We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
The cold wind blows from the north.
The severe winter had also visited the northern land where the beast race lived.
The flowers and grasses that colored the grassland green had withered, and the trees in the forest had shed their leaves.
A chilling wind cut sharply through the sadly brown, discolored forest.
“Ugh, it’s cold!”
“Just standing here, it’s surprisingly tough.”
“Still, we can’t just abandon the duty given to us by Lord Jab so we can run around in the forest.”
“Lately, cold winters seem to continue. I want to hunt even a few beasts at times like these, thinking about our food reserves, but duty comes first. It can’t be helped.”
Deep in the southern part of the vast Urangalan Forest.
From the perspective of the humans living in the Armēdo Kingdom, it was further north than the Wyvern Hunting Ground.
Beneath the thick gray clouds, four beast race warriors stood in the depths of the forest, covered in fallen leaves, leaning against trees as if bored, exchanging small talk.
“Still, those Mimicho. They sometimes mutter to themselves, but how can they work like that for over half a day in this cold?”
“She’s a strange woman. Lord Jab brought her, so we’re looking after her, but I just can’t get a handle on her.”
“She complains and yawns, but then she works so seriously?”
“What kind of woman is she?”
“I don’t know much either, but I hear that the Dragon King Elnea is her guardian.”
“That means she’s got some kind of complicated past.”
In the direction the beast race warriors were looking, a small woman was diligently continuing her work.
She brushed aside the thick fallen leaves piled deep at the base of a tree, clearing away the soft soil underneath.
Perhaps she hadn’t found what she was looking for, but the woman shifted her position slightly and began to dig through the fallen leaves and soil again.
Then, she found several nuts buried in the ground.
The woman picked up the nuts, selected two, and put them in the drawstring pouch she wore. Then, she reburied the remaining nuts, covering them with fallen leaves.
The woman stood up and moved to the next tree.
She crouched down and repeated the same work.
Her hands were covered in dirt, and the lower part of her clothes, her knees, and the long hanging sleeves were quite dirty.
However, the woman did not stop working.
“Fuuuuaaah. Why am I doing this? It’s troublesome.”
Even while complaining, the woman didn’t stop her work. From the gaps in her long hair, her long ears peeked out.
It was a few days after the new year when she was called by her master, Jab.
“Istericia, come here. I have a task for you.”
As she was performing her daily morning ritual of bathing, Istericia was called by the diviner, Jab.
“I wonder what kind of job I’ll be made to do this time,” Istericia thought, rubbing her body, chilled by the mid-winter bath, as she turned to Jab.
Jab offered Istericia a cloth to dry herself and a change of clothes with a gentle smile. While doing so, he explained the task in a slow tone befitting his age.
“A cold is spreading in the village of the deer tribe living in Urangalan Forest. I want you to deliver this medicine there.”
Istericia knew that Jab, called “diviner” by the beast race living in the northern land, was actually a “miko” of the religion worshipped by humans.
Jab, like a miko, seemed to have extensive knowledge of medicine and the like, and would prepare herbal medicines and distribute them to those in need.
Istericia, who had moved to the northern land with Jab, had often helped with this kind of work while undergoing her miko training.
“Fueeeh, Urangalan Forest is far away.”
Although Istericia yawned as if it were a bother, she honestly accepted the pouch of medicinal herbs from Jab.
Then, she quickly dried her body, wet from her bath, and changed into the provided attire.
The attire Istericia put on was precisely that of a miko’s attire.
“Fufufu, that’s right. Therefore, for this long journey, I will assign you a bodyguard. You haven’t received the baptism yet, so you can’t use magic arts.”
“I don’t need a bodyguard.”
“Fufufu, please don’t say that.”
Once, Istericia was a wise woman of the Mimicho Race.
But now, she was different.
Although she had no other choice, Istericia had wielded her power, sacrificing many spirits. As a consequence, the spirits now disliked her.
A person shunned by spirits is not a wise woman, no matter how much power they possess.
Besides, Istericia thought with a hint of self-deprecation.
If she continues her training and receives the baptism, she will no longer be able to use spirit arts.
A “wise woman” who cannot use spirit arts wouldn’t even be a laughing matter.
“Alright, Istericia? Don’t push yourself too hard.”
“Fawwaa. I dislike pushing myself. So, please don’t worry.”
With a yawn, Istericia set off with her bodyguard.
They reached the village of the deer beast race, where a cold was reportedly spreading, in about two days’ journey.
This was partly due to the excellent guidance and bodyguarding by the beast race, who didn’t let monsters impede their progress, and also because Istericia was accustomed to traveling.
The deer beast race received the herbal medicine from Istericia and immediately began distributing it to the sick.
“Older Sister, thank you!”
A young girl thanked Istericia with a smile.
“Fueeeh. I just delivered the medicine as Lord Jab told me to.”
“Yes. But because you delivered it so quickly, Older Sister, everyone will get better!”
Even though the sick hadn’t even taken the medicine yet, the girl spoke as if everyone was already on the path to recovery.
Istericia was bewildered by the girl’s smile.
She wasn’t used to it.
To being thanked by others.
To being smiled at.
In her past life, Istericia had few memories of being thanked with a smile.
When she was chosen as a sacrifice on behalf of her tribe.
Everyone treated the young Istericia as if she were a contagious disease.
When she overcame the unreasonable demands made by the Demon Race ruler.
The demon race offered words of praise to Istericia, but there was never any emotion of gratitude or appreciation in them.
Istericia had lived many times longer than the short-lived human race.
And before she knew it, Istericia’s heart had become deeply gloomy, and she had long ago frozen away the bright emotions of joy and pleasure deep within her heart. It was only about half a year ago that this finally began to melt.
The trigger was when she joined forces with a man named Baltnowar and entered a place called the Forbidden Territory.
The forest of the Forbidden Territory was, in a sense, the Promised Land where her ancestors had lived.
Her tribe attacked those who lived in the modern forest, trying to reclaim their ancient homeland.
However, in the end, it ended in a crushing defeat.
Her tribe was defeated, and she herself was taken prisoner.
There was no longer any hope for her tribe or herself.
Her tribe could not return to the cursed forest, and she had committed an act of betrayal against the ruler of the demon race.
It was the end.
Only death awaited them in their future.
Istericia was convinced of this.
However, there were those who showed her a new path and light.
They were the inhabitants who had previously settled in the Forbidden Territory.
Namely, Elnea and his wives.
Instead of condemning Istericia, they gave her a future that was not one of “sacrifice.”
At that moment, for the first time in centuries, Istericia was smiled upon with pure, innocent goodwill by others.
However, Istericia, whose bright emotions had been frozen, could not respond properly.
Nevertheless, Elnea and the others patiently dealt with her, and little by little, they melted the ice in her heart.
About half a year has passed since then.
The hot season passed in the blink of an eye, and the freezing season arrived in the northern lands.
The biting cold seemed to freeze even the wind, continuing day after day.
But the ice in Istericia’s heart was melting day by day.
Still, for Istericia, who had long forgotten how to interact correctly with others, even conversing honestly with innocent children was difficult.
In fact, when she was met with an innocent smile like this, she was still confused about how to respond.
She tried to lift the corners of her mouth to return the smile, but her face stiffened.
To disguise her unnatural expression, Istericia let out a fake yawn and averted her gaze from the girl.
Then, the girl asked innocently, “Are you sleepy already, even though it’s only noon? Are you tired?”
Overwhelmed, Istericia retreated from the girl.
“I… I… still have some errands to run. I’ve delivered the herbal medicine, so I need to move on to the next task.”
Saying that, Istericia fled from the girl’s smile and left the village.
Istericia, who had rushed out of the village.
However, in reality, she had not been instructed to do anything else.
What she had said to the girl was merely a ruse to escape, an excuse to leave.
She felt bad for the girl, who had kindly spoken to her.
Wasn’t the girl hurt, seeing her run away?
Guilt gnawed at Istericia’s heart.
“Istericia. A miko must not tell lies. You know that.”
Jab’s teachings stung her ears now.
However, she rationalized that she hadn’t received the baptism yet and was not yet a formal miko, and hurried through the winter forest.
And the beast race bodyguard, who had quickly left the village after delivering the herbal medicine, followed her.
“Hey, young lady. There’s no need to rush back so soon, is there?”
“I don’t think Lord Jab would be angry if you took a break today.”
The beast race bodyguards, unaware of Istericia’s feelings, proposed staying one night before returning. Istericia faced her next problem: how to answer them.
“If I lie, I will be punished by the Goddess. That’s right.”
“Huh? Did you say something, young lady? Talking to yourself?”
“N-no. Please don’t mind me.”
“First of all, I am many times older than you, so I am not a ‘young lady’,” Istericia muttered to herself again.
As she did so, she pondered how to explain to the beast race bodyguards why she had rushed away from the village.
“That’s right. I need to go and collect the materials necessary for the herbal medicine.”
“Materials?”
“I know that Lord Jab’s supply of materials is running low. Therefore, I intend to collect materials in the forest.”
That’s right. Without the materials, she wouldn’t be able to make the next batch of herbal medicine.
And, true to her Mimicho heritage, Istericia knew how to find medicinal herbs that took root even in the winter forest, and nuts hidden by small animals.
“It’s not a lie that I need materials for the herbal medicine. Therefore, I am not telling a lie.”
Istericia muttered to herself, as if trying to convince herself, and began to gather materials.
However, she was about to realize.
Who she truly was.
And what kind of punishment would befall her for her actions, layered with lies and excuses.
“Ah, ah, how utterly comical. Sinful woman of the Mimicho Race. Do you think that by playing at being a miko like this, the sins against us will disappear?”
About half a day after she had started searching for nuts hidden underground by small animals in the early fall, a majestic Wind Spirit King appeared before Istericia, carried on the dry wind just before dusk.
Istericia gasped at the unexpected appearance of the spirit.
“Ah, ah, how lamentable. After indiscriminately devouring our children, do you think you will be repaid with such hypocrisy?”
Looked down upon coldly by the Wind Spirit King, Istericia’s heart let out a creaking sound, like ice before it shatters.
