Seiden’s red eyes filled with the image of Bellota being consumed by blue flames.

“It’s demon fire……!”

Someone recognized the nature of the fire and screamed sharply. What was climbing up Bellota’s entire body was the blue fire of demons, said to never extinguish.

While everyone was frozen in shock, someone wearing a silver robe burst out from the control room and urgently shouted.

“Demon fire loses its power when it touches the unfrozen river!”

Yevar’s shout pierced through Seiden’s muffled ears. However, the unfrozen river contained immense magical power, and even if one tried to scoop up the water, it would turn into vapor and disappear without a trace. Seiden knew this fact as well.

Then there was only one way to douse Bellota with the river water. To fall into the river.

“B-but if you fall into the unfrozen river, you’ll die!”

A priest wailed out, but such facts didn’t matter. Without hesitation, Seiden ran straight to Bellota and embraced her as she was being consumed by blue flames. The blue fire instantly spread onto his flesh, and both of them burned together.

“Commander!”

Holding Bellota’s burning body tightly, Seiden jumped off the deck. As their bodies fell into the cold river water, a heavy splash sound echoed as water scattered in all directions.

“Saintess……”

While Felton was muttering in an unbelievably hollow voice, Yevar pushed him aside and frantically grabbed the railing.

“Damn it, what a fool……!”

Yevar quickly chanted a spell while looking at the spot where Seiden and Bellota had just disappeared to. The river water that had swallowed the two began to surge violently, and suddenly started forming a huge whirlpool. As Yevar’s spell ended, the river returned to its original state and flowed peacefully.

“What did you do!”

Kabillon, who had rushed over after assessing the situation, roughly grabbed Yevar’s shoulder and demanded. Yevar, who had been wearing a suspicious silver robe pulled up to his head, brushed off Kabillon’s hand.

“I transported them both to a place without river water.”

Then he continued gravely.

“But I don’t know where that place is.”

At his first statement, relief washed over Kabillon and Felton’s faces, only to be replaced by pale despair at the added words.

Not knowing where they were. Felton slowly turned to look at the massive mountain range covered in pure white snow. This was a snow-capped mountain where bone-chilling winds blew every moment. Being thrown somewhere here defenseless was practically equivalent to death.

At that moment, they heard the sound of Geril, who had been trying to escape while panting, being caught by the holy knights behind them. Kabillon stared blankly at the dark water surface where Seiden and Bellota had disappeared.

* * *

Wheeee—

Seiden squeezed his eyes shut as the knife-like wind made it impossible to keep them open and walk.

For hours, Seiden had been wandering the snowy mountain carrying the unconscious Bellota on his back. On this white land where nothing existed except snow, wind, and the frozen sky, Seiden and Bellota were the only living beings.

As the sun was gradually setting, the already flesh-cutting cold air grew even chillier, and the snowfall intensified.

Seiden blinked with difficulty. White frost had formed on his wet eyelashes. While the unfrozen river water would turn to vapor immediately when scooped up, falling into it could still soak one’s entire body. This was a fact unknown to anyone since no one had ever fallen in before. Or perhaps those who had couldn’t survive to tell the tale.

At this rate, both Bellota, who was soaked and frozen, and he would die here. But that absolutely couldn’t happen. He couldn’t let Bellota die in a place like this. He had to find somewhere to lay her down.

Finally, with that single-minded determination pushing him to keep moving without giving up, a miracle appeared before Seiden.

“……!”

Like an illusion through the swirling snow, a cabin appeared.

Swallowing his excited breath, Seiden ran straight to the cabin, dug through the snow that had piled up to his shins, and flung open the door.

Seiden was still carrying Bellota on his back. He entered, firmly locked the door, and surveyed his surroundings. Without a fire, the inside of the cabin was filled with the same bitter cold as outside. Still, it was better than the swirling snow outside.

Old monster hides and claws were scattered throughout the cabin. This must have been a cabin once used by monster hunters.

“……”

As the heart-freezing cold subsided, Seiden’s reason returned. A cabin on such a snowy mountain. A quiet unease refused to leave and fueled his suspicion. Perhaps this too was their enemies’ trick to deceive him. Though such doubts arose, there was no other choice. In fact, even if it was a trick, it was welcome in their current situation. First, he had to save Bellota. Suspicions could come later.

Seiden quickly laid Bellota on the floor and thoroughly searched the cabin, barely managing to find a few logs and matches. After struggling to light the stubborn logs, hot air finally spread through the icy atmosphere.

Seiden tried to find something to wrap around Bellota’s body, but in the cabin where traces of human presence were fading, there was only one thin blanket left. Taking even that gratefully, Seiden looked at Bellota, who lay unconscious with a deathly pale face.

The demon race’s unquenchable fire had been extinguished without a trace by the unfrozen river water, but in exchange, both their bodies were soaked from head to toe and chillingly cold. Thanks to whatever Yevar had done, instead of drowning in the river, Seiden and Bellota seemed to have fallen somewhere in the snowy mountains. Though better than drowning, they now faced the danger of freezing to death.

Barely suppressing the urge to immediately lose consciousness, Seiden removed all his clothes and stripped off all of Bellota’s as well. Bellota’s clothes were burned at the hem and frozen stiff, making them difficult to remove.

Finally, after removing all the clothes, Seiden settled in front of the fireplace and lay down, holding Bellota’s cold body tightly against him. He tried desperately to transfer his body heat to her ice-cold body trapped in his embrace.

Bellota must not meet her death in a place like this. Moreover, now that they had found all the clues, they had to return to the capital to finish what remained.

“You can’t freeze to death here…… I absolutely won’t let you go.”

Seiden pleaded faintly while pulling Bellota’s cold body even closer.

Crackle, crackle, as time passed, the heat from the burning logs settled over their bodies. The gentle warmth very slowly thawed their frozen skin. Only when he saw color returning to Bellota’s blue-tinged face did Seiden release a breath of relief.

Though Bellota still hadn’t regained consciousness, fortunately, her condition didn’t seem too serious. Beneath her nose, thin breaths escaped in gentle snores. Only then did Seiden relax his tight hold on Bellota and sigh.

“……”

Though they had passed the crisis, what lay ahead was problematic. Because they had no idea where this place was. Would Yevar be able to find them? He hadn’t expected things to turn out like this.

He had never imagined Geril would follow them this far. It was truly a disgusting level of obsession. To think someone who couldn’t even endure the Selento subjugation would choose to come north on his own. That obsession was ridiculous at first, then became unpleasant, and finally unbearably infuriating. To say she should die if he couldn’t have her… That irrational stubbornness contained no trace of affection for Bellota.

“That son of a b*tch……”

Seiden, vowing to make him pay when they returned to the capital, cursed through clenched teeth as he closed his eyes. He could feel the skin where their bare bodies touched gradually warming up bit by bit.

Seiden pulled Bellota’s delicate body, which was sharing his body heat, even tighter against him.

* * *

Bellota wandered through a distant dream.

Her body, struggling in the unfrozen river water, suddenly found itself held in firm arms. As always, it was Seiden who saved her from the river. When she fell into Seiden’s embrace, her distant fear melted away like snow in an instant.

Swimming to the surface while holding Seiden’s hand, a painfully cold wind blew this time. Just as she was about to thank him while shivering in that terribly cold air. Suddenly, the scenery surrounding them changed. The cold, treacherous snowy mountain disappeared, and warm air now filled the place where they stood.

Bellota stopped breathing in surprise and looked around. She knew this place filled with warm yellow light and the pleasant smell of parchment that pierced her nose. It was the temple library. Where Seiden had made such a dizzying confession to her.

Bellota realized that where she and Seiden stood was also in front of that same bookshelf from that day. Seiden, watching the confused Bellota, conveyed the same confession as that day.

“I love you, Saintess.”