CHAPTER 6 - CONCERTO OF FROSTMELT WITH THE FORTUNE TELLERS

[sweet_nightmare]

 

 

I looked at myself again, panicking, and saw that I had indeed changed into the exact same clothes I looked at in the mirror earlier.

Figaro: Ooh, not bad, Master Sage. It looks really good on you.

Akira: You think so? Hehe, thank you…

B-but wait, that's not the subject here! When I looked in the mirror, my clothes changed on their own…

Owen: This mirror?

Akira, Rutile & Mitile: …Oh.

As soon as he peered at the mirror’s surface, Owen’s attire changed completely just like mine did.

Akira: Owen too…

Owen: …Tch, what am I? Some kind of dress-up doll?

If so, you should be toys too.

And then, Owen dragged the brothers in front of the mirror.

Rutile & Mitile: Whoa!

…And one after another, the wizards took turns to look at themselves in the frost-covered mirror, every time resulting in an outfit change.

Eventually, we all wore the costumes from the other side of the looking glass.

Akira: Everyone’s changed now. What can I say other than they’re all so gorgeous…

Mithra: Well, I guess they all looked into the mirror for the fun of it.

Bradley: Don’t say it like you didn’t do it too.

Lennox: What’s the meaning of these costumes? I don’t think there’s any ill intent behind them.

All of the attires had slightly different designs, but the main theme between them was consistent, as to look like princes and dukes from old picture books.

Snow: I remember it. When we came here before, we were also made to change our clothes in this magic mirror.

White: Indeed. These lovely costumes look like they were made especially for us. ‘Tis certainly familiar.

Rutile: It’s true but, why would Gerda take the trouble to prepare special outfits for everyone?

Snow: Hohoho. This costume is anything but a tribute for his wearer. It was entirely prepared for Gerda’s own amusement.

Witch: She was a sublime witch, but she also possessed a terrible and dangerous power. May you bestow your eyes upon hers, your body and soul ended up frozen in eternity.

Lennox: Frozen…?

Rutile: And just by looking into her eyes, you mean?

White: Yes. And so fast that it wouldn’t even give you time to blink.

Snow: Gerda used her power to invite those she was fond of to come to the castle, decorate them to her liking, and adore them forever in their icy prison.

White: She made for herself a doll collection. Hundreds of people were frozen in place by the witch Gerda. In fact, there may be many more.

Mitile: ……….

Snow: Terrifying, isn’t it? Everyone feared this power of hers.

But paradoxically they were equally captivated by her beauty. A cold and beautiful Queen of Ice.

Bradley: Now that’s my type of woman! She got some attitude, I like it.

Rutile: But wouldn’t she trap you in ice too?

Mithra: It’s fine, is it not? She only turns you into an icicle if she likes you.

Owen: We don’t know. Gerda might have bad taste.

Bradley: Say again?

Figaro: That makes more sense now. So these outfits are given by Gerda to the next addition for her doll shelf.

Lennox: We are now in her castle. It’s probably safer to turn back as soon as possible.

Snow: Ah, but do not worry. As I said earlier, we’ve defeated Gerda.

Mitile: T-that’s right! Gerda was a bad witch, so you punished her?

Snow shook his head.

Snow: Oh no. It was because she wanted us to be her “favorites”, the prettiest ones of her collection.

Bradley: Damn…

Owen: So she does have bad taste.

Snow: Looks like you two will need some punishment later!

White: However, she severely underestimated us. She invited us to her castle, dressed us up as we are now, and wanted us to be part of her macabre collection.

So of course we turned the tables on her and sailed her in ice in return.

Snow: Even the scariest witches are no match for us Snow and White, twins of the North.

Snow & White: Serves you right!

Figaro: So that’s why I haven’t heard of anything about her in a while. I’m presuming she became a mana stone and is already resting in your bellies?

Snow: Oh my, we never mentioned killing her.

We just left her in her prison of ice in the very basement of this castle.

White: We were supposed to give her an adequate punishment, but we might have forgotten until now.

Akira: …Out of curiosity, just about how long you have left her there…?

Snow: For a good accidental five hundred years?

Akira: (Ah yes, just an accidental five centuries-long period…)

Lennox: Sorry if I’m interrupting, but may I add something?

Bradley: What now?

Lennox: It seems that the door we came through closed itself without anyone realizing it.

Everyone: !

I turned around hurriedly only to notice that the front door was now completely closed. Running to the nearest armored window, I opened the heavy pane and peered out of the castle.

Outside, ragging wind hurled and the blizzard was so fierce I couldn’t see anything.

Mitile: But it was so sunny earlier…!

Owen: You can’t rely on the weather here in the North. A single breeze can totally change the scenery.

Mithra: Indeed. It’s rare to see such a sudden change though.

Sudden rough weather, a door closing by itself, and a terrible witch’s castle… It wasn’t long before I noticed the worrisome feeling building up in me.

Akira: Could it be that something unusual happened to the witch’s iced body…?

Snow & White: Unusual?

Rutile: For example, did she wake up…?

Figaro: The ice could very much have melted under the influence of the Great Calamity.

Bradley: If you ask me, there’s a hint of magic in the air. But it ain’t really the normal kind, you see what I mean?

Owen: And it’s coming from under the floor.

Snow & White: …….Perhaps we shall check it to be sure?

Mithra: Have a good exploration then. Me, Rutile and Mitile will stay here, alright?

Lennox: Mithra. Rutile and the others are already on their way down.

Mithra: What?

Rutile: Hurry up Mithra! Or else I’m leaving you behind!

Mithra: …Sigh.

✦✦✦

To get to the basement of the castle, we had to go down a butterfly staircase that resembled a giant vortex.

Long as a coiled serpent, and so deep I couldn’t make the end of it.

Mitile: That’s a very long staircase…

Rutile: Yes… It goes on and on and you can’t even see the bottom.

Was it the snow sucking it in, but I couldn’t hear the echoing sounds of my footsteps.

I felt as if I was sinking deeper and deeper with each step I took, and it was terrifying.

Akira: (It’s like I’m falling into an interminable pit…)

Just as my anxiety began to grow more and more, something little grabbed my hand and squeezed.

Snow & White: Sage.

Before I knew it, Snow and White, who were lined up on either side of me, were holding my hands.

Snow: Your hands are warm.

White: Please allow us to warm ours in your own.

Akira: Snow, White… Thank you very much.

The kindness of the two helped lighten my tense body even a little.

Mithra: But still, it’s rather rare, isn’t it?

Owen: What is?

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