Chapter 132

Meeting with Hrundal turned out to be quite a time-consuming activity.

While Ian ate with the goddess, learned magic, and talked with her, he thought at least 8-9 hours must have passed.

But when he looked around from the mountaintop, nothing had changed from before he left for the Ice Palace.

Could time have stopped?

Ian's guess was only half correct.

Time in the afterlife is different from time in the present world.

The time Ian spent in the Ice Palace had no effect on his present self.

So when Ian went to find Kira, she looked at him with a surprised expression.

"What? You're back already?"

She asked if he was back, but she was thinking, 'Did he get tired of it and come back?'

It was a natural assumption.

If someone says they'll be back soon and really does come back quickly, you'd think things didn't go well.

"Already?"

Ian confirmed that the déjà vu he felt was real.

Indeed, no time had passed in the present world.

[Ian. Did you meet her?]

Winnie chirped.

The phoenix seemed to assume Ian had met Hrundal.

"You knew where the Ice Palace was."

[Of course. I've lived here a long time.]

Even with jumbled memories, Winnie used first person without hesitation.

Ian stood with Kira and Winnie, looking over the snowy mountains.

The sunlight was dazzling, and the wind was cold.

[It's beautiful.]

Winnie said.

[If I had died right after I was born, could I have rejoiced at this beauty?]

"I don't think so."

[But if that were the case, I wouldn't have felt regret either.]

Ian patted Winnie.

"Saying that life shouldn't begin because death is scary is just stupid."

No one is born because they wish for life.

Everyone is irresponsibly thrown into the world.

Finding meaning within the given time, whether long or short.

That is life.

[Thank you for your kindness, Ian. For indulging my foolish whims. And for sharing this final moment...]

Winnie smiled.

[Thank you, Ian.]

A cold chill emanated from Winnie's body.

It looked as if she was absorbing the surrounding cold.

"Ah..."

Kira instinctively felt the overflowing mystery and let out a sigh.

"Winnie."

Kira was the one who had named the phoenix.

Initially, she was just attracted to the cute creature, but at some point, she began to cherish Winnie.

"Ian... What is Winnie saying...?"

"She says thank you."

Frost began to form at Winnie's feet and soon covered her entire body.

In an instant, Winnie was encased in ice.

She looked as if she had frozen to death.

But that wasn't the case.

This was merely the process of shedding her mortal body and transforming into her true phoenix form.

[I...]

Winnie whispered.

Ian unconsciously touched his cheek. The moisture he thought was snow was actually his tears.

[I will miss Mom and Dad.]

A cold wind swept through.

There was no baby bird, Winnie, there anymore.

Only an elegant, ice-covered bird, the phoenix, remained, radiating beauty.

[... It feels strange.]

As the phoenix spoke its first words, Ian was certain that Winnie's presence had been erased from this world.

"[It's good to see you again.]"

The phoenix circled around Ian, scattering countless ice shards.

[This is such a peculiar resurrection.]

The phoenix murmured.

[To think there would come a moment where I would find the short lifespan of the mortal body regrettable...]

Ian asked just in case.

"[Do you remember when you had a mortal body?]"

The phoenix answered.

[I barely remember. It's very unusual.]

The reason the phoenix said it was unusual was that there was a slight trace of memories from its mortal body.

Normally, these memories should have been completely erased. This was because every time until now, it had died immediately after being born.

But Ian had done something extraordinary, resulting in an extraordinary outcome.

[I feel a very dear emotion towards you.]

The phoenix spoke in a puzzled tone, as if feeling affection for a human was a strange experience. The emotions from its time as Winnie were affecting the phoenix.

"[That's good to hear.]"

Ian smiled, and the phoenix also smiled, though it soon looked surprised.

Ian's brief smile had felt excessively pleasant to it.

That unfamiliar emotion made the phoenix feel a strong sense of strangeness. The feeling of loving someone did not originally exist for the phoenix.

The phoenix doesn't reproduce. It doesn't seduce a mate or bear children. It merely dies and is reborn, a mysterious creature.

Therefore, there was no reason for it to understand the emotion of love. But Winnie had felt a parent-like affection for Ian, and fragments of that emotion influenced the phoenix.

[...]

The phoenix circled around Ian and Kira, then hesitated.

It found itself wanting to follow the two of them. However, it could not leave this cold land. A creature made of ice would surely melt if it left the cold ground.

If it died and regained a physical body, it could join their journey, but once it regained a body, the phoenix's consciousness would disappear again, making the journey meaningless.

[This is troublesome.]

The phoenix spoke sorrowfully.

[I don't want to part from you, but I cannot join you.]

"[I feel the same.]"

[I didn't want to know this kind of feeling...]

The phoenix flapped its wings, placing green rings on the fingers of both Ian and Kira.

"[What is this?]"

[It's a part of me. My beloved humans. I don't want to lose you.]

Ian immediately understood. Since the phoenix could not leave the snowy mountains, it intended to stay connected to them through these rings.

[Before my memories fade, I must record the moments 'I' shared with you.]

The phoenix said.

[When I recall those memories and feelings, I will come to find you.]

Ian felt happy. This meant the phoenix intended to preserve the memories from its time as Winnie. Though Winnie was gone, the promise to inherit those memories brought Ian joy.

"[I will be waiting.]"

The phoenix flapped its wings and sang in a beautiful voice. It was clear that the phoenix was also happy.

[We still have things to do, but it's hard to say goodbye just like this. Is there something you want to discuss?]

To the phoenix's question, Ian answered promptly.

"[Knowledge.]"

[Knowledge?]

"[Yes. I would like you to share your knowledge of the snowy mountains and ice.]"

The phoenix readily agreed.

[Very well. I will teach you what I know.]

Ian learned the mysteries of ice from the phoenix.

[Level Up!]

[Skill: Ice Magic – Lv3]

[You are quite a good ice wizard.]

[Achievement Unlocked!]

[You have learned the secrets of the frozen mountain!]

[Bonus Skill Points: +50]

Ice magic was not Ian's favorite. To use ice magic effectively, the weather needed to be cold.

Unlike fire, which can be produced even in winter, there was no technology yet to create cold artificially. The weather had to be freezing for ice magic to work optimally.

Learning ice magic because it's needed, but only being able to use it when it's already cold? Isn't that completely useless?

Almost.

In the Empire, ice wizards were not well-regarded. They become powerful only in winter and are otherwise considered weak wizards for the rest of the year. But even so, a wizard is still a wizard. Being strong in winter is better than nothing, and even the most remote nobles would take what they could get.

So Ian learned ice magic because it would be useful in winter. The ice phoenix, being made entirely of ice, knew much about the mysteries of the cold.

[It is unfortunate that I cannot join your journey. But...]

The phoenix said as it bid Ian farewell.

[If anything happens to you, I will abandon my current life and come to you.]

Ian nodded lightly. It seemed like a solemn statement, but it wasn't really.

For the phoenix, abandoning its current life simply meant preparing to return to an egg. Though it treated death lightly, its feelings for Ian were genuine.

"[I'd appreciate that.]"

Beside him, Kira wiped away tears. She hadn't been able to say a word since the farewell began.

"I won't forget you! Winnie!"

[What did that human say?]

"[She said she won't forget you.]"

[... That's a nice sentiment.]

After saying goodbye to the phoenix, Ian slowly descended the mountain. Kira eventually burst into tears. At first, Ian thought she was crying because Winnie was gone.

"It's okay. We stayed with her until the end, and the phoenix said it would try to remember Winnie..."

"No, that's not it...!"

Kira said in a tearful voice.

"I'm crying because I feel so pathetic...!"

"What do you mean?"

"I stayed with Winnie until the end, but I couldn't understand a single word!"

"..."

Ian had nothing to say to that. It was a fact.

Kira was a half-baked wizard.

As a con artist, she had used magic without knowing the Maronius language.

Not every wizard uses the Maronius language.

Some use Arcana magic like the northern shamans, or some other unique magic they've developed. But nothing is as effective as the Maronius language for communicating with the mysterious.

However, Kira barely knew any Maronius words beyond "[Flame! Burn!]".

This made her feel inadequate and caused her to look up to Ian with admiration and envy.

If only she had learned magic properly under a real wizard...!

"Ian."

Kira said, still sniffling.

"I'd even take a pay cut if you'd teach me the Maronius language."

"Hmmm..."

Ian pondered.

On the road, he had taught Kira a few words of the Maronius language, but only those related to fire magic.

He thought that was enough. Kira was a talented fire wizard and rarely failed with fire magic. But teaching her more words could provoke mysteries that dislike fire.

The Maronius language has many words and takes a long time to learn.

This is why wizards are intelligence-based characters.

If you haven't mastered all the letters, it's better to know only the necessary ones!

Ian had mastered all the letters under Eredith, whereas Kira knew only the minimum necessary ones.

The reason Ian didn't properly teach Kira the Maronius language was because of the risks involved.

He hadn't formally taken her as a disciple, so teaching her improperly could lead to serious trouble.

"Of course... it won't work, right?"

Kira lowered her head.

She thought Ian's hesitation was due to some authoritative reason, like the traditions of a wizard.

But that was Kira's misunderstanding.

Ian thought that if he were to teach magic, he should do it like Eredith, secluded in the mountains for years, so he could handle any problems that arose.

"Hmm..."

Eventually, Ian changed his mind.

Kira had journeyed with him for a long time and had been a great help.

He had built trust with her.

Teaching her the magical language wouldn't immediately cause problems.

Ian decided to trust Kira.

So, he decided to teach her a bit of the magical language.

"I'm sorry, Ian. I promised not to waste your time. Forget what I just said. It was my selfishness..."

"No. I'll teach you."

"...? Really?!"

Kira was startled.

"But there are conditions."

"Whatever it is, just tell me!"

"You must study in front of me."

Kira looked puzzled for a moment.

Ian explained.

"First, I'll teach you the basic characters. Even the basics are still magical language, okay? If you mispronounce them, mysteries could get angry and come after you."

"..."

That's why Eredith had lived and studied with Ian.

But Ian couldn't do that for Kira.

"When we return to the Empire, we'll start by getting some books."

"... Okay!"

But Kira responded energetically.

Just the fact that Ian would teach her to read made her incredibly happy.