Chapter 235: Ice of the Ice Cellar

“So this is the town of Kasgal.”

Having continued running from Isla Village, we arrived at Kasgal, our second destination on the pilgrimage. However, since the night had grown deep, the town gates were already closed.

“What a shame. In this case, we have no choice but to camp outside the gate tonight and wait for it to open tomorrow morning.”

“Can’t we just have the gatekeeper open it? I can see someone’s figure up on that watchtower, right there.”

Perhaps because she isn’t used to traveling, Tracy-san tilted her head at Liliera-san’s words.

“It’s to prevent bandits in disguise and criminals from entering. When it’s dark, it’s hard to see faces clearly even with torchlight, so it’s to ensure no criminals get into the town by any chance. There have been disastrous incidents where bandits successfully snuck inside, opened the gates from within, and a whole bandit group that approached under the cover of night rushed into the town all at once.”

“Hiehh!? That’s terrifying…”

Probably imagining that scene, Tracy-san’s complexion turned pale.

“There’s a possibility they might let you in as an emergency evacuation when you’re being chased by a horde of monsters, but well, it’s better not to count on it.”

And so, we decided to camp out until dawn.

“I’ve deployed a Barrier Magic, so as long as you are inside this, there’s no need to worry about being attacked.”

When I deployed the Barrier Magic over an area wide enough for everyone to sleep comfortably, Jairo-kun and the others set up the tents inside the barrier.

“Alright, let’s hit the sack quickly then!”

” ” ” ” ” ” ” Good night~ ” ” ” ” ” ” ” “

The next morning, while waiting for the gates to open as we ate breakfast, we entered the town along with the opening of the gates.

“Alright everyone, let’s split up and look for people in trouble!”

” ” ” ” ” ” Ooooh!! ” ” ” ” ” ” “

“Alright! This time for sure, I’ll be of use!”

Filled with motivation, Tracy-san dashed off together with everyone.

However, what bothered me was that the other participants weren’t near the gate last night.

Which means, in other words, the participants who were ahead must have entered the town sometime last night.

“If that’s the case, it’s better to assume that the easy troubles have already been taken.”

If so, there’s a high probability that only the troublesome cases are left. This is bad.

“Even so, if that’s all that’s left, we just have to do it. Excuse me~!”

Finding a townsperson who had just come out of a house, I immediately went to ask if there were any troubles.

“Huh? Bro… Big Sis?”

“Ra… Rakushi-san?”

At the place where the townsperson had led me, there were already early arrivals.

Jairo-kun and Liliera-san… and not just them.

” ” ” ” ” ” ” Eh? Why is everyone here? ” ” ” ” ” ” “

Yes, everyone who had just split up a moment ago was gathered there.

“Um, what on earth is going on?”

When I asked about the circumstances from the townsfolk who had guided us, they began to explain the situation with genuinely troubled faces.

“Actually, the ice in the town’s ice cellar is melting, and we’re in a real bind.”

“The ice in the ice cellar is melting?”

An ice cellar is a place dug into a cave or underground where ice and snow are kept to create a cool space even in summer to store food, but is that a problem?

“In that case, wouldn’t it be fine to just make ice with Ice Magic?”

Just as Mina-san said, shouldn’t we just make ice with magic?

In a town of this scale, there should be someone who can use Ice Magic, and it’s not unusual for traveling adventurers to use magic to earn some pocket money.

“Just as you say, we also asked someone who can use Ice Magic to make new ice in the ice cellar. But…”

Saying that, the townsperson turned his gaze toward the entrance of the ice cellar.

“I think it’s better for you to see it directly. Please follow me.”

Following as we were told, we entered inside the ice cellar.

When we did, the inside was a space completely different from what I expected.

Certainly, things like food ingredients and medicinal herbs were piled up there, but for a place called an ice cellar…

“The ice is almost entirely melted?”

“And somehow, it feels a bit hot…”

Yes, there was hardly any ice inside the ice cellar, and the air was only slightly cooler than above ground.

“As you can see, for some reason, we feel a damp heat even though we are inside the ice cellar. And no matter how much ice we make, it just keeps melting away rapidly.”

Indeed, looking at the faintly remaining ice, it was melting quickly as if it were exposed under the sun.

“If the ice in the ice cellar melts completely, we won’t be able to preserve the harvested food ingredients long-term. If that happens, we’ll have to secure new food ingredients, which means extra money…”

Certainly, at this temperature, there would be almost no preservation effect.

“Above all, it’s terrible that we won’t be able to preserve medicinal herbs. In this town, rare medicinal herbs harvested in the winter are an important source of income, but those herbs are sensitive to heat. So if the ice cellar becomes unusable, the herbs will go bad, and we won’t be able to make medicine until winter!”

Sighing from the bottom of his heart, the townsperson looked utterly downcast.

“That’s definitely bad. A shortage of medicinal herbs isn’t just a matter of life and death for us adventurers, but for the entire country.”

It was exactly as Liliera-san said.

Not just the people who fight, but the townsfolk need medicinal herbs too.

It’s not just for injuries; it’s also necessary for treating sick people.

Above all, not a few medicinal herbs require delicate preservation.

It was quite common to have annoying medicinal herbs that had to be kept at the exact same temperature as their habitat, while being properly given nutrients and moisture, and stored with meticulous care so as to not cause any stimulation.

“Because of that, we had people who can use Ice Magic make new ice, but as you can see, it starts melting immediately and vanishes in no time. Since it melts as fast as it’s made, the mages’ magic power was completely exhausted in the blink of an eye. At this rate, the ice will melt completely and the ice cellar will go to ruin!”

Shouting as if squeezing out his voice, the townsperson hung his head with a thoroughly exhausted face.

Hmm, this looks worse than expected. We need to do something for them quickly.

“Um, this sort of thing has never happened before, right?”

While I was thinking about that, Norb-san was confirming with the townsfolk whether similar problems had occurred in the past.

“Yes, ice melting is a matter of course, but even so, it was gradual enough to get through the summer. Even during a heatwave, we could get through it if we just normally made ice with magic. For it to turn out like this, it’s only been within the last week or two.”

I see, so a sudden melting of ice like this hadn’t occurred until recently.

“Which means, something that causes the ice to melt must have happened very recently, right?”

Liliera-san, who was also listening to the townsperson’s story, raised her voice, suggesting there must be some reason behind this phenomenon.

“Is someone melting the ice, or is a monster the cause…?”

“But we have absolutely no idea who is doing it or how. The entrance to the ice cellar is watched by the townsfolk, and even if it’s the work of a monster, it has been peaceful lately, and there’s no sign of monsters approaching the town.”

So no suspects can be found either, huh.

Hmm, this seems like it’s going to take a long time.

“In that case, since we don’t know when the problem will be solved, it’s better to divide into a team to investigate and a team to make ice with magic.”

While I was thinking about that, Liliera-san proposed that it was necessary to divide the party.

“That’s right. If so, as a mage, I should be the one to stay behind.”

At Liliera-san’s proposal, Mina-san declared that she would stay behind to make ice.

“I’m also on the proficient side with Ice Magic, so I’ll stay with you. A rotation partner is necessary, right?”

“Right. Then since we’ll be staying, Re… Rakushi and the others can investigate the cause…”

No, I mean, you see…

“Umm~ even without going out of your way to stay behind, wouldn’t it be fine if we just made ice that doesn’t melt?”

” ” Ice that doesn’t melt? ” “

The two of them tilted their heads as if to say, “Eh? What do you mean?”

“Yes, if we use Permanent Freezing Magic, there will be no need to worry about the ice anymore.”

Saying so, I looked around the ice cellar, found a just-right space, and activated the magic using that spot as the starting point.

“ETERNAL FROZEN!”

Then, as multiple small clumps of ice were born in the air of the designated space, they grew larger and larger right before our eyes.

“Uwa, cold!?”

Showering in the cold air of the growing ice, Jairo-kun involuntarily shivered.

And as the ice grew into a giant block of ice, it landed on the ground with a heavy thud.

“Alright, finished!”

“This is… ice that doesn’t melt?”

Mina-san stared intently at the completed human-sized block of ice.

“It looks just like ordinary ice, but… nn? Wait, what is this magic power? This ice… isn’t it filled with an incredible amount of magic power!?”

As expected of Mina-san, it seems she noticed the mechanism of the ice.

“Yes, the ice made with this magic has a core of magic power. And since the core absorbs ambient magic power to maintain the cold air, it will keep freezing forever unless the magic is canceled.”

Right, this is the magic that eliminates the need for refrigeration magic tools, Eternal Frozen.

It’s a highly versatile magic that’s great for using as ice in an ice cellar like this, or for putting something inside to freeze it.

“A-Amazing! Ice that doesn’t melt, to think such magic actually existed!”

Looking at the ice created by Eternal Frozen, the townsfolk raised cheers.

“Heh, for people who want an ice cellar, this is a mouth-watering magic.”

Liliera-san, who has an aptitude for Ice Magic, also seemed to take an interest and was gazing at the completed block of ice.

“It’s a simple magic, so anyone can use it.”

“This delicate magic power circulating inside the ice… it doesn’t feel simple at all…”

“No, no, it’s easy once you get the hang of it. Everyone in our village can use it too.”

“No, that’s only in your village, Re… Rakushi!”

I don’t think that’s true, though.

“Now, since the ice problem is solved, all that’s left is to investigate the cause, everyone!”

” ” ” ” ” Ooooh!! ” ” ” ” “

Having cleared away our anxieties for the future, we left the ice cellar to search for the mastermind behind the incident.

“…Uh, wait, isn’t the problem already solved at this point?”

Huh? Mina-san isn’t following?

“Mina-san, what’s the matter~?”

“I-It’s nothing, I’m coming now~!”

Now, let’s find the cause that’s troubling the townsfolk!