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The atmosphere of the caravan was anything but cheerful.

Karem glanced around at the adventurers surrounding the procession.

He kept grumbling and cursing.

As they began to distance themselves from Coldon, a sense of tension crept in. Everyone was on high alert, their sharp gazes scanning the surroundings while tightly gripping their weapons.

Still, the grumbling and cursing didn’t stop.

Honestly, it was hard to understand.

Excluding him, a non-combatant, and the workers, there were at least about 40 knights, soldiers, and adventurers guarding the cart.

Among the adventurers, there were even wizards, along with several others giving off a rather extraordinary vibe.

How did he know? Thanks to the lessons from Gordon and Iona.

His unexpected growth of insight led him to realize.

And Karem recognized that everyone in the caravan, even the beasts pulling the wagon, was tense.

No, wait. In the middle of winter, the ferocious beasts and monsters roaming Iceland were indeed something to be cautious of.

“This is all Catherine and Gordon’s fault.”

Whenever they went out, a Grand Wizard or Swordmaster was always by their side.

It seemed overkill for any potential threat.

His instinct for danger was practically malfunctioning.

And not long after, the tension exploded.

The caravan ran into a pack of Jack Frosts.

To be honest, they looked cute.

With heads and bodies slightly bigger than watermelons, and doll-like stubby arms and legs.

On their heads, they wore hats that were shaped like ice cream cones.

Seeing dozens of such adorable creatures congregating felt like stumbling into a Pokémon game.

Chuckle, hiiiiiee—

If only for a moment.

A chilling laugh echoed, along with a grin that split the creature’s head in half. The flock of Jack Frosts charged the caravan.

“Shishii—”

“Shiiiii—”

“Kiiyiiiiiii—!!!”

“They weren’t just spotted recently, right!? It’s just been a short while!”

“Protect the Snowrunner and the horses first!”

“Shields ahead! Javelins! Javelins!”

At the sight of the Jack Frosts, the adventurers and soldiers began shooting arrows as if in a fit, throwing daggers and javelins, unleashing magic. It was a perfect opportunity to wipe out those pesky creatures or monsters.

The Jack Frosts paid no mind. Even as one of their own fell right next to them, they wore grins that reflected pure enjoyment.

In a reckless charge that disregarded their own lives, several Jack Frosts flew into the caravan.

“Damn it! They’re getting closer! Stay alert! What kind of bullshit is happening, uwaaaa!?”

“Reduce the blind spots! Back to back!”

“My feet won’t move!”

“Shishishishh—!”

“Hikiiiii—!!!”

A menacing flurry of icicles hurtled through the air.

Ice chunks were shot at incredible speed.

But there was something even more threatening.

Karem understood why Jack Frosts, despite being fairies, were treated like monsters and aggressively hunted down.

“Uwaaa!?”

“My, my sword! I can’t pull it out!”

“The sun blazing down in the middle of winter is—shishishhi—uhh…gak, cough.”

“What kind of armor is this worth…?!!!”

The sight of knights confused as their swords and sheaths froze solid was just the beginning.

Soldiers fell flat on unexpectedly slippery ice.

Magic users, caught off guard, suddenly found their mouths frozen shut and began spitting blood.

Cheap leather armor shattered like cookie crumbs.

Ignoring critical wounds, the Jack Frosts were thoroughly dedicated to making a mess of the caravan.

Thud-thud-thud! Bang!

“Kuueeeek—!”

“Buurruruuh—hihihihih-!?”

“Hiiiiiihihing!?”

“Huh? Sleep?! Aah!”

Just then, the cart jolted violently, causing Karem to slam his head. As he regained his footing in the rocking cart, the reason became clear.

“Kuueeeeek!?”

A Jack Frost that had just kicked the Snowrunner’s rear dodged the animal’s retaliatory kick while tearing out its feathers and biting at its neck.

Karem instantly understood the reason for the cart’s tumult.

That scene was the answer to the sudden vibrations.

‘This, is a Jack Frost?’

Karem found this version of the Jack Frost quite different from countless characters that shared either its name or inspired design he’d seen in his previous life.

Amidst the chaos of the caravan, Karem tightly gripped a basket, holding his breath as he observed the havoc caused by a few Jack Frosts.

Their cute appearance belied their savage nature.

An uncontrollable playfulness combined with bone-chilling gusts of midwinter snow.

These weren’t beings that conformed to their appearances.

More like…

An embodiment of mischief.

“Yahoho~?”

“Ugh, damn it.”

Karem locked eyes with the embodiment of mischief, and a Jack Frost that had been tormenting the Snowrunner sprinted towards him, flashing an ear-splitting grin.

“Don’t come closer!”

Instinctively, Karem summoned his Divine Power, ice enveloping his empty fist.

A chilling iron fist rocketed toward Jack Frost.

“Dechaaaah—!!!”

Boom—! The Jack Frost’s head exploded under the impact and splattered in all directions upon hitting the ground. One down.

“Shishishit—!”

However, there were still plenty of Jack Frosts. Reacting to their fallen kin, another charged straight at Karem.

Compared to Iona or Gordon, it moved at a snail’s pace, but Karem couldn’t respond.

“Uwaaa!?”

As he tried to regain his footing, he slipped joyfully on the now icy cart floor.

A sheet of ice had formed underfoot.

With both arms desperately clinging to the basket, the lid rattled, causing a fish-shaped pastry to make its escape.

The Jack Frost that had been coming at him with a menacing grin suddenly froze mid-air. It immediately changed direction and swooped down to catch the pastry.

The Jack Frost was bewildered.

“Yaho…hoh?”

What exactly is this object?

It tilted its head back and forth, but couldn’t grasp what it was. The fish-shaped pastry was simply too sophisticated for a monster fairy that had barely been alive a day.

Yet its instincts kicked in.

This has to be eaten.

You might ask, how could it think that without knowing what it was? But the instinct of a fairy was demanding it, to eat it right away.

“Shish—”

Crisp—Munch—

So it ate.

In that moment, the Jack Frost froze in place with a loud !

When a person is overwhelmed with excessive information, their mind comes to a halt. That’s what just happened to the Jack Frost.

The mind-boggling crunchiness.

The sensation wrapping around the inside from the mouth.

The nutty yet sweet filling that caressed the soul.

A warmth that felt like it had just come out of the oven.

The freshly baked fish-shaped pastry consumed in the middle of winter holds the power to make even those who usually disliked them pause and contemplate buying one as they pass by.

If it was just each taste sensation individually, it would have been fine, but to a Jack Frost that had only been born a day, it was an overwhelmingly violent experience.

“Damn it, you bastard! Die already!”

Smash—!

It didn’t even notice the adventurer swinging wildly in rage right behind it.

But the Jack Frost, splitting in half and scattering, was satisfied.

“Yahohohohoho—!”

-What a short yet splendid life!!!

With a triumphant cry and a boom! it exploded.

The other Jack Frosts were thrown into chaos.

What does that even mean? I don’t know. How about you? What’s ‘life’ supposed to mean?

“Now’s our chance! Smash them up!”

“Yikes! You there, soldier! Drop that spear this instant!”

“Kuuueeeek—!!!”

The infuriated adventurer smashed one, knights pierced them, and the Snowrunners and horses bit and kicked.

It was likely because of their previous setback that the caravan later thoroughly wrecked every Jack Frost they encountered before they themselves were subjected to mischief.

After several hours passed, the caravan finally halted.

They had reached what seemed to be their destination.

“Heh, what a mess.”

Outside the village, it looked like complete chaos.

The sounds of metal clashing, explosions, and blasts echoed throughout the snowy expanse.

Those brought here were engaged in a life-and-death struggle against the culprits of this chaos. Actually, calling it a life-and-death struggle was a bit off; only the people were furious, while the Jack Frosts grinned with enjoyment, even in their dying moments.

“Wait a minute. So what was that thing?”

The one that charged in, suddenly grabbing a fish-shaped pastry and devouring it while frozen.

The reasoning behind it was somewhat clear.

“Merry and Flora are completely different, but is it still fair to say it’s a fairy?”

Karem had discovered a shared characteristic among the fairies he’d interacted with so far.

They absolutely adored white flour bread, dairy, and sweet treats.

…Wait, hold on. Isn’t it Mary, that is, Brownie that loves flour, dairy products, and pastries? And then there’s Flora…what was her thing? Just being excessively greedy, perhaps?

Without knowing that his shock was from an excess of information, Karem approached the temporary command post being used by Catherine, where the soldiers and knights who had arrived earlier were gathered.

*

*

*

Outside the village, amidst all the commotion of hunting down Jack Frosts, Catherine seemed to be quite at ease.

“Weren’t you supposed to be cooperating in the hunt for Jack Frosts?”

“True, I did come with that purpose.”

“But is it okay to be this relaxed?”

Catherine threw a look at the book she was reading, like it was of no concern. What’s the big deal, right? Aren’t you here to work?

“Even if I’m cooperating, do you really think it’s necessary for me to busily roam around the field for something like Jack Frost?”

“I assumed you would be busy with paperwork.”

“That’s the job of the officials and staff dispatched from Winterhome and the Guild.”

‘Guild’ meant the Adventurer Guild.

“My job only involves stamping a few documents that come up to me and sitting in this spot doing nothing. Honestly, anyone in a higher position could do this.”

In other words, a figurehead. That alone made Karem wonder again.

“Then why did it have to be Sir Atanitas?”

“I was the only high-ranking official who could take action due to the Count’s visit.”

“What about Olivier?”

“The old man is likely inspecting various facilities along with his subordinates and the magic tools.”

In conclusion, the only person who could sit in the precarious position as the head of the hastily assembled subjugation team was Catherine.

“Well, if that’s the case, I brought some snacks too.”

“Where’s Mary?”

“She said she couldn’t make the snacks for the tower’s mages because she was busy clearing the snow.”

Karem casually responded as he set the basket down in front of Catherine and promptly opened the lid. A puff of white steam shot up into the air.

Catherine gazed at the basket filled with fish-shaped pastries, letting out a small gasp of admiration.

“Oh! Little one! Is this made from that mold you ordered recently?”

“Yes. It’s filled with pea paste, custard cream, and a secret ingredient, totaling three kinds.”

“Hmm? Secret ingredient?”

“Well, let’s leave that as a surprise for later.”

Karem quickly scanned the basket while sidestepping Catherine’s narrowed gaze and picked up a fish-shaped pastry.

The weight felt just right.

It was certainly filled with pea paste.

“Are you going to eat it right now?”

“Well, I’m slightly late for my usual snack time, and since no one else is coming, I guess it doesn’t matter.”

“Then can I ask just one last important question?”

“Huh? Important?”

Then of course, it was important.

There’s no more crucial question than this when eating fish-shaped pastries.

“Are you starting from the head or the tail?”

 

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