The Morosde Great Snow Mountain does not refer to a single snow mountain, but rather a continuous range of snow-capped mountains within the Empire's territory. Here, there are vast forests composed of snow maples and coniferous shrubs, inhabited by a large number of Danger Beasts. It is also a pass that borders and connects to the Northern Region.
However, this pass had never been breached by the Northern Nomads to invade the Empire's interior throughout the Empire's thousand-year history. The reason was that this was the tribal territory of the Balutes Tribe, the northern hunting tribe within the Empire.
Although the Balutes Tribe lived within the Empire's territory, their customs and folkways were even more primitive and savage than those of the Northern Nomads beyond the Great Wall. Their population was extremely small, only a few thousand people. They had lived on this land since before the Empire was established, making a living by hunting Danger Beasts in these snowy mountain forests for generations. They were also extremely xenophobic, disdaining to associate with the Empire's common people outside the snowy mountains, only interacting with outsiders for dangerous transactions. They were an absolute might-makes-right tribe, with no pity for the weak, thoroughly believing in the law of the jungle.
Stepping on the smooth accumulated snow in the snowy mountain forest, leaving a series of faint, almost invisible boot prints. Tohsaka Rin had already arrived in this snowy mountain range, searching for her long-separated "hometown."
The reason Tohsaka Rin came here was certainly not out of nostalgia for her hometown. As mentioned before, there were no fond memories between Tohsaka Rin and the Balutes Tribe in this world, and when Tohsaka Rin's existence descended, that place became merely a scene in her memories. She came here only to find one person, who was very important in the original work/canon. The ultimate villainous BOSS, Esdeath!
The original Teigu User of the Teigu Demon God's Descent - Essence of the Devil, the future Empire's strongest S-ranked female general, and the final and strongest enemy of the protagonist's Revolutionary Army! Of course, now she was just a three-year-old loli... No, she hadn't even crossed into the loli category yet, she was just a tiny young girl.
As Tohsaka Rin walked through the snow, thinking this, she suddenly felt a tremor in the ground, and a deafening beast roar came from the snowy mountains not far ahead.
Could it be the Balutes Tribe hunting? From the sound, it should be the roar of a large Danger Beast.
Tohsaka Rin couldn't help but quicken her pace forward, leaping lightly, nimbly bouncing several times from the branches of trees. In a few breaths, she climbed over the ridge and looked at the other side of the snowy mountain. It was a Balutes Tribe female hunter, around twenty years old, hunting a giant ape with long white-blue fur.
Tohsaka Rin was slightly startled by this scene, not expecting to run into an acquaintance from the Balutes Tribe. The female hunter was the same age as Tohsaka Rin and was one of the few peers Tohsaka Rin had a good relationship with during her childhood in this world. She often secretly snuck out of her home to bring roasted meat to the hungry and cold Tohsaka Rin.
"Modica… Damn it, this isn't good!"
At this moment, it was less Modica hunting the giant ape and more the giant ape hunting Modica. She had clearly encountered an unmanageable, super-sized prey during her hunt in the mountains—a Special-Grade Danger Beast, the Avalanche Ape.
The moment Rin crossed the ridge, she saw Modica being sent flying by a furious Special-Grade Avalanche Ape's heavy punch, as big as a millstone. Modica's body flew backward thirty meters through the air like a broken puppet before crashing heavily into the snow.
The giant ape was lunging at its soon-to-be meal. Its excited, ugly ape face showed how happy it was to have a full meal in these snow-capped mountains where prey was scarce. Alas, this grand meal was not destined for it… A whistling sonic boom stirred up a sky full of snow. A blade of light, cutting across the horizon, instantly traversed the distance from the ridge to the foot of the mountain. The Avalanche Ape, which had leaped to its highest point, was instantly cut in half at the waist by the brilliant blade light.
After landing, Rin didn't have time to bother with the giant ape struggling in the snow, cut in half and on the verge of death. She quickly scanned her surroundings and immediately ran to where the huntress had been struck, helping her up from the snow that covered her.
"Modica, you…"
Rin's slightly anxious voice abruptly stopped as she helped up her childhood friend. Having been proficient in human alchemy, puppetry, and medicine in the Nasuverse, the moment she lifted Modica's body, she understood from the feel of it that it was already too late.
All the bones in her body were shattered, and her broken ribs had likely punctured her internal organs. In this situation, she could probably only listen to Modica's last words.
"Damn it…"
Rin gnashed her teeth in silent fury. The huntress with short ice-blue hair coughed out two mouthfuls of blood mixed with organ fragments, waking from her concussion. Seeing Rin, she seemed somewhat disoriented and incredulous, her voice weak as she said:
"Rin?… Am I already dead? I didn't expect to see you first thing after dying."
Rin's expression was somewhat grim as she said:
"I'm not dead yet, but you… are about to die. I passed by on a whim, wanting to take a look at the tribal land, and the first thing I saw was me seeing you off."
The Balutes Tribe people have always disregarded life and death; both men and women are fearless hunters. Modica, in her last moments, showed no fear of death, but instead smiled brightly.
"Balutes Tribe hunters never care about death… It's only natural for a weak me to become food for a Danger Beast…"
"Don't talk about that now! Damn it, why did none of you want to come with me back then… At least, it wouldn't be like this now."
"I just… cough cough… didn't have your courage… cough cough… didn't have the courage to leave this hunting ground beyond the snowy mountains."
Rin knew that her childhood friend was about to pass away. This was a bond from before Rin's arrival in the Nasuverse. Since she was living in this world, she should fulfill Modica's last wish.
"Is there anything you can't let go of, anything you need me to tell the tribe?"
Rin asked for Modica's last wish, and Modica used her last bit of strength to say:
"Rin, can you go to the tribal land and take my daughter away, away from these snowy mountains…"
"Your daughter? You got married?"
Rin looked at her old friend, who had left the group without permission, with some surprise, asking unexpectedly:
"Yes… I just followed a man who was a bit stronger than me, that boy Naisad. He was buried by an avalanche when I was giving birth…"
…As expected of a tough woman from my Balutes Tribe, talking about her husband's death so casually… Serves you two right for leaving the group without permission!
"After that, I planned to take the child and marry that guy Nazak…"
Your ex-husband was buried by an avalanche, so he died quickly, right?… "Nazak successfully challenged and became the chieftain last month. We were originally planning to get married… Perhaps he will take care of my daughter, but if it's you, Rin, I still hope she can go with you…"
"Chieftain? Daughter? What's your daughter's name!?"
"Esdeath…"
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