A Bloodsucking Demon in a Snowy Town (2)

The mountain road I was following gradually turned white with snow, and the part of the Fodor Empire I'd entered was a completely different world from the Rudoria Kingdom.

The cold winds blowing from the north were blocked by the high mountains and never reached the Rudoria Kingdom.

But in exchange, the sky over the Fodor Empire was somewhat dimmer, and the ground was blanketed in snow.

...In other words, it was very cold.

I don't pay much attention to the seasons, but now that I thought about it, I supposed it was winter.

I had already parted ways with the dwarves, who weren't fazed by either the heat of a forge or the cold of snow.

Fortunately, I could see spirits, so I didn't feel particularly lonely. Still, I didn't feel much like playing with the spirits dwelling in the north wind and snow, since it was so cold.

It wasn't that I disliked them, but... maybe I'll pass for now.

The dwarves headed straight for the town, but since I couldn't enter it by legitimate means, I was making for a nearby forest.

First, I would hide there for several days, then infiltrate the town under cover of darkness.

After that, I would contact the dwarves who had entered town ahead of me and lie low in the safehouse they'd prepared.

A base might not be necessary in a warm place like the Rudoria Kingdom, but in weather this cold, operating without one was impossible.

I made my way across the snow toward the forest.

Even when I stepped on the soft snow, my feet didn't sink, nor did they leave footprints.

Naturally, I had no technique that would let me walk across the snow like that. It was all thanks to the snow spirits.

So although the snow was probably a major cause of the cold, I couldn't bring myself to hate it.

More than anything, that endless silver world was one of the most beautiful sights I'd ever seen.

When I finally reached the forest and slipped into the shelter of the trees, the cold eased considerably.

I had brought preserved food with me, and if I searched the forest, I ought to find something edible even in this cold.

I couldn't expect to find nuts, but there should be some kind of tuber buried beneath the snow or in the soil even at this time of year.

Even in an unfamiliar land, as long as there was a forest, I, a High Elf, could survive without any trouble.

Three days later, under cover of darkness, I crept toward the nearest town, Coltoria,

"Veenung Fos Nurus Un Zam"

Though I was shivering from the cold, I kept my voice steady and cast levitation magic with precise pronunciation.

My body rose slowly into the air and floated gently over the high walls, allowing me to enter the town without using the gate.

I pulled my hood low so that, even if someone happened to see me, they would take me for a suspicious person rather than realize I was an elf.

Quietly and secretly, I walked briskly through the nighttime streets of Coltoria, avoiding people's eyes.

I had no stealth Skill, but, just as when I hunted in the forest, I suppressed my presence. The wind spirits told me when people were approaching, allowing me to choose a route that avoided them or hide and let them pass.

Why did the nighttime air feel so extraordinary, making my heart soar?

Somehow, it felt a little like a game, and I found it rather fun.

Keeping out of sight as I moved through town, I arrived at the trading house where the dwarves who had entered ahead of me were staying.

The lights were already out, but when I made a circuit of the building and checked every window, I saw a piece of cloth wedged into one of them.

That was a signal from the dwarves that the window wasn't locked and that I should come in through it.

So I cast levitation magic again and floated upward, then gently pushed open the wooden window.

As agreed, the window wasn't locked, and I let out a relieved sigh at the warmth of the room I'd entered.

But I had no time to bask in that warmth.

This was where the dwarves were staying, but its owner was a human merchant from the town, their trading partner.

The merchant was friendly toward the dwarves, but not entirely trustworthy, and the dwarves had kept my existence secret from the merchant.

The dwarf sitting in a chair met my gaze, but he said nothing. He merely nodded, poured liquor into his tankard, and drained it.

In other words, he was pretending to be absorbed in his drink and unaware of me.

So I said nothing either. I picked up the bag on the table, quickly checked its contents, and slipped back out through the window.

Inside were a handwritten map showing the location of the safehouse the dwarves had arranged for me and a key.

There was also a summary of the information they had gathered over the past few days.

I wouldn't be able to rest until I reached the safehouse and checked that information.

The safehouse was a large mansion that was currently unoccupied.

Its owner was a dwarf, but he had returned to the dwarven country to participate in the competition to choose the king.

In other words, he was one of the master craftsmen.

I'd spoken with him several times during the competition, so I recognized him and knew his name.

Thus, even if someone used the vacant mansion without permission, no one would hold the dwarf responsible.

Other dwarves regularly inspected and repaired the mansion, and apparently there was an understanding with them as well.

A small supply of food and water, along with wine, had already been brought in.

This was the very definition of having everything taken care of.

The dwarves did want as much information as possible, but they probably weren't thinking of anything so complicated... More likely, this treatment was simply proof that they had accepted me as one of their own.

That was why I had to repay their goodwill through my own efforts.

If I couldn't, it would be shameful for me as their friend—and especially as Azvaldo's friend.

Still, that could wait until tomorrow.

After entering the empty mansion, setting down my luggage, eating some of the food they'd prepared, quietly boiling some water in secret, and washing myself, I flopped down on a bed.

I'd done nothing but sleep rough on hard ground since leaving the dwarven country, so the first bed I'd slept in for a long while was wonderfully comfortable and quickly lulled me to sleep.