"That's, um, a bit too close…" Elizabeth's face, usually pale, was now tinged with color as she spoke shyly.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to, it was just... inertia," Noel hurriedly explained.
"Don't do that," Elizabeth protested, "Stay away from me."
Anyone unaware of what just happened might have thought they were in the middle of something strange.
"Calm down, I can explain," Noel tried to defend himself.
Elizabeth pushed Noel away, but he could feel an unfriendly gaze falling on him.
He didn't even need to look to know it was the Silver Wolf King glaring at him, already regarding him as an enemy. This was bad.
"Don't touch me." Elizabeth's attitude suddenly turned cold, quite different from her earlier warmth.
Noel shoved his frostbitten hand into his pocket, trying to warm it up. He genuinely hadn't meant to touch Elizabeth, it was the sudden stop from the Silver Wolf King that had caused him to fall forward, creating this awkward scene.
"…Actually, it's not entirely your fault. The Silver Wolf King and I share a link, so my instructions reach him instantly," Elizabeth admitted, realizing her tone had been too harsh and that she was partially to blame.
The Silver Wolf King let out a low whimper, clearly feeling wronged. He had just followed orders—how had this become his fault?
Elizabeth noticed his sulky mood and gently stroked his fur, the best way to comfort him. The Silver Wolf King, like a scolded child, calmed down and nuzzled against Elizabeth, seeking comfort.
Watching this, Noel was stunned. It felt like something out of a fairytale—beauty and the beast. A fleeting, silly thought crossed his mind: would the Silver Wolf King transform into a prince if he received a kiss from the spirit?
Of course, that was just a joke in his head.
In truth, Noel held deep respect for the Silver Wolf King. Its sheer size alone commanded awe.
"Let's go, Little White." At Elizabeth's command, the Silver Wolf King began to run toward the Ice Spirit Tree.
This was Noel's first time riding on the back of the Silver Wolf King, and it was surprisingly exhilarating. He had ridden giant lizards before, but their backs were hard and uncomfortable. In comparison, the Silver Wolf King's fur was soft and warm.
Not that comfort was the main point. The Silver Wolf King was majestic, powerful, and exactly the kind of mount any male mage would dream of—imposing, strong, and cool. If it weren't so difficult to tame, who wouldn't want one?
According to Noel's estimate, the Silver Wolf King was easily an S-class beast. Strong and stylish—what more could a mage want?
Soon, they arrived at the Ice Spirit Tree again, but it looked different now.
There was a strong sense of something unnatural in the air that Noel couldn't quite place. Most notably, the Ice Spirit Fruit hanging from the tree had changed since his last visit.
The tree's branches now shimmered like polished ice, waving gently in the wind like tentacles. Each fruit was now perfectly crystalline and translucent, whereas before, it had been clear but not quite like this. Perhaps it was the snowfall now that was causing this change?
Maybe this was the Ice Spirit Tree's true form, shifting depending on whether it was snowing or not.
Unable to resist, Noel reached out to touch it—but Elizabeth quickly stopped him.
"Don't touch the tree right now, it's too dangerous," Elizabeth exclaimed, clearly startled by his action.
She hadn't expected Noel to reach out so casually. During this stage, touching the Ice Spirit Tree could freeze someone solid, turning them into an ice statue in an instant. This was the final stage of the tree's fruit ripening, during which it released an intense cold to nourish the fruit. Only ice mages could withstand it for a while, but for a normal person, a single touch would mean instant freezing.
It was different for the ice spirits, of course. As children of the earth, even absolute zero meant nothing to them.
Noel hadn't realized the danger. He just felt an irresistible pull toward the tree, a quirk of his alchemist's curiosity. Seeing something unknown made him want to touch and study it, and he'd acted on instinct without thinking.
Still, he didn't understand why Elizabeth had reacted so strongly.
"Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?" Elizabeth scolded him, her cheeks flushed red with anger.
"Sorry, I won't touch it again," Noel replied, wisely admitting fault. This wasn't the first time something like this had happened back in Mondstadt's alchemy workshop.
Seeing Noel's sincere apology, Elizabeth let it go, deciding it wasn't worth dwelling on.
The Ice Spirit Fruit's color began to shift again, transitioning from clear to a translucent sky blue, like a blue crystal.
Around the tree, the cold felt like it was solidifying the air itself. Even though Noel was still some distance away, he could feel the chill in his bones.
Elizabeth stood before the tree, her gaze locked on it without blinking, as if waiting for something.
"It's about to happen," she whispered softly.
"What is?" Noel asked, completely lost, glancing at Elizabeth with confusion.
He could only think how mysterious the ice spirits were, with all their strange rituals.
The Ice Spirit Tree began to change shape again, its branches folding like petals in bloom.
One fold, then another, then another—until the tree was opening up like a flower, glinting with rainbow-colored light beneath the swirling snow.
At the center of the blooming "flower" was a flawless, crystal-clear fruit.
Elizabeth knelt reverently, as if performing some ancient ritual. A magic circle appeared beneath her feet.
Noel realized then that this must be an ancient elven ritual, explaining why he hadn't been able to find any mention of how to harvest the Ice Spirit Fruit in any of the texts he'd studied. Only elves could harvest it.
The fruit slowly detached from the tree, floating toward Elizabeth, who caught it gently with both hands.
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