#63: Ice Guard Largorin—Awakens — Only I Can Choose as Many S-Class Rare Items and Broken Skills as I Want With the Awakened [Schrödinger's Cat]! (WN)

That morning, the moment I woke up, my body trembled.

“Cold!?”

It was not as cold as midwinter, but the temperature had dropped to around late autumn. Since it was midsummer, I had slept in light clothes, so I jumped out of bed—

I could not jump out…… It was cold…….

The bed, the bed was calling to me…….

After taking some time to crawl out of bed, I hurriedly dressed warmly and left the room.

In the living room next door, Misha sat in a chair, bundled up in thick clothes. Nyankoromochi was curled up on Misha’s thighs.

“Morning, Ios. It’s cold, huh?”

“Good morning. Why is it this cold?”

“Largorin, it’s Largorin.”

Misha pointed sharply at the window.

From this room, we could get a full view of the mountain where Largorin appeared. ……That was why we were staying here.

When I looked at the mountain—

The mountain that had been green all this time was dyed white.

“Snow……!?”

Gray clouds spread across the sky, continuing to make snow fall on the mountain.

Misha had said it. When Largorin appeared, snow fell on the mountain.

“I see, so it appeared.”

At last.

It should have been cold, but there was an emotion burning faintly in my chest.

Stealthy Steps, Backstab, Flame Tiger Dagger.

The things we had built up—would they reach Twilight Lightblade, and the Ice Guard Largorin? The time had come for them to be tested.

However—

“It’s seriously cold…… My heart’s about to break……”

I wanted to hold Nyankoromochi and lie around in the room……. Even this town, some distance away, was this cold, so just how cold was that mountain?

Misha opened her mouth.

“Let’s go buy winter clothes later!”

“Yeah……”

There, I said something that had suddenly been bothering me.

“By the way, if it’s this cold, does that mean the ‘stone monument’ was destroyed?”

If I remembered right, Filardo-san had said that if the stone monument was destroyed, Largorin would chase after you, making it easier to hunt, but the town would become cold too, so it must absolutely not be done.

“Ah, it’s probably fine. This seems about the same as past years.”

“This is the same as past years?”

The people of this town sure were tough……. This temperature change in midsummer was enough to break someone’s spirit.

“Yeah. Apparently, when the stone monument breaks, a cold wave about as bad as that mountain comes to this town.”

That mountain……?

That mountain where snow was falling hard? It was already dyed white. If it got that cold, the cold-weather damage really would probably become terrible.

“Then they really can’t break the stone monument……”

“Yeah, it would be a nuisance, a nuisance.”

“The matter of the stone monument is basically hidden, right? Wouldn’t it be better to make it public and warn people?”

At my words, Misha tilted her head.

“……Hmm, I wonder. If people know, there’ll probably be some who break it out of curiosity.”

“That’s true.”

……Filardo had said destroying the stone monument was a forbidden move. The people of the past must have decided it was better not to spread it carelessly.

Well, I had no intention of using the stone monument either.

All we had to do was walk around the cold mountain and search for Largorin.

(……Damn it, it’s cold!)

Grail, bundled up in winter clothes, cursed inwardly. Apparently, Largorin had awakened on the mountain.

On such a cold day, his true feelings were that he wanted to hole up at the inn, but the party members, including Grail, had come to the outskirts of town.

(……Well, it can’t be helped!)

Even as he cursed, Grail was inwardly excited.

Because—

He was participating in a plan to hunt the Ice Guard Largorin.

(Kukukukuku! Iiiiiiiiiooooooos! I really do have it! A chance to hunt a named monster and raise my fame just falls right into my lap like this! Even Largorin offers its head before me! This is it, this! The power of the protagonist of the world, Grail-sama!)

To think he could help such a first-rate adventurer!

Even if it was as a helper, the glory of defeating a named monster did not change. Was there any job this good?

On top of that, the reward was generous. The advance payment they had been given on the condition that they not speak of it until the request was completed was also astonishing.

As expected of an A-class adventurer!

I’ll use this opportunity to rise in the world—such ambition blazed in Grail’s mind.

“You’re all prepared, right?”

At Oson’s voice, Grail and the others nodded.

It was then—

“I’m glad you came properly.”

A woman’s voice came from behind them.

When he turned around, a beautiful woman wrapped in a thick black cloak stood there. White leather armor peeked out from the gaps in the cloak.

Grail knew what it was.

White Dragon Leather Armor.

It was ultra-high-class defensive equipment obtained by hunting a high-ranking A-class monster. From the perspective of Grail, an E-class adventurer, it was dazzling equipment.

To think he could hunt a named monster with the owner of such equipment!

—One day, good fortune had suddenly arrived.

It had happened several days ago. When he was hunting Hunter Lizards together with Oson and the others,

“Are you adventurers? May I have a moment?”

A woman had suddenly spoken to them.

She was a beautiful blonde woman. A black cloak and white leather armor. At the left side of her waist was a jet-black dagger, and at the right side of her waist was a pure-white staff.

“Do you know that Largorin is about to wake up?”

The leader, Oson, answered the woman’s words.

“Of course we know.”

“I need hands to defeat Largorin. I want you to lend me your strength. Of course, I will pay a reward.”

—!?

He was surprised by the sudden, completely unexpected proposal.

“……Subjugating Largorin……? No, but we are E-class fledgling adventurers, and—”

“It’s fine. It’s work even fledglings can do.”

After laughing softly, the woman continued.

“I want you to break the stone monument.”

“The stone monument?”

“Yes. It is something like a flag for weakening Largorin, I suppose. We are a little short on hands.”