episode_0119

The colossal moon shrouding the sky steals the sunlight from the earth. Over the land bereft of the goddess’s blessing, a bone-chilling cold settles beneath the bluish moonlight.

The one responsible for this large-scale celestial phenomenon, conjured with a single spell, watched her opponent intently, her tension unrelenting.

“Where’d all the others go? Left you alone? Did the Pack Mule abandon you? Should’ve at least clung to my ankle while running away.”

“…Liel, I think you’ve misunderstood the Pack Mule. He’s not as bad a person as you think.”

“The others said the same damn thing. What that bastard did to me is unforgivable, but oh, he was such a good man to them—bullshit. How hard is it to be nice to a bunch of brainwashed bitches who’d do anything he says with his powers? You’ve all been fooled by him.”

The despicable, arrogant, and merciless side of the Pack Mule that Arina had witnessed. The man who stole her loved ones, flaunted them, and mocked her—there was no need to question which version was the real one compared to the idealized husband the others spoke of.

No matter how he acted in front of women, his true nature was that of a cruel, greedy man. On top of that, he was a pervert with a twisted fetish for targeting others’ lovers and family.

Right now, he had no reason to reveal his true self, so he was putting on an act. But the moment it suited him, he’d cast off the mask. Women he treated as playthings? He’d discard them without hesitation if it meant saving his own skin.

“You’ve never been in real danger before, have you? Traveling with the hero’s party as a knight escort. But do you really think he’d stay the same if I crushed all of you and threw you at his feet? He’d abandon you in a heartbeat and run.”

“So?”

“Huh?”

Leona flicked her ear as if Arina’s words were nothing but irritating noise. Then, she blew on her pinky finger, met Arina’s gaze, and smirked provocatively.

“What’s your point? You’ve been badmouthing and belittling the Pack Mule—what do you want me to say? That I should hate him with you?”

“……”

Arina couldn’t answer. She couldn’t say she didn’t feel that way at all. Even if Marika, her own family—Linia and Libia—had sworn never to aid the Pack Mule again, they never denied him.

Instead, they defended him, insisting he was a good husband. The fact that the people closest to her loved her worst enemy was agonizing. Excruciatingly lonely.

The two things were separate, but their defense of him felt like they didn’t care about her pain. Like they valued him more than her. She couldn’t help but think that.

Maybe that was why, even knowing it was futile, she still tried to convince Leona of the kind of man the Pack Mule truly was.

“Pathetic, Liel. You weren’t like this before. Can’t even control your own emotions unless others sympathize with you? How childish.”

Crack. The sound of bones grinding came from Arina’s clenched fist.

Whether it was hypnosis or something else didn’t matter—she was ready to kill. But before she could lunge, a voice from behind cut in faster.

“You. You call yourself her former comrade, but you don’t know a damn thing. Don’t run your mouth when you don’t understand.”

The one who stepped between them was Millen. Though Arina’s enemy was Ian’s enemy by default, the two had no real connection, so he had stayed out of it—until Millen, unable to watch any longer, spoke up.

“Millen…?”

Arina’s eyes widened in surprise as she stared at her. She hadn’t expected Millen, who still subtly distrusted her, to step forward like this.

“Arina’s always been like this. Hiding secrets, acting like she doesn’t care but secretly wanting attention, pushing people away but hoping they’d comfort her. For someone who used to be a man, she’s got none of that straightforward, honest masculinity—just a plain, spiteful bitch!”

“Whose side are you on? Did you butt in just to insult me?”

Millen shrugged and stepped back, leaving Arina dumbfounded. But the outburst had cooled her anger somewhat.

Now that her rationality had returned, she realized Leona had been deliberately provoking her.

“Using psychological warfare? Uncharacteristic. So that’s why you showed up alone.”

She was trying to drag out the fight, forcing Arina to expend more mana. Leona and Yuria. Taking them down one by one would inevitably prolong the duration of her spells.

Each battle would drain her mana, and a wide-area spell to wipe them all out at once wasn’t an option.

“Clever. The only way you could beat me now is by exhausting my mana. So that’s why you chose the Linebear Mountains.”

Steeling herself for battle again, Arina felt Ian approach and whisper:

“Need backup?”

“Yeah. I’ll take the help this time.”

At his questioning look—since she usually refused—she nodded slightly and gestured to the side.

“The Linebear Mountains were a settlement that served a similar role before the current Magic Tower existed.”

A frigid wind blew, rustling the branches and leaves around them. It didn’t take long to realize the eerie atmosphere wasn’t just in their heads.

The howls of beasts. The tremors of the earth. The sounds grew closer. Something was approaching.

Amidst it all, Arina continued calmly.

“For example, it’s where failed bio-research subjects from the Magic Tower were released. And those creatures have a tendency to track strong sources of mana.”

One by one, grotesque creatures with partially mangled bodies emerged. Four-legged beasts resembling cheetahs or wolves, avian monsters with glowing red eyes, and even some that bore humanoid forms.

“It was a different time back then. Life was treated even more cheaply.”

Collectively, they were known as Drekths.

Any mage knew Drekths were drawn to powerful mana emissions. And that mages with strong mana were their primary targets.

Fighting the entire hero’s party might have dispersed her mana enough to avoid being the sole focus, but one-on-one was a different story.

“Not a bad strategy—using Drekths for attrition now that you’ve lost your army’s support. Alone, it might’ve been close.”

But she wasn’t alone anymore.

Arina left the horde of Drekths at her back to Ian and Millen and charged at Leona.

Fwing! The cold gathered in her hands split and shot outward.

Left, right, and straight ahead—three simultaneous attacks. Leona blocked the sides with her sword and shield, leaving her front exposed.

The greatsword’s edge and massive shield deflected the icy projectiles, but Arina, dropping low, surged upward with a mana-infused strike.

Crack!

A blow strong enough to surpass human limits should’ve knocked Leona out cold. But she merely rubbed her jaw, unfazed.

“That all? You’re holding back too much. Careful, or you’ll regret it.”

“You’re right. Then I’ll get serious now.”

Arina closed her eyes. Mana surged violently, whipping up a fierce wind.

A sign she was preparing a major spell. Leona adjusted her grip on her sword, hesitating for a split second.

The distance between them wasn’t great. Targeting a mage during their vulnerable casting phase was basic, but her opponent was the pinnacle of mages.

A feint? Or does she think she can finish before I close the gap?

Having witnessed Arina’s casting speed firsthand, Leona’s judgment lagged.

“You’re overthinking.”

A cold assessment. The biting frost swirling around Arina settled like a tamed wolf, circling her calmly.

A single snowflake drifted from her palm, carried by the wind.

At first, just one tiny flake.

Then more gathered, forming a snowball.

In the next instant, it turned to ice, expanding rapidly until it was the size of a house.

And with the incantation, it became a cataclysm.

“[Eternal Snowfall].”

The world before Arina transformed into a realm of white.

A glacial age descended abruptly. The Drekths caught in it froze solid without a sound.

The same cold that annihilated the Empire’s greatest knight order, the Knights of Flame, now engulfed Leona.

Whoooooosh—

The merciless white tidal wave blotted out the landscape.

But a mage didn’t rely on sight alone.

Beyond the blizzard, Arina’s pupils dilated sharply.

Hiss.

As the snowstorm cleared, the void was filled with an immense surge of steam.

At its center, pushing through the blizzard with explosive force, was Leona—and flames that now far surpassed her father’s.

“How did you…?”

The Leona she remembered shouldn’t have been able to withstand that. But Arina shook her head, steadying herself.

Leona had fought her twice already. Nearly a year had passed since their battle at Blacksmith. She hadn’t been idle—especially with the Pack Mule, who knew the hero party’s training methods. With his help, this wasn’t impossible.

“Surprised? I’m stronger than you thought.”

“A little improvement. Good thing I dealt with Erwin first. He can’t even lift a finger now, right?”

“That’s harsh.”

A voice that shouldn’t be here. An unexpected wild card.

Rendering her earlier words meaningless, the woman stepped between them.

“Even if we were comrades once, you’d call my injury ‘good luck’?”

“Erwin?”