Where the Frozen Moon Set Down

Chapter 02

The rickety old table creaked side to side under the weight of the sword, giving Sell an idea of just how heavy it was.

In the process, his precious repair tools ended up squished underneath it.

Sell scowled and glared up at the man.

It was the first time he’d really seen the guy’s face properly under the bright sunlight.

Jet-black hair, slightly slanted eyes, a ridiculously high nose, and thick, greedy-looking lips—all of it screamed “ferret.”

And with that beefy build, he was probably the leader of a gang of ferret-like thugs somewhere.

“This ferret-looking guy, his behaviour’s no different…”

Sel bit his tongue, holding back curses as he stared at the sword the man—Ravi, was it?—had plopped onto the table.

Judging by the top-tier magical machinery attached to the blade, he was probably some fancy noble from a big town or something.

The kind of guy Sell had no interest in getting involved with.

He’d saved his life—paid back an old favour—and that was where this was supposed to end.

“Can’t fix it. Take it back,” Sell said flatly.

Ravi raised a brow, like he hadn’t expected that answer.

“Fifty rubes. How about that?”

Sel’s pale blue eyes quivered slightly.

Fifty rubes?

That was nearly six months’ worth of hard labour.

Was he serious about paying that much just for repairs?

The tool in Sel’s hand slipped from his grip, clattering onto the table.

“No answer? Need more?”

Apparently taking Sel’s silence for hesitation,

Ravi reached into his jacket, which was draped over the bed, and casually pulled out a bill.

He slapped it down on the table with the same casual expression he’d worn since walking in.

A crisp 50-ruble bill.

It was the first time Sell had ever seen money like that in his life.

“W-Wait, this is… real…?”

Ravi’s half-lidded gaze wandered around the dingy little shack.

The cramped, barely functional furniture.

The half-broken shelf stacked with dry bread.

It all painted a very clear picture of how Sell had been living.

Ravi turned his attention back to the boy and spoke calmly.

“Nah, that’s just the down payment. You can keep it, even if you can’t fix the sword. But if you do fix it, I’ll pay you double. A hundred rubes.”

“Cough!”

The mere mention of 100 rubes made Sel choke on his own breath.

Was this a dream?

Anyone else in his shoes would’ve been suspicious, but Sel knew from their encounter years ago that Ravi wasn’t the kind of guy to pull a scam.

Struggling to catch his breath after the coughing fit, Sel saw Ravi extend a hand toward him.

Still bewildered, he just stared at it.

“A handshake. Have you ever done one before?”

Sel didn’t answer.

Ravi sighed and reached out, taking Sel’s right hand in his own.

Sel’s pupils dilated slightly in surprise, but thanks to his mask, it wasn’t obvious.

Ravi shook the boy’s hand up and down.

“That’s how you do it. A handshake. It’s a way of saying hello. Or in this case, that we’ve got a deal. And… a thank-you for saving me.”

Still holding onto Sell’s hand, Ravi gave it a tug and started leading him toward the door.

The grip wasn’t even that strong, but somehow, Sel’s body felt as light as air, dragged along with ease.

“Hey, what are you doing?” Sell protested.

“Hmm. Getting food?”

“What?”

He dug his heels into the ground, trying to resist, but Ravi just grinned at him.

“Yeah, food. Meat. You need to eat after losing all that blood. I’ve got a high-class palate, and dried bread doesn’t cut it for me.”

Ravi glanced at the stack of bread on the shelf, wrinkling his nose playfully.

Sel scowled.

“Then go buy something in town.”

“That’s the plan.”

“Then let go of me.”

“You’re coming with me.”

“Why would I do that?”

“Because you saved my life? And because you need to eat some proper food for once.”

Ravi tapped Sell’s skinny side with his palm.

The boy flinched slightly, glaring daggers at him.

His waist was so thin it was almost nothing but bone.

“I don’t need your charity. I’m not going to town.”

He’d repaid an old debt; that was all this was supposed to be.

He wasn’t about to rack up another favour by accepting a free meal.

Sel shook his head firmly.

“You’ll go.”

Ravi pursed his lips into a playful whistle, directing it toward the dark forest outside.

A moment later, the ground started rumbling.

The tall birch trees swayed side to side as something barreled toward them at an incredible speed.

Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud.

It had four legs, ran like a horse, but was much larger.

Its thick legs and vicious-looking claws gave it an almost monstrous appearance.

Sel’s breath caught.

Taking a step back, his fingers drifted toward the pistol at his side.

“Haha, you’re gonna shoot my horse? C’mon, give me your hand,” Ravi said, cheerfully climbing onto the beast’s back.

“This… this isn’t a horse—it’s a monster!”

“This guy’s a bit wild, sure. But quit stalling. Give me your hand. He doesn’t like to wait.”

Ravi leaned down, extending his hand even further toward Sel.

The boy’s trembling gaze darted between Ravi and the black beast.

Eventually, with a shaky sigh, he placed his hand in Ravi’s.

The next moment, his whole body was hoisted up effortlessly.

“Whoa—!”

Grabbing Sel’s hand and swiftly supporting him under the arm with the other, Ravi hoisted him up with ease.

Sel felt as weightless as a lantern, landing neatly in the seat in front of him.

Ravi, careful not to hurt him, gently set him down on the saddle before gripping the reins and giving the horse’s flank a light nudge.

The horse started moving at a trot.

For someone riding a horse for the first time, Sel was overwhelmed by the jolting motion.

With every bounce, it felt like her insides were rattling.

Her empty stomach churned, and she fought the urge to vomit.

“I’m keeping it slow, but you look like you’re really struggling,” Ravi said, chuckling as Sel hiccupped.

Her pale, dirt-streaked blonde hair stuck out from under her hood, and the tips of her ears had turned ghostly white.

Seeing this, Ravi slowed the horse even further.

His large hand stroked the horse’s neck gently as he spoke to it. “Easy now, Rimpa. I know you want to run, but today we’ve got a timid passenger. Let’s take it slow, alright?”

“Rimpa?” Sel asked, trying to distract herself from the nausea.

“The last owner called her Rimpax, but I just call her Rimpa. Apparently, she was the prized steed of Luxos II, the guy who united the Northlands.”

“And you ended up with a horse like that… how?”

“Obviously because I’m amazing. Only great horses choose great riders, right?”

The moment Ravi finished speaking, Rimpa leapt effortlessly over a patch of icy ground.

The sudden movement sent Sel lurching backward, and Ravi’s nose smacked into the back of her head.

“Ugh! You stink! Do you ever wash? I’ve gone days without bathing as a mercenary, but this…!” Ravi groaned, rubbing his nose and wrinkling it dramatically.

Embarrassed, Sel flushed red, just as her body went rigid.

[Hide. Don’t let them see. Don’t let them find out.

The eerie voice that had gone silent for so long clawed its way into her mind, freezing her blood.

Sel whipped her head toward the sound but found nothing there.

Panic-stricken, she pressed her hands hard against her ears.

The voice faded the moment Ravi’s words cut through her fear.

“Hey, what’s wrong? Did I cross a line with the bath comment? You alright?” he asked, concern flickering in his tone.

“I… I’m fine. It’s nothing,” Sel stammered, though her shaking hands told another story.

Ravi studied her carefully.

Her reaction had been too sudden, too fearful to be about his teasing.

Whatever haunted her, he decided not to pry.

Pain like that had to be faced on one’s own terms.

The ride to the village didn’t take long.

Before dismounting, Ravi suggested Sel take off her goblin mask.

While he was used to monsters, the villagers might not be so understanding. But Sel refused, claiming she had a sunlight allergy.

Ravi didn’t push further. Instead, he hopped off the horse, then reached up and effortlessly lifted Sel off the saddle, setting her down gently.

The place Ravi led her to was a high-end restaurant smack in the middle of the bustling town.

When Ravi tried to guide her toward the entrance, Sel froze. “I—I can’t go into a fancy place like this…”

“You can, as long as you’re with me,” Ravi replied confidently, smirking as he gave her a reassuring pat on the back and nudged her forward.

As they approached the entrance, the restaurant manager came rushing out to greet them, flinging the door wide open with practiced courtesy.

His polite smile quickly faltered when his eyes landed on Sel.

Gone was the crescent-shaped grin of welcome—his face now bore the full moon of horror and disgust.

“This… this filthy beggar shouldn’t even be here—”

“Barvin,” Ravi interrupted, his voice laced with an icy undertone. “She’s my guest. Not a ‘filthy beggar.’”

His smile stretched wide, but the chill in his eyes could freeze oceans.

Barvin’s face turned beet red as he hastily bowed and motioned them inside.

He continued casting wary glances at Sel as he led them to a private room near the back, shielded by partitions.

Ravi, however, acted as if nothing was wrong, throwing an arm around Sel’s shoulder as they walked.

Sel stiffened at the unexpected touch. Since turning 17, no one had dared initiate physical contact with her like this.

The warmth of Ravi’s arm caught her off guard, but strangely, she didn’t pull away.

There was something comforting about his casual, open-hearted gesture.

It wasn’t patronising or invasive—it simply felt… kind.