“Roscoe, explain more. A guardian deity of the Ice Land? Are you really expecting me to believe something that sounds like it’s straight out of a fairy tale?”

“But it’s true. It’s not a fairy tale…”

Roscoe, who had been avoiding eye contact and looking down the entire time, finally met my gaze with difficulty and began to share what he knew.

“The chief has a sick daughter named Lea. She will turn five on the next full moon. They say she can only survive if a sacrifice is offered to the guardian deity.”

“Survive?”

“Yes. Before Lea was born, two other children didn’t live past the age of five.”

“…Do you know why they died?”

“No one knows. The shaman said it might be because they haven’t offered a proper sacrifice to the guardian deity for a long time. But this time, since they captured some people…”

“You mean my husband and the knights?”

Roscoe nodded slightly and lowered his head.

It was indeed a tragic story. Having already lost two children, they would do anything to save the remaining one. However, taking lives based on vague hopes without any evidence was beyond comprehension.

Moreover, if the child was truly ill, she needed medical treatment, not reliance on superstitious sacrifices. Young children could suffer greatly even from a simple seasonal cold, making prompt treatment essential.

“Roscoe, go to the chief and tell her I can save Lea.”

“You can?”

“Yes. I’m a healer. You might not understand since your tribe doesn’t have someone like me, but there’s no illness I can’t cure.”

I spoke with confidence, almost as if I were boasting out of desperation. Roscoe, looking worried, raised an important point.

“But you said Hazel’s husband was going to die. Wasn’t it because you couldn’t heal him?”

“That’s… that’s a bit different. It’s not a typical illness.”

I couldn’t think of a good excuse. If I could have healed him, we wouldn’t have had to endure this ordeal in such a distant place. My abilities, which I had always been proud of, were useless at the most critical moment, and that fact tormented me once again.

“What if Lea’s illness isn’t typical either? If you go to the chief and can’t heal her, you might become a sacrifice too, Hazel.”

“Still, I have to try. Please, help me, Roscoe.”

Roscoe seemed to be pondering and didn’t speak for a while, but eventually, he agreed and went outside. He returned a short time later, looking tense.

“The chief says to bring you in.”

I felt nervous too, but I followed Roscoe, trying to maintain a neutral expression.

Outside, it was incredibly dark. Without the brightly burning torches scattered around, it would have been difficult to even see the ground beneath my feet. The darkness, combined with the piles of snow everywhere, made it hard to discern any paths. All I could tell under the faint light was that there were several tents similar in structure to Roscoe’s house.

The occasional sound of voices, clinking dishes, and the crunching of snow underfoot seemed so quiet and peaceful that it felt almost surreal.

Soon, Roscoe stopped in front of a tent that appeared three times larger than his own.

“This is it. The chief said only Hazel should go in. Good luck.”

“Thank you.”

Roscoe clasped his hands together as if in prayer, speaking earnestly. I hugged the child once and then stepped inside.

I expected the tent to open up into a wide space, but it was a bit different from what I had imagined. Two guards stood on either side, holding spears, and behind them, a curtain serving as a door hung down.

“I’ve come to see the chief.”

I stated my purpose with a slightly trembling voice. As if they had been waiting, the guards pointed their spears at me and lifted the curtain. I slowly moved forward, heading inside.

The air had grown warmer, but the darkness remained unchanged. Besides the long candelabras standing on either side, there was no other source of light.

Gradually, I adjusted to the dim surroundings. Behind a long, low table in the center, someone lounged lazily, while another person sat on a small chair beside them.

“So, you claim you can heal my daughter?”

The voice was elegant and slender. I responded as calmly as possible.

“Yes. I am one of the most renowned healers in the Empire. I will examine your daughter’s health so she can live a long, healthy life. In return, please release my husband and the knights.”

The chieftain slowly sat up and adjusted her posture.

“What if you can’t heal her?”

“That won’t happen.”

I answered boldly, but it seemed this wasn’t the response the chieftain wanted, as she remained silent for a while.

“Instead of hesitating, show me the child. Isn’t it better to start the treatment as soon as possible?”

I spoke with confidence, urging the chieftain. However, even after summoning me here, she couldn’t easily make a decision. At that moment, the old man who had been sitting quietly beside the chieftain spoke up.

“Chieftain, why not give her a chance? There’s nothing to lose. If she can’t help Lea, we can simply use her as a sacrifice.”

Hearing the word ‘sacrifice’ confirmed he was the shaman. My heartbeat quickened with rising fear.

“……Alright.”

With the chieftain’s permission, the shaman clapped his hands loudly. Soon, the guards lowered their spears, and what I thought was just a wall to my right slid open.

“Go in.”

I clasped my hands over my chest and took a deep breath. I reminded myself that the patient was a child and there was nothing to fear, but my trembling wouldn’t easily subside. As I headed past the partition, the chieftain and the shaman followed me inside.

Inside, there was nothing but a small bed. On it, a child was sleeping peacefully, but it was too dark to properly assess her condition.

“Please light a fire. I need to see her complexion to make an accurate diagnosis.”

“Light the fire.”

With a small but authoritative voice, the chieftain commanded, and people who seemed to be servants entered from somewhere, lighting candles throughout the room before leaving. Only then did I approach the child, kneeling to begin my examination. Her face was a bit pale and thin, but there were no symptoms indicating a particular illness.

“I’m going to infuse the child with my energy now. Don’t worry, it won’t harm her. This process is to find out where and how she’s sick.”

Although the chieftain still seemed skeptical, I took her silence as consent and placed my hand on the child’s forehead, slowly channeling my magic. Fortunately, I was able to identify the problem immediately.

“Are you burning incense right now?”

“Burning incense? The scent is overwhelming, why do you ask?”

The chieftain asked, sounding slightly puzzled. If my sense of smell had returned, I could have diagnosed the issue even before the examination. Regrettably, before losing their trust completely, I quickly explained.

“My sense of smell is currently impaired, so I can’t detect scents. But that’s not the important issue right now. Extinguish all the incense immediately and dispose of it. This incense is harmless to adults but acts as a potent paralytic poison for children.”

The chieftain and the shaman exchanged looks of extreme surprise. There was no time to lose. Realizing they didn’t grasp the severity of the situation, I urged them.

“Even as we speak, Lea’s body is becoming paralyzed. Ventilation is urgently needed. Please, act quickly!”

The chieftain, momentarily frozen, seemed to snap back to reality at my words and shouted urgently.

“You heard her! Remove all the incense and open every curtain!”

Upon the command, more people than before appeared from all directions. They swiftly removed the incense and rolled up every curtain. A rush of cold air filled the room, chilling the atmosphere instantly.

Watching this, I refocused on the child. The paralysis had already advanced significantly. At this rate, she would surely die within days.

“If she isn’t treated immediately, the child will soon die. But I can heal her. Completely.”

“Then start the treatment immediately!”

The chieftain was impatient. However, I lowered the hand I had placed on the child to begin the treatment.

“There’s something I need to ensure first.”

Bargaining with a life on the line was something a healer should never do. But I had no choice. Just as this child was important to the chieftain, Leopold was important to me.

“Release the hostages? Alright. I will do that.”

Contrary to my initial impression, the chieftain was in a hurry. The more urgent she was, the more advantageous my position became.

“And there’s one more thing. Cast a life-sharing spell between me and my captured husband.”

The unexpected request left the chieftain momentarily speechless. Then she called for the shaman.

“Kien.”

The shaman, who had been as surprised as the chieftain, was just about to nod in agreement when it happened.

Boom! Bang!

“Aaah!”

At the tremendous noise, I covered my ears and crouched down. Snowballs and stones flew in from all directions. The chieftain hurriedly picked up her daughter, and the guards quickly surrounded us.

“Chieftain!”

“What in the world…!”

The explosion didn’t stop at just one. The ground shook violently, and red flashes flickered everywhere. Screams echoed from all around.

And amidst the chaos, I heard a voice desperately calling my name.