* * *

Orphana vehemently denied Ruby's help, but as Raphine continued to receive healing as she headed to the summit, she became speechless.

It was already the 20th time I had my feet and legs healed from frozen hard.

Thanks to Ruby, my stamina was recharged, but my mental strength became tattered.

'Mental strength is just as important as physical strength.... I'm really going to die.'

Raphine clenched her teeth and took another step. My eyes dug deep into my ankles.

The freshly piled snow is cozy and comfortable, but the frozen snow is different.

Ice crystals scrape past their ankles with a rustling sound.

'But it's so cold that I don't feel any pain.'

The frozen feet themselves were more painful than the wounds.

When I was healed again, even that was mentally difficult. It felt like I was repeatedly tortured by giving bottles and medicines, so the mental fatigue was enormous.

It was late at night when I reached the summit with my teeth clenched like that.

"Huh, huh...."

A large tree was planted at the top, and it was covered with snow.

Raphine collapsed under it and took a deep breath.

"Master, are you okay? Bear what are you doing! Heal me quickly!"

"... You said you don't need my help?"

"...."

Orphana licked her lips at Ruby's point.

But when Raphine, barely breathing, even started coughing, her expression darkened.

Orphana said hastily.

"Yeah, I need your help. So, do something quickly! If the master dies, you won't even be able to find your relics!"

"Hey, I was going to do it even if I didn't say anything."

"this person...."

Orphana looked anxiously at Raphine, who was being healed while trembling with Yalmium.

However, Raphine could not stand up even though her wounds were healed and her stamina was restored.

I am very tired mentally.

Orphana waited patiently without urging Raphine like that.

After taking such a short break, Raphine looked around.

"Where are the relics?"

Orpana immediately raised her hand and pointed to a place.

When I slowly got up and went there, to my surprise, there was a very small pond.

"pond...? It doesn't look very deep, how did it not freeze over in this snowy mountain?"

Raphine sat down in front of the pond and looked at the mysterious light of the water surface.

The bright moonlight floating right overhead shattered and poured over the pond.

Raphine moved instinctively, even though no one informed her.

Raphine, reaching out to the pond, raised her hands concavely as if she was plucking water.

When I filled my hand with water and floated it, the water that had pooled in my palm shone brilliantly and flowed down little by little through a small crevice.

In the palm of the hand that had drained all the water, there was only one small stone left.

"This is a holy thing...."

The stone was shining like a crystal in a pond.

It seemed to emit an aurora and, conversely, seemed to absorb all the light.

"Come on, Orphana."

Raphine carefully held out the relic to Orphana.

Orphana couldn't do this or that, just staring at her with tears in her eyes.

Raphine somehow seemed to understand Orphana's feelings.

When the moment I so longed for comes, I am stunned and everything feels like a dream.

Raphine took Orphana's hand and placed the relic on it.

Perhaps it was because of the touch of the true master, the holy relic began to emit a tremendous light as soon as it touched Orphana.

Orphana brought the relic to her chest. The holy thing slowly soaked into his arms.

Raphine was blinded by the pouring light, and when she opened her eyes for a moment, the light disappeared, leaving only Orphana crying.

"Thank you, Master."

Orphana wept bitterly. As if there was a story. Still, he smiled happily.

Raphine and Ruby waited for a long time for Orphana to calm down without asking.

As the sun rose in the morning, the three of them began to slowly descend the mountain.

Fortunately, I was able to go down comfortably with Ruby's help.

The feeling of riding on the back of a giant bear was unfamiliar, but not bad. It was because Ruby's fur was so cozy and warm.

And Orphana went down the mountain and brought out her story.

"Actually, my holy relic contains the soul of the spirit I loved."

"love...? Do you love spirits too?"

Orpana frowned heavily at the question that broke the atmosphere.

"Sorry, keep talking." and apologized, and then Orphana started talking again.

"The child was clearer and more beautiful than anyone else. He died protecting me in the end. I'm glad we were able to find that child's soul, though. This is all thanks to the master."

"...."

"Neither that child nor I will be lonely anymore."

Raphine silently patted Orpana on the back at the sincere voice. I wanted to comfort you.

"Don't act like you two are close on my back. Orphana, why are you riding on my back?"

"Shut up and drive straight, bear."

Seeing the two spirits bickering again, Raphine laughed.

Then he seemed to remember something, ah! said.

"By the way, you said that if you find a holy relic, the spirit's wish will come true. Besides, you say you're getting stronger?"

"Yes, my wish was that the child's soul would no longer be lonely...."

"Then what about power? What has changed? It looks the same...."

Raphine looked up and down at Orphana and murmured.

Orpana smiled and reached out to one side of the forest. Then, in an instant, the snow on the snow-covered trees melted away.

"what?"

Bewildered, he turned to Orphana, smiling while holding a large snow crystal in the palm of his hand.

"Is the spirit you loved the Snow Spirit?"

"To be precise, it was the spirit of winter."

"Then can you use that ability now?"

"Yeah."

"Five...."

Raphine's face turned red. The calculator quickly pounded in my mind.

'After all, it was good that the contract was amended.'

As a child, Raffine modified her contract with the spirits.

Even after finding the holy relics, he decided to maintain a contract relationship for at least 5 years, and to do what he told him to do for those 5 years.

'great.... You have to work hard for five years.'

While Raphine was thinking in such a calculated way, Orphana was smiling with happiness and emotion.

'You look really happy.'

I've seen Orpana for a long time, but it's the first time I've seen such a happy and comfortable face.

It was a satisfactory result to the extent that I felt proud of my hard work. The corners of Raphine's lips also rose slowly.

On the one hand, the fact that Ruby's holy relics were left felt a burden.

'I heard that there are many cases where every spirit doesn't want a holy relic.... Why am I the only one with these kids?'

For example, the spirits of Violet are said to have never brought up the story of the Holy Relic.

When Raphine mentioned the word holy, Violet also reacted like she didn't know anything.

'I don't know. Let's take a deep breath for now.'

So Raphine fell asleep on Ruby's warm back.

When I woke up, it was after I had reached the bottom of the mountain.

Raphine woke up refreshed and got on the horse she was waiting for. Ruby returned to her doll form.

"Now, let's go east."

Fortunately, there is no such frozen snow mountain in the east. If it's cold now, I'm sick of it.

Raphine hurriedly drove the horse, ate and slept at the inn in the village she found on the way, and moved quickly.

* * *

A few days later, late at night.

Raphine arrived at the Lenchest estate in the eastern part of the continent.

The Lenchest estate was a city adjacent to the Babylonian Kingdom, and it was a place that exuded an exotic atmosphere.

The Babylonian kingdom facing the river across the river was a very friendly kingdom with the Empire, and exchanges with the Empire were active both culturally and diplomatically.

At the same time, the city was in the midst of a festival.

Since the Lenchest estate was facing the Babylonian Kingdom with a large river, the area around the river was particularly developed.

The river was full of people enjoying the atmosphere by floating paper boats lit with lanterns or riding amusement boats.

Naturally, there were active night markets around the river. People bought food and drank alcohol on the street and enjoyed the festival.

Raphine was the first to find an inn and run to the night market.

He was very hungry, so he couldn't see anything.

"I will eat chicken skewers first."

Ruby also knew Raphine's temperament, which becomes violent when hungry, so she waited without urging.

Rafine watched the festival while holding a handful of food in her hands.

The Babylonian kingdom could be seen over the big river, and the night view of the royal castle was very nice.

'People who live in this neighborhood must have a perfect view of the Han River.'

In fact, the width of the river felt the same.

'If I become independent later, will I come and live here?'

Thinking like that, the men of this city seemed to be handsome for some reason.

In fact, even in the capital, men from the East were very popular. It was because the skin was slightly dark and gave a sexy feeling.

While Raphine is immersed in carefree thoughts.

Raffine's wanted orders began to be placed on the outskirts of the capital.