Transmigrated Into A Tragic Romance Fantasy-Chapter 74: Lugan Village (5)

“I’ve never seen such a bizarre snowstorm.”

“......Me too.”

Elden and Ariel took refuge in a nearby cave as they shook the snow off of themselves.

The sky was clear when they began climbing the mountain, but it soon turned ash-gray, and as they sought the next marker halfway up, a fierce blizzard started raging.

While they were almost reaching their destination, Elden worried that such a sudden blizzard might endanger Ariel, so they sought refuge in a small cavern.

Having explored the northern wilderness for the last few months, both could see that this blizzard appeared to be a fleeting one.

If they waited it out a few hours, the blizzard would cease, allowing them to reach the cave by evening.

Since Lumia was not in a critical condition, there was no need to take unnecessary risks.

Whoosh-!

Watching the fierce blizzard blowing outside the cave entrance, Elden said,

“It’ll pass soon. Let’s just wait a bit.”

“Hm-.”

Bringing blankets, as suggested by Rendler, proved to be a wise decision.

Elden shared the blanket with Ariel and lit a small fire with some branches they had collected on the way there.

Spark-!

Once the fire started, Ariel took out a fist-sized metal bowl from a small pouch, scooped up some snow, and placed it on the fire to make tea.

A moment later.

“Elden, here.”

A steel cup filled with warm tea was handed to Elden.

“Thanks.”

“No problem.”

Ariel, also holding a steel cup, sat next to Elden and sipped the tea after blowing on it a few times.

Then, as her eyes widened, Ariel gushed in a manner most noblewoman would find unbefitting.

“Wow! There’s truly nothing better than a tea boiled over a campfire, right?! And it tastes even better while watching this blizzard!”

If Count Elrond heard such things, he would undoubtedly be very dismayed.

After all, he had initially allowed his daughter to go on a reading journey, but what would be his reaction when what returned wasn’t his bookworm daughter, but a wild woman?

As he thought about such nonsense, Elden wondered if he should postpone their visit to the Elrond Head while he enjoyed the tea Ariel had prepared.

Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freewebnσvel.cøm.

Gulp-.

“Mn.”

The exquisite taste reminded Elden that her praises weren’t an exaggeration.

Sitting sprawled on the ground, the tea in crude steel cups somehow tasted better than any tea from an elegant teapot at a grand table.

As if a wandering lifestyle suited them better than that of a noble.

And most of all, it felt good.

Perhaps this was the single best choice Elden ever made, as he continued to enjoy these moments of leisure over the tight and busy schedule a nobleman had to follow.

Of course, now they had the urgent mission of helping the Heroine in need, which was why they were here.

Crackle, pop.

An awkward yet comforting warmth spread with the heat of the campfire.

As they watched the snowstorm outside the cave, Elden suddenly asked,

“Is your novel coming along well?”

It was a question about her fanfiction.

A few days ago, Ariel had mentioned that her ‘novel’ was almost complete, and Elden suddenly remembered that and asked her.

Ariel nodded her head, as her face blushed a bit.

After all, talking about her work with the ‘protagonist’ was both delightful and slightly embarrassing.

“Ahaha-. Yess? I just need to write the epilogue now...”

“Oh? I’ll look forward to it then.”

“Really?”

“Of course. if it’s you, then I’m sure you will write something good.”

Blush-.

As she heard the direct praise of the ‘protagonist’ of her novel, Ariel’s cheeks flushed.

And the thought of Elden reading her novel, somehow made her feel even more embarrassed.

Luckily, the campfire managed to obscure her blush.

“J-Just, don’t expect too much...”

While Ariel hoped that Elden would enjoy it, she was acutely aware of the vast difference between reading and writing.

The beginning and middle parts of the story, based on facts, were straightforward, but the conclusion contained her personal wishes(?).

So, she worried whether he would dislike the ending she had in mind...

Naturally, the characters in the story were purely fictional and bore no resemblance to her.

Surely she didn’t insert herself.

Surely not.

Fidgeting with her steel cup, Ariel, spurred by the topic, decided to ask for something that might help with the ending.

“Uh, Elden?”

“Yes?”

“After our Culinary Journey ends...What do you plan to do?”

Ariel posed this question trying to satisfy her personal curiosity, as well as to seek some clues to better write her epilogue.

However, instead of answering her, Elden simply stared at her.

Intently.

“Wha-Wha-What is it?”

“Ah...It’s just that, a few days ago, Rachel asked me this same question.”

“Dame Rachel?”

Ariel was surprised by this.

She never expected that the stoic Knight would ask such a question.

And this revelation brought about some thoughts on whether this wasn’t a mere coincidence.

Could it be...?

“So...What did you answer?”

“I said I might sell the Raphelion estate and use the remaining money to settle down somewhere with a nice view.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

It was something the Original Elden would have never dreamt of, but it seemed quite fitting for this new ‘Elden’ that Ariel had come to know.

He was someone who could spend a whole day just staring blankly into beautiful landscapes.

Regardless, this information would be quite useful for her epilogue.

Ending the novel with a scene of them together watching the sunset in a beautiful place wouldn’t be bad at all.

Ariel etched that plan into her mind as she asked the next question.

A question that her traitorous mouth blurted on its own.

“......And, what did Dame Rachel say?”

She was curious about how Rachel had reacted to the idea of Elden settling down in a scenic location.

Elden answered her without much thinking.

“Well, she said she also wanted to settle down somewhere and experience the life of a woman.”

That answer made Ariel pause for a moment.

“Life...as a woman..?”

‘No way...Could it truly be....?’

**

“...Maybe it’s a White Storm?”

Elden muttered in a worried tone as he stared at the relentless blizzard.

As he had suspected, the blizzard intensified as the sun set, and the temperature began to plummet drastically.

Outside of the cave, it seemed as though another dimension had settled, engulfing the land in a whirlwind of pure white, accompanied by a thunderous noise of cutting winds.

[White Storm]

That was the name given to a snowstorm that appeared without warning.

A powerful blizzard that made it impossible to have any sort of outdoor activity.

This type of snowstorm was rare in the Northern Regions and was a sudden climatic change that appeared perhaps once every three years in the Grand Duchy.

It wasn’t rare for people to lose their lives when caught unaware by a white storm.

And for a moment, as the storm began, it seemed as if the world had frozen over.

Animals and monsters hid in their nests or burrows, humans fled to their houses, and plants curled up to their roots.

All of them, waiting for the storm to pass.

So,

“Sigh...We are definitively stuck here.”

Both Ariel and Elden could only hope that the White Storm would end before their campfire was snuffed out.

The problem was that they didn’t have enough fuel for the fire.

Having not anticipated this rare storm, which occurred once every three years, they were unprepared.

As the temperature plummeted, Ariel, wrapped in the blanket asked anxiously,

“W-Will we be okay?”

Elden tried to offer a reassuring smile, knowing full well that nature could be rather cruel and ruthless sometimes.

“It will pass soon.”

Of course, their situation was far from good.

They couldn’t venture into the blizzard to gather more wood, and there was no deeper part of the cave to retreat into.

Although they had a fire, the cold seeping into the cave was becoming overpowering, and they were running low on wood.

In this uncertain time of not knowing when the White Storm would end, it was prudent to conserve the remaining wood.

The only issue here was Ariel.

As someone born into the southern part of the Northern Regions, Elden’s body was naturally prepared for the cold.

However, Ariel was from the Eastern Regions, where the climate was far milder, thus making her more susceptible to the cold.

While she could withstand an ordinary blizzard, enduring the White Storm— which could freeze even the moisture in the air - was a bit too much.

Elden looked at Ariel.

Even though she was wrapped in a blanket and sticking close to the campfire, Ariel was shivering uncontrollably.

While their fronts, directly exposed to the campfire, might still get some warmth, their backs were being carved by the sharp knives of this unwavering cold.

“...Are you okay?”

Elden asked her, but instead of answering him, Ariel trembled as if she was having a convulsion.

Yet, she still managed a weak smile.

Her bottom and back were painfully cold, but she didn’t want to worry Elden.

She didn’t wish to make Elden regret allowing her to come with him.

She didn’t wish to whine about the cold and appear unsightly in his eyes.

“Ah...I-Im Sti-Still F-Fine...”

But contrary to her will, her frozen lips stuttered.

She wished to slap her lips to make them stop trembling, but sadly, her entire body was shaking uncontrollably.

The cold they had experienced so far felt like child’s play compared to this biting chill.

Even then,

She endured.

She withstood.

But as time passed, her resolve slowly dwindled, and it felt as if even her internal organs were starting to freeze.

At that moment, she thought it might be... a bit dangerous if it continued this way.

Then,

All of sudden, the chill that had been carving her back ceased.

No,

The chill that had been permeating her entire body was gone.

In its place, a faint warmth began to envelop her.

What...?

Looking around in surprise, Ariel saw Elden’s strong arms and the blanket coiled around her body.

Lifting her eyes, she saw Elden’s face.

“...Ah...Elden...?”

“I can handle the cold. So, let’s stay like this.”

Without much thought, Elden spoke and pulled Ariel closer, embracing her firmly.

Ariel, having endured six months of arduous marches hardly befitting a noble lady, had never complained.

Of course, there were times she had acted childishly, but those were not tantrums, but rather a way to cheer up the demoralized group.

Knowing this,

Elden silently embraced Ariel.

This way he wouldn’t have to waste time in pointless bickering, since he was sure that, if offered, Ariel would refuse, trying to maintain her strong front.

Luckily, his larger frame allowed Elden to fully encompass Ariel’s slim figure, protecting her from the biting cold.

As such, in this cold cavern, they both experienced for the first time what it was like to embrace someone,

And what it was like to be held by someone.

Thus,

The night deepened, as the fierce White Storm gradually subsided at dawn.

The duo fell asleep, leaning on each other’s shoulders.

Click.

As the morning sun broke through clear skies, a hidden door in the cave’s back wall suddenly opened, revealing a maidenless hermit.

“......”

As he passed through the secret door, the hermit grumbled in irritation, after enduring his jealousy upon seeing these two individuals sound asleep, tightly clinging to each other’s arms.

Right in his front yard.