“Stay safe on your way back.”
“Hope you do well until Tom returns.”
“Don’t worry about me; you should take care of yourself. Isn’t that heading into danger?”
He wasn’t wrong. I checked my equipment one last time and set my foot on the stairs leading up the Kvass Mountain Range.
Is it starting now?
[It’s snowing so hard that I can’t see the path?]
“That’s how it is on a snow mountain.”
A snow-covered mountain.
Honestly, a normal person wouldn’t try to climb such a crazy mountain.
The stairs were frozen solid, and in less than an hour, I could easily fall victim to hypothermia or frostbite if I stopped for even a moment.
But how can I find the guy I’m looking for at the top?
I have to get up somehow.
I trudged up the stairs.
According to the village chief, there should be stairs up to the middle of the mountain. Beyond that, there probably wouldn’t be any stairs. The terrain is too harsh to maintain them in this weather.
[My tentacles are starting to freeze…]
“Warm them up yourself. If it gets too bad, just cut them off.”
[What?]
I don’t have time to melt them one by one. Besides, if they freeze, I’ll have to cut them off anyway, so… sigh. If only I had some regeneration ability, it’d be better. Unfortunately, I don’t have such a skill.
Ah, I can’t even speak now.
Every time I open my mouth, it feels like the cold is freezing my lungs.
I almost thought about starting a casual chat, only to experience my tongue freezing solid. I shut my mouth and kept my gaze fixed on the stairs, diligently moving forward.
Please let nothing happen on the way.
These stairs give me an odd sense of déjà vu, like a troll with white fur is about to pop out, or those who blow their breath to send opponents flying are lurking at the top.
“…I wish a phoenix would show up.”
Even the path to meet a phoenix feels like hell; if a monster butts in, it’s chaos. I was thinking of such nonsense as I reached the first resting point. Well, at least I found a decent spot.
I packed some snow and shaped it with a shovel.
“This should be good enough, huh?”
“Crafting.”
Of course, in winter, it’s all about igloos.
I stepped inside the quickly constructed igloo and felt the warm embrace of a different world.
It was big enough for about two adult males to lie down. There was an opening in the ceiling with a small roof above it, allowing smoke to escape if I started a fire.
If I just keep the fire going well, I should be able to sleep warm.
I took out my prepared ignition stone and a small metal cylinder. The cylinder, which boasted about a fist’s width, was brought for multipurpose use.
“Rue, pour some oil.”
[My tentacles are frozen; that’s a no-go!]
Then I guess we have no choice.
I raised my index finger and quietly began to chant.
“Sprinkler.”
Oil started dripping from my fingertip. Not exactly animal fat… but oil created by magic. I was able to adjust its properties to a degree, so I set it to burn as long as possible and took out a match to light it.
“…Now, it feels like life is returning.”
[Oh, it’s melting! My tentacles are melting! This is fun!]
Watching the tentacles approach the campfire made me wonder whether to be moved by the rare sight or chuckle. I smacked my frozen backpack with my hand to shake it off and pulled out roasted beans and a small kettle.
“I’ll scoop up some snow for a moment.”
Good thing moisture isn’t hard to get.
I scooped snow with my mithril shovel and shoved it into the kettle. As I placed the full kettle on the fire, the snow quickly began to transform into my drinking water.
[So snow turns into water, huh?]
“Yeah.”
I casually shared a bit of science with Rue and dropped a small cloth containing coffee grounds into the kettle. Soon after, the fragrant aroma of coffee filled the igloo.
It was a scent that relaxed me.
I set the kettle down on the floor and went outside to use my skill.
“Crafting.”
Hmm. Looks good. I held up an ice cup about the size of a mug and went back inside the igloo, slowly pouring the content from the kettle into it. I made the cup thick on purpose, so it wouldn’t just have holes poked through it.
I placed the cup next to the entrance and enjoyed the warm fire.
[Can we drink something cold in this weather?]
“In this kind of weather, you have to drink it cold.”
[Really?]
“Yep.”
It should be about done now.
I leisurely picked up the ice cup next to the entrance and returned inside the igloo. The half-frozen coffee looked refreshing just to look at. I sat in front of the warm fire and gulped down the cool coffee.
Yeah. This is the taste.
On cold days, iced coffee is the answer.
[Do you really like it? I want to try it too.]
“You don’t have a mouth, do you?”
[Tch.]
Rue seemed genuinely disappointed, but what can I do? She should blame her mouthlessness.
Ah, refreshing. I finished my cool coffee and rose from my spot.
I had to start again.
I still had a long way to go, so I couldn’t afford to slack off.
“I’m setting off again.”
It’d be wise to leave the igloo just in case a latecomer follows.
I poured snow on the fire to extinguish it, emptied the contents out, and packed it into my backpack.
——————————
“I guess that’s as far as we go today.”
[How many more days do we have to go?]
“I think about a week, maybe.”
That was an optimistic estimation; it might take longer than ten days.
If I get unlucky with a real crevasse or have to detour due to the terrain, I’d have to hope it doesn’t come to that.
“I’m crafting.”
Well, this area is big enough, so I could build bigger. I cleared out the floor of the igloo I made in a spacious area and started a fire in the middle.
After making a few igloos on my way up, I gathered some know-how, so making this level is becoming easy now.
Indeed, practice is the best teacher.
Soon, I skillfully lit the fire and pulled out a sleeping bag from my backpack. This was a modified sleeping bag from the ones sold in stores. Since I needed to sleep properly this time, it was natural to take it out.
I wish I had an inventory like in a game.
Thinking that, I tossed snow into the pot and set it over the fire. I’d enjoy some nice hot soup with the appropriately brought vegetables and jerky.
[Contractor, where are you going?]
Rue, who had sprawled on the igloo floor, looked at me and asked. I stretched the shovel and answered.
“I’m going to set some traps.”
But all it really was was a showcase of my crafting skill.
From artificial crevasses to small traps, I set up every trap I could around before returning and adding the ingredients into the boiling water.
The ingredients that plopped into the boiling water began to soften and emitted an appetizing aroma.
“…I’m glad these didn’t fall here.”
As I absentmindedly watched the stew boil, I suddenly thought.
Living on a deserted island, the environment was close to tropical, so there was no concept of winter to endure. But starting out on a snow mountain? I’d have turned into an ice-cold corpse before a year passed.
Before getting used to the deserted island, the bone-chilling cold would easily take my life.
Ah, is it starting to boil?
I set the pot down and picked up a spoon. The aroma was good, but the taste would probably be average. I didn’t carry spices around, so all I had were salt and pepper. Although, considering the jerky was salty enough, I figured I could just use pepper.
I scooped up a spoonful of soup and put it in my mouth.
“…Refreshingly good.”
[Refreshing? Isn’t it hot?]
How do I explain this?
I pondered how to articulate the mysterious language of a Korean before deciding to brush it off.
Explaining felt like a chore.
Besides, if she has no sense of taste, it’d be hard to understand what I mean, anyway.
“There’s such a thing.”
[What is it? Tell me!]
Well, it’s delicious. The hard meat breaks down well, making it manageable. I chewed on the solid pieces while taking in the sight of the snowy wind blowing through the wide entrance. Frankly, the only thing I could do was that.
[I’m so bored.]
“If you’re really bored, why not take a look outside?”
Since the concept of freezing to death doesn’t apply, isn’t it fine to go out and play a bit?
[If I freeze, I can’t move!]
“Then play inside the igloo.”
I wiped the pot and spoon down with snow and carelessly tossed them in the corner of the igloo.
Maybe I should take a nap.
I crawled into the sleeping bag and got comfortable.
I couldn’t mark time exactly, but I figured I’d rise when the sun was up.
I closed my eyes after wrapping up a day of incessant walking.
Just sleep now—
“W-What’s a house doing in a place like this…?”
A strange woman’s voice.
I instinctively crawled out of my sleeping bag and grabbed my shovel.
“Excuse me! Is anyone in there?”
“Who are you?”
“…Thank goodness! Can I come in?”
Is she a castaway?
If I don’t let her in, she’ll freeze to death, but do I really need to?
I couldn’t increase unnecessary risks—
No.
Wait a moment.
“…Come in.”
“Thank you!”
The owner of the voice bent down and entered the igloo, making eye contact with me.
“…You are.”
“Thank you! I think I can live because of you… sniff sniff.”
I scratched my head while watching the woman who began to cry as she sat down.
…Was it a misunderstanding?
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