Cold and Red

Elise and Winifred continued walking towards the east gate. "You said you wanted to buy other things, but we are going toward the exit gate," Remembering Elise's words, Winifred asked." We're done here. The other things that I wanted to buy are not in this city," Elise replied. After exiting the gate and coming outside the city, Elise and Winifred headed toward the road where the carriage had stopped.

After getting into the carriage, the carriage started moving toward the opposite side of the east city gate. With Elise and Winifred, there were a total of six people inside the carriage. 'The carriage is full this time,' Winifred thought. 

After an hour, 

because the carriage's back was open, Winifred knew where she was. After an hour in the carriage, the carriage stopped near the middle of the east-south region.

Following Elise, Winifred walked down from the carriage.

Getting down from the carriage, Winifred looked around the place Elise had brought her. It was a small village. The carriage had stopped near the village entrance where soldiers were guiding the village gate. Only Winifred and Elise walked down from the carriage, while the other people remained inside. The carriage continued to pass through the village, heading toward the east where the road was going.

"Let's go...!" Elise said. Winifred started following Elise, but she didn't know where Elise was actually going or what she really wanted. While following Elise, Winifred continuously observed the village. "It's such a beautiful village," Winifred said.

"Yeah, I know, but don't just trust what you see," Elise replied. Hearing Elise, Winifred understood what she was trying to convey.

Elise and Winifred continued walking inside the village. After reaching the point where the village border could be seen, There were only a few houses visible at the border of the village. There was a slope going upward toward the north and a road leading north along with that slope. The road was empty, and no one was around. "You continue walking straight on this road. I'll go back to the village to get the things I need, and then I'll meet you." Elise said, pointing toward the road outside the village that went toward the north.

Hearing Elise, Winifred was confused. But she knew Elise must have some plan and reason. "Okay," Winifred replied with an awkward expression.

"Ha... haha," Elise laughed.

"Don't worry, just walk normally. I will pick you up after I finish my work, and here for your security," placing her hand on the ground, suddenly a small golem emerged from the earth.

Looking at the small golem, Winifred was shocked. But upon looking more carefully, Winifred realized that this was the same golem that helped her in the South Crystal Forest cave.

"You go with her. You know what you need to do, right?" Elise said, looking at the golem.

"Yes, Miss Elise, I will protect her," the golem replied with a heavy voice like a soldier, accepting his command with honor.

"Okay, then. Just walk straight, " Elise said.

"Oh... okay," Winifred replied.

Elise went back toward the village. While looking at Elise heading back to the village, Winifred said, "Let's go, little golem."

"Yes," the little golem replied.

Winifred continued walking toward the road that led to the small slope heading north, while the little golem followed her. While walking with the little golem, Winifred asked, "I don't know much about magic, and I guess you are made of magic, right?" Winifred asked, slightly looking down at the little golem with curiosity.

"Yes, Miss Elise summoned me as a golem. My body is made of rock using magic," the little golem replied, looking straight ahead at the road.

"Can you do magic too?" Winifred asked.

"Yes, I can use magic too," the little golem replied.

"You said Elise summoned you, so where do you come from then?" Winifred asked with curiosity, glancing toward the little golem.

"I guess you want to know who I actually am, where I came from, and why I'm serving Miss Elise, right?" the little golem said, understanding Winifred's confusion.

Hearing the little golem, Winifred was a bit shocked and stopped.

"Sorry if you don't want to say," Winifred said, bowing slightly and apologizing.

"No, you don't need to apologize to me. I just said what I thought about you," the little golem replied.

"Oh… okay," Winifred said, understanding that she had not made any mistake.

"Let's go," the little golem said.

Hearing the little golem, Winifred started walking again.

"I come from a different realm. We serve powerful beings, those who summon us," the little golem explained.

Hearing that, Winifred's curiosity increased even more, and she asked again, "But why? Why do you serve others? You have your own life, right? So why serve others?" Winifred asked, not understanding why someone would serve others willingly.

"Because Miss Elise gave me a body. We can't enter this world without a proper body. With powerful magic, Miss Elise created this body for me. Because of that, I can come to this world. Without that body, I would not survive in this world," the little golem replied, explaining how summoning works.

Hearing the little golem, Winifred was shocked. She just understood one of the greatest magical concepts. 'If I ask him why he came into this world, why not live in his world, there must be some reason. I don't feel like asking him about his world, though, as it might hurt the little golem,' Winifred thought, unsure why he came here.

Winifred continued walking on the road that led north. The road was straight, a small path created by clearing grass. It was a small road, like a small off-road trail, but good enough for merchants and people to travel. The road was not meant for carriages because it was small. While walking along the road, Winifred continued to look around where her eyes could reach. She was walking in an open, grassy land with the little golem. It was evening, and the cold air started hitting.

"It's beautiful," Winifred said.

"Indeed, it is beautiful," the little golem replied, understanding the natural beauty they were walking in.

Suddenly, the little golem realized something. He stopped for a bit, thought, and then continued walking. Winifred didn't notice and kept walking ahead of the little golem.

At a great height in the sky, Elise was standing in the air beneath the clouds, looking down with cold eyes at Winifred below. Winifred was walking straight, and the little golem was following her from behind. On Elise's shoulder, a black crow was sitting. The crow had red eyes, and its size was larger than that of a normal cow.

"That golem is strong… He feels our presence," the crow said.

"Is this the girl you were talking about?" the crow asked again, looking at Winifred from Elise's shoulder.

"Yes, she's the one…" Elise replied with cold eyes, no expression on her face.

...

"The air is getting cold," Winifred said, folding her arms around herself to protect herself from the cold air.

"Yes, the air is getting cold," the little golem replied from behind in a heavy voice.