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“Please… I’m really tired…”

“You had no regard for my tissue blanket either. Hmph!” Having taken away his blanket, the Frost Queen’s lips curled into a victorious smile.

Oh, how he regretted it. It was his fault for feeding her the Spirit Crystal shavings and making her stronger…

“...Why did you wake me up?” Seo Jun-Ho asked drowsily. If it was for a stupid reason, he would show her just how scary her contractor could be.

However, her reason for waking him up was perfectly reasonable.

“I want to edit the video. Give it to me.”

“...Huh? Sure.”

Seo Jun-Ho couldn’t refuse when she was offering to earn PP for him. He rubbed his eyes as he sat up. He opened the community forums window and checked the video data.

[Untitled2]

Length: 6:58:32

The video from the first day was named ‘Untitled1,’ and the video from the second day was named ‘Untitled2.’ Considering the landslide and how long it had taken him to reach the summit…

‘We probably only have about two hours or less of footage that we can use.’

And once it was edited, the final product would be even shorter.

Even though Seo Jun-Ho had already opened the hologram window for her, the Frost Queen didn’t move. He had expected her to disappear like a dog with its toy, but she was absentmindedly staring at him.

She started to speak as she tapped on the window, “I have a few things to say to you right now.”

“...I thought you forgot.”

“I have a good memory. I never forget everything,” she said.

“Please make it short,” Seo Jun-Ho muttered as he lay down again.

She started to ramble. “Contractor, you are no longer the hero you once were. There is no necessity or justification to sacrifice yourself for others. Being self-sacrificial is nice, but you should not forget that there will be others involved in your sacrifice. You must also consider the feelings of those that care for you. If the situation requires that people ask for even the single sacrifice of a hero, it would be better if they humbly accepted their fate. Had you been my knight, I would have scolded you relentlessly and stripped you of your title. So from now on, always discuss these matters with me beforehand. Our destinies are intertwined, after all. Do not misunderstand; it is not befitting of a monarch or a hero to be so reckless.”

Seo Jun-Ho was tired of listening to the same thing over and over. He turned and buried his head into his pillow.

“...I was worried,” the Frost Queen whispered lowly, letting out a soft sigh.

Seo Jun-Ho felt a little guilty at that and peeked up. “Were you very worried?” he asked.

“Well… If you die, I will be lost. Until I find a new Contractor, that is…”

“Shit, and here I thought…” His heart was almost touched.

Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes. “You know what would be best for your mental health? Don’t pay attention to celebrities, rich people, and lastly, me.”

The temperature of the room dropped sharply in reaction to the Frost Queen’s anger. Even though he had Cold Resistance (C), it was a little chilly so he reached for the blanket.

Seo Jun-Ho pulled up the blanket she had tossed aside, gripping it with his toes. “I’ll be careful from now on. Okay?”

“Those words should not be so difficult to say.”

He squinted at her, blanket wrapped around himself. She turned away and flew to the sofa on the opposite side of the room.

‘She’s really mad…’

Seo Jun-Ho opened his inventory and pulled out the cake and tea he had made last night. “You should eat this if you get hungry while working. I’m gonna sleep a bit more.”

“...Hmph!” She sniffed.

He gave her one last look before he closed his eyes.

‘I added more Spirit Crystal shavings than usual because we were so exhausted yesterday…’

Well, it didn’t matter much more he added because it would be good for her either way. Seo Jun-Ho used his magic to close the curtains and fell into a deep sleep once more.

***

The Frost Queen used one tiny hand to grip the teacup and used the other to edit the video.

‘The opening should be short and intense.’

She made the bold decision to cut out five hours of footage, and the video began when the battalion approached the hill near the summit of the Hainal Mountains.

‘And a bird’s-eye view…’

The entire battalion fit into the screen as the camera went upward. The scene showed hundreds of people hiking up the Hainal Mountains among the dense forest. Even though it was a simple shot, it was visually pleasing.

‘And now, the music...’

The Frost Queen paid the required PP and chose a low, somber track. The music was anxiety-provoking, foreshadowing the crisis to come.

‘From here…’

Her eyes sparkled as her hands shuffled around. They said experience was the best teacher, but the Frost Queen had a natural talent for video editing, and she had already sharpened her skills in merely three weeks.

“Mmhm, this is fun.” After working for hours on end, she took a bite of cake and a sip of tea.

And then...

Shooooo!

Powerful spiritual energy started to wrap around her body.

“Huh? Huh? What is this?” She opened her mouth to call for Seo Jun-Ho as she struggled.

Suddenly, the room became filled with a bright light.

“...”

The Frost Queen stared down at her hands. Her fingers had gotten a little longer. Not just her fingers, but her arms and legs had grown too. Actually, her entire body had gotten bigger. She had become about twenty centimeters taller than before. She could probably reach Seo Jun-Ho’s calves if she stood up.

“Eek!”

This was ‘evolution,’ a feature unique to Spirits. Most Spirits would be celebrating after their evolution, but the Frost Queen squeezed her cheeks and screamed.

‘T-This can’t be happening!’

She had already made a big deal of it and lied to her Contractor.

‘I told him I was an Arch Spirit…’

But now that she had suddenly grown bigger, her lies would then be revealed.

‘Make my body small again, you rascal.’

She repeatedly stomped her feet, but she didn’t become smaller.

The Frost Queen peeked up from the sofa and looked at her Contractor. He was fast asleep.

She started to form a plan in her mind.

***

“Hnnn.” Seo Jun-Ho yawned. He slept a lot. It had been night when he had fallen asleep, but it was dark again when he opened his eyes. “I’ll have to adjust my sleep schedule again.”

He stretched his stiff muscles and got up, looking around the room.

“Working in the dark will hurt your eyes...”

He turned on the magic lamp and blinked. The video window was open above the table, but the Frost Queen wasn’t there.[1]

‘Where’s Frost? Did she go to the bathroom?’

He knocked on the door, but there was no response. As he stepped inside, he heard something shuffling inside the bathtub.

“What are you doing there?” he asked, squeezing toothpaste onto his toothbrush. He held it between his teeth as he used the mirror to fix his bedhead.

And when he peeked inside the tub, he found the Frost Queen sitting inside. Her body was crouched like a pillbug.

“Huh?”

Of course, it wasn’t enough to hide from Seo Jun-Ho’s sharp eyes.

“Hey, did you… grow?” he asked.

“N-no. I am as small as always.”

“Don’t kid yourself. You got bigger.” He picked up the Frost Queen from behind.

“L-let me go! I am the Queen of Niflheim, and I have the power to punish such transgressions…”

“No, you don’t. You’re my Spirit right now.”

When he set her down, he became sure of it.

‘Her body grew?’

He didn’t know that it was possible for Spirits to grow physically. Had he fed her too much cake recently? He considered this and shook his head.

‘Even if that’s true, she couldn’t have grown like this overnight.’

Still, Seo Jun-Ho had been asleep for 25 years before. Just to be sure, he checked the date—exactly one day had passed since he closed his eyes last night.

“...You evolved, didn’t you?” he asked, squinting. He suddenly remembered what Shim Deok-Gu had told him before.

‘Lesser, low, common, high, arch.’

Spirits had five different ranks. Of course, those that were of a higher rank were stronger than Spirits of lower ranks.

‘Last time she was going off about how she’s so powerful—that she’s an Arch spirit, but…’

As expected, she had been a Lesser spirit. Was she acting like this because she was embarrassed about her lie getting revealed? Seo Jun-Ho grinned and set her down on the ground. He patted her head.

“Keep growing like this, okay?”

“...” The Frost Queen looked up at him with a sulky expression on her face.

She was as tall as his calves now, so she would probably reach his hips the next time she evolved.

“Grade 2 Arch…”

“What?”

“I am a grade 2 Arch Spirit. I am the first Spirit to have reached this level.”

At that, she scuttled from the bathroom, as if afraid that he’d ask more questions. Seo Jun-Ho snorted and finished brushing his teeth.

“So all that’s left is Common, High, and Arch? Then she’ll have gone through all five ranks.”

They were like military ranks. Jun-Ho leaned over the sink and laughed silently.

***

The day after their little misunderstanding, the attendant of Gilleon’s city lord came to the inn with a carriage. The attendant asked Seo Jun-Ho to come with him to meet the city lord for the awarding ceremony.

Seo Jun-Ho changed into neat clothes. “Do you wanna come with me? Or do you want to keep working?” he asked Frost.

She was still editing the video. She had been very quick when she edited the previous video, but this one was taking her quite some time.

“I am putting the final touches. I do not wish to interrupt my concentration, so I will stay here.”

“Sure.”

Leaving her behind, Seo Jun-Ho left the inn and got on the carriage. They started toward the city lord’s estate. The property was very elegant; the white mansion was three stories tall and there was a fountain in the courtyard.

‘So this is a nobleman’s house...’

He wasn’t nervous. He had lived in much bigger, more elegant estates on Earth. He followed the attendant through the halls, passing by lines of statues and paintings. They stopped in front of a door on the 2nd floor.

“Milord, I’ve come with Player Seo Jun-Ho.”

- Ah, come in.

The attendant opened the door for Seo Jun-Ho and remained outside.

Inside, Commander Phivir was in the middle of a conversation with a middle-aged man. The latter’s clothes were made of expensive fabric befitting of a noble, but it wasn’t over-the-top.

“You must be the distinguished Player Seo Jun-Ho?” The man greeted. “I’ve heard all about your contributions.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

It wouldn’t be appropriate to be modest here. Seo Jun-Ho knew that the man had already taken a liking to him, so it would be better to be straightforward.

“I see. Most Players will lower themselves when they come into this room, but you are different from the rest,” he said.

“I have been watching him since the test,” Phivir added, smiling lightly. The nobleman nodded satisfyingly.

“I am Baron Vashti, the city lord of Gilleon,” he said.

“I am Player Seo Jun-Ho.” Seo Jun-Ho bowed his head politely.

Knock knock knock!

All of a sudden, someone banged on the door.

Vashti’s eyebrows furrowed. “What is it? I have a guest.”

“Baron, the young master… The young master is in a critical condition.”

“...!”

“...!”

Baron Vashti and Phivir exchanged glances.

“P-Please excuse me.” The nobleman left the room, face pale.

Phivir approached Seo Jun-Ho. “My apologies. This does not seem to be a good time. Would you return for today?”

“...Commander Phivir, would it be alright if I took a look at the young master?”

Phivir’s eyes narrowed at the sudden request. “You?”

“Yes. It might be an illness that only Players know of.” Seo Jun-Ho explained.

“He has already invited countless Players to treat him…” Phivir sighed. “Keep your distance. That is all I can allow.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Having received permission, Seo Jun-Ho followed Phivir out of the room.

1. The second part of the sentence was added for context. ?