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Chapter 34
A faint tremor began beneath the ice cliff. It slowly grew stronger until the entire canyon started to shake. The earthquake was so powerful that their vision swayed.
“Be careful! Get down!”
The snow monster that crouched on Dark Mountain had never once fully stood up.
It always stayed curled inside its nest. Whenever it sensed humans approaching, it would stir up a massive snowstorm to drive them away. That was why the people of the territory had never seen the monster’s true form.
After hiding for nearly a thousand years, the monster would awaken on March 31st. Only Arileti knew that.
She remembered clearly.
The mountain covered in thousands of monsters, and the enormous shadow of a creature cast over them.
That being was the hidden cause of the monster wave that struck Hezeit—and also the only existence capable of stopping the disaster.
Arileti’s hands began to tremble.
The fear of that day came rushing back.
Blood scattering into the air, screams, corpses and monsters, flashing weapons and the roars of beasts…
Even if that future had now disappeared, the terror that once crushed her whole body before the disaster was still carved deep into her bones.
But even so.
‘I will never fail.’
Arileti clenched her teeth.
Everything had been carefully planned in advance to prepare for this catastrophe.
‘If he fully awakens, it’ll be too late. So it’s better if we make the first move.’
With that firm resolve, Arileti woke the monster that had slept through endless winters.
A massive shadow, large enough to cover half the sky, fell over the group.
“……!”
Everyone looked up at once.
A body covered in white scales like quartz, wide membrane wings spread to both sides, and nine whiskers flowing in the air.
Ruso let out a stunned murmur.
“That can’t be…?”
The ruler of this polar land had revealed himself after a thousand years.
It was the strongest species on earth—impossible not to recognize, even if seeing it for the first time.
A dragon.
The dragon of the snowy mountains circled above them and then fixed a sharp gaze on Count Hezeit, who stood at the front.
Its bright yellow eyes were filled with irritation and anger at having its long sleep disturbed.
“Glen, Glen!”
Sensing danger, the Count quickly pulled Arileti out of his arms.
Thousands of sharp ice arrows floated in the air. As if drawn by invisible bowstrings, they were pulled back all at once.
Boom!
With a tearing sound through the air, the arrows rained down like a storm—almost at the same time Arileti gripped her rabbit doll tightly.
“Always remain neutral, Aril. Especially when it comes to matters that can control fate. Never interfere. There will always be a price….”
‘I’m sorry, Mother.’
Maybe even in my third life, I made another foolish choice.
The needles stuck in the rabbit doll rose into the air.
Three needles shot upward at incredible speed and stopped in the sky. A golden light surrounded them.
“Needle.”
The blessing of the Time Mage. Its beginning was always the same.
She declared the Time Mage’s domain and stopped all flow within it. It had always been a miracle she performed without difficulty—but this time, it was not easy.
As if mocking the arrogance of a mere human, the natural order of the world turned its back on Arileti. A hot surge rose up from her throat.
It didn’t matter. Not this time. This time she would not fail.
What Arileti decided would become the future.
In her steady gaze, a giant clock appeared in the sky.
—Ice Dragon!
Needle shouted sharply.
—Stop! By the command of the Forest!
The ice arrows rushing toward them suddenly froze in place.
The dragon, who had been roaring with its head raised, paused and slowly tilted its head.
A chilling silence fell.
Needle swallowed dryly and spoke first.
—It’s… it’s been a while. Sorry for waking you.
[…Forest?]
The telepathic voices between the dragon and Needle were heard only by Arileti.
[What business brings you to my nest? And you even brought a sage with you.]
The dragon’s voice carried clear displeasure.
Needle trembled slightly, as if watching the dragon’s mood.
—To get straight to the point… just let it slide this once. My contractor has died and come back several times. She’s not in her right mind.
The dragon tilted its head to the left.
—There are rare herbs growing in the forest beneath your nest. She just wants to gather those and leave.
Then it tilted its head to the right.
—And also… isn’t it about time spring winds reached this place? The seasons haven’t been flowing properly for a long time. That’s against the natural order, you know.
[…So? What is it you want, Forest?]
As Needle rambled on, the dragon asked in mild curiosity.
Fortunately, much of its displeasure had faded.
Needle let out a deep sigh.
—Just talk to my contractor once. I promise you won’t regret it.
[…If you are that certain, Forest.]
Arileti, who had been in Ruso Hezeit’s arms, rose into the air. Wrapped in wind mixed with ice crystals, her body lifted upward.
“Child!”
“Arileti—!!”
The cries of the Hezeit people faded far below. She didn’t even have time to shout that she was fine.
Arileti shut her eyes tightly against the raging snowstorm.
Ice Dragon Elaradio.
Master of the Colden Mountains and the Teberta Snowfields, guardian of the North Pole.
The dragon of the snowy mountains stared at Arileti. The pressure of such a transcendent being made her organs feel crushed.
If Needle had not reduced the dragon’s overwhelming presence, she would have been flattened like paper.
—You’re going to kill her, Ice Dragon! If my contractor dies, will you take responsibility?!
[For someone supposedly in danger, she does not seem very afraid.]
In the blink of an eye, Arileti found herself inside the dragon’s nest, surrounded by ice spikes.
A pair of enormous eyes carefully examined her.
[Well, since you came to meet me on purpose, you must already be prepared.]
The pressure gripping her throat eased somewhat.
Elaradio reduced his presence by half and motioned with his chin.
[I know you want something from me, Contractor of the Forest. Speak. I will listen.]
“Please stop the mountain.”
There was no hesitation. Arileti clenched her small fists tightly.
She was too weak to speak clearly, so she borrowed Needle’s telepathy.
—To the Lord of Winter, I ask you. Please stop the monster wave that will come on the last day of March.
The dragon of the snowy mountains smiled faintly.
[Why? After experiencing it yourself, were you frightened?]
“…….”
[It did not look that way. Not either time.]
So he knows.
She never intended to deceive him, but facing the eyes of a transcendent being who could see through her made her whole body shiver.
The White Forest was a fundamental existence that supported the time and space of this world.
All beings and objects belonging to the world were forced to obey the Forest’s rules.
But there were those who, though part of the Forest, were not bound by it.
Existences outside the standard—beings with power similar to the Forest itself.
They stood one step outside its rules and observed change.
In simple terms, that old dragon knew about every life Arileti had lived.
Even the hundreds and thousands of times she had turned back time.
