Snow Witch'S Journey
The Battle in the City

It's a very serious condition. In the city there are many statues decorated along the way. Even with the number of guards present in the city, it would definitely find it difficult with the large number of ice sculptures. We have to hurry as soon as possible before it is too late.

The more I approached the city walls, I heard screams and sounds of commotion inside. The sounds of swords clinking and hard objects being destroyed.

We saw the citizens running around being chased by the ice sculpture of a knight who drew his sword. All the ice sculptures left their positions as statues and began attacking the non-prayer citizens. The streets were filled with wandering statues, the city guards fighting desperately, and the citizens trying to save themselves. The emotionless statues moved to attack blindly anyone in sight. The city of peace that I just left was not far away, now became chaotic.

I saw the girl next to me who was burning like the flames of anger, running towards the ice sculptures. Vestia thrust her wand into the body of one of the ice sculptures until it pierced her back. Then, behind the ice sculpture, the magic wand released a sea of fire that crashed the ice sculpture behind it and melted them all at once, including burning the houses of the citizens.

“Wire!”

I sent snow that instantly put out the fire.

“Hold your emotions. Do not use attacks with a wide range of power. You can hurt civilians and their homes, you know!” my nag.

Vestia plucked her wand from the belly of the ice statue. The statue fell backwards and broke into pieces. “Coverability is too broad, yes? Then...” He removed his magic wand in the air. Then, open his robe to the side like a bird unfurling its left wing.

I who was on the left side could see her black white long sleeve shirt and her black short skirt. His badge exuded a golden glint on his chest. Vestia placed her right hand on the handle of a sword hanging from her brown belt. Friction with the sword sheath left a loud voice that made the attention of the statues diverted from the citizens. He raised his sword high in the air to show his whereabouts to his enemies. The blade was brilliant silver so it emitted a bright light even though it was in a dark place. The statues from all sides went straight towards the sword that was raised high like accepting the challenge given by Vestia.

With a grin, Vestia said to myself as well as her enemies. “Be prepared.”

Vestia immediately shot out when the enemy was near. He swung his sword, playing his sword quickly and cunningly like a genius swordsman. His magician hat slipped from his head as he leaped, spinning in midair, then slashing the statue into two pieces. He again stood up to move while turning his sword, and somehow his legs moved from one point to another very quickly. His legs, hands, sword so shrewdly dodged as well as giving an attack. In my eyes, she looked like she was dancing. The swords that collided caused sparks. Like a fire that was dancing so beautifully in the snow that kept raining.

His sword was slightly smaller in size than the sword used by the city guards to match its user, but its sharpness could not be underestimated. With his sword, he was able to face many enemies at once and did not look like he would lose. Vestia is so domineering. I am not very familiar with sword techniques, but I can see that Vestia is not a beginner.

Vestia attached the tip of her magic wand to her blade. Instantly, the blade was coated by a blazing fire. His enemies instantly melted due to his swift slash. Ice against fire. Vestia was already destined to win from the start of the fight. No one could scratch the wound on Vestia. In fact, he didn't even need to ask for my help.

As soon as I realized, I was enjoying the battle of Vestia. I was stunned to see the swordplay of Vestia.

“He's cool too!"

The first witch I met was also a swordsman.

The heavier footsteps rumbled from behind. I turned. An ice horse ran towards me. I jumped to the side to avoid it. There was a rider who spurred the horse to keep going forward.

“Vestia, beware!” my yelling.

After defeating her enemy, Vestia immediately put up the horses as soon as the statue of the knight horseman approached her at high speed. Vestia had no intention of avoiding him. He intends to face it. His sword was put back in his sheath. Vestia's waiting. Once the horse was close enough, Vestia pulled back her fire-coated sword. In one diagonal slash, the rider and the horse split in two.

I froze in awe.

“You're back,” Vestia said.

Three other horsemen followed behind me. They were statues that were supposed to decorate the fountain. And now lives to crash into innocent creatures with his horse.

I don't want to lose to Vestia. I swung my magic wand from the left, up and then to the right in a semicircle. A wind appeared, pulling snow and fragments of ice around. Collect it in one******purchase. I release the ***** ice pickaxe and snow towards the horsemen. They were sucked and carried away flying, colliding with each other with the other horsemen. Fragments of ice and strong winds eroded the horsemen into small grains of ice. After I obliterated***** its pickaxe, the grains of ice spread down from the sky like snowflakes that glittered beautifully with their blue color. The sky became beautiful thanks to the horsemen.

A guard approached us from the side of the road. “Sorry, miss witch. We saw you fighting the ice sculptures and you guys were very strong. With your strength, will you cooperate with us to save the city?”

“Of course. We are happy to help,” reply Vestia ahead of me. “Number of lots is better than one strong person only. It's appropriate that we all work together.”

It is true what Vestia said. Against all the statues in the city, just me and Vestia would be impossible. Me and her have her limit—unlike my mom. The strength of one or two people is lacking. It takes the full force of a single coordinated force to defeat a large number of enemies. That's the job Vestia did.

Quickly and responsibly, Vestia helped the guards coordinate the sentry deployed on various street corners. Although not a person here, but he knew where to go to get swept away and how many guard troops should be deployed in one team. He also chose a safe route as an evacuation route and suggested adding personnel at one point to a crowded population. Vestia pointed at the location on the map and said firmly. While the guard troops received Vestia's input swiftly as if the girl was their leader.

Could it be that he memorized all the roads and conditions while investigating the city? When I had seen him ask the townspeople one by one, he was probably memorizing the city lanes. Could it be that he had memorized everything: the number of statues, the number of guards, the places that were always crowded visited, and the dead-end and branching paths? Did he predict there would be a fight here?

I misrespected. I thought he was a reckless and hasty man. It turned out that Vestia was a calculating person. He probably did that because on the basis of his belief he could find the villain he was after here. He believes he will meet the criminal and feels he must prepare everything if the situation he believes will come.

If that's true, he really amazed me until I just focused on him, and didn't focus on the map. I glanced at his red forehead. I'd better heal her forehead before her face gets damaged.

In accordance with what has been covered. We all split up to carry out our mission. Vestia and I who have magic power are separated to divide the power level on teams that do not have enough troops and manpower to fight. It would be a waste if two magic users were put on the same team.

We all worked hard enough to finish off the ice sculptures along the way. Not only were we facing the ice sculptures, we were also rescuing the trapped citizens. I healed the wounded. Vestia was at the very forefront of defeating the ice sculpture that was too powerful for the guards to face.

After quite a lot of manpower was deployed, we had finally exhausted all the remaining statues in the city. We are working with the city guards to save the citizens and defeat the statues. As a result of the many hands that helped each other, the city became safe again. Although the death toll remains inevitable, but at least the casualties were minimized.

Residents who hid in houses and dark alleys, slowly ventured to get out after the fight ended. Slowly just one, then spread out, and finally the simultaneous applause filled the entire city. The citizens surrounded us with cheers and joyful feelings for saving their city. The same feeling of being in Pondoriam reappeared in my heart. A feeling of relief and sadness when it managed to save the happiness of people.

One of the men approached me. “Thank you, miss witch. Thank you for saving us.”

“Wait. What's—!” Vestia looked at me in wonder. But, the citizens had already shrouded him so that he could not continue his words. I can't even see Vestia anymore.

I got out of the crowd and picked up Vestia's spiky hat that had fallen off. I plucked the hat out of the snow.

“Are you sure?” ask the compass in my bag.

I chose to let Vestia receive those flattery. After all, he deserves it more than me. Everything I said to the people was true.

Being famous may be good, but somehow I don't feel jealous when I see him swarmed by citizens who are so happy and throw thousands of compliments on him.

While waiting for the hero to finish receiving applause, thanks, and autographs, I went to one place. One place that was the center of my thinking this time. In that place, was the source of the cause of this chaos.

While carrying Vestia's hat, I stood in a house with a bronze fence. Page's empty. There is no ice being chiseled when the afternoon has not yet arrived. There were no fragments of ice sculptures on the floor. The inside of the house was also pitch-black like no one. There was no trace of life in this place when I was not so long gone. This house feels gloomy and does not give the impression of comfort like a house in general. I felt like I was standing in front of the wrong house.

“She doesn't exist.”

“You mean the sculptor?”

“She said she sculpted all these ice sculptures. His family had been sculptors for the ice sculptures in the city. He probably knows something.”

I don't know what's really going on, but it's weird. Not only did the phenomenon occur, but it was also because of the feeling I was feeling right now. I feel uneasy for some reason.

“What's possible..” My heart beats as soon as the compass says its mind, “.... The sculptor is the villain?” the same as what I'm thinking right now.

However, why did he make a statue that could live and hurt the citizens? What's the reason he did that? I don't find him having hatred for people. Instead, he feels happy and proud of what he does.

“Excuse.”

An old man somehow appeared from where surprised me next to me. His face was so wrinkled that his eyes could not open wide. The one holding his hand was a little boy at that time.

“I'd like to thank the lady who saved our city. If there are no misses and friends, this peaceful city will fall into despair.”

“Sama-sama,” answered me.

“Is there anything I can help you with, miss? I saw from earlier miss looking at this empty house. Do you want to buy this house?”

“Oh, no. Wait a minute” I'm surprised. “A blank house you said?”

“Ah, yes. This house no one has inhabited it since the first inhabitants. They knew my father. They are a couple of husband and wife. However, they had already died in an accident even before their son was born. And now, no one lives to be able to receive their inheritance.” The man looked at the empty house with a glare. Then switch to me again. “Oh, yes, the wife is a witch just like you, miss. And the husband is an ice sculptor.”

“And now they haunt this house for good. Hiiii...,” said the little boy who put on a face scares me.

“Already, do not scare the witch lady,” scold the man on the little boy who seems to be his grandson. He's funny, but I can't laugh because of this anxiety.

“Do you know who sculpted these ice sculptures and why these ice sculptures can live?” my many.

“Of course the husband. Only he can sculpt ice that well. When it comes to ice sculptures that suddenly come to life, I really don't know. It may be true what my granddaughter said, their spirits still swayed and possessed the statues. But, why to attack the citizens, yes?”

To whom should your question be answered? I also don't know who to ask. I don't know who can answer that. And I didn't know if this question was so important to me that I had to turn it around.

Before turning away, the man gave a dry smile at a glance, reminding me of the sculptor. That smile gave off an uncomfortable feeling from the information I had just obtained. That adds to the list of questions in my brain. I don't know what to say at the moment. My heart was filled with anxiety just because of the events I would leave behind later as I moved.

I should have taken Vestia.

The longer I'm here, the more uncomfortable I'll be here. I want to get out of town before I get involved. I've done enough of my role up here. I just want to enjoy a peaceful journey, not solve problems that have nothing to do with me.

My determination was well-rounded and I decided to leave. The experience in this city is also quite satisfying until I don't have to wait for tomorrow to leave. Anyway, I will remember this city.

I went back to see Vestia halfway before continuing to leave. The crowd seemed to have been fewer than before.

“Hey, from anywhere?” ask Vestia to approach me.

I gave him his pointy hat. “Finding information,” answered me.

“Get something?”

“No.”