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Merohim is a city developed around the Dawn’s Tower and Winter Castle, which stands centrally located.

Despite being a city built in the white, frigid poles where warmth is nowhere to be found, it boasts a scale that rivals other major cities, reflecting its status as the largest city in the north.

The white snow falling from the sky isn’t an obstacle to their lives, but rather a sweetening touch to the surrounding scenery.

Perhaps because it is a city that developed around the Magic Tower.

In Merohim, besides the magically powered streetlights that automatically turn on and off which I had seen earlier, numerous items made with the technology of the Magic Tower existed, all prepared for the convenience of the city’s residents.

Considering all the facilities scattered throughout the city, Merohim boasts a higher standard of living compared to Sarham or other southern cities, even if it’s just a bit colder.

Of course, this whole situation is a blessing from the Magic Tower; had anyone other than Edelweiss owned this place, it would be an unimaginable sight.

The citizens of Merohim were well aware of this fact, as I could feel their unwavering loyalty reflected in the gazes of those who looked at Elena, who was walking alongside me.

“I’ll take one grape candy and one apple soda candy.”

“Yes~”

As the last piece of the lollipop that was in her mouth vanished, I found something sweet to give her. To be precise, it was because of how her eyes sparkled at the sight of candy held by children passing by us.

I thought Elena had probably sampled every sweet treat in Merohim, yet here she was, eyeing the candy with curious eyes, so I felt I had to find out where it came from.

Finding the store wasn’t difficult.

I simply walked straight in the direction where the children had recently wandered, and before long, I found the shop selling the candy just where I thought it would be.

Seeing Elena beside me, the shopkeeper’s eyes widened, and then he quickly flashed a welcoming smile, starting to pull candy directly from a machine.

The purple mass extracted from the machine was stirred with a stick a few times before transforming into the familiar shape of a round lollipop. It was a common sight to see cotton candy being made before I possessed this body, but this was the first time I’d witnessed candy being created.

Indeed, a city with a Magic Tower has a different vibe.

When I first entered the night market, I expected it would feel similar to when I strolled the streets of Sarham with Elena, but contrary to my expectations, the atmosphere of the two places was vastly different.

Looking around, I could see various mechanical devices at every street vendor. As a city developed around the Magic Tower, the level of magical engineering here was incomparable to other cities.

Not that Sarham is a backwater, but it’s merely that they each possess different characteristics.

If I had to make a metaphor, the night market in Merohim resembled modern scenes from my memories.

Yet, although I lived in a modern society similar to this one, perhaps having adapted to Sarham’s image over time, Merohim felt oddly fresh to me.

“Here you go! One grape candy and one apple soda candy, as ordered.”

While I was momentarily distracted, all the candies I ordered had been prepared.

True to their fruity colors, the grape candy was a rich purple while the apple candy displayed a light green hue. I handed all the candies I received from the shopkeeper to Elena.

“Elena. Here.”

“Ah, thank you!”

Without hesitation, as soon as Elena took the candy from me, she popped the purple one into her mouth.

Fortunately, the taste of the candy must have met her expectations, as she chewed on it for a long while, her mouth not leaving it.

Having just had something sweet in her mouth, it was amusing to see her casually gulp down another sweet looking treat. I had often heard others say that something was wrong with my taste buds since I couldn’t handle sweets, but seeing Elena like this made me wonder if she too was slightly askew in her preferences.

After a while, with a satisfied expression, Elena pulled the candy she had been chewing on out of her mouth.

Beaming with excitement, she turned to me to share her thoughts on the taste she had just experienced. However, the moment our eyes met, I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

“Ha!”

Her lips were stained purple, as if an artist had splashed paint onto a white canvas. It seemed some candies indeed leave their colors on the tongue, and the candy Elena had just eaten was one of those types.

“Damian? Why are you suddenly laughing?”

Elena tilted her head quizzically at my sudden laughter.

Yet, I felt no need to answer her question. A child coming by, who was also sucking on the same candy as Elena, passed right next to us.

That child was the same one who had led us to buy the candy a moment ago. Perhaps due to the passage of time, their clean appearance from earlier was now smeared in the candy’s color, just like Elena’s. It was at that moment that Elena, realizing the situation, hurriedly covered her mouth with her hands.

“Damian…”

“Yes? What’s wrong?”

Elena looked at me with disappointed eyes, yet I held my ground.

It was true that I brought her to this candy store, but it was she who first expressed the desire to eat that candy.

Of course, I hadn’t mentioned that, but I silently communicated it through my gaze.

The piercing north wind, which had been biting to the bone, began to feel surprisingly warm as if the location had suddenly shifted.

It seemed to be influenced by the magical energy she was emitting, as the intensity of her emotions began to escalate and the snow accumulating beneath us was gradually melting away. I realized that teasing her in such a state could have unpredictable consequences, so I instinctively reached for the handkerchief I’ve been carrying since embodying Damian.

“Hold still.”

I gently took her hand that was covering her purple-stained mouth and lowered it. I moved carefully, being cautious not to cause her any discomfort, as I began to wipe away the color from her lips.

Whether it was because the handkerchief was made of high quality material or if the dye was particularly easy to remove, thankfully, the stain around her lips vanished without leaving a trace. Of course, remnants of the purple stain did remain on the handkerchief, but it was made for such purposes, so I had no cause for disappointment.

“Th-thank you…”

After I had wiped the stain off, her face was now flushed a different shade compared to before.

Wanting to hide her face, Elena lowered her head for a moment, and then, having noticed the handkerchief in my hand, she swiftly snatched it from me.

“I’m so sorry for the stain! I’ll clean it up right away!”

“Yes?”

I was momentarily perplexed, failing to understand her hurried words. However, seeing a glimmer of light emitting from the handkerchief in her hand, I remembered something I had overlooked.

“Here! It’s all clean now!!!”

Elena handed me a freshly bleached handkerchief.

Right; Elena was a magician.

Not just any magician, but a very skilled one; she could manifest low-tier spells like “Clean” without any incantation.

As I stared blankly at the handkerchief she had handed me, she tilted her head in confusion, then suddenly blushed fiercely, as if she finally realized what she had just done.

White snow began to fall from the dark night sky. As the chilly wind blew, people walking on the street tightened the heavy coats they were wearing.

Yet, perhaps strangely, the wind swirling around me felt warm.

*

We ducked into a nearby shop to evade the snow falling from the sky.

Walking the streets under the falling snow has its own charm, but if we continued walking, the melted snow would refreeze and turn the street into a slippery ice rink.

It was an unusually busy night, so if that happened, it would truly be quite the nuisance.

“Elena, are you alright…”

I stopped myself from speaking. She still seemed unable to look me in the eye, probably requiring a bit more time to calm down. Speaking now would only contribute to her embarrassment.

We settled into a cozy spot, and I took a moment to observe the place.

Since I had just entered what appeared to be a pleasant establishment from outside, I hadn’t actually checked what type of shop it was. However, judging by the books on display and the surrounding patrons, it seemed to be a bookstore that also functions like a café.

Just then, someone who appeared to be a staff member approached us, handing me a menu.

She noticed Elena, who still had her head bowed, and looked surprised, but quickly returned to her previous demeanor and handed me the menu without any hint of concern.

It seems that service industry workers possess the skill of emotional control, a truth that remains unchanged, regardless of the world one inhabits.

As expected, the menu featured mostly desserts, with a few simple food items listed. Considering Elena had just consumed so many sweet candies, it seemed necessary for her to have something to balance it out.

“I’ll have one rosemary. For Elena… one jasmine. And one pancake as well.”

When she hesitantly lifted her head to finally check the menu, Elena pointed at a few items. When our eyes met again, she quickly looked away out the window.

But even that sight appeared adorable to me.

After the staff member took our orders and left, I looked up at the sky through the window that Elena was gazing out of. The snow continued to fall without signs of stopping. If this continued, I would have to contact Winter Castle through my communication crystal, yet I didn’t want this moment to end just yet.

Redirecting my gaze to the books on display, I quietly spoke.

“I noticed you could borrow books here for reading; would you like to check it out?”

Elena stood up without saying a word in response to my suggestion. Though she still couldn’t meet my gaze, she gently took my hand and moved slowly, following my lead.

Arriving at a shelf stuffed with books, Elena scanned from top to bottom before effortlessly shifting her gaze to the next block. It seemed like a mere glance, but I imagined Elena had already absorbed all the titles in that section in just those short moments.

Lacking the skill she possessed, I stood opposite her, slowly examining the books.

About halfway through scanning one block, she had already vanished from my sight, presumably off to explore the next shelf.

It might just be faster for her to check all the books here than for me to finish just one section.

I figured it would be best to skim through just one more shelf before joining her; if I stayed separated from her any longer, it would defeat the purpose of exploring together.

While reading the titles of the books in front of me, one thin book caught my eye. It was so thin and old that if I hadn’t paid close attention, I would have passed it by unnoticed, but the title on the book stirred a memory in my mind.

<Dragons of the Snowfield.>

There are many legends regarding dragons, but considering we were in Merohim, the book’s title was more than enough to trigger my recollections of the original story.

I reached out to grab the book. However, perhaps due to my intense focus, my usual sharp senses dulled, and I failed to notice another presence approaching the very book I was reaching for.

“Ah.” “Oh.”

I collided with someone else also trying to grab the book, and simultaneously, I felt an indescribable sensation pierce through my entire body the moment our hands met.

It wasn’t static electricity; it was an instinctive repulsion imprinted in this body, mixed with a strange sense of familiarity.

Hurriedly, I turned my head to find the owner of the hand.

The person whose hand had touched mine was also standing there, appearing to have felt the same sensation as me, staring at me in surprise. It was as if I were looking into a mirror; I saw exceedingly familiar eyes staring back at me.

The individual before me asked with an utterly baffled expression, “Who are you?”

That was exactly what I wanted to ask.

 

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