Chapter 418: Episode 418

The brutal cold and blinding blizzard they had just endured felt like a distant dream. Beyond the barrier, a peaceful village stretched out before them. Butterflies fluttered through the air, and the cheerful sound of birdsong filled their ears. Simple, thatched-roof houses dotted the scenery, and villagers ambled along the road.

’‘So this is Eskyl Village!’’ It felt like stepping into a warm greenhouse in the middle of a polar vortex. He had only heard grim rumors about Eskyl back in Kula, but the reality was a world away from what he had imagined.

“This barrier,” Lethe murmured, running her palm over its invisible surface. The empty air rippled like water at her touch. “It’s focused on insulation, so its structural integrity isn’t that great. From the inside, it looks like a single knife slash would tear it open.”

“As long as it keeps the cold out, it’s fine,” Simon replied. From here, the blizzard outside was a blurry, silent film. The sight of the raging snowstorm seemed utterly alien from within this pocket of warm spring. It felt as if heaven and hell were separated by this single, impossibly thin barrier. “So, where do we go now?”

“Beats me.” Lethe shrugged. “Rather than wander around and cause a misunderstanding, it’s probably best to just wait quiet—”

“Who are you?”

As it turned out, waiting quietly was the right answer. A middle-aged man with a straw hat tilted on his head and a short beard tracing his jawline approached them. Simon and Lethe quickly bowed their heads.

“Laus! We’ve come to teach the children of Eskyl Village,” Simon said, using his new identity. “I am Sean Harder.”

“I’m Leah Bennet,” Lethe added.

“Ah! The teachers from outside.” The man nodded, scanning them from head to toe. “On a day as bad as this, you were lucky to make it here without being eaten by the Snow Woman.”

Simon’s expression stiffened. The Snow Woman again. Could the figure he’d seen on the cliff really have been her?

“Wait here a moment. I’ll go get Petria.”

“Petria?”

“She’s the one who will guide you. It seems she assumed the teachers wouldn’t be able to make it today with the blizzard being so severe.”

With only those words, the man disappeared. A moment later, a frantic cry reached them.

“I-I’m so sorryyy!” A young woman was sprinting toward them from the distance. She had ash-gray hair pulled back from a wide forehead and looked to be about Simon and Lethe’s age.

’Hah!’ Today…! ’Hah!’ I didn’t know you’d be coming…! I’m so sorry…!” She panted.

“I-It’s alright,” Simon said, holding up a hand to calm her.

“You’re Petria?” Lethe asked.

“Yes! I’m Petria! I’ve been assigned to guide you. This way…”

Following the chattering Petria, Simon took a moment to survey the village. He saw cultivated fields and enclosures for livestock—animals that looked like reindeer, unique to the region, likely raised for milk or meat. This place was a world away from Kula, where people were dying by the hour. This town was stable, as if it had completely adapted to the unforgiving cold.

’‘Hmm, bringing up Kula right now probably isn’t a good idea.’’ That was a conversation to be had only after they had earned the villagers’ trust. He decided to start with a lighter question.

“Petria, I have a question.”

“Yes, Teacher Sean! Please ask.”

“Does a Snow Woman really live on this mountain?”

Her footsteps came to an abrupt halt. She turned, her pupils dilated as she fixed him with a fierce glare, and Simon instinctively flinched.

“Ahahaha!”

Then, she burst into loud laughter. “No way! That’s just a legend!” she said, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. The unexpected reaction made Simon scratch the side of his head.

“But that villager from earlier also said it was a relief we weren’t eaten by the Snow Woman…”

“It seems all the adults believe it. It’s a huge fuss every year! We have to perform a ritual, offer a sacrifice… but I don’t believe in the Snow Woman. Ah!” She placed a finger to her lips. “Of course, this is an absolute secret from the elders. Especially from the grandmother you’re about to meet.”

“Ah, okay.”

It was a small village, so they reached their destination quickly. They stopped before the largest building in Eskyl, which served as the town hall.

“Come in.”

Inside, the hall was filled with statues. They all seemed to depict the Snow Woman, and Lethe, clearly displeased, frowned slightly.

’Blasphemy.’

The Holy Federation worshipped only the goddess Deva as the one true god. Any worship of folk spirits or local deities was strictly forbidden. From that perspective, these villagers were highly suspicious.

“Hold it in, you know?” Simon whispered.

“Do I look like an idiot to you?” Lethe shot back. According to Israphel, the central authority of Efnel barely reached this remote region. It would be their loss if they got kicked out for arguing over religion in a place like this.

“Now, we’ll go see the grandmother,” Petria announced.

“Who exactly is this grandmother?” Lethe asked.

“She’s the village’s most senior elder—the chief, for all intents and purposes.”

The door clicked open, and they were led into a small reception room. A frail, elderly woman with ash-gray hair sat there, a cane resting in her hands. Petria stood beside her.

“This is the village chief, Nenya Mizenasi.”

But as Simon and Lethe looked at Nenya, their eyes widened in shock.

“The fortune teller?!” Simon exclaimed.

“What are you doing here?” Lethe demanded.

She looked exactly like the old woman who had read their fortunes in Kula just the day before. But Nenya simply blinked, as if she had no idea what they were talking about.

“What are you talking about?” she rasped.

Simon calmly tried to explain. “I apologize if we’re mistaken, but on our way here, we saw an old woman in Kula who looked identical to you.”

“You must be mistaken,” she said, stroking her ash-gray hair. “However, if you are not mistaken, you may have seen my younger sister.”

“Your sister?”

“Yes. My sister, who was cast out fifty years ago for breaking the village rules. What is she up to these days?”

Lethe answered, “She was telling fortunes on the street. She catered to tourists, but it seemed she was struggling recently because of the situation in Kula.”

Nenya clicked her tongue. “A fitting price for her actions. Still, to have survived the Snow Woman’s curse after breaking our rules… she is lucky.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Petria.”

Petria clasped her hands and bowed respectfully. “Yes, Nenya.”

“Show the two teachers to their lodgings.”

“Understood.”

“And you two teachers—” Her eyes flashed with a fierce light as she turned back to them. “It would be wise not to go around blabbering about my sister in this village.”

After delivering her warning, Nenya left the room. Simon and Lethe immediately locked eyes.

“Do you think they’re the same person?” Simon whispered.

Lethe shook her head. “No. They are definitely different people.”

“That old woman,” Simon mused. “I wonder if she was really from this village.”

—

The village was firmly in the grip of people with the surname ‘Mizenasi’, led by the chief, Nenya. The other elders they met were all Mizenasi as well. After an earful of rules and regulations, they were finally led back outside by Petria.

“Seriously, why are there so many rules? You can’t do this, you can’t do that,” Lethe grumbled, her arms crossed.

Petria bowed her head apologetically. “I-I’m sorry. Our village is a bit peculiar.”

“So we really can’t go outside?”

“No, I’m sorry. And even if you did, the blizzard would be raging. You wouldn’t be able to do anything.”

Simon and Lethe exchanged a silent glance. Her warning did little to deter them; they both fully intended to go outside. Their plan was to play the part of teachers to earn the villagers’ trust, then sneak out in the dead of night to search for clues about the blizzard and the ‘evil’ Israphel had mentioned.

The mysterious blizzard. The Snow Woman. The people of Eskyl.

The clues were tangled, but Simon was convinced they all led back to a single source. The moment he found and eliminated that source, Israphel’s request would be fulfilled, and peace would return to the entire region.

“Petria, who exactly are these Mizenasi people?” Lethe asked abruptly.

“They are the descendants of the Snow Woman,” she explained. “Led by Nenya Mizenasi, they preside over the village’s rituals and important affairs.” She smiled and pointed to herself. “Ah! And I’m a Mizenasi, too. Petria Mizenasi.”

“What? So you’re a big shot,” Lethe teased.

Petria’s face flushed. “N-Not at all!”

“You said the Mizenasi are descendants of the Snow Woman, but you don’t believe in her yourself?” Simon asked, his question sharp.

She met his gaze with a serious expression and nodded. “No, I don’t.”

“Well, we’ve arrived. Please, this way.”

Their lodging was a spacious log cabin with a cozy, rustic atmosphere. Lethe was thrilled.

“Can we really use this whole house?”

“Of course!”

It was large and clean, complete with a fireplace. There were three rooms and even a collection of toys and games.

“Finally, my own room! My own room!” Lethe exclaimed, happily exploring the house. Simon and Petria watched from a distance.

“You two will be staying here from now on,” Petria explained. “You’ll also be teaching the children here.”

“When will we get to meet the children?” Simon asked.

“They’ll start coming tomorrow. There are five of them, and they are all really, really cute!” Petria clasped her hands in delight, as if just the thought of them was wonderful. “There’s firewood in the shed, and I’ll personally bring you food and supplies every day.”

“That’s great.”

“Oh! And on the first day of class, the village elders will come to observe!”

Simon’s eyes widened. “The Mizenasi will be coming then, too?”

“Yes. But don’t worry too much. Since it’s the first day, they’ll just watch for a bit to see how you do and then leave.”

The pressure mounted. An observed class. If they didn’t teach well, they could be immediately suspected and kicked out of the village.

“My house is right next door,” Petria said, pointing. “It’s the one with the blue roof you can see from here. If you have any problems or need anything at all, please just let me know! I’ll come running!”

“How could we dare order a Mizenasi around?” Lethe said with a sly smile.

Petria’s face turned bright red. “Ah… Don’t tease me!”

“I’m kidding. Thanks for everything.”

“Uhm, and…” Petria hesitated, looking down at her feet before mustering her courage and looking up. “C-Could I…! If it’s okay with you two, could I come visit sometimes? There are almost no kids my age in the village. So, uhm…”

“Of course,” Lethe said, perching on a chair. “And we can tell you’re our age, so you can speak casually. Don’t call us ’Teacher.’ Just call us Leah or Sean.”

“B-But! How could I possibly… to my teachers…!”

“How could ’I’ possibly be casual with the great Mizenasi?” Lethe countered.

“Stop teasing me!!”

Simon watched the two girls bicker, a smile playing on his lips.

“Well then, I’ll be back later! Rest well, Leah! Sean!”

The door clicked shut. As soon as Petria left, Lethe let out a long sigh and leaned back. “Alright then.”

Her head swiveled around. “Now, may I ask why you’re hiding under there, little ones?”

At her words, a small boy and girl, no older than four or five, slowly crawled out from under the bed. Their faces were tense with fear, clearly expecting to be scolded.

At the sight of the two children, Lethe’s stern expression melted away, as did Simon’s.

“U-U-Uhm, well…” the little girl stammered.

The boy stepped forward to speak for her. “We were playin’ hide-and-seek, and this place was empty so we hid, but then!”

’Cute!’ Simon thought. It seemed he would be able to handle this teaching role just fine, regardless of the investigation.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep