The End Mountain Range is literally the end of the world, the end of the human kingdom consisting of four empires, east, west, north and south. Even though Xianshu Village is the northernmost village in the northern border region, the end mountain range should not be a place that can be easily reached by children's feet.

So, a little before the sun reached the zenith, he was surprised to see the narrowing Lu River disappearing into the cave under the cliff.

The forest that had been spreading out on the left and right until a moment was abruptly cut off, and the gray demo in front of me stretched straight upwards. Looking up, the cliff is still quite a distance away from the ridge that cuts through the sky, but the rock undoubtedly connects to one end of the mountain.

"Has it already arrived......? That's what it is...... End Mountains? It's a little too fast, isn'......?"

Yun Xu also looked incredulous and whispered with his mouth open. Similarly, Murong Xue also opened her blue eyes wide and moved her lips slightly.

"So...... where is Northern Ridge? Have we walked through before we know it?"

That's true. Can the mountain, which is an absolute boundary for the children of the village, and perhaps for the adults, be walked through so unconsciously? Looking back, if you walk a little downhill about thirty minutes from the Twin Lakes, is that the northern mountains?

Turning to look at Mu Ou, who was coming from the road, Murong Xue's uncharacteristically strange muttering came from the ears of half-believed.

"That's the end of the mountains...... Is that the other side the Demon Domain? Do you want to ...... We walked for four hours, but we couldn't even reach Sota Town. Xianshu Village ...... It's really at the end of the world......

In other words, don't we even know where in the world the village we live in all year round? Mouou stood dumbfounded. No—maybe none of the adults in the village knew that the End Mountains were so close? Could it be that in the hundreds of years of history, we are the only ones who have passed through the northern forest except for the Xuanyuan clan......?

I always feel ...... Something strange. Mouou suddenly thought. However, it is not clear what is strange there.

Every day, get up at the appointed time, eat the same breakfast as yesterday, and go to the same farmland, pasture, forge or drill ground as yesterday. Just now Murong Xue said that she couldn't even go to Suota Town for four hours, but of course Murong Xue, Yun Xu, and Mu Ou had never actually been to the town. I just heard from the adults that you can walk along the streets to the south for two days to reach the town of Sota. But how many of those adults have actually been to Sota Town......

The questions that were swirling in Mu Ou's heart were blown away by Murong Xue's sentence of "in short" before they could take shape.

"-Anyway, when we get here, we have to go in and have a look. Eat before then."

As she spoke, she took the rattan basket from Mul's hand and sat down where the low grass was about to turn to gray sand. Yun Xu "Let me wait, I've been hungry for a long time." Urging with cheers, Mouou also sat down on the grass. The smell of the pie swept away the residue of doubt, and the stomach seemed to remember it suddenly and complained of hunger.

Murong Xue snapped away Mu Ou and Yun Xu's outstretched hands, and called up the "Window" of the cooking in turn. After making sure that they all had enough to do, Alice laid out a pie with fish and beans, a pie with apples and walnuts, and dried tofu. He then poured the Hilal water in the water bag into the wooden cup and made sure it hadn't gone bad.

As I spoke, I started to munch on the lunch that finally reached my mouth, and Yun Xu's mouth was full and he said in an inaudible voice:

"In the cavern over there...... If you find icicles, you won't have to rush to lunch tomorrow."

Swallowing what was in his mouth, Mouu turned his head sideways and replied:

"But ah, if you think about it, even if you get the ice successfully, how will it maintain its own destiny? Wouldn't it be meaningless if it melted away before noon tomorrow?"

"Grace ......"

Yun Xu frowned as he thought about it, but Murong Xue said seriously:

"Hurry up and get it back, it should be fine to leave it in my basement overnight. Really, you guys, you have to think about this kind of thing from the beginning."

Mu Ou and Yun Xu's sloppiness was criticized as usual, and they buried their heads in lunch to hide their shyness. I don't know if it was to cooperate with them, Murong Xue also ate the pie faster than usual and drank the water.

Murong Xue neatly folded the hand towel used to wrap the pie and put it into a clean basket, stood up, walked to the water's edge with three cups, and quickly washed it with river water.

"Uhh

Murong Xue made a strange noise to finish her work, walked back, wiped her hands on her apron, and spread it out in front of Mu Ou.

"The water in the river is super cold! like the water of a well in the bitter winter."

At first glance, the small palms had turned red. Mu Ou couldn't help but stretch out his hands and wrap Murong Xue's hands, and a coolness immediately came.

"Wait...... Don't."

Murong Xue's cheeks slightly became the same color as her hands, and she pulled out her hands vigorously. It was only then that Mu Ou realized that he had done something that he would never normally do, and panicked.

"Ah...... No, that'......."

"Well, then, it's almost time to go, you two."

Is this also a help, Mu Ou kicked Yun Xu, who was smiling evilly, and picked up the water bag and put it on his shoulder with a rough movement to hide his shyness. Then he walked to the entrance of the cave without looking back.

Walking here, the stream that the three of them traced up had narrowed to the point where people couldn't believe that it was really the source of the Lu River. The width is only about one and a half meters. There is a stone path of the same magnitude to the left of the water flowing out of the cave through the high cliff, and it seems that you can walk in.

Hundreds of years ago, did the immortal cultivator Xuanyuan also set foot on this rock? Thinking so, Mouou made up his mind to go inside the cave. The temperature around him dropped suddenly, and he couldn't help but rub his arms that were exposed outside his short-sleeved shirt.

After confirming that the footsteps of the two people behind him were following, he walked forward about ten steps.

Then Mouu noticed that he had forgotten something important, and hung his shoulders and turned around.

"Oops...... I forgot to bring a lamp. Yunxu, what about you?"

I only walked in about five meters from the entrance, but I couldn't distinguish the expressions of the two people around me. Disillusioned with forgetting that the cave was dark, he entrusts his partner with hope of a turnaround, only to be told "I won't think of something you didn't expect!" Such a strangely confident answer.

"I...... I said, "......."

This was the first time I had heard Murong Xue's surprised voice today, Mu Ou thought, turning to his black hair, which was also shining in the faint light. Murong Xue shook her head several times, reached into the pocket of her apron, and took out a slender thing. If you look closely, you can see the ears of grass that were picked at the beginning of the adventure.

Alice holds the spike of grass in her right hand and approaches the tip of it with her left hand, closing her eyes. She opened her mouth and played a magical fairy sentence in the air in a fairy language that Mu Ou did not understand.

Finally, the left hand quickly drew a complex seal, and the front end of the spherical grass spike lit up with a blue-white light. The light gradually intensified, illuminating a considerable distance in the cavern.

"Wow"

"Oooh......"

Yun Xu and Mu Ou couldn't help but sigh in unison.

Although he knew that Murong Xue was learning immortal arts, he had hardly seen it with his own eyes. Because according to the village chief, all the prerequisites for using immortal arts exist to protect the stability and tranquility of the world, and cannot be used casually.

Murong Xue only used immortal magic when there were sick and injured people in the village who could not be treated by herbal medicines. Mu Ou understood it this way, so he couldn't help but turn to Murong Xue, who was lighting up on the grass spikes, and asked.

"Snow, Cher...... Is it okay to use immortal magic in this kind of thing? Won't you be punished......

"Hmph, if you have to be punished to this extent, I guess I've been struck by ten heavenly thunderstorms so far."

「…………」

Before he could ask what this meant, Murong Xue stuffed the glowing grass in his right hand to Mu Ou. Mu Ou couldn't help but take it.

"Do you want me to take it?!"

"Of course. Do you want my weak girl to be at the front? Mouo walked in front of me, Kirito in the back. Don't waste time, hurry up."

"Ah, yes."

Overwhelmed by her momentum, Mul turned and raised a small torch and walked tremblingly into the depths of the cavern.

The flat rock shed, although twisting and turning, has always maintained a certain width. The blue-colored gray rock reflected the light as if it were wet, and from time to time there was the smell of something small moving in the dark that the lamp could not shine. But no matter how you look at it, there's nothing like ice in your field of vision. From the ceiling, there were many sharp gray objects like icicles, but at a glance it was clear that they were nothing more than stones.

After walking for a few more minutes, Mu Ou turned around and whispered to Yunxu.

"Na...... I remember you said that there are icicles as soon as you enter the cave, right?"

"Did I tell me?"

"Done!"

Mu Ou wanted to grab his partner who was pretending to be stupid when he turned his gaze, but Murong Xue raised his right hand to stop him and whispered.

"Hey, wait a minute, get the light closer."

「……？」

Mu Ou did as she said, bringing the magic light in his right hand close to Murong Xue's face. Alice opened her mouth into a circle and sighed towards the light.

"Ahh

"Oh, do you see? It was like winter, and the breath I exhaled turned white."

"Yes, it really is. No wonder I felt cold from the beginning......

Ignoring Yun Xu, Mu Ou and Murong Xue looked at each other and nodded.

"It's summer outside, but inside this cave it's winter. There will be ice."

"Yes. Let's go further and see."

Turning around, it felt as if the cavern had widened a little. Mou'o pointed the magic lamp into the depths of the cavern and began to move cautiously again.

All I could hear was the sound of the shoes of the three men walking on the rocks, and the sound of a stream flowing in the groundwater. So close to the source, the flow of the creek has not abated.

「…… If there is a boat, it will be easy to go back."

Yun Xu said unhurriedly at the end of the procession, and Mu Ou rebuked him, "Don't speak loudly." Now that I'm in the cavern, I'm far deeper than I was supposed to be. Although I think it's unlikely-

"—Now, what if a white dragon does appear?"

Murong Xue seemed to see through Mu Ou's thinking, and whispered.

"Then ...... I can only escape ......."

Mu Ou said in the same whisper, but was overshadowed by Yun Xu's heartless words.

"It's okay. The reason why the Xuanyuan clan was chased by the dragon was because he stole the flying sword, right? Anyway, I'll agree with some icicles. - Well, but if you can, you want a piece of falling scales......

"Hey, what are you thinking, Yunxu."

"You think, if you go back with the evidence that you have seen the real dragon, the people of the village will have to die of envy."

"No kidding! Tell me in advance, if you're chased by the dragon, we'll leave you behind and run first."

"Hey, it's too loud for Muou."

"It's all because Yunxu said strange things......

Suddenly, there was a strange sound from under his feet, and Mouou closed his mouth. There was a click, like the sound of something crushing. He hurriedly moved the light of his right hand closer, looked under his right foot, and then couldn't help but cry out.

"Ah, look at this."

Murong Xue and Yun Xu bent down to see that there was some stagnant water on the gray stone ground, and its surface formed a thin layer of ice. Mu Ou held out his fingers and picked up a piece of transparent film.

Holding that piece in the palm of his hand, it turned into a small drop of water in a matter of seconds, and the three of them looked at each other and couldn't help but laugh.

"That's right, it's ice. There should be more ahead."

Mu Ou said as he shone around, puddles of water that were also icy emitting the cyan light. And, completely plunged into the deepest part of the dark cavern .......

"Ah...... I always feel that there is a lot of light."

As Murong Xue said, as soon as Yugeo moved his right hand, countless small points of light flashed. The three of them immediately forgot all about the dragon and trotted in that direction.

After another hundred meters or so, the rock walls on both sides suddenly disappeared.

At the same time, a fantastical scene appeared in front of the three of them that made people can't help but hold their breath.

It's so wide. It's a very, very large space that doesn't look like an underground cavern. It is undoubtedly more than twice as large as the square in front of the village.

The surrounding walls were basically circular, not the wet gray that had just been, but covered with pale cyan transparent crystals. Then, the ground turned into a huge pool of water that at first glance seemed to be the source of the Lu River—no, a lake. It's just that there is not a single ripple on the surface of the water. From the shore to the center, it was frozen solidly.

Everywhere in the white lake of ice protrude are strangely shaped pillars taller than Mu'ou. It's all pointed, angular hexagonal pyramids. Mu Ou thought they were like rough crystals that his grandfather had shown him before. However, these are bigger and more beautiful. Countless transparent, dark cyan pillars absorbed the light emitted by the ears of grass in Mu Ou's hands, radiating them in all directions, and then being reflected again, illuminating the entire vast stone chamber. The closer the number of pillars is to the center of the lake, the more they are inseparable.

It's ice. The surrounding walls, the lake beneath your feet, the peculiar hexagonal pyramids, all made of ice. The blue walls extend vertically upwards, closing in an arc like the dome of a chapel in the distant heights.

The three of them forgot about the biting cold, breathed white breath, and stood there for several minutes. Finally, Murong Xue said in a slightly trembling voice:

「…… There is so much ice that the food in the village can be frozen."

"Not only that, but it can turn the village into winter temporarily

Finish. - Now, let's go inside."

As soon as Yun Xu finished speaking, he took a few steps forward and stepped on the ice lake. He slowly shifted his weight, and finally stepped on both feet, the ice seemed to be very thick, and there was no sound of cracking when he stepped on it.

Normally, Mouou would have taken on the task of admonishing this reckless partner, but today he lost to curiosity. When I thought that there might really be a white dragon inside, I felt like I was going in and taking a look anyway.

Holding the grass spikes high, Mu Ou and Murong Xue caught up with Kirito, carefully not making a sound of footsteps, and walked from the shadow of one icicle to the shadow of another, heading towards the center of the lake.

- It would be awesome if I did see the dragon, Mouou thought. In that case, will our adventure become a legend that will last for hundreds of years? If, just if, can do what Xuanyuan can't do...... If we retrieve a dragon treasure, maybe the village chief will also reconsider our vocation......?

"Ugh."

Muou, who was daydreaming as he walked, hit the back of Yunxu's head and covered his face.

"Hey, don't stop suddenly."

However, the partner did not answer. Mu Ou was feeling strange

At that time, Yun Xu's throat made a **-like sound.

「…… What is that......

"Hey......?"

"What the hell is that?"

Mu Ou and Murong Xue next to him tilted their heads at the same time and looked forward from Yun Xu's side.

"What the hell are you talking about......

Murong Xue and Mu Ou saw the same thing and swallowed back the end of their words.