The space was oppressively still, as if the air itself had stopped moving.

The only sound breaking the silence was the rhythmic clatter of the train’s wheels against the rails, accompanied by the faint hiss of coal burning in the engine.

Inside the train car sat two passengers: the Hunter, quietly staring at the floor, and me, sweating nervously and on high alert.

It wasn’t that I had a problem traveling with the Hunter—I had already planned to—but the problem lay in how this partnership had been formed.

When the Hunter pointed me out and volunteered to join my journey, the expression on her face was… not easy to interpret.

That look alone was enough to make me shrink in my seat.

The Commander, oblivious to my internal panic, had found the situation amusing.

“It looks like you’ve gained a reliable ally,” they had said with a chuckle.

On the surface, sure.

But if they knew what the Hunter usually did to me, I doubted they’d be so optimistic.

As the protagonist of the "Snow Castle" story, the Hunter’s strength grew at a pace I could never hope to match, no matter how hard I trained.

Of course, I could always summon Outer Gods using the party whistle and end things in a flash, but it felt petty to go that far over minor grievances.

No matter what, dealing with her was always a losing game for me.

The train, indifferent to my worries, continued its journey, puffing out smoke as it fulfilled its duty.

I glanced at the Hunter.

She had been staring at the floor in a daze since we boarded.

Apart from her occasional teasing or bouts of anger, her emotions were nearly impossible to read, making it difficult to guess what she was thinking.

The silence felt awkward, so I decided to break it.

“So, uh, Hunter?”

“Hmm?”

“I don’t think I ever heard why you’re heading to the Empire’s capital.”

When she told the Commander about her trip, they immediately assigned me as her partner, so I never got the chance to ask.

Normally, she’d be busy hunting Outer Gods around Londan, so what made her decide to leave?

“I have something to investigate.”

“You don’t like talking about yourself much, do you?”

“You already know enough, don’t you?”

The Hunter tilted her head, genuinely confused.

Was she referring to the dreams I had seen?

I mean, sure, I knew some of her past, but knowing someone’s history doesn’t mean you know everything about them.

“Not really,” I replied.

“Hmm. I see.”

She nodded thoughtfully, then suddenly stood up.

I blinked, wondering what she was about to do.

And then, without warning, she shrugged off her coat and tossed it aside.

“Wha—what are you doing?!”

“Didn’t you say you wanted to know more about me? Isn’t this a metaphorical expression of that?”

“I just meant we should get along better, not that you should… bare everything!”

“Knowing everything eliminates the unknown, doesn’t it?”

“Stop trying to justify insanity with logic, you lunatic!”

Only after she removed her coat did I realize just how immodest the outfit underneath was.

With the coat on, it looked fashionable. Without it, the tight, clinging shirt was… something else entirely.

It was almost too much. I didn’t know where to look.

Noticing my reaction, the Hunter stared at me intently.

“Oh?”

“What?”

“Have you finally developed a sense of physical attraction toward humans?”

“Gah! Shut up!”

Was she just messing with me, or was this another one of her self-proclaimed “peacekeeping” initiatives?

Either way, my head was starting to hurt.

I regretted even starting this conversation.

Letting out a sigh, I turned to the window.

Outside, a blizzard raged, with snow cascading relentlessly onto the earth.

From what the Commander had told me, the Snowy Mountain Giant had a tendency to absorb everything it encountered.

It seemed particularly obsessed with warmth.

But why didn’t it take life force?

Even now, the knights led by the Commander remained frozen, alive but immobilized.

Could it be tied to the Giant’s backstory?

Perhaps a life without love had left it unwilling to keep living.

My head throbbed.

I decided to focus on the task at hand.

Just learning about the Observer was overwhelming enough—it felt like I needed three more brains to keep up.

Clunk.

The train came to a halt.

We had arrived at the Empire’s capital.

“Get off,” the Hunter said.

“Yeah.”

She stepped off the train first, and I followed close behind.

The Imperial Capital, Lintpia.

Once a place of unparalleled prosperity, advanced development, and dense population under the Emperor's rule.

But ever since the Princess departed for Londan, its former glory had long faded into a distant memory.

“...This is dire.”

“Mm.”

Indeed.

Even in Vandré Village or the Duke’s domain, where people carried an air of despair, there had been some sense of vitality—a grim determination to survive no matter what.

But here?

“P-please! Just a coin, just one coin!”

“Kind sir, please! Help me… It’s been three days since I’ve eaten!”

It was pure chaos.

The only thing proving this place was still habitable were the distant flickering flames of a hearth.

Surely…

Surely it couldn’t have been this bad.

“It’s… worse than I thought, huh?”

The gatekeeper behind me spoke with a bitter expression.

“What happened here?”

“Food’s been scarce everywhere outside Londan lately. The one small mercy is that this is the worst of it—other places aren’t quite as bad off.”

So…

Unlike Londan, where the disparity wasn’t as pronounced, the class divide here must be overwhelming.

Typical dark fantasy: just when things start to feel calm, something like this comes along to remind you where you are.

“Don’t worry too much. As bad as it looks, nobody here is actually starving to death. Today’s just particularly rough because of a delay in food supplies—on most days, it’s not this severe.”

“I… see.”

“I’m sorry you had to see this. If you head further inside, you’ll find a place to rest and explore.”

Looking in the direction the gatekeeper pointed, I noticed an area that appeared slightly more hospitable.

Still, no matter how much better it seemed, the sight of people suffering so greatly was hard to ignore.

I recalled the food I’d packed for the train ride but hadn’t finished.

Maybe I could share it.

With that thought, I approached the struggling people.

“Where are you going?”

“My hypocritical heart insists I can’t just walk past this.”

I replied lightly to the Hunter’s question, pulling some food from my bag.

“Excuse me.”

“Ah, ahh! Please, help me!”

“Relax. Would you like some of this?”

I approached an elderly man who looked particularly worn and offered him some food.

His face lit up with a radiant smile so full of joy that it was almost overwhelming.

He devoured the food hungrily, and while I didn’t give him much to avoid shocking his system, even that small portion seemed to revive him.

“Th-thank you! How could I ever repay this kindness…?”

The elderly man lifted his head to thank me, but as soon as our eyes met, he froze.

What’s wrong?

Was the food spoiled or something?

“Sir, are you alright?!”

Panicked, I leaned closer to check his condition, but his trembling hands suddenly gripped my shoulder.

They slid down my arm and clutched my wrist, his eyes wide and shaking as they met mine.

What…?

Even if he’s grateful, this reaction seems extreme.

Then he spoke.

“Muzi Absoluta.”

“…?”

“Muzi Absoluta has returned!”

The man’s booming proclamation drew the attention of the other starving people.

In an instant, their expressions of despair transformed into pure elation, and they began crowding around me.

They scanned me intently, as if to confirm the old man’s words.

And when they finished, they all fell to their knees.

“Ahhh, Frosh! Frosh!”

They chanted strange words, their voices blending into a surreal cacophony as they bowed deeply.

It was like witnessing collective madness.

I couldn’t help but feel a wave of fear.

“What… what is this?”

Who—or what—is Muzi Absoluta?

Why are they saying this to me?

“Muzi Absoluta! Please, save us from this suffering!”

“Save us! Deliver us!”

Their cries echoed in unison, amplifying my sense of dread.

Why was I so afraid?

What was causing this unease?

Suddenly, my head throbbed with excruciating pain.

“Ugh…!”

Strange memories began flooding my mind.

I saw myself running through this city.

Outer Gods—clearly identifiable as such—walking peacefully alongside humans.

And above it all, an emperor watching from a throne, flanked by a peculiar woman.

And then…

A white-haired woman from my dreams, holding my hand and smiling warmly.

My thoughts ground to a halt.

The figure in those memories—was that me?

The version of me in those recollections felt alien, like someone else entirely.

It was terrifying.

I needed to get out of here.

“Leydan Tanton!”

Just as my consciousness began to fade, the Hunter’s voice called out from behind me.

“H-Hunter…”

“Come with me. Now.”

She grabbed my arm and guided me out of the crowd.

When we finally escaped, my legs gave out beneath me, and I collapsed.

The Hunter silently caught me, her expression unreadable.

“H-Hunter…”

“…”

“I think… I think I might find out who I really am here. Strange memories are flooding my mind, and I don’t understand… Who am I?”

She didn’t say a word.

Instead, she supported me gently, her silent presence strangely comforting.

I leaned into her for a moment, letting myself settle.

…It absolutely wasn’t because I was succumbing to the softness of her embrace. Definitely not.