86

The morning of the second day dawned.

As the sun rose, the party stepped out of the temple.

It was time to move.

As previously discussed, the group split in two and began to move.

Rupert and Daniel went northeast.

Rena, Ono, and Hamel headed southwest.

Rupert and Daniel, separated from Rena, took Hamel’s mirror instead.

It wasn’t as good as Rena’s refraction magic, but given the short distance, it would be enough.

No, it had to be enough.

“…Is this really right? Splitting up our numbers in the current situation?”

Ono watched Rupert and Daniel recede into the distance with a worried look.

He seemed sorry to send them off with nothing but a hand mirror.

Hamel watched him and spoke, glad to do so.

“Are you worried?”

“No, I mean… doesn’t this seem a bit unfair?”

“It can’t be helped.”

Hamel continued calmly.

“No perfect plan exists. This method was the best option.”

“…That’s true.”

Ono agreed and nodded.

At that moment, Hamel paused mid-step and turned back.

“Miss Rena.”

“Yes.”

They had not been traveling long when a shadowed path already appeared.

Because the sun wasn’t high yet, the shadows were long.

Conversely, at noon when the sun is overhead, the shadows would nearly disappear.

That would be the time to sprint at full speed.

For now, however…

─Sssrrr

“Just one.”

Hamel drew his sword, staring at the cleric who had been hiding in the shadows.

When the figure was revealed, he ceased hiding and rushed toward the party.

But then.

─Screech

Hamel’s sword easily cut the man’s throat.

The ability to hide one’s presence was dangerous, but once exposed, he was not really a difficult opponent.

As Hamel calmly wiped the blood from his blade, he was lost in thought.

Ono spoke, his expression grim.

“Did you just think that was easy?”

“…How did you know?”

Hamel asked in wonder, and Ono clicked his tongue.

“Your expression gives it all away. Tsk tsk. Pity for those guys; they were likely at least mid-level knights.”

“…”

Come to think of it, that was true.

If it weren’t for frequently colliding with absurd monsters lately, mid-level knights wouldn’t be weak at all.

That also meant Hamel himself had grown stronger.

‘…Before I knew it.’

He had reached this level even without dragon’s blood.

He could draw out aura.

Though limited to runes, he could also manipulate magi.

‘Come to think of it, if I use the talisman, I can draw out magi as well.’

He, who had nothing to rely on but the Azure Flame, wondered when he had been given so much.

Hamel was simply grateful to the god he served.

So what Hamel had to do was simple.

“I must become stronger.”

“…You mean more than this?”

“Yes.”

Hamel decided to take up the sword to uphold his conviction.

That did not mean he had abandoned his previous path of vengeance.

He was ambitious.

To achieve everything he desired, he had to grow stronger.

Ono, watching Hamel’s resolve, let out a light sigh.

“We might die of exhaustion chasing this thing.”

“Does that mean you’ll keep coming with us?”

“…Shut up. Just keep moving.”

Ono, sounding annoyed, walked ahead.

Rena, watching from behind, let out a small laugh.

“There’s something endearing about Mr. Ono when you watch him.”

“If Sir Daniel were here, he’d probably tell you to see an eye doctor,” she said.

Rena and Hamel chuckled.

He usually complained a lot, but now everyone knew he was soft-hearted.

The former Hamel would never have noticed that.

‘If only I had known this earlier…’

Hamel felt a slight regret and followed behind Ono.

He was grateful now to have come to know his companions.

---

After that, the journey continued smoothly.

The shadows grew shorter, and Hamel’s party pushed forward relentlessly.

By around noon, they reached the second tower.

“Faster than I thought.”

Hamel nodded at Ono’s mutter and headed toward an open clearing.

There was nothing to do until nightfall.

“Let’s rest for a bit.”

“Good.”

Ono brightened up and went ahead to settle comfortably in the clearing.

Meanwhile, Hamel approached Rena and began asking her about rune spells.

He had made great advances in swordsmanship recently, but rune magic had seen no real progress since “Incendium Vitae.”

He frankly felt like he’d hit a wall.

Rena nodded at Hamel’s frustrated questions and asked,

“What kind of magic would you like to use, priest?”

“Is that important?”

“It’s important. Runes are affected by how specific the caster’s image or intent is.”

“An image…”

Hamel fell into thought for a moment.

Indeed, when he cast Incendium Vitae, he had a clear image.

An image of spreading the Azure Flame wide to save people and sweep away demons.

He felt he understood something.

Hamel quietly went to the center of the clearing and began to chant.

He cut his palm to summon the Azure Flame, then snuffed it out and rekindled it repeatedly.

Ono, watching, muttered with a disgusted expression.

“…Is that supposed to be resting?”

“Isn’t it fitting for a priest?”

Rena answered calmly.

Ono made a choking sound and adjusted his posture.

Seeing that, Rena asked curiously.

“Why is that?”

“Watching him like that makes me uncomfortable; I can’t rest properly.”

No sooner had he answered than a golden tree sigil quietly began to glow on Ono’s hand.

He too had begun to train the Root of All Wisdom.

Rena let out a short laugh at the sight.

He only complained in words, but she could see he was constantly striving not to fall behind Hamel.

“If that’s the case, I can’t rest either.”

Rena, resigned, stood guard beside the two.

Training inevitably left one somewhat defenseless.

Time passed quickly that way.

---

As the sun began to dim.

─Vrrr

Hamel floated a condensed Azure Flame above his hand into the air.

He could do this even normally.

But the difference was…

There were three condensed Azure Flames suspended in the air.

“…Huh.”

Rena, standing guard and watching, burst into incredulous laughter.

The speed of his growth still didn’t make sense to her.

Rena couldn’t contain her curiosity and asked,

“What rune did you integrate?”

“Hmm, condensation and sustain.”

Hamel answered as he extinguished the Azure Flames hanging in the air at once.

It was still experimental.

He could only sustain them; he didn’t yet have the confidence to manage each flame individually.

Hamel lifted his head slightly and looked at the sky.

The red sunset was fading.

“It’s about time to go.”

Hamel stood up, a little wistful.

“I thought I’d die of boredom.”

Ono followed, gathering his things and rising.

Even though he had been training moments before, he pretended as if he hadn’t.

A short while later, the sun had fully set.

Then the familiar transparent path appeared.

“Let’s go.”

Hamel calmly began to climb that path.

He memorized the path in its entirety as he carefully climbed the tower.

Tomorrow he would have to descend relying on memory, without seeing the path.

---

The Hamels reached the tower without difficulty.

Then they waited for morning to come.

There wasn’t much they could do.

They couldn’t make light or noise.

Thanks to that, the group rested deeply for the first time in a while.

Tomorrow would be much harder than today.

After a peaceful night, the third day at last dawned.

‘Finish everything today.’

Hamel quietly steeled himself and stood before the tower’s beacon.

“Miss Rena.”

“Yes.”

Rena nodded and sparked a small flame.

The beacon flared up instantly, emitting a bright light.

And from the distant other towers, light rose in the same way.

“It seems they succeeded over there as well.”

Rena said calmly, clenching her fist in happiness.

Hamel turned his head to look at the northern mountain.

Then, as when they lit the first tower, a strange sound accompanied the clearing of the mountain’s blizzard.

Then the path up to the summit became clearly visible.

All preparations were complete.

All that remained was the final battle.

“Let’s go.”

Hamel walked down the transparent path without a moment’s hesitation.

Ono and Rena followed precisely behind with no deviation.

Having safely reached the ground, Hamel immediately moved toward the northern mountain.

The clerics hiding in the shadows couldn’t stop them.

They managed to leave the ruins before the sun had fully risen.

Instead, what appeared before them was…

“…A lake?”

From afar, it was covered in snow, so they hadn’t noticed.

But to reach the mountain they had to cross a frozen lake.

Hamel carefully tested the ice with his weight.

─Crack

The ice didn’t break, but it cracked slightly.

He had deliberately stepped firmly just now.

If they crossed carefully, it seemed doable.

“Hm.”

After a moment’s thought, Hamel tossed all his pack off his back.

Then he spoke to the other two.

“We will leave all our gear here and go.”

“…You mean food and the tent too?”

“Take only the bare minimum of food. We’ll melt snow for water.”

“…Very well.”

Ono and Rena silently set down all their gear.

That included the equipment they had prepared to deal with the chimera.

Hamel felt some regret too, but it couldn’t be helped.

Now it was truly a race against time.

The deadline they had promised was tomorrow morning.

He wanted to finish all this before nightfall if possible.

Hamel began to cross the lake’s ice cautiously.

Fortunately, the ice was not too dangerous to cross without gear.

Still, not taking any chances, they cleared snow off the ice and moved forward slowly.

“Wait here a moment.”

“Why?”

Suddenly Ono, with a hardened expression, halted Hamel.

At the ominous look, Hamel immediately drew his sword.

Ono crouched and gazed intently at the ice beneath.

“…Is there something?”

Rena asked with a slightly anxious expression.

How long had he been staring?

Ono tilted his head, stood, and spoke.

“No, maybe it’s just my imagination…”

─Sssssrrr

Before he could finish the sentence.

A massive black form swiftly swept beneath the lake.

“…”

“…What on earth was that just now?”

This time not just Ono, but all three clearly saw it.

‘A streamlined head and a long tail. It was like the one in the mural…’

It was the moment Hamel was turning that image over in his mind.

─Bang!

A tremendous roar and a violent shock hit them.

Ice-cold water surged into their noses and mouths.

For some reason, the ice they’d been standing on shot up into the sky and shattered.

And between the fragments of that ice.

The creature they’d seen beneath the lake rose up, wings spread wide.

Its blue eyes shone brilliantly.

Its wide gray wings and blue scales covering its body glittered like sapphires.

Hamel knew the creature’s name.

The Lord of the Bitter Cold, Karalxis.

A dragon that should have been buried in this dungeon, or rather, this graveyard.

That was its true identity.