"[Absorb]."
As Elric's soul speech activated, the mana field spread across the entire greenhouse.
The seeds of the winter flowers stirred.
At the moment when the ice crystal rose into the air.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Following the seeds of the winter flowers, the wind violently swirled around.
With the sound of something breaking, the ice shards that had been tightly freezing the seeds were pulled straight into the ice crystal.
And then.
Crack, crack, crack!
As the seeds shattered one by one, the flower gods, who had been asleep within, began to awaken, rising slowly.
There were 27 winter flowers slumbering in the greenhouse.
As each of them stretched out, the fragrant aroma of their blooms filled the greenhouse, mixing with the scent of the flowers that had already awakened, making the air rich with sweet fragrance.
[Oh? It's Ragwort!]
[There's Phalaenopsis too!]
[Wow! Wow!]
[They're friends!]
[So good to see you!]
Everyone, including the god of the daffodils, joyfully fluttered about in the air. Each time their wings, thin like dragonfly wings, fluttered, flower pollen scattered down in abundance.
[Am I... awake?]
[How did I wake up?]
[Did you beat General Winter?]
[Did we win? Is that what happened?]
The gods of the winter flowers, who had just awakened, were bewildered, much like the god of the camellias had been when it first arose. Yet their eyes sparkled with hope, as if wondering if perhaps they had won.
[No. General Winter is still out there, and 'winter' has not yet ended.]
At that moment, the god of the camellias spoke up above the heads of the winter flower gods. All eyes turned toward it.
Some were happy that Camellia had awakened before them, but they became sullen upon hearing that General Winter had not yet been defeated.
[But don't worry, we'll be able to defeat her soon. If that weren't the case, I wouldn't have been able to wake you all up, right?]
With those words, their heads lifted again.
[Really?]
[Can we defeat General Winter?]
[We won't have to endure the freezing wind anymore?]
[No more falling apart?]
They all eagerly bombarded Camellia with questions.
But unlike usual, Camellia quietly nodded in agreement.
[Yes, so no more sad faces. You understand what I mean, right?]
[Yes, yes!]
[If Camellia says it, it must be true!]
[We don't have to sleep anymore! Hooray!]
[We can meet our other friends! Yay!]
The fragrance filling the greenhouse grew even stronger, so much that it was almost dizzying.
『The way they go from joy to disappointment at Camellia's words is just like a bunch of puppies hoping their master will play with them.』
Mephistopheles couldn't help but throw in a sarcastic remark as he watched the winter flower gods, but despite his grumpy expression, it seemed he didn't entirely dislike their cheerful demeanor. He nodded quietly, still looking sullen.
Elric, seeing Mephistopheles like this, shook his head in amusement, as if there was no helping him.
Then, he turned his gaze back to the ice crystal that had finished its task and now lay in his palm.
When Elric first acquired it, the ice crystal had gleamed pure white. But now, it was glowing with a soft, pale pink, as if it had absorbed a beautiful hue.
Humm, hummm—
Elric could sense the faint fragrance mingled with a subtle divine power emanating from the ice crystal.
And he was certain: this was what would finally defeat 'winter' in the Black Snowfield.
***
Whoosh!
When all the gods of the winter flowers awakened, the change wasn't limited to just the central temple and the greenhouse.
The outside world transformed as well.
In the place where the fire had swept through, scorching everything in their path, even the few remaining grasses and wildflowers had burned to ash… a warm breeze began to stir.
The blackened ashes scattered into the air, and the burnt smell vanished entirely.
In its place, grasses sprouted, and wildflowers slowly bloomed one by one, quickly covering the hills with vibrant colors.
"Oh! It's beautiful!"
"What is...?"
"It seems our dear nephew-in-law has accomplished something great."
Herman and the Blue Hawks had been lingering outside, waiting, as the Landscaper had explained that no outsiders were permitted to enter the central temple freely.
And now, they were witnessing an extraordinary scene at the base of the wall, one rarely seen.
Even for those like them, who had roamed far and wide in their youth, claiming the world was small, this was a sight they'd never seen before. Their eyes widened in amazement.
As they marveled at the spectacle, they also felt a deep sense of pride, realizing how significant their achievements had been.
Naturally, they couldn't help but think how remarkable Elric was, the one who had led such efforts.
Could there truly be anyone else of his age who could accomplish something like this?
Though there were three prodigies known as supernovas, in terms of pure ability, they believed none could surpass Elric.
Isabelle, who had long ago been saved by Elric, simply smiled quietly, as if she had always known it would turn out this way.
Then.
'…Huh?'
Isabelle suddenly noticed the Landscaper, quietly wiping her eyes with her back turned.
Though she had seemed stiff and stern throughout their conversation, it was clear that, as someone who had guarded this temple for so long, this moment must have brought her great joy.
So, Isabelle gently offered her a handkerchief, quietly extending it toward the Landscaper.
The Landscaper looked up in surprise, quickly trying to wipe her eyes, but Isabelle swiftly grasped her hand and gently pressed the handkerchief into her palm.
"Don't do that. Just take it."
"…Thank you."
The Landscaper quietly bowed her head.
Her nose was slightly flushed.
And seeing this, Isabelle's smile deepened.
Like the wildflowers swaying in the field.
***
It was quite some time later when Elric finally emerged from the temple.
With 33 winter flower gods in tow, it was nearly overwhelming.
[Wow!]
[It's a field of flowers, a flower field!]
[There are so many people!]
[The temple looks so huge!]
[Even Velence is here!]
[Hello!]
"Hello. It's been a while."
Even as the winter flower gods fluttered about chaotically, those who recognized Velence greeted him enthusiastically.
While Heize helped to ensure none of them got hurt, Elric was answering Sean and Karl's question about what to do next, as though it were obvious.
"What do you mean, what's next? I told you, we need to capture General Winter."
"I mean, how are we going to capture this General Winter or whatever?"
Sean furrowed his brow deeply, emphasizing his point.
"I'm not saying we shouldn't capture General Winter. I'm just saying we shouldn't move without any information."
"Oh, don't worry about that. I know exactly where she is."
In that moment, Sean and the others' eyes all lit up.
"Where is she?"
"In Fury's territory."
"Ah."
Sean nodded as if he finally understood.
Elric had asked Velence for the location as he'd seen in the arrangement, and confirmed that the place was within the beastmen alliance currently controlled by Fury.
The hypothesis that Fury might be dragging General Winter around had now been proven.
With his arms crossed, Sean spoke in a dry tone.
"So, you're just going to head over there and cause a ruckus?"
"Obviously."
"…This is the first time I've felt bad for those guys. Do what you want."
Even as Sean shook his head, he quietly added a final comment.
"I'll help out no matter what you do."
Elric grinned.
Sean might always grumble, but in the end, he was the only one who trusted and followed him all the way. Karl, on the other hand, sighed deeply, thinking once again about how difficult it would be to return home.
Augustine and Gility also met Elric's gaze, nodding in agreement, giving him the go-ahead to do as he pleased.
Now, it was time to move again.
***
[That fool. He's dead.]
Grrr—
The sound of a beast's growl echoed fiercely throughout the large cave.
With a displeased expression, the Blood Wolf King opened his eyes, his face deeply furrowed.
"It seems things didn't go as planned," a demon across from him chuckled, as if mocking him.
The Blood Wolf King's brow furrowed even more.
[The tail has returned.]
"Oh dear. I take it your plan to burn the temple didn't go so well."
[That's why you never entrust important matters to a dumb beast.]
The Blood Wolf King clicked his tongue in irritation.
His harsh assessment was all that he had to offer his subordinate, who had once sworn loyalty to him and given everything, even his life, to help build Fury's reign.
But this was the nature of the Blood Wolf King.
Having lived for hundreds of years, everything in the world, in his eyes, existed merely as tools to achieve his goals.
Not even his own kin were exceptions to this.
[In any case, whether the Temple of Flowers stands or falls is irrelevant. It's been in decline for a long time, so it's not worth much concern. However, if there's one thing that bothers me…]
"It would be the fact that a Melvinger is there, wouldn't it?"
The Blood Wolf King narrowed his eyes and glared at the demon.
The name "Melvinger" was a lifelong burden for him.
The demon merely shrugged his shoulders.
"If you think about it, we're not much different. Melvinger… it's a name that has haunted us for an unbearably long time."
The Blood Wolf King knew well of the centuries-old feud between the Melvingers and the demons, so he didn't bother to correct the statement.
[Those people can be crushed again once they rise. But for now, we must focus on concluding our deal. Your faction needs a vessel capable of containing General Winter, and we need that as a foundation to unite the Black Snowfield…]
Just as the Blood Wolf King was about to continue, he abruptly stopped speaking and jumped to his feet.
[How dare they!]
The cavern, so massive that it could easily hold hundreds of people, rumbled as the enormous figure stood up. His voice, which shook the very air, was filled with rage.
The reason for his anger was simple.
The "tails," which he had strategically scattered and planted in various locations, had suddenly begun returning all at once.
"This looks like…"
The demon smirked.
"...you might be in need of some assistance from us?"
***
Under Fury's territory.
City of "Dolphgang."
Crash!
"The castle is collapsing!"
"Ahh! General Winter is coming!"
"Where is the Blessing of the Tail…! Aagh!"
Elric burst into laughter as he watched the city descend into chaos.
"Well, it sure is melting away nicely."
『You certainly know how to cause a proper ruckus.』
"When they came to burn the Temple of Flowers, they should've been prepared to face the same. Don't you think so?"
[Ho ho ho! It's been a while since I've felt this good. Yes, this is much more entertaining. It feels like a century-old burden is finally lifting.]
Before leaving the Temple of Flowers, Elric had inquired about the locations of cities either under Fury's control or strongly supporting Fury's forces.
While it wasn't possible to wage war on each city individually, Elric knew he could at least cause them some serious trouble.
And so, Elric, along with Sean, Karl, and Heize, had busied themselves targeting and destroying the barrier stones that protected these cities.
None of them had expected that Anthromorph would launch an attack, crossing General Winter's harsh winds. They were caught completely off guard.
This was the result.
As General Winter broke through the shattered barriers, chaos consumed the cities.
Screeeeech!
At that moment, a hawk circled high above Elric, letting out a sharp cry.
It was Gility's signal that the barrier stone had been reduced to dust, beyond repair.
With the necessary work here complete, it was time to move to the next city.
The counterattack had begun.
[T/L: You can read more chapters and support me here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]