The God of Camellias didn't deny it and asked with a faint smile.
[Why do you think so?]
"I saw your past."
It was the same with the Snow Mountain King.
After obtaining the Seal of Cruelty, he glimpsed the Snow Mountain King's past, which allowed him to understand the true name more deeply and gain the power he has now.
Elric thought that what he had just seen was precisely that kind of thing.
The past embedded in the Seal of Winter Wind.
The scene reflected in the past was an ice palace situated in a tundra where the biting north wind never ceased.
At the center.
A woman sat on an ice throne, her face filled with both boredom and profound loneliness.
Elric found the face very familiar.
Although the atmosphere was entirely different.
And when he returned to reality.
Elric could distinctly feel the face of the woman on the ice throne overlapping with the face of the God of Camellias.
[And so?]
"You were sitting there, Lady Camellia."
However, Elric felt strongly that the entity he saw in the vision, while the God of Camellias, also wasn't her.
The God of Camellias was undeniably the flower god exuding the scent of camellia.
But the God of Camellias on the ice throne was clearly...
'A Demon Queen.'
A Demon Queen of considerable power, no doubt.
The dignity and coolness resembled the God of Camellias, but the icy atmosphere was so piercing that just looking at it gave him chills.
That must have been the original form of the Seal of Winter Wind.
'Winter Wind' was merely a fragment torn from that perpetual north wind.
Therefore,
Elric found it very difficult to match the God of Camellias with the woman on the ice throne as the same person.
However,
'Still, they are undoubtedly the same entity.'
There was the question of whether a god and a demon could coexist, but somehow, Elric felt his intuition was correct.
"You looked so lonely. You were all alone in an empty palace with nothing around you."
Even though the atmospheres were entirely different, the expressions of the God of Camellias and the woman on the ice throne were exactly the same.
Boredom.
Solitude.
Sadness.
"I felt a similar temperament from the Seal of Winter Wind. That's why I asked."
The God of Camellias stared intently at Elric.
Elric also stared back at the God of Camellias. The woman on the ice throne exuded a fierce aura, but the God of Camellias here had a very small stature, only the size of a palm.
[...It's just a distant past that no one remembers now.]
The God of Camellias shook her head with a bitter smile.
But Elric took that as an affirmation.
He soon had a vague realization of the purpose behind this arrangement.
"The cold and desolation scattered across the Black Snowfield... Was all of that originally yours, Lady Camellia?"
Winter Wind refers to the desolate wind sweeping through the northern region. And Elric had been collecting fragments of the seal piece by piece while hunting demonic beasts.
In other words, the power that the God of Camellias once had as a Demon Queen was now scattered across the Black Snowfield.
[...At times like this, I find the clever mind of a Melvinger so annoying. Even if you noticed, you could have just pretended not to know.]
The God of Camellias looked at Elric with slight displeasure, but eventually, she had no choice but to nod.
[Yes, that's correct. But there's one thing I want to make clear. Those things are no longer mine. I am nothing more than a camellia tree, an incarnation of flowers.]
Elric's eyes shone brightly.
"So, the purpose of this arrangement is to gather the remnants that you once possessed, Lady Camellia?"
[Well. As I said, I can only give advice on nurturing the tree. Just remember what Otto Hahn told you.]
Elric recalled what Otto Hahn had said before the arrangement began.
-You will learn how to take on the General Winter.
Only now did he finally understand those words.
To fully nurture the tree, it is necessary to reclaim all the cold that had separated from the God of Camellias.
General Winter was the former avatar and discarded shell of the God of Camellias.
'So, is the so-called demon god's curse what awakened it...?'
There were still unsolved mysteries, but Elric felt his mind clearing up.
[Be most cautious of General Winter. It will be the greatest obstacle in carrying out this arrangement.]
A hint of bitterness appeared on the lips of the God of Camellias as she issued this warning.
***
From that moment on, Elric focused on nurturing the camellia tree that had begun to sprout.
Following the God of Camellias' advice, he meticulously prepared compost and placed it around the tree, built walls, and set up small barriers to protect it from the attacks of demonic beasts.
At first, he worried whether the tree could grow well within the remaining time.
But, as if to dispel such concerns, the camellia tree continued to grow rapidly day by day.
Meanwhile, the Anthromorph 'tribe' also began preparing to transform into the 'city' of Anthromorph.
Although there weren't many tribe members at the moment, anticipating future expansion, they built a small wall and constructed huts following Elric's advice.
They also actively engaged in conquest wars.
Since the moment their greatest rival, Fury, had bowed to Tiger King Yul, the creation of the 'Beastmen Alliance' became much less challenging.
'It's about ten years earlier than when Tiger King Yul unified the Black Snowfield, right?'
Of course, integrating all the tribes into one wouldn't happen overnight.
But Elric no longer had to worry about Anthromorph at least during his presence, allowing him to focus more on nurturing the tree.
Thus.
It was on the 91st day of his 34th attempt.
The first pale pink flower bud appeared on the camellia tree.
***
"A wish, you say?"
"Yes. You saved Ralph, didn't you?"
"I was just doing what any tribe member should..."
"Is that so? Then, pass."
"W-Wait! Why are you so fast even after becoming the king? Hehehe."
"So, what do you want?"
"Sparring! Please spar with me!"
From that conversation onward,
Elric was able to spar with Tiger King Yul every day.
He could personally experience his Body Strengthening Art. It was a hundred times better to experience it firsthand rather than just watching from the sidelines.
And
'...Damn it! Can't you take it a little easier on me now?'
Every time, he got thoroughly beaten.
Elric rubbed his eyes, bruised and swollen like eggs, while the God of Camellias chuckled.
[You have become a respectable beastman now.]
"What do you mean by that?"
[It means you have become a panda human.]
"...Lady Camellia, you haven't been sleeping much lately, have you?"
[I've regained a considerable amount of strength. And there's no need to leave when I can enjoy such an amusing sight, right?]
Elric pondered how to retaliate against this mischievous god who found joy in his misfortune, but a sense of pride soon welled up inside him.
'Still... with this, I've fully restored the preliminary forms. I've also managed to steal half of the key techniques.'
The key techniques were the central pillar that run through the Body Strengthening Art. If he could fully master this, it would open the gateway to advanced forms, ultimate arts, and secret arts.
'But with the remaining time, I don't think I can complete the key techniques. Should I reset one more time?'
While Elric was contemplating this.
[You're thinking about staying here a little longer, aren't you?]
The God of Camellias read Elric's mind like a ghost and asked.
Elric scratched his cheek, and the God of Camellias suddenly put on a stern expression.
[You haven't forgotten, right? What I told you after you released the third restriction.]
"You told me to beware of General Winter, right?"
[That's right. The highlight of this arrangement hasn't even started yet.]
Elric grew curious at these words.
Just what was this "General Winter" that both the beastmen of the present age, the God of Camellias, and Otto Hahn spoke of?
Until now, he had only thought of it as a mysterious natural disaster.
But it seemed like that description was insufficient.
He was about to ask a question when,
[...Oh my. Speak of the devil and it appears. It seems it's finally here.]
Elric turned his head to where the God of Camellias was looking.
Ralph was running towards them urgently.
But... his expression didn't look good.
Since being saved by Elric, Ralph had been rather prickly, which only added to Elric's sense of unease.
"The chieftain is calling for you. It seems something big has happened."
***
Elric followed Ralph to a place crowded with thousands of refugees.
And beyond them, even more beastmen were approaching.
Each one was either severely injured or appeared utterly terrified.
"This is...?"
[As expected. It has begun. This was about the time it started.]
The God of Camellias's expression hardened as if recalling an unpleasant memory.
Elric knew that this "beginning" referred to General Winter, and he swallowed dryly.
Somehow... the wind blowing through the city felt much colder and harsher than it did yesterday.
"The chieftain is waiting inside."
"And you're not coming in?"
"He called for you alone, so I'll wait here."
Ralph stood with his hands behind his back, guarding the entrance to the main tent.
Elric nodded and lifted the fabric door to enter.
"And, also..."
"...?"
"Take it."
Elric reflexively caught what Ralph threw at him.
"It's not a big deal! Just something I picked up on the way. Use it if you want, or don't, whatever!"
When Elric looked at him with a puzzled expression, Ralph's face turned beet red as he stammered for a while before abruptly turning his head to the side.
He tried to act nonchalant, but his ears were bright red, as if they were about to burst.
[It's Black Wolf Tribe ointment.]
The God of Camellias glanced at what Elric was holding and burst into laughter.
[Is it well-known?]
[More than that. It's made from precious herbs that are at least a hundred years old. Not only is it excellent for recovery, but it also contains a small amount of mana. It's probably a treasure passed down in small quantities even within the Black Wolf Tribe.]
Elric's eyes widened slightly.
He gave me something so valuable?
The God of Camellias looked amused.
[It seems he's worried because you've been getting beaten up by Tiger King Yul recently. And he says he just picked it up on the way. Did that boy always have such a cute side?]
Elric put the Black Wolf Tribe ointment in his pocket and walked past Ralph.
"Thanks."
He said with a light smile.
Ralph seemed to say something urgently right after, but Elric had already entered the tent and couldn't hear him.
Instead, he was met with numerous gazes directed at him.
There were many unfamiliar faces sitting around the conference table where he and Tiger King Yul usually sat for their daily war planning meetings.
Elric instinctively knew who they were.
'Leaders of various beastmen tribes.'
[Seeing people who usually fight to avoid facing each other gathered in one place like this, it's hard to say whether I should feel proud or find it remarkable....]
It seemed that the beastmen affected by General Winter had gathered together.
"I heard you called for me."
At Elric's greeting, Tiger King Yul nodded stiffly.
"Yes. Elric, you know some magic, don't you?"
"Yes, a little."
"Don't be modest. We already know your magic is far from simple. So, I have a favor to ask."
Tiger King Yul's eyes gleamed.
"From now on, we are going to search for that damn General Winter or whatever it is. It won't be easy, but we need you to show us the way."
At that moment, Elric understood.
This was the true mission hidden within this arrangement.
[T/L: You can read more chapters and support me here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]