Chapter 52. Change
Morning arrived with pure white snow blanketing the entire land.
It was still too early for the day to begin in White Wolf County, but people were already moving throughout the village.
“Jason! Where are you going so early in the morning?”
“....Hm? Oh, I’m heading to the Snow Forest Region to gather some firewood!”
“The Snow Forest Region? Alone? That’s dangerous!”
In White Wolf County, the Snow Forest Region referred to the deep, dark ‘snow-covered forest’ located within the Snowfield Region.
True to its name, it was a forest densely packed with snow-covered trees throughout all four seasons.
In other words, it was a unique region where vegetation survived even in the freezing cold, allowing an ‘ecosystem’ to form, albeit a harsh one.
“What will you do if you run into a monster?”
It wasn’t uncommon for monsters from the snowy mountains to descend into the forest in search of prey.
After all, humans weren’t the only creatures that suffered from a lack of food in such a frigid environment.
During winter in particular, food became scarce even for monsters.
Therefore, it was almost certain that monsters from the snowy mountains would descend into the Snow Forest Region.
“It’s fine, it’s fine.”
Jason waved his hand dismissively, showing no concern.
“Lord Adrian wiped out all the monsters this time!”
The monster legion that had attacked the County.
It would not have been an exaggeration to say that the army surging forward like an avalanche had brought every monster from the snowy mountains with it.
Adrian had confronted that legion alone.
By annihilating them all at once, he had practically exterminated the monsters.
Furthermore, after the legion’s leader, the Lycanthrope, was subjugated, the surviving monsters belonging to the army had scattered in every direction.
“There’s nothing to worry about!”
It was safe to say that the Snow Forest Region was currently free of threats.
Jason tightened the straps of the carrying frame on his back.
And Jason wasn’t the only one.
“I’ll make sure to bring back a nice, sturdy one!”
“I should gather some snow-herb leaves while I’m there.”
Some people were heading into the Snow Forest Region to hunt, while others were entering to gather medicinal herbs.
“This is the time of year when snow smelt gather beneath the ice. Let’s hurry before it’s too late.”
Others were traveling as far as the Timberline Tundra Region to cast their fishing nets.
The people could now carry out their livelihoods without fear.
“Everyone really has changed lately.”
“Indeed. In the past, everyone would have locked their doors and refused to go outside on a day like this.”
The current state of the County had changed just as completely as the way its people viewed Adrian.
On top of that, they now had the supplies Adrian had brought back from Freche—
“At this rate, we won’t have to fear winter at all this year.”
“I never thought I’d live to see a winter when I could eat my fill and stay warm.”
“When was the last time our children didn’t have to go hungry...?”
The season of bitter cold had drawn near, but the County did not freeze over.
Warmth spread throughout the village, and the healthy laughter of children could be heard everywhere.
“I can’t believe we owe all this to Lord Adrian, the delinquent of the count’s household! I simply can’t believe it!”
He had once been the delinquent of the count’s household, constantly getting drunk and causing trouble.
But the residents’ perception of Adrian had now changed completely.
“Good grief, man! How can you still call him a delinquent?”
“Watch your mouth!”
“He’s right. If it weren’t for Lord Adrian, we would all have frozen to death!”
“And freezing to death would’ve been the least of it! We would have become food for those vicious monsters!”
To the residents, Adrian was no longer a delinquent.
“Lord Adrian is the savior of the County—our savior!”
And so.
Before the name of a man who was no longer called a delinquent.
“There were so many people in the plaza today.”
“Indeed. Everyone has been busy lately.”
“It’s not like before. Somehow….it finally feels like people are truly living here!”
Slowly but surely, the County began reclaiming the appearance of a proper territory.
* * *
◆The residents’ Affinity toward you has increased!!
A message suddenly flashed before my eyes.
At the same time, several additional messages appeared in succession.
◆The residents’ Affinity toward you has reached the [Friendliness] state!
◆Residents in the [Friendliness] state will display a warm and positive attitude toward you.
◆The residents will actively offer you assistance and cooperation. You may receive their support during combat or certain situations, and you may request their aid in times of crisis.
It seemed that the reward from the sudden quest had finally been applied.
Unfortunately.
‘It hasn’t reached the Trust state.’
Their Affinity had not yet reached the [Trust] state required to clear the Territory Quest.
As a result, the quest had not been completed, but….that was fine.
If things continued like this, raising their Affinity to [Trust] within the time limit wouldn’t be difficult.
Besides, that wasn’t what mattered right now.
“Are you still not finished?”
“We’re all done!”
At my words, the maids carrying baskets hurried over to me.
They began taking the items out of the baskets one by one while explaining them.
“This is medicinal cotton. If Lady Seraphia’s lips become dry, use it to moisten them.”
“Replace the bedsheets with these, and simply leave the dirty ones outside. We’ll collect and wash them.”
“We also brought fresh pillow stuffing. It’s nice and soft.”
“This is a medicinal-herb sachet, and that is an herbal washcloth. And then there’s....”
Was this an inventory or something?
Items continued pouring endlessly from the baskets.
“This is a bedsore-prevention pad. Place it beneath Lady Seraphia’s back to relieve the pressure. If she remains bedridden for too long, poor blood circulation could damage her back.”
“These are handkerchiefs, and this is an ultrafine-fiber blanket. It won’t irritate her skin as much.”
“Incidentally, these are all things that Lord Adrian obtained for us!”
….There certainly were a lot of them.
“It’s a bit much, isn’t it...?”
“We’re sorry. This is work that we should normally be doing....”
Only then did the maids seem to notice my expression and begin watching me nervously.
One of them even squeezed her eyes shut, apparently convinced that I would throw a fit this time.
Of course, I wasn’t particularly eager to nurse Seraphia....
“That’s enough. The circumstances can’t be helped, so don’t worry about it.”
“Ah...!”
“Thank you so much for understanding.”
The maids all bowed their heads to me.
“Is that everything we need?”
“Yes. For now.”
….For now?
“If she remains bedridden for an extended period, her blood won’t circulate properly, so we may need things like massage oil and hot compresses.”
It made me realize once again just how absurdly powerful Regeneration[B+] was.
….Well, anyway.
I stored the basket prepared by the maids inside my inventory.
The maids’ eyes widened briefly.
“You’ve all worked hard.”
I then headed toward the room where Seraphia was staying.
Adrian walked away from them.
Once he had completely disappeared from sight—
“....Did you hear that?”
One of the maids asked in a murmur.
“Of course I heard it! I heard it perfectly!”
“He said, ‘You’ve all worked hard’...!!”
“I nearly lost my mind when he said, ‘Don’t worry about it’!”
“He’s become so kind!!”
The other maids bounced excitedly in place.
“You know, you know, I spoke to Lord Adrian first earlier.”
“What?! Really?!”
“Yeah.”
“Whoa! That’s incredible!”
“What did you say to him?”
“I just asked…. ‘Isn’t the training difficult?’”
“Oh my.”
“And then?”
“He didn’t slap you?”
“No, not at all! He even answered me!”
“Really? Lord Adrian actually answered you?”
“Yeah! And in a really kind voice—”
—Training is supposed to be difficult.
“That’s what he said!”
“Amazing!!!”
“That’s incredible!!!”
“Ah! Then should I try speaking to him first later...?”
“Huh? Rena, are you assigned to Lord Adrian today?”
In the past, being assigned to Adrian had been a duty that every maid disliked and avoided.
But now, it was the complete opposite.
“Then, you know, I’m assigned to the library this afternoon.”
“Being assigned to the library is really easy.”
“Exactly. So could you switch with me?”
“What? No.”
“Ah, why...?”
“You little brat. Don’t try acting cute.”
“Please switch with me just this once, okay? I want to try speaking to Lord Adrian first too...!”
And so.
“No. Absolutely not.”
“You’re so stingy!”
“I don’t care. The answer is still no.”
“Then switch with me! Today, I’m—”
“No, thank you!”
Among the maids, being assigned to Adrian had become the most coveted duty of all.
* * *
Seraphia’s room was as hot as an enormous furnace.
The massive brazier placed in the center of the room continuously spewed fierce flames, heating the entire chamber.
To maintain this heat, they were practically pouring firewood into it.
Thirty percent of the firewood I had purchased in Freche was currently being used here.
When I checked the room’s temperature with Predatory Instincts[S]—.
◆The room’s temperature is [253 degrees Celsius].
At this temperature, it was a miracle that the room hadn’t caught fire.
Yet Seraphia’s body, lying upon the bed, was cold.
‘Hmm....’
I silently watched Seraphia as she breathed so faintly that she appeared dead.
‘It’s already been five days.’
Five days had passed since Seraphia collapsed.
She still hadn’t regained consciousness and continued hovering between life and death.
More precisely, she was slowly dying.
In the end, we had no choice but to take extraordinary measures, and the result was this room approaching 253 degrees Celsius.
That was why I was currently nursing Seraphia.
I wasn’t particularly happy about it.
But I had no choice.
The maids couldn’t endure even ten seconds inside this room before collapsing.
Kai and I were the only people capable of enduring this furnace-like chamber.
I could withstand it by regulating my body temperature with Hardened Skin[B], while Kai could withstand it using his Aura-based immortality.
However, Kai had suffered a fatal injury at the hands of the Lycanthrope.
His immortality prevented him from dying, but he needed time to recover his Aura.
Therefore, I had no choice but to look after Seraphia.
‘Hmm....’
Over the past five days, I had repeatedly wondered what I should do with Seraphia.
There was no need to kill Seraphia immediately.
But that didn’t mean I needed to save her.
Even if she hadn’t awakened as the Monarch of Frost right now, I had no idea when something like this might happen again.
I didn’t know when, where, how, or why Seraphia would fall.
If Seraphia awakened as the Monarch of Frost and fell at the same time, there would truly be no stopping her.
The authority she had displayed this time was on another level.
After witnessing it personally, I knew.
Defeat would be virtually inevitable.
‘If I simply consumed Seraphia with Predation right now....’
Then I would be able to wield the authority of frost.
Nor would I have to worry about being consumed by the madness of Predation[S+] as I had been in my previous life.
I could surpass the Predator of my previous life and leap beyond the Monarchs in a single bound.
Seraphia was unconscious at the perfect time.
Kai was also in no condition to move.
This was the ideal opportunity to consume the Monarch of Frost with Predation[S+]....but.
◆Seraphia is currently under the effects of a [curse].
Frost Curse[P].
As its name suggested, it was a ‘curse’.
According to the information obtained through Predatory Instincts[S], it inflicted [Physical Weakening], [Freezing Inducement], [Mental Confusion], and [Sensory Paralysis].
It was a curse severe enough that her immediate death wouldn’t be surprising.
What would happen if I consumed Seraphia with Predation[S+]?
According to the mechanism of Predation[S+], I would ‘absorb’ the curse.
Consuming Seraphia with Predation[S+] right now would not be a particularly wise decision.
More importantly.
‘Who knows what kind of fit Ian would throw?’
I had no confidence that I could endure Ian’s fury when we eventually met.
Considering Ian’s personality, it wouldn’t be an ordinary fit.
‘He’d go completely berserk.’
I still hadn’t received an answer from Ian.
I didn’t know why Ian had regretted killing Seraphia.
There had to be a rational reason, so until I heard it—
‘I should save her.’
Ultimately, I couldn’t simply allow Seraphia to die like this.
Of course, if Seraphia had already awakened as the Monarch of Frost, I would have killed her immediately.
‘She doesn’t appear to have awakened.’
For several reasons, I couldn’t leave her to die.
For now, it was better to keep her alive.
It wouldn’t be too late to kill Seraphia after hearing the reason for Ian’s regret.
‘The problem is figuring out how to save her....’
The first thing that came to mind was heating Seraphia’s body.
My gaze naturally shifted toward the blazing inferno inside the brazier at the center of the room.
◆The temperature inside the brazier is [1,012 degrees Celsius].
‘Should I throw her in there?’
It was an excellent idea.
If I threw the ice-cold Seraphia into that scorching inferno, her body would quickly become warm.
I lightly lifted Seraphia into my arms.
She was as dry and weightless as a fallen leaf. I was about to throw her into the inferno when I stopped.
“....That wouldn’t work, would it?”
Feeling that it probably wouldn’t, I placed Seraphia back on the bed.
According to Predatory Instincts[S], the thermal energy deficit was occurring ‘inside’ Seraphia, not ‘outside’ her body.
Therefore, throwing Seraphia into the brazier was rejected.
“Hmm....”
I sank into thought and considered how I could save Seraphia.
This was the first time I had learned that Seraphia suffered from Frost Curse[P].
I had known that Seraphia’s body was frail. But I hadn’t known that it was caused by the Frost Curse[P].
I had known that Seraphia wielded the authority of frost.
But I hadn’t known that it was Frost Curse[P].
In other words, I possessed no learned knowledge concerning Seraphia’s condition.
And there was no way for me to know information I had never learned.
A way to restore Seraphia.
Or a way to save her.
Neither existed within my memories.
However, I now possessed Predatory Instincts[S].
It was an ability that allowed me to understand even unlearned information ‘a priori’.
A human’s linguistic ability is empirical and learned.
A person can only use language after undergoing the process of hearing and learning their parents’ language during childhood.
But breathing is different.
A newborn baby can breathe without anyone teaching it how.
Even without being taught how to take its first steps, the child naturally begins walking as time passes.
That is because the child possesses such knowledge and information as a priori.
During the ten months spent inside its mother’s womb, it has already inherited and learned the results of millions of years of evolution.
That is humanity’s instinct and priori knowledge.
Predatory Instincts[S] was an authority bestowed by the Monarch of Beasts.
It went beyond humanity’s instinctive knowledge and contained the instinctive knowledge of every living creature in the world.
Herbivores such as deer, goats, and sheep consume various plants, yet they possess an instinctive ability to distinguish poisonous plants.
A rat that has never seen a snake before instinctively attempts to flee from it.
Some creatures can detect the scent of wet earth and use it to locate a stream.
The Monarch of Beasts was a Chimaera formed by combining all such living creatures.
Therefore, Predatory Instincts[S] could be considered the culmination of the instincts and a priori knowledge possessed by every living creature in the world.
When I activated Predatory Instincts[S]—.
The genetic information accumulated by countless living creatures examined and analyzed Seraphia’s condition.
My memories from my previous life were added to it.
The knowledge and experience I had gained while serving as the Special Warfare Unit’s Covert Operations Commander.
That vast amount of knowledge, information, and experience connected into a single whole, allowing me to understand every detail of Seraphia’s condition.
An immeasurable volume of information unfolded, combined, and reorganized itself repeatedly.
After some time had passed.
‘I think….I understand it roughly.’
Several medicinal ingredients capable of alleviating Seraphia’s symptoms came to mind.
They were rare medicinal ingredients commonly called ‘spiritual medicines’.
Among them, I identified several with the necessary characteristics, much like an herbivore instinctively distinguishing poisonous plants.
However, they would be extremely difficult to obtain.
‘I’ll have to search for them in the Commercial City of Freche.’
I had been planning to make a second trading expedition anyway.
I had been unable to do anything about the legion led by the Lycanthrope, but I had consumed every single monster from the army that attacked the County with Predation[S+].
In other words, I had accumulated an enormous quantity of monster meat, and all of it was worth money.
‘I can obtain the ingredients while I’m there.’
Just as I was about to depart for Freche—
◆You have acquired the derived skill ‘Find Weakness[U]’!
A message announcing the acquisition of a new skill suddenly appeared before my eyes.
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