Surprise!

Uploading an extra chapter to celebrate me finishing Death Frost! There'll be 87 chapters plus Epilogue.

Hell Snow is now serializing on my website. You can read all of this book instantly if you pledge to Celeste. But you can still wait because there's only 28 chapters left for this installment.

I know people complain chapters are slow to update here, but hey girl's gotta eat.

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The prospect of cooperating with Black Flame didn't make me excited—this was a lie, of course. Arondite seemed a rather capable person, and since he'd be enlisting my help, then that would mean I could take a step back and just let him take the wheel.

Previously, I was not very keen on cooperating with others since it reminded me of college work in my last life. More often than not, I was stuck with unreliable teammates and end up doing the entire project alone. At that time, I would hold a grudge and cross out the names of others from the project, reporting to the professor how they hadn't helped.

Although I knew not everyone must be like that, but I would really rather not go through the same trouble over and over again.

Huh. Must be one reason I was so hated before.

"Do you know you keep zoning out?" Arondite asked, looking displeased at my listlessness.

"Yeah. Sorry. I was just thinking." I was rather confused about one thing. "Why me?"

I mean, yeah, I could understand it somewhat. But considering his attitude earlier, I didn't think he had that much faith in me.

"I feel you are more reliable."

I laughed. "Why, it flatters me to know I have entered your eyes," I teasingly replied. "So what do you want to do?" I asked. "Just so you know, I won't be using my brain much for this one. Since you're the one aiming for it, it'll be your call and I'll just be behind you."

Arondite frowned. "I don't know much about performance. I do not feel martial arts will have any value in performance at all."

"It should, but it's tricky," I said. "Our styles aren't very entertaining when performed, since it values function over aesthetics. If you capitalize on form alone, you're essentially sacrificing lethality."

"Right, then. Any ideas?" he asked.

I put my chin on my palm. "Don't you have any other hobbies other than martial arts?"

"I know bows and arrows."

I chuckled and fought the urge to roll my eyes. "You don't plan on shooting an apple sitting on top of my head or something, do you?"

His eyes glistened when I mentioned it.

I sat up straight, palms up in the air when I saw his unsaid affirmation. "Wait. Hold on about this."

I had completely disregarded the novelty of this idea in this world. Although pinning an arrow through the apple on top of someone's head was a thousand-year-old cliche from Earth, that didn't mean it was commonplace for this one.

"No! This is a horrible cliche!" I protested.

"If this is cliche, everything else is trash."

So I stood there shell-shocked, wondering what kind of hell I had gotten myself into while Arondite left for a few moments. He later came back with a bow and arrow as well as a bag of apples.

"Come on."

I stared at the table full of food in front of me with pity. "You cannot be serious about this," I whispered, with no hope of him changing his mind. Arondite's face was firm, and he exuded an aura similar to when I last fought against him. Determination—even arrogance. As though everything would work out.

He answered my disbelief by shoving the bag of apples into my arms. "I am as serious as I can be."

I sighed. "Why do you have so many apples?" I asked softly.

"I do not think it should end with just one apple."

Frick.

"Hey, I don't trust you enough to stand like a bullseye target for you," I said. "I will demand compensation in case of injury!"

"Good. I can pay you money."

Well, sh*t.

I dug my own grave.

"I am worth billions. You cannot afford me," I arrogantly declared.

"Then you better stay still lest I find myself in debt."

My mouth clamped shut at that comeback and, for the first time since I got reincarnated, I felt speechless.

I take it back. This guy was not reliable.

Having lost all the will to fight, I found myself in a familiar no-feeling state. Or perhaps the better term would be numb. Arondite was the complete opposite of me. Although he didn't look overly so, he was very enthusiastic.

The stage was set further inside the restaurant towards a section that looked like a bar. I hadn't realized it would be so big, or that this place would be divided like so.

"How is this place so big?" I wondered.

"I hear this place is frequented by mercenaries," he said. "They have a separate holding room for meetings and whatnot. Since this place is somewhat near the guild, they also come by often to snack and drink."

He needn't say more. Basing off on those words alone, I came to a few conclusions myself. "I see."

"Then that means you'll be performing in front of them..." I paused thoughtfully. "It seems like you have the faculties to go out and get a death relic yourself, though. Why would you choose to go through this?"

Arondite was silent. "I'm in a clan ceremony which sends me out to experience the world without relying on my clan. I cannot ask for help unless it's a life-or-death situation, and if I do so, it would mean I have failed. I don't have the ability to go and get one for myself at the moment. Death relics are among the trickiest go gather, which is why they're very precious."

"Interesting," I said. "So why'd you choose the Temple? Isn't there the Dragoon Academy too? Or did I get that name right?"

"Academy." He frowned.

Okay. So judging by that face, he didn't have a good impression of the people and place.

"What's wrong with it?"

"Those people tend to be arrogant," he said. "For such trashy education. Hmph. Second rates."

"Huh. Okay, then." I could not help wrinkling my forehead at the grudge I could hear rising in his voice. I was not really inclined to bear the same sentiments since Eren would be entering that very same academy. However, since there was that image, then it shouldn't be too baseless.

I probably would have to warn Eren in advance.

Since I was just tagging along as an assistant-slash-target, I didn't have to trouble myself with anything other than waiting for the actual performance.

Which came much sooner than I would have wanted it. Thankfully, I didn't see the trio anywhere while we were signing up for a performance. Ill at ease, I decided to look over the rules posted on the wall. Other than the "no damage to property," "no indecent acts," there really was not a lot of restriction. The best performance will be awarded the second-grade death relic unearthed from the Mines of Ierthel.

"Second grade? Are relics divided into grades?"

"Yes," Arondite replied.

"So what's the highest grade?"

"The god's grade," he said. "Although they are so rare, they're nearly just legends."

"Judging by the name, it must have something to do with the gods? How so?"

"They're given by the gods themselves and therefore possess an unparalleled concentration of the element they guard over."

"Wow. So since everyone's after this relic, does it mean it's of good quality?"

"Relatively, but this grade is not that rare. The lowest is third grade. This is the next one after that. But these things can't usually be bought so easily. They can fetch hundreds of thousands at an auction. Death relics—or relics in general—are on high demand."

"Thank you for patiently answering my questions," I said, then took a step back. For Arondite to answer me in such a detailed manner must be him showing cordiality. After all, he didn't come across as someone who would speak more than a couple of sentences. Especially to people he wasn't well-inclined towards.

'Hey, Amber. Can you hear me?' I called out in my mind.

I waited for a few beats. After trying to call him a couple more times, I found that I could not contact him at all.

I sighed. Maybe he didn't have the energy to communicate. I couldn't blame him. We were still a little ways away to the next new moon.

Signing up was very easy—partially because I had to do nothing—so we all but needed to wait on the corner to wait for our performance. As we were waiting, I began to have doubts.

"You know...I'm thinking these mercenaries may not be impressed. It's good to fool a couple of laymen, but in front of veterans, don't you think this would all be a kid's trick?" I asked him.

"I think it is good to try," he said with a firm nod. "Anyway, there is no limit to how many times you perform."

"So you're saying we should embarrass ourselves a couple of times? I thought you had more pride than that."

"This is a death relic," he told me. "It's worth a chunk of pride."

I had to give it to this guy for his dedication. "By any chance...are death relics the same as forbidden weapons?"

"Forbidden weapons?" he intoned. "What are those?"

"Oh, so...okay, never mind. Forget I asked," I replied.

The bow I got from Papi was a forbidden weapon, according to Amber. I thought death relics and forbidden weapons would be one and the same, but it seemed as though I was wrong in this regard. If I couldn't find out the difference from Amber, I could always go and research. If not, I could also ask the Abbot about it. He should know a thing or two about these things.

"Hey, you guys. You said you weren't joining!" Erlan's voice thundered in my ear.

I looked up to see the dissatisfied faces of the three little ducks before me. They looked like ducks. Their mouths were pushed forward, the corners pointed downwards. A bit more and they would look like a Looney Tunes character.

But I could not pay attention to their faces because...well, I found their clothes.

I laughed. "What in the incarnation are you people wearing?"

They were all dressed in costumes—clothes I couldn't really comprehend. The colors were all over the place and even hurt my eyes a little.

"We're enacting a short play called three idiots," he said. "Miles thought up a script in record time."

I laughed. "Ahahaha. I'm looking forward to it." I nudged Arondite. "Looks like you got competition."

"It's not fair. You joined without telling us."

"No offense. I said no. He dragged me into it."

"Why didn't you join us then?"

"There's only one relic. I don't plan to share it," he said firmly.

"Psssh."

Maun gazed at me with puffed cheeks. He looked very angry. The temper was bursting out of him, such that his cheeks turned red.

Since I had known this guy, he was usually very affable. However, I knew he had tantrums now and then—like episodes of mania. Although he didn't hurt anyone, he might hurt himself. The aura around him turned cold, and I could feel him losing his temper further.

Worried, I stood up and went over. "Alright. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I went back on my word. Arondite promised to pay me though," I said.

Although we didn't come to an agreement about that part, I felt I had to pull up a lie to diffuse the situation.

Maun was not convinced and signed angrily, "How can it be? You don't need money! You already have a lot of it!"

"It's not money but a favor," I clarified.

Erlan and Miles stood on the side, watching us curiously.

"You don't need it!"

"Dear goodness, you're fuming." I pulled at Maun's cheeks. "

"I only hear one side of the conversation, but it sounds like a lovers' spat. Are you sure you're siblings?" Miles bluntly asked.

I gazed at Maun.

Ah, it can't be, right?