Chapter 92
A magic formula for reworking a contract between a higher spirit and a human into one between a dragon and a human was not something that could be recreated on a whim.
What made it possible was Monica's exceptional calculating ability, but it also helped greatly that she had come into contact with the White Dragon's mana inside its stomach. The mana structures of spirits and higher-ranked dragons were different, after all.
While recalling the threads of mana that had filled the White Dragon's stomach and the structure of that mana, Melissa carefully recreated the magic formula Monica had constructed.
Melissa and Raul's chants overlapped, and bands of golden light coiled around Cyril and Toure.
The bands of light connected Cyril, Toure, and the brooch adorning Cyril's collar.
The moment the bands of light touched Cyril's chest, his face twisted in pain.
...Ngh.
Cyril and Toure were now connected by a single invisible thread.
Through that thread, Cyril's mana flowed into Toure, while Toure's mana flowed into Cyril.
The sensation of dragon mana flowing into him must have felt like a foreign substance racing through his body.
Even so, Cyril bit down on his lips and choked back his cries of pain.
The two exchanged mana, and the contract was completed.
Toure's fingertip, which had been horribly chipped away, was now wrapped in white light. When the light eventually faded, the missing portion of the fingertip had regenerated completely.
Melissa finished chanting and examined Toure's fingertip closely.
"It looks like the surface wound has closed. The mana leakage has stopped, too."
Toure raised the hand with the regenerated fingertip and innocently remarked, "Amazing, amazing," while Ashelpike clung to them.
"Toure, you won't break anymore? You won't disappear?"
The ice spirit was poor at expressing emotions, and their voice was monotonous, but it was unmistakably trembling.
With the finger that had just healed, Toure combed through Ashelpike's pale golden hair.
"Pique, Pique, let's look at spring together again. Spring in the human settlements, not this mountain. It'll be fun. So much fun."
...Yeah.
"Let's look for spring flowers together. In summer, we'll collect shiny things, and in autumn, we'll listen to the insects sing. And in winter... I want to see your ice again, Pique."
...Yeah.
"So please, don't cry."
... ...Yeah.
The blizzard that had been raging fitfully until moments ago had completely died down, and snowflakes imbued with the light of 〈Ice Spirits' Snow Lanterns〉 fell silently to the ground, piling up.
As he gazed at the scene, Cyril let out a long sigh.
"...What a beautiful sight. If we weren't in this situation, I'd like to sit here and admire it for a while."
After murmuring that, Cyril sneezed.
Abducted from the warm Southern Doll, he was wearing a spring jacket. It was not clothing suitable for spending a night in a snowy mountain.
Monica hurriedly offered Cyril her own jacket.
"Ah, um, Cyril-sama, please use this..."
Cyril stared intently at the offered jacket, then at Monica's right hand, and a deep crease formed between his brows.
Then he shook his head with a stern expression.
"No, it's fine. Keep wearing it yourself."
"But..."
Monica was about to insist when she noticed that her own jacket was torn to shreds and stained with blood, and she fell silent.
(That's right... Of course Cyril-sama wouldn't want a jacket like this...)
Monica stood there dejectedly with the jacket in her hands, while Cyril urged her to put it on at once.
A figure was creeping up behind the pair as they engaged in their awkward exchange. It was Raul.
"Hup!"
Raul opened the front of his own jacket and wrapped his arms around Monica and Cyril from behind.
Monica let out a "Squeak!" and Cyril shouted, "You're heavy! Don't lean on me!" but Raul paid them no mind.
"If we stay huddled together, we'll all be warmer... Besides, this is really what friends do, right?"
"Are you telling us to go down the mountain like this?!"
At Cyril's shout, Raul laughed heartily and said, "We can do it, we can do it."
Raul was so cheerful that it was almost enough to make them forget they were on a snowy mountain.
"Let's walk on three! Oh, right foot first! Ready, set, go!"
"Wait! Don't start walking all of a sudden──!"
"Hyaaah!"
Because Raul had suddenly started walking, Cyril and Monica, bundled together in the same jacket, lost their balance, and all three of them tumbled over onto the snow together.
Melissa watched the three young people, covered in snow and making a huge fuss, and let out a weary sigh.
"Raul's probably the only one of us who still has the strength to walk down the mountain in this situation."
Melissa herself appeared to be utterly exhausted. Her face seemed to say that she did not want to take another step.
Melissa cracked her neck and glanced sideways at Toure and Ashelpike, who were still embracing each other.
"Hey, you goofy White Dragon over there. Can you fly while carrying all of us?"
"Hmm... Hmm... It might still be difficult."
Toure's wound had only just closed, and Toure's mana was not stable enough to return to dragon form. It would be unwise to make Toure overexert.
Melissa clicked her tongue and glared at Ashelpike.
"Then what about you, Ice Spirit? Don't you have any useful tricks?"
"If it were only me, I could slide over the snow. I can't do it with this many people."
Even with a legendary White Dragon and a higher spirit of mythic renown, this was the reality they faced.
To make matters worse, all three of the Seven Sages had run out of mana, and the shrine where they had planned to spend the night was half-destroyed.
Monica hung her head, feeling utterly powerless.
(If I still had mana, I could at least use a defensive barrier to ward off the cold...)
Monica had exhausted every last bit of her physical strength and mana, and she was already barely able to remain standing. If she relaxed for even a moment, she felt she might fall asleep right there.
Even so, she desperately racked her brain for a solution, and then Cyril spoke.
"Ashelpike, if we made something like a sled that all of us could ride, would you be able to control it?"
"A sled? The thing humans ride? ...I've never thought about it."
Ashelpike thought it over for a while, then nodded. "I think I can."
After confirming that, Cyril began to chant.
Pale blue motes of light danced around his hands, and ice spread outward, forming a small boat.
He had made a boat rather than a sled because it was probably safer for carrying several people.
Raul and Melissa cheered at the completed ice boat.
"What's this? Cool! Amazing, Cyril!"
"Oh, how lovely! As expected of Cyril-sama!"
Unlike the excited Roseberg siblings, Monica could not shake the ominous feeling in her chest.
What came to mind was the highly original landing method of the wind higher spirit Rinsbellfeed in the form of a beautiful maid.
The 〈Barrier Mage〉 came plummeting down while spinning wildly and shouting, "Stupid maid────!"
The wind higher spirit landed with her knees buried in the ground and proudly explained her landing methods.
(What if she starts talking about the Tornado Kick Landing Method, the Head Spin Landing Method, or the Giant Wheel Assault Method...?)
While Monica stood there in a panic, Raul efficiently gathered leaves and spread them across the bottom of the ice boat so their bottoms would not get cold. Then they all climbed aboard one after another. Monica was the only one left behind.
Cyril looked suspiciously at Monica as she fidgeted.
"What's wrong, Monica?"
"N-no... it's nothing!"
Surely not every spirit was obsessed with dynamic and stylish landing methods... probably.
Having reassured herself of that, Monica climbed into the boat as well.
The boat was small, so it could barely fit two people sitting side by side.
Ashelpike and Toure sat at the front, with Melissa behind them. Monica and Cyril sat behind Melissa, while Raul took the rearmost seat, spread his jacket wide, and wrapped Monica and Cyril in it.
Once he had confirmed that everyone was aboard, Cyril gave Ashelpike an order.
"Get it moving right away."
"All right. I'll try."
Ashelpike nodded and closed their eyes.
The ice boat carrying Monica and the others began sliding smoothly over the snow──and then, in the next instant, it plunged down the slope at tremendous speed and went straight over a sizable drop.
Human screams and shrieks echoed across the snowy mountain.
Meanwhile, Toure, seated beside Ashelpike, murmured placidly.
"Wow, it's fast."
Naturally, Toure was the only nonhuman making such a peaceful comment.
Behind Toure, the humans facing the terror of death were screaming until their throats nearly gave out.
Raul was suffering the most. The usually carefree Raul now had his handsome features twisted in terror as he clung desperately to Cyril and Monica.
"Aaaah! I-I can't handle falling from high places! I can't, I can't, I caaan't──!"
"Ashelpike! Slow it down!"
"Why?"
Ashelpike tilted their head at Cyril's command, looking as if they had no idea what was wrong.
If anything, they even seemed proud that Toure was enjoying themself.
After plunging vertically once more, the ice boat landed on the snowfield, bounced several times, and continued straight ahead. It was moving as fast as, if not faster than, a runaway horse.
Raul's eyes filled with tears, and his cheek began to twitch.
"Hey, this thing... won't the lightest person get thrown off first...?"
At Raul's words, Cyril went pale and grabbed Monica, who seemed to be the lightest person there. Monica, in turn, clung to Melissa's waist with all her might.
Melissa looked back at Monica, a vein twitching at her temple, and smiled wickedly.
"...Monica-chwaaaan? Are you saying you're relieved because I'm heavy enough not to go flying?"
There was no answer.
Monica had passed out with her eyes rolled back while still clinging to Melissa's waist.
"Raul! Grab the little squirt..."
Melissa began to say, then looked up at the sky.
Raul, in the rearmost seat, had also rolled his eyes back and passed out, foam bubbling from his mouth.
"Enough already—slow down──!!"
Carrying the two unconscious active Seven Sages, Cyril shouted, and Toure tilted their head. "But it's fun."