Forest of Ice | Main Episode

[healingbonds]

MahoYaku Masterpost & Translator's Notes
Thank you K for providing this translation!

CHAPTER 1

Akira: We’ve arrived at the Northern tower. Today I’d like the Northern wizards to head to the Forest of Ice.

Bradley: The Forest of Ice? There’s nothing there. It’s just cold as fuck and wide as hell.

Owen: There are hardly any humans there. It’s so quiet that it’s boring. I’d rather visit the inside of a coffin in the graveyard.

Mithra: Sometimes you can find the corpses of extinct creatures. It’s really convenient if you’re collecting bones to use in curses.

Snow: We go there occasionally too. We obtain the special lead that we use in our stained glass from the trees in the Forest of Ice.

Akira: Can you obtain lead from plants?

White: Rare, isn’t it? The roots suck up water infused with minerals that transform into jewels in the tree trunk.

Bradley: That’s right, you guys used to be stained glass craftsmen. Are you still doing business?

Snow: A little?

White: Would you say we’re doing business if we have no customers?

Mithra: So what kind of mission do we have in the Forest of Ice?

Akira: It seems like a type of snow demon called Glacies has appeared, so they’d like to call on you all for assistance.

Snow: Glacies...... What a terrifying name.

White: We’ve never heard it before...... Looks like we have to brace ourselves and get serious.


> Option: I’ll be counting on you.

Snow: Leave it to us! We’ll manage it somehow!


> Option: Will everything be all right......

Snow: Don’t worry. We’ll protect you no matter what kind of formidable enemies come at us.


> Option: It might not turn out to be that big a deal?

Snow: R-really? So can we treat it like a shopping trip?


Snow: In any case, let’s set out for the Forest of Ice!
......Oh, that’s right. This is unrelated to the mission, but there is something that may be of interest to you in the Forest of Ice

Akira: Something of interest?


CHAPTER 2

Akira: Something of interest?

Snow: There’s a book you make if you take the paper made from a century-old acacia tree and bind it with thread spun from the wool of a black sheep with golden eyes, then bathe it in the light of the aurora and the full moon in turn.
If you leave it behind a tree in the Forest of Ice, it’ll turn into a book of prophecy.
I happen to have one with me. I’ll give it to you.
It might be helpful when the time comes for you to guide the wizards along to their futures.

Akira: A book of prophecy to guide the wizards to their futures...... Got it. I’ll give it a shot.

✦✧☾✧✦

Akira: S.....So this is the Forest of Ice...... C-c-c-cold........ How do the rest of you stand it.....

Bradley: We have magic, of course. Why did you even come wearing such little clothing? Are you the type of guy who runs around in short sleeves during winter?

Akira: I was just following everyone else’s lead...... Achoo!

Owen: Should I shrink you with magic and tuck you into my pocket? I might forget and end up putting you in the wash though.

Mithra: Wouldn’t he get cold in a pocket? It’d be better to put him somewhere warmer. Like under your armpit, or your butt.......

Akira: Um, I’m not a thermometer......

Snow: Let me cast a spell to warm you up. Here, take this tree bark; it’s enchanted to give off heat. You’ll feel warmer if you rub it.

Akira: And it’s not sticky......! Thank you. I’ll put it into my pocket!

Mithra: ............ I sense something......

Snowman: ...........

Owen: It’s a snowman.

Bradley: Why is the snowman moving?

Akira: That’s Glacies, the snow demon!

Snow & White: Huh!?

Akira: There’s no doubt about it. The envoy from Northern Country included a sketch of it in their letter.

Snow: Isn’t the name too much of an exaggeration?

White: Aren’t we overestimating it?

Snowman: ............! ............!


CHAPTER 3

Snowman: ............! ............!

Bradley: It looks like it’s saying something...... Owen, you can talk to beasts. Try talking to it.

Owen: Does that even count as a beast......?

Mithra: Come on, just go. You like marshmallows, right? They practically look the same.

Owen: Fine then......
What? Uh huh, okay...... Huh? Yeah, uh huh......

Akira: The snow demon Glacies looks like it’s communicating with Owen......

Bradley: Just call it a snowman.

Owen: We’re done.

Snow: Oh! What did it say?

Owen: It said that it was made with another snowman. And unless it’s reunited with its other half again, it’s going to kill three hundred people.

Bradley: It said what with that idiotic face?

Mithra: Well, its request is as unreasonable as a snow demon’s would be.

Snow: It’s just a snowman after all. With all of us here......

White: We can reunite it with its other half.

Snow: We can just take them down separately.

Snow & White: ...........

White: Snow dear, what did you just say?

Snow: Ah, no, I just meant......

White: That’s its other half, they were born together: they’re just like twins! Of course you’d want to reunite them!

Snow: Yes, but see, that sounds time-consuming......

White: Snow, you’re the same as ever!! I died because you’re like this! You’re terrible! I won’t believe anything you say ever again!

Snow: Sorry, sorry! Let’s reunite them, okay!

Mithra: Can you two old men cut the lovers’ quarrel already?

Akira: I’ve never seen the two of them disagree before......

Snow: Well then, let’s split up and look for the other snowman!


CHAPTER 4

Snow: Oh dear, I upset White. Now I have to find the other snowman......

Akira: Snow. The reason White died......

Snow: It’s just like I told you before. White almost killed me. And I ended up killing him while I desperately tried to resist.
I angered White by saying that I wanted to know loneliness. I tested the bounds of loneliness — and in the end I learnt what it truly meant to be alone.
I tried to leave White’s side, but the moment White died, I was the one who tried desperately to hold onto his soul.
I really made a mess of it all. Things should have just stayed the way they were. Those born as two halves of a whole should remain that way until the end of their lives.

Akira: Snow......

Snow: We are twins: the two of us are very similar. Right now, White must be saying the opposite.
“If only I had let go of Snow. Because I couldn’t, we’re truly inseparable for eternity now.”

Akira: I think...... White must be happy to remain by your side, even now.

Snow: Thank you, dear Sage. I know you’re trying to comfort me. What a kind child you are.
But we know very well that both fortune and misfortune are but grass growing from the same earth.
For if there is joy to be had in being together, there is also grief. And we cherish both equally.

Akira: ......Then I’m glad to hear that.

Snow: ......Oh! I found it! It’s the snow demon Glacies!

Akira: You’re right! Let’s go!

✦✧☾✧✦

White: ......If I hadn’t held him back, then Snow wouldn’t have had to kill me. I was killed by my own stubbornness.

Mithra: Oh, I see.

White: Perhaps Snow would have returned to my side once he got a glimpse of loneliness. It was my fault for getting angry instead of just sending him off with a smile.

Mithra: Oh, I see.

White: Even so, I still can’t let go...... The other snowman might have wanted to see the world by itself too.
I shouldn’t be so obsessed. Humans, wizards, we’re all solitary existences. ......That’s the way it should be, and yet......

Mithra: Oh, I see.

White: Mithra dear, are you even listening!?

Mithra: Your story is too difficult to follow...... Besides, I’m getting hungry......

White: Honestly, you really are a man who only chases after pleasure.


CHAPTER 5

White: Honestly, you really are a man who only chases after pleasure.

Mithra: What’s wrong with that? Do I need any other reason? It’s the same for you and Snow.
You can just walk away if you’re angry at each other, or you can stay together if you feel like something’s missing. There are no rules to it.

White: What happens when our feelings don’t align?

Mithra: The one who fights and defeats the other can force them to bend to their will.

White: It seems like whoever ends up falling in love with you will be forced to endure a difficult life.

Akira: White, Mithra! We found the snow demon Glacies!

White: So you did! Good job!

✦✧☾✧✦

Bradley: So you found the other snowman, huh.

Owen: Yay. Now let’s go home.

Akira: It looks like the snowmen are having a disagreement......

Snow: We went through all that trouble of bringing them together, but they’re fidgeting restlessly instead of talking to each other.

Bradley: What a pain......

White: Don’t say that! Owen, could you ask the snow demon that went missing why it went away?

Owen: Again? Having a conversation with a snowman makes me feel really foolish......

Bradley: Hey, you’re killing it. You’ve got this.

Mithra: You look absolutely brilliant when you’re talking to the snowman. Just go and get it done.

Owen: Yeah, right..... ......Hey, I want to ask you something. Why did you disappear? Yeah, uh huh......

Snowman that went missing: ........, ..........

Akira: Did you find out what’s going on?

Owen: Seems like it went to look for lead jewels as a present for the other snowman, but it couldn’t find anything.

Snow: Oh! Do you mean the lead jewels from the trees in the Forest of Ice, the ones we use for our stained glass?


CHAPTER 6

Snow: Oh! Do you mean the lead jewels from the trees in the Forest of Ice, the ones we use for our stained glass?

White: We have some with us now. Here, choose any colour that you like.

Snowman who went missing: ............! ............!

Akira: It’s jumping from joy!

Snowman: ............! ............!

Bradley: The snowman who received the present is doing the same thing; it’s jumping up and down too.

Snow: My, how delightful!

White: Well, it seems we’ve settled the problem!

Snow & White: On the count of three......
<< Noscomnia >>

Akira: ............! The snowmen were pulverized in a second......!

Bradley: Merciless......!

Snow: Ohoho. It was, after all, our goal was to crush the snow demon Glacies.

White: It did threaten to kill three hundred people. Oh my, what a terrifying demon.

Owen: If you were going to destroy them anyway, you could have just done that from the start without going through all this fuss......

Mithra: What was the point in all this......

Bradley: Anyway, that’s settled. Don’t you guys say anything about snowmen when we get back to the magic headquarters. It’s the snow demon Glacies, you hear me?
Think of our reputation — what would it sound like if all of the Northern wizards went on a mission just to defeat some snowmen? We can’t make ourselves look that uncool......

Snow: I guess you’re right. Farewell then, snow demon Glacies......

White: You were a formidable opponent, snow demon Glacies......

Owen: Seriously, who even cares about the name......

Mithra: Gla...... What was it again......?

Snow: Ohoho. Well then, let’s go home.

White: That’s right. Let’s go home on friendly terms.

Snow & White: As twins, there’s nothing more important than getting along!