Extra's Path: The Eternal Frost Monarch

"I don’t know."

"...You don’t know?"

Noah raised an eyebrow.

"Not even a small guess?"

Akari shook her head.

"No."

Her gaze drifted toward the distant forest as though recalling something from long ago.

"When I first discovered that platform, I also thought it might have something to do with escaping this place. The strange carvings, those red crystals, the stone pillars... everything about it seemed unnatural."

She paused briefly.

"I investigated it many times during my first few years here. I tried sending mana into the platform and the crystals. I examined the markings and searched the surrounding area for anything that might activate it."

"And nothing happened?"

"Nothing."

Akari shook her head again.

"For more than sixty years, that platform has remained exactly the same. Eventually, I stopped wasting my time trying to understand it."

Noah nodded slowly.

"I see..."

Yet his expression remained thoughtful.

"But I still feel like there’s more to it."

Akari narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Why do you think so?"

"I don’t really have a good reason."

Noah scratched his cheek.

"It’s mostly a feeling. But those runes carved into the floor looked suspicious. Someone clearly built that platform for a purpose."

Akari remained silent for a moment.

"Hmm..."

Her expression became more serious.

"You’re not wrong."

She glanced toward the forest.

"Let’s discuss it properly once we return home."

"Sure!"

Noah pushed himself off the rock and stood.

Akari also stepped away from him.

Mana surged around her body.

A brilliant sapphire-blue glow enveloped her entire figure.

Noah instinctively stepped back as the mana surrounding her rapidly intensified.

Her silhouette expanded.

Her body transformed.

Within moments, the elegant woman in the violet kimono was gone.

In her place stood an enormous sapphire-scaled dragon.

Her massive wings unfolded above the forest, sending a powerful gust of wind through the surrounding trees.

Noah grinned.

No matter how many times he witnessed it, Akari’s transformation was still incredible.

He climbed onto her back and settled himself near the base of her neck.

"Ready?"

Akari’s deep voice rumbled through the air.

"Ready!"

Her enormous wings spread wide.

WHOOSH!!

With one powerful beat, Akari launched herself into the sky.

The forest rapidly shrank beneath them as she climbed higher, carrying Noah back toward the place that, without him realizing it, he had already begun thinking of home.

Once they finally returned home after such a long time, the first thing Noah did was take a proper bath.

After spending three weeks surviving in the forest, feeling clean again was almost heavenly.

He washed away the dried mud, sweat, and dust covering his body before carefully cleaning the small cuts and scratches he had accumulated during the training.

Afterward, he changed into a fresh set of clothes.

Noah had originally stored four sets of clothes inside his storage ring. Unfortunately, the ones he had worn during his survival training were now completely tattered and practically unusable.

That left him with only three sets.

Once he was ready, he walked into the living room.

Akari was already sitting there, waiting for him.

Her sapphire-blue eyes immediately moved across his body when he entered.

"You’re finally freshened up."

"Yep."

"How are your wounds? Does your body still hurt?"

Noah rotated his shoulder slightly before shaking his head.

"I’m fine. They’re nothing serious."

Akari studied him for another moment before nodding.

"Good."

She gestured for him to sit.

"Now, let’s talk about that strange platform you discovered."

Noah was about to sit when something suddenly came to mind.

"Wait."

Akari raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Before that..."

A mischievous smile slowly appeared on Noah’s face.

"I want my reward."

"...Reward?"

Akari blinked.

Then realization appeared in her eyes.

"Ah."

She chuckled softly.

"That’s right. I completely forgot about it."

Noah sat down in front of her.

Akari smiled and asked, "So, what do you want?"

Then her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"And don’t ask me for anything ridiculous."

Noah’s smile widened.

"Don’t worry. It’s something very simple."

That smile immediately made Akari even more suspicious.

"...Why do I suddenly feel worried?"

Noah ignored her comment.

"Akari."

"Hm?"

He pointed toward his cheek.

"As my reward..."

Akari stared at his finger.

"Give me a kiss on the cheek."

"..."

Silence.

Akari continued staring at him with the exact same gentle smile she had been wearing a moment ago.

Noah patiently waited.

"...Noah."

"Yes?"

Her eyebrow twitched.

"You said you wouldn’t ask for a kiss."

"No, no."

Noah immediately raised one finger.

"That’s not what I said."

Akari narrowed her eyes.

Noah continued confidently.

"I said I wouldn’t ask you to let me kiss you."

He pointed toward himself.

"Now I’m asking you to kiss me."

"..."

Akari’s lips pressed tightly together.

A faint pink blush slowly appeared across her otherwise composed face.

"You..."

She stared at him incredulously.

"You deliberately worded it that way?"

Noah gave her an innocent smile.

"Maybe?"

Akari closed her eyes.

"This shameless boy..."

"I survived for weeks alone because of your training!"

"That doesn’t mean—"

"I fought monsters!"

"Noah—"

"I nearly got eaten by giant flowers!"

"You survived perfectly well."

Noah placed a hand dramatically against his chest.

"After everything your poor disciple suffered through, Master won’t even give him one tiny reward?"

Akari stared at him.

"No."

Her answer was immediate.

Noah’s expression collapsed.

"Why?!"

"Because it’s embarrassing!"

The words escaped her mouth before she could stop herself.

Akari froze.

Noah blinked.

A second later, his eyes sparkled.

"So you don’t actually hate the idea."

Akari’s blush deepened.

"That’s not what I said!"

"But you said it’s embarrassing. You didn’t say you don’t want to."

"Noah!"

"Hehe~"

Akari turned her face away from him with a frustrated sigh.

"I won’t do it."

She continued staring outside, deliberately refusing to look at him.

Then she made the mistake of glancing back.

Noah was staring at her with wide, pleading blue eyes. His lips were slightly pursed, his expression carrying the most pitiful look he could possibly manage.

Akari immediately looked away again.

’Don’t look at him.’ She thought.

Her fingers tightened slightly over her kimono.

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