Frostfire Legacy

May 5, 4033, 5:01 a.m.

Aster woke up at the usual time.

He raised his body from the bed and stretched lightly, yawning, before drawing his first deep breath in the morning.

*Huff!*

"...?"

But unlike what he expected, his nose wasn't filled with the smell of air freshener used on his room, but rather with a floral aroma. Scanning his surroundings, he noticed that he wasn't nestled in the center of his plush king-sized bed but instead on a makeshift bed made of folded bedsheets.

"What...?" Aster cocked his head, pondering the situation.

He turned toward the bed, barely visible from his vantage point on the floor. Slowly, he stood and peered over, finding an almost half-naked rabbit woman sleeping peacefully.

She wore a white shirt, borrowed from Aster's wardrobe, rolled halfway up, revealing her cute, flat tummy. Tracing her contours, Aster found a thin, pink garment concealing her private parts.

"... Right. I remember now." He scratched his head. "Cassandra stayed over last night."

Of course, nothing happened. Despite her vulnerable appearance, Aster didn't lay a hand on her. Rather, the very reason why he divulged his secret to her was to give her "something" to use against him, trying to put her at ease.

'And if I touch a girl out of my own volition, I can't imagine what Mayor Magnus would say to me.'

But recalling the sad, lonely expression she had last night made Aster's heart ache a little. Although it wasn't due to "like" or "love" or anything like that, rather, Cassy simply missed her time sleeping with her cute little brothers and sisters.

'It's a heartwarming story, but the way she started it was misleading.'

*Huff!*

He took another deep breath before opening his eyes wide, recalling something. "Oh, I don't need to mind my breathing starting today." He turned to the black chain bracelet over his left wrist as he smiled lightly.

Without staring too much at Cassy's body, Aster stowed away the makeshift bed and left the bedroom. He first headed for the bathroom, splashing cold water, which felt room temperature to him, while trying to fully wake up. Then, he went to the kitchen and began cooking breakfast.

As the "man of the house," naturally, he could cook.

While his skills might not rival his nurse's, he could prepare decent meals. As he bustled around the kitchen, he couldn't help but glance at the bracelet he had every so often.

"So I'm truly liberated from that curse..." he muttered, pondering his illness.

Throughout, he had been attempting to breathe rapidly, disregarding his usual breathing technique. However, despite this, he didn't feel lightheaded or lethargic at all. In fact, he felt invigorated with the increased oxygen circulating through his body, vivifying his cells!

*Yawn!*

"Oh," Aster shifted as he heard a cute yawn, turning to see Cassy entering the kitchen looking sleepy. "Good morning, Cassy." He greeted.

"Gud mornin'..." Her words were muffled, as if spoken in her sleep.

Aster smiled, noting that she wasn't a morning person, or rather, a morning bunny.

Like him, she headed for the bathroom, splashing cold water on her face to rouse herself. However, sleepiness still lingered in her eyes.

Taking a seat at the table, she eyed the food Aster was preparing and asked with a sweet smile, "I was awakened by this enticing aroma! What's cooking?"

"Hmm? Just stew and bread," Aster explained, removing the bread from the nearby oven. "See?"

"Still smells fantastic! I'm getting hungrier the more I smell it!"

"haha, thanks. Just wait a little longer; it's almost ready."

After sharing everything he experienced with Cassy, Aster felt a weight lift from his shoulders. He realized he had been seeking someone to share his story with, and it just happened to be Cassy, his party member for a week, who ended up listening to it.

After a minute more, Aster's Beef and Vegetable Stew, Toasted Bread with bacon spread, and a few slices of fruits as palate cleanser were served. It was a light breakfast, but Cassy was thankful. She wasn't a fan of heavy morning meals, after all, the same as Aster was.

After their meal, the time was reaching 6:30 a.m., so the two changed back into their adventurer attire and departed.

They left the Twister Hotel with minimal interaction with others, exchanging nods and waves with those who greeted them superficially.

"Where are we heading?" Cassy inquired, her hands clasped behind her white robe.

Aster briefly glanced at her expression before facing forward. Yes, he was no longer facing downward, but ahead!

"To the adventurer's guild. We need to cash in our loot to free up space on our backpack," he replied, tapping the bag hanging conspicuously from his shoulders.

Inside were pouches containing dried slime mana powder, 110 units in all.

As they walked, Aster found himself short of breath. Cassy looked at him with concern, asking several times, "Shall I carry it instead?" But he insisted on bearing the burden.

The guild was a mere 30-minute walk from the hotel. Unlike the previous night, where the place resembled a "naughty" establishment with all the neon lights aglow, it now appeared quite ordinary under the morning light.

"Huff! Huff!"

Aster panted heavily, attempting to catch his breath. Though he struggled, he felt refreshed. He hadn't felt so tired and yet was able to breathe freely without worrying about his remaining days!

Of course, he cautioned Cassy against using her healing skills on him. He was just "testing" the magical item he had, the Stagnating Life Bracelet.

As Dr. Zellbrook explained, he could now breathe normally. The sense of liberation, something he had never experienced before, felt amazing!

"Phew. I'm fine now."

Finally catching his breath and wiping the sweat from his forehead with his scarf, he approached the guild door. It swung open automatically, revealing a group of rugged-looking men who stared at them, emitting gruff sounds.

One, a Mohican with red and white hair, pointed at Aster and raised his voice. "Oh, look who's here, the weakling from yesterday! Ready to quit being adventurers already? Kakakaka!"

Yesterday, Aster merely lowered his head, ignoring the voices around him. But today was different. He turned to the man, gripping his backpack strap tightly, and retorted, "Get lost, you ugly jerk."

"""..."""

The guild fell silent.

Even the insulted man seemed unsure of how to respond. After a moment, he flushed red with anger.

"What did you say, you brat?!" he bellowed.

He slammed his fist on the table, causing it to topple, and advanced toward Aster. "You've got guts; I'll give you that! But can you handle this...?!" With a few words, he swung his fist at Aster's face.

Naturally, Aster couldn't react. He was weak, and that was a fact. It was impossible for him to change so drastically in such a short time! Nonetheless, he didn't flinch, facing the incoming blow with a burning gaze.

"...!"

Just before it connected, a slender arm shot out, seizing the man's fist.

"That's enough!" Cassy shouted. "If you don't stop, I'll be your opponent!"

As he struggled to escape her hold, the Mohican turned toward Cassy and was astounded by her strength. 'What power!' he thought before snorting.

"Kah! You're that dud priest? A weakling, teaming up with a useless... You're a match made in heaven, aren't you? Kakaka!"

He jeered again before withdrawing, soothing his hurting wrist.

"Bah, I've lost my appetite. Let's go, bastards! We'll clear the first floor today!"

Aster watched them exit the door.

As they departed, the guild became almost empty but also peaceful at the same time.

"That was quite a racket, wasn't it?" A woman's voice broke the silence.