Chapter 91 : Winter City

As we exited the long tunnel at the border, it was a snowy country. It’s a line from a globally renowned novel.

Whenever this impressive sentence comes to mind, I naturally recall the moment I first read this novel. 

That’s how impactful this story was to me.

I remember being so mesmerized by the opening of this novel that I dove headfirst into its world, unaware of my gaping mouth.

Snow Country. Isn’t the name itself enchanting? 

A land of snow. 

A world of snow. 

A landscape painted pure white. 

A place devoid of vibrant colors, evoking a certain emptiness yet brimming with a unique beauty.

I once imagined what this Snow Country might look like. 

What kind of place would give off such an exotic feeling just from the sound of its name?

Of course, I knew that the Snow Country described in the novel referred to a real location. 

Even so, the joy of imagining my own version of Snow Country was irreplaceable.

In my imagination, Snow Country took on various forms, but all versions shared one commonality. 

That commonality was beauty.

Whatever it was, whatever existed there, Snow Country was bound to be beautiful. 

That world of pure white would offer a breathtaking sense of purity, or so I concluded.

I often imagined visiting this land of snow. 

Isn’t the vision of its stunning scenery already vivid in my mind? 

I was certain it would be.

Even though I’d never been to the real place… Perhaps that’s why imagining it was even more enjoyable.

Whenever I reached such a conviction, my imaginary journey to Snow Country would almost reach its end. 

Upon arriving at the final station, I’d vow to visit someday, returning to reality only when the fantasy journey ended.

Visiting Snow Country was one of my dreams. 

Unfortunately, achieving that dream wasn’t easy. A busy life, the financial burden, and the fear of unfamiliar surroundings held me back.

It was my wish to visit at least once someday… and it seems that wish has come true in this new world.

“Damn.”

Suppressing a curse that almost escaped my lips, I looked around.

A pure white world stretched out in every direction.

Wherever I looked, there was snow, snow, and more snow. 

Only white snow filled my vision.

It was a white world.

The first thought that struck me was how beautiful it was.

I felt a lump in my throat. 

Nostalgia for something long ago washed over me, stirring emotions deeply buried. 

Indeed, this beautiful scenery was enough to resurrect old dreams.

Yes, the landscape surrounding me now was unmistakably Snow Country.

The dreamlike scene I had wished and longed to see at least once in my life.

That scenery now unfolded before my eyes.

It was moving. 

Profoundly moving. And why wouldn’t it be? 

This was the realization of a lifelong dream.

This place perfectly matched the vision of Snow Country I had imagined long ago.

However, now that I had actually come to Snow Country, I found one thing in my imagination that needed correction.

Do you know the saying that even the most beautiful flowers have thorns?

No, I’ll cut to the chase and be honest.

As beautiful as it is… it’s insanely cold here.

“Ru… Ruina, it’s so… so c-c-cold.”

In my arms, Reina shivered as she looked up at me. 

Her jaw trembled so violently it seemed like it could crack walnuts. 

Was this what a modernized nutcracker doll would look like?

“I… I’m cold too…”

Of course, I wasn’t in great shape myself.

I was shivering all over. My outfit? 

Just a nun’s robe, which was perfect for mild spring or autumn weather.

Though I’d always praised the practicality of this attire, right now, it felt like it would be the death of me.

This place was in the North—near the border of the perpetual snowfield.

Because of that, the green we’d seen just a few days ago had completely disappeared, leaving only white as far as the eye could see.

“Ruina, are you very cold?”

Agnes asked with a concerned look.

‘Is that even a question?!’

I shot her a slightly resentful look. 

I didn’t respond aloud. 

Speaking would only make me shiver more, so I had no choice but to remain silent.

While glaring at her, I recalled something from a few days ago. 

Agnes had confidently claimed that the North wasn’t cold. 

I should’ve known better than to believe her.

Honestly, who wouldn’t find it odd to hear someone say a snowy place isn’t cold? 

And yet, I believed her.

But I had my reasons.

When Agnes said the North wasn’t cold, not a single person in the carriage disagreed. Everyone but me had agreed with her statement. 

What else could I do? I went along with it.

There’s a saying that if one person tells a lie, it’s a lie, but if many people say it, it becomes the truth. That’s what happened to me.

And this fiasco was the result.

Still, there was a logical reason behind this situation.

The reason for this disaster was simple. 

Everyone in the hero’s party had mastered at least one of the three powers: magic, aura, or divine power.

Why is that relevant? 

Because mastering these powers allows you to withstand the cold to some extent.

When magic envelops your body, it protects you from the chill. 

This concept is closely tied to reinforcing the body with magic, making it easy to learn.

Thus, enduring the cold became a matter of magic reserves, something anyone with decent control over their power could do.

In this party, no one was incapable of such feats.

So you might wonder, why wasn’t I doing it?

Even though my magic was sealed, I’d recently awakened divine power. 

So why was I still freezing?

The answer was simple.

I didn’t have enough divine power to maintain it.

Damn.

I hugged Reina tighter, shivering uncontrollably.

No matter how tightly I hugged Reina to feel even a bit of her warmth, it was useless. 

Far from feeling warmer, we simply shivered in sync like two vibrating motors.

“Are you very cold?” Bliss asked cautiously, and I nodded my head frantically.

“What should we do… Agnes, are we still far from our destination?”

“Just hold on a little longer. We’re almost there. Once we arrive, you won’t have to endure the cold anymore.”

Agnes answered Bliss and stuck her head out the window, looking around as if searching for something.

After a moment, Agnes stopped turning her head. 

She seemed to focus intently on something for a few seconds before smiling and turning to us.

She pointed to a specific spot with her finger.

“There it is.”

Summoning all my strength to fight off the shivering, I leaned out the window and focused on the direction Agnes was pointing.

“That is our destination, Springfield.”

In the distance, where Agnes was pointing, stood a massive fortress wall.

“It’s quite crowded,” Bliss remarked, glancing out the window.

“That’s expected. The hunting festival is soon. Once again, many nobles are gathering to participate,” Agnes said, resting her elbow on the window and her chin on her hand, as if observing a familiar scene.

Listening to them, I looked outside. Numerous carriages were lined up in a row, all of them appearing quite luxurious.

It was an odd sight. It reminded me of traffic jams on highways during holidays.

I let out a deep sigh.

We had already been waiting, trembling, in front of the fortress wall for hours. My face reflected pure exhaustion.

‘It wasn’t like this a few hours ago.’

When we first arrived at the wall of Springfield, I had been smiling brightly, confident we’d soon be inside and resting somewhere warm.

But that was a grave misjudgment. 

Waiting for cheerful me was a line of carriages that looked as endless as a queue during a store’s grand opening.

Agnes and Artorius had explained that the line consisted of people gathering for the hunting festival—nobles and merchants, to be exact.

Apparently, the thorough inspections at the gate were the cause of the delay. 

Since the hunting festival involved most of the Northern noble families, rigorous security measures were necessary.

When I asked if we couldn’t just enter quickly since we had a hero with us, I was told no—it would disrupt protocol or something.

And so, for hours, I huddled with Reina, trembling endlessly.

After what felt like another eternity, Agnes finally spoke.

“It’s our turn now.”

Contrary to my expectations, the inspection process went surprisingly smoothly. 

Artorius, seated in the driver’s seat, showed an emblem symbolizing a Paladin, allowing us to pass quickly.

“Ruina, Reina, you’ve both endured a lot. Once we pass through this gate, you won’t have to shiver anymore.”

“R-Really?”

“Yes,” Agnes replied with a nod.

But at that moment, I couldn’t shake a strange sense of déjà vu. After thinking for a moment, I realized why.

‘Isn’t this just like before?’

The words Agnes just said were nearly identical to what she had said before the cold got worse.

I quickly opened my mouth to question her.

“But, isn’t it just as cold inside the gate as outside?”

“Oh, now that I think about it, you’ve never been to the North before, have you? Don’t worry about that. It’s not cold inside.”

Agnes confidently reassured me with the same confidence as before. Reina and I exchanged doubtful glances at her words.

“Haha! You look like you don’t believe me. Understandable, I suppose.”

Agnes laughed at our expressions.

“Don’t worry. This time, it’s true. Once you enter, you’ll be surprised. So, prepare yourselves.”

Agnes spoke with a grin. Despite her reassurance, I still couldn’t trust her words, but we were already at the gate.

The moment we passed through the gate, I couldn’t help but be astonished.

What greeted us upon entering was the bustling noise of people and a wave of warmth enveloping my entire body.

“It’s warm?”

I muttered in disbelief, my face a mix of surprise and confusion.

Outside had been freezing, like the dead of winter, but inside, it felt as if spring had arrived.

The warmth began to thaw my frozen body, almost as if it was gently embracing me after my struggles in the cold.

Looking around the carriage, I wasn’t the only one surprised. 

Everyone except Agnes wore expressions of awe. Though they had reinforced their bodies with magic, they still seemed to feel the change in temperature.

“It suddenly got warm!”

Reina exclaimed, clearly the most amazed.

“Look at your faces! Didn’t I say you’d be surprised?” Agnes burst out laughing at our reactions.

I turned to Agnes, demanding an explanation for this phenomenon. Judging by the others’ stares, they were doing the same.

But instead of answering our questions, Agnes simply grinned and spoke a single sentence.

“Welcome to Springfield, the winter city located at the northernmost edge of the Empire!”