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Chapter 61
In a way, it could have been dismissed as something trivial.
But Clemens’ intuition kept ringing alarm bells.
A growing unease crept through her, and goosebumps rose all over her body.
“Ruby, could it be—”
“Ahahaha! Nanro, stop, it’s hot!”
“Kya-hah! Stop? No way! Do it more!”
The children’s laughter and shouts left her no room to think further.
Seeing that Ruby’s face was still normal, Clemens assumed she must have misheard.
She thought that and pressed her lips lightly to the tops of the children’s heads, one by one.
It was time to return.
“See you later, everyone. Ruby, you’ll come to the castle tomorrow too, right?”
“Yes. See you tomorrow.”
“Okay. Nanro, take care!”
“Nanro…”
The children waved with eyes dripping with reluctance. Clemens suppressed her own lingering feelings and turned away.
That’s when it happened.
Grrrrrrrr-!
She heard it again.
This time, it was clearer, and a faint vibration could be felt underfoot.
Kiiyaaang—kururung!
The roars of the northern monsters sounded simultaneously.
It was strange.
Even when she had recently been in Aistas, this hadn’t happened.
According to Zephyrus, he had never heard such a sound before.
Then why—
“Mom! Look there!”
Roo had grabbed Ruby’s hand and pointed to the mountains.
The tallest mountain surrounding the village. On its peak, a blanket of white snow.
The centuries-old snow, which had endured countless seasons, was forming into a cloud of pure white snow.
“Why… is the snow—”
It looked as if the snow was scattering into dust. But far more snow was falling in clumps than drifting like dust.
As it descended the mountain, the snow mass grew bigger and bigger. It could easily swallow the village at the base.
The children’s eyes sparkled in amazement, but Ruby and Clemens’ faces went pale, anticipating what might happen.
“Ruby, this… could it be? Um… yes?”
“Yes! It’s an avalanche, it really is!”
Without needing to say who first, Ruby scooped up Laura, and Clemens picked up Roo.
“Wh-what do we do?”
Ruby’s eyes darted back and forth. Her hands gripping Laura tightened, and then her face hardened.
“We need to evacuate.”
“To where? Is there a place we can go?”
There are similar disasters even in deserts: sudden floods.
The moment you hear the sound of rushing water, you must move to higher ground.
Unfortunately, the avalanche had begun on the tallest and largest mountain, facing the village directly.
Ruby thought through the nearby terrain and remembered only one place.
“The Grand Duke’s Castle! It’s the highest point! And it’s opposite the mountain. We probably won’t get swept up by the avalanche!”
And it seemed to be outside the avalanche’s path.
“Then we need to take everyone to the Grand Duke’s Castle.”
“Yes. Let’s hurry.”
“No, Ruby, take the kids to the castle. It’s close.”
“What do you mean—”
“There’s no time to fight. The master also needs to know that the avalanche has started.”
She had a point. Ruby nodded.
Holding Laura and Roo in both arms, she ran toward the castle.
Watching her for a moment, Clemens also ran toward the village.
As soon as she reached the village entrance, she shouted at the top of her lungs.
“Evacuate! Evacuate! Avalanche!”
A few villagers, already sensing something strange, saw the avalanche and went pale.
“Run! You’ll be safe at the Grand Duke’s Castle!”
“Father!”
A man just entering middle age carried his elderly father on his back while also keeping his child close.
He ran desperately, shouting along with Clemens.
“The snow is rolling down! Avalanche! Snowstorm!”
“An avalanche is happening! Everyone, get to safety!”
As Clemens moved deeper into the village, her voice mixed with others, echoing through every corner.
“It’s an avalanche!”
“Get out of the way!”
“Head to the Grand Duke’s Castle!”
“Grand Duke’s Castle! Move!”
“Wait, m-my luggage!”
“Forget the luggage! Just take your family and run!”
Grrrr-
An enormous monster—or perhaps some unknown lifeform—seemed to roar from deep within the earth.
Goosebumps ran over Clemens’ entire body.
Everyone’s gaze turned to the mountain.
It still seemed stationary, yet the vibrations enveloping them felt like a beating heart.
The moment they saw, heard, and felt it, the village turned into a scene of chaos in an instant.
“Ahh! Run!”
“Kyaaaah!”
“Head to the castle!”
Clemens ran into the village shouting, while the people ran in the opposite direction.
Avoiding the panicked villagers, she looked up at the mountain. The white wave grew larger as it approached.
The low thumping like a small drum transformed into a sharp sound that could split the sky.
In the blink of an eye, the snow mass seemed to fly several meters toward them.
Clemens briefly looked back at the fleeing villagers.
‘It’s too late.’
The speed difference was absolute.
This… this isn’t going to work.
There’s no way to escape this white disaster.
It’s like the desert.
A rushing sandstorm can only be survived if you hide behind a rock strong enough to withstand it; otherwise, escape is impossible.
Then there’s only one option.
Confront it.
Watching the people run, Clemens stopped.
The person who shared baked bread with her.
The lady who gave candy. The man who gave a glass mirror.
The child screaming so loudly clung to her to play.
When she had played among the children, she had been so happy.
Though she hadn’t been in the north long, she had more memories here than in the desert where she had lived all her life.
The warmest people she had met, even in the coldest place.
‘If I can save them, I should.’
Swoosh—!
A cold wind sliced across her body.
And at the same speed as the wind, the snow was rolling down.
There was little time left before the snow hit.
There was no time to hesitate. Even if she pessimistically thought that all the villagers would push her away and be afraid…
‘It’s okay. I like these people.’
Clemens once again took in the sight of the people and ran in the opposite direction.
One step to protect everyone.
Two steps for herself.
Finally, she hoped that at least one person she could live with remained.
Clemens pulled the safety pin she had kept locked inside her heart.
Flare!
The heat within Clemens burst out.
At the same time, the incoming white wave burst apart!
**
Even among the people running as if possessed, there were those observing the situation.
The leather shop owner, Leder.
He had experienced an avalanche only once in his life.
It had happened while hunting monsters in the mountains; during the commotion of battle, an avalanche occurred.
It was instantaneous.
Had there not been a large rock nearby, or had his judgment been slightly delayed, he would have been buried in the snow.
Even an avalanche starting from a small peak was so threatening.
Then how could one survive an avalanche starting from the tallest mountain, growing larger and larger?
He could not even imagine it.
But now he saw the scene.
Leder opened his mouth in shock.
Red hair fluttering. Everything around was burning.
No.
‘It’s on fire… everything.’
The massive avalanche that had already swallowed the end of the village had stopped before crossing a line.
Though it continued to press forward, it melted away without a trace.
The trees, the monsters, even the debris of buildings buried in snow.
All burned to ash, and even the ash melted away.
The sheer magnitude of the disaster freezing one’s blood had stopped before one person.
From beginning to end.
It was as if it had never existed.
What remained was…
Fire. Fire. And more fire.
“Uh, uh… Clemens should be there, right?”
A mother of a child who often played with Clemens stomped her feet.
Flare—
Half of the ruined village that the avalanche had swallowed.
The firestorm consumed it.
At the center of that blaze…
“Is this okay? Is she really okay?”
Clemens was there.
