Snow Witch'S Journey
Monster Hunting Competition pt.1

My cheeks feel cold. My hands too, my whole body was covered in cold. Something uncomfortable and painful felt all over my body.

The pain made my memories of the times I practiced reappear.

Then I opened my eyes wide. White grains were falling from the dark sky that stretched over as if all the stars were falling, and it was cold as the snowflakes landed on my cheeks.

I found myself lying in an unfamiliar snowfield, in the middle of a forest. With a tilted position, I fell silent as if processing what had happened. The cold, soft snow almost completely buried a part of my body that was hard to move.

Everything feels quiet. Only the sound of the forest atmosphere at night like a whisper of magic and tree branches rubbing against each other. Faintly, my memories were fused back together. I remember I went to this forest because I was hunting something—a monster. However, suddenly something big hit me from behind, making me float in the air for a while, then everything was dark.

When I remembered, I let out a long sigh, a puff of smoke coming out of my mouth.

Lying in the snow was actually quite comfortable, to the point that I didn't feel like getting up at all. It feels so different to lying on my warm, sweet-scented mattress. If only I hadn't been chased for time, I might have been lying here a little longer.

When I tried to get up, my back hurt. My back could not be moved at all, even my breath was suffocated by it. It felt like my bones were broken or my internal organs were shifted. I even had to hold onto my back like a person who was already fragile due to age while trying to wake up.

If none of my robes were embedded in the protection spell, my bones would have been all destroyed and my body would have been split in two.

“I can't wake up in such a miserable condition.” Then, my hand glowed as it held onto my back. Simultaneously, a bluish light appeared from behind the collar of my white shirt. The light in my palm gave a sensation as cool as the morning breeze on my back. Slowly, slowly, I no longer felt pain. All the pain in my body instantly disappeared miraculously and I was able to move around healthy again. I can breathe a sigh of relief.

I then pulled out my necklace from inside the collar. On the necklace, hung a jewel as blue as the sea. The shape is rough like a new former mined from inside a cave. Because actually, the gem is a fragment of the original gem that is much prettier and holds real power. Although only a fragment, this object is still the legendary Asua Gem.

Its clear and clear color reflected a gentle feeling to me. Just looking at it, was enough to heal my restless heart. Then, I put my necklace back in my collar.

I opened the suitcase bag hanging on my shoulder and looked at the contents. “Clothes, still there. Food, ada. Pelples, books, letters ... Great! Everything is complete.” I heaved a sigh of relief after checking that my items were still there and in their intact condition.

I swept around and found a pointed hat lying on the rock not far from where I was lying. I picked it up, patted the snow on the hat, then put it on my head.

Next, I found a big stick stuck in the bushes. I pulled that stick out of the bush. It was a magic wand that was almost as tall as me with its end curved like a hook. Made from special tree wood. Quite light and comfortable in the grip, also useful for pulling, pushing something or helping me as a walker.

Instead of patting my dirty clothes and skirt, I waved my big stick. A small gust of wind swirled around me like I was dancing. The stream moved gently through my robe, then slipped into each strand of my white hair and carried the snowflakes that were concerning. The wind carried flying snow like the points of stars in the sky that glittered as they fell in the air.

Depending on the stick and making a rattling sound when quayunkan is a silver compass that is still brilliant as usual. The compass was tied with a green ribbon.

“So, where is the creature now?” I asked as I looked at the compass disc that had the direction of the wind eye and the pointer needle that continued to move randomly without stopping.

“You really are a stupid girl, yes. Instead of worrying about yourself, you're thinking about the creature.” The voice sounded from the silver compass. The voice of a young man who seemed insolent.

“Of course! If I manage to catch the creature, I will win this competition,” reply I snort annoyed.

“Didn't you remember that thing hit you so hard that it made you bounce in the air?”

“What's really why? After all, I still stand here in good health, don't I?”

“I've never found an owner as stupid as you who was willing to sacrifice a life just for a piece of metal!” his gerrick.

“If I don't get the money soon, in the end I will also die of hunger. I am still an ordinary man,” I said trying to calm the anxiety of the compass. “Just relax, I don't swear to die and you'll never lose the owner again.”

The compass was silent. In other words, he agreed. Then, he let out a long sigh and said, “Teruslah.”

Then, it's time to return to my main purpose of coming here. “I'm counting on you, Aeron. As usual.”

I held my compass in a horizontal position. I clasped the cold metal so tightly as if I didn't want to let go, then I closed my eyes and imagined what I wanted most in my mind. When I reopened my eyes, I saw the pointer that kept spinning slowly stopping at one point in the direction of the wind. Then that's where I'm going.

“People please beware.” The compass reminds me again.

“Take it easy, I'm a powerful wizard,” I replied confidently.

***

On the same day, in the morning. That's when the beginning happened.

Normally, the cities at the End of the Frozen Line had almost the same characteristics: desolate, gloomy, and secluded. However, it seems that this one is not. I had just left the previous city that had such features, and once I reached this one city, I was very surprised by the obvious difference.

I went in and found the city streets quite crowded to the point where I had to be careful not to get pinched by the passersby. Every street corner, including even narrow alleys, is filled with life. The presence of food stalls on the side of the road along with the aroma that stimulates my salivary glands also adds to the hustle of this city.

“Truly a bustling city,” Aeron murmured.

“Yes, I wonder if there is an event here?”

“Oh, you don't know?” A man's voice appeared from behind me just in time as if the world heard my question and instantly gave the right person to answer it.

The not-so-old man was wearing a thick hairy coat—common clothes for the Northmen. However, what caught my attention the most was the sword on his waist. When I turned around and looked at the other people, I realized that most people also carry various weapons.

Why do people carry guns? Is there some sort of troop inauguration here? Or will there be a dispute?

Not long ago, the man replied, “This city is holding a contest.”

“Temporary?”

“Yes, monster hunting contest!”

When I heard it, I was a little confused. Just a monster hunting competition, but until this crowded? In fact, it was no ordinary competition.

“Starting three months ago, the city was terrorized by a beast as big as a hut,”. “Nobody knows where the monster came from, but its sudden appearance put the city in a time of horror. Outermost houses were destroyed, cattle were slaughtered and people passing by in the forest disappeared suddenly. All of this was the monster. Although city guards to local hunters have been deployed to hunt him, but none of them succeeded.”

“Because that's why this contest is held?”

“Betul. The people you see around you right now are great hunters, including me. HA HA HA!” He puffed his chest while laughing.

So, with the holding of the competition, it makes it easier to gather many potential people from various places without having to bother looking for them one by one. And those who are potentially such are hunters. However, I cannot say all those who carry weapons are hunters and not all who do not carry weapons are not hunters.

Whatever it is, this competition is really quite successful to bring in very very many people, which means a lot of profit. I feel like this competition no longer aims to end the terror of monsters, but to benefit from tourists. Because in my opinion, giving people security and holding a competition are two different purposes.

“If you only want to hunt the monster, why not hire a hunter or ask for help from another city? Isn't that more efficient than holding a contest?”

“Why are you asking me? Where do I know!” Suddenly the man became irritated and the smile of his pride disappeared. “Hunters like me don't have to think about complicated things. I came here just for the reward.”

“Oh, gift?” I'm quite interested to hear more.

“Yes! For anyone who managed to capture the creature alive, it will be rewarded with 100 pieces of gold Pengrium.”

“100 .. Gold pan!?”

That's what I mean by this competition is not an ordinary competition.

Hearing and imagining that amount of money, made my head feel very heavy as if it was filled with hundreds of pieces of metal that made a beautiful clanking sound. The same sound tantalized him with the warm smell of bread from the roadside stall.

Ten pieces of silver coins. That's the money I have now. To stay for three days is enough, but not for the next days or my next trip. You could say, I was at a point where I could become a beggar if I was really desperate.

Not that I'm a double-eyed person or anything like that, I'm just thinking realistically.

In any place, money is very important. Money is needed to buy almost every part of life: food, clothing, shelter, even happiness. Moreover, a traveler like me who moves from one place to another will surely meet with economic activities that require exchange with money. I would be lying if I said I didn't need the money. I need money like I need my life to live.

Therefore, I feel like this competition is like my exit from the problem of poverty that I am experiencing. I don't see that opportunity to be wasted.

“Then, how do I go to join?”

The man's eyes widened to hear my words. “You want to come? Are you serious? Hunting those monsters is a cruel and dangerous job, not something a young girl like you can do

Some say, the lies or honesty of others can be seen through their eyes. So, I pushed the edge of my runt cap up with my cane and showed my pretty blue eyes while smiling at the man.