Who Are You?

Lynn ran into an “old acquaintance” again.

Of course, this time, it didn't refer to Lagut's disgusting fat face.

On the pure white snowfield, the blonde boy and girl stood facing each other.

“Yo, isn't this my most loyal little doggy for the next three years? Your team... is quite interesting, huh?”

Veronica swept her gaze over the bizarre scene of one person leading four wolves. Smiling, she lightly raised her folding fan and walked over with slow steps.

“...Are you guys some kind of mandatory event that has to take turns appearing?”

One after another... and this devilish woman indeed said exactly what he expected!

Seeing Lynn remain silent, Veronica, thinking she had hit him where it hurt, unleashed a two-hit combo: “Don't worry~ This young lady is actually quite merciful. Regarding our bet... surrender and lose half—how does that sound?”

“Sure,” Lynn nodded repeatedly, giving her a bright smile.

“Shorty, if you surrender right now, I might just find it in my heart to reduce your term as my lackey to a year and a half.”

“...You... You!”

Veronica's completely flat chest puffed up in anger.

Taking a deep breath, she sneered coldly, “Ha~ You can only act tough with your mouth right now.”

“Ah... how should I discipline a disobedient puppy?”

Cradling her cheeks, Veronica gradually drifted into a daydream.

That annoying muscle demon kneeling on the ground with teary eyes: ‘Lady Veronica, I have realized your greatness and my own foolishness.’

He held her arched foot and solemnly swore: ‘From now on, I am your most loyal subordinate. If you tell me to go east, I will never go...’

The closed door suddenly burst open, and a certain pink-haired dumpling barged in, shouting: ‘Young Master, I'm here to save you!’

‘Nonsense!’ Facing the pink-haired girl whose eyes were gradually losing their light, Lynn spoke with righteous indignation.

‘My heart has already been taken by Lady Veronica. I no longer feel joy or sorrow in this life. Pink-haired bystander, please go back.’

“...”

“Ohohohohoho~”

Seriously, what is this shorty daydreaming about?

Looking at Veronica, whose face was flushed as she seemed to be lost in some fantasy, Lynn coughed twice. “Do you really think you've won?”

“Otherwise?” Interrupted, Veronica snapped back with annoyance.

“To tell you the truth, this young lady has already earned 300 victory points. And you...”

“My, my, a muscle demon who knows absolutely nothing about hunting probably has 60 at most, right?”

60.0?

Lynn looked down at the 600 victory points displayed on his magical artifact.

“You're right, I'm indeed a bit short.”

His gaze turned “gloomy,” and he lowered his head as if his sore spot had been poked.

“This expression~ Not bad~ I've always wanted to see this look on your face~” Veronica stood on her tiptoes, using her folding fan to gently lift Lynn's chin.

Patting the youth's cheek, which was slightly stiff from the cold wind, she waved her hand and walked away in an excellent mood.

“Don't forget our bet~ My little doggy for the next three years~”

The mother wolf, who had stood silently on the side acting as a background prop, glanced at the “gloomy” Lynn in confusion.

‘What on earth is this two-legged beast up to?’

“Pfft, hahaha—”

Once he was sure Veronica was far enough away, Lynn broke character instantly.

The mother wolf scratched her head with her paw.

‘What is the two-legged beast so happy about?’

‘Our wolf tribe is still the best. If we want something, we just knock the opponent out with a single swipe.’

‘Sigh, the world of two-legged beasts is just too complicated.’

...

Veronica was in a good mood.

A very good mood.

Recalling Lynn's “gloomy” face after having his sore spot poked, she felt that even the biting wind of the day had softened quite a bit.

“That muscle demon... should have realized reality by now, right?”

Humming a little tune, she lightly tapped her palm with her folding fan as she searched southward along the leeward slope of the ridge. According to her estimates, there should be a den of icefield wolves in this area. If she cleared it out, her victory points would jump up another notch.

Just as she lifted her head to get her bearings, a familiar figure under a withered tree not far away suddenly caught her eye.

Blonde hair. Tight-fitting outfit. A straight, upright back.

It was Lynn.

Veronica raised her eyebrows. “Yo, how long has it even been? What, did you lose your magical beast friends and come running to this young lady for help?”

She approached with a smile. However, the figure did not react at all, merely standing motionless with his back to her, as if waiting for something.

Veronica's smile faded slightly, and her pace slowed.

“Are you acting all brooding now?”

The person under the withered tree finally turned around.

The face was indeed Lynn's. The features, the hair color, the signature impatient expression, and even the fluctuations of magic power... everything was flawlessly perfect.

The blonde youth looked at her, the corners of his mouth curving slightly upward into a gentle smile.

“Veronica, I'm very sorry about what happened before.”

“I hope you can forgive me. For the rest of the competition, I want to cooperate fully with you.”

He said.

Then, Lynn extended his hand toward her, palm up, in an inviting gesture.

Veronica froze.

She lowered her head, hiding her expression, and her tone of response trembled slightly.

“Sure~”

Lynn raised his eyebrows. Was the Saintess... that happy? That was really...

‘Wonderful.’

He wore a flawlessly perfect smile, maintaining his hand-outstretched posture as he watched the delicate girl step closer and reach out with her slender, pale hand.

“Veroni—” His gentle tone halted abruptly halfway through.

“Squelch—”

The sound of fabric tearing and flesh being pierced was exceptionally clear on the quiet snowfield.

'Lynn' looked down, staring in astonishment at the massive ice pillar piercing through his chest.

Ink-black blood sizzled as it flowed from the hideous wound, turning into a wisp of black smoke before even hitting the ground.

“Who are you?”

A voice completely devoid of emotion, cold as ice, came from Veronica's mouth.

“My, my... as expected of the Saintess.

“I went to quite a bit of trouble to disguise myself like this, you know? I didn't expect I wouldn't even last a single exchange...

“I am truly curious... how on earth did you find out?”

“Don't say stupid things.

“No matter how similar the appearance, aura, and magic are, that infuriating stupidity of his is not something you can copy.”

The whistling cold wind lifted the girl's golden hair, and she lowered her eyelids.

“If you keep using his face to say such nonsense—I will tear your mouth apart.”

'Lynn's' hoarse voice gradually rose. “I see. Was it a loophole in my intelligence that led to a misjudgment of the relationship between you two?

“However—Lady Saintess, it would have been much better for you to pretend you didn't notice...

“Now that you've said it so bluntly, I have no reason to let you off...?!”

The playful words were swallowed back down his throat before they could even be fully uttered.

The girl in front of him had already vanished.

‘So fast!!?’

Just as 'Lynn' was about to dodge, solid ice that had crept up on him at some unknown point firmly locked his ankles in place.

The cold aura from the tips of the girl's hair swept in from behind him.

And along with it came her indifferent whisper.

“Sleep.”