All-Master Player Of The Academy [EN]: Chapter 111

111. Aware (1)

Roban looked puzzled at Ian’s words.

However, he just ate the meat without saying anything else.

“Myaow~.”

At that moment, Myane meowed softly and jumped off Ian’s lap.

As the two children, distracted by her wagging tail, chased after Myane, Ivan approached.

“Now that you’ve retrieved the Queen’s treasure, are you planning to return it to her?”

“I suppose I should. Anyway, I have to go there to get to another place.”

“Does the guest know the Queen?”

Ivan asked, sipping the liquor brewed right in the village, and Ian nodded.

“She is truly benevolent.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. There is a story passed down in our village for generations.”

Ivan took another sip of the pure white liquor.

And then, long ago.

He recalled the story his grandfather used to tell him while sitting on his lap.

“We are not originally from this place. You know that, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Our ancestors lived in a world called Slavdom.”

Then one day.

The giants who ruled that place decided to exclude humans from the world.

“They only wanted fairies, spirits, and beasts. The reason was simple.”

After the hero Bogatyr [a legendary warrior or knight] of Slavdom, only humans could become heroes.

The proof of a hero that Bogatyr obtained from the argument with Falun protected humans.

With that proof, humans could defeat fairies, humans could defeat spirits.

And humans could catch monsters.

“That’s why the giants were wary of humans.”

The ever-increasing number of humans.

And the heroes who might emerge again from those humans.

They feared that the hero might undermine the logic of the world’s domination.

“Then one day, many monsters, spirits, and fairies attacked humans, and the giants did not help them.”

And when humans were being pushed back in that war.

The giants said.

“If you want to live, leave Slavdom.”

He took a sip of liquor and looked at the sky.

Although the sky was dark and covered in clouds, the moon was still there.

“And if not…….”

Die.

There would be no place for humans in this world.

The humans were furious at the decision and resisted, but eventually, they were defeated.

“And humans were expelled from Slavdom. And then the Queen joined us.”

Among the giants who hated humans, only one.

The Snow Queen Marzanna, who ruled winter, death, and harvest, decided to protect the exiled humans.

And with her, the humans of Slavdom moved here.

“It is said that only the territory of the Frost Kingdom, a place no one wanted in Slavdom, was sent to this world.”

In that Frost Kingdom, she is said to have made many efforts.

Leading people and fighting against fairies, monsters, and beasts like Zmey [a type of dragon in Slavic mythology] that were originally here.

Defeating them and creating a place for humans to live.

And negotiating with those who manage this tower.

Agreeing to accept strangers.

And cleaning up the waste from Slavdom that is occasionally sent.

She is said to have worked alone to maintain this small world.

“If she had stayed in Slavdom, she would have had countless glories…… but she…….”

“What are you trying to say?”

“I sincerely thank you for retrieving the treasure that the Queen cherishes so much.”

As Ian cut him off, Ivan smiled and expressed his gratitude.

The next day, the snow stopped.

The piled-up snow sparkled in the rising sunlight.

As Ian, who was watching the snowy field, was about to leave, Roban and Lisa ran over.

“Guest! Guest!”

“Take this with you!”

Besides them, children with pockets ran over.

Behind the children, the villagers who came out to see him off were visible.

“It’s the best of what we collected at dawn.”

“I’ll give it to you! Actually, I wanted to present it to the Queen…….”

Inside the pocket was a rough box.

When I opened the box, there was a piece much larger and closer to a circle than the piece of ice Ian had received before.

‘This seems to be over three hundred years old. I can make an Ice Soul Pill with this.’

One of the ingredients that goes into the Ice Soul Pill, one of the elixirs needed to use Ice Skill, is good ice.

Normally, I would make it using ice magic, but if it’s natural like this, the effect will be better.

Thinking that I should make it later and feed it to Myane, Ian closed the box and put it in his bag.

“I’ll use it well.”

“Hehehe.”

“Please come again later! Myane! See you again!”

“Myaow~ Mya Myaoww~.”

As Myane wagged her tail and cried, Ian turned his body.

“Guest! Please give our regards to the Queen! Tell her that we are living well in this forest!”

“Tell her that the other villagers also respect and love the Queen!!”

The villagers’ shouts were heard.

With that as the background, Ian entered the Crystal Song Forest again.

* * *

Arriving at the snowy field after passing through the Crystal Song Forest, Ian frowned.

The white snowy field was being stained with red blood.

“Die!”

“You bastards!! It’s you! You stole the Queen’s treasure and caused this?!”

The explorers trapped here were finally pointing their swords at each other.

Among them, there were those who were desperately trying to stop the fight.

Wikalta and his party.

He even drew his Aura Blade and was fighting with the explorers to stop them.

However, there were masters among those who were fighting, so it seemed insufficient to stop the fight with just them.

Watching them, Ian drew his sword.

Heavenly Demon Divine Art, Chapter of the Moon.

Ice Moon Wheel.

The energy of the moon gathered on Ian’s sword rippled.

The chillingly cold energy of the moon combines with the surrounding snow.

The giant snowstorm it created covered the bodies of those who were fighting in an instant.

“Ugh!”

“Cough!”

“W, what is this…….”

Ian, who walked through the snowstorm, said calmly.

“Stop fighting? I’ve retrieved the treasure.”

“Huh?”

“Ian!”

Those who saw the lump of ice in Ian’s hand lowered their weapons.

Wikalta hurried over to Ian.

“Was it in the Crystal Song Forest?”

“Yes. They were trying to melt this ice using the heat of the swamp there.”

“Ah…… that’s really a relief. Then let’s go quickly.”

The treasure must be brought back before the Queen’s anger intensifies further.

As Wikalta spoke, some of the explorers who were fighting smiled.

“That’s good.”

“I wish we could be the ones to bring it back.”

Wikalta and his party frowned at their words.

They could easily see what they were up to.

They were trying to return that to Marzanna and receive a reward.

She gives good things or enchants items as tribute.

What would she give if they retrieved the treasure for her?

Their eyes were turned upside down with vain greed, and as they pointed their weapons, Wikalta and his companions stood on Ian’s side.

“You crazy bastards!”

“Are you out of your mind?! Or what?!”

“Where’s your conscience! You trash!”

Despite their fierce shouts, the expressions of the explorers holding weapons did not change.

“What are you talking about? Acting all clean.”

“This is the Tower of the Forgotten City. Don’t you know that you shouldn’t trust anyone in the Forgotten City?”

“Ian or whatever, he can handle this many, right?”

Wikalta sighed at them, who were so confident.

“We’ll take care of this, so please go to the castle quickly.”

“There’s no need for that.”

Ian, who stepped forward to protect those who were trying to protect him, gripped his sword tightly.

“Because I’m going to kill them all and go.”

Like that.

A few more lines of blood were added to the stained snowy field.

Wikalta and his party headed to the village to inform them that Ian had retrieved the treasure.

And Ian walked straight towards Mount Young.

The closer he got to the mountain, the more fairies, spirits, and ice monsters there were.

Slicing through them and walking through the snowfield, he arrived near his destination.

-Whoooong!!

The blizzard intensified.

Ian frowned at the blizzard that had become so severe that it was difficult to see even an inch ahead.

“Myaow~ Mya Mya~.”

Myane, who had burrowed into his clothes, wrapped her tail around his neck.

Seeing that she seemed to be trying to protect him from the cold even with that, he stroked Myane.

“There’s no need for that.”

Such cold cannot approach the body of One Who Is Not Affected By Heat Or Cold.

Even in the strong wind and snow, Ian did not stop walking.

Even though I can’t see ahead, I don’t have to worry because I have Kirke.

Ian lightly jumped up and crossed the cliff.

How long had he walked like that?

As the blizzard began to subside little by little, a huge ice bridge appeared.

It was a fantastic sight.

The ice bridge, sparkling in the sunlight, was shining dazzlingly.

At the end of that ice bridge was a beautiful castle.

There should have been a few explorers passing by around the castle, but there was no one there.

Only spirits, fairies, and monsters who had come to find the cold were staying around the ice bridge and the castle.

If it were a normal explorer, they would have turned back immediately from here.

Because they wouldn’t be able to fight all of them.

But Ian stepped onto the bridge without hesitation.

As he approached, the fairies, spirits, and monsters showed Ian a ferocious killing intent.

Just as they were about to cross the bridge and approach Ian.

“Go back. I will not meet with anyone for the time being.”

A voice was heard from the ice fortress.

A solemn and benevolent voice.

But it was quite weak.

Was it because of that voice?

The fairies, spirits, and monsters that were trying to approach Ian stopped moving.

“Go back. Before they hurt you.”

Listening to that voice, Ian raised his hand.

“I brought the treasure back.”

The ice in his hand.

And the box contained within.

Was it because she saw that?

A blizzard began to blow around the ice fortress.

When it subsided, those who were blocking Ian’s path had completely disappeared.

“Come in.”

The tightly closed door of the ice fortress opens.

Watching that, Ian moved his feet.

Passing the ice bridge and entering the castle.

Climbing the clear ice stairs like a mirror and arriving at the center of the castle.

Ian faced a beautiful giant sitting on the throne.

With long, light gray hair and a purple dress, she stood up from her seat and looked down at him.

Ian also met her gray eyes without thinking of avoiding them.

Walking down the stairs gracefully, she looked down at Ian with a worried face and asked.

“Who are you?”

To that question, Ian gave the same answer as always.

“Ian Brandon.”

At his answer, the giant, the ruler of this world and the owner of the ice fortress, Queen Marzanna, questioned.

“Countless deaths and births accompany you. It seems that one name is not all that refers to you.”

As her gray eyes flashed, Ian shrugged.

There had never been a time when he didn’t meet the relationships he had passed by like now.

And he knows what the result will be when he tells the truth.

Kirke tried to stop him, but Ian opened his mouth.

“In Slavdom, I was also called Bogatyr.”

The moment she heard those words, Marzanna’s eyes flashed.

“How dare you utter that great name so carelessly!!”

A white light flashed from the staff in her hand, and Ian shrugged.

“It’s always been like this, but the truth is always persecuted.”

Listening to the voice mixed with regret, Ian smiled bitterly.