"I have to reach her..."
A certain young man with white hair struggled onward in the biting wind that struck his face, freezing his skin.
His ears were almost frozen, his nose red, and his fingers nearly numb.
But despite these conditions, he continued walking forward without slowing down.
"I must... I must end this..."
He said to himself as his heart shattered.
With each step, the distance between him and his goal grew smaller.
And above all, what he would do became inevitable...
An internal debate raged within him.
To do it and save many lives, except hers?
Or not to do it, condemning every being for miles around, but allowing that smile to endure?
It was the dilemma of one who aspired to become a hero.
The snow increased in quantity and density, making it difficult to proceed.
However, he didn't give up.
The cold was intense.
It wouldn't be long before his ears and nose froze and fell off.
Nevertheless...
"I don't matter... the only thing that matters... is reaching her..."
His joints ached.
His skin cracked.
His blood oozed and froze seconds later, halting the bleeding.
Only numbness in every part of his body due to the cold prevented him from fainting and, consequently, freezing to death.
"You don't want to hurt anyone, Noel... it has never been your intention..."
He whispered barely audibly. His voice trembled, and his teeth chattered due to facial and vocal spasms.
"Vitteaux is the only one to blame for all of this... not you... not my little daughter..."
He murmured, feeling a pressure in his chest.
Noel...
That gray-haired girl whom Syr took in at "The Hostess of fertility " a few days ago.
The child who decided that the said waitress and our white-haired protagonist would be her parents.
Who laughed with happiness being with her "Parents."
Who only sought to smile and lead a peaceful life, which she never had...
It felt like yesterday when he met her.
There was a Christmas party at the bar he usually frequented.
Bell, as usual, visited the establishment early in the morning to get the daily bento that Syr gave him every morning since they met.
Upon arriving, he noticed the unusual early morning crowd.
This struck him as odd, but he didn't pay much attention.
Upon entering, he caught the eyes of the patrons, especially the beautiful waitress he was looking for.
She kindly greeted him from a distance, asking him to wait a moment while she fetched the food she had cooked for him.
He nodded and sat down momentarily at one of the tables next to a group of adventurers he knew.
He chatted with them as usual. Their leader offered for him to visit the casinos again and fill his pockets.
Bell nervously declined, reminding them that he was banned after the disaster he caused with a certain elf who was his companion and who curiously also worked at the bar, albeit anonymously.
Suddenly, the voice of a certain cat girl caught his attention.
It was Anya, who gave meticulous and detailed instructions in her own unique style, adding "Nya" to the end of each sentence.
"Don't let it fall-nya. Mama Mia won't be happy if that happens-nya."
She said.
The white-haired boy lowered his head to the height of the brown cat's waist and there he saw a girl with gray hair and eyes of the same color, wearing the uniform of the waitresses at the establishment, while holding a wooden tray with three glasses of water on top.
The child smiled happily, disregarding her companion's warnings.
This surprised the young man, who had never seen this new waitress before.
He couldn't help but think that, at such a young age, she shouldn't be working and that Mama Mia, the owner of the establishment, was starting to hire minors to pay them less and thus start a child exploitation network.
He shook his head and dismissed that absurd idea, which, for some reason, didn't seem so far-fetched coming from the dwarf.
"Here you go, Bell!"
Syr interrupted that train of thought as she approached him, holding the box wrapped in a white handkerchief.
A bit of steam wafted from it, indicating that it was freshly prepared and still warm.
"Thank you very much, Syr..."
He thanked her, averting his gaze, embarrassed by the outfit the beautiful waitress was wearing.
It was a white ensemble that widened at the hips, which were encircled by a red ribbon. In the middle of the top garment were black cotton balls, simulating buttons. She also wore a hat of the same color on her head, which also had a red and green ribbon with a white cotton ball in the middle.
In Bell's eyes, she looked extremely cute, like a snow doll.
This was noticed by Syr, who blushed and smiled, proud to evoke that reaction in the young man she was interested in, that young man who... had fallen in love.
"Fufufu, did I enchant you?"
She asked playfully, pointing at her body to be better observed by the white-haired young man.
True to the expectations of this nervous rabbit, he blushed and stammered.
"Y-Yes... y-you look very beautiful, I... can't put it into words..."
That was his response.
Syr puffed her chest out, satisfied with the compliment.
A certain green-haired elf watched them, placing her palm over her chest where her heart was beating strongly.
After being rescued from the dungeon and sharing several extremely embarrassing moments with the boy her best friend was talking to, it was impossible to resume the cordial and friendly relationship they had until then.
However, back with Syr and Bell.
They continued to converse, or rather, the latter receiving constant flirts from the silver-haired girl, who didn't cease her attempts to embarrass him for her own enjoyment.
The commotion they caused was so much that they inevitably caught the attention of the little girl from before, who walked towards where they were.
"Um...".
Noel spoke, drawing the gaze of both young people.
Fearful of the stranger, namely Bell, she ran to the only familiar face nearby, hiding behind her.
"Are? What's wrong, Noel?".
Syr inquired.
"Mama... Who is he?".
The child asked, leaving the boy in question dumbfounded.
"Uh...? MAMA?!".
The rabbit exclaimed, shocked.
Suddenly, a flying ladle came from the bar, embedding itself in the nearby wooden wall.
Turning towards the source of the attack, he faced an angry Mama Mia who placed her index finger over her lips, making it clear he should be quiet.
The rabbit nodded, apologizing.
"Don't worry, my child. He is your father."
The waitress replied, with a mischievous smile and a wink at the one who was bestowed with that title.
"EH?!".
The protagonist's loud reaction was immediate.
"I won't repeat it!".
The dwarf shouted from the same spot.
Bell fell silent and, in whispers, asked Syr for an explanation, who was laughing at his reaction.
While this was happening, Noel tugged at his pants.
He lowered his head to look at her intently.
"Daddy...? Are you my daddy?".
The child's eyes filled with excitement touched his heart.
He sought help from the waitress who had gotten him into this mess, but she clasped her hands together, begging him to play along.
He sighed and agreed. He felt indebted because of the bentos she gave him without asking for anything in return, so he preferred to do her this favor.
"Y-Yes... I am your father. And Syr is your mother."
He replied, smiling as best he could.
The commotion erupted. The news spread at lightning speed that "Rabbit Foot", the adventurer from the Hestia family who had recently gained fame, has a daughter, and her mother is one of the girls working at "The Hostess of fertility".
But, putting that aside, the girl's reaction was... sheer happiness.
"Daddy! Daddy! I'm Noel!"
She jumped excitedly, introducing herself.
"A-And I'm Bell Cranel, nice to meet you, Noel."
The white-haired young man introduced himself, crouching down to her level and giving her a smile.
She smiled excessively and... hugged him.
Her little arms wrapped around him, holding onto his neck.
A strange coldness came from Noel's hands, but he didn't pay it much attention.
"I always wanted to have a mommy and a daddy! Lift me up, lift me up!"
She requested, celebrating her fulfilled dream.
Bell consulted the "Mother".
He read her lips when she said, "Lift your daughter".
With no other option, though not displeased, he fulfilled her request.
He lifted her off the ground in his arms.
"I'm really high up! I'm a giant!"
Noel declared, laughing uncontrollably.
A small smile appeared on the faces of the visitors and workers in the establishment. The scene was heartwarming and touched their hearts.
And from there, that makeshift family was formed.
That day, due to Noel's pleading, Bell didn't go to the dungeon and spent the whole day at the bar, spending time with her and the mother.
As time went on, for some strange reason, Syr asked him a question laden with hidden meanings.
"Hey, my little girl, what would you like? A little brother or a little sister?"
"Syr?!"
The rabbit's reaction was immediate to such a question.
"Brother? Sister?"
The silver-haired girl tilted her head, not understanding what she meant.
"Yes, would you like the next child of mommy and daddy to be a boy or a girl?"
The waitress clarified, winking at the man in question.
"Both!"
The child replied with jubilation.
"Both? I suppose we'll have to work really hard, dear."
Syr opined.
"Why are you putting your hand on your belly?!".
Our rabbit protagonist questioned.
That father, mother, and daughter relationship didn't stop there.
The days passed, and that bond born from a lie grew stronger and stronger.
No one would exaggerate if they said they truly seemed like a happy family.
They went out together.
They ate together.
They had fun together.
The young white-haired man even stopped visiting the dungeon during that time because, in his own words, he had to take care of his daughter.
His family learned what he meant and were informed about the details of it.
That girl who appeared out of nowhere one ordinary day and was found by Syr... had truly become his daughter.
By her side, he forgot everything he carried with him.
Who is she?
What were the circumstances of her birth and life before he met her?
Where are her real parents?
Many questions that remained unanswered and that, for Bell and Syr, didn't matter.
They focused on the present.
Enjoying that little angel who brought them together.
However... not everything could be happiness, especially in Orario, where the remnants of Evilus continue to live.
One day, as the "Father" was leaving his home, the "Chimney Mansion," heading to "The Hostess of fertility" he stumbled upon a shocking scene.
All the waitresses, including the owner herself, were gathered with the Ganesha family outside the establishment. Everyone except... their daughter.
Syr was sobbing uncontrollably, begging Shakti, the city's police captain, to find her.
Bell approached, asking what had happened.
The beautiful gray-haired girl ran into his arms and hugged him, burying her face in his chest.
"It's about Noel. She's been kidnapped, Bell."
She revealed through tears.
A hollow feeling formed in the pit of the white-haired youth's stomach as he paled upon hearing the news and its impact.
His desperation didn't wait, and he asked how it happened.
Syr explained that Anya and Noel had gone to buy ingredients for the bar a couple of hours ago, and that in a moment of distraction, the cat girl lost sight of the little girl.
She searched everywhere, inspecting every damn corner of the market... without any success.
Bell turned to where the brown-haired cat girl was, completely dejected and blaming herself for this.
He gathered his courage and held the hands of the false "mother."
"I will find her. No matter how long it takes, I'll save her!"
He declared, determined.
He ran at great speed towards the guild, leaving that place behind. Eina, his advisor, saw him pale and frightened, worrying about his state and forgetting to ask him about the rumor of becoming a father.
The half-elf questioned him about what brought him there.
Bell, nearly breathless, responded that he wanted to see Uranus.
Unconcerned by the overwhelming silence in the adventurer's guild caused by this blatant request, he persisted.
The brown-haired girl nodded, going to inform Royman, who minutes later notified him that he had received the affirmative response from the deity.
He hurried to where she was.
It didn't take much to convince her to ask for help in this emergency, explaining that the longer they waited, the worse the consequences would be.
Suddenly, during this dialogue, it was revealed that it had started snowing in Orario.
In any other circumstance, it wouldn't be strange, given that winter had arrived. However... the issue lay in the suddenness of it and the amount of snow falling.
A bad feeling rose in Bell's heart as he dashed away from where he was, leaving Uranus behind.
She understood that nothing good would come from this, so she summoned Fels, asking him to inform her about the details of this sudden "Icy" winter.
To cut the long story short... that gut feeling was correct.
It was Noel.
The sky turned dark north of Orario.
Bell, without warning or consultation, ran in that direction where the biblical-scale blizzard was originating.
He passed by the bar he frequented, seen by Syr and Anya.
Both assumed that he had found Noel's whereabouts, so they followed him.
From the shadows, another cat man watched over them, soaring through the skies at great speed.
Before delving into the heart of the problem, a strange, partially frozen man met them.
His eyes were closed, and his brown, almost reddish hair covered his face.
He warned them not to approach that thing.
Bell asked him what he was referring to as "thing."
He smiled and responded.
"You were the ones playing house with her, weren't you?"
He asked, sending a shiver down the spines of Syr and Bell, who frowned after that statement.
Undoubtedly, he was the one who kidnapped Noel.
"Your name is Vitteaux, isn't it?"
Another voice from the scene, aside from Bell, Syr, and Anya, resonated, saying the aforementioned.
This stranger removed his hood, revealing his identity.
It was Allen Fromel.
"Onii-Chan..."
Anya Fromel's brother...
Who, for some reason, knew that man.
It was at that moment he presented himself.
Yes, his name was exactly the same as Allen had mentioned.
Several details were revealed, especially the relationship he had with Evilus since the era of darkness.
As he introduced himself, his frozen arm detached from his body.
"Heh... that spirit sure is troublesome..."
He commented, sowing doubt among those present.
"What do you mean?"
Bell questioned.
"Did you not notice? The adventurers in Orario have become gullible and foolish. That brat whom you and that foolish waitress took care of so lovingly... isn't a brat at all, but a spirit... the spirit of ice."
He revealed, pointing to the snow that surrounded them.
"She was found by our organization in the dungeon a few days ago, but she escaped... although it wasn't difficult to find her, considering they put her on display for all to see."
He expressed, informing them about the origin of the girl.
It was bombshell after bombshell. They didn't process the previous news before receiving more.
"Kidnapping her was so easy. That stupid cat didn't notice her disappearance until minutes later! HAHAHAHAHA!"
He mocked, pointing at Anya, who sank further into depression.
Allen, on the other hand, tightened the grip on his lance and gritted his teeth.
At an absurdly high speed...
SLASH!
Vitteaux was impaled.
"HAHAHAHA! PAIN IS NOTHING BUT A DELIGHT TO ME! I ONLY REGRET NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE HER SUFFER NOW THAT THAT GIRL'S POWER HAS BEEN UNLEASHED!"
He shouted, spitting blood, though it didn't seem to affect him.
"Allen! Don't kill him!"
Syr ordered the cat-man.
"PUAH!"
The Evilus
member vomited a large amount of blood.
"We found out that... no matter what we do, her power doesn't wane when we inflict pain on her. She'll unleash an eternal winter until her power runs out and she disappears... I wonder... How long will that take?"
He confessed, slowly losing his life.
White hair covered Bell's face, preventing him from seeing.
"You will only stop her... by killing her... "Rabbit's Foot," so... What will you do, paper hero?"
He finished, dying.
"Bell..."
Syr called to him.
"I... I have to go after her..."
He declared, turning to his left with a complicated expression.
"I... will stop her..."
He promised, embarking on his journey towards Noel...
Going for... his daughter...
The cold, the lack of air.
He wouldn't let any of it affect him.
The voice of that little girl who only wanted to be happy... to be part of a family... guided him... gave him strength...
If his legs couldn't hold up...
He would make them hold up...
If the pain was too much...
He would endure it... or use it as a source of energy...
Before he knew it, Noel's silhouette appeared on the horizon, indicating he wasn't far off.
He reached out his hand, trying to reach her.
The distance was shrinking...
The image was clarifying...
A deafening scream caused his ears to bleed.
It was Noel's cry, used to unleash the full potential of her power.
Her body gradually became translucent.
"Noel!"
He called her name, trying to get her attention.
He couldn't bring himself to kill her...
His heart wouldn't be able to bear it...
He would rather die than cause harm to that innocent girl.
He was incapable...
"Please... stop..."
He begged, tears streaming down his face.
He fell to his knees, succumbing to the cold.
His body was freezing.
However... before he fell unconscious, he gently wiped her tears away with the pad of his thumb.
"You... aren't a bad girl, Noel. You're my daughter... so... please... stop..."
"I'm a weapon! I've always been one!"
Bell got an answer...
"No... you're not..."
"Those bad men hurt me! They said we would play, but they only hurt me! They kept calling me a "Weapon"!"
The little girl screamed, intensifying the blizzard's power.
"They tied me up and mistreated me! They asked if I could use my powers to freeze people! They said it would be fun, but it only caused pain!"
"That wasn't your fault..."
Bell's weak voice responded to each thing she said.
"Yes, I can! I can freeze them!"
"They weren't real games... they never were... they were just... training me to become their weapon..."
She said.
The icy air began to recede.
"They took me away... stealing my life... my happiness... my childhood..."
Each word was filled with pain for Noel, a result of her memories of that terrible experience.
Using the strength he had left, Bell stood up and embraced her.
He wrapped his body around her, giving her warmth.
Allowing her to hear his heart.
Providing her with what she lacked...
Love...
Bell noticed that she was becoming lighter and more transparent.
He remembered Vitteaux's words.
(She will unleash an eternal winter until her power runs out and she disappears...)
He thought, holding onto her.
Thanks to Evilus' constant "games," her energy had been depleted. Perhaps that was why, after escaping, she didn't remember her origin.
"You're not alone anymore... I'll stay with you..."
He said.
She returned the embrace, happy that her father would take care of her.
"So, Daddy... Will I die?"
Noel asked, surrounded by white snow that extended hundreds of kilometers around her, but without the wind blowing as before.
Bell, who had fought fiercely against the strong and icy winds to reach her, lowered his head.
"Yes..."
He answered, clenching his fists and digging his nails into his palms, causing them to bleed.
The little spirit girl he had met not long ago, but who had won his love in that short period of time, tilted her head.
"Daddy... What is dying?"
She asked.
As her heart calmed, her ice power began to fade.
"I... I wouldn't know how to answer that. It's like, one day you're here, and the next you're not."
Bell replied from his limited understanding of the subject.
"If I leave here... Will you and Mommy come with me?"
Noel inquired, somewhat downcast at the thought of having to leave.
"Eventually... But by the time that happens, a considerable amount of time will have passed."
The white-haired youth answered.
Both of them let go and sat down atop the thick snow, sinking slowly into it.
"It doesn't matter! If I can stay with you forever... I'll wait!"
Bell had a lump in his throat at the girl's determination, even in the face of her impending departure.
Small tears overflowed from his eyes, sliding down his cheeks and falling rapidly to the white ground.
"I'll be a good girl, Daddy. I promise I'll wait and won't bother anyone wherever I go."
The spirit said, taking the hand of the man she considered her father, even though it had all started as a joke from a certain waitress at the "Mama Mia" and she had regained her memories, knowing they weren't a real family, she was happy to take on the role of the daughter while Bell was her father, and the aforementioned waitress was her mother.
"I know. While you were with us, you behaved well. You were an excellent daughter, and both your mother and I are proud of you."
The man who had become her father replied, lavishing praise on the little girl.
Suddenly, Noel yawned, stretching her small body, a clear sign of exhaustion after the excessive use of her spirit powers. The ice around them confirmed it.
She lay down in her father's lap, closing her eyes slowly.
The young man, with a racing heart and breath, suppressing the rest of his tears, gently stroked her head, running his fingers through her hair to untangle it.
"Daddy... Could you tell me a story? I'm sleepy."
Noel asked weakly.
With a choked voice, because this would be the end, he spoke.
"Of course... I'll tell you a story my grandfather used to tell me every night..."
He declared, recalling the nights when Zeus would read him a book before bedtime, usually the same one.
"A story my great-grandfather used to tell you..."
Noel mumbled.
Bell nodded.
He didn't need the book, nor did he need to remember it exactly; every line and paragraph remained etched in his memory.
"Once upon a time... there was a hero who no one took seriously, known as... The Jester Hero..."
And so the tale began.
Seconds passed.
Seconds turned into minutes, and minutes into hours, during which time the snow around them began to melt.
The girl listened attentively, not speaking a word. She would sometimes smile or let out small giggles at the absurd adventures of the "Fantasy" hero.
The little gray-haired girl's hand held one of Bell's fingers, and as the story came to an end, her grip slowly weakened.
"And... Despite not being
the strongest, or even the bravest... He never gave up or took a step back... Turning the myth of his existence into a legend..."
He concluded, smiling with melancholy, a faint shimmer appearing in his red eyes and then fading away.
"And... What did you think, Noel?"
He asked, but... there was no reply.
Bell pressed his eyelids against his eyes, letting out his sobs and giving in to his weeping.
He knew why there was no response from his daughter.
He lowered his head in her direction, and...
"I love you... My little Noel."
He said, letting a couple of his tears fall onto the pale cheeks of the lifeless girl before giving her a tender and affectionate kiss on the cheek as a farewell.
As he did the latter, Noel's frozen body began to dissolve into tiny particles, like snowflakes.
Bell, who held her in his lap, could only watch the scene in a daze.
The hand that held his finger was the last thing to disappear.
He lowered his head.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry I couldn't save you..."
He apologized, crying uncontrollably.
A blurry light appeared in front of him, and a tender voice he knew responded.
"Thank you for being my father... Please... also thank Mommy for me and tell her I'll be a good girl... I... I'll wait for you to see me again!"
It was Noel, floating in the air as the sky carried her away.
Bell remained silent, speechless.
She was saying her goodbyes, waving her hand back and forth.
The white-haired youth smiled.
"We will meet again, Noel!"
He promised, bidding her farewell.
Noel smiled as well, and just before disappearing completely, she said one last thing.
"Daddy, when I come back... I want a brother and a sister!"
She requested, recalling the time when her mother, jokingly, asked her if she would like a little brother or sister next, to which she responded, both.
Bell chuckled at this and, somewhat embarrassed, replied,
"It shall be so, my little girl... You won't be alone when we meet again."
The gray-haired girl faded into the sunset, leaving this world.
The ice melted.
The glow gradually vanished, leaving only Bell in the middle of the battlefield.
The ice age invoked by Noel, the Ice Spirit, had come to an end, leaving broken hearts in its wake.
As Bell sat there, silent, gazing at the sky, footsteps approached him, and he didn't flinch.
"Bell..."
Syr called out to him, the girl from "Mama Mia" who Noel referred to as "also thank Mommy for me."
Bell turned to her, a pained expression on his face.
Unbeknownst to them, despite the sorrow that her loss represented, she became...
The angel who united them...