CHAPTER 34: THE FROST MOUNTAINS [PART 1]

After we were briefed, we each climbed into a clean and neat carriage in groups of five, which rode us to the location of the spirit gate. The horse-drawn vehicle was said to be owned by the Eternal Church—even the horses were pristine, white with flowing manes that looked like they’d never seen a speck of dirt.

The interior of the carriage was almost comparable to the inside of a limousine back on Earth. I’d been fortunate enough to enter one twice in my life, so I knew what I was talking about.

Despite the grandeur of this place, despite having to share it with four other people, I still wasn’t feeling it.

I found myself staring out the window with a wistful feeling as the memories of last night played over and over again in my head. Her eyes. The way she moaned and hele me as I fucked her. This morning too...

’Perhaps I should have told her I liked her?’

I did like her. I wouldn’t say love, not yet... but I didn’t see it not reaching that point eventually.

"You look worried."

The elegant voice with its Russian accent drew me out of my thoughts. I sighed and looked across the carriage. Elena was sitting there with her arms folded over her small breasts and her legs crossed. Between us sat a polished wooden table that probably cost more than my entire kit. On her side sat two more girls, whispering to each other. Next to me was just the boy who’d gotten late with me—he looked about as thrilled to be here as I felt.

For a moment, I almost wondered why a B-rank and a bunch of C-ranks were riding in the same carriage as an F-rank like me and my fellow D-rank here.

But immediately, I knew the answer.

It was all because of this young lady called Elena Volkov and her stubborn insistence on becoming my friend.

I exhaled and said with a tone that should deliver my intention not to be bothered:

"I’m alright."

I could feel the intensity of her eyes even as I turned back to the window. The city rolled past—stone buildings giving way to wooden houses, then to farmland. A moment later, her voice came again.

"How odd. Did the church not offer you equipment like they did with us? Or do you just prefer decrepit stuff?"

I exhaled... again.

’Here we go.’

"Why should the church care about someone like me? I think they’re better off squandering their resources on other higher ranks."

Elena’s brows knitted together, her words defensive.

"You’re wrong. The church cares about everyone equally."

I looked at her with my side-eye.

’Naive.’

I said nothing and instead just continued to look out the window, observing as the city blurred past us. The cobblestones became dirt roads. The walls approached, massive and ancient.

Soon, we passed through the city gates, and now it was a stretch of greenery blurring past us—farmland, forests, the occasional village. A couple of minutes later, the carriage came to a halt and we were asked to step outside.

As we all did, Instructor Stanley addressed us while the surrounding soldiers handed out large, thick coats made of fur.

"The gate is a frost-type gate. So these are reinforced coats to protect you in case of severe weather."

The soldiers distributed the coats efficiently. Coincidentally, a certain notable face was the one handing Elena her coat. He glanced at me with a dark frown and quickly jabbed his head away.

I couldn’t help but internally laugh.

’Cute.’

Elena came closer to me as she pulled on her coat, adjusting the heavy fur around her shoulders.

"I caught your small smile just now. You know him?"

"Just an acquaintance. I tried to ask him to borrow me some money, but he seemed to take it the wrong way."

’Oh shoot, I’m still owing Flint! I should ask Lira to lend me money and add it to what I’ve got left to repay him.’

Meanwhile, Elena looked at me with judgmental eyes.

"You haven’t even spent a month here and you tried to borrow money? The allowance the church gives you isn’t enough?"

My eyes widened and I turned to her.

"The church gives allowance?!"

The people in front glanced back at me, muttering in disgust. One girl wrinkled her nose like I’d just admitted to not bathing.

’Fantastic. Another thing I didn’t know.’

Far ahead, it seemed Instructor Stanley and Lady Mirabel were doing something with the paladins who stood in front of a giant shimmering circular energy—the gate itself, I realized. The air was somewhat colder than in the city, but easy enough to ignore for now. I could see my breath misting faintly.

Elena looked at me, blinking slowly.

"You really didn’t know?"

"Would I have needed to borrow money if I did?"

I exhaled and turned toward the front as we started to move forward in formation. Instructor Stanley’s voice carried over the crowd, loud as usual.

"You lacklusters better stay together. This is a rank-C gate. Whatever happens to you inside is solely your responsibility—wander away and die. I will take no responsibility whatsoever!"

Lady Mirabel, a pale woman with black hair and red eyes that seemed to glow faintly in the dim light, chuckled softly. She said to him as we filed toward the gate in a row:

"Isn’t that too harsh? They’ve been your students for three weeks. You should be attached to them by now."

"Attached? These people are the reason for my despair."

She laughed again.

"Understandable."

Their conversation continued as we approached the gate. The shimmering energy looked like rippling water frozen in the air, throwing off faint prismatic colors. Elena, her two friends, the D-rank, and I entered together.

As I stepped into the gate, there was a quick shock that overtook me—nothing serious, very dismissive. More like my body quickly registering the change in environment. A tingle across my skin, a moment of disorientation.

I opened my eyes to a vast white land, with mountains reaching for the endless sky. There were no clouds in the sky, just blue, like an ocean of its own kind, stretching forever. Snow covered everything, pristine and untouched except for the area immediately around the gate.

"Beautiful," I muttered, and immediately saw the cold air mist from my mouth.

The cold hit me then, biting even through the fur coat.

Elena drew her coat tighter, shivering slightly.

"Yes, but cold. How are we supposed to fight in this condition?"

I shrugged.

"I guess that’s the reality of this place for you."

’At least you’ve got proper armor underneath.’

Instructor Stanley faced us, his breath coming out in great clouds of steam.

"Maintain the team of five that rode all the way to this place—that’s how you all will be operating in the gate. This area, as you can see, is the outskirts of the spirit gate. You’ll find a small number of spirit beasts in this place, but that’s not to say you won’t find any at all. So get ready and summon your damn heroic spirits!"

Everybody burst with excitement around us.

"Hell yeah!"

"Finally!"

"I’m gonna crush some yeti!"

"Come to me, Overlord!"

Different colors of sparks shimmered and merged, forming different summons. The air grew tight for a moment—heavy with power—but immediately eased. There was something about the heroic spirits’ presence that just felt right within the gate, like they belonged here in a way we didn’t.

"You should summon your spirit," Elena said, her voice calm despite the chaos of summoning around us.

I glanced at her, looking at her summon properly for the first time.

She was tall and imposing, with an athletic build that spoke of power and grace combined. Her hair was a flowing stream of blue and white that moved as if caught in a perpetual wind. Her armor seemed to have been crafted from glass—or perhaps ice—gleaming and translucent, ending with a white skirt that stopped just above her upper thigh. Crystalline boots rose above her knees, reflecting the snow around us.

She summoned a halberd with a casual gesture, standing straight with an authority that carried the tension of a coming storm.

Elena looked at her Heroic Spirit with obvious admiration.

"She’s called the Sky Queen, but I call her Tempest."

I glanced at her spirit’s exposed thighs.

’Tempest is hot.’

But my summon is hotter.

’Come, Kassie.’