Lera Gracious, the adventurer known as: The Ice Field
"I only melt the ice on their faces so they can speak."
"It wasn' t me! Not me!"
"I just got here, I don' t know anything!"
"I was just warming by the fire, I didn' t do anything!"
"Those bratty kids did it, I' m not involved!"
"Please let me go, sob!"
"You lot are the ones, just admit it!"
"Brov ordered us to do it!"
"Hey, you jerk, didn' t you want revenge too?!"
The words spilling from the mouths of these teenagers were nothing but self-preservation and blame-shifting, until Calika roared at them again.
"Shut up! Where' s Elda right now?!"
But every single one of them shook their heads and claimed they didn' t know.
Calika' s expression grew hopeful. Maybe Elda had left the house before they arrived. She could be hiding somewhere now.
Calika was about to run off to search, but I quickly grabbed her shoulder to stop her.
The slums aren' t safe for women, especially someone like Calika, who looks like a noble or royalty. Her clothes and appearance right now make her stand out even more.
I gathered my strength and created 30 ice soldiers, 10 shield-and-sword infantry, 10 spearmen, and 10 archers.
"They' ll obey your commands. I' ll take your sister back to the guild first. The Absolute Zero spell drains my mana constantly, and to keep it active, I need to rest and recover in a safe place."
"Thank you so much! Truly, thank you! I' ll never forget this kindness! Once I find Elda, I' ll follow you right away!"
"Go quickly, and be careful, Calika."
"Yes, thank you again, Miss Lera!"
Calika dashed off, surrounded and protected by the 30 ice soldiers.
But to be certain, I forced myself to create 20 more ice soldiers in the form of assassins and ordered them to secretly follow and assist her. These soldiers have their own mana reserves, so I don' t need to sustain them, and they' ll vanish when their energy runs out. In this winter season, they' re especially strong and last longer.
Then I turned back to the group.
"Why did you do it?"
They avoided my gaze. Some started crying.
From what they said, the culprits were a group of five teenage boys.
So, I created ice spikes, one for each of them.
When I pointed at someone, an ice spike would shoot forward, piercing their face and exiting through the back of their skull instantly. Their faces collapsed, blood sprayed, staining them until they became crimson ice statues.
I started with those who didn' t act but watched someone being burned without a care.
One by one.
Until they finally opened their mouths, begging me not to kill them.
But I kept killing those who just stood by, until they finally spoke.
When I heard the full story, it was an utterly pathetic tale about their so-called "male pride."
They bullied his younger sister, and when the older sister returned and saw it, they were driven off. Digging deeper, the older sister only punched and kicked them—she didn' t even intend to kill or draw a blade.
Losing a fight to a woman was something they couldn' t accept, so they plotted revenge ever since.
But because the three girls kept hiding and avoiding them, they couldn' t find them.
Until today, when Calika and Elda didn' t return, she must have crawled out to look for them.
And by sheer bad luck, they happened to cross paths. If it had been the other two, they might' ve escaped, but not Tiara, with her disabled body.
"The slums are a cruel place. You have to be willing to kill to survive. I know that well because I grew up in the slums just like you."
I waved my hand, ordering the ice spikes to kill everyone except those five boys.
Before they could say, "Please forgive us, we were wrong, we won' t do it again, we' ve learned our lesson," I froze their mouths shut.
Because I grew up in the slums, I know exactly what kind of people they' ll become if they grow up. Their words mean nothing.
"When you were kids, you dared to kill over your wounded pride. When you grow up, you' ll be capable of anything."
They cried and struggled hopelessly.
When I was younger than them, I once spared someone who tried to kill me just because they lost a fight and claimed it was about pride, like these kids. I thought they' d learned their lesson and would change. But I was the one who learned a lesson instead.
While I was dungeon-diving, they sneaked into my home and killed my little sister. To this day, I regret not killing them back then.
"Be reborn and change in your next life, because in this one, I don' t believe you ever will."
I slowly clenched my fist. The ice encasing their bodies transformed into countless sharp spikes, shrinking as my hand tightened.
The spikes pierced every part of their bodies, crushing flesh and bone into a mangled mess.
Tears and blood mixed, gushing out through the only opening left—their faces.
I squeezed until they were completely crushed and as small as possible, then opened my hand.
The ice dissipated, leaving behind pulverized flesh and a mist of blood that stained the snowflakes on the ground a vivid red, just as the dawn' s light broke through.
Cough! Cough!
I coughed violently. My vision blurred, and my body felt older and weaker than ever.
When I wiped my mouth, I realized it was blood, not saliva.
I hurried back to the carriage and forced myself to cast another spell to enlarge it, so Tiara' s coffin could fit inside.
Once it was done, I rushed back to the guild.
*****
Calika, Nehu
"Elda! Where are you?! It' s your sister, Calika!"
Worried that Elda might not come out because my appearance had changed, I had to keep explaining it was me.
I headed to the canal first, but after running a short distance, I was already panting.
Strange. Why was my stamina so low? I could still run from bad people before.
One of the ice archers approached me. He handed his bow to another soldier, then crouched and gestured for me to climb onto his back.
"Thank you."
I climbed on without hesitation and pointed the way.
Thanks to Lera' s ice soldiers, I wasn' t afraid to shout and order them to search every house.
Since the ice soldiers didn' t know Elda, I told them to bring every young girl to me for inspection.
But they were not to use force, and if it wasn' t her, they had to release them back home immediately.
Some girls cried out, "Why am I being grabbed again?!"
There were several near-clashes with their families, but because the ice soldiers outnumbered them and released the girls quickly, no fighting broke out.
When we reached the canal, the sky was starting to brighten.
I scanned the area for Elda, shouting as loud as I could.
Everyone fetching water from the canal turned to look, startled by the ice soldiers.
But no one. Not a single one was her.
Where else could she be?
Think, think fast.
…If it wasn' t the route back home, maybe she was chased and ran off somewhere else.
Should I split the forces?
While I was deciding, I spotted a man limping, covered in blood and wounds, holding something familiar.
It was an old water bucket with a dirty cloth stuffed in its leaks. I jumped off the ice soldier' s back and ran to him.
"Let me see that bucket."
"Want my bucket, huh? Give me some coin… Whoa! You' re a beauty!"
"Where did you get that bucket?"
"Curious, are ya? Come to my place, sweetheart."
I didn' t have time to waste with a lowlife thug who picks on people in a few alleys.
"Where did you get that bucket?!"
The ice soldiers standing at a distance rushed in, surrounding him. Swords, spears, and bows all aimed at him.
The thug dropped to his knees, confessing in a panic.
"M-M-My house, miss! It just fell from the sky and hit me in the face!"
"You stole it from a young girl, didn' t you?!"
The tips of swords and spears edged closer.
"No, miss, I swear! It really fell! Oh! When it fell, I heard a girl' s scream too!"
"You didn' t take her, did you?!"
"I never even saw her face!"
I climbed back onto the soldier' s back and ordered the ice soldiers to head to the thug' s house.
*****
Yusz, the petty thug who bullies the weak in a few alleys but boasts he' s the biggest in the slums
After that mouthy little lady ran off and disappeared,
"Hmph! That loudmouth noble girl! One day I' ll make her my wife!"
Whoosh!
Boom!
The wooden bucket I was holding shattered with a single ice arrow. I stared at the broken handle left in my hand, dumbfounded.
Why do my pants feel warm and wet? Sob!