Chapter 311

Luna’s illustration will be up soon!

*****

What are the odds of running into a familiar face in a place that’s not your hometown?

Surprisingly decent. You’ve probably had moments when you see someone familiar while walking by, right?

But when it comes to foreign countries, that’s a rare occurrence. Meeting someone you know is like finding a needle in a desert.

Of course, if that person is originally from that country, that changes everything. It goes from needle-finding to bead-finding, really.

“Hello…?”

“…”

I found myself facing a politely greeting woman. She wore a fur hat and had a generally cold appearance.

But a person’s personality tends to show on their face. The way she wields a giant axe fits her rough demeanor.

Yet, there was someone else more troubling right beside her, a knight with blue hair.

‘Why is Sara here?’

She’s a powerful academy professor and also in charge of our class. I never imagined I’d run into her.

However, it seemed like she didn’t recognize me yet. That tilted head of hers showed some confusion.

“Hmm… Is that not you…?”

“…”

After all, her entire body was covered in a fluffy coat of white fur. Even if I used Red Magic or swung Ragnarok, I looked completely different.

Knowing that Sara has sharp observational skills, she’d quickly catch on that this outfit isn’t made from animal skins. That’s only going to add to the confusion.

So what should I do in this situation? Honestly, I’m not quite sure.

‘I need to explain why I’m here…’

Even if I come up with excuses, she’ll likely realize they’re lies. There’s no real reason for me to be here.

But could I say that Sara is untrustworthy? No, that’s not the case. Sara is someone you can trust.

“Um… Are you a human…?”

While I was deep in thought, a delicate yet strong voice rang in my ears.

Not from Sara, but from the person next to her. I turned to face the woman.

‘Ah, it’s her.’

Thanks to the fur hat, I was momentarily confused about who she was. But seeing her face again, it was easy to recognize.

The youngest daughter of the Frozen Prince, Reina de White. If we’re talking character traits, she shares many similarities with Kara.

Typically, northern folk have a colder demeanor like Sara, but Reina doesn’t fit that mold. Her personality is quite passionate.

You can tell just by the giant axe she’s holding that she has considerable physical strength.

‘Well, I thought she was raised like a princess with a bit of a clueless attitude, but…’

Looking at her now, that doesn’t seem right. Aside from the axe, she’s the very image of a noble’s daughter.

Normally, if someone looked strong, I would’ve just asked who they were, and likely gotten into a brawl.

“Um… Excuse me, are you human?”

“…”

A hint of rudeness lay hidden within her politeness. But considering my appearance, I could understand why she’d say such a thing.

While struggling to figure out what to say, I looked over at Sara. She still had a face full of uncertainty.

‘Better not cause any misunderstandings.’

For now, it’d be smart to play it casual. I retrieved Ragnarok, which had been embedded in the bear’s back.

Then I directed my words towards Sara, who was still deep in thought.

“Sara.”

“Uh, uh?”

Both Sara and Reina were visibly startled when I spoke. They clearly didn’t expect me to initiate conversation.

“I’m Sivar.”

“Wha, what? Si, Sivar? The Sivar I know?”

“Lord Perez? Do you know this person?”

Sara and Reina were both in a state of confusion, and it was an entirely understandable reaction.

I brushed some of the fur off my face to give Sara more confidence. I wanted her to see my bright red eyes.

Once she confirmed my eye color, she turned back to eye Ragnarok again. Her expression remained skeptical.

“Are, are you really Sivar?”

“Yeah.”

“But why do you have fur…? No, first of all, why are you here…?”

“Lord Perez?”

Sara seemed stuck in confusion, unable to clear her head. Even when Reina nudged her lightly, she still seemed lost.

Seeing usually composed Sara like this was quite surprising. While she calmed down, I initiated my own business.

If I left it too long, the bear carcass would get chilly. Better to eat it while it’s warm.

– Bloop! Bloop!

First, I flipped the gigantic bear over and sliced open its chest with Ragnarok.

The skin was a bit tough, but I managed to fully expose the chest cavity.

—Thump. Thump. Thump.

As I fully opened the chest, I faintly detected a heartbeat.

Given the size of the bear, its heart was quite large. I could survive solely on this today.

“Wow. That heart is huge!”

“Huh?”

“Are you going to eat all of that?”

“Ah, miss!”

While I was busy dismembering, Reina had approached naturally, and Sara was aghast.

While I was momentarily confused, Reina waved her hand to stop Sara.

“Oh come on. You say you know Lord Perez? He’s a good guy, right?”

“Um… he’s a good student…”

“Student? He was a student?”

“Yes. He might look different, but… he’s a student.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Ah” my foot. Reina nodded enthusiastically, but I couldn’t decode what was going on in her sparkling blue eyes.

“Why are you here…? Oh. You don’t speak our country’s language, do you?”

“…”

I know it all! However, since I was losing face, I couldn’t help but keep quiet.

Reina cleared her throat and loosened her voice before continuing in the common language.

“Greetings! Cold and hearty lunch! If you’re asking who I am, I’m Reina!”

What a disastrous way of speaking. I never imagined I’d actually hear those words.

Indeed, Reina was quite unskilled in the common tongue. She was far removed from studies, which left her learning behind.

So how did she get into the academy, then? While there are connections, she’s also at the top on the strength level.

“Uh…!”

I barely suppressed a laugh while glancing at Sara. The look in her eyes was all too complicated.

Sara seemed equally troubled as she wiped her face in disbelief.

‘It might get better with time…’

I knew the new students laughed at Reina for this. She herself didn’t seem too perturbed, though.

At least it was a comfort that she could understand. I bit my lip and quietly replied.

“…Sivar. Nice to meet you.”

“Mm! Good! Sivar! Nice to meet you too!”

“…”

“Oh wait. That’s not right. Nice to meet you, is it?”

“Both are wrong, Lady.”

“Get outta here, you brat. I need to eat and look for herbs fast.”

I didn’t have time to fiddle around here. Ignoring Reina’s nonsense, I proceeded with the dismemberment.

I started by extracting the heart. It was so large it required both hands to hold.

This one heart could easily sustain my caloric needs. Ignoring the stares around me, I dug in.

-Slurp! Slurp!

“Gulp. Gulp. Gulp.”

The distinct metallic smell of blood and the texture of the heart filled my mouth. I even detected a hint of electric flavor every now and then.

After all, it was a bear that had lightning swirling around it. Perhaps its heart held that electric energy.

“Delicious! If there’s something even better, I can help?”

“…?”

What the heck is this girl talking about? I froze mid-bite and glanced at Reina.

She seemed to be expecting something. Judging from her sparkling eyes, her anticipation was clear.

Usually, when people see me having a feast, they tend to retch and react wildly, but for some reason, Reina was the opposite.

“…Miss, I’ll translate for you.”

“No, I’ll do it. It wouldn’t be bad to improve my common language skills during this opportunity!”

“…”

“Hemhem. Anyway! Is there a better way to eat? Can you help me?”

A better way to eat? I raised an eyebrow.

I just needed to replenish the energy I spent. Especially since it was freezing out, my organs would freeze up quickly.

‘Should I give it a try?’

Eating one heart was sufficient for a meal. I nodded as if to say whatever goes.

Reina’s eyes sparkled as she rummaged through her pouch. What emerged was a small dagger.

The dagger gave off an ominous vibe. Reina brought it close to the bear’s wide-open chest cavity.

“Miss. Let me do it…”

“I’ll handle this, Lord Perez.”

-Swish. Swish. Swish.

Reina waved off any helping hand and took matters into her own hands. Without hesitation, she began to dismantle the innards.

She had some impressive skills. I continued to munch on the heart while watching her work.

Rather than simply dismantling, it felt more like she was creating a space. Plus, she didn’t mind getting her hands dirty at all.

“All done. Now if we sprinkle salt here, the blood won’t freeze!”

“Oh.”

I’d seen this before. It’s a survival technique often used in extremely cold regions like Antarctica or Tundra.

The method draws blood to a space, making it easier to replenish caloric intake.

Reina must know this from her culture. Living in barren lands leaves survival traditions ingrained.

Being noble doesn’t change that fact. Nobles can find themselves in desperate circumstances as well.

“Are you not eating?”

“Full! Can’t eat!”

In that case, I had no plans of refusing her offerings.

However, without a ladle, I was left with no choice but to bury my face into the gig.

Having just devoured Reina’s carefully prepared “dinner,” my stomach felt filled to the brim.

Originally, I had thought one heart would sustain me for two to three days, but with this, I could easily last a week.

“What do you think? Is it good?”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

“Thanks? What about the fur?”

“You take it.”

“Thanks!”

Honestly, I didn’t need the fur. I was more than happy to part with it without any qualms.

I wiped the blood dripping from my beard and stood up. My stomach was nicely filled, and I had things to get done.

“Where are you going?”

“To the mountain peak. I’m looking for something.”

“Oh. Can I follow you?”

“Miss.”

Reina subtly made her request, but Sara immediately cut in. She was clear about not allowing this.

Reina seemed to have some consideration and with a “Tch,” she obediently retreated. I was planning to turn her down anyway.

Carrying an added weight climb isn’t my idea of fun. Looking for Sehon Ice Grass is already tough enough.

“Okay, okay. I understand. You said this person is an academy student, right?”

“Yes. He enrolled last year.”

“Then we’ll see you again soon! Safe travels!”

What a refreshing meeting, followed by a refreshing farewell. I waved them off.

They agreed to handle the rest of the bear carcass. I had no plans for cleanup, so I left it to them.

‘Let’s hurry up.’

I turned my back and headed off.

I still had unfinished business to tend to.

******

“Lady, we need to wash up as soon as we get to town. It would be trouble if the blood dries up.”

“I know that.”

“And…”

On the descent to town, Sara was lecturing Reina not in a nagging tone but rather a serious one.

The situation we just faced was highly dangerous. Sivar’s appearance resembled the ‘Yeti’ rumored around.

It was shocking that the Yeti was really Sivar, but what puzzled me more was why he was here in the first place.

Even if he claimed to be returning to the wilderness, he wouldn’t trek all the way to this frozen wasteland rather than heading back to the Chaos Forest.

‘Is something going on? Or is it punishment?’

He might have done something wrong and is being punished for it, judging by Sivar’s history.

But as someone who doesn’t concern herself with others, Sara quickly shoved her thoughts aside. There was no need to pry.

What was more urgent right now was Reina, an equally troublesome character. She glanced at Reina.

“Hmm ~ humming ~”

“…”

What’s got her in such a good mood? Was it the thrill of defeating the bear that was threatening the town, or was there something more?

“Miss. You seem to be in a good mood.”

“Do I look that way?”

“Yes.”

“Hehe.”

Reina giggled, her bright smile showcasing her perfect teeth.

Just as I was starting to question this, Sara maintained her smile and spoke.

“Lord Perez. About that Sivar person, I’m curious. Does he eat just about anything without discrimination?”

“Yeah, well… he tends to eat pretty much anything.”

It’s a problem that he eats everything. Having lived in the wilderness, he’s likely eaten bugs and whatever else.

Upon hearing my response, Reina seemed satisfied, brightening her expression even more.

“Of course! I’ve never seen anyone enjoy a heart so much. These days, such people are rare.”

“Uh… it’s probably because he lived in the wild. But why are you asking?”

“Just curious if he eats other things well.”

“…?”

Sara was baffled, trying to process what she just heard.

Meanwhile, Reina continued with a big grin.

“Do you think he’d enjoy the food I make?”

“…”

Sara paused for a moment. She had vivid memories of Reina’s cooking skills.

Perhaps because she has always lived as a strong woman, Reina’s culinary skills were horrendous.

Her cooking could ruin even the most ordinary meal. Even someone who eats raw food would be horrified.

“…I’m not sure.”

I couldn’t say for certain this time.

And at that moment, Sivar was—

“Ugh… it’s so cold…”

Sivar shivered at the sudden chill.

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