Show Me Your Stats!

However, due to the slow display of the options, Ayra’s voice also slowed down. Fortunately, it seemed that this had an effect of making the villagers feel the prayer even more solemnly.

"...Even when hardship comes, we shall endure and pray. As we walk through the cold snowy paths, someday, we will find the red flower. My children, this red flower is my grace, my holy blood, and my love."

With these words, Ayra quietly lifted the red flower. At just the right moment, she squeezed the last bit of mana from herself and called forth the wind around her. A cool breeze surrounded Ayra, causing her silver hair and robe to flutter and billow. The snowstorm rose beautifully, like mist sparkling under the sunlight.

The silver-haired beauty, enveloped by the snow mist, gently kissed the flower on the symbolic figure. To the villagers, the sight seemed deeply sacred.

"Our lord believed in Morunka and sent me here. I too believe in Morunka, and it is because of that belief that I was able to save you."

Several devout villagers cried out the name of Morunka, their voices full of grief. Other villagers, still choking on the sorrow and anger of losing their families, slowly swallowed their emotions, their eyes reddening as they repeatedly swallowed hard.

"Thanks to Morunka, we were able to save your families and neighbors. If it is acceptable to you, I will pray on behalf of our lord. I hope those who have sadly passed can find peace in the arms of Morunka..."

The once-angry villagers had now completely calmed down, and they cried quietly as they took a moment to pray. A short while later, a sound of Ding! echoed as a quest window appeared.

<Quest Complete!>

[Save the Villagers in Danger.]

Villagers Saved (8/8)

Reward: Return of the merchant, Dalum region support rate +34.6%

Ayra glanced at the quest window before sighing softly. This was the first step in bridging the long-standing gap between the Morunka faith and the Solar family. While she still didn’t believe in Morunka, she genuinely wished for the peace of those who had died.

❄

The Stat Window only appeared for the living, so Ayra couldn’t detect any of the deceased. But she didn’t leave after the prayer. She continued gathering a little mana from the surroundings, using search magic to find the deceased. Some villagers still suspected that Ayra was using magic, but their attitude was far more amicable now.

‘Ah, I really might die...’

After finishing the task, Ayra, completely drained of mana, mental strength, and physical energy, walked slowly with a pale face. Even after recovering the bodies, there were still things left to do. After all, her original goal in coming here was not the merchants.

The rescued merchants were staying in a small inn in Dalum Village. When Ayra arrived, they were sitting around, drinking warm alcohol and unwinding from the hardships of being trapped underground for several days. Upon seeing their benefactor, the merchants quickly jumped up and greeted Ayra.

"Welcome! It’s quite cold outside. Please, sit here, this is the warmest seat."

With a weak smile, Ayra didn’t refuse and sat down by the brazier. A few magic stones were burning brightly inside the brazier. The merchants urged her to warm up and offered her some alcohol. Feeling like she might freeze to death, Ayra gulped down the hot liquor. A burning sensation spread from her throat to her stomach.

"Thank you. I wouldn’t have survived without your help. How can I ever repay you? May I ask your name?"

"Um... call me Hes."

Not wanting to reveal her real name, Ayra loosely used Jinas' last name as her own. Thankfully, the merchant leader, thinking Ayra knew Jinas, accepted it and understood. After taking a few more sips of the alcohol, Ayra got straight to the point.

"The reason I’m here is because of the delayed return of the merchants. How did the trade go? I was told by the general that it was worth at least 300 Cell."

But something felt off about the merchants' expressions. They exchanged glances and hesitated before speaking carefully.

"Normally, it would’ve been worth around 430 Cell. But... as you know, while we were trapped underground, we were hungry, and we ended up eating some of the goods."

Ayra clicked her tongue lightly, and the merchant lowered his head in shame.

"One of the carts was completely destroyed, and... we also gave some goods to the villagers as a token of thanks. But we’re worried that the lord might be angry..."

"Well, it can’t be helped. The lord will understand."

In truth, Ayra understood perfectly. They were trapped underground, and with food right next to them, it was impossible to just starve to death.

Moreover, thanks to the villagers’ hard work with snow removal, the merchant caravan had been rescued from deep within the snow. It was only natural to show gratitude to the people who had saved them, especially since it was clear that the merchants needed to console themselves after such a traumatic experience. The merchant, almost on the verge of tears, spoke softly.

"So, maybe we’ll have about 220 Cell left..."

The amount was almost halved, and Ayra sighed involuntarily. Fortunately, she had the 100 Cell worth of magic stones from Janus, so at least the interest could be settled. She reassured the merchants, telling them not to worry, and suggested they rest well before moving on to her next task.

The mage who had collapsed due to Ayra’s magic was resting in a room inside the inn. When Ayra opened the door and entered, the mage, who had been groaning in bed, jumped up in surprise. Even though Ayra purposely smiled kindly, the mage’s frightened eyes darted around in panic.

"Hello, were you resting well? I came to talk to you about something..."

"Yikes! You, you’re the labyrinth mage! Get out of my room right now!"

Hmm, maybe I don’t need to be polite after all... Ayra closed the door behind her and approached, while the mage looked around in panic as if trying to find a place to escape.

"What, what are you going to do now?!"

"What have I done? I saved the villagers, didn’t I?"

"You did something! I couldn’t even speak or walk properly! It was terrifying!"

It was just a minor sensory confusion, but for a mage, this level of reaction seemed excessive. Ayra sent a slightly exasperated glance and folded her arms. She was tired and wanted to end the conversation quickly, but the mage ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) didn’t seem interested in talking, so she snapped her fingers.

She paralyzed the mage’s vocal cords with magic for about a minute, and when the mage finally calmed down, Ayra released the spell, and the mage began sobbing.

"Huh, this is why I hate labyrinth mages... you maniacs... what do you want from me?"

Mages in this world were divided into two types: those who wanted to enter the labyrinth and those who wanted to escape it. Ayra didn’t quite understand why, but strangely, the latter group was more common. When young mages were taken to the labyrinth for training, many of them would escape within a few years without even learning basic magic. This mage was clearly in the latter category.

Ayra checked the favorability window and saw it was -15. So it was possible for the favorability to be negative...?

"I’m not doing anything. I just came to ask you something."

Despite her friendly explanation, the mage eyed her suspiciously. But Ayra was simply after the answer, so she continued with her question.

"When the landslide happened, did you notice anything strange?"

"Strange?"

"You might not know this, but there have been two landslides recently in this area. While investigating the area where the landslide occurred, I found some suspicious traces."

At Ayra’s words, the mage’s gaze shifted. Unlike ordinary people, mages could sense traces of mana. When Ayra used magic to melt the solidified earth with magic and break it apart, the mage had likely realized her true identity, just as Ayra had realized his.

"Yeah, it was strange... before the landslide, I saw a flash of lightning, even though the sky was clear. ...Do you mean someone caused the landslide on purpose?"

The mage clenched his fists, probably remembering how difficult it had been to maintain his protective magic over the past few days. Ayra continued to ask, but it seemed the mage didn’t know anything more. Having gotten the information she needed, Ayra turned to leave the room but paused to offer a final warning.

"By the way, if word gets out that I’m a mage here, it’ll be hard for me to speak freely for a while."

"I won’t tell! I won’t tell! Just leave already!"

Leaving the furious mage behind, Ayra walked out. She had finished her tasks for the day. She was desperately in need of rest, but she couldn’t bring herself to lie down in just any room of the inn. She headed for another inn in the village.

‘Who’s behind all this?’

Though she didn’t know who, she could clearly sense the intent to isolate Solar. A mage capable of causing a landslide, or someone who could hire such a mage... That could easily be used to disguise an assassination of the lord’s family. Was this part of a slow plan to destroy the estate? Ayra’s eyes glinted coldly.

But for now, exhaustion took over, and she yawned, her eyes drooping. She was utterly tired of snowstorms. And she was sick of snow in general.

If she went down to the lord's estate, snow would start falling there soon too. Oh, my...