0. The Last Night

Snowflakes drifted slowly through the midwinter air as Rudis ran, clutching her thick coat tightly around her. Her white breath froze before it could disperse, and snowflakes carried by the wind melted instantly upon landing on her clothing and pink hair. The thick blanket of snow crunched loudly beneath her feet, the sound echoing through the quiet forest path.

Along the trail leading to the village, trees stood like winter guardians, with snow crystals sparkling like jewels on every branch tip in the sunlight. This seemingly eternal snowfall would vanish like a lie by tomorrow. That’s why Rudis rushed without taking time to admire the scenery. On this final day of winter, she had many tasks to complete before the day ended.

Rudis quickly entered the plaza. Long icicles hung from the large central tree, glittering like a chandelier. Below it, benches covered with gentle mounds of snow testified to winter’s depth.

“Mrs. Hamerd!”

Spotting a familiar figure in the quiet plaza, Rudis waved. Hamerd was one of the many people she needed to meet today.

“Rudis? Quite a snowfall today. Aren’t you cold?”

The middle-aged woman with a round face full of gentle wrinkles brushed snow from Rudis’s coat. Though her cheeks glowed red from the cold air, her expression remained warm.

“I’m fine. Were you baking bread again today?”

“Yes, I’m just starting preparations now.”

Hamerd nodded with a shy smile reminiscent of a young girl.

“Oh, I gathered all the ingredients you requested last time. Here.”

Rudis handed over a package. The basket contained precious ingredients that showed traces of her journey through midwinter forests and fields.

“Really? Well done. With these, I can bake Lumiere bread. I thought it would be incredibly difficult to find the ingredients listed in this ancient recipe. Thank you. Oh, here’s a meat pie I baked recently—take one.”

“Thank you.”

[Quest Completed!

Quest Name: Winter Recipe of Memories

Reward: Meat Pie x1]

After checking the system window that appeared, Rudis hesitated briefly before rummaging through her bag.

“And this is a gift for you.”

Hamerd’s eyes widened upon receiving the small package Rudis handed her.

“Premium eggs! You’re giving me something this precious? With eggs this excellent, I could bake a delicious cake even if I threw in a shoe. This is exactly what I needed most… How did you know? I should head home now. I can’t just sit still with such wonderful ingredients. Here’s one of my special recipes—try making it at home. Keep it secret from others, understand?”

[Maximum Affinity Achieved!

NPC Name: Hamerd

Special Reward: Hamerd’s Cooking Secret]

Rudis smiled as she confirmed the new alert. Though the rewards were always the same, the message of achieving maximum affinity always thrilled her.

“I’ll be going now.”

“Take care. Mind you don’t catch cold. May Pathos’s blessing be with you.”

With “Winter Recipe of Memories” completed, Rudis considered who to visit next.

After parting with Hamerd, Rudis trudged through the snow-covered streets, contemplating her next destination. She had mountains of quests to complete today.

“Who should I visit next?”

Rudis muttered while examining her list of incomplete quests. One name caught her eye.

“Right. I should find Colin first.”

Colin, the village blacksmith. Despite posting clear business hours, he was rarely at the forge during those times. When he disappeared somewhere, finding him became nearly impossible.

“I’ll check the forge first…”

Just as she sighed and prepared to move, thinking how difficult meeting him would be, a familiar silhouette appeared at the alley entrance. A robust build insisting on short sleeves even in midwinter. Confident strides undeterred by snowy paths. It was Colin.

“Mr. Colin!!!!”

Rudis immediately called out and ran to catch him.

“Rudis?”

“Wow, I’m lucky today! Running into you on the street like this!”

Colin slightly furrowed his brow at her words as she caught her breath.

“What’s the matter? If it’s not urgent, come to the forge later. I’m on my way to attend to important business.”

“But you’re never at the forge.”

Colin shrugged with feigned nonchalance.

“I’m heading to handle important matters. Life is short—I can’t just sit around all day.”

“What ‘important matters’ keep you away from the forge all the time?”

Rudis asked playfully while pulling a small pouch from her bag and handing it to Colin.

“I came to deliver this. You said you needed it by today, right?”

“Oh, that’s right.”

Colin nodded after opening the pouch to check its contents.

“Well done. Thanks to you, everything will work out perfectly. I can’t send you away empty-handed after all your trouble.”

Colin unfastened a palm-sized pouch from his belt and handed it to Rudis.

“This is something I treasure, but I trust you’ll put it to good use.”

Rudis accepted the pouch and checked inside. It contained small, shining metal pieces—the most common and cheapest metal available.

“Thank you.”

[Quest Completed!

Quest Name: Me, Bald? -1

Reward: Ordinary Copper Fragment x1]

After checking the system window, Rudis rummaged through her bag again and pulled out a small gem.

“This is a gift for you.”

“What a beautiful gem! With this, women will line up… I mean, I can create magnificent pieces. Thank you, Rudis. If you need anything, visit the forge anytime. I’m always there. Now, I must go.”

[Maximum Affinity Achieved!

NPC Name: Colin

Special Reward: Discount when trading with Colin (10%)]

After Colin left, Rudis paused briefly in thought. Snow continued to fall gently from the sky.

The small gem she had just given Colin required 30 glass crystals to make. With 30 glass crystals, one could buy 1,000 copper fragments. Some might think she had suffered a loss, but Rudis didn’t mind. The relationships with people and the satisfaction gained from helping each other were more precious than anything else.

More rewards! More experience!

Just as Rudis recalled her two favorite things and prepared to move on, someone on horseback gradually approached through the falling snow.

“Lady Rudis. Here you are.”

It was the lord’s representative. His formal attire and the distance that required her to look up created an impression that was always polite yet consistently unpleasant.

“I’ve been looking for you to discuss something.”

“…What is it about?”

Rudis swallowed a sigh as she looked at the representative. The smile that had lingered until moments ago had completely vanished, and a sharp wariness frosted her pink eyes. The representative dismounted and slowly approached Rudis.

“Today is winter’s final day.”

“And?”

The lord’s representative wouldn’t have come merely to inform her of the date. Rudis’s suspicious gaze sharpened further.

“A festival will be held in the plaza starting at 8 PM today. It’s ‘The Last Night’—celebrating winter’s end, the year’s conclusion, and hopes for the future.”

Ah! He wants me to contribute something again! Last time he showed up like this and suddenly demanded items for the festival!

Just as she prepared to hear what he needed this time, the representative shook his head with a knowing, gentle smile.

“We don’t need anything. I merely came to inform you. You will attend, won’t you?”

Rudis hesitated without answering the representative’s question.

Despite its grand name, ‘The Last Night’ was merely an event where people watched fireworks and wished upon falling stars. There was no rare item market or special event. With the event repeating identically each time, hunting monsters during that time might be more worthwhile. Besides, as mentioned, this was winter’s final night. Rudis had items she absolutely needed to obtain before the day ended.

“I hope you’ll definitely attend. This will be a very special Last Night.”

The representative added meaningfully to Rudis’s hesitant silence.

“Alright.”

Rudis nodded reluctantly.

In situations like this, I can just say yes and not go. It’s not like a quest appeared…

The moment she thought this:

[New Quest!

Quest Name: Attend ‘The Last Night’ Festival

Quest Description: Attend ‘The Last Night’ festival at the village plaza at 8 PM.

Reward: ???]

A quest she had never seen before appeared.