Chapter 93 – The Mindset of an Ice and Snow Worker (4)

When Esther was young, the continent was surrounded by telephones.
There was no such thing as an academy at the time, but children of prestigious noble families would learn basic magic at the Magic Tower through their connections.
She also received teachings from Dube Map.
Among the apprentice magicians of the same horse, there was no one who could match Esther’s talent and skills.

“Roshiar’s unique magic has its roots in elemental magic. Because ice is a change in the properties of water, and water-based magic such as 〈Waterball 〉 has its origin in the sky among the three original sources.”

The same thing happened after she rushed out of the magic tower upon hearing the news of her father’s death.
Even on the battlefield where all you could see were corpses, maggots that had not yet died, and the dead who should have died, there were magic teachings.
Because magic is completed through enlightenment, not theory.
The tip of Esther’s spear became different from that of the child soldier, who swung it clumsily as if it would break through the helmet that did not fit his head.

Sharp, accurate, and mysterious predictions.
On the day when someone cut off the Demon King’s head and ended the war, she became the Grand Duke of Iron Blood and the successor to the original demon who would start the family.

“But that doesn’t mean it’s ordinary ice magic. Our magic rather blooms from the heart of humanity, the Tree of Sephiroth, to which most elemental magic does not belong.”

Trees refer to people.
In the case of Sephiroth, the caster’s mental transcendence rather than esoteric magic becomes the basis for casting magic.
This does not mean that there is no need to draw a magic circle, but it is up to the magician’s enlightenment to set the frame and then fill in the inside.
Some compared the realization to buds and flowers sprouting on tree branches.

“The important thing is that, unlike other wizards, we do not have a heart. There are no buds on a tree to begin with. So then, what completes Roshoar’s unique magic? “It is a thoroughly forged belief.”
“Belief… ?”
“Okay. “The one thought, wish, and mission that can never be forgotten even in the pain of having one’s heart ripped out.”

It pointed directly to the annihilation of the demon race.
This was the most basic and basic understanding of unique magic that Adela Sylvester needed to know.
Esther turned her spear halfway and placed it gracefully on the ground.
This should have been enough——

“You understand now, right?”
“Excuse me…”
“Hmm? “Do you have any questions?”

——And so did all the professors and friends at the academy who had tried to change Adela so far.

“But what exactly is Samwonbon?”

***

— Ha, how absurd! You’re just wasting your time just to spout such clever nonsense! What is the difference between the world’s Roshyar and the city government junkies?

When I arrived at Viscount Ruhillen to meet Bill, unfortunately Darling was staying at the mansion.
The angriness of the main house was heard even in the living room, as if something quite unpleasant had happened.
Bill excused me for a moment and then went to ask Darling, who was still angry, a few times.

— Then shall we send this ambergris back, matriarch?
— Hmm, who said I wouldn’t take it? There is sin in people, but there is no sin in things. Besides, what’s the point of not accepting it? It’s already arrived.
— Then, what was requested at Rochear…
— Tell him that I will allow him to stay in Parenzia if he leaves quietly. However, there will be no invitations to dinner or any courtesy to the earl’s family.
— So what should I say?
— Be reasonably busy!

Looks like he’s busy.
As if he was actually getting ready to go out, the bottom of his red L’anglaise-style street clothes and white gloves, as usual, stuck out through the crack in the door.

“Huh? Canteen owner?”
“Hello, Viscount.”

When I got up and lightly nodded her head, she changed her usual walking pace from far away and came over and sat down.
Then she rang the bell on her table, and called one of her stewards to fetch her her share of tea.

“You came at a good time. “2 p.M. Is meteorologically the perfect time to enjoy tea time.”
“I heard you’re busy.”
“There was a regular meeting of the Lion and Iron Merchants Association, but it was just canceled.”

Rye and Iron, which simply means rye and iron, was a fairly large association encompassing not only Farencia but also the central and southern regions of the kingdom.
It seems like it was an important appointment since I was dressed nicely even in the hot weather.

“I’m just here to run some errands, so don’t lie and leave quickly.”
“It’s not a lie. Since the chairman himself decided not to attend, wouldn’t it be natural for the meeting to be canceled?”
“…”
“Rather, what is the business? “Tell me.”

Putting the box away, I took out the small teddy bear I had found earlier.
I was planning to leave it to Bill, but if I had to investigate the top anyway, it would also end up in Darling’s ears.

“This is something I found in the western forest.”
“Is it a gift? What a surprise, you gave me something like this. Thank you very much…”

Pajik!

“Oh, it’s not a gift.”

As soon as the doll was handed over, Darling looked serious as she adjusted the blackened necklace.
An artifact with the function of neutralizing a curse.
Although he was not fluent in magic enough to be called a genius, one of the many defense measures he had prepared was activated.

“Western Forest?”
“Yes. “On the outside, it looks like just a doll, but it’s actually a demonic statue.”
“Demon God Statue…”
“However, there must be a manufacturer who created the design and brand of this doll.”

She was smart and knew what she was talking about without me having to say anything more.
Daring put her hat back on her lap and stood up with a sigh when her servant brought her tea.

“Store owner, something urgent has come up.”
“Is this the Lion and Iron Merchants Association?”
“It’s a place where a lot of merchants from the continent gather, so if you ask around about them, you’ll find out.”

The western forest and the demon statue were the worst of all for her.
I’m sure they will investigate properly.
She was usually Darling, who kept poking at the peace of the canteen, but when I looked up at her serious side, I found her to be quite attractive.
Her majesty was modest given that she was similar in height to me who was sitting on the sofa.

“Didn’t you think of something rude?”
“No, not at all.”

She even holds a doll in one hand, so this is perfect…

“Store owner?”
“It’s nothing.”

***

Liv was at the library again today.
Recently, most of the students returned to their hometowns, leaving the large space empty.
It was definitely the best environment for studying, but instead of books, there was only a walking stick, a keepsake from my father, on the desk.
Memories from Baldur’s nightmare, half illusory but also real at the same time, kept coming back to me.

“Ha…”

The Great War changed many things about her.
The great power of unique magic, on the other hand, required great responsibility and endless vigilance against magic.
Reuniting with her father eased Liv’s heart, but it also made her lose her original goal of knowing the truth.
And her experience of seeing so many deaths has made Liv sharper than ever.
She did not yet realize that her own condition was similar to Lewis’s post-war symptoms.

— Uh, sister! It hurts, don’t pull your hair!!
— Read the book first, you idiot. What on earth did you learn in the six months you spent coming to the academy?
— I’ll read it! I’m going to read the book, so please let me go!!

A familiar voice came to my ear as I was aimlessly rolling my wand.
The few students in the library murmured at the sudden commotion.

— Hey, could that person be… Isn’t it an ice and snowball?
— Are you really here to see the students? From House Rochear?
— Look! I told you to stay and study during vacation!

A sudden surge of interest.
Naturally, Liv’s attention could not help but be focused.
Students are excited when only seniors who have reached the middle level of the Magic Tower come to visit, but an ice and snowball suddenly visits?
Meeting her in her Farencia was literally a fluke, comparable to being struck by lightning while she was walking down the street.

Beep beep!

“Oh, uhm, uhm, sorry! Esther!”

However, when Esther came to see her holding her sister’s hair, her expression was quite dark.
When she was barred from entering, she asked the trembling librarian her question.

“What’s going on?”
“Well, that…” … The new student next to you is… “Have you not made a pass yet?”
“Pass?”
“Yes. When you first enter the library, just show your student ID and we’ll take care of it right away! So just wait… !”

My head, as hard as an ice sculpture, turns.
Adela met her eyes and responded with a bright smile.

“You’ve never been here before?”
“Hehe, this place looks cool… ?”

And after a while——

— Miss Apa!! It hurts!!!!

Adela’s screams echoed through the inner walls of the library, where sound was well transmitted.

***

The appearance of Ice and Snowball caused an uproar in the library.
Even the librarian, who usually paid attention to her even when she heard the slightest chatter, opened her eyes to hear even a single autograph or a phrase about her magic.
Meanwhile, Liv was sitting far away, looking at Adella, who was forcefully reading a book with tears like chicken droppings streaming down her face.
Her desire to talk to Ice and Snow was as strong as a chimney, but it was difficult for her to approach Adela’s older sister, whom she had been fighting with.

The students dispersed like a cloud when Esther told them not to make a fuss as they would come often in the future.
And as he glanced at the difficult book she didn’t usually read, he expected her to talk to him.

— Boom! Sniff…

The library returned to its silence, with only the occasional sound of Adela’s sniffles being heard.
At that time, a voice was heard from above the head of Liv, who was sitting at an empty desk.

“It’s amazing magic.”
“Four!?”

Surprised, she looked up and saw Esther, who had been squeezing her sister’s head just a moment ago, looking down at her.

“W-magic?”

You haven’t even opened a single magic book?

“Yeah, that’s it.”

What the long, thin finger was pointing at was none other than Liv’s staff.

“Is it imagery magic? “It is not that difficult to implement something close to reality, but maintaining it during everyday life requires a significant level of difficulty for any type of magic.”
“Oh, I didn’t make this.”
“It seems to be filled with memories, so it must have been made by you. “As long as it’s enough to keep half of the metallurgical tree, which isn’t particularly special.”

That may be the case with a slightly unwavering assertion. And she was convinced.
As Liv stayed still, Esther leisurely sat in the front seat.

“It looks like you have something you want to ask me.”
“Me?”
“Yeah, I’ve seen a lot of guys with eyes like yours.”

Rookies who are on the battlefield for the first time cannot bear to tell their superiors about the fear they have in their hearts and only hold on to the spear until it breaks.
Her virtue as a leader, born of her experience in war, led her to Liv.
Perhaps it was because of that leisure, Liv carefully brought out the anxiety she had been harboring in her heart.
For more details, roughly change it to something like entering a dungeon or encountering a monster.

“This happened…”

The Grand Duke of the North listened intently to her story from beginning to end.
How do the fear of death and the horrors of war change people?
And how can I get it back to the way it was?
Esther gave a simple answer to Liv, who looked much more relieved after finishing the story, but at the same time seemed a little afraid.

“I can’t come back.”
“Yes?”
“Even if you erase painful memories, your body remembers them. “If you have experienced something terrible, you just need to use it as a foundation to build strength and not be caught up in the past.”

Only then can you regain your composure and find laughter.
She said she didn’t laugh at all, and Esther said so.

“And if you lose your goal—this is mainly what happens to soldiers after returning from war, but you have no choice but to find another reason for that feeling of helplessness.”
“The reason… ?”
“Okay, what is the reason you have to live from now on? “You have to find it yourself.”

At those words, Liv’s gaze naturally went below Esther’s shoulder.

The Four-Leaf Medal with four laurel leaves rising behind a geometric pattern that looks like three overlapping triangles.
It was the second highest rank in the kingdom, Grand Officier.
Having a laurel leaf engraved on one’s coat of arms was not an honor given to just anyone.
She had seen her father die, but had not yet been able to restore his honor.

Esther saw that and lightly raised the corners of her mouth.

“You have a big dream. “It won’t be easy to get a medal.”
“Are you okay.”

Liv’s eyes lit up as she held onto her precious magic horse again.

“Because I have magic.”
“… It’s a great mindset. “What’s your name?”
“This is Liv Labre des Greenwood. “Paris Greenwood’s daughter.”
“I will remember it. I’m here on some business, so I’ll stop… Huh?”

Esther, who was looking at the bright young wizard who revealed his bold aspirations, turned her head towards her sister.
And, in the meantime, he saw Adela’s worn hat and shaggy hair lying on his desk.

Beat, beat, beat.

White frost covered every step Esther took.
But was it an illusion if the sound of a hard object being crushed seemed to come from the mouth?

Liv wondered if she had done something wrong last time. She regretted it for a moment.
Even if she didn’t bother to tell Adela about the harshness of her reality, it felt like she would freeze at any moment.