The temperature had completely shifted from scorching heat to bitter cold, the ground covered in a layer of frozen white frost, tiny snowflakes swirling with the frigid wind.
Meili wrapped herself tightly in the cloak. She had put on thick clothing, and her shoes were leather boots. The boots were warm but didn’t fit, slightly too big — after all, they were hastily taken from the Temple Knights who had been chasing them. Ill-fitting or not, there was no other choice.
Her boots stepped on the ground, the frozen, stiffened blades of grass making a creaking sound. She walked beside Muli, her cheeks a little flushed, her breathing slightly rushed.
She had been trekking for too long, so it was inevitable to feel exhausted.
The farther they walked, the more monotonous the scenery became, not even an extra bit of color. They hadn’t even reached the actual polar region yet, and it was already cold enough to be unbearable.
Meili walked forward with difficulty, closely following in Muli’s footsteps. She slightly pulled away the cloak covering her mouth, wanting to speak to distract herself.
“Muli, why did you leave the polar region before?”
“When the polar region gets a bit warmer for a few months, people go in to hunt magic beasts — those Temple people. They’re too annoying.” Having returned here, Muli felt the icy air as if he were a fish returned to water; even his steps felt lighter. But when speaking of this, his tone was full of displeasure. “I avoided them and ran out.”
Then he added, “I was born in the polar region. I also wanted to go out and take a look.”
Meili took a breath. “Then do you like this outside world?”
Muli said straightforwardly, “No.”
Meili: “The outside world disappoints you?”
Muli: “Too wasteful.”
“Wasteful?” Meili didn’t quite understand.
Muli: “In the polar region, the prey I kill is eaten as food. Outside, most of what I kill are people and people can’t be eaten. Wasteful.”
Truly… a simple and honest hunting philosophy.
Meili saw the white breath puffing from her mouth. She smiled, then suddenly her foot caught on something and she fell to her knees.
She tried to push forward while holding her breath, but with that fall, she felt drained and couldn’t get up.
Her body suddenly grew light — Muli had picked her up. “You’re tired?”
Meili: “…Mm.”
Muli: “Then I’ll just carry you.”
Seeing he didn’t seem the least bit bothered, Meili slowly relaxed her back, nestling into his broad chest, steadying her rapid breathing.
To Meili, she was traveling together with Muli. But to Muli, he was merely taking a walk with her. Such a short distance wasn’t even considered a warm-up for him.
He let her walk by his side so slowly only because he hadn’t sensed those Temple Knights catching up.
After her breathing finally calmed, Meili felt the sweat from the journey turning into a chill, and she couldn’t help but lean closer to Muli. Even through the layers of clothing, the warmth from his body seeped into hers — so warm.
She let out a soft, comfortable sigh without realizing.
“There’s a rabbit over there.” Muli looked ahead and said.
Meili struggled to climb down. “Where?”
The ground was covered in white everywhere. For a moment, she couldn’t spot the equally white rabbit.
Muli didn’t put her down. Instead, he changed his posture — one arm held out horizontally before his chest for her to sit on, while his other arm wrapped in front of her chest. “I’ll get closer so you can see.”
Meili hurriedly took out her bow, set an arrow, and searched intently ahead. Finally, she saw something move.
“There!” She lowered her voice, shut her mouth, and carefully aimed at the prey.
The arrow shot out, but didn’t even land within three meters of the rabbit, wobbling and sticking into the ground.
Meili was not surprised at all. She sighed and rested the back of her head against Muli’s chest, tilting up to glance at his chin. “I missed again.”
Muli, with no sense of tact whatsoever, said straight out, “You’ve never hit one.”
The rabbit, already frightened, darted into a small hole and disappeared. Muli carried her over to pick up the arrow. “Try again next time.”
Meili: “Okay, I’ll practice hard!”
It would be good if she could help with hunting in the future.
For the rest of the journey, they walked and rested alternately. When Meili felt better, she would walk for a while on her own. Once she was tired again, Muli would carry her. Whenever they encountered small animals along the way, he would stop and let Meili try shooting with her bow.
This area near the polar region was a barren expanse of frozen white frost. Walking too long in such an unchanging landscape could easily drive someone insane. Muli did not like this place either. Compared to this, he much preferred the snowy lands inside the polar region.
But this time, there was a human with him. He only felt that this stretch of road was even shorter than the time he would usually spend sprinting through by himself — it was over in a blink.
“We’re at the polar region.” Muli pushed up the skull helmet on his head, lifting his chin as snowflakes blew wildly against him.
There was a trace of excitement in his voice, like a wanderer returning home for the first time, unable to wait any longer.
Meili leaned against him, drawing warmth from him, then stood up to look around with curiosity. “There are no markings or boundary stones around here. How do you know this is already within the polar region?”
Muli: “I can feel it.” As he spoke, he suddenly pulled his own cloak forward, wrapping Meili tightly in his arms, then sped up his pace.
The cloak had been slashed many times by the Temple Knights, full of holes. Through one tear, Meili peered outside and heard him shout loudly while running, venting his emotions — his voice echoing between heaven and earth.
Right after that shout, the snow in the sky began falling even more violently.
Meili finally felt the kind of “feeling” Muli spoke of. The polar region could be summed up in one word — cold.
A cold completely different from that frozen wasteland before. It pierced deep into the bones, a pure cold. Even curled up in Muli’s embrace, she could still hear her teeth chattering, so she raised her hand to press her fingers against them.
She had experienced many winters in her own world, and there was heavy snow too, but compared to this place, the winters she knew were gentle. Snow gently blanketed her garden, the nearby forests, and fields. Beneath the snow, flowers and plants waited to sprout; trees slept under their white blankets; occasionally little animals would run across the snowy ground.
But not here. The snow here was harsh and cutting, like blades. The cold seeped into every gap, trying to assimilate her into its chill, to extinguish the warmth inside her body.
As Muli continued forward, Meili not only had her teeth chattering; her entire body began trembling uncontrollably.
Muli noticed. He stopped and looked down at her.
“Is it really that cold?”
“…I should send you back.”
Meili rubbed her face against his chest and shook her head hard, her voice trembling, “N-no, I’ll get used to it, I’ll get used to it soon.”
This was her choice. Even if she really froze to death here, she wouldn’t feel regret. She didn’t ask for much, she only wanted to have a choice.
She couldn’t stop trembling, and Muli could feel it clearly. She was like a pitiful, dying little creature.
Red hair in his arms was the brightest color in this world of white. Muli reached out to touch her head, then suddenly opened his clothes and stuffed her inside.
Meili’s senses were a bit dull. Pressed tightly against his chest, she felt a little itch on her face, and only then realized that what her hands were touching was no longer rough cloth, but soft white fur. She unconsciously stroked it for a moment, then wrapped her arms around him.
Muli’s entire fur bristled from Meili curling up inside his embrace and touching him. His instinct was to throw her out and run far away, but he knew he could not do that. Not only could he not throw her out — he had to hold her tighter, or she would freeze to death.
His palm spread out over the curve beneath his chest, opening and clenching with every one of Meili’s movements.
Wrapped in warm breath, Meili slowly regained her awareness. She moved her head and heard Muli grunt twice, then hug her even tighter. His fur was so warm. After experiencing that cold, all she wanted was to hold onto this warm Muli and never let go. Thank you for your hard work — she silently murmured in her heart, feeling a little embarrassed.
“Should we keep chasing after that magic beast half-breed that ran into the polar region?” A group of Temple Knights stopped in the frozen soil outside the polar region. The leading knight turned his head and asked.
Among them, a black-robed priest wearing thick magic beast fur slowly shook his head. “That’s enough. As long as we drove it back, it counts.”
Someone else disagreed. “If we don’t pursue and kill it now, what if it comes out again later?”
“Oh please. The polar region is huge. Do you think you can actually find it once it runs inside? And it’s almost winter, you can’t enter the polar region during winter. Going in is the same as seeking death. If you want to go, go alone.” Another knight cut him off without hesitation.
The polar region had no division of four seasons. Outside its long winter, there were only three to four months when the temperature was slightly less cold. During those months, Temple Knights would enter to hunt magic beasts.
But once the polar region entered winter, they would not easily step in — not only because of the extreme cold, but also because the tides of winter made the magic beasts far more violent. Some would even leave the polar region and approach human cities. The Temple Knights could hunt magic beasts without entering.
After arguing a few sentences, the knights eventually followed the priest’s judgment and turned back.
But returning empty-handed left everyone with an ugly expression.
During this time, nearly all the Temple Knights from the nearby cities had been out chasing and blocking that half-breed, yet no one could stop him. He even stole things from them several times, and they had been toyed with for so long.
“Don’t ever let me see it again, or I’ll skin it alive and make a coat!”
The companion beside him muttered, “Easy to say, but can you even beat it?”
The knight who had spoken was choked, glaring resentfully while shutting up in humiliation.
Although he didn’t want to admit it… he really couldn’t beat him.
───♡───
By now, Muli had already brought Meili back to his home. This wasn’t deep inside the polar region — even a few hundred years ago, during the great war, it had been the border battleground where human warriors hunted magic beasts. But humans had long since withdrawn from the polar region, and this area had become one of its dangerous zones. His home, a lighthouse standing tall amidst wind and snow, was a remaining structure from that ancient battlefield.
His scent here had faded somewhat, but no other magic beasts or wild animals had come to claim his territory.
He pushed open the door. In an instant, the sound of the howling wind and snow grew much quieter. The roaring wind fell away, and the bright light outside dimmed sharply.
The tall lighthouse had a small floor area, tall but empty. Against the wall was a narrow staircase spiraling upward all the way to the top, from where one could look far into the distance. Muli could climb it when he was young, but after growing into such a large body, he could no longer fit.
A beam of light shone in from the high window, slanting against the wall.
Muli pressed a hand against his chest, rummaged around, and pulled out a pile of magic beast bones. He threw them into the fire pit in the center of the lighthouse and lit a fire.
The orange flames flickered, illuminating the surroundings. The temperature inside the lighthouse slowly rose.
Muli sat in front of the fire. The front of his clothes moved slightly, and Meili poked her head out from his embrace.
