Chapter 210

Winter Has Come (2)

The deer that brought the golden apple was treated as a guest rather than a member of the family.

All the deer needed was a warm fire.

So I let it stay in the brick house. Kkobong was initially on high alert, but it wasn’t long before he lowered his guard.

After all, Kkobong was weak when he couldn’t use mana.

Perhaps the deer knew that, or maybe it was simply displaying its usual composure. Either way, it didn’t seem concerned.

The day after we accepted the deer as our guest—

"Haah..."

I stared at the cave entrance, which had been completely buried beneath the snow, and sighed.

"It’s finally here."

The cold season—winter—had arrived.

***

It hadn’t rained yesterday, but the weather had become bitterly cold, so I had already suspected this would happen.

That was why we had kept the fireplace burning to prevent the chimney from becoming blocked.

Fast Sloth was constantly adding firewood anyway, so there was no danger of the fire going out.

Even so, we couldn’t simply leave the cave entrance buried beneath the snow.

We also needed to check the condition of the house next door—the brick house where the animals lived.

"Mister, aren’t you cold—"

"Grrrrr..."

Perhaps it was thanks to the cold-weather clothing we had received from the dwarf, or maybe it was the fireplace’s comforting warmth.

Despite ordinarily waking early like a proper soldier, Ludwig was still snoring.

Well, it was six in the morning, so I couldn’t blame him.

’Wonmo has gone into hibernation, but what about Tyranno?’

Wonmo had entered hibernation after growing plump with fur and fat.

I wasn’t sure about Tyranno, though. He might resemble a reptile, but he was still a dragon. Perhaps he didn’t need to hibernate.

In any case, clearing the snow came first.

I used the emergency exit I had constructed for situations like this.

Like a chimney, the emergency exit extended through the ceiling and consisted of a long passageway.

I had built it in preparation for the possibility of the snow accumulating to an abnormal depth.

I had even made the roof sloped.

However, constructing a proper hatch had been difficult, so I had been forced to cover the opening with multiple layers of cloth.

"Heave-ho."

I climbed the ladder inside the passageway and emerged outside.

The moment I stepped out, I felt the bitterly cold air.

The entire forest was also covered in pure white snow.

It had been the same last time. Whenever winter arrived, snow piled up everywhere.

’Fortunately, the brick house hasn’t collapsed.’

Although some snow had accumulated on its roof, the house remained intact.

Smoke was rising from the chimney, so Kkobong must have been feeding the fire.

Now that I had roughly assessed the situation, all that remained was the actual work.

"Mister, wake up."

"Mmm..."

Ludwig staggered to his feet and joined me.

Upon emerging from the passageway, his mouth fell open at the sight of the enormous amount of snow.

He probably hadn’t expected so much to accumulate in a single night.

Still, it had to be done. I handed him a shovel.

"Let’s clear it."

"...$%%$#."

I think he called it "garbage that fell from the sky."

I wholeheartedly agreed.

Why did garbage like this have to fall from the sky?

The snow itself was bad enough, but the real hell would begin once it froze and turned the ground into an icy death trap.

Crackle! Pop!

As we cleared the snow, we also built campfires here and there.

The last thing we needed to do was inspect the inside of the brick house.

Its entrance had also been buried beneath the snow, and since the building had no windows, there was no way to see inside.

When I finally entered—

"Zzzzz..."

Everyone was sleeping peacefully.

The deer that had arrived as a guest was no exception.

The fireplace must have been exceptionally effective, because the interior was filled with cozy warmth.

"Hey, wake up. It’s time for breakfast."

"Grunt?"

Only then did the animals begin to stir at my voice.

The deer raised its head after hearing me, but soon let it droop again.

It appeared to assume that it wouldn’t receive any food because it was merely a guest.

"Hey, long-neck."

"Grunt?"

"Not you."

Right. There was someone here with an even longer neck.

I was calling the deer, not Largo.

The deer stared at me with a frown, as though asking why I had called it.

"Do you want breakfast too? You’ll be staying here all winter anyway."

"...Moo."

The deer lowered its head again as though declining.

Then it settled into an extremely comfortable sleeping position.

Deer and other herbivores ordinarily curled up when they slept.

This deer did nothing of the sort. It sprawled out as though it were relaxing in its own bedroom.

’If it says it’ll find its own food, then whatever.’

There was no need for me to prepare anything separately.

Furthermore, the deer wasn’t originally from this part of the forest.

It had most likely come here because it wanted somewhere warm to spend the winter.

The fact that it had personally brought a golden apple I had never seen anywhere else made that obvious.

"Master. What food?"

"Wild boar meat and sweet potatoes."

Since Wonmo was hibernating, we had plenty of food.

After enjoying a hearty breakfast, I returned to the cave.

There was almost nothing worthwhile to do during winter.

At most, there was training and gathering Ice Flowers.

I would have liked to gain resistance to cold from the Ice Flowers, but—

’I’m afraid I’ll acquire another bizarre ability.’

It would be better to discuss that with Starlight Princess gradually.

For now, there was something else I wanted to investigate before the Ice Flowers.

Sparkle! Sparkle!

I held the golden apple that the deer had brought late last night.

It gleamed as though covered in gold leaf.

Golden apples appeared frequently in mythology, and this one was about the size of an ordinary apple.

’Where in the world did it find something like this?’

First the honey-filled beehive, and now a golden apple.

Whenever the deer visited my shelter, it brought remarkably rare objects with it.

I didn’t know whether it possessed some special ability or simply lived near a place where such treasures could be found.

’First, I should ask what effects it has.’

I immediately connected to the gallery.

Title: I Got a Golden Apple

Wild Grylls

(Photo of the deer sleeping comfortably inside the brick house)

(Photo of the glittering golden apple)

The deer that gave me honey last time gave me a golden apple this time.

It asked me to let it sleep in the brick house in exchange for the apple.

I accepted it, but does anyone know what this thing does? It looks amazing at first glance.

└ Heavenly Demon: What an appetizing apple.

└ SwordMaster: Aren’t golden apples something from mythology? I heard that eating one grants extraordinary abilities.

└ Heavenly Demon: What sort of abilities?

└ SwordMaster: Most stories say they restore youth. Since you’re from the Central Plains, Heavenly Demon, you know about the Herb of Immortality, right?

└ Heavenly Demon: I have heard it is a medicinal herb that grants eternal life to those who consume it.

└ SwordMaster: Some stories claim the Herb of Immortality is actually the cotyledon of the tree that bears golden apples.

└ Why do you know so much about this?

└ May I ask how old you are...?

└ SwordMaster: Shut up.

└ Heavenly Demon: This one does not find it particularly enticing. What do you intend to do with it?

└ Wild Grylls: I’ll eat it first and think about that afterward. If I get more later, I’ll share them with you.

└ All-Father: If that truly is the golden apple of myth... Forgive my impertinence, but could you give me even its peel?

└ The professor is back again, lol.

└ You know it’s genuine when he’s begging for even the peel, lmao.

└ Does the peel have an effect too?

└ It probably isn’t completely ineffective.

└ Wild Grylls: I can certainly give you the peel. Does it have any effects besides restoring youth?

└ All-Father: According to the literature, its symbolic significance outweighs its practical effects. Golden apples frequently appeared as gifts exchanged between the gods.

So golden apples appeared in this world’s mythology too.

How fascinating.

In any case, eating it would probably be best. I wanted to share it with the named users, but there simply wasn’t enough.

Unlike the golden mushrooms, whose effects could be either extremely beneficial or catastrophically harmful, the golden apple appeared to have nothing but positive effects.

’They say an apple in the morning is good for you, right?’

I slowly began peeling the apple with my dagger.

The flesh underneath shone even more brilliantly than its skin.

My mouth was already watering. Its effects aside, I was curious about how it tasted.

"Here. Have a slice."

"Thank you."

"You have some too, Fast Sloth. Tyranno, you too."

"Pii!"

I divided the apple into eight slices and handed them out.

I even forcibly woke the hibernating Wonmo and put a piece in his mouth.

Crunch, crunch—

"Oh."

"$%."

"Pii!"

It was sweet.

That was the first thought that entered my mind the instant I bit into it.

Despite having no honey on it, a rich sweetness and fragrance filled my mouth.

I was incredibly curious about where the deer had found this golden apple.

’As for its effects... I can’t really tell.’

Despite its brilliant glow, my mana had not increased by any noticeable amount.

Of course, that might have been because I already possessed an enormous amount of mana.

It would be better to examine Ludwig’s reaction.

"Mist—"

The moment I saw Ludwig’s face, I froze.

As befitted someone of his tremendous ability, Ludwig possessed an exceptionally high affinity for mana.

That would ordinarily delay the aging process, but he was a soldier—a soldier who had survived countless battles.

Since he had never undergone bodily reformation, he had accumulated wrinkles like an ordinary person and bore every mark of the hardships he had endured.

"...Who are you?"

But look at him now.

The seasoned veteran who had been sitting there moments earlier had vanished.

A few wrinkles remained, but he looked at least ten years younger.

Ludwig himself continued chewing the apple as though he hadn’t noticed any change.

Surely he should at least have noticed the changes in his own body.

"Mister, look in the mirror."

"?"

I kindly handed him a mirror.

Ludwig looked puzzled at first, but the moment he saw his reflection, his eyes widened.

He repeatedly examined himself, running his hands over his face.

"...Oh?"

That was all he said.

His reaction suggested that even he hadn’t expected this.

He then stretched and loosened his muscles to assess his physical condition.

Just as his face had grown younger, his entire body appeared to have been rejuvenated. His joints seemed to move even more smoothly than before.

’His foot is still the same.’

Regardless of his restored youth, his mithril foot remained unchanged.

If Ludwig had become younger, what about the animals?

I checked Fast Sloth first.

I couldn’t identify any visible changes. The same applied to Tyranno and Wonmo.

Apparently, those who were still growing or whose bodies were already at their physical prime were exceptions.

’Or perhaps it extends the duration of their prime?’

That led me to another thought.

’Don’t tell me that deer has been eating golden apples regularly.’

Its youthful appearance contrasted sharply with its constant composure, and it possessed tremendous strength as well.

Perhaps it was far older than I imagined.

After briefly considering that possibility, I checked the remaining apple slices.

Despite sharing it with everyone except the deer and the raccoon family, one slice remained.

’The deer said it didn’t need any, and the raccoon family declined.’

Who should I give this last slice to?

As I considered the question, someone suddenly came to mind.

SwordMaster, the named user who had always been unusually sensitive about youth.

She would probably appreciate it.

’But first, I should send the apple peel to All-Father.’

Afterward, I immediately sent SwordMaster a private message.

[SwordMaster: You’re giving me a slice of the apple?]

[Wild Grylls: Yes. I happened to have one left, and you seemed to want it.]

[SwordMaster: When did I ever say that?]

[Wild Grylls: You didn’t? Then I’ll give it to someone else.]

[SwordMaster: W-Wait a momemt!]

She must have panicked badly enough to make a typo. I chuckled.

[SwordMaster: Just so we’re clear, I’m not some old hag. Understood?]

[Wild Grylls: I wouldn’t insult someone who has helped me.]

[SwordMaster: You even have a wonderful personality. Hurry up and marry me.]

[Wild Grylls: If you’re willing to wait until I escape from here.]

By now, I could respond to jokes like that with jokes of my own.

After receiving the golden apple slice, SwordMaster thanked me repeatedly.

’I should ask the deer where it found the apple later.’

Perhaps it was because the winter cold was so bitter.

The rest of the day passed peacefully, with nothing in particular to do.

***

Meanwhile, Ash—SwordMaster—had received a slice of golden apple as a gift from Grylls.

"...Oh, for fuck’s sake."

She cursed upon witnessing the golden apple’s astonishing effects.

Why would she curse if its effects were so beneficial?

A glance at her bed would provide the answer.

Ash already had the appearance of a woman in her mid-twenties, so the golden apple held little significance for her.

She had also recently eaten the honey she received from Grylls, leaving even her skin smooth and flawless.

Consequently, she had eaten the golden apple simply because receiving it put her in a good mood.

Clack—

"Dear, what are you—hm?"

The problem was Ash’s innate talent.

Her talent was so exceptional that even calling it heaven-sent seemed insufficient.

Her swordsmanship talent was extraordinary, but her physical gifts were especially absurd.

"Ash?"

"Yes, it’s me."

"You look... younger."

Ash’s mother asked in a bewildered voice.

Her reaction was perfectly understandable.

Just as a newly blossomed flower was at its most beautiful, a woman’s beauty was said to shine most brightly when it first came into bloom.

In Ash’s case, that had been when she was exactly eighteen.

She remembered receiving countless marriage proposals at that age.

Her mother remembered that period vividly and therefore recognized it better than anyone.

Ash was also exceptionally tall for a woman, which made her beauty stand out even more.

"Yes. Well..."

Ash was widely regarded as the strongest swordswoman on the continent.

"This is what happened."

And now she had undergone an entirely unwanted return to youth.

’Actually, this isn’t bad at all.’

Contrary to her initial outburst, she was extremely satisfied.

She hadn’t simply become prettier. She had genuinely grown younger.

’At this point, maybe age doesn’t matter anymore.’

Ash began entertaining pleasant fantasies.

While someone in a distant corner of the continent underwent an unwanted return to youth—

"We’re here."

"...We are."

Asella, the Hero, arrived at the capital.

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