hearing a cracking sound, and then dove towards the ground as the Ice Wall shattered under the continuous assault.

“Now, now. Yuelei, what are you doing down there?” Lin laughed as Yuelei peeked out from the igloo-shaped barrier she had made to protect herself. She was like a turtle hiding within its shell as the projectiles smashed against the hard ice.

“Ugh.” There was a tinge of red on Yuelei’s face. Biting down, Yuelei stood up and angrily used magic to heave the block of ice at Lin. The red crystal glowed briefly, and a ring of fire surrounded the ice block and melted it into nothingness. The other three jewels reacted by sending more projectiles towards Yuelei.

From the sidelines, Silfy and Arfled watched in shock at the one sided fight. Whenever Yuelei would get too close to Lin, the jewel’s spells would grow in strength and power, forcing her back. Whenever she tried to attack from range, all of her projectiles would be intercepted and destroyed. Even when she gathered the energy for a Primal Frost Edge using the single spell storage ring, Eternal Time, two of the jewels would glow slightly and a ray of fire shattered the summoned blade. Yuelei was constantly dodging and blocking the elemental bolts and lances thrown at her, and the occasional pillars and runes that erupted under her feet, leaving behind small craters. Meanwhile, Lin was casually digging holes and planting the seeds, oblivious and not even glancing at Yuelei.

Finally after a series of attacks that were too close to comfort, at which Arfled and Silfy could not help but tense up with bated breath, Lin stood up and stretched and as he did so the four jewels shimmered brightly and turned to dust. He had finally finished planting the seeds.

“A little bit of realistic training and you’re all worn out.” Lin shrugged as he beheld Yuelei, who was kneeling and panting on the ground. “There are too many unnecessary movements in your steps. Furthermore, you need to control your magic better, most of your frost type spells could fight head on with the Four Sacred Jewel’s basic bolts due to their explosive properties. You simply need to know where to aim them.”

“Yes, teacher.” Yuelei nodded after catching her breath.”Thank you for the lesson.”

Lin nodded and turned towards the cabin. “The two of you are still here?”

“Er. No. I must be going. Farewell, Sire.” Arfled saluted Lin and beat a hasty retreat.

Lin shrugged his shoulders and walked towards the cabin as Silfy ran towards Yuelei.

“I’m fine.” Yuelei grunted as she pushed herself up from the ground. The bitter winter air was soothing and helped her muscles relax. She accepted Silfy’s outstretched hand as her feet wobbled towards the cabin.

“Both you and your teacher are amazing...” Silfy mumbled. “So many spells that I have not seen before, and the ferocity of that battle was-”

“It’s Lin that is amazing. Not me.” Yuelei said quietly. She had thought she had improved, but she could still not even land a single hit on Lin. Rather, he wasn’t even paying any attention to her while he went about digging holes for the seeds.

“Don’t feel down, Yuelei. Your teacher simply has much more experience than you. That’s all.”

“I wish that was the case...” Yuelei had long since realized the difference in power between them. Most of the time when Lin trained her, she would be left alone to a gruesome task. On the few occasions where they did spar, Lin had simply blocked her blows and coached her. This was the first time Lin had revealed an inkling of his true strength.

“Still, this is an unprecedented event.” Silfy continued. “A mage with mastery over four elements is simply unheard of. Who is Lin really?”

“He has taken care of me, and like you, I owe him a great debt.” Yuelei sat on the steps of the cabin. “I know as little as you do. But my prior mentor trusted him, and so do I.”

“Yuelei, you keep talking about this prior mentor of yours… is he as powerful as Lin is?”

“‘She’. And she was powerful in her own way.” Yuelei said quietly. “Not many magical beasts are willing to let a free meal go free, yet she raised me as one of her own.”

Silfy turned to her in utter shock. “You were raised by beasts?” She blurted out.

“It’s… a bit of a long story.”

“Well, we have time now, don’t we?”

After dinner, when Lin had left the cabin again into the night. He had returned briefly to drop off a Ghost Hare for dinner, and stating that he would be returning a little bit later, and not to wait for him. Yuelei had butchered and prepared it in a roast. Silfy, who was normally quite talkative, was quiet and reclusive after she had heard Yuelei’s time with Gallienoir and Liur.

After taking a few small bites from her meal, Silfy sighed and put down her knife.

“No appetite?” Yuelei asked as she held another sliver of meat to her mouth.

“No, I was just thinking how different we are. Most of my life, I have spent at the Royal Knight’s Academy under Ecclisa's guidance polishing myself to inherit the Silver Knight title. Yet in under two years, you have achieved so much and gained so much strength.”

“It’s not enough.” Yuelei responded. “When I told Lin about the five divine beings that are the strongest on the Eiloong continent, he had simply laughed and said that the truly strong hide their power. Only when they need to be in a position to rule, they would declare their power to the world. There are many unsung and unknown people who are as strong, or possibly even stronger than the current five.”

“Five?” Silfy wondered aloud, but then quickly realized Yuelei has been out of the loop for a while. “Yuelei, another individual has declared themselves as someone who has also reached the divine being stage. Empress Xeina of the Kingdom of Macha.”

Yuelei felt her heart clench at the news. Only Liur, and to an extent, Lin, knew of her lineage. Her Winter’s Breath fluctuated at the news and a cold wind blew around inside the cabin.

“Yuli? Are you alright?” Silfy touched her arm in concern only to reel back in shock as Yuelei’s skin was as cold as ice.

“Ah. I’m fine.” Yuelei caught herself in time and the cold air gradually vanished away. “My thoughts strayed for a moment.”

“I… see.” Silfy was doubtful, but did not press the matter further, instead quickly changing the subject. “If you are going to travel around to look for your brother, I would suggest obtaining a Knight’s Title. It will help you get around and it's generally recognized by most factions on the continent, especially the League of Adventurers.”

“That would be useful...” Yuelei nodded after thinking about it. “And I may be able to learn a thing or two at this Knight’s Academy. I am quite proficient with frost magic, but not so much with water or wind.”

“Can’t Lin teach you to use it?”

“He can’t. When I asked him, he had said that his form of magic is unique and it won’t work for me. I can barely manage to condense water and wind magic, much less cast a simple bolt.”

“That’s… rather surprising. I would not even realize it, seeing how you manipulate magic so well. How were you flying before if not for wind magic?”

“ I only started learning magic about two years ago. My flight comes with this magical anklet around my feet. And my magic is… a bit primal and volatile compared to most spells.” Yuelei explained.

“That may not be a bad thing.” Silfy nodded. “Although I admit your spells may be a bit dangerous, they are much powerful than the original version.” After a moment of silence, Silfy suddenly asked. “Yuelei, can you promise me something?”

“It depends on the promise.”

“I have no doubt that as soon as you enter the Knight’s Academy and reveal your power, the Templar Order will try to recruit you as a mage. Please, please be wary of them.”

“Why?”

Silfy responded stiffly. “They believe in using power to subjugate others and converting them to Ecclisa's will. To them, all non-believers are ignorant and lesser of those of the believers, thus causing them to revel in their acclaimed ‘superiority.’ Yuelei, you must not go down that path.”

“Fret not, I have no inclinations to join any factions.” Yuelei shook her head. “While I do believe that Ecclisa was probably a great person, I do not believe in something that I cannot see nor touch.”

“But you can see her. In our time of need, the High Priestess or Priest possesses a sacred spell that allows them to call upon her for aid. Once a year, there is a celebration where they perform this spell and Ecclisa blesses us with her presence.”

“I said that incorrectly. What I mean is that I don’t believe in someone who is worshipped because they possess power. If strength is all that takes for one to start a religion over, then any divine being with enough strength can easily start a cult for their own purposes.” Yuelei recalled Jourmind’s words.

“I understand.” Silfy nodded. “What you say is absolutely correct, which is exactly what the Heavenly Sonata expresses, refusing to impose its faith unto others. Sadly, the other factions think differently. I pray that you will not be drawn into the Holy Church’s politics.”

“That would be for the best. But speaking of politics… was it one of the other factions that cursed you?” Yuelei asked apprehensively.

“No… it’s a long story.” Silfy looked away, unwilling to meet Yuelei’s gaze. ”It was chalked up to be the work of the Shadowless.”

“The Shadowless… I’ve heard them before and was warned of them, but what exactly are they?”

“That’s a question with a complex answer. I am not overly familiar with them, but the academy teaches that they are the true nightmares of all creatures brought to existence. Some resembles magical beasts, others have neither shape or form like blobs of utter darkness, and few, few resembled humans.”

“Luckily, they are weak to light, yet for some reason, they are attracted to it, like moths to a flame. However the inhabitants of the Holy Land of Ecclisa are mostly of the light element, and every few decades, the Shadowless try to invade.”

“One must never get too close to the Shadowless.” Silfy’s eyes stared into that of Yuelei’s. “A light touch will cause numbness. A grip will cause bruising and decay. And finally, if you are engulfed by the Shadowless, your flesh and even your bones will turn a dark gray before withering away.”

Yuelei’s skin started to sprout goosebumps as Silfy started telling stories of the Shadowless. Bustling and lively areas turned into a ghost town, houses in the wilderness with their inhabitants gone and missing, footprint trails suddenly ending in the middle of nowhere, the eyes that creep out of the mountains when darkness falls.

“Wait, then if your country uses street lamps to keep the darkness at bay… what is protecting us here in the cabin?” Yuelei asked.

“I don’t know, but my best guess is that there is some sort of barrier set up. The normal Shadowless are dangerous, but they lack intelligence. They lack the ability to climb walls or fly.“

Yuelei could recall Arfled’s words about finding this place. If a barrier could almost keep a powerful silver knight away, then it was plausible that the Shadowless would not get through it.

But why did the barrier disappear the night of the ceremony then? Yuelei thought. Is that why Lin had sent me to fetch Lumi?

“Yuelei, you’re thinking about something again, aren’t you?” Silfy lightly pulled her arm.

“Ah, how did you know?”

“You have a habit of running your finger behind your ear when you’re deep in thought.” Silfy pointed out.

“...Is it me or are you actually looking out for these sort of things?”

“Erm, yes. I was.” Silfy admitted guilty. “It was part of the training I had in recognizing mannerisms and etiquette. Father said that it would be useful for dealing with other knight leaders when the time comes. It is a bit of a habit now.”

“That actually seems rather useful. Being able to discern your opponent's style and habits in battle is no weak feat.” Yuelei complimented.

“Oh, Yuelei.” Silfy nudged her gently. “You say that but you know when to make your compliments count. If I didn’t know better, I would have said you’d make a fine noble woman.”

“Speaking of habits,” Yuelei deflected the comment and reeled back the subject. “Have you noticed anything about Lin or your Father?”

“Father tends to be a bit more humble and is quite honest to his feelings. Then again, knights in our country usually don’t engage in the wordplay that the ladies go through whenever there is a gathering. Your teacher however… sometimes he seems to stare intently at blank space, and sometimes he even makes the slightest of faces towards nothing in particular. It’s a bit strange, have you noticed it?”

“I wouldn’t worry too much about it.” Yuelei replied quietly. “Sometimes, I feel as if there is someone else here in the cabin when I was alone and Lin had went out. Sometimes, when I return from whatever training teacher had assigned me, things would have moved around and dinner would be prepared. “

“It’s not a Shadowless,” Yuelei reassured Silfy as she glanced around the dark corners of the cabin. “If I had to place it, it’s like some sort of watcher. I believe Lin probably placed some sort of enchantment or spell in the cabin.”

“But that’s just creepy.” Silfy glanced behind her. “What you described sounds like-”

At that moment, one of the cups fell off the table with a loud bang. Yuelei and Silfy shot glances at each other and laughed nervously. Then the large ladle leaning against the fireplace fell onto the ground with a clatter.

“I-” Silfy clamped onto Yuelei’s arm. “What-”

The cabin door slammed open causing Silfy to let out a scream and prompting Yuelei to instinctively shoot a Primal Ice Bolt at the dark figure.

“...Care to explain what is happening?” Lin, who caught the projectile with a hand and smothered it in flame, said as he glanced at the two girls staring at him with wide eyes.

A loud crash caused Yuelei to waken from her slumber, frost magic gathering at her hands. She shot a glance at Silfy who was sitting upright on the bed. Very quietly, Yuelei brought out her Frost Edge as she tiptoed over to the window and peered outside.

“What is it?” Silfy whispered as she joined her, crouching beside her.

“Just a friend.” Yuelei put away her blade and gestured for Silfy to be at ease.

“Is it the phoenix you told me about?”

Yuelei shook her head. “It’s a mutual friend. Come, I’ll introduce you.”

Hello Yuelei. A voice greeted her as the two of them made their way towards the new arrival.

“Hey Mouno. Are you looking for Lin? He went out a little while ago.” Yuelei greeted the large white fluffy creature, not unlike that of a giant round pillow. “Silfy, this is Mouno. He ‘was’ a slime before he went through a mutation after ingesting… some stuff he should not have eaten.”

That’s rude. I can’t help but want to eat things. Mouno’s large eyes slanted and the fur on his body rippled at the movement, before turning to observe Silfy. So that’s the girl? She seems to have recovered well. Her complexion is less pale.

“Greetings. My name is Silfy, a trainee from the Knight’s Academy.” Silfy quickly regained her composure and gave an elegant bow, complete with delicate footwork, a flourish of her dress, and a salute with her armaments.

Why is she dancing? Mouno asked, oblivious to Silfy’s greeting. Is this some sort of ritual?

“Er. I suppose so.” Yuelei responded. “It’s how we introduce ourselves.”

I see. Then I will return the gesture. Without waiting for a response, Mouno turned to Silfy, a mouth appearing from beneath the white fur and like a vacuum, the air was sucked inwards. And then Mouno’s deafening roar boomed out like a sonic wave, dispersing the snow beneath their feet.

“Uh. He says hello.” Yuelei awkwardly translated after her ears stopped ringing. “And that it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“That’s… some greeting.” Silfy complained as she withdrew her fingers from her ears. “In any case, why did he come to visit?”

The lady sent me here as per Lin’s request. Mouno’s voice answered, and Yuelei conferred the message to Silfy. I had arrived a bit too early it seems.

“Are you going to return later then?” Yuelei asked.

No, I will just sleep here for a while. Mouno responded and closed his eyes. With a small tilt of his body, he started to roll around in the snow, causing flurries to fly up into the air. After digging a hole that was roughly half the size of his body, with a ripple flowing along his fur, Mouno slipped into the den. Good night. Mouno said as the furry portion of his body that wasn’t hidden under snow suddenly stiffened into quills, like that of a porcupine.

Silfy, who was staring wide eyed and mouth agape at Mouno who had buried in the ground like a hedgehog, reached forward to try and touch one of the quills not quite convinced it was fur. Yuelei pulled her hand back.

“I wouldn’t. There’s a toxin in the quills.” Yuelei warned. “Let’s leave him be. He traveled through the night to get here. I am going to go out and gather some Snow-touched Yam from the cave, why don’t you go back to the cabin and get some rest?”

“No, I think I’ll come with you.” Silfy shook her head. “I have never gathered yams before, so it’ll be a valuable learning experience.”

Yuelei said nothing, but secretly admired Silfy’s response. The prior year she had lacked a lot of what Lin dubbed ‘common knowledge’, and was in the same situation as Silfy. When she had grumbled about not being allowed to use magic to do chores like heating water for the bath, cleaning her hands, refilling the water supply, or disposing of waste to Lin, he had gotten angry. The two girls slowly trekked towards the cave garden, Yuelei recalled this story for Silfy.

“….And he made me sit on the ground as he scolded me for a good hour.”

“Lin did?” Silfy could hardly imagine Lin getting angry. In her eyes, he radiated a sense of inner peace and wisdom all the time, like that of a monk that had long reached enlightenment.

“He did. But I didn’t understand why until the next day.”

“Do continue.” Silfy prompted.

“As soon as I had woke up, he handed a fishing pole to me and we went fishing. Neither of us said anything until both of the lines were in the water.”

“--

‘Yuelei. If you used magic to catch fish, how many fish do you think you can catch?’ He had asked. I told him ‘all the fish in the pond’.”

He nodded and then asked, ‘Now, how many fish do you think we would catch if we stay here the entire day?’ After thinking for a moment, I said I didn’t know. Sometimes we catch a lot, sometimes we don’t catch any.’

‘Now, if both you and I were mages that want all the fish in this pond, what would happen?’

‘Then you would probably take all of them, because you’re the stronger one. If we were similarly matched, then we would try to come to a compromise.’

‘Exactly, now, what if you were a simple fisherman trying to catch that day’s dinner, and I was a mage that wanted all the fish in the pond?’

‘Then I wouldn’t get any.’

‘Do you understand now?’

--”

Yuelei recited the conversation word for word. As she finished, Silfy closed her eyes and placed her hand against her heart.

“I see. Lin would make a fine leader if he was a king or emperor.” Silfy commented. “It's no wonder that the Rose Knight’s Crest ended up in his hands after all.”

Yuelei shook her head as she watched Silfy’s eyes brim with admiration. In her perspective, Lin’s analogy only served to deepen her yearning for power. If she was the strongest mage in that situation, she would only need to take care not to make enemies. However, she understood the sentiment that one must not use magic without caution, one powerful mage can ruin the lives of many, and in the process, make many enemies. Gallienoir had taught her there was many types and forms of magic, and even the strong can fall to a dedicated adversary.

“Here we are.” Yuelei pointed towards the side of the valley wall, where a large boulder jutted out unnaturally from the landscape, concealing the entrance to Lin’s underground garden. As the two of them slid into the cavern, Yuelei started to explain where and how to gather the yams.

“You know, Yuelei. Do you think Lin has a lover?” Silfy suddenly asked, breaking the silence as the two of them started the journey back to the cabin, each carrying a small bag weighed down by the Snow Yams.

“Pft.” Yuelei almost choked on her own saliva.

“I mean, he’s quite powerful and well versed in several trades. Despite his features being a bit different from the men of my country, he can be considered good looking.” Silfy explained. “If he was a guest in one of our night parties or gatherings, I’m sure the ladies would be intrigued by him.”

“I think if he was given an invitation, he would decline.” Yuelei shrugged. “Plus, if I remember what Lumi said correctly, Lin has… some history.”

“Oh? That’s a shame. Lin doesn’t seem like the type to have multiple lovers either...” Silfy sighed. “But alas, my curiosity only grows.”

“Why don’t you just ask him?” Yuelei said halfheartedly. “Knowing him, he’s not the type to turn away from a question. “

“Ehh. That’s a bit too much to ask.” Silfy shrugged. “I’m curious, but it’s rather rude to ask upfront. Which is why I’m asking you!”

“I’m not really interested in that sort of thing.” Yuelei pointed to some bushes and tried to change the flow of the conversation. “Those bushes will have Taw Berries in a few months. Lin brews a fine wine with those. Is it popular where you live?”

“Taw Berries? We have a different name for them, Red Juleps. A recently made bottle of wine distilled from them goes for a several silvers, and a well aged one goes for at least ten times that amount!”

“Coins…?” Yuelei’s attention was drawn back to Jourmind’s lectures. One hundred copper coins equals one silver coin. One hundred silver coin equals one gold coin. Jewelry and jewels have a variable values. Due to the difference in the countries’ values, barter was the primary method of trade.

“Yeah, I think the last one that went on auction went for eight gold coins.”

“I see.” Yuelei started to wonder how should she start building funds for the eventual journey she would take.

“Are you worried about something? Your habit is showing again.” Silfy laughed.

“I was lamenting that I know don’t the value of money around here,” Yuelei admitted. “Back in the Kingdom of Macha, one copper coin was worth a chicken’s egg, and one silver could get you a chicken.”

“The Kingdom of Macha? Is that where you’re from?”

“It was my home for a while until… circumstances caused me to leave.” Yuelei evaded the question.

“I see. I don’t know about the price of goods there, but one copper coin can get you half a dozen low-grade eggs, and fifty coppers would get you a whole chicken.“

“That’s… really cheap.”

“The really expensive food stuffs are vegetables. There’s a really short season for growing crops in the Holy Land, so we have to import from the other countries. The few plants that do grow year-round is often bland or foul tasting, so most meals consist of meat and grains.” Silfy explained.

“That’s no good. You have to eat your greens.” Yuelei replied, remembering her cravings for liver back when she was weathering out the Whitefrost. “-Or liver.”

“Liver is quite expensive too…”

“Quiet. Do you hear something?” Yuelei quickly used a hand to cover Silfy’s mouth. They were at the final stretch of the journey back, and she heard something in the air that wasn’t the howling wind.

“What is it?” Silfy whispered, her hands moving towards her weapons.

“The sound of a flute.” Yuelei replied before speeding up her pace. “We should hurry.”

A few minutes later.

“By the Goddess. How is this possible?” Silfy gaped in awe as she beheld the sight around her. Besides her Yuelei had a similar expression as the two of them made their way through the field of flowers. The entire valley was blanketed in hues of color, a stark contrast to the white and untouched snow. Even the cabin in the distance was covered in white vines, and patches of small flowers were in bloom across the roof.

“There’s faint traces of magic on the flowers.” Yuelei pointed out. “I think it's the reason why they can survive in this cold.”

“To think magic can be used this way...” Silfy rubbed her eyes. “This scene, and this melody…. truly makes my heart waver.”

“What do you mean?”

“The melody tells a story of a someone who, no matter how unseemly and futile, struggled to keep a promise. I…” Silfy sniffed. “Even the Heavenly Sonata’s choir can’t convey such imagery so vividly.”

Just as Yuelei was about to comment, the music faded away. The two of them looked towards the bridge where Lin’s lonely figure waved at them next to Mouno.

“Drink this.” Lin handed two small vials full of dark red liquid to Silfy and her father, Arfled.

Silfy peered at the liquid potion while Arfled uncorked it and poured the contents into his mouth without question.

“It will provide protection from the cold.” Lin explained. “You’ll need it where we are going.”

“It doesn’t have anything to do with Lumnieve, does it?” Yuelei sighed inwardly.

“We are invited to the Frost Palace for a farewell party. And since she did me a favor by having Mouno stay here in our absence, we are going to humor her...”

“Wait, we’re going to a party? But I don’t have any of my dresses!” Silfy complained.

“….I think you’d want to wear something warm instead of a dress.” Lin pointed out. “Arfled, you should pack some of the extra blankets we have beneath your armor. Silfy, make sure you keep Yuelei’s Sheive Cloak on. We will leave in an hour, and from there we’ll leave straight for your manor.”

“Yuelei, come with me for a moment.” Lin gestured towards the underground lab.

“Here, I’ve refilled the Four-Chambered Flask.” Lin placed the specially crafted bottle with four different liquids. “When we leave, it will be up to you to refill the chambers with whatever you wish.”

“Also, take this as well.” Lin placed a roll of parchment on the table and spread it out, revealing a hand drawn map of the five countries, along with several triangles all over the place. “Those triangles symbolize small dwellings that I had made while traveling. They’re relatively well hidden, but if you can find them, they’re marked with magic meant to conceal your presence. If you are lucky, you may even find me at one of those dwellings.”

“I understand..” Yuelei said quietly, realizing that the year Lin had promised her was soon to be over. “When will you be leaving?”

“Probably after I settle some things with the Church of Ecclisa” Lin replied. “Fret not, I will make sure to get you into the Knight Academy, and make sure nobody would give you trouble before I leave.”

“Thank you… for everything.” Yuelei made to bow but Lin stopped her.

“It’s still too early for farewells. Plus, the reason I’m doing it is to avoid a terrible outcome.” Lin shook his head. “If something were to happen to you, the Snow Butterfly Sigil on your heart will notify the others, and I fear that all of the Holy Land may suffer an unending blizzard for years to come.”

Yuelei covered her heart with a hand, recalling the almost traumatic experience where she had been pinned down by Lumnieve.

“That woman does not know restraint. For your sake, and the sake of the world Yuelei, pick your battles carefully.”

“I always have.” Yuelei replied.

“Let us hope that is the case.Come, let us meet up with the others.”

Outside.

“She should be here any moment now.” Yuelei said as she peered into the sky. A few seconds afterward, Liur emerged from behind a cloud and flew down to meet them.

Hello Yuelei. It has been some time.

“Hey Liur. We’re ready whenever you are.” Yuelei responded, nodding to Lin.

Then we’ll catch up later, follow my tail wind and I shall lead you to the castle of ice.

As Liur took off, the tattoos of tiny butterfly wings on Yuelei’s feet shimmered briefly and the anklet activated. One of her wrists were grasped by Liur’s claws, which allowed her to move quickly. Lin clapped his hand and small circle of green wind converged beneath his, Arfled, and Silfy’s feet, lifting them gracefully into the air and following behind Yuelei.

“So this is what it’s like to soar in the skies” Silfy’s voice was lost in the wind, but the smile on her face was enough to reveal her feelings. After what was a few minutes of powerful winds as they climbed ever higher, they finally breached the clouds and their speed slowed down. Other than Yuelei and Liur, the rest of them were covered in a thin layer of frost which Lin casually swept away with a wave of a fire-wreathed hand. At their new pace, the trip was much more enjoyable.

Before long, Yuelei gestured for them to slow down, relaying instructions from Liur. They hovered in place for a few moments, unsure of what was going to happen, when the clouds beneath them started to quickly dissipate and vanish, revealing the Frost Palace below them.

“No.” Lin refused Lumnieve’s absurd request again. As soon as they had finished their ‘feast’ of wild meats and fruits, Lumnieve had been pestering Lin to conjure up a hot spring so she could ‘enjoy the experience’. Arfled and Silfy were explaining Knight Academy etiquette for Yuelei, while Liur had perched herself above Drak’s head.

“Come on, Lin. We all know what’s going to happen. I will just keep pestering you and you’ll keep refusing and then finally after a few days, you’ll just give up and go with the flow. Plus, I’m sure I’m not the only one-” She points towards Arfled and Silfy, who were shivering from her aura. “Who could use a hot bath.”

“There’s no such thing as ‘hot’ when you’re around.” Lin grumbled.

“Merely semantics. Plus, I’m sure you can deal with it.”

“…...Are you serious?”

“I assure you, Lin. I am quite serious”

“Fine. For the sake of our friendship and to humor your whims.” Lin muttered a few words under his breath before finally nodding.

“That’s what you always say.”

“...There’s no beating you is there.” Lin sighed.

“Nope! And you’d best remember it!” Lumnieve boasted.

Lin sighed and picked himself up from the frozen chair. Lumnieve had gone a step further for the party and instead of conjuring and shaping ice into furniture, she had procured some from who-knows-where. That did not stop them from being covered in a layer of frost however, and sitting on bits of ice was far from comfortable.

“The stairs are to your right!” Lumnieve shouted after him. As soon as Lin left her line of sight, she started walking over towards Yuelei.

“Yuuu~li~” Yuelei tried to push Lumnieve away, but she was glued to her arm. “I’m not going to let you leave me~”

Arfled and Silfy couldn’t help but exchange glances. Was this really the rumored and all powerful figure from their legends that lured unsuspecting travelers to their doom in snowstorms?

“Lumi, what are you doing?” Yuelei used a hand to keep Lumnieve’s face away.

“Expressing my love to my beautiful Yuelei in hopes that she would stay here with me.” Lumnieve replied without a hint of shame.

Yuelei groaned and futilely tried to get Lumnieve off her before finally giving up. Shooting a glance at Silfy and Arfled, she moved away to prevent them from freezing to death from Lumnieve’s aura. However before she taken two steps, the ground started to shake violently.

“An earthquake? Here?” Silfy held onto Arfled’s arm for support.

“Ah, Lin seems to have finished. As expected from one who was blessed by the spirits.” Lumnieve clapped her hands and the entire palace seemed to reorient and stabilize itself. “But that was faster than expected, did Lin get stronger again?”

Stronger? Lin? Is that even possible? Yuelei couldn’t help but think.

Of course. Liur’s voice answered her from across the chamber. As I have, you too must grow stronger.

Lumnieve’s voice stopped Yuelei before she could reply, “Let’s go check out those hot springs Lin promised me!” She snapped her fingers and a flock of blue butterflies materialized from the walls, flitting around them. Then the ground vanished from beneath their feet.

When the butterflies dispersed and their vision returned, they beheld the site of a large, steaming hot spring carved into the icy ground. Lin was sitting next to the edge, one of his hands in the water. Six obelisks with red runes adorned all over surrounded the pool, alight with red flames.

“…What is this?” Silfy nudged Yuelei.

“I wish I knew.”

“Lin, Lin, Surely you have some manners. You’re not expecting all of us, male and female, to go in together right?”

Lin grumbled in an archaic language that nobody seemed to understand, except for Lumnieve. Lumnieve laughed in what would have been a charming gesture if not for her age. With an overly dramatic wave of his hand, Lin created an Earth Wall, splitting the hot spring into two sections.

After much hesitation and refusal from Yuelei, Lumnieve finally got annoyed and used a bit of magic to drag her into the hot spring. When she glanced at Arfled and Silfy with the same eerie smile, they ‘voluntarily’ entered.. Satisfied, she left stating that she was going to bring some friends.

“...I’ve never had a bath this enjoyable before.” Silfy sighed in contentment, sitting next to Yuelei who was ogling her body.

“...Are you really two years older than me, Silfy?” Yuelei asked incredulously.

“Oh? Are you jealous?” Silfy smiled and stood up, walking behind Yuelei, flaunting her assets.

“No.” Yuelei replied quickly. “They’ll just get in the way. I don’t need those sacks of fat.”

“Sacks of fat….” Silfy repeated slowly, a dangerous glint in her eyes. Her hands twitched as she reached towards Yuelei.

“...Rather loud over there, isn’t it?” Arfled commented as Yuelei’s screams echoed in the chamber from Silfy’s tickle attack.

“It is.” Lin replied. The two men were, contrary to the situation, enjoying the warmth of the hot spring, and there was a slight sense of camaraderie among them.

“I know you’ve already heard it, but I am truly grateful-”

“We are both men who simply wish to protect those close to us.” Lin interrupted. “Your wife, I assume she passed away during childbirth?”

“...She did.”

“It must have been hard, raising your daughter alone. It has been only a few weeks, but I can tell she has grown into a kind person. Your wife would have been proud of you both.”

Arfled turned away for at the heartfelt words unable to conceal his emotions. After a minute or so, he replied quietly. “Thank you...”

Before Lin could say another word, a rumbling sound was heard and Lumnieve, and her company of magical beasts had returned. With a loud shout, she pointed towards the hot spring and the creatures reluctantly slipped into the hot springs. Arfled scrambled backwards in shock as a giant Sheive Bear, a frost drake, and what appeared to be a miniature version of Mouno slipped into their side of the spring. On the other end, Silfy watched in horror as a dire wolf the size of a large carriage and a panther with black and white markings swam towards them.

“My turn!” Lumnieve proclaimed loudly as she made a childish leap into the spring. In the span of a few seconds, the water turned lukewarm, then cold, and then bits of ice started forming in the water. Silfy and Arfled started shivering and sneezing, and Lumnieve protested loudly.

“Lin! Turn up the flames! I thought hot springs were supposed to be hot!”

With a sigh, Lin touched one of the obelisks and bits of molten lava started to seep into the water to Arfled’s shock. Cold sweat ran down his back as the flow slowly increased, and finally stopped when the water was the same temperature as it was before.

“Much better!” Lumnieve’s voice shouted out. “I almost feel warm too! So, this is a hot spring! Yuuuuul~li~ let’s play!”

It was a rather merry scene, two young and one ancient -(Lumnieve: Certainly you are not talking about me, right?)-, three young girls were splashing about in the water while several oversized animals looked on. On the other side, Lin was speaking in an archaic language that the beasts seemed to comprehend, and before long, Arfled was drawn into the conversation with Lin as his translator.

Unbeknownst to all except for Lin, another figure was watching the otherworldly scene of the mix of humans and monsters with a gentle smile on her face. Eir dipped her feet into the water with nary a ripple to acknowledge her and started humming a quiet tune.

A few minutes later, it was joined by Lin’s flute.