Chapter 260

Even if the sky falls and the earth collapses, it seems those who fight will keep fighting. Where does that energy come from? The three of them, locked in a verbal battle, growled at each other, showing no signs of stopping.

Still, isn’t it admirable that none of them resorted to violence and just kept shouting? All three have strong personalities, and none of them were willing to back down easily.

Yanid is usually a quiet kid, but she’s not without a personality. Especially when it comes to the Evil God Oberta, who almost took over her body—she doesn’t just hate him, she loathes him. Lately, their relationship has improved a bit, but they’re still far from being anything but enemies. Roka, on the other hand, doesn’t have any particular grudges, but she’s naturally strong-willed.

When Oberta said something she didn’t like, she couldn’t help but retort. The Evil God, hearing her words, didn’t back down either. The position of one of the Five Great Deities of the Continent isn’t something one achieves by chance. She, too, possesses incredible abilities and the confidence to match.

Thus, with three prideful individuals clashing, the argument showed no signs of calming down. Roka, who had no real connection to the other two, managed to regain her composure and quieted down, but Yanid and Oberta started dredging up old grievances, hurling insults at each other.

“Thinking about it, I don’t think this is the place for me.”

Watching the two of them go at it, Roka came back to my side. She realized that in this place of ice and snow, getting worked up wouldn’t do any good.

Of course, it’s not like Yanid and Oberta are fools who don’t know that. They just have too much pent-up resentment.

“Ask the people of the continent. Is there really a saint who treats her god like this? I’m not even asking for devout faith or piety. Just the basics, at least!”

“Oh? And who was it that begged on their knees for me to become a saint, even though I couldn’t even do the basics?”

It’s the kind of grudge that feels like it must be resolved even if the world ends tomorrow. When you think about it, it all started over something trivial, but they’re ready to kill each other over it. It just happened to explode now, but it was a situation that could’ve blown up at any time.

Rather than stepping in to mediate or stop the fight, it might be better to just let them vent. Especially since they’re not resorting to violence and are just shouting at each other.

“So, no dinner tonight?”

Roka seemed to have given up too. The kid seemed more concerned about the spilled stew than the god and human fighting over there.

Forget the stew, the fire Roka had managed to start had long been extinguished by the cold wind. There’s not even dry wood to use as firewood, let alone plants or mushrooms—there’s nothing here that could be called vegetation.

If you really want to start a fire, you’d have to use magic, but in such a harsh environment, magical power drains quickly. If the supply of magic is cut off even for a moment, the flames can’t sustain themselves and will go out.

Even if you manage to start a fire, all it does is warm you up for a bit. You can heat up small things like jerky, but if you try to cook stew or meat, the same thing will happen again. The parts touched by the fire will burn, and the rest will remain raw.

“Master, you’ve been here before, right? How did you manage meals back then?”

“We cooked with magic. Parnell didn’t want to live on just jerky and dried rations, so she racked her brains and developed a cooking magic that evenly distributes heat.”

Necessity truly is the mother of invention. Back then, Parnell managed to create a heating magic for cooking after much effort.

She modified an existing magic, a warming spell, so it wasn’t entirely her own creation, but even I, who don’t know much about magic, understand this much: creating a new magic, even if it’s just a modification of an existing one, is no easy feat.

“If you really want something tasty, you should ask Azahadaka. Parnell was a great mage, but she wasn’t on the level of a dragon. For a dragon, creating such a magic wouldn’t be too difficult.”

“Parnell… I think I’ve heard that name before. Wasn’t she one of the people who went on adventures with you, Master?”

“Yes. She was one of the greatest human mages. Aside from Azahadaka and the Demon King Grimudo, I’ve never seen a mage who surpassed Parnell.”

Including the Oldman Tower Master and the elders of the Magic Tower, who are wise and experienced, they might surpass Parnell, but since I haven’t seen their abilities firsthand, I can’t say for sure. In my memory, Parnell is still the greatest human mage.

Not just Parnell, but the Hero Party back then was made up of the best talents in their respective fields. But now, with more experience and time passed, I remember Parnell’s abilities more than even Yurinel’s, the Hero.

It’s because my own horizons have expanded. Indeed, the world is vast, and there are many hidden powerhouses. Epirna from the Eastern Plains, who has no fame or recognition, is a prime example.

All she has are sharp claws, but she showed a level of skill that rivaled Yurinel, who wielded the Sacred Sword at full power—maybe even surpassed her.

Come to think of it, I haven’t told Roka these stories. Well, there’s no reason to drag her into tales of old comrades. It’s all in the past, just memories.

In fact, bringing up such stories now, when the world is said to be ending because of a massive flesh entity, feels a bit too late. Arguing over who was right or wrong back then has no meaning now.

Still, Roka seemed eager to hear more, tugging at my sleeve to continue. It’s not a particularly painful story to recall.

“If we’re going to talk about it, it’s best to start with Yurinel and me. My childhood friend, Yurinel Larkponsia, and I are actually from the same village.”

It’s going to be a long story, so I first made a spring to quench my thirst. But then I was surprised. The spring, which usually gushes cool water, was unusually hot this time. It bubbled and steamed.

When I scooped some water into a cup, it was as hot as if it had just been boiled. It cooled quickly in the cup, but the spring itself kept boiling without cooling down.

I was quite surprised, but Roka didn’t seem fazed. She probably thought I had this ability all along. She just waited calmly for the next part of the story.

“When we met again, Yurinel already held the title of Hero and carried the Sacred Sword. She had two great companions with her: Lucia and Parnell. I don’t know how Yurinel convinced them, but I think she managed it somehow. My friend has always been resourceful. Her ambition matched her abilities.”

The adventures we had back then are unforgettable, no matter how much time passes. Our stories might seem trivial to others, but Roka listened with great interest. The events couldn’t be summarized in a few words, and even though it became a long story, she listened patiently, for which I was grateful.

“I’d like to meet those old comrades of yours, Master.”

After hearing the story, Roka blurted out. Come to think of it, our group and the Hero Party have no connection. The only one who even knew them was the Princess, and even that wasn’t a close relationship. It’s natural for Roka to be curious.

“If fate allows, maybe you will.”

Honestly, I feel the same. It hasn’t been that long since we parted, but so much has happened since then. The Hero Party must have changed a lot from what I remember, and the changes are likely significant.

The last I heard, they had been captured by Harmail but were later released. I wonder how they’re doing now.

Then again, in this world on the brink of destruction, does it even matter who’s doing well or not? In these times of anxiety, who could truly be doing well?

I just hope this anxiety doesn’t lead to something worse.

I pray that the ominous predictions don’t come true.

I hope the North Pole, now so close, holds the answers we seek.

“You know, if we put eggs in this boiling water, it’d make a decent dinner, right? Or even cut up some meat and throw it in—it’d cook just fine!”

Roka’s tail wagged excitedly as she examined the bubbling spring. Even in a situation where everyone is struggling to hide their anxiety, Roka remains healthy and carefree.

Even if the world is falling apart, the fact that we can have meat for dinner tonight makes her so happy that it’s almost embarrassing. Sometimes, overthinking isn’t good.

“You’re right. If we skewer the meat with thread and dip it in, it’ll cook well.”

Yeah, let’s just focus on the immediate issues for now. Like what’s for dinner tonight.

We can worry about what’s at the North Pole when we get there. There’s no point in agonizing over it now when we can’t find any answers.