The journey to Kjerag was, by all accounts, long and completely devoid of excitement. If not for the frail, physically helpless Doctor in their party, Jeanne would have happily summoned her dragon to carry them through the sky, saving everyone the hassle of trekking across the rugged wilderness.
Fortunately, they didn't suffer too much hardship along the way. Karlan Commercial's reach was far broader than Jeanne had initially imagined; branch offices met them at nearly every leg of the trip, ensuring that supplies and provisions were never a concern.
After ten tedious days of riding through the wastes—eventually swapping their initial transport for a far more comfortable mobile home—a bite of crisp, icy air settled over the cabin. The goal was finally within reach.
"Just over this ridge lies Kjerag! In the old days, we had to crawl through the jagged mountain passes just to squeeze our way out, but nowadays, nobody has to go through all that trouble!"
Sitting through so many days of travel had left even Cliffheart feeling a bit sluggish, but the moment that familiar cold swept over her, her spirits instantly soared.
At that moment, the young Snow Leopard transformed into a lively tour guide, excitedly pointing out the vast mountain range that cradled her homeland to the Doctor and the rest of the group.
Jeanne and the others stepped down from the vehicle to stretch their legs. Looking out into the distance, they saw towering peaks cloaked in perpetual white. At a glance, the sight carried a faint, nostalgic familiarity.
"Looking at it now, this place really does share a few similarities with the northern tundra," Alina remarked as she stepped outside, gazing at the blanket of snow with a soft, nostalgic sigh.
"I wouldn't go quite that far," Jeanne replied casually, leaning against the side of the transport. "The temperature here isn't anywhere near as brutal as the tundra's harsh winters. Though I have no idea why these mountains stay snow-capped all year round, it's definitely a lot warmer than the northern plains."
Jeanne glanced at her friend with a faint smirk. "What, have you only been away from the northern snows for a short while, and you're already missing the place?"
It was indeed quite peculiar. The surrounding lands outside Kjerag weren't exceptionally cold, so by all rights, the region shouldn't have been locked in perpetual winter. Yet this mountain domain had maintained its icy climate for generations.
There must be some hidden, ancient power maintaining this domain, Jeanne mused, a subtle smile touching her lips as she studied the distant, snow-covered crests.
It seemed this trip might offer a few fascinating surprises after all.
"Not really," Alina said with a gentle shake of her head, her gaze drifting over the white landscape. "It's just that seeing all this snow brought back a few old memories, that's all."
Jeanne shrugged and dropped the subject, knowing full well that Alina was simply caught up in the mood. Given how frequently mobile communications traveled between Chernobog and the northern tundra these days, Alina was hardly out of touch with how things were faring back home.
"An isolated, mysterious mountain realm wrapped in secrets... It sounds like something straight out of an old legend," Blaze chimed in, bursting out of the vehicle like a restless cat let off its leash. She bounced up and down, snapping pictures of the distant scenery with her Terminal. "Do you think they have some kind of ultra-advanced technology hidden in there—something five hundred years ahead of the rest of Terra?"
Where on earth did you hear about tech five hundred years ahead of the rest of the world? Have you been watching too many Columbian action flicks?
If a hidden kingdom possessed that level of terrifying power, how could it possibly maintain such a low profile? To this day, the outside world's prevailing impression of Kjerag remained exceptionally traditional and backward.
"How could we possibly have anything like that?" Cliffheart chuckled, pointing toward a modest station standing in the distance. "As of right now, the most advanced piece of technology in all of Kjerag is that railway line right in front of us."
Even getting that single railway line built had required immense effort. The other two ruling clans had repeatedly protested during construction, claiming that the thunderous roar of the locomotives would disturb the divine rest of Kjeragandr.
"So that's how it is," Blaze laughed sheepishly, scratching the back of her head before looking up at the sky, where thin flakes of snow were beginning to drift down. "Still, it sounds pretty interesting to me!"
By this time, Matterhorn and Courier—the two representatives dispatched by Karlan Commercial—had already taken their leave, having urgent reports to deliver to their master.
The task of guiding the guests fell entirely onto Cliffheart's shoulders. The young woman eagerly accepted the role, leading the group toward the platform to wait for the incoming train.
"Step right up, ladies! Take a look at these divine talismans, personally blessed by Kjeragandr herself! If you carry one of these as you enter Kjerag, you might just earn an audience with Lady Kjeragandr!"
As they waited, a shrewd merchant slunk over to the Doctor's group, pulling an array of wooden and bronze trinkets from his coat and pitching them with slick, practiced enthusiasm.
The merchant spun a grand narrative, claiming he had personally received these items in the presence of Kjeragandr herself, and that they possessed the power to cure any affliction on Terra.
Listening to this charlatan spout such outrageous claims, Jeanne glanced at Cliffheart, whose face was rapidly turning red with embarrassment. Jeanne didn't interrupt, simply maintaining a amused smile as the merchant continued his pitch.
"These are rare, sacred relics even within Kjerag itself! I even have certified ornaments from the Vine-Bear Court—accessories once worn by Kjeragandr that are said to hold the power to summon raging blizzards..."
"Hold on just a second! Stop right there!" Cliffheart finally snapped, unable to take it any longer. "We didn't interrupt you, but your claims are getting more ridiculous by the second! Who on Terra is actually going to believe that nonsense?!"
She felt deeply humiliated. Of all the people to meet at the gateway to her homeland—a place she always described as simple and honest—their very first encounter was with a shameless fraud!
The merchant wasn't angered by Cliffheart's outburst. He merely offered a polished, practiced smile, blinking as he studied the young Snow Leopard's features. Something about her face suddenly struck him as exceedingly familiar.
"I don't recall Kjeragandr ever wearing personal talismans, and there isn't a single scripture in our doctrine stating that her ornaments can summon a blizzard!" Cliffheart declared firmly, using her deep knowledge of Kjerag's religious texts to dismantle his pitch piece by piece. "Even if a talisman carried Kjeragandr's blessing, that power would be used to calm a blizzard, not summon a Catastrophe!"
The merchant hung his head in absolute shame, unable to meet her eyes. To be thoroughly out-argued on sacred scripture by a young girl—and in front of foreign guests, no less—made him feel as though he had disgraced all of Kjerag. His faith wavered slightly, and he silently resolved to climb the sacred mountain later to seek penance.
"And most importantly," Cliffheart added sharply, "the Silverash family explicitly established that all trade here must be conducted with honesty! Using misleading, deceitful tactics like this is completely wrong!"
"Silverash... Wait, you're..." The merchant's eyes widened in sudden recognition. "Miss Ensia! Please, forgive our greed! By Kjeragandr above, we were only trying to earn a few extra coins to get by—we had no intention of committing outright fraud..."
Hearing the name Silverash had finally cleared the fog. No wonder she looked so familiar; she was the third young miss of the Silverash bloodline!
"I'm not going to press charges against you," Cliffheart said, waving her hand magnanimously. "The base materials of your goods are genuine enough, so I'll let it slide this time. But stop using these dishonest pitches. A real business relies on a solid reputation."
To ease the merchant's panic, Cliffheart drew her coin pouch and bought up all his genuine, court-certified talismans, handing them out to Jeanne, Alina, and Blaze as small souvenirs.
"These are authentic talismans crafted by the Vine-Bear Court," she explained. "Even if their divine power is questionable, they still make nice accessories."
Relieved, the merchant bowed repeatedly and turned to leave. But as he walked away, a quiet remark under his breath caught Cliffheart's attention.
"I'd love to run an honest, long-term business... But with the way things are going, the railway is going to be suspended any day now. It might even get blown to pieces! By Kjeragandr above, I don't want to deceive anyone, but if I don't use a few smooth words to sell my wares, how is my family supposed to survive..."
"Wait! What did you just say?!" Cliffheart whirled around, her voice sharp with sudden alarm. "The railway is being suspended?! What happened?!"
Meanwhile, far across the snowy mountain passes, deep within the ancestral fortress of the Silverash family, Enciodes Silverash—the head of the clan and elder brother to Ensia—listened quietly to a report from his trusted subordinate.
"Not only has the Doctor of Rhodes Island accepted your invitation, my Lord, but representatives from Chernobog city have arrived alongside her... including that Saintess from Laterano?"
Enciodes stood near the window, clad in his formal heavy coat. He looked out over the icy expanse, a faint, calculating smile playing on his lips as he addressed his inner circle.
"Let Ensia entertain our guests for the time being. We still have pressing matters to settle on our end. Have Courier deliver a message to the Doctor on my behalf—I shall extend a formal apology to her once our arrangements are complete."