I ignored the gazes of the others as we walked out of the Arena, Elsana walking next to me. She said nothing until we arrived at a carriage, which was more luxurious than the room I rented at the inn.

There was a maid inside, waiting for her, but she made a gesture to send her away, leaving us alone in the carriage. I sat down, doing my best to look slightly surprised by the decoration — to remind her that I came from a rich family, but not one that matched her splendor — which also gave me an excuse not to notice her slight tenseness.

She was playing a game with her friend with me as the prize, so I couldn't be smart enough to catch the game. The misconceptions of the world helped me. Back on Earth, people had a tendency to assume rich people to be smart and wise, and here, they overestimated the brave and the strong.

And, I had already proved myself a coward by rejecting an important challenge, which helped people to underestimate me greatly even with my scholarly abilities.

"Those poems were beautiful," Elsana commented in a lighthearted manner. Too lighthearted, like a girlfriend asking whether I had ever seen my ex lately. An obvious trap that somehow most men fell for repeatedly, all through history.

For me, it was a unique challenge. I could avoid it, but that would reveal a level of awareness that would damage my objectives. I could fall into it directly by acting silly, but I was locked in a room with a beautiful woman who was even more dangerous than usual.

In the end, I decided to take a dangerous bet, one that could pay great dividends. I crossed my hands, and put a dazed expression on my face. "Watching her in her natural element and forge weapon after weapon has inspired me. The way the light of the forge crowned her face, the way her arms tightened as the hammer exploded against the anvil…" I said before I let my voice fade into a whisper.

For the first time, Elsana failed to hide her jealousy. Which was hard to decide whether it was good or bad. "Maybe you should watch me refine some pills, then. It might inspire you," she said, her voice soft yet threatening.

I ignored the implicit threat, and instead put a fawning expression on my face, like I was captivated by the idea. "Really, it would be my honor!" I gasped.

She set her hands on her lap while her brow rose curiously. "Interesting. Maybe we should," she said. Then, she pointed to the booklet in my hands. "What's that," she said.

"A small guide about the martial arts styles of the city," I said sheepishly. "Since my martial comprehension is poor, Commander Falnaher granted it to help me."

"Did it help?" she said.

I pushed another smile on my face, this time tense. "Not much, I'm afraid. My martial talent is not enough to comprehend anything from a booklet," I claimed, afraid that she would pass a manuscript to me for the express purpose of making me compose poems. It would be a trade, which wouldn't trigger the System.

Maybe it would not, as the System could be temperamental, but I didn't want to risk it.

"But, at least, it will be a good gift for my brother. He would love to see some drawings about the local martial arts techniques," I said.

She shook her head, but then chuckled. Before she could say anything, the carriage came to a stop, and the door opened.

We were already in her compound. The moment I took a breath, a hundred different types of flowers and other plants filled my heart. The compound was mostly filled with gardens and greenhouses, with occasional small houses and workshops.

Only the large mansion at the center of the walled compound was the exception. Elsana walked forward, occasionally nodding and gesturing at the surprising number of servants that worked around, wearing various colors and types of uniforms that indicated their position.

She smiled at the door, entertained by my wide-eyed glances as I took the sights. Admittedly, it was impressive enough that I didn't need to fake anything. "Let me show you around," she said, and led me to a library that shocked me with its size. There were a few apprentices that were already in, indicating that it wasn't highly confidential, but the guards at the door showed it was clearly still valuable.

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

I made sure to put a stammer in my tone as I examined the walls. "M-may I borrow a book?" I said.

"I'll do one better, pick a book for yourself," she said with a generous smile, happy to win over.

I decided to grab a thick book that was clearly marked as the Initiate section of the Snow Blossom Technique.

[Cultivation Difference Bonus - 30; Pity Bonus - 10]

[40x Return - Snow Blossom Art, Complete, Mortal Peak-Grade]

"Oh, an interesting choice," she said lightly, but I could feel that it was a dangerous one.

It was time to distract her. I put on a shy smile as I checked her face. "Well, I thought it might help me understand my hostess better," I said with a shy smile, rather than acting like I was trying to steal her secrets.

I certainly didn't want to show that I had succeeded in it.

"And, you're interested in your hostess. How daring," she said with a gentle giggle. One that made her look even more threatening.

I maintained eye contact for a moment, then avoided her gaze, acting like I was ashamed of my daring words yet still interested, acting like I was unaware of the threatening undertone completely. The smart thing was to ignore the bait … but I was greedy enough to bet that Elsana wouldn't kill me directly.

Not because she was a nice person, or it was frowned upon in this new world, but because it would be hard to explain to her best friend.

Her face warmed slightly at my words, and gulped slightly. And, to my surprise, it didn't feel completely fake. "So, you said that you have been inspired by Lannayin's forging, right?" she said after a long pause. It felt like she made a decision. "Follow me."

With that, she led me to another room. Another workshop, I recognized, though instead of a forge, there were a dozen cauldrons, and shelves filled with various plants. There was a fire burning in the room, but that didn't make the room any less cold.

It felt unnatural, the same way I felt cold when I looked at the nameplate.

"First, let's make sure that you don't freeze," she said as she passed me two pills, which luckily triggered the System return. Not just because it confirmed I was on the right path, but also because I didn't need to be afraid of being poisoned.

[Cultivation Difference Bonus - 30, Pampering Bonus - 10]

[40x Return - Cold Resistance Martial Pill, Profound Peak-Grade]

[40x Return - Essence Recovery Martial Pill, Profound Peak-Grade]

I swallowed both pills without asking questions, and an expression of surprise passed over her expression, replaced by a smile soon after. "You want to watch me Refine a pill, are you sure?" she said as she went behind some kind of screen.

"It would be my honor —" I said, which turned into a gasp as she walked back, which revealed a new outfit… One that wouldn't be amiss on a waitress working in a strip club. Not obscene, but close. A pure white corset, and a short skirt.

"It's the nature of the Snow Blossom Art," she said with a confident smile. "To properly refine a pill, I need to immerse myself in cold. I hope you don't mind."

I didn't need to fake my gulp as I took the view. She was beautiful, even when she grabbed a glistening knife that was made of pure ice, yet looked sharper than the dagger Lannayin gifted me.

"O-of course not," I said, pushing the sense of arousal to my tone. Unlike Lannayin, who was too lost in her display to feel any emotion other than pity for my failure to understand her magnificent display, Elsana was wholly aware of her beauty, and wanted to flaunt it.

"Ice crown glinting, lips like a frosted rose; snowdrifts whisper secrets where her beauty grows. Eyes like glaciers, deep and ever cold, yet in their gaze, a fire burns untold," I whispered, though, unlike the previous poems I read, I made sure to push a sense of desire in my tone.

"Oh, what a beautiful poem," she whispered, trying to look confident, but her blush was hard to misunderstand.

"C-can you explain what are you doing?" I risked. "It's … fascinating."

She smiled shyly as she started dicing some kind of plant. "First, I make sure to assess the medicinal potential of the plant, which is different…" she started, which launched a short yet intense lesson. Unlike the first time, she didn't bother keeping her explanation restricted, going into confusing depths … and I goaded her with poems getting more and more erotic.

I was surprised by just how well she reacted to my more daring compliments. But maybe, I was wrong. After all, who was mad enough to aggressively court someone who could easily poison them.

Me, as it turned out. The combination of greed and desire was a dangerous combination.

Once she finished forging, she threw the pill she finished at me. "Swallow it. I need your help getting warm," she said.

Which, I decided to take as an order even as the System did its magic, the reward leaving no doubt about exactly what she planned.

[Cultivation Difference Bonus - 30, Pampering Bonus - 55 (Capped)]

[85x Return - Ordinary Medicine Refinement Technique Lesson, Beginner-Major Familiarity]

[85x Return - Snow Blossom Refinement Lesson, Initiate, Beginner-Minor Familiarity]

[85x Return - Snow Blossom Refinement Lesson, Muscle Reinforcement, Beginner]

[85x Return - Burning Blood Pill, Initiate, Yellow Peak-Grade]

A dangerous reward with an even more dangerous name, but I decided to take the risk nonetheless. I swallowed the pill, and my body got dangerously hot.

She grabbed my hand, her cold skin feeling like a panacea.