Sargon, the Snowy Mountain Kingdom / A Rest Along the Way

"The person who just arrived was indeed you, but it wasn't you!" Reimu said, one hand on her hip and the other pointing at Suika, like a master detective.

"Huh?" Ibuki Suika looked at her Ibuki Gourd, wondering how the other person could be drunk when they hadn't even been drinking.

"Don't forget, there's another Suika on the other side!" Reimu whispered to her.

Upon hearing Reimu's words, Ibuki Suika's eyes widened instantly, and she sobered up almost completely.

"Hiss, you mean she was here? How dare you!"

"I don't know, but I think someone can confirm it. Wait a minute!" Reimu walked out the door, and a gohei (a type of ancient Chinese currency) appeared in her hand without her noticing.

She gently tapped her gohei (imperial coin) in the air.

A few seconds later, a rift opened up, and a certain old man wearing pajamas and looking sleepy... a certain eternally seventeen-year-old girl walked out of the rift.

"Why are you calling me so late at night? I'll get angry if it's not for anything important."

Suika calmly tossed the gold coin to the other person.

"Remember, the Offering Box spit out money again yesterday. According to past patterns, this should be the amount for three times."

However, we have not found anything unusual in Gensokyo from yesterday until this afternoon.

Just now, it seems that Suika and I just brushed past something unusual.

As soon as Yukari Yakumo reached out and took the gold coin, she immediately sensed something was amiss.

She looked her over for a moment, then turned to Reimu.

You mean she came here?

Reimu nodded. "She left just before we got here."

Yukari Yakumo glanced around, then looked towards the curtain and gently touched it, causing ripples to spread across the calm air.

"There are indeed traces of spatial magic, but what is she doing in Gensokyo?"

Reimu shook her head. "I don't know. The owner inside said she ate a few skewers of eel, then drank a bottle of Sparrow Wine and took another bottle with her."

"Interesting. You went to all that Gensokyo just to get something to eat?" Yukari Yakumo simply couldn't believe that the other party had come here for such a simple reason.

However, without seeing Ibuki Suika from that other world elsewhere, she had no way of knowing what the other person was thinking.

"Okay, I understand."

I will then reinforce the space surrounding Gensokyo...

After saying that, Yukari Yakumo turned around and walked into the rift.

"Oh no, my gold coins!" Reimu Hakurei was devastated when she discovered that her gold coins had been taken. She had originally planned to take this opportunity to steal the gold coins to alleviate the shrine's financial pressure, but she never expected that Yukari Yakumo would take them so shamelessly.

"Ahem, you saw it too, I didn't take the gold coins. The grievance has its perpetrator, and the debt has its debtor. If you want your money, go ask that guy for it yourself!" After saying that, Reimu pulled the reluctant Ibuki Suika away and fled the Beast Trail back to the shrine.

Chapter 282 Kjerag, the Land of Snow Mountains

Meanwhile, back in Terra, Suika stretched on a rock.

She was quite satisfied with her trip to Gensokyo.

Moreover, this Sparrow Wine has a subtle energy churning within the body, making it feel like it's not an ordinary beverage.

But considering that Gensokyo is full of demons and monsters, it's not surprising that the energy it contains is a bit higher than in the normal world.

After taking another small sip, she lay down on the rock and fell fast asleep.

The next morning, after being woken up by the sunlight, Suika yawned and got up to continue her journey towards Kjerag.

A few days later, at the entrance to Victoria and Kjerag.

"Madam, it's already winter in Kjerag. If you'd like to visit the Kjerag Mountains, I suggest you come back in early May next year."

When Suika learned that she wanted to enter Kjerag, the visa officer said this to her.

"Huh? It's only autumn now?"

Suika finally understood why so many people who came with high hopes left disappointed when they were queuing up earlier.

The relationship was rejected right at the doorstep.

"That's right, it is indeed autumn now."

However, Kjerag is located on a plateau, where the temperature drops much earlier than in the surrounding areas. It has now entered the season of full-scale cooling, and heavy snow will close the mountain passes within a week at most, burying almost all roads.

At that time, even locals in Kjerag will basically have no desire to go out.

Madam, if you are coming to Kjerag for tourism, entering Kjerag now will mean being unable to leave for almost six months, which is why I suggest you come during the spring or summer."

The staff member spoke very sincerely and honestly.

Many travelers who heard his words chose to change their itineraries and go to other places.

"I see, I understand. Please give me the visa!" Suika nodded, then indicated that she still wanted to go to Kjerag.

"Huh? Little girl, didn't you hear me...?" The man prepared to repeat himself.

Suika shook her head. "I know, but I still want to go, because it's not just for vacation, it's also for work!"

At this point, Suika handed another document, which she hadn't originally intended to take out, to the other party.

"Catastrophe Messenger!" Upon seeing the identification, the man exclaimed in surprise, and those around him instinctively moved a step away from Suika.

Suika wasn't surprised at all by this.

Catastrophe are a nightmare for all living things on Terra.

In order to avoid Catastrophe, Terra's entire tech tree forcibly developed the completely abnormal and outdated technology of Mobile City.

To most of the uninformed lower classes, the Catastrophe Messenger Catastrophe who chase and foretell them are nothing more than death birds.

They believed that wherever they went, Catastrophe would follow.

They never considered that if it weren't for the warning from the Catastrophe Messenger, which gave them a chance to escape in advance, they would probably have died in the Catastrophe long ago.

"Ahem, everyone, don't be afraid."

Our Kjerag is a sacred place protected by Kjeragandr. Although there is heavy snow and high mountains, it has never experienced Catastrophe throughout all these years of history.

The man looked at Suika with hostility.

"Why are you getting so worked up? Is there a rule in Kjerag that prohibits Catastrophe Messenger from entering?"

Suika rolled her eyes.

"No, not really, but may I ask what kind of job you mentioned?" the staff member asked.

"Of course it's a letter! A letter addressed to someone named Enciodes Silverash. Would you like to open it and take a look?"

Upon hearing the name Suika mentioned, the man's expression changed.

"Lord Enciodes is the head of the Silverash family. How can we ordinary people have the right to touch his letters?"

Madam, this is your entry pass...

After Suika left, the man had someone else take his place, then went to the nearby pigeon loft and slipped a secret letter into the straps on the pigeons' legs.

After entering Kjerag, Suika did not go straight up the mountain, but stayed in the town at the foot of the mountain.

After all, this is a trip into the snow-capped mountains. Although I am not afraid of the dangers of the mountains on my own, what if I get lost?

Suika couldn't guarantee that the demon wouldn't get snow blindness, so some necessary preparations were still needed.

First and foremost, a pair of windproof sunglasses is essential, as they effectively prevent snow blindness in the snow.

Then there was a map of Kjerag and a compass.

However, as a tourist, all Suika can buy is a tourist map that Kjerag has specially made for tourists.

Apart from some residential areas and tourist attractions, large areas of this land are blank.

Holding this map, an ordinary person would probably have no choice but to obediently follow the route, because in these towering mountains, the air pressure is low, the temperature is low, and there are mountains everywhere. Once you get lost, death will come as expected.

But for Suika, this map is sufficient.

Her target this time was the headquarters of the Kjerag Trade Center within the Silverash family territory.

She believed that, given Silverash's personality and style, if he were to be stranded in a certain area during the winter, he would definitely choose the headquarters of Kjerag Trade, so that even if he were stranded, it wouldn't affect his work.

Moreover, judging from Suika's perspective, the tourism industry in Kjerag is currently limited to the Silverash Territory, with other areas having only one or two narrow routes or none at all.

Fortunately, Silverash Territory is not far from the entrance. To be precise, the first place you encounter after entering Kjerag from the outside is Silverash Territory, which is why the people of Silverash are the most open-minded of the Kjerag families.

After estimating the schedule, Suika didn't set off immediately. Instead, she found a tavern, sat by the fire, and started drinking.

And that's exactly what happened—she missed the group that came to intercept her.

The squad waited until the next morning on the only route into the Kjerag Mountains but found no trace of Suika, concluding that Suika might have entered Kjerag and quickly infiltrated the Silverash Territory.

Meanwhile, Suika, yawning, slung her little schoolbag over her shoulder and headed towards the road leading to Kjerag.

As one of the few high-altitude snow-capped mountain areas in Terra, the snow-covered mountains of Kjerag feel so sacred and beautiful.

Suika kept taking pictures the whole way.

Just like a real tourist, I walked around snapping photos as I went.

"Ding-a-ling..." Accompanied by the sound of camel bells, Suika saw an old man sitting on a magnificent Camel Beast, followed by several other Camel Beast covered with various objects.

"Young lady, why are you going up the mountain alone at this time? Didn't the people in the town below tell you that this time of year is dangerous?"

The old man's tone became somewhat angry upon seeing Suika.

"Grandpa, I'm a messenger. I've come up the mountain to deliver a letter!"

Although the other person seemed angry, Suika didn't sense any malice from him. In fact, his eyes were full of kindness, which reminded her of her grandfather in another world.

Chapter 283 Rest During the Journey

Wow, so young and already a messenger, that's amazing!

As the old man drove the Camel Beast to Suika's side, he spoke loudly in an exaggerated tone.

"Hahaha, I think so too!" Suika made a smug expression, making the old man laugh so hard he almost fell over.

"But it's going to snow heavily soon. Where are you going? I'll give you a ride!" The old man pointed to the Camel Beast behind him.

"Thank you, sir. I need to go to the Kjerag Trade Headquarters in the Silverash Territory. Do you know the place, sir?"

Suika squinted and asked with a smile.

"Kjerag Trade... that's true too. The Kjerag people rarely go out; apart from the Silverash family, they basically have little contact with the outside world."

The old man's expression changed slightly, then he let out a long sigh.

"Hmm, grandpa, you don't seem very happy?"

Seeing the other person's expression, Suika was a little worried that he was a conservative.

"Not really. If it weren't for Lord Enciodes, I wouldn't have been able to get so many Camel Beasts to form a Camel Beast caravan."

However, many people did not understand the lord's idea. They believed that too much contact with the outside world would cause the Kjerag people to lose their purity and become as mercenary and cunning as outsiders.

But how far can Kjerag go without contact with the outside world...?

The old man's words startled Suika.

I never expected him to be a reformer.

But it makes sense. Of the three major families of Kjerag and the Manjushri Monastery, the Paleroche family is an absolute conservative, the Browntail family is more concerned with their own interests than with conservatism or reform, and the Manjushri Monastery is even more so. Religion has never been associated with the word "openness." They didn't think the Silverash family were heretics. They joined forces with other families to wipe out Silverash, which was already a show of mercy from these religious people.

Only the Silverash family, the one closest to the outside world and having witnessed its power firsthand, would go to such lengths to push Kjerag out of its millennia-old comfort zone.

Having witnessed the Mobile City and mobile warships, Enciodes knew all too well that against the powerful Victoria, with Kjerag's style of fighting still relying on cold weapons, once he lost the protection of Kjeragandr, Kjerag would be nothing more than a fish on a chopping board, completely at their mercy.

He must have communicated with other families, but when people's vision is always limited to their own small world, unless a powerful outsider appears and overturns their understanding, most people would rather remain a frog in a well.

"I think that Mr. Enciodes has made a very good choice. Kjerag has beautiful scenery that can't be seen anywhere else."

These snow-capped mountains may seem ordinary to you, but for outsiders, it is an unprecedented experience—a world enveloped in ice and snow.

"I believe that if it's developed, there will definitely be a lot of tourists coming to Kjerag."

Suika pointed to the surrounding snow-capped mountains, her expression showing curiosity and admiration.

Accompanied by the sounds of camel bells and camera shutters, the Camel Beast slowly made its way forward, arriving at the entrance of a cave just as dusk was falling.

"Little girl, are you scared to stay in the cave tonight?" After skillfully leading the Camel Beast to the cave entrance and lying down, the old man stepped into the cave.

After Suika followed them inside, she discovered that the cave was filled with all sorts of props, and at the deepest part, she even saw a bed.