Chapter 20: The Ogre’s Gift

After exploring the frozen sea with the crew, we discovered that not the entire ocean was frozen.

The ice trail had an end, and beyond it, the blue waters still flowed freely.

As I gazed at the frozen expanse, a story a boy once told me came to mind: the tale of Kashpa, the dragon slumbering in the snow-covered mountains.

The boy had warned that Kashpa’s anger would extend the winter, bringing forth an unbearable cold.

Could this frozen sea also be the result of the dragon’s influence?

The crew seemed to share my suspicions, whispering among themselves, and the name “Kashpa” slipped through their conversations.

Hearing this, the captain raised his voice and scolded them.

“Silence! Do you really think that distant Kashpa could reach us here? Quit talking and start breaking the ice!”

At his command, the crew quickly sprang into action, bringing out large hammers and sharp tools to carve a path forward.

Though the ice, enchanted by a special mana, showed no signs of melting over time, its hardness was thankfully no greater than regular ice.

I joined the crew, using mana to coat my sword with a thin blade and easily cut through the ice.

“Bringing you aboard was the right decision,” the captain said, satisfied with my efforts.

The task of clearing the path continued for days, with the sun rising and setting repeatedly as we chipped away at the ice and pushed the shattered remnants aside.

One day, as we worked, a crewmember approached me with a question.

“Hey, magician. Can you create a giant ball of fire?”

“How big?” I asked.

“Well… something as big as our ship?”

“If I had enough mana, it’s possible,” I replied.

“So, you’re saying you’re short on mana right now?”

“That’s correct.”

“Magic sure is a tricky thing.”

What he wanted, of course, was for me to conjure an enormous flame and melt away the entire ice field.

Unfortunately, that was beyond my capabilities at the moment.

Later that evening, just as I finished my meal and prepared to sleep, something strange happened.

The three mana circles rotating near my heart suddenly accelerated, and then, one of the innermost circles vanished entirely.

“Ah…”

I opened my mouth absentmindedly.

The mana circle hadn’t disappeared entirely—it had simply merged with the mana I possessed.

I realized that I could now summon the frigid mana of the Karum Mountains at will.

My internal world deepened, and the total amount of mana I could use slightly increased.

It was a pleasant sensation.

In this endless miniature world, I placed a cold star within it.

The five-day-long task was finally coming to an end.

As seawater filled the gaps between the ice paths, the ship began to move.

If we rowed forward, we could finally escape from the frozen sea.

The voyage was back on course.

“Set sail!”

The captain shouted energetically, and the crew responded by rowing, their voices soon swelling into a lively song.

The crew’s songs had a magical way of helping everyone forget the hard labor, if only briefly.

When the ship finally left the frozen sea and floated on the blue waters, the singing became even louder.

From that point on, the journey proceeded smoothly.

The only issue was that the extended voyage meant we had to ration our supplies carefully.

We sailed swiftly, occasionally braving storms or spotting enormous sea monsters from afar.

On the 34th day since we set sail, we finally arrived at the port of the Karma Empire.

After docking at the port, a visitor boarded our ship.

He claimed to be an official from the Karma Empire, and the captain seemed familiar with him, shaking his hand and slipping him a pouch of coins.

When I asked what was going on, the captain explained.

“It’s a bribe. Entering the country officially is a hassle, so I handle it like this.”

“Oh…”

“If you ever get tangled in something troublesome here, just slip some cash to the local guards. That usually resolves things quickly.”

“Isn’t that illegal?”

“Illegal? Ha! It’s only illegal if you get caught!”

I kept the captain’s advice in mind.

He then let out a hearty laugh and turned to me.

“Well, magician, it’s been a pleasure sailing with you.”

“Ah, likewise.”

“We’re planning to return to Lupen in about a month. If you need a ride, look us up, and I’ll give you a free lift again.”

With those parting words, the captain left a few crewmembers to assist me.

Their task was to help carry my belongings to an inn.

The crew seemed sad to say goodbye, muttering things like how I reminded them of their daughters back home.

The port of the Karma Empire was massive—far larger than Lupen’s.

The tall buildings, spotless roads, and orderly streets hinted at a high level of security—there were no drunken vagrants lying about.

Not that anyone could survive lying in the streets in this weather, anyway.

One of the sailors introduced me to a decent-looking inn.

He praised the food so highly that, despite it not being lunchtime, the place was already packed with customers.

I paid for a week’s stay and received a room key.

It was time to say goodbye to the crew.

They helped carry my things to my room and then left without hesitation.

After unpacking, I changed into comfortable clothes and headed to the first floor.

There, I ordered meat, alcohol, and hot water for a bath.

With plenty of money in my pocket, indulging felt natural.

As I washed myself with the hot water the inn staff brought, I drank from the bottle I’d ordered.

However, the body of a 13-year-old girl couldn’t handle much alcohol, and I was completely drunk before finishing the bottle.

“Ah…”

The warmth from the bath and the foggy haze of intoxication muddled my thoughts.

Before I did anything foolish, I climbed into bed and pulled the blanket over myself.

The stability of a bed on solid ground quickly lulled me into a deep, comfortable sleep.

“O…”

I crawled out of bed, feeling the weight of a hangover.

The nausea creeping up suggested that last night’s meal hadn’t settled well.

I opened the window and welcomed the cold breeze.

The harsh morning sea wind was biting, but it was enough to wake me up completely.

I glanced at my belongings piled in the corner of the room.

The reason I came here was to craft equipment from ogre leather.

There was no rush, but with nothing else to do, I decided to head out right away.

To combat the cold, I layered two pairs of cotton pants, socks, and deer-leather boots.

I wore a light cotton shirt, a padded gambeson, and finally, a wolf-fur hooded coat with a mantle made from Icehorn hide.

Once I strapped my sword to my back, I was ready.

Carrying the rolled-up ogre leather on my shoulder, I left the inn.

Getting lost in an unfamiliar city wasn’t an option.

I stopped by a general store near the inn and bought a map of the city.

“Let’s see…”

I unfolded the map and checked my location.

It didn’t show every facility, but I could orient myself using the landmarks.

The leather workshop I was looking for was said to be past the central plaza, further up the main road.

I quickly set off.

Before long, I arrived at the city’s central plaza.

The square was bustling with attractions—bards playing musical instruments and puppeteers putting on short performances with their puppets.

Most of the audience consisted of children.

I paused for a moment to watch the kids.

Holding tightly to their parents’ hands, the children laughed brightly, and seeing them made my heart ache a little.

“…”

After a brief hesitation, I approached a guard standing nearby.

“Excuse me.”

The guard tilted his head slightly in response.

He didn’t say anything, but his expression wasn’t unfriendly, so I figured he’d help.

“Do you know where I could send a letter?”

“A letter? Planning to send one home?”

“Uh, something like that. Could I send it abroad?”

“You should try the Adventurers’ Guild.”

“Thank you.”

When I bowed my head to express my gratitude, the guard gave me a faint smile.

I opened the map again and made my way to the Adventurers’ Guild.

Apparently, adventurers handled mail delivery too—something I hadn’t known.

The receptionist at the guild lent me a fancy envelope, writing paper, and a fountain pen.

I sat down and began writing the letter right away.

**“This is Emily.

I’m alive.

I’m not coming back.”**

Short but impactful.

I nodded as I read over the letter I had written.

After waiting for the ink to dry, I folded the paper, slipped it into the envelope, and sealed it with wax.

Without hesitation, I handed the letter to the receptionist.

“I’d like to send this.”

“Alright. What’s the address?”

“The address… the Kingdom of Aven…”

I started to say the address but trailed off.

Though I knew the kingdom’s name, I couldn’t remember the name of the village I had lived in.

The receptionist blinked, waiting patiently.

“H-Hans… the village chief’s house…”

“Hans, the village chief’s house…? You’re sure that’ll do?”

“Yes, and also add ‘Emily’s house.’”

“Hmm… the village under Hans, the chief… Emily’s house in the Kingdom of Aven.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“That’ll be two gold coins.”

I handed the receptionist the money.

He mentioned that it would take over a month for the letter to arrive.

Even so, knowing I had sent it gave me peace of mind.

With lighter steps, I left the Adventurers’ Guild and headed toward the leather workshop.

The street where the workshops were gathered was filled with the overpowering stench of chemicals.

I stepped into the largest workshop, and the intense odor made my head ache.

“Welcome!”

This was indeed the Empire. The workshop even had staff dedicated to sales and customer service.

A young man approached me with a polite smile.

“I’d like to place a custom order.”

“A custom order? Please wait a moment.”

The staff member went to the back and returned with paper and a pen—likely for writing down my request.

“Have you brought your own leather?”

“Yes.”

“Understood. You’ve prepared the leather… What kind is it?”

“Ogre leather.”

“Ogre…? Ogre?”

The young man tilted his head, clearly puzzled.

He looked at me as if to confirm that I was serious.

I gave him a firm nod.

“One moment, please.”

With that, he disappeared into the back of the shop.

Soon, he returned with another man, who was greeted with respect by the other employees—likely the manager.

The moment he saw me, the manager jumped straight to the point.

“So, you’re the one with ogre leather?”

“Yes.”

“Let me see it.”

I nodded and untied the rolled-up ogre leather from my back, spreading it out for him to inspect.