"Ughhh."

The weather was getting colder and colder.

Had winter truly begun?

Every time I opened my mouth, the heat escaped and scattered as white breath.

"Ughh. Devil, aren't you cold?"

Linda, who was sitting next to me on the roof of the carriage, asked.

I answered in a solemn tone.

"How could I be cold? It's been a long time since I've forgotten the cold, focusing on my training."

"Ughh. Liar. How can this not be cold? I feel like I'm going to freeze to death."

Linda sat on the carriage roof, where a chilly wind was blowing, hugging her knees and shivering.

It was strange not to be cold, what with the weather turning colder as winter set in, the temperature dropping the further north we went, and the cold wind whipping around us on the moving carriage.

"So why did you follow me out here? Go back inside. There's even a magic heater installed in there."

"But."

"But what."

"I was worried you'd be bored out here all by yourself, devil."

"Bored, my foot. I'm busy training."

"Training? In this cold?"

"Of course. Even the severe cold of winter cannot interfere with my training."

"Woooow..."

"Hurry up and go inside. Don't catch a cold for no reason."

"What if you catch a cold, devil?"

"I'm immune to heat and cold, so I'm fine."

Linda tilted her head.

"Immune to heat and cold? Is that something you eat?"

"It's not something you eat, it means my body has graduated from heat and cold. So stop talking nonsense and go inside. You'll really catch a cold if you stay out here."

Linda, her nose red, looked at me with a foolish smile.

"Devil, are you worried about me?"

"..."

I looked at the grinning Linda and... moved my hand like lightning to press her pressure points.

Tadadak!

"Eek!"

With a strange sound, her body stiffened. I picked her up and threw her into the carriage through the door on the roof.

This carriage was unusually designed with a small door on the roof for entry and exit.

I was currently making good use of it.

"Ue-eng!"

Thump!

As Linda landed on the soft seat with a strange sound, Princess Lilia peeked up at me through the open door and said.

"Ashuban, aren't you cold?"

"What is cold?"

"...?"

I closed the roof door, leaving behind Sir Monde's grumbling about the cold wind coming in.

From inside the carriage, I could hear the voices of Linda, crumpled on the seat, and Princess Lily.

—The devil is immune to heat and cold, so he doesn't feel things like the cold.

—Immune to heat and cold? What's that?

—I don't know either. I think it's something you eat.

After chasing away the unwelcome guest who was interrupting my training, I resumed my practice.

Swoooosh—

I activated the Snow Branch Blue Flame Art and created white cold in one hand and blue flame in the other.

After making their power very weak, I tried to combine them very, very slowly and very, very carefully.

As I slowly brought the two, which repelled each other strongly as if they were mortal enemies, together, they began to spin and shine brightly, like wild dogs chasing each other's tails.

The moment I saw signs of it transforming into the Heaven-Reversing Light, I dismantled it and let it blow away in the wind.

"Phew... this is no ordinary difficulty."

My current level was the seventh stage of the Snow Branch Blue Flame Art.

It was now quite natural for me to produce the two opposing energies at the same time.

Mixing them wasn't difficult either.

However, I couldn't see any way to make these two mortal enemies get along naturally.

To advance to the next stage, that is, the eighth stage of the Snow Branch Blue Flame Art, I had to make the two of them get along.

That was the task given to me. But I couldn't see any clues.

I wasn't supposed to forcibly combine the two opposing energies, but to make them get along naturally while maintaining their original forms and properties...

I had no idea what kind of nonsense this was.

When I brought them close, they repelled each other violently, and when I used more force to overcome that resistance and forcibly close the distance, they would spin around and go crazy.

What in the world was I supposed to do?

It was enough to make a ghost cry.

I was in a state where I couldn't even grasp at straws, no matter how much I racked my brain and tried all sorts of things.

I muttered in a half-resigned voice.

"...I think it's time for my master's valuable advice."

The Heavenly Demon replied in an indifferent tone.

[Did I not tell you? If it is an enlightenment that can be conveyed through words, it is not true enlightenment.]

"Still, wouldn't a small clue be okay?"

[A clue... I suppose I can give you that much, as a master's duty.]

I immediately straightened my posture.

"I'm listening."

[Try to forcibly combine the two energies as you did just now.]

I did as he said.

Then, as usual, the white and blue things spun in a circle.

It was a friendly sight, like a white wolf and a blue wolf, mortal enemies, chasing each other's tails.

"What about this?"

[That itself is an important clue.]

"...This?"

[I have given you the clue. Now the rest is up to you.]

"..."

[Look at it for a long time and ponder. There is nothing more valuable than realizing something for yourself after countless struggles.]

"...Damn it."

The Snow Branch Blue Flame Art could be considered a type of sword art.

Its final form was, as its name suggests, a pure white tree branch with a blue flame wrapped around it like a snake.

In other words, I had to freeze the blade white with ice art, and then wrap a blue flame around it.

To maintain their respective properties meant to maintain the repulsive force that made them push each other away like crazy.

While maintaining that strong repulsive force, it had to be harmonious, gentle, and naturally blended without exploding.

And how was I supposed to make them get along and create a white path on the sword, and then coil on top of it?

I couldn't understand it at all.

I watched for a long time as the white wolf and the blue wolf spun around until they finally bit each other's tails and burst.

My own eyes were spinning.

"Aaargh...!"

I scratched my head, then, with a clear mind, jumped down to the driver's seat in front.

Dofang, who was wrapped in fur clothes, greeted my appearance with a bright face.

"Ooh, little brother. Is your training over?"

"For now."

"By the way, little brother. Aren't you cold? You're dressed so lightly."

"The cold is for the weak."

Dofang's lips curled up.

"Oho. Impressive. You've improved a lot."

Dofang, who must have been very bored driving the carriage alone, started chattering nonstop as soon as I arrived.

But it didn't feel noisy.

There are people like that.

People who don't talk much, but are noisy whenever they open their mouths.

People who talk a lot, but don't feel noisy even when you're listening.

Dofang was the latter.

Not only was he an entertaining speaker, but listening to him had a calming effect.

What should I say. It reminded me of the times back at the Sherwood Mercenary Corps hideout, sitting around like useless men with nothing to do, cracking jokes.

I treated Dofang's voice as white noise and cooled my head by admiring the night scenery that was pushed back as the carriage moved forward.

Then, a question suddenly popped into my head, and I opened my mouth.

"Brother Dofang."

"Hmm?"

"You seem to know that tomboy princess."

"That's right."

"How do you know each other?"

How on earth did a thief and a princess know each other?

I couldn't find any connection.

Moreover, I couldn't help but be surprised at how close they seemed in the way they treated each other.

If you excluded their status and situation, on the surface, it was like watching a playful uncle and a little girl who resembled him.

"It's nothing much. I kidnapped her for a job once, a long time ago."

"...Kidnapped?"

Dofang said he had kidnapped the princess of a nation as if he were just running a quick errand.

"The princess was quite young back then. She pretended to be brave on the outside, but she was still just a kid. In the end, she must have been scared, because she hid in a corner and sobbed."

Who wouldn't be flustered if they were suddenly kidnapped by a dark-looking man?

And if it was a kid, they wouldn't be able to hold back their tears.

"So?"

"So I played with her. I showed her some butterfly knife tricks, and she stopped crying right away. Hahaha."

"..."

"That's how we got to know each other, and after that, I would often sneak into the royal palace to see her whenever I passed by."

Dofang looked up at the night sky with a face that seemed to be reminiscing.

"She's much more mature now, but she was so cute back then. She was tiny as a mouse."

Dofang laughed heartily, as if remembering that time.

I wasn't sure, but it seemed to be a story from before Dofang retired as an assassin.

"No, why did you kidnap the princess in the first place?"

"I wonder? I don't remember well, but I think it was to gain an advantage in negotiations with the royal family."

"...Not for blackmail?"

"Hey now, little brother. Don't use such scary words."

An organization that blackmails the royal family?

What kind of place was that?

I gently shook my head.

"...I'm at a loss for words."

A kidnapper who played with his victim was strange, but a princess who happily played with her kidnapper and continued the relationship afterward wasn't normal either.

"Tch."

Why do I always get involved with strange people?

[? You're asking because you don't know?]

"Then are you saying you know, Master?"

[You're the only one who doesn't know.]

"...?"

Just then, Dofang said something unexpected.

"Ah, little brother."

"Hmm?"

"Did you say you were gathering the Sherwood crew again?"

"That's right. We need to make Sherwood great again."

Wouldn't it only be a true revival if all the scattered members were gathered?

"Then ask Sir Monde about the whereabouts of 'that guy'."

"That guy?"

Who was he talking about?

Dofang looked at me and raised one corner of his mouth at an angle.

"You know, the guy who's crazy about women."

"Ah."

A name immediately came to mind.

"I heard he and Sir Monde were in the same class."

* * *

As we ran through the passage of night, we soon reached its end.

Bright sunlight pierced the darkness and began to wake the night.

We were a good distance away from Milgard by then, so we decided to let the horses rest for a bit and have a meal.

In the meantime, Dofang, myself, and Schmidt took turns as the driver.

I had pressed Linda's pressure points, and she was sleeping so soundly that you could carry her away without her knowing, so I left her alone.

I had only pressed her numbing points, not her blood points. It was strange.

Anyway, she had slept enough, so I shook Linda awake.

The pressure points I had pressed should have long since released.

"Linda?"

"Mmm?"

I called out to the still-sleepy Linda in a gentle tone.

"Wake up, you crazy thing. Time to eat."

"Mmmph..."

Linda, her face still sleepy, staggered out of the carriage and, with half-open eyes, helped Schmidt unharness the horses and let them rest. In the meantime, the rest of us prepared a meal.

Dofang was a good cook, so he took on the role of chef, and I decided to get the ingredients.

Of course, we could have just chewed on some beef jerky, but since we had Dofang, who was a good cook, and a princess with us, I decided to be a little ambitious.

"Little brother, catch something big! Not some tiny thing like a rabbit!"

With chef Dofang's send-off, I walked into the forest.

As I was wandering through the snow-covered forest to hunt, the curious princess followed me.

And since the princess followed, her guardian knight followed too.

"Lily."

"Yes?"

"Why are you following me?"

"Just because."

"I told you to stay in the carriage because it's cold."

"I felt stuffy and wanted to walk a bit. And it's not that cold."

"..."

I stared blankly at Lily, who was wearing Sir Monde's outer coat.

Wearing an ill-fitting adult man's coat over her shoulders, she really looked like a terribly disobedient noble lady.

Sir Monde, who had his coat taken by the princess, was grumbling behind her, constantly rubbing his arms.

"It's okay if I follow, right? I'll be quiet."

"...Do as you please."

I walked through the forest with the curious princess and her grumbling guardian knight trailing behind me, looking around restlessly.

Crunch, crunch.

Then, I happened to spot what looked like deer tracks and raised one hand.

Lily held her breath—hap—and Sir Monde let out a silent yawn, his mouth wide open.

'...There's no need to hold your breath.'

In any case, it would be a big problem if the princess suffocated, so I decided to hurry.

I immediately spread my ki sense wide and located the deer far away.

I created a Night Sky Spear in my raised hand and immediately threw it.

Whoosh! Thud...

From a distance, I heard the sound of something collapsing.

Lily, whose eyes had been wide, finally let out a sound when I nodded.

"Wow! Did you get it?"

"That's right."

"Wow! Wow!"

The princess jumped up and down, making a fuss, then bounded ahead on the snow toward the sound.

Her guardian knight and I followed slowly behind her.

As we naturally ended up walking side by side, I decided to strike up a conversation with Sir Monde.

"Sir Monde."

"What."

"Is your name just Monde?"

At my question about his second name, the man, who looked more like a back-alley ruffian than a knight, shrugged.

"Didn't get one."

"Why?"

"Felt like I'd become a bird that wasn't free."

"Hmm. You know what's what."

My favorability toward the delinquent knight rose slightly.

Sir Monde glanced at me.

"You too?"

"Something like that."

"Were you a knight?"

"A knight and a mercenary, you could say. Though the latter color is stronger."

Monde looked at me as if surprised.

"You were knighted?"

"I was."

"By whom?"

"You first."

A strange sense of competition enveloped us.

Sir Monde stared at me blankly for a moment before answering.

"I was knighted twice."

"Twice? Impressive."

"The first time was by Viscount Campbell. The second time was after I was kicked out of the Royal Knights, by the princess walking up ahead."

"So you're the princess's knight."

"That's right."

"How romantic."

"And you?"

I replied with a sly smile.

"You could say I'm the king's sword. A free sword, at that."

"What?"

Sir Monde's eyes widened.

"You mean you're a knight of His Majesty the King?"

"That's right."

"That can't be. If that were the case, I would have known."

"Ah, there's been a misunderstanding. Not of Maia."

"Then?"

I pointed to the east, where the sun was rising.

"The world below that cliff."

Sir Monde followed my finger and looked to the east, then looked at me with a strange expression.

"...Blake?"

"Bingo."

"...!"

Stop.

Sir Monde stopped in his tracks as if in shock and stared at me blankly.

I walked ahead, feeling his intense gaze on the back of my head.

I won.

[...Show-off.]

I could faintly hear the sound of the Heavenly Demon clicking his tongue.

(End of Chapter)