CHAPTER 78………………………..
“Why?”
“That place is filled with miasma and poison because the corpses of monsters are rotting and festering there. It’s already become a land where humans can no longer live.”
Hmm, indeed, it might be too problematic for a human to enter.
As Esther stroked her chin, she suddenly smiled and kissed Esther’s forehead.
“But since I was born and raised here, that kind of poison doesn’t affect me much. And even that useless man was at least born with an overabundance of divine power, so you don’t need to worry. However…”
Her gaze fell on Esther. Meeting her eyes, Esther let out a low sigh.
‘That’s the look of someone a hundred percent convinced I can’t go….’
Apparently, she thought Esther was too weak.
Rolling her eyes, Esther suddenly raised the hand with the bracelet.
“I’ll be fine because I have this!”
“This is…”
“It’s a divine relic! The god will protect me!”
At Esther’s words, she fell silent for a moment. Her expression looked strangely pitiful, which made Esther tilt her head.
“Mother?”
Freya gathered her dress and crouched down to meet Esther’s gaze.
“My child, it may sound cruel… but the gods do not love us that much.”
Esther froze.
‘To hear such words from a human.’
As expected, the mother of this body was different from the rest.
‘Who knew she’d have such a correct way of thinking!’
This was worth giving an award.
Esther nodded proudly, satisfied.
“I know!”
“What?”
“I know very well that the god is cruel, wicked, selfish, not as kind as people think, cowardly, and only likes free sacrifices!”
At Esther’s neat and brutally honest summary, silence fell.
Kaelos, who served the god and received divine power, averted his eyes like someone who couldn’t find words. Freya, meanwhile, was taken aback—not because it was wrong, but because it was too right.
“…I-I see. My child must indeed be a genius. This mother’s heart feels full.”
“Hmm~!”
At that praise, Esther’s nose shot up proudly. She grinned widely and nodded.
“Of course, because I’m a genius!”
After all, geniuses think differently.
At Esther’s words, Kaelos chuckled and ruffled her hair.
“So, does that mean you’ll come on the adventure with us?”
At Esther’s question, Freya and Kaelos exchanged glances before nodding.
“If that’s what you want.”
“Of course.”
Thanks to their unexpectedly easy approval, Esther felt a weight lift from her shoulders.
‘Well, it’ll just be like exploring some ruins anyway.’
…Or so she thought, something she would deeply regret later.
“Uh… Mother?”
“Yes, child.”
“I-it’s cold….”
Esther shivered uncontrollably, her teeth chattering.
If there was one weakness to mention—it was that demons, and thus Esther, were weak to the cold.
Just as resistant to heat as they were, they were just as vulnerable to cold.
Esther curled up and wrapped herself tightly in a blanket.
‘Why do those two look completely fine?’
The inside of the tent wasn’t unbearably cold, but it wasn’t warm either.
“Oh dear, my child must be very frail. Come here.”
Rolled up in the blanket, Esther rolled herself straight into Freya’s arms.
‘Warm…’
Why hadn’t anyone told her?
That the Kingdom of Surtr was this cold!
‘The Surtr I remember was a blazing hot land….’
So she hadn’t worried at all.
But now, everywhere was nothing but ice, darkness, and pitch-black mist.
‘Why has it turned into this mess?’
Esther burrowed deeper into Freya’s embrace, swallowing hard.
‘If I’d known, I would’ve brought Raksa too.’
Here, she couldn’t even use magic properly. Truly a dilemma.
“W-was it always this cold…?”
Her lips were nearly frozen.
What was strange was how the other two showed no reaction whatsoever.
‘Are they monsters…?’
Esther trembled.
“Surtr used to be a blazing land of lava. But after the war, as monster corpses piled up, the land itself began to die like this.”
Her expression as she said this looked somewhat bitter.
As Esther shivered and exhaled frosty breaths, warmth suddenly spread inside the tent.
—Cold, huh?
A voice?
Startled, Esther blinked and lifted her head at the sudden telepathic voice.
—How’s that, warm now?
It was warmer, yes, but the tone was annoying.
As she let her body thaw in the faint warmth, Esther frowned strangely.
—Hey, aren’t I amazing? I’m no ordinary genius, you know.
Staring into empty space, Esther froze.
‘What the hell is that?’
Fat…?
It was a pudgy, winged lizard.
A long, lizard-like tail. Its wings flapped frantically, busy in contrast to its lazy voice. Its body was so plump it looked like a flying jar.
Round golden eyes and chubby front claws. In all her lives, Esther had never seen such a thing.
‘Why is there a dragon here….’
With a horrified look, she lowered her gaze.
‘…Why is that insane ultimate lifeform here….’
She swallowed hard.
‘And why is it so fat….’
A little more, and it would be indistinguishable from a ball.
What was a dragon?
A tyrant. A mad beast. A lizard consumed by madness. The first lifeform, said to be closest to the gods.
And… arrogant egomaniacs who acted however they pleased!
Their tempers were so vile that they’d annihilate entire villages—or kingdoms—just because they were displeased.
That’s how powerful they were—the strongest creatures on earth.
Though of course, those were stories from long ago.
Still, because of their overwhelming arrogance, they almost never died of natural causes.
They also reproduced with difficulty.
So their numbers had dwindled greatly; hardly any should be left now.
It was said the few survivors lived hidden, mingling with humans or other races.
‘Then why is one here…?’
And judging by its size, it was a hatchling—an unawakened young dragon.
It really did look like a ball.
—Hey, you.
As expected, the hatchling spoke with an arrogant voice. Exactly the kind Esther hated.
Suppressing her weariness, she looked up.
—Become the master of this genius me.
Esther ignored it and turned her head away.
‘Tsk, tsk. Anyone who calls themselves a genius out loud is never the real deal.’
That was true arrogance.
A true prodigy didn’t need to boast; their brilliance was obvious.
‘Of course, only a real genius like me would know that.’
She shook her head.
—Hey! I said be my master!
Apparently Kaelos and Freya couldn’t see it.
Which meant… it must’ve used some magic to appear only to her.
Whack!
Before the thought even finished, a sword sheath flew out of nowhere and smacked the hatchling, sending it soaring out of the tent like a baseball.
Stiffly, Esther turned her head to see Freya standing there gracefully, her posture perfect, her face serene.
As if she couldn’t possibly have been the one to throw it.
‘…What the hell?’
“…Freya?”
“Oh, there was a fly….”
Huh?
“I thought there was a giant fly, perhaps one of the monsters. It was rather big, after all.”
“I didn’t see anything.”
“Have you ever been useful? All you’re good at is running away. Anyway, it seems it flew off.”
Freya spoke calmly, then sat back down and pulled Esther into her arms again.
“…Perhaps we should light a fire nearby, just in case.”
And Kaelos just accepted that.
‘…Don’t mess with her.’
Esther swallowed hard.
Her mother was clearly anything but ordinary.
