The Bizarre Wizarding World

"What's wrong?" But the next moment, Silvester suddenly asked nervously and quickly withdrew the witchcraft.

Plop.

Plop plop.

Transparent tears welled up from the corner of Shelley's eyes, sliding down her face and falling to the ground, splashing barely noticeable water droplets.

…

"At that time, I thought of my foster mother. I suddenly understood hunger and understood the pain she suffered before dying."

On the glacier, Shelley continued speaking as they were about to reach the peak.

"But at the same time, I became even more confused.

I was confused as to why my foster mother, even up until her death, chose to endure such pain rather than eat the last porridge before her."

"I asked my mentor." Shelley finally climbed this peak and turned to look at Colin, "The mentor answered me, saying it's 'love'."

Shelley reached out to pull Colin up to the summit, her movements seeming somewhat strained.

At this moment, she seemed no longer the naturally powerful Glacier Elf, but just a normal girl.

"Love made my foster mother willingly endure hunger, accept pain, and even choose death, just to leave the last bit of food for me."

"...Love is harder to understand than suffering."

"Through witchcraft, my mentor let me experience hunger, feel pain, taste exhaustion...

Yet, it couldn't let me feel love."

"The mentor said love is simple, as it's the force that makes one endure suffering, that is love.

But I think love is far more complex than pain, far more than death... far more than anything."

After Shelley finished speaking, she suddenly turned her head to gaze at Colin and asked, "You love me, don't you?"

"You're willing to come to the Extreme North for me, endure the fatigue of the journey, the pain of battle, and even the risk of death... You love me, don't you?"

Seemingly struck by Shelley's direct words, Colin was frozen on the spot.

Shelley's words seemed like plain talk.

But as he questioned his own heart, he found himself incapable of simply saying 'not love.'

Shelley did not press further; she looked at the glacier peaks rising and falling before her and continued:

"The people of Pani Village where I grew up always believed that every person who dies eventually becomes a rising ice peak on the glacier."

In many places, including Earth, there are similar legends.

"I don't believe this legend, but when the mentor brought me back here for the first time, I found this nurturing glacier had, unbeknownst to me, a new peak."

"It's the one not far ahead." Shelley pointed.

Colin followed her sight and saw an ordinary peak.

Though Shelley did not explicitly say, from the timing, the peak likely represented her foster mother.

"And today, I've discovered a new peak." Shelley lowered her arm and suddenly added.

In Colin's heart, he naturally thought of Silvester, who most likely had already died.

"Perhaps the Pani Village legends are true, or perhaps I've taken it as true... But this peak beneath my feet, I've never seen it before."

"Do you remember the gift I gave you, that ice sculpture?"

"Yes, Casarate, the legendary five-petal flower that can only bloom atop icy summits, casting its light outward." Colin nodded, that gift was always with him, now lying in the Storage Ring.

"Yes, Casarate." Shelley nodded and suddenly glanced behind Colin.

"Look, it's blooming."

Colin was slightly startled and turned around.

On the summit behind him, a small bluish flower had somehow emerged from the ice, stretching its body and slowly blooming, casting tiny beautiful blue lights.

"Regarding Casarate, there's another legend in Pani Village—

This beautiful five-petal flower embodies the deepest wishes of deceased loved ones."

Shelley bent down, picked the crystalline five-petal flower, and handed it to Colin.

"Previously, when the mentor came to Golden Barley expecting to bring me to the Extreme North, I refused him.

On the surface, it was due to concerns about the factories at Golden Barley."

"But in reality, I didn't want what you worked hard for to be destroyed by others... I was worried about you.

Since the Golden Solid Wall was formed, I've worried about you every day."

"Being away from the Extreme North brings me pain, but worrying about you also brings me pain.

Yet this pain is different from the previous; this pain enables me to face even more pain..."

Shelley softly narrated.

"Love is also painful sometimes, isn't it?"

"I think I do love you."

"Do you love me?"

Looking at the witch before him, Colin hesitated no longer, slowly replied:

"I love you too, Shelley."