Adrian Lewin POV
Wow!
Such a battle.
Maybe the kingdom being unbearably hot was the result of Pyrothar, the Infernal Sovereign, using his immense powers.
Zerathul said to me,
"I don't know exactly how much time has passed, but this was at least more than five thousand years ago."
"!!!" I could only stare in disbelief. Five thousand years… the sheer scale of time made me feel both insignificant and awed.
Well, I should go; there's nothing else for me to do here.
So, I said my farewell.
"It was my honor to meet you. I will take my leave now."
Turning away, I started walking, but then I heard him call out to me:
"Human… what's your name?"
I smiled, feeling a strange warmth in my chest.
"Adrian Lewin," I replied.
He simply nodded and disappeared, his presence fading like mist in the morning light. I, too, left the place behind.
I soon reached the mountain top using Teleportation. The ice, which had once been firm and unyielding, was now soft and fragile. The surface beneath my feet was no longer safe to walk on.
Sighing, I looked around, focusing my vision using Omniscient. Through the haze, I located the Claw members and teleported directly above Flash. My arrival startled them; Flash reacted first, his eyes widening in surprise.
Raven asked,
"Was that…?"
I merely nodded.
"And the thing you were looking for?" he pressed further.
I smiled, keeping my expression calm. Without a word, we quickly made our way back to the inn.
Upon our return, I noticed that the city appeared even whiter than before. Snow had blanketed every rooftop and street. Curious, we asked the receptionist what had caused it. She replied,
"The earthquake caused more snow to flow along the wind. There may be additional effects that will become noticeable in the coming days."
I felt a twinge of guilt for what had occurred, but at least no one had died. That thought brought some relief.
We handed the Sky Dogs over to the Beast Masters and went to our rooms to rest. The warmth of the room enveloped me like a comforting blanket.
"This cold is not good for my mental health," I muttered to myself, relishing the contrast.
The next day, we woke up to enjoy warm and spicy food. Even those who usually preferred milder meals had begun sampling the spicy offerings. As for me, I had always been a fan of spicy food, and today, it felt like a small but perfect comfort amidst the chaos of the past few days.
Soon, the receptionist came to find us.
"Sir, the Adventurers Guild has sent a message," she announced.
Raven took the letter, reading it quickly. Essentially, it instructed us to report everything that had happened since the adventurer who had accompanied us had not returned.
We exchanged glances and smiled knowingly.
After finishing our food, we set off for the Adventurers Guild. Upon arrival, the receptionist quickly ushered us into a private room.
We shared puzzled looks—why the special treatment? Nevertheless, we followed her.
Inside, two men and a woman were already seated. One of the men was familiar; he was the army commander. We nodded to him and took our seats.
The other two introduced themselves.
"I am Viscount Draeven Frosthall, the one responsible for Everice Citadel," the first man said.
"I am Eira Fenvale, the guild master of the Adventurers Guild of this city," the woman added.
Viscount Draeven Frosthall appeared to be in his mid-forties to early fifties.
His skin was pale, like moonlit marble, with faint silver veins tracing near his temples. His long, straight hair was the color of glacial snow, tied loosely with a silver clasp bearing his house crest—a wolf encased in ice.
His steel-blue eyes were cold and sharp, almost reflective, and when angered or channeling mana, faint frost gathered at the corners.
Tall and statuesque, his broad shoulders gave him a commanding presence, though he was not overly bulky. He wore layers of deep navy and grey trimmed with white fur; his cloak shimmered faintly like frost in the moonlight. A ring carved from ice-crystal, which never melted, adorned his finger.
His expression was distant and unreadable, and even the slightest smile or raised brow carried weight beyond words.
Eira Fenvale appeared to be in her late twenties to mid-thirties. Despite her youth, there was a weathered sharpness to her face—someone who had endured countless battles.
Her short, layered hair was silvery-white with faint blue undertones, always appearing windswept, as though she had just stepped out of a blizzard. Her eyes, icy turquoise, were bright, alert, and calculating, gleaming with intelligence and defiance.
She had a lean, athletic build, with scars marking her arms. One, crossing diagonally over her left collarbone, was rumored to be from a wyvern's talon. She wore light armor reinforced with fur-lined leather, and a short mantle of white fox fur draped over one shoulder. The guild insignia was etched into silver plates on her armor, and a crystalline dagger strapped to her thigh served as both weapon and tool.
Her calm, confident expressions often carried a hint of a smirk, as though she was always a step ahead of anyone else.
Viscount Draeven Frosthall broke the silence.
"We know about you, so just report what happened yesterday."
Raven replied,
"We moved yesterday morning with the S-Rank adventurer on Sky Dogs and soon reached the peak of the mountain. Monsters appeared, but the guide assured us he would handle them. We managed to take care of most of the threats, but then tragedy struck. The whole mountain began vibrating while he was fighting, and before we could react, the guide fell into a crack that suddenly opened beneath him. Soon, an avalanche followed, forcing us to take to the sky on our Sky Dogs. After the environment settled, we tried to locate him, but there were no traces—alive or dead."
The army commander knew of my strength, and Raven knew that army commander knew, so he could not claim the guide had died protecting us.
Eira Fenvale smirked and asked,
"So why did you go there?"
I replied calmly,
"That is not something we can disclose. It is a personal matter, so I ask for your understanding."
From what I knew, the strongest in this city was the army commander, an early SS-Rank, with the other two being S-Rank. Surely, they must also know that I am far stronger than they could handle. Any attempts to extract information from us would be futile. Their primary motive must be to determine whether I knew something about yesterday's events or whether I was the cause of them.
Seeing that there was nothing more to gain, Viscount Draeven Frosthall said,
"Thanks for your cooperation. You may go."
We left immediately.
Afterward, Viscount Draeven Frosthall turned to Eira Fenvale.
"What do you think?"
She shook her head.
"They are hiding something, but it is impossible to know whether it is related to the mountain or just their personal agenda."
The Viscount nodded.
"We can't really force them either."
They both looked to the army commander, who simply shook his head. A sigh of resignation passed between the three. At the end of the day, their power was limited; they could not compel someone stronger than themselves.
---
We rested for a week. One afternoon, I gathered the Claw members who were sitting in my room, munching on snacks.
"I now have everything I need," I said.
They nodded in understanding, sipping their coffee.
"Now, our next destination is the Coalition of the Twelve Lords," I announced.
Everyone spit out their coffee in surprise.
Emma asked,
"Do you mean the Coalition of Twelve Freaks?"
I nodded.
Emilia asked,
"Do you mean the Tyrant's Compact?"
I nodded again.
Brock chimed in,
"Do you mean the Pact of Ruin?"
I nodded once more.
Lucas added,
"Do you mean the Realm of Twelve Thrones?"
I nodded.
Raven asked cautiously,
"Do you mean the Circle of Twelve?"
I nodded again.
I repeated, for clarity,
"The Coalition of Twelve Lords, the Coalition of Twelve Freaks, the Tyrant's Compact, the Pact of Ruin, the Realm of Twelve Thrones, the Circle of Twelve, or the Pact of Twelve—call it whatever you like."
Emma muttered,
"Yeah, I know generosity is not a blessing but a curse. When you offered that much money we should have rejected the mission.
Brock groaned,
"Take all my money back. I am not going."
Raven nodded in agreement.
"They are not wrong… It's too much."
You might wonder when they follow me, knowing they could die and Yet they were still hesitant to go to this kingdom. But it isn't exactly any ordinary kingdom. It's a place where death is mercy. In a world like this, where human rights barely exist, this kingdom is a nightmare compared to anywhere else.
I responded firmly,
"You don't have a choice."
Raven asked,
"Is there a Nature Force you want?"
I shook my head.
Raven frowned.
"Then there is nothing there you might want."
Suddenly, his eyes widened, realizing something. I smiled knowingly. He was far smarter than I had expected; his talents as an adventurer were wasted.
He looked down, slightly embarrassed, but admitted,
"You are strong. You don't need us."
I replied calmly,
"You have seen strong beings. I do need you."
Except for Raven, everyone looked confused, exchanging glances.