〈 Chapter 211 〉 Snowflake Vision
*
“This is…”
Elsie, having cleaned her plate, spoke up.
“It’s tastier than royal cuisine.”
She was both a glutton and a gourmet.
Of course, she wasn’t one to avoid eating something just because it wasn’t tasty, but her evaluations of flavor were fairly accurate.
That meant Weiss’s cooking was indeed better than the royal dishes.
“I was worried since you mentioned the queen, but I’m glad it suits your taste.”
Weiss smiled happily as she watched Elsie enjoy her meal.
By the way, Weiss and the innkeeper had already been properly introduced to our companions.
Of course, we earnestly asked them not to spread rumors about our visit here.
“Here, there’s more.”
Weiss cleared away the empty plate in front of Elsie and placed down a new one.
Seeing this, Lucy chimed in.
“Isn’t she eating too much?”
No, it’s fine.
Elsie had already polished off several bowls, but considering how she performed during the trial, she hadn’t even reached halfway yet.
“It’s okay. She knows what she’s doing.”
That was probably true.
If Gwen hadn’t added her two cents, that is.
“Speaking of which, it reminds me of the past. I used to force-feed that skinny guy to put some meat on his bones…”
“Gwen! Not that story!”
Elsie put down her fork and shouted in a hurry.
“Huh?”
All eyes turned to her.
“Anyway, no.”
Her face turned red as she sat back down and began to pick at her food once more.
Come to think of it, she used to pick at her food at the Hero Academy too, which seemed to stem from what Gwen just mentioned.
… I decided not to ask for more details.
‘Anyway…’
Watching Elsie continue to sneak food into her mouth, I couldn’t help but smile.
I had wanted her to taste Weiss’s cooking for a long time.
‘It’s truly delicious.’
To be honest, it felt great to enjoy food that tasted like real food after such a long time.
Lucy’s cooking was honestly not fit to be called food, and ever since, I’d been living on convenience meals during my travels.
Given those circumstances, Weiss’s warm food was incredibly moving.
‘Yes…’
Perhaps that’s why I had been working so hard until now.
To protect this food.
Not just the food, though.
To protect this happy scene.
To safeguard this humble but precious scenery.
Gwen, Elsie, Sara, Luel, Lucy, Weiss, and even the innkeeper.
A scene where everyone enjoyed their meal together harmoniously.
Even I, witnessing that scene… was happy.
However…
This scenery might be the last of its kind.
All my efforts might end up being in vain.
If the world faced destruction.
I couldn’t let that happen.
I had to stop it.
Especially the High Priest.
There were still many questions about her.
Her intentions, her thoughts.
The information I had was far too limited for any guesswork.
That’s why I was trying to meet the Demon Kings.
They might hold some information I’m unaware of.
And depending on the situation, I might also need their strength.
In any case, if I leave the High Priest to guard the Ice Valley as is, it was certain that not just this world, but other dimensions would also be in danger.
However, before that…
There was something I needed to confirm first.
“Allen?”
Weiss turned her head at my call.
Her transparent hair swayed with the movement.
“Can we have a quick chat?”
“Huh? Yes, of course.”
“Thank you.”
I stood up, calling for Luel as well.
I needed her help to confirm this.
So the three of us stepped out of the cafeteria and headed to an empty room.
*
“What’s going on?”
Luel asked as she closed the door.
Instead of responding to her, I directed my question to Weiss.
“Are you really a pureblood of the Ice Valley?”
“Pureblood? I suppose so. But why do you ask?”
I opened my hand, revealing a single ring that looked like an ice shard resting on my palm.
‘Wings.’
“That’s… Allen, is it?”
Recognizing the ring, Luel quickly grasped my intention.
Weiss’s eyes widened as she too realized what the ring represented.
“Isn’t that… the Wings?”
“Yes, it is.”
“This was still here? I thought it got buried when the Ice Valley fell.”
That couldn’t be.
Just a few days ago, the last owner had still been alive.
“So why suddenly bring this up?”
“Weiss, I hope you accept this ring.”
That sounded oddly romantic, if it wasn’t for the fact that the ring signified ‘Wings’.
“Huh? But…”
Weiss looked quite flustered.
“This ring can only be held by the strongest in the Ice Valley…”
“You’re the only one left. So you must be the strongest.”
Of course, Weiss wasn’t stronger than Schurz, but she certainly had some combat potential.
I had experienced her being possessed by Finn and battling against her before.
At that moment, I had nearly lost had Finn not regained control of her body in time.
“Well… I’ll take it, since it’s a treasure of my clan, but is there some sort of payment or requirement?”
“Payment…”
That depended on your perspective.
I actually had something in mind that I wanted from her.
It wasn’t a request to join us as a companion.
Of course, I would take some time to teach her through Luel and Gwen and evaluate her potential, but I wouldn’t force her to come with us unless her potential was confirmed.
However…
“If you wear that ring, the Snowflake Emblem will be inherited by you.”
“Okay.”
“Then, using that Snowflake Emblem, please implement the Snowflake Vision. The last owner of the ring left some memories behind, you might find some remnants.”
Upon hearing that, she looked a bit puzzled.
However, her actions were swift.
“I’m not sure what this is, but I’ll give it a shot.”
She slipped the ring onto her finger.
There was a resolute glint in her eyes.
‘She was definitely that kind of person.’
One who, upon waking one day to find her homeland destroyed, didn’t lose hope and managed to establish herself here so strongly.
“Oh?”
At that moment, the top of her hand bore a snowflake pattern.
“Is this the Snowflake Emblem?”
Luel nodded in response.
“Yes, precisely. Of course, the design of the Snowflake Emblem varies from person to person.”
That was new information for me as well.
I had known that the inherited traits would differ slightly depending on the character, but I hadn’t realized the designs of the emblem could also change.
“It’s a pretty design.”
Weiss’s snowflake was indeed beautiful.
Far more elegant than those sharp, cubic player characters.
“Indeed, it’s lovely.”
Well, it’s about time to start.
‘But first…’
I needed to get her consent in advance.
What I was about to confirm could be somewhat shocking for her.
“Weiss, if you prefer, you don’t have to watch or listen to the implementation of the Snowflake Vision. It won’t be a particularly pleasant sight.”
“…Understood.”
She seemed already prepared.
“Then, I’ll give it a try.”
However, it took quite some time for her to properly implement the Snowflake Vision.
If Luel, who had some knowledge about the Snowflake Emblem, hadn’t helped, it would have taken even longer.
“Ah, I think it worked.”
Finally, snowflakes began to flutter around the room.
And they gathered into a shape.
‘This is…’
Schurz.
Furthermore, faint figures that seemed to be Stella and Duke appeared around him.
And then…
“What’s happening here? Schurz?”
I could hear the High Priest’s voice.
“This is for sure.”
“Yep, that’s the High Priest’s room from that day.”
At that moment, Schurz answered the High Priest’s question.
“I came to kill you. Didn’t you know?”
He boldly stated it, but knowing how his story ended, it struck a bittersweet chord in me.
But whether he realized it or not, they continued their conversation.
As I listened to their exchange…
“Schurz?”
“Is that… the Snowflake Vision?”
The Snowflake Vision activated within the vision by Schurz.
Simultaneously, a very faint figure started to take shape before him.
‘Huh…?’
Perhaps because it was a vision within a vision, it was extremely faint.
But I could recognize who it was.
‘Freira?’
As if to confirm my guess, I heard Schurz’s voice.
“Freira…”
Thus, the vision within a vision began to play.
“I have to ask. Why did you send the heroes toward the Central Sea System?” “Didn’t Allen tell you he would head to the Leim Kingdom?” “What on earth are you thinking?”
She interrogated fiercely in front of the High Priest.
For me.
‘Freira, please stop…!’
However, my shout would never reach her.
“You strayed from the plan… What exactly was that so-called plan?”
She continued to press the High Priest.
Yet for some reason, the High Priest treated her fairly amicably.
Perhaps it was because they were of the same kin?
“Do you genuinely want to know? About my plan? Of course, I won’t force it upon you. I just hope you could empathize with my plan.”
This question from the High Priest might have been sincere.
She might have wished for the last remaining kin, Freira, to empathize with her.
Though only she would know the truth.
But…
‘Freira, please don’t listen.’
Yet Freira couldn’t refuse the plea from her kin.
“Yes, I want to know. What exactly is your plan?”
In that case…
There was only one remaining way.
‘Please, just be on her side…’
Even if she became an Apostle, it would be fine.
As I learned through Sara’s benefactor, even if one became an Apostle, they retained their consciousness as long as they were alive.
But… the outcome had already been decided.
What I was seeing was already the past.
Even if it was the past…
‘Why?’
Freira took action that exceeded my expectations.
She pierced her body onto his blade.
It was a choice made by her, sensing that the High Priest intended to use some trick against her.
Yet…
‘Why is she smiling?’
Even until that moment, she was smiling.
“This is not a bad death.”
And the instant I saw that smile, I could no longer endure it.
“Ugh…!”
I clutched my chest.
I couldn’t breathe.
It felt as if something were crushing my lungs.
Why was it?
Sure, Freira was somewhat important to me, but I didn’t think it was to this extent…
Why was it so painfully distressing?
“Allen?”
“Are you alright?”
Luel and Weiss rushed to me.
But I stopped them and spoke.
“Weiss, keep the vision going! There’s still things we need to confirm.”
I needed to carefully analyze how Schurz was defeated by the High Priest.
I had to remember every minute detail of the entire process.
Luel, who was beside me, was brought along for that reason.
At that moment, I heard the High Priest’s voice after Freira was slain.
“Well, one thing I can say for certain is that was a senseless death.”
No, it couldn’t possibly be a senseless death.
I would never let it end up being meaningless.
I would definitely…
‘High Priest…!’
I still wasn’t sure of your intentions concerning Freira.
But…
‘I will definitely kill you.’
…At that moment.
“Wait a second.”
Luel suddenly halted the vision.
“That thorn that just passed by, it was Wilhelm’s, right?”
What she pointed out was the Black Thorns of Wilhelm.
*
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