Chilling sentimental journey with point saving! [Prologue] [Volume 5] (Patreon)

Outside the snow cave, the blizzard was still raging.

Mountain weather changes without warning. The clear skies from just moments ago had vanished, replaced by a fierce storm.

—Are you cold?

—I’m warm because you’re here, Master.

Wrapped together in a blanket, Kaede and I spent some time in quiet comfort.

Beneath the blanket, her tail brushed softly against me, radiating a gentle warmth. Outside, the howling wind and swirling snow had turned the world white. Trying to push forward now would only lead to getting lost in no time.

Something moved restlessly inside the blanket.

It shifted, forming a small bulge, then slowly made its way toward Kaede’s chest.

—Ugh—it’s so cramped! What is this place?

Out from Kaede’s neckline emerged Frau. Realizing she had crawled out from deep within Kaede’s cleavage, her face instantly turned pale.

—So that wasn’t the mountain—it was your chest?

—Don’t be surprised when you sneak in without asking.

Frau fluttered lightly with her wings.

Then she glanced outside and sighed.

—The blizzard’s still going strong. Looks like we’ll be camping here tonight.

—Yeah, seems like it.

A day stuck here wouldn’t be a big deal, but a few days of being stranded would definitely wear us down.

Thanks to the stocked supplies in the storage, food and water weren’t a concern. But this biting cold was a relentless source of stress.

—Shoo!

—Eek!

A scream came from outside. Looks like Rosuke took care of the enemy.

Many of the monsters living in the mountain range are resistant to the cold and have sharp noses. Their fur color blends almost perfectly with the snow, making them extremely hard to spot.

In this blizzard, hunting them down one by one would be a real hassle.

So I decided to leave every approaching threat to Rosuke.

Panta, poking his head out from under the blanket, scowled in frustration before burrowing back near Kaede’s feet. As usual, Rosuke and Panta didn’t seem to get along.

—Master, it looks like the sky’s clearing up.

Without us noticing, the storm had died down. Through breaks in the clouds, rays of sunshine streamed through.

This meant we could press on a little farther. If luck was on our side, we might even reach the village by nightfall.

Our destination was the land where the wolf tribe lived—known to revere the White Wolf. If the Spirit King Eroth’s words were true, the White Wolf held the key to finding the elusive White Fox.

I wanted to get Kaede back to her homeland—that strong feeling was what kept pushing me forward.

Leaving the snow cave, our footprints marked fresh snow. In the distance, Rosuke’s serpentine body wove through the air, scales glinting in the light as he swam through the sky.

When Rosuke returned, I called out, “Good job!” and sent him back to his marking post.

—Let’s head for the village!

—Kyuu~

The little guys who had been cozy and warm thanks to Kaede and me suddenly took the lead, flying ahead confidently.

As I chased after them, my feet sank deep into the snow, almost causing me to fall. Fairies with wings probably never have to worry about this.

—Ah!

Kaede suddenly fell headfirst behind me with a thud.

—Watch your step.

I held out my hand. She looked up at me with tears in her eyes.

I couldn’t help but burst out laughing at her snow-covered face.

—Pfft!

—Don’t laugh at me!

—Sorry.

She took my hand to stand up, brushing the snow lightly off her head before flicking her fluffy tail to shake the rest away. We started walking, our hands still clasped together.

Every now and then, heavy snow would fall from the trees, hitting the ground with a dull thud.

The sky had completely cleared, and sunlight gently brushed the white landscape with a pale yellow glow.

—Hey—there’s the village, over there!

Frau and Panta hurried back, excitement in their voices.

I couldn’t wait to have some warm soup.