Chapter 393 First Time Seeing Mountain Snow

Suzuka chuckled, clearly enjoying his reaction.

 “Yeah, well, don’t get too excited. It’s not a toy. This thing’s got enough power to get us through the forest and up into the mountains, but it’s not invincible. So, you won't get to drive it, got it?”

Hermit nodded vigorously, his ears flopping with the motion.

 “Y-yes, Master! I’ll be careful! I promise!”

“Good,” Suzuka said, swinging a leg over the four-wheeler and settling into the driver’s seat.

 She patted the space behind her. 

“Now, hop on. And hold on tight. I’m not stopping if you fall off.”

Hermit scrambled onto the four-wheeler, his movements awkward. He wrapped his spindly arms around Suzuka’s waist, his grip surprisingly tight for someone so frail. Suzuka glanced over her shoulder, raising an eyebrow.

 “Comfortable?”

“Y-yes, Master!” Hermit squeaked.

Suzuka smirked, her fingers brushing against the runes on the handlebars. The four-wheeler hummed to life, the magical energy coursing through it with a low, steady thrum.

 “Alright, then. Let’s see what this baby can do.”

With a flick of her wrist, the four-wheeler shot forward, its wheels kicking up a cloud of dust as it sped toward the forest. Hermit let out a startled yelp, clinging to Suzuka for dear life as the wind whipped past them. Suzuka’s laughter echoed through the air, a rare sound that carried a hint of genuine joy.

The magic-powered four-wheeler carried Suzuka and Hermit through the dense forest with ease, its magical runes glowing faintly as it navigated the rough terrain. The journey was swift, the vehicle cutting through the underbrush and over roots with a steady hum. For days, they traveled, the landscape gradually shifting from lush greenery to rocky foothills, and finally to the base of the towering mountain range.

As they climbed higher, the air grew colder, and the gentle rain that had followed them for the past day turned into wet, slushy snow. The four-wheeler’s wheels began to struggle against the slippery ground, and Suzuka finally brought it to a stop at the edge of a snow-covered slope. She dismounted, her boots crunching against the thin layer of snow, and turned to Hermit.

“Alright, this is as far as the four-wheeler can take us. From here on out, we’re on foot.”

Hermit blinked, his wide eyes taking in the snowy landscape with a mix of awe and confusion.

 “On... on foot? But Master, it’s so cold! And this white, cold thing... it’s everywhere!”

Suzuka smirked, already reaching into her magic item storage to stow the four-wheeler. 

“Yeah, well, welcome to the mountains. Snow tends to do that. Now, quit whining and get moving.”

Hermit took a hesitant step forward, his bare feet sinking into the snow. He yelped, pulling his foot back as if he’d stepped on broken glass.

 “It’s cold! So cold! What is this stuff?!”

“What, you’ve never seen snow before?”

Hermit shook his head, his ears flopping wildly. 

“N-no! I’ve heard about it, but I’ve never... never touched it before!"

He crouched down, poking at the snow with a trembling finger. It melted on contact, and he gasped, his eyes widening like a child seeing magic for the first time.

 “It’s... it’s wet! And cold! And it disappears when I touch it! What kind of sorcery is this?!”

Suzuka chuckled, shaking her head.

 “It’s not sorcery, Hermit. It’s just snow. And if you think this is bad, wait until we get higher up. It’s only going to get colder from here.”

Hermit shivered, wrapping his arms around himself as he tried to ward off the chill. 

“C-colder? How is that even possible? I’m already freezing!”

Suzuka shrugged, her skimpy armor doing little to protect her from the elements—not that she seemed to care. Her enhanced body radiated warmth, the cold barely registering to her.

 “You’ll get used to it. Maybe. Or you’ll freeze. Either way, we’re not stopping. Not until you give up on your delusions of finding this Kaka.”

Hermit whimpered, his teeth chattering as he trudged after her.

 “M-Master, can’t we... can’t we take a break? Just for a little while? My toes are going numb!”

Suzuka glanced over her shoulder, her expression unimpressed.

 “You’re the one who wanted to rush off to the mountains. I told you we need to prepare for it. Now you’re complaining because it’s a little cold? Tough luck, Hermit. We’ve got a long way to go, and I’m not carrying you.”

Hermit groaned, his breath visible in the cold air as he hugged himself tighter. 

“This is the worst cold I ever felt...”

Suzuka smirked, her tone teasing. 

“Oh, come on. It’s not that bad. Just think of it as... character-building.”

Hermit muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like, “I don’t need character-building,” but he kept trudging forward, his determination to find Kaka outweighing his discomfort.

As they climbed higher, the snow grew thicker, the wind biting and harsh. Suzuka moved with ease, her enhanced body unfazed by the cold, while Hermit stumbled along behind her, his teeth chattering and his nose turned to ice. But despite his complaints, he didn’t give up. Every step brought him closer to Kaka, and that was enough to keep him going.

As they trudged through the snow, Suzuka couldn’t resist taking a few shots at Hermit, her tone dripping with sarcasm. 

“You know, Your Royal Sadness, if you’d bothered to pack even a single blanket or a pair of boots, we might not be in this mess. But no, you just had to rush off like a headless chicken, dragging me into the middle of nowhere. Brilliant planning, really.”

Hermit shivered, his teeth chattering as he tried to keep up.

 “I-I didn’t know it would be this cold, Master! I’ve never been to the mountains before!”

“Oh, really? You didn’t think the mountains would be cold? What did you expect, a tropical paradise? Maybe some palm trees and a nice beach?”

Hermit whimpered, his ears drooping. 

“I just... I just wanted to save Kaka as fast as possible...”

“Yeah, well, next time, maybe think things through before you go charging off. And maybe, just maybe, consider that your ‘Master’ might know a thing or two about surviving in the wild. Just a thought.”

Hermit didn’t respond, too busy trying to keep his feet from freezing solid. Suzuka smirked, clearly enjoying herself. 

“You know, I’ve seen goblins with more sense than you. And that’s saying something, considering most of them trip over their own feet.”

Hermit pouted, his voice trembling.

 “M-Master, you’re being mean...”

“Mean? Me?” Suzuka feigned offense, placing a hand over her heart. 

“I’m just pointing out the obvious. If you can’t handle a little constructive criticism, maybe you should’ve stayed home. Where it's warm and cozy.”

She paused, glancing up at the sky where dark clouds were rolling in, heavy with the promise of a storm. Her smirk widened as she pointed toward them. 

“Oh, and just so you know, the fun’s only just beginning. See those clouds? That’s a snowstorm coming. And when it hits, it’s going to be a real treat. The snow will fall so hard you won’t be able to see your own nose. The wind will blow so hard it’ll chill you to the bone. The snow will pile up so high we’ll probably be buried under it. And the cold? Oh, the cold will only get worse. Much worse. This will be fun!”

She turned to Hermit, her expression mock serious. 

“So, what do you say? Want to give up and turn around while we still can? Or are you going to keep pretending you’re some kind of hero?”

Hermit stopped in his tracks, his breath coming out in short, visible puffs. He looked up at Suzuka, his wide eyes filled with determination despite the cold and exhaustion. Then, without a word, he pointed a trembling finger toward the distant peaks.

 “I... I feel Kaka. He’s that way. I’m not giving up.”

Suzuka stared at him for a moment, her smirk fading into something softer, almost impressed. Then she shrugged, her tone lighter now.

 “Alright, then. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

She turned and started walking again, her boots crunching against the snow.

 “But if you freeze to death, I’m not carrying your body back. Just so you know.”

Hermit hurried after her, his steps clumsy but determined.

 “Y-you won’t have to, Master. I’ll make it. For Kaka.”

The dark clouds rolled in faster than Suzuka had anticipated, blotting out the sun and casting the mountains in an eerie, gray light. The wind picked up, howling through the rocky peaks and sending flurries of snow swirling around them. Within minutes, the gentle snowfall turned into a full-blown blizzard, the world around them disappearing behind a wall of white.

Suzuka squinted against the wind. She turned to Hermit, who was already struggling to keep up. 

“Told you it was going to get worse."

Hermit didn’t answer. He was too busy shivering uncontrollably, his thin frame trembling like a leaf in the wind. His bare feet were buried in the snow, his toes numb and his skin turning an alarming shade of blue. His oversized ears, usually floppy and expressive, were now stiff with frost, and his breath came out in gasps.

“M-Master... I... I can’t feel my feet...”

Suzuka sighed, “Yeah, that tends to happen when you don’t wear boots in a snowstorm. Who could’ve guessed?”

Hermit whimpered, his teeth chattering so hard it sounded like he was trying to chew rocks. 

“I-I didn’t know it would be this bad... Goblins aren’t made for this... We’re from the hot regions... the swamps, the jungles... This... this is torture...”

 “Yeah, well, you’re the one who wanted to come here. Remember? ‘We need to hurry, Master! Every moment counts!’” she mimicked, her voice high-pitched and whiny.

Hermit didn’t laugh. He was too busy trying to curl into a ball, his body instinctively seeking warmth that wasn’t there.

 “I... I didn’t think it would be like this... I just wanted to save Kaka...”

The snowstorm hit with a vengeance, the wind howling like a wild beast as it whipped through the mountains. Snow fell in thick, blinding sheets, reducing visibility to nothing. The temperature plummeted, the cold biting through even the thickest layers of clothing. For Suzuka, it was uncomfortable but manageable—her enhanced body kept her warm enough to endure. But for Hermit, it was pure torture.