< Ending Maker SS #25 Ice and Wind (2) >
Ending Maker SS #25 Ice and Wind (2)
Count Bayer was momentarily taken aback.
It was good that the woman responded to his words, but it was because she held out both hands at the same time.
‘What, what is it?’
Are you going to turn it around and reject it?
No, isn’t that a bit too far-fetched?
It was just for a very short time.
The woman held out both her hands and sweated profusely, and Count Bayer, who was trying his best to hide his embarrassment, realized at that moment.
‘You don’t know.’
A greeting where you put your lips on the back of the hand.
I could understand.
And at the same time, Count Bayer realized a few more facts.
Because I was so infatuated with the woman, I couldn’t even notice the strange things.
The woman’s unusual attire makes it hard to believe she is simply a local resident.
Pointed ears.
Are you an elf?
I’ve heard that among elves, those with a good affinity for spirits are not easily affected by the weather.
Because they themselves are in harmony with the weather.
If the woman in front of me was an elf, then that strange outfit could be explained.
‘Hey, don’t look at me. If you look at me.’
It was a beautiful, smooth leg that caught my eye without me knowing, but it was rude to stare at it.
Count Bayer looked at the woman again, trying to keep his eyes from turning downward.
And I had a gut feeling.
‘I’m not an elf.’
I have seen the elves that were by his side when I met the swordsman.
Their ears were not only pointed, they were also long.
However, the ears of the woman in front of me were not long, even though they were pointed at the ends.
And it felt different.
I haven’t met all the elves in the world, I’ve only met three.
Still, I felt like it was different.
‘It feels different.’
Unlike the elves of the kingdom, the elves of the empire interacted actively with humans.
Maybe that’s why, but anyway, when I encountered the elves, my first thought was, ‘They’re people just like us.’
person.
They are not people from fairy tales, but people who exist in reality.
But the woman in front of me felt a little different.
A more heterogeneous, but not unnatural, feeling similar to looking at a flower blooming in a snowy field.
What could it be?
The woman in front of me is-
“I, I······.”
“ah!”
Did I delay too much while my mind was in disarray?
When the woman, who still had both hands outstretched, made a very troubled expression, Count Bayer suddenly came to his senses, knelt down on one knee in front of the woman, gently took one of the two hands she had extended, and pulled it toward him.
Regardless of the woman’s identity, it was Count Bayer himself who first expressed his wish to pay his respects.
If so, it would have been right to set an example.
When Count Bayer gently pulled the woman’s left hand and kissed the back of it, the woman flinched and was taken aback.
But the woman did not pull her hand away, and a smile spread across Count Bayer’s face.
Because the woman was so lovely.
‘Yes, the wind is free.’
Wouldn’t true hope be to be able to transcend not only social status but even race?
Count Bayer, who thought that if Count Chase heard him, he would say that even talking nonsense was tolerable, smiled again and stood up from his seat.
He said this while looking into the eyes of the woman who had become much closer than before.
“My name is Alex Bayer.”
At the repeated self-introduction, the woman blinked and then flinched.
Because I understood the general situation.
“My name is Pu… Ah, no. It’s Yuna. Yuna.”
There was no surname.
No, considering that the first word she uttered was ‘Poo’, even the name Yuna might have been an alias.
But Count Bayer neither criticized the woman’s rudeness in using a pseudonym nor asked her real name.
Doesn’t everyone have their own story?
We didn’t meet as enemies, and I didn’t want to bring that up.
‘It’s probably just because it’s pretty.’
Count Chase’s cold comment lingered in his mind, but Count Bayer tried to ignore it and spoke to the woman, Yuna, again.
“I see. Then Yuna. What brings you here? Are you lost like me?”
“Length? That, that’s not it······.”
“I guess you live on this mountain.”
“Uh, um, yes.”
Yuna answered hesitantly.
It’s as if he’s awkward at dealing with people.
‘Is it really possible that I’m a fairy?’
Not an elf, but a mysterious fairy living in the mountains.
Maybe it was a fairy-like being from a legend.
“Excuse me, excuse me. Are you… lost?”
“Yes, it’s embarrassing… because it’s my first time here.”
Count Bayer, scratching his head, answered, thinking, “Was it for nothing that he said he was lost?”
“Then, shall I show you the way down to the village?”
The woman’s offer was very welcome.
But Count Bayer was in no hurry.
“Thank you. But it’s already nighttime… How about leaving tomorrow morning?”
“Tomorrow morning?”
“Yes, in the meantime… how about we talk for a bit?”
It was just bullshit.
There were still more than ten hours left until tomorrow morning.
Are you saying we should stay together until then?
In front of the campfire?
‘As expected, you are clumsy.’
Count Chase’s scolding seemed to echo in my head again.
However, as Count Bayer left home in his mid-teens, he had little experience in this area.
I guess you could say that this is a case where motivation comes first.
In any case, the woman blinked at this far-fetched suggestion, and Count Bayer swallowed dry saliva and tried to calm his anxious heart.
And 1 second, 2 seconds, 3 seconds.
“Yes, that’s right.”
The woman answered with a big smile, and Count Bayer secretly clenched his fists.
&
“Are you going to the mountain today too?”
“Yes, I am good enough on my own now.”
The innkeeper’s son – that is, the future village chief – answered the question with a cool smile.
The innkeeper’s son, who had earned a lot of pocket money by working as a guide for five days, felt regretful, but soon changed his mind.
‘I’d rather have five days to earn money.’
Besides, the guest in front of me had already paid a hefty amount of the hotel fee, as if he was planning to stay for another month or so.
Although it was a place where many tourists came to see the beautiful snow-capped mountains, most of them stayed for only one or two days before leaving.
But the young man in front of me had already been staying in this village for over ten days.
What on earth is going on?
‘Are you training in the snowy mountains?’
The innkeeper’s son swallowed the question that was on the tip of his tongue just before it came out.
Those who used swords – especially mercenaries – were people who could turn into robbers or rapists at any time and place.
The young man in front of me seemed to be far removed from those thugs, but I could have gotten into trouble if I had been probing him too closely.
“Have a nice trip.”
“I think I’ll be home late again today.”
Count Bayer answered coolly again and left the inn, and the innkeeper’s son rested his chin on the counter and thought.
‘Are you meeting a woman?’
His face is so bright, it’s the kind of face you’d expect to see when you go out to meet a woman.
But the innkeeper’s son soon shook his head.
What is a woman doing on a snowy mountain?
‘I should go see Jennifer later.’
Jennifer, the second daughter of the watermill owner.
If the future village chief saw his younger self, he would definitely shout, “No! Don’t be fooled! You’re a bitch!” However, the young village chief still didn’t know Jennifer’s true identity, so he just smiled happily.
&
A fortnight had passed since Count Bayer had stayed in the village.
During that two weeks, Count Bayer went up the mountain every day to meet Yuna, talk, enjoy the scenery, and eat lunch together, continuing activities similar to love for the first time in his life.
‘Well, we’re not in a relationship yet.’
That’s something you say when you’re dating someone.
Count Bayer, who had let out a cough on his own, went to bed early. He was planning to meet Yuna early the next morning and visit her secret location deep in the mountains together.
But the next morning.
Count Bayer was doomed from the start.
“Why are you here?”
“Because it’s been over three years since you ran away.”
A tall, imposing young man answered Count Bayer’s somewhat foolish question with a displeased expression.
Arthur Chase.
The future Earl of Chase.
“Did your father send you this?”
“To be exact, my father sent me a letter, and I happened to be passing by, so I came to visit you.”
“Were you in the Empire?”
“I’ve been taking classes at the Imperial Tower since last year. Now I’m thinking of returning to the kingdom. It’s like a short-term study abroad.”
Count Bayer nodded silently at Count Chase’s answer.
Originally, it was the Count Chase family, a renowned magic family.
Moreover, his friend Arthur Chase had been known as a magical prodigy since childhood, so it made sense that he would come all the way to the Empire to study.
First of all, the level of the magic tower itself was higher on the Empire side.
“Anyway, let’s go back now. Three years will be enough for that prodigal son of a bitch who ran away from home.”
Count Chase spoke calmly and turned around.
It was a silent signal to quickly pack my bags and come out.
But instead of packing his things, Count Bayer stopped and said:
“I’m not going back.”
“What do you mean?”
When Count Chase asked with a frown, Count Bayer thought for a moment, then scratched his chin and said.
“therefore······”
Count Bayer stammered and briefly explained the story from when he first met Yuna to now.
And after hearing the entire explanation, Count Chase made a short comment.
“That crazy guy.”
“Hey hey.”
“I’ve seen you do a lot of stupid things since I was little, but this time it’s a bit too much.”
Even the good-natured Count Bayer was impressed by Count Chase’s blunt remarks, but Count Chase showed no intention of stopping.
“You already know. She’s not human.”
“Yes, they are people. Elves and dwarves are people too, right? Fairies are people too.”
“I guess so, if you mean a being capable of intelligent thought. But Alex.”
“It’s okay. She’s not dangerous. She’s a good person.”
Count Chase frowned again as Count Bayer spoke stubbornly, but in the end, instead of getting angry, he sighed.
“Okay, if that’s really you, then let’s not talk about her. But I have two conditions.”
“Conditions? Two?”
“Yes, first of all, I want to make sure you are of sound mind. You might be possessed by an outsider.”
Although he didn’t say it out loud because it was obvious that Count Bayer would object strongly, Count Chase was also considering the possibility that ‘Yuna’ was a monster.
A monster of the vampire or succubus type.
Evil beings who confuse the minds of the opposite sex they encounter and control them according to their will.
Count Bayer’s face hardened for a moment at Count Chase’s words, but he soon nodded.
“Okay, then what about the second one?”
“I will meet her.”
Count Bayer was already so infatuated with the being called ‘Yuna’ that he was unable to make a proper judgment.
So, I had to check it myself as a third party.
But Count Bayer immediately shook his head at Count Chase’s remark.
“no.”
“Alex.”
“The first condition is okay, but the second condition is not okay.”
“Why?”
When Count Chase asked with sharp eyes, Count Bayer quickly averted his gaze and then returned to his serious expression.
“Because you can fall in love too”
“what?”
“Because you might fall in love with Yuna too. I don’t want to fight between friends.”
At Count Bayer’s serious answer, Count Chase narrowed his brows and, instead of saying anything harsh, raised his middle finger.
&
In the end, Count Bayer’s persistence was carried out.
Count Chase was very dissatisfied with Count Bayer’s actions in preventing him from meeting Yuna, but he decided to let it go for now.
Because Count Bayer’s condition was intact.
No, rather, it felt better than before.
‘Perhaps it is a wise···no, a divine being.’
Not demons, but divine, angelic beings who descended to earth along with the many gods of old.
‘Maybe he’s just a mountain man.’
Count Chase, who was quietly watching the back of his friend who was excitedly climbing the mountain, thought as he took a leisurely walk around the village.
‘But how long do I have to stay?’
The original plan was to grab Count Bayer by the scruff of the neck and head to the kingdom together, but that seemed difficult.
‘I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.’
Even though I insisted that I couldn’t do it today, I might have allowed it tomorrow or the day after.
‘At least you should check before leaving.’
If Count Bayer insisted on remaining in the village, Count Chase would have to return to the kingdom alone.
But at the very least, I had to confirm that Yuna wasn’t really a dangerous being.
and-
‘I’m curious.’
Who is this person that Count Bayer is so obsessed with?
Count Chase, who was a future great wizard, was strict and serious, but he was still a youth not even twenty years old.
Who on earth is that girl my friend is so obsessed with?
What kind of person is he?
Will someone like that ever come to me?
Count Chase smiled slightly as he continued to think of rather innocent thoughts.
&
Three days later in the afternoon.
The opportunity presented itself to Count Chase, who had been thinking of following her secretly if permission was not granted by tomorrow.
“There will be a village festival.”
“I heard. It’s a festival that happens once a year.”
It was a town that was visited by many tourists thanks to its beautiful snow-capped mountains and nearby hot springs.
The fox festival in that town.
According to legend, the village chief’s father discovered a place where hot spring water gushed out from the snow-covered mountains, guided by a beautiful white fox.
The village chief’s father built the village’s first hot spring on that spot, and since then, the villagers have held a festival every year to honor the fox who brought the gift of hot springs to the village.
“If you’re the village chief’s father, it’s too close to a time to be talking about legends.”
“Anyway, we’re having a fox festival and we’re going to invite Yuna to this festival.”
Count Chase flinched for a moment at Count Bayer’s words, which had a big smile on his face, and then asked Count Bayer again.
“Did she say she was coming down from the mountain?”
“Oh. Of course, I was the one who suggested it first. Is there a problem?”
“No, there is no problem.”
The reason Count Chase was momentarily taken aback was simple.
Coming down from the mountain.
It is possible to come down from the mountain.
‘Was he really just a person?’
If it was a monster, it would be reluctant to visit the village festival, and if it was a spiritual being, it was likely bound to the mountain.
“Arthur?”
“No, it’s nothing. Anyway, I guess I’ll finally be able to meet Yuna.”
“Don’t fall in love.”
“I don’t like it.”
“really?”
“Really, really.”
What on earth is this?
Count Chase, who felt a sense of inferiority, answered honestly, and Count Bayer, who was satisfied, smiled brightly.
“Okay, let’s all go together. I wanted to introduce you to her too. After all, we’re best friends. Don’t you think so?”
“Huh, not really.”
Count Chase laughed and turned his head away, but Count Bayer did not lose his smile.
The earlobes of my friend who is very shy turned red.
“Anyway, I’m looking forward to it.”
festivities.
A festival with Yuna.
And when the day of the festival came.
Count Chase stared intently at Yuna, who came down holding Count Bayer’s hand.
No, not only Count Chase, but all the townspeople looked at her with blank expressions.
She was indeed a very beautiful and lovely woman.
It was understandable that Count Bayer was so fascinated.
But Count Chase’s gaze was not simply focused on her because she was beautiful.
‘Not human.’
The woman that Count Bayer met on the snowy mountain.
Yuna.
She was not human.
to be continued
< Ending Maker SS #25 Ice and Wind (2) > End
