SML Ch 96

Chapter 96

Fortunately, after a night’s sleep, his condition had improved considerably.

When Reynald, washed and armed, came down to the first floor of the keep, the princes and young men were waiting with faces far more at ease than yesterday.

“So, my lord, today we…”

“It seems we should fetch the materials to deal with the fae from the cave mentioned in the note. Volant, do you know anything about the cave said to be northwest of Swine Forest?”

“Mm, I can roughly guess where it is. Even in summer there’s ice on the entrance, but strangely, the surroundings roil with flickering flames. It’s a dangerous place, so we don’t go often.”

“How, specifically, is it dangerous?”

“There are things called yetis there. You know—white, shaggy giants? They look pretty cute, but they’re terrifying when angry.”

“Good grief, that’s miserable.”

It had been less than a day since Reynald received Theophros’s advice, and he was already deciding to forget it. How were “the humble folk of a modest fief” supposed to get past yetis and harvest Illusiongrass from a cave? The moment Serna heard Volant’s words, he balked.

“Cute-looking, you say? Those things are ogres—altered for climate adaptation!”

“Oh, really? That’s new to me. Well, that cave is close to the ogres’ base. But the yetis look much cuter than ogres. They’re kind of round and cuddly, aren’t they? Like they’d feel cloud-soft to the touch.”

“That’s an illusion caused by the fur. Douse them in water and flatten the fur, and you’ll see they’re far more heavily muscled than ordinary ogres.”

“But how often would we be in a position to douse a yeti…? Is that something you’re into, my prince?”

“No! It’s not some taste for soaked yetis or whatever! It just happened during a subjugation!”

“I didn’t say anything about taste. Anyway, they wouldn’t want to end up like drenched rats either. Isn’t it better for them and us if they stay cute, warm, and fluffy?”

“Uh, is that so? But we’re not going to the cave to benefit them, are we?”

“We’re not going there to harm yetis either, are we? Better to get in and out peacefully without a fight. Think about it. Isn’t a fluffy, indifferent, cute yeti better than a fury-soaked, musclebound one?”

“Is that even the issue? I mean, you’re not wrong, but…”

It sounded like a normal conversation, yet something was oddly misaligned. The speakers were dead serious, but Alex and Arun were quietly snickering.

Seeing them, Reynald felt his own tension loosen and his heart lighten. Dragonslayer’s limits, the Kaldevran crest—such matters had left his mind in turmoil, but the immediate problem before them was admirably simple.

No need to overthink. Laughing along with these young men and tackling each task in front of them, even the tangled, puzzling problems could surely be resolved somehow, Reynald felt certain.

However, left unchecked, the conversation was bound to veer off oddly. Reynald slipped into the exchange.

“Ahem. Our aim is to find Illusiongrass somewhere in the cave, so there’s no need to fight yetis. Ideally, we observe from a distance and nothing more.”

“As expected, my lord!”

“But don’t let your guard drop. A slightly colder cave doesn’t turn an ogre into a yeti overnight. If that were the case, every winter would see all ogres transform into yetis.”

“Uh, then… are you saying the cave is far colder than we imagine? I’ve never actually gone inside.”

“Yes. There are cases of water thrown at a yeti freezing before it even hits. The plant we need, called Illusiongrass, broadcasts a flame-like magic that absorbs ambient heat. That’s why the cave is cold year-round.”

Fortunately, among the supplies sent from the capital were magical items called “heatstones.” A heatstone maintains the user’s body temperature at a constant level regardless of external heat or cold—standard kit for subjugations despite the cost, because it preserves body heat in emergencies.

Of course, the effect does not last forever, and in extremes of heat or cold, it rapidly drains magic and expires quickly. Even so, in this situation, they would be a great help.

“A simple calculation… In a cave where yetis dwell, a single heatstone should keep us from freezing for a little over an hour.”

“I think the shipment included a total of twenty heatstones. If five of us go, that gives us at most four hours inside.”

Murmuring this, Alex nodded. It wasn’t generous time. Lose their way inside, and they could freeze to death. Serna also pointed out a critical issue.

“And Sir Reynald—though you likely know this—we won’t be able to use the gold mirror in the cave.”

“That can’t be helped, my prince. There’s no sunlight at all.”

This wasn’t a matter of bad weather or leaves blocking rays. In a cave that admitted not a glimmer of sunlight, the gold mirror could hardly function.

Losing a sure means of blocking attacks was unsettling, but Reynald refused to be overly pessimistic.

“Not ideal conditions, but still worth attempting, my prince. The note did say ‘a small cave.’ The ancestors who lived here a hundred years ago surely didn’t intend to drive their descendants to death; at least they must have expected the descendants could obtain Illusiongrass before freezing. And considering the clockwork doll’s help…”

With utmost caution, four hours ought to suffice for exploration. So thinking, Reynald looked to the clockwork doll. Draped over Serna’s head, the doll lifted its chin with a bored look.

“You would do well not to be lazy this time. If you foresee an unexpected situation, warn us in advance.”

[…O?]

“You agree, but your face asks why I’m even requesting it. Don’t judge that obvious threats are obvious and leave it to us to notice. While we focus elsewhere, we might overlook danger, and even if it’s in plain sight, it’s useless if we don’t grasp its meaning.”

Reynald fixed the doll with a stern gaze. This needed to be addressed. The doll could be helpful, but it had a nasty habit of hiding crucial facts at decisive moments. It was so with the dullahan, so in the study—there were many dangers they could have avoided had it warned them.

“Of course, you aren’t thoughtless. With that tiny head, you might have reasoned that silence was better.”

[…]

“But unless you possess omnipotence to shape all futures as you please, building some trust with us benefits you as well. If you keep withholding information at will, we can’t remain cooperative forever.”

[…O.]

With a somewhat deflated air, the doll traced a circle. It seemed to have understood enough that they could worry less about it slacking and endangering them in the cave.

“Then let’s depart. The sooner we prepare countermeasures against the fae, the better.”

Reynald immediately left the keep with the party. Perhaps wanting to comfort the chastened clockwork doll, Volant picked it up and gently patted its head.

[…]

The doll stared fixedly at the back of Reynald’s head, as if plotting something. When Volant poked its cheeks in puzzlement, the doll studied Volant’s face, and suddenly its eyes sparkled with unusual brightness.

“What is it—good news?”

[O.]

“And that good news guarantees our safety… right?”

[O.]

“You’re not going to ignore us if we get into trouble, right? No one’s getting kidnapped? For sure?”

[O!]

As if relieved, the doll nuzzled its head against Volant’s finger. Still uneasy from past experience, Volant watched it with wary eyes, but the doll didn’t bat an eye—happily absorbed in its own delight.