By the time Midir and Aila followed Ronald’s directions and found him in a hidden cave by the lake, night had already quietly fallen. Inside the cave, Ronald had already started a warm campfire and was hanging his soaked outer clothes by the fire to dry.
“Thank the Fire God, you’re finally here! I was nearly freezing to death in this godforsaken place!” Ronald shouted excitedly when he saw the two figures step into the cave, his voice full of joy.
Midir looked around. The cave wasn't large, but it was exceptionally cold on this late autumn night. The small campfire in front of them did almost nothing to raise the temperature of the surroundings.
With a gentle wave of his hand, several flames suddenly leaped into the air. In an instant, the cave was embraced by a warm glow, and the biting chill was completely driven away.
As night deepened, the three of them sat around the campfire, wrapped in thick blankets, enjoying a lavish dinner.
Midir’s absurdly large storage space certainly came in handy. When they were preparing in the capital, Black had practically stuffed in everything one could possibly associate with wilderness survival.
Even in this desolate wilderness, the three of them felt no discomfort. The cave blocked out the howling night wind, leaving only a faint whisper echoing in their ears.
“It’s a good thing I came out with you this time, Midir. With you around, at least I don’t have to worry about missing out on good food no matter where we go!”
At this moment, Aila completely abandoned her usual ladylike poise. She held a golden-brown, sizzling roasted chicken leg in her hand and took a large bite, not forgetting to give Midir a big thumbs-up, her eyes full of satisfaction.
Midir looked at her adorable appearance, a gentle smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he spoke softly.
“Don't rush, take your time. I have enough food for all three of us to enjoy. Ronald, don't be formal, eat more. We're all friends here!”
Since their reunion that afternoon, Ronald had been restless. He would occasionally stand on his tiptoes, peering through the gaps in the cave to try and catch a glimpse of the dark world outside.
It wasn't until Midir’s call pulled him back to reality that he sat down. After thanking them repeatedly, he picked up a fragrant rib and began to eat heartily.
“What’s wrong, Ronald? I’ve seen you pacing around here for hours,” Aila asked, looking at the distracted Ronald.
Hearing this, Ronald forced a bitter smile and replied.
“You probably don't understand how I feel right now, but I have to figure out how to get No. 23 out. After all, it's worth a fortune just in materials alone. Besides, I only borrowed it from my uncle. If something serious happens to it, how am I supposed to explain it to him?”
“Oh! I see. You should ask Midir to help you. He’s strong enough, anyway. Maybe he can just pull No. 23 up with a 'whoosh' like he's fishing!”
Aila had a look of realization, then naturally turned to look at Midir, who was tidying up the tableware.
Midir shook his head, his face a mask of helplessness.
“Aila, you really overestimate me. You have to realize that No. 23 weighs dozens of tons, and it’s stuck in the mud at the bottom of the lake. If I really had that much power, I’d have become a god by now.”
Ronald also sighed and offered some comfort.
“It’s alright, Mr. Midir. Aila was probably just speaking off the cuff. I’ve already sent a message to the shop, asking the family to bring some heavy equipment to see if we can fish it out. My concern now is that if the weather gets any colder, the lake water will freeze, which would make things even more troublesome.”
“True... speaking of freezing? That might actually be a good idea,” Midir said, suddenly looking up as if he had thought of something.
“Huh? Wait—you’re not thinking of freezing the entire lake, are you? No, no, no, even for you, that’s a bit much! This isn't some small pond in front of a house! You’re joking, right?” Aila waved her hands in disbelief, clearly thinking the idea was too fantastical.
However, Midir’s expression was unusually serious. He lightly rubbed his chin and explained softly.
“Of course I don't mean freezing the whole lake. But considering the temperature is already very low, we can take advantage of that. Tomorrow, I can try to locally freeze a portion of the water to simplify the salvage work. Regardless... it’s worth a try, isn't it?”
“Anyway, you two should get some rest. Get your strength up so we can try to get No. 23 out tomorrow,” Midir added, comforting the still-anxious Ronald.
...
The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight lightly brushed across the lake’s surface, the three of them had already arrived at the water's edge.
Aila looked at the shimmering lake ahead. It really wasn't a small lake; she estimated it was at least several kilometers across. Without a marker, finding No. 23 in this vast lake would be a significant undertaking.
“Ronald, can you still find its position?” Midir asked.
Ronald pulled a pocket-watch-like tool from his vest. A bright red needle sparkled in the sunlight, pointing straight toward the center of the lake.
“Looking at it now, it’s about four hundred meters from the shore,” Ronald replied after carefully examining the parameters on the dial.
Aila frowned as she looked at the distant water, feeling a bit troubled.
“Four hundred meters... that’s not close at all. How do we get over there?” Her gaze turned to Midir, only to find that he had already started walking, heading straight into the lake.
Under their watchful eyes, Midir strode into the lake. Unlike the expected splashing, the lake surface beneath his feet instantly froze into solid frost. With every step he took, not a single ripple was stirred, as if he were walking on solid ground.
This magical sight left both Aila and Ronald dumbfounded, momentarily forgetting what to say.
“What are you two dazed for? Hurry up and follow!” Midir saw that Aila and Ronald were still standing on the shore and turned back to urge them on.
Aila walked cautiously to the edge of the lake, tentatively tapping the ice with one foot. After confirming it was incredibly solid, she hopped on lightly. Seeing this, Ronald quickly followed suit.
“I say, when did you become able to do something like this? I feel like the ice magic you used when sparring with me in the capital wasn't quite at this level.”
The three of them walked at a leisurely pace across the continuously freezing lake. Aila kept looking back at the perfectly sealed icy path, asking with curiosity.
Midir simply shrugged, indicating he didn't know why either.
“I don't know. It feels like after sleeping for a few days, there’s something more in my head. I can do it now partly because the surrounding temperature is low enough. If it were summer... I wouldn't be so sure.”
And so, with the help of the ice path, the three of them easily reached the marker in the middle of the lake.
The water beneath their feet was quite clear. With the help of the light shining down, they could just barely see the red silhouette of No. 23 lying quietly on the lake bed, partially covered by silt.
Rate on N.U.
