Chapter 42

Rigel, Ria, and McKinley, along with Irene who had joined at Dick's request, headed towards the ice cave located to the north of the capital city.

After about an hour on horseback, they approached their destination. By drinking the 'Eternal Ice Block' and dissolving it in their drinks, they had increased their resistance to the cold, so they did not suffer much as the temperature dropped while approaching the ice cave.

However, from the second level of the ice cave, the temperature would drop so low that water could not exist in liquid form. Knowing this, the four of them put on thick coats over their equipment to prepare for the cold.

"Everyone, make sure to dress warmly so you don't catch a cold."

"Yes, Lady Irene. I am already somewhat resistant to the cold."

"Yeah, that's true. By the way, Ria, have you heard the story from Dick? About the tiger beastman village?"

"Yes, I have. That village is my hometown. I owe Dick another great favor."

Compared to when Ria first visited Dick with Timis, she now smiled much more. She respected Irene as a warrior, and their relationship seemed almost like that of a master and disciple from Rigel and McKinley's perspective.

"Miss, we want to show our brother something good too! Please help us!"

"Really, this guy is fearless... Rigel, Miss told you to stop."

"Ahaha... If Dick were my brother and I were the miss, that would be nice. I feel a bit out of place on my own."

This was not the first time Irene had teamed up with adventurers from the Silver Water Bottle Inn to assist them.

During the journey to defeat the Demon King, all members were so strong that it was not noticeable, but according to Dick's experience, being led by a high-ranking adventurer significantly increased the growth rate of lower-ranked members.

Even so, if an adventurer's strength increased by five points over several days of adventuring, it was considered a great achievement. Rigel and the others understood how valuable this opportunity was with Irene accompanying them.

"Any closer to the cave and it will get too cold, so let's tie the horses around here."

"Yes, we should burn incense to keep other beasts away. You guys, wait here."

Horses fear the scent of their natural predator, the tiger beastman, but Ria had built a strong bond with the horse given to her when she became Timis's guard, and they communicated well.

Ria was a bit worried about leaving her beloved horse in the forest, but the 'Protection Incense' Dick had prepared worked wonders, masking the horse's scent and keeping other beasts away.

"Brother really has a lot of amazing things. I wonder when he sleeps, considering he makes all this stuff himself?"

"Even though Dick is impressive, his friend Duke is even more so. He has incredible knowledge and can catch a fire dragon without breaking a sweat."

"Speaking of Duke, I heard he recently showed up at the Magic University. I would like to meet him and learn from him."

Thinking of the faces of the people they admired, Irene couldn't help but smile.

Dick was so insistent on not drawing attention that Duke Solver had taken on a mysterious image. Knowing his true identity, Irene felt like she had to hold back from saying too much, but she was trying her best to keep it in check.

His secrecy was protected by his understanding companions. Irene thought that getting her hair dried once every two weeks was probably fine.

Thinking about the time she was accidentally seen naked by him, her ears turned bright red.

"Miss, are you feeling hot? I'm shivering even with all these layers on."

"Umm, yeah, I'm not good with thick clothes. It's fine, the cave isn't that cold..."

Irene realized as they continued down the forest path towards the ice cave that they could hear the sounds of a struggle.

—Metal clashing, the sound of wind, and a man's scream. Sensing that multiple people were in combat, the four of them nodded silently to each other.

They moved as quickly as possible, hiding their presence and staying out of sight. Irene took the lead, but they still didn't arrive in time to stop the fight.

A large hole, as if the white rock wall had been pierced, opened up, revealing the entrance to the ice cave.

In the open area in front of it, armed adventurers lay on the ground. Only one person stood, and Irene deduced that he was the one responsible.

A man with dark blue hair, wearing hard leather armor, held a weapon in his hand—a circular metal ring with blades attached, a throwing weapon known as a 'Slicer.'

However, not all the adventurers were injured by weapon attacks. Some were only knocked out, indicating that the man had used minimal force to subdue them, rather than overwhelming them with sheer power.

"...You're Zekt, right? You came to our guild to introduce yourself?"

"The 'Silver Water Bottle Inn'... or another guild. They all refuse to listen. Do they even have ears?"

He was irritated but not raising his voice. Irene thought it was better than fighting without discussion.

Dick had warned her to avoid conflict with Zekt. However, despite being an SS-rank equivalent, the prospect of a worthy opponent after a long time made Irene's fists itch.

"You have a warlike look. I've heard that demons enjoy fighting, but you're an exception, right?"

"Not really. There are many demons who aren't fighters. I'm just unusual. Anyway, are you going into the ice cave now? We have business there too."

"...It's none of your concern. If you don't want to end up like these men, don't interfere."

"I won't interfere... but can I ask one thing? What do you plan to do if you find the ice fox?"

Zekt, who had been about to enter the cave, stopped and turned around.

His weapon, the Slicer, implied that he intended to use it on the ice fox, Irene sensed.

"That's a bit of a problem. The Galumdoor Guild's request is to capture the ice fox alive."

"...It's none of your business. I can only think of one way to restore 'it' to its original form."

(Here it comes...!)

Irene reacted quickly to Zekt's words.

Dick had told her beforehand that it would be ideal to gather information about Zekt's relationship with the ice fox before heading deeper into the cave.

From his words, Irene deduced that Zekt knew the ice fox was a beastman who had transformed. This meant he was acquainted with it.

The phrase "restore it" indicated that Zekt was trying to help the ice fox. However, he seemed to believe that the only way to do so was to defeat it.

(I really wish I could leave this kind of thinking to Dick... but the reward is now weekly.)

Dick would know how to judge. After much thought, Irene came up with her next words.

"I can help the ice fox safely. There is a way to return it to its human form."

"...Where did you learn that? Did you investigate in such a short time...?"

"Yes. I'll remove the collar and fight the ice fox. If you can do it, I'll just watch. But if you plan to defeat it and then think about what to do next, I'll have to stop you."

Irene released a killing intent, knowing that someone of Zekt's caliber would sense the difference in power.

She was prepared for the possibility that he might interpret this as a provocation and choose to fight. She took a basic fighting stance from the Superior Combat Style, with her right hand and right foot forward.

Zekt's grip on his Slicer tightened, but he did not throw it. Instead, he sheathed the blade and placed it on his belt.

"...The collar, you say. You believe it's the cause of 'it' losing its reason...?"

He did not know why the ice fox had remained in its beast form. Irene felt relieved and tried to recall what Dick had told her.

"I'm not sure if removing the collar will immediately restore it, but it's definitely the cause. I know it sounds strange, but I did my research. Our guild's information department is excellent."

"...No. I remember 'it' wearing a collar the last time I saw it. I didn't think the guild had magical items... I only considered weakening it and leading it out of the cave. I was foolish to think there was no other way."

Zekt no longer had any intention of fighting Irene. The competition had turned into cooperation. If she didn't have to fight Zekt, she could focus on capturing the ice fox.

"You don't need to defeat or weaken the ice fox. It's important to you, even if you don't want to. I don't know the details yet, but..."

"I don't want to kill it. I thought it was better to do it myself than to wait for someone else to slay it as a monster. It was a misguided resolve."

"No, no one always has the right answer. It's okay as long as you find the right answer in the end."

As Irene spoke, Rigel and the others appeared. Zekt looked at them, assessing their strength.

"...I shouldn't be the one to say this, but if you encounter the ice fox, don't engage it. In its beast form, it's too much for you to handle."

"Seriously... Miss, what can we do then?"

"Rigel, you and the others deal with other monsters. I'll focus on capturing the ice fox alive."

"I see... to prevent interference in the fight with the ice fox. Understood."

"Irene, I brought sleep and paralysis darts. They should help with capturing it alive."

"Good, McKinley. Use the paralysis dart first, but avoid the eyes."

"I'll aim for the torso. Drinking the wine from the tavern last night should prevent my fingers from freezing."

Rigel had taken Ria and McKinley to a tavern the previous night, where they drank the 'Milk' that Dick had prepared to enhance their combat evaluation and other beneficial drinks.

McKinley had brought a small bottle of 'Dwarf's Fire Wine' to prevent his body temperature from dropping and drank it before entering the cave.

"Drinking before entering a dungeon... what an unusual guild."

"As long as you don't get drunk, alcohol is good for the body. Our master said that after this job, we should come back for a drink."

"...I wonder if I have the face to do so. If I'm forgiven, I would like to apologize for my rudeness."

Irene thought that Dick's plan to recruit Zekt, who was close in strength to him, was not entirely hopeless.

Having someone as strong as Zekt in the guild would reduce Dick's burden. While it was a practical consideration, Irene was always worried because Dick worked too much without realizing it.

She respected him for not seeing his burden as a burden, but that wasn't enough.

Specifically, she wanted her hair dried as often as possible, ideally every day. Once a month was far too infrequent.

Irene knew she was greedy, but she also thought it was Dick's fault for asking her to do the job despite knowing this.

"Alright, let's head into the cave. Everyone, are you ready?"

"Ready!"

Rigel, Ria, and McKinley responded enthusiastically. The five of them entered the cold cave, cutting down the frozen goblins that attacked them as they advanced.