Seeker 386

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Chapter 386. Ice Queen’s Legend

On the remaining journey to the capital, we learned all about the entity called the Ice Queen from Sophia.

Apparently, this tale dates back over 200 years.

For several years, starting one fateful year, the temperature in this region dropped significantly, causing large-scale agricultural damage.

These effects dealt a severe blow to the numerous farmers who sustained the region's economy and food supply, leaving people in dire straits.

And then, one particular year, as if to add insult to injury, a massive horde of monsters descended from the north, attacking villages and cities alike.

The attacking monsters often formed groups exceeding a hundred in number, with individual members being formidable in their own right.

Several villages, and even some cities, fell into ruin.

Meanwhile, a few other cities managed to defend themselves, but they were not spared from the seemingly endless waves of monsters, exhausting their resources and resolve.

It was during this time that a group of adventurers arrived in the area.

They were heroes of incredible strength who easily scattered the monstrous hordes tormenting the locals.

Moreover, they traced the source of the seemingly endless monster swarms.

These heroes, along with numerous knights and adventurers, ventured into a location in the northern snowy plains and defeated the monster boss known as the Ice Queen.

From that point onward, the hordes of monsters ceased attacking the cities.

Additionally, the recurring cold waves abated, and the harvests became plentiful once more.

...Well, that’s the gist of it, at least.

However, one particular term caught my attention during this story.

The place in the northern snowy plains, the source of the monsters—

"Is it the Ice Castle?"

"Yes. It's said to still exist in the northern snowy plains, described as a castle-like structure made of ice. Records suggest the heroes of the time referred to it as 'something like a dungeon.'"

Sophia replied to my question.

The Ice Castle was, in fact, our next destination.

Reaching it would complete our mission and earn us 100,000 experience points.

"'Something like a dungeon' is an odd way to describe it, though." 

Yuzuki interjected with a minor critique.

Sophia addressed that as well, with care.

"True. However, that phrasing comes from recorded documents. Whether the heroes of that era actually used such an expression is uncertain."

"But doesn’t this seem like a big deal? If this is happening again, we need to act quickly, or things could spiral out of control."

This comment came from Kazane. I agreed with her.

Her words reminded me of an incident we experienced some time ago.

In the dwarven settlement of Dagmahal, we faced a series of attacks by large monster hordes, numbering 20 or 30 each time.

The dwarves, suspecting these events were caused by a dungeon overflow phenomenon, resolved the issue by conquering the Fire and Ice Dungeons.

We had also ventured into those dungeons with the dwarven hero Balzamunt and the dark elf hero Yusphia, contributing to the defeat of the dungeon bosses.

It worked out in the end, but until we saw a path to resolution, the experience was harrowing.

Monsters spawning endlessly and defending against them over and over was a chilling ordeal.

Given our experiences, the Ice Queen issue seemed just as urgent and required immediate attention.

But Sophia shook her head at Kazane's suggestion.

"The cold waves over the past few years are no more than that—there is no evidence linking them to the 'Ice Queen.'"

"Oh, right. Monsters haven’t actually started attacking yet."

"Correct. I’ve advised my father to prepare for the possibility of the 'Ice Queen's' return, but my concerns were dismissed. The ministers also oppose deploying our forces, fearing that it would weaken the capital’s defenses."

"Can’t we at least send a scouting party to the Ice Castle? If we could confirm whether this 'Ice Queen' exists, it might change everything."

Yuzuki’s question made Sophia frown.

"The northern snowy plains are a harsh region, covered by blizzards year-round. On top of that, it’s said to be teeming with powerful monsters. Sending a small force recklessly could mean their demise."

"I see… Daichi-kun, what do you think about all this?"

Kazane directed the question to me.

"What do I think? Well, I’m concerned, but since this depends on the country's decisions, there’s not much we can do. We don’t have the authority to dictate the nation's policy."

"True, but still…"

"Either way, we’re heading to the Ice Castle, right?"

"─! Is that true!?"

"Oh… Well, yeah, that does make sense."

Yuzuki's unexpected suggestion hit a good note.

Mobilizing the nation’s forces required solid evidence, but sending scouts risked heavy losses.

As a small, high-level group capable of handling such a mission, it seemed we were in the best position to investigate the Ice Castle.

As we discussed this, we eventually arrived at the gates of the royal capital, Kladvalze.

A gatekeeper recognized Sophia and called out to her.

"Sophia-sama! You’ve returned?"

"Yes. Has anything happened in the capital?"

"Actually, an urgent messenger arrived early this morning from the northern city of Turam—"

The gatekeeper noticed us, hurried to Sophia, and whispered something to her.

Her eyes widened.

"The legendary ice wolf Fenrir!? What about Turam and its residents?"

Another concerning term popped up.

For now, I stayed silent and listened.

"I don’t know the details. I was instructed to tell you to return to the royal castle immediately upon your return."

"I see. Understood."

Sophia seemed to ponder briefly.

Then she turned to us and spoke.

"Daichi, Kazane, Hotaru. If you’re willing, would you accompany me to the royal castle? The situation has changed slightly."

Kazane and Yuzuki exchanged a glance and nodded.

I agreed and decided to head to the royal castle with Sophia and the others.