That night, the examinees were overcome with joy at the news.
Some had remained skeptical that they would ever be able to leave the mountain, and a few of the girls were moved to tears of relief.
They must have been incredibly lonely and frightened.
Even if they were gifted youths, they were still children far from home, trapped in a place like this. Between the unnatural snow and the biting cold, many had likely faced the looming specter of death. It was only natural for their emotions to overflow now that rescue was finally at hand.
"It’s time for the shift change, Ren-dono."
"Ah, is it that time already?"
It was just before the date changed.
A knight arrived to relieve Ren of his sentry duty outside the fort. Ren handed over the post and stepped back inside.
The rugged interior was dimly lit by torches. Every time a draft whistled through the gaps in the stone, the flames flickered, sending long shadows dancing across the walls.
He headed toward the fireplace at the back of the entrance hall to warm his numb hands.
I should probably get something warm to drink, he decided.
With that thought, he made his way toward the kitchen.
He had visited the room several times since arriving at the fort, mostly to check on the remaining food supplies or to process the monsters he had hunted recently.
He walked down a freezing corridor that lacked any proper insulation and placed his hand on the wooden door at the end. The door let out a low, bone-chilling creak as he pushed it open and stepped inside.
"……Ah."
"……Oh."
Ren and Fiona locked eyes, both letting out small, startled gasps.
Fiona had arrived first. She was standing at the sink, washing dishes by herself. Ren gave her a polite nod before picking up a copper saucepan to boil some water.
As he approached the old-fashioned stove, he saw that a fire was already crackling within.
"Do you need to use the stove as well, Mr. Adventurer?" Fiona asked, stepping toward him.
She held a similar saucepan in her hand.
"Yes. I thought a warm drink might help me sleep."
"Me too! I was planning on making some tea once I finished the washing up."
"So that’s why you started the fire. Do you mind if we boil our water together?"
"Not at all. Please, go ahead."
Ren accepted her kindness and drew enough snowmelt water for two from a nearby jar. He set the pot on the stove and stood there, listening to the wood pop and hiss.
This is awkward…
Standing there in silence with her made him feel restless. Fiona, however, seemed determined to uphold the non-interference agreement made with the adventurers; she didn't try to force a conversation.
Naturally, Ren didn't go out of his way to strike up a chat either. Truth be told, he didn't even have a topic ready.
But then, they both moved at the exact same moment.
They glanced at each other for a fleeting second, gauging the other's intent, only to realize they were both heading for the tea leaves at the same time.
Pretending they hadn't noticed the coincidence, they walked over to the cupboard in silence. Ren scanned the small jars, trying to identify his preferred blend by scent alone.
They even went through the trouble of transporting luxury goods like this?
Apparently, the Clausel family had ordered emergency rations and various supplies to be stockpiled here. Knights and hired adventurers brought them in periodically to prepare for exactly this kind of situation. Thanks to that foresight, they could enjoy a decent cup of tea even in the middle of a blizzard.
I’ll go with this one.
Ren reached for a small jar, and the moment his fingers brushed the glass—
"……Sorry."
"N-No! It was my fault for reaching at the same time…!"
Their fingertips had overlapped on the jar. Both recoiled as if they had touched a hot iron, twisting away and taking a half-step back while maintaining polite, slightly strained smiles.
They were both clearly surprised to have reached for the exact same tea leaves.
"If you’d like, I can brew it for us," Ren suggested.
He couldn't bear the strange tension any longer. Fiona gave him a hesitant look. "Are you sure?"
"I can't promise it will be to your taste, though," Ren added.
He immediately began preparing the tea, meticulously following the movements he had learned from the servant back at the mansion. He poured the brew—made from leaves that were clearly past their prime—into cups that were far from high quality.
"……Oh, this is delicious," Fiona said, steam rising from her lips as she took a sip.
Since there were no chairs, they stood together, quietly enjoying their tea.
"You’ve studied the way of tea before, haven't you, Mr. Adventurer?"
"Only a little."
"I see… I’m impressed. You’re much, much better at it than I am."
"I still have a lot to learn. Besides, as a lady of House Ignat, surely you don't have many opportunities to brew it yourself?"
"Well… actually, I was quite sickly until recently. A servant who used to keep me company taught me how. But, well… I suppose I was simply too clumsy for it…" Fiona looked down with a wry, embarrassed smile, partially hiding her face behind her cup. "Tea was important for taking my medicine, so I tried to learn. My doctors said it was better to move my body when I felt well enough, so I did my best… but even with the kindest flattery, I could only ever make a mediocre cup."
"Tea is surprisingly difficult," Ren agreed. "But you mentioned it was for medicine?"
"Yes. The medicine I took was supposedly absorbed better if swallowed with tea instead of water."
"I see," Ren nodded. "Medicines made with monster materials really are in a class of their own, aren't they?"
"It seems so. Ahaha… though for an amateur like me, the details are all a bit of a mystery…"
Ren remembered Granny Rigu, the village apothecary, once telling him that medicine should always be taken with water. She had explained that other liquids could interfere with the effects of the herbs. Of course, that didn't apply to every single medicine, but water was generally the safest choice.
"But if you can take it with tea, it must be easier to mask the bitterness."
"Exactly. It made the whole process much more bearable."
By the time they finished their conversation, their cups were empty. Noticing this, they both turned toward the sink at the same time.
"Please, let me handle the cleanup," Fiona insisted.
"N-No, I can't let a lady do the—"
"You were kind enough to treat me to tea, Mr. Adventurer. Please don't worry about it. Let me do this much."
Fiona’s voice was gentle and refined, yet it possessed a core of strength that told Ren she wouldn't back down. He eventually yielded.
After Ren had left the room, Fiona stood alone at the sink.
"……Strange. Why was he so easy to talk to?"
She wondered if they simply shared a similar temperament as she washed their cups. Once she had dried them and begun putting them back in their places, she suddenly paused.
"Wait…"
A doubt flickered in her mind. She replayed the conversation she'd just had with the boy, specifically the words he had used when discussing her medicine.
Did I ever mention that my medicine used monster materials?
She turned off the tap and tilted her head in confusion.
She left the kitchen and returned to the common area, sitting on a crude wooden bench near the fireplace. The warmth of the flames made her mind wander, and a preposterous theory began to take shape in her head.
"Lady Ignat?"
A knight standing a few paces away called out to her.
"I believe it would be best for you to get some rest. We have an early departure tomorrow."
"Y-Yes…… of course. My apologies."
The knight was right. Fiona realized that staying up would only cause trouble for everyone, so she hurried to her feet. But as she prepared to leave the fireplace, she stopped.
"……Excuse me!" she called out to the knight, her voice sounding uncharacteristically frantic.
The next morning, everything proceeded smoothly.
After a quick breakfast at daybreak, everyone gathered outside the fort to watch the sunrise.
"Ren-dono, it’s finally time," a knight said, walking up to him.
"It is," Ren replied, feeling the weight of the moment.
Since Maydas, the representative of the adventurers, was absent, the knight had taken charge of both the soldiers and the remaining adventurers.
"All right, let’s move out!"
At the knight’s command, Ren, the adventurers, and every single examinee began the trek through the snow.
The students were elite candidates for the Imperial Academy’s Special Merit Class, yet they were quickly reminded of the gap in physical stamina between themselves and the adults. They watched in silent awe as the knights and adventurers—who had already climbed up to save them—now led the way through the deep snow without showing a hint of fatigue.
Ren let out a long breath as he walked.
Finally.
Due to the unexpected crisis, they had stayed far longer than planned. He felt a profound sense of relief as the burden began to lift from his shoulders. Around him, he could hear the examinees whispering excitedly.
Ren reminded himself to stay focused until they were safely off the mountain, but then he suddenly stopped.
"……?"
He reached up and touched his cheek.
He thought he’d felt a gust of wind—one that was both biting cold and strangely searing at the same time. He slid his fingers across his skin, looking for any trace of the sensation.
Was that my imagination?
It had felt as if a stray spark had been caught in the freezing gale, brushing against him before vanishing.
"Ren-dono?"
Since Fiona wasn't within earshot, the knight used Ren's name without hesitation.
"Sorry. I think I just lost my focus for a second."
"Haha, well, we’re finally going home. It’s only natural for the mind to wander a bit."
Ren slapped his cheeks to snap himself back into a state of alertness.
Don't get complacent, he told himself. Not until the examinees are down.
He cast a glance toward the back of the line.
I can finally go home. Damn… if the enemy were just a monster, I wouldn't have been so useless. I wonder if we failed the exam…
Relief, frustration, anxiety—each person carried their own heavy burden of emotion.
In the end, we never saw a single examiner.
It was deeply suspicious. For a final exam this dangerous, examiners were supposed to be on standby for emergencies. Considering the exam period had already been exceeded by several days, the lack of oversight was troubling.
Regardless, they needed to get down the mountain as quickly as possible. The students were at their limit, and those suffering from the symptoms similar to Vessel Cracking were dangerously exhausted, even if the condition itself wasn't immediately fatal.
After walking for some time, the suspension bridge finally came into view.
The examinees grew visibly tense at the sight of it. A suspension bridge at this altitude, buffeted by mountain gales and blizzards, was a terrifying sight even to look at from a distance.
"Knights, help the students across. We’ll lead the way."
"Understood."
As the lead adventurers and knights stepped onto the bridge, the examinees began to accept help from the other adults.
An adventurer bluntly told one boy, "Let’s go. Keep a grip on the railing or my coat."
The boy scoffed at the wind. "That won't be necessary. Who do you think we are?"
"Ah… my mistake. I suppose an elite candidate for the Special Merit Class wouldn't be afraid of a little bridge like this."
"O-Of course not! Don't look down on me!"
But as soon as the boy stepped onto the swaying planks, he flinched. The wooden deck groaned and creaked under his feet. Through the gaps in the wood, the canyon below was a bottomless white abyss swallowed by the blizzard. If he fell, there would be nothing left of him.
The boy’s survival instincts won out over his pride, and he froze. Seeing this, the adventurer reached out and grabbed his hand.
"I didn't say I needed—"
"Yeah, yeah, I know. I just don't want to deal with the paperwork if you fall. Everyone else, grab someone and let’s get moving."
Ren smiled at the adventurer's rough kindness. Because they were also carrying injured adventurers who couldn't walk, nearly every able-bodied adult, including the knights, had their hands full assisting an examinee.
Ren prepared to do the same.
The only examinees left without a guide were Fiona and a girl she had been talking to earlier. Every other adult was already paired up.
Ren hesitated, wondering which one he should help. Given Fiona’s status, he assumed a knight should be the one to guide her, but at that moment, the other girl approached the nearest knight.
"Could you help me?" she asked, reaching out her hand.
With the remaining knights and adventurers busy helping the injured or other students, Fiona was left with only Ren. As the girl who had taken the knight's hand passed by him, she cast a brief, wary glance his way, clearly uncomfortable with the adventurers.
"Mr. Adventurer, may I borrow your assistance?" Fiona asked, stepping up to Ren.
Ren looked at her, remembering how the other girl had reacted to him.
"Are you sure? I thought you might prefer a knight’s help, Lady Ignat."
"No," she said with pleasant certainty. "I intended to ask you from the very beginning, Mr. Adventurer."
Ren realized she had specifically waited for him to be free.
Fiona, her hands clad in thick gloves, reached out somewhat shyly for Ren's coat. The hem of his coat pulled taut as soon as he took a step, a silent reminder that she was right there behind him.