Where the Frozen Moon Set Down - chapter 1

—

**Chapter 1**

Roar!

A monster’s cry echoed across the land. Unlike the huddled soldiers, the woman standing at the front displayed a face of calm and nobility.

She was draped in the glistening pelt of a white tiger.

Beneath it, her pristine white uniform, tailored with the touch of a master, clung tightly to her slender figure, falling perfectly into place.

The immaculate uniform was out of place in this harsh land.

It simultaneously signaled that no one dared approach her.

The title “Queen of the Frozen Moon” existed solely for her.

A large soldier in a black uniform ran up to her and knelt.

His face radiated with joy as if chosen by a deity.

With a practiced gesture, she rested a long rifle on his solid shoulder.

She fixed her gaze through the scope, staring straight ahead.

A moment of silence ensued. Her golden hair, cascading past her shoulders, shimmered brilliantly in the sunlight, swaying in the breeze.

Click. Her finger pulled the pin without hesitation.

Holding her breath for a moment, her finger lightly squeezed the trigger.

Bang!

A tremendous magical bullet pierced the forehead of Talos, a giant 300 yards ahead.

The northern conqueror, aiming to strike from behind, fell backward without resistance.

The surrounding soldiers swiftly ran to subdue the fallen Talos.

The woman watched indifferently before turning to gaze down the cliff.

The Prate River, flowing swiftly even against the fierce wind, did not freeze.

Determination shone in her blue eyes as she looked at the river.

It gleamed brighter than the cold winter sky.

“Now, it’s my turn to save you.”

Rabiurus.

Her whispered words floated down to the Prate River on the cold breeze.

At the edge of the black forest, her story, one that future generations would remember, began.

—

***

A night with no moon.

The pitch-black winter night was a space filled with ice winds bristling with thorns.

Crunch, crunch. A traveler trudged through the snow toward the village blacksmith.

The traveler, scratching at unwashed, matted blond hair, wore a hideous mask.

Their rags were worse than a rag, and their emaciated body revealed no hint of gender.

The blacksmith’s light, still on, illuminated the dark night.

The traveler, having reached the blacksmith, brushed off the dirty rags with their hands and opened the wooden door.

Brushing the rags did not make them new clothes.

But if they didn’t, the blacksmith’s stern hand would come flying.

The traveler feared the unexpected violence.

So, they straightened the rags as much as possible with both hands. It was almost compulsive.

“You’re late, Cel.”

The blacksmith was wiping a long sword with a cloth.

Although the traveler arrived earlier than the appointed time, the blacksmith’s remark about being late indicated a plan to reduce the payment.

The traveler, called Cel, licked their dry lips and placed the sack they were carrying on the counter.

The sack was filled with high-end pistols, swords, and snares operated by magic.

“Did you fix all the magic formulas and broken parts? Are you sure?”

Cel nodded silently.

The blacksmith stared at Cel’s face and pulled out a pistol from the sack.

He aimed the muzzle at the target behind Cel.

Bang! With a noise, a hole appeared in the center of the target.

“You’ve revived a nearly dead thing. Heh, you have quite the skill.”

The blacksmith’s lips curled into a lopsided grin as he inspected the body of the pistol.

His rough hands, like pot lids, pulled out ten rubles from the money pouch and tossed them onto the counter.

The crumpled bills fluttered around.

Cel, watching this quietly, spoke hesitantly.

“You should give me 15 rubles….”

Despite their dirty appearance, a clear voice emerged.

The blacksmith put his hands on his hips and shouted.

“You should be grateful I’m giving you work at all!”

“…”

“Next time you come, take off that filthy goblin mask. Every time I see it at night, I nearly have a heart attack!”

“…I’m sorry.”

Cel hunched their shoulders.

Before the blacksmith could change his mind, Cel hurriedly gathered the ten rubles from the counter and stuffed them into their pocket.

It was far from enough to live on for a month, but there was no choice.

If they lost this job, there was nowhere else to go.

Cel stopped by a bakery preparing to close.

They bought the cheapest bread and a small bottle of milk and headed home.

Every time they saw the heavy paper bag filled with groceries, their dry mouth watered, and their desolate heart filled with satisfaction.

Cel’s home was isolated from the village.

Adjacent to the monster-infested ‘Black Forest,’ it was a place seldom visited.

The shabby cabin there was perfect for hiding.

It was the new moon. The path, without a sliver of moonlight, was pitch black.

Anyone else would be scared of encountering bandits or monsters, but Cel didn’t care. Wearing a hideous goblin mask, they were a threat and a monster to someone else.

Even in the darkness, Cel didn’t lose their way.

The scent of grass and trees, the smell of tilled earth, served as a compass in the moonless dark.

The North Star, which their mother gazed at every day, twinkled in the same spot today.

How long had they walked? The faint light of the cabin appeared in the distance.

Cel quickened their pace.

They wanted to hurry inside to escape the cold.

The rickety cabin made of stacked logs looked ready to collapse but was a precious sanctuary to Cel.

The smell of old logs in the air greeted them.

Cel slid their feet across the snow excitedly, moving forward.

Then, amid familiar smells, a tangy scent passed by.

Cel stopped. Slowly sniffing like a puppy, they looked around.

‘The smell of blood.’

Cel’s limbs stiffened.

Carefully placing the paper bag on the ground, they pulled out a manual pistol from their waistband.

Though an ordinary gun without magic, its power was weak, but it could still deal a blow.

Cel moved toward the direction of the blood scent, trying to minimize noise, but the crunching snow betrayed them.

The source of the scent crouched near an oak tree about 20 feet from the cabin.

A large figure was slumped against the tree.

“Mom?”

Cel’s heart pounded.

Was the person they loved and hated back from the forest? Had the one they long waited for finally returned? Their heart fluttered.

But Cel’s hope shattered quickly.

With each step, the human figure swelled unnaturally like a bear.

The large body wasn’t a woman’s.

‘Of course. After eight years, she couldn’t have survived in the forest. How foolish.’

Click. Cel pulled the pin without hesitation.

Shedding their lingering attachment, their two-handed grip on the gun was skilled.

The scent of blood, the stillness—this must be an abandoned corpse, as expected.

Bodies of those who had to die secretly were always abandoned in this monster-infested Black Forest.

Cel nudged the head with the muzzle.

The large body toppled into the snow with a thud.

The white snow, softly reflecting the starlight, was tainted red and lost its color.

‘I have no time to worry about others when I’m struggling myself.’

Cel was pragmatic about their situation.

The luxury of caring for an unknown person had long vanished.

As Cel turned away coldly, a faint vine scent mingled with the blood caught their attention.

Could it be? Frowning, Cel looked back.

The face barely visible in the darkness held their wavering gaze.

Damn it.

Cursing, Cel quickly checked the pulse. Still alive.

Cel slung the man’s large arm around their neck.

Even one arm’s weight made their back bend immediately.

Taking a single step was difficult.

If they got hurt, it would be their loss.

But Cel didn’t give up.

Pulling out a sack from outside, they heaved the body onto it and dragged it like a sled.

Luckily, the ground was frozen.

—

***

Hoo.

Almost noon. The man who had been lying down woke up with a long breath.

Next to his bed, at a small wooden table, Cel was sitting, repairing guns, still wearing the goblin mask.

“Oh, damn, you scared me.”

The man, who had jumped up in a defensive stance, calmed down after confirming Cel was human, clutching his chest.

His torso was bandaged.

No, it wasn’t even a bandage but dirty cloth scraps.

The man glanced between Cel’s clothes and the makeshift bandage on his chest.

It was clear that the person in the goblin mask had torn their clothes to stop his bleeding. It also indicated his rescuer was dirt-poor.

Their blond hair, barely covering the ears, was filthy with grime.

Beneath the green goblin mask, made from actual goblin skin, were small, red lips.

“You’re awake.”

Despite the appearance, the voice was clear.

The figure, build, and voice seemed like that of a prepubescent boy.

“I guess I collapsed around here yesterday. That usually doesn’t happen. Thanks for the treatment.”

The man expressed his gratitude as he fiddled with the rough bandages.

His gaze, inspecting his wound, was detached.

The wound, already healing quickly while he slept, wasn’t as deep as initially.

A body trained to the level of a Sword Master had excellent recovery abilities.

Even if left there, he would have gotten up by morning, but the other person couldn’t leave him bleeding in the cold.

Bringing his presumably heavy body here,

applying first aid, and letting him rest showed this wasn’t an ordinary character.

So he thanked them as a sign of courtesy.

However, Cel didn’t pay attention to his words and instead asked.

“What do you do? That wound doesn’t look like a monster’s bite.”

The man looked at his chest and chuckled.

“A soldier. I was dispatched to a village for a mission, but an unexpected accident occurred.”

“What accident?”

“I’m sure you know about the subjugation of Talos. I’m here to eliminate the remnants.”

Cel felt his palms moisten.

“But a few strays got past us. I was lucky to survive after fighting all night.”

“You’ve suffered.”

Cel lowered his head and muttered in a clear voice.

They wanted to prevent the man from noticing their tension.

Cel lowered the mask further over their head.

However, the man raised one corner of his mouth slightly and stood up.

“In any case, I’m fine now. Thanks to you, I had a good night’s sleep.”

“No, it was nothing.”

Cel’s voice was low.

The man, laughing softly, began to search the room.

“Where’s my gun? It was a very precious weapon, but I don’t see it around.”

“I’m holding it.”

The man stared blankly at Cel.

If they were a scavenger who lived off abandoned items, it made sense they wanted to take the gun. The man, frowning, approached Cel.

Cel’s slender shoulders hunched in surprise.

“You can’t take that without permission.”

“I didn’t plan on taking it.”

“Huh?”

Cel placed the black long-barreled gun on the wooden table.

“I’ll return it. I need to know where you live before that.”

The man was taken aback.

Was this person asking for money?

But their words were clear.

It wasn’t an insincere voice of those who would double-cross after hearing the price.

The man tilted his head.

“Why?”

“Because it’s broken. To fix it, I need materials and time.”

“Ah….”

The man laughed.

Right, a technician.

The man thought Cel was just another scavenger.

It made sense now.

“Is that why you keep all the old weapons in that corner?”

“Yes.”

“Alright, I’ll wait here until it’s fixed. Oh, by the way, I haven’t introduced myself yet.”

The man stretched his hand forward.

“My name is Cassian Vermas. As I said, I’m a soldier.”

“I’m Cel.”

Cel took his hand cautiously.