Chapter 16 : Thawing (2)
Chapter 16: Thawing (2)
“Ubol wasn’t one of your subordinates? Why are you trying to kill him?”
“No. He is not my subordinate. Of course he is not an enemy either. You could see him as a partner of sorts.”
“A partner you intend to kill? Why?”
“Because only then will that bastard become useful.”
“…….”
“Well, it’s a figurative way to put it. If I don’t push him that hard, he’ll never do anything properly.”
In the end, he meant to use her to train Ubol.
“Why should I do that?”
“Because only then will you be able to get what you want.”
“…….”
Even though it sounded vague and intangible, Moritz couldn’t say anything, as though he had struck at the right spot.
“If you don’t like it, that’s fine. After all, coming here on foot was your choice, and staying behind will also be your choice.”
Could she trust those words at face value?
“Why are you targeting the Snowy King’s army?”
So she asked.
“I plan to fight the Snowy King.”
“Why?”
“To see if he is truly worthy of the title ‘King’.”
“…I see.”
It was an answer that would make others think he was crazy, but Moritz understood and accepted it immediately.
That meant Hindir had seen through her precisely.
“Honestly, I don’t know how I can help you. But you’ll want to keep observing me over time, right? Isn’t that what you want?”
“…….”
“Watch me fight the Snowy King, right beside me. I think that’d be a pretty good deal.”
Others might wonder what kind of deal this was.
But there was something unspoken and mutual between the two of them.
“…Alright.”
“Good.”
That was why Hindir had been confident since yesterday, when speaking to Ubol, that Moritz would not refuse this offer.
The four stood on the Choranchai field.
Hindir, Duar, Ubol, and Moritz.
A strange relationship where it was unclear who was ally or foe.
But they were the ones who would stand beside or behind Hindir as he fought the Snowy King’s army.
“Soon the Snowy King’s forces will arrive. If you don’t want that fight, you can flee now.”
As he said that, Hindir glanced subtly at Duar.
“Why?”
“Nothing.”
Hindir continued speaking.
“Perhaps you harbor other intentions. Maybe you plan to stab me in the back. But I will trust you until you actually do. Ubol.”
“Why? I have no intention to stab you.”
“Apart from the Snowy King, is there anyone else in the army worthy of stepping forward?”
“……The next most capable are the generals after the King, but that doesn’t mean the rest are entirely useless. Beneath them are squad leaders. Their skill levels are similar, and while they are better than the ones we faced yesterday, there are many of them.”
“In that case, no need to worry.”
“Honestly, I doubt that.”
“But you are not like that. So fight Moritz here, now.”
“……Right now?”
She had heard it the day before, but even so, unexpectedly fighting on the spot made her body stiff.
Ubol glanced at Moritz.
His indifferent eyes—feeling nothing—gave more pressure in that moment than even Hindir.
Swish—
Silently, Moritz drew her sword, and Duar, startled, immediately moved back.
“Phew……”
Ubol exhaled heavily as he gripped his broadsword.
Inside, he repeatedly thought, “Is this right?”
He had a feeling he’d been deceived by Hindir…
“Ahem. Let’s keep this civil between us. If someone gets severely injured over this, it’ll be troublesome, right?”
Clang—!
An unexpected strike came and Ubol barely blocked it.
Despite being irritated at the abrupt attack, he also felt relieved.
‘Fortunately, that woman doesn’t seem intent on going all out.’
Moritz displayed pure swordsmanship, without using mana.
Of course, that alone was fierce enough to keep him alert.
Though her technique clearly was superior, Ubol felt that in sheer strength he had the edge, so he began moving faster and stronger.
Clang! Kaaang!
The collisions accelerated.
Suddenly, Ubol sensed something strange.
‘Heavy.’
Given their weapons, Ubol’s broadsword should have more force when swung.
But Moritz’s sword felt as heavy as if facing another broadsword.
‘Is it getting heavier? Mana? No… I don’t feel any mana at all.’
That meant her strength might surpass his.
Her attacks, powerful enough to make him forget she was a woman, finally forced Ubol to step back slowly.
And in the moment he realized that, Moritz’s momentum shifted.
Ubol’s gaze was drawn like a magnet toward the tip of Moritz’s blade.
The blade itself wasn’t visible—only the sharp point was in view.
“Gasp!”
Ubol snapped back to his senses, his leg twisted, and his chest exposed.
And in that instant he saw it.
The sincerity in Moritz’s eyes.
‘Fuck! She’s insane…!’
As death appeared in Ubol’s mind, his instinct moved.
Fssss—!
Ice crystals formed instantly over his chest and spread along his arms and torso, wrapping around Moritz’s blade.
Crackle—
The ice not only halted Moritz’s sword but began targeting her.
Only then did Moritz draw mana to dispel the chill from Ubol’s strike.
The ice kept fracturing and refreezing, continuing the duel of strength between them.
Because of that, the space around them filled with an even more intense cold than the Great Snowfields.
“Wh…what is that? It suddenly feels damned cold… Akeelang, are you not cold?”
Ubol asked in wonder, with Duar calmly crossing his arms as Hindir watched.
“Hmm.”
Hindir stepped forward after seeing sweat gradually forming on the two combatants’ foreheads.
“That’s enough. Stop there.”
But neither of them stopped their power struggle.
Was it pride flaring up?
No.
They couldn’t stop.
Ubol couldn’t control his strength.
Yet if Moritz were to retreat first, he might be severely injured, so he couldn’t back off either.
Fshh—
As the relentless chill continued radiating, Moritz’s face lost all color.
Meanwhile Ubol’s face, originally pale, had turned ghostly white even in the pupils.
If things continued this way, one or both of them would absolutely break, so Hindir stepped resolutely into the center.
The tremendous chill froze the fur of the Blood Bear.
Yet Hindir’s stride never paused, and with each step the crystals formed shattered and scattered.
Though exposed directly to the chill, his bare skin showed no effect.
On the contrary, the warmth grew stronger and immediately evaporated the cold, leaving Duar behind, mouth agape at the wondrous sight.
Thud—
Clinging together, they gripped the frozen blades with bare hands and tore them apart using raw strength.
With a thunderous roar like a frozen waterfall shattering, the two of them were blasted apart.
“Hah… hah… whew…”
Startled by the unexpected turn, Moritz also caught her breath heavily.
Meanwhile Ubol still sat dazed on the ground, staring into nothingness.
“You didn’t know this bastard is of the Parno bloodline, did you?”
“Then…”
“What you just saw was the unique power held only by the Parno lineage.”
“……”
“It’s not that it was deliberately hidden. But as you saw, this guy doesn’t know how to wield his real strength.”
That was exactly why Hindir demanded confrontation with the intention to kill.
To verify Ubol’s hidden true power.
And at the same time, to see if Moritz already knew Ubol’s secret.
If she did know, then the Snowy King must also know.
But since she didn’t, further observation of the Snowy King will be necessary.
Well, before that Moritz seemed interested in Hindir who had subdued her with strength…
‘By the way, that guy is a problem.’
Hindir clicked his tongue as he looked down at Ubol, who was starting to regain consciousness bit by bit.
“Ugh…”
Ubol exhaled a long, milky-white breath as he lifted his head.
“What… what just happened?”
“You didn’t know your condition precisely?”
“What are you talking about? What condition?”
“You’re going to die soon.”
“…What?”
At that thunderclap of words, Ubol leapt up suddenly.
“Huh?”
But then dizziness hit abruptly and he collapsed unconscious.
Ubol kicked him lightly with his foot and furrowed his brow.
“Did he die?”
“No. He fainted because his blood chilled.”
“My blood chilled?”
“Parno are like that.”
“…That person was from the Parno family?”
Duar quietly pulled his foot away from Ubol.
After sunset, while Duar prepared the meal, Moritz stayed in the room, treating her inner wounds.
And when Ubol regained consciousness and came to the dining hall, he listened again to Hindir about his condition and wore a grave expression the entire time.
“That’s not nonsense?”
“If you want to think that way, go ahead.”
“…Damn it. Look, I know how dangerous this cursed blood is. But how could I trust what some bandit-like guy I just met a few days ago says?”
“Whoa! That’s harsh. Bandit-like, huh. Ahem.”
Duar intervened but quickly turned away at Ubol’s savage glare.
Ever since hearing that he carried noble blood, Duar had grown somewhat cautious.
“You already know intellectually. You haven’t mastered the family disease training method, right? Then the accumulated chill would be severe. And since you’ve hidden your status and refrained from using power, now’s when it’s about to burst.”
Hindir’s words were correct.
This is called ice‑blood qi in the family.
Literally ice blood.
A curse and a blessing of the family—an incredibly difficult power to manage.
If one cannot control it oneself, it freezes the user’s blood entirely.
Ubol thought that as long as he didn’t use the power and endured, it would be fine.
Yet paradoxically, by not using it at all, the chill accumulated…
And since someone outside had now learned of it, it was natural to want to deny it.
“Maybe the reason you kept drinking was related. Actually the Parno family used to enjoy liquor in old times too.”
“How do you know such a thing?”
“Of course, you overdo it.”
“…I don’t want to hear that from you.”
Duar snorted and butt‑in.
“So is Akeelang’s blood cold too? No, seeing the heat all over your body, it’s because you drank too much instead.”
“…Why is this bastard still staying?”
“Well at least cooking is decent? Compared to you and Moritz cooking, I think it's much better.”
“Damn… can’t deny that. This too… that too…”
Not only his cooking skill but also the harsh reality he faced.
“So do I just wait to die like this? Or should I return to the family? Returning now begging for life would be ridiculous, and I doubt those bastards would save me.”
Ubol looked at Hindir with hopeful eyes.
He believed Hindir must have some plan, that’s why he mentioned it.
“There is a method.”
“Damn it! I swear I’ll truly be loyal!”
“But I can’t guarantee it. It’s something I heard, and it's very old information.”
“But there being a method is something! If it means survival, I’ll do it no matter what.”
Seeing Ubol’s resolve confirmed, Hindir nodded.
But… frankly, he didn’t know if it would actually work.
“In the past there was a Parno bloodline that faced a similar issue.”
“In the past? When?”
“…About five hundred years ago.”
“Wait, that’s way too long ago, right? Are you just experimenting based on rumors you heard anywhere?”
At Ubol’s words, Hindir was at a rare loss for words.
“It’s roughly that. I can’t pinpoint a time, so take it as you will.”
“Tsk… fine. Technically I’m the one lacking here.”
In fact Hindir’s known method wasn’t even from five hundred years ago.
He simplified it for minimum credibility.
More precisely, it was something told by a drunk clan head five hundred years ago, about how the founding ancestor of the Parno family first gained power.
Whether it’s truly verified, or just a legend passed down orally…