And frozen inside the pillar of ice was a severed wrist that seemed to belong to a woman judging from how thin… judging from its shape.

「This is…! I had always thought that we had never seen their remains during these two hundred years because you had buried them, Borkus-dono. But this, could it be…!」(Nuaza)

『That’s how it is. Their dead bodies are probably on the other side of this annoying block of ice. Judging from the size of this hand, it’s probably Zandia-jouchan’s. There’s no doubt that she kept fighting that bastard even after I got killed and chased him underground with Jeena, even after losing her hand. And so I’m sure she was killed on the other side of this ice.』(Borkus)

The magical spear, the legendary-class Magic Item that was the origin of Mikhail’s Title, contained powerful ice Mana. It was said to be able to freeze its enemies’ souls, trapping them for eternity.

『I don’t know what was on the other side of this ice. All I know is that there’s no way to melt it. Even if I try to smash it, I can’t make a single crack on it, and pouring oil on it and setting fire to it doesn’t even leave a single scorch-mark. So, can you melt this ice?』(Borkus)

「I can melt it.」(Vandalieu)

Vandalieu nodded immediately. He had been examining it while Borkus and Nuaza were talking, and he could definitely feel Mana in the ice.

It seemed strangely different to a curse, but it was similar. If he extinguished the Mana, it was likely that the ice would melt in an instant and open up the entrance leading underground.

『I see. Then please do it. I don’t know if their bodies have become Undead on the other side of this ice, and even if they have, they might have lost their sanity. But I’ll never feel at ease until I say something to apologize to them.』(Borkus)

「I understand.」(Vandalieu)

Vandalieu released death-attribute Mana that absorbed other Mana, and the ice began melting right before their eyes, as if it were being exposed to some extreme heat.

In a matter of minutes, Zandia’s hand had been freed and the passage underground had been opened.