Chapter 47: 47, Jizo's Tempting Elixir A Frosty Gamble
"Not a chance! Is there even such a class?"
"Absolutely! I hear if you become a mountaineer, you can breeze through snowy mountains. Huh? What's this?"
TT seems to have spotted something, and when I look over, I see a statue resembling a Jizo and a weathered sign.
The sign reads something like, "Summit approximately...," but the numbers and letters are too worn to decipher. It looks like a guidepost to the summit.
"The Jizo has some offerings... Is that an elixir? I'll take it!"
"Hey, TT! I really don't think it's a good idea to bring offerings!"
"Yeah, in this world, doing something forbidden might bring really terrible consequences. Let's just skip it, okay?"
I agreed with Phoebe as she tried to stop TT from taking the Elixir, but TT shrugged it off and slipped it into his belongings.
"Don't worry! If this triggers a strong enemy, it's likely to be something icy, like a snow or ice creature. If we defeat it, we might get a massive ice crystal!"
"But if we face a tough enemy we can't beat, I'll hold a grudge against you for life! And if things go south, I might just leave you behind!"
"Ah, but I'm the one who took the Elixir, so most of the blame will probably fall on me. Just leave it to me."
In this world of fantasy and freedom, you never know what might trigger an event, which is a bit scary. Still, I thought that at worst, TT could act as a decoy during our escape.
As I resumed climbing, the weather began to turn ominous within minutes; the wind picked up, and visibility deteriorated.
"Hey, aren't we already facing some kind of punishment, TT?"
"Ah, sorry! I've detected a strong enemy approaching us."
"Oh great! Looks like we can't get away with anything!"
I readied my fire magic, and TT equipped his Katar, preparing for battle.
"I am General of Ice. What brings you, human, to my domain?"
I turned to see a general clad in black armor, riding a white horse, appearing through the worsening visibility.
"Territory? Are you claiming this area as your own? If we can communicate, perhaps we can resolve any hostility through conversation and avoid a battle. Even if fighting could yield ice crystals as a reward, I would prefer to dodge any conflict if possible."
"I apologize for unintentionally trespassing in your domain, General of Ice. My name is Lena, and we are merely climbers. We mean no disrespect and have no intention of invading your territory or attacking you. We kindly ask for your permission to pass through your area on our way to climb."
I strive to choose my words carefully. TT remains silent, seemingly grasping my intention.
"Hmph, you seem aware of your place. I am not a mindless brute who would kill instantly for entering my territory. You may pass... but wait!"
The Ice General looks surprised. What's happening? He's not looking at TT; he's looking at me.
No, not me—he's staring at Phoebe, nestled in my pocket!
"Little fairy over there, what is your name?"
"Uh?! I-I'm Phoebe…"
"Is that so? What a lovely name. Would you care for some tea?"
"Um? Huh?"
Phoebe is taken aback by the sudden invitation for tea. Could it be the effect of her swimsuit that has captivated the Ice General? Is he even a man?
"Um, I apologize, but including Phoebe, we are currently relying on medicine to remain active in this frigid environment. However, the effects won't last long, so we really can't stay for tea. My apologies."
Desperate to avoid combat, I try to sound out a negotiation with Phoebe, hoping to charm her.
"I see, you're weak in cold environments. In that case, let's do this."
As the Ice General raises a hand, the wind dies down, and the clouds clear.
Did he just manipulate the weather? Impressive! Despite any resistance to the cold, I notice the slight chill fading away.
"Um, thank you?"
"No, it's my pleasure to help you."
Phoebe's gratitude evokes a delighted response from the Ice General—his face obscured by his helmet, but his voice betrays his joy.
"Wait, I thought we were heading into battle, but that doesn't seem to be the case? From the looks of it, we're close to the summit; isn't this a boss encounter?"
Following TT's gaze, I spot a stone statue, realizing that it's the only high point around, likely marking the summit.
"But… I don't have any tea to offer; I didn't bring any…"
"Hmm, well then, let's have ice cream!"
The Ice General pulls out a popsicle from his cloak. TT warned me he was a formidable opponent, yet here he is with a popsicle…
"Oh, the popsicle is too big for Phoebe to hold, so I'll take it."
"Hmm… Lena, what is your relationship with Phoebe?"
"I'm… her partner."
As I take the popsicle, I sense a heavy pressure. If I say something wrong, I might provoke immediate hostility.
From my assessment, it looks like a regular vanilla ice cream—nothing strange about it at all.
"By the way, what's the relationship between those two? It seems like they've known each other for a long time."
"Don't worry about it, TT!"
Actually, this feels similar to what happened with Wendy, doesn't it?
"Um, how about some ice cream, Phoebe?"
"Y-yes."
To change the subject, I offered Phoebe some ice cream. She nodded, and once I handed it to her, she started eating.
"It's delicious!"
"Heh, glad you like it! I'm pretty confident in my ice-making skills!"
The Ice General was proudly boasting... How can I end this without it turning into a fight?
"Uh, can you make an enormous ice crystal, Ice General? If you can, I'd really like you to!"
"Phoebe!?"
I was startled by Phoebe's sudden request. But then again, the Ice General seems fascinated by her, so maybe he would make it if he can? But can he actually do it?
"I can, but why do you want one? You're sensitive to the cold, aren't you?"
"Actually, I need it to create a weapon to defeat the terrible monsters that attacked my hometown!"
"Hmm, just to add, Phoebe's hometown was ravaged by monster-like creatures, resulting in the death of a beloved female teacher and her partner… So if it's possible, I'd like your cooperation."
Phoebe answered the Ice General's question seriously while explaining her situation and asking for help… How would he respond?
"What an incredible revelation! I need to make this right away!"
Could it be that Phoebe's request has been granted?
"Wow! This is amazing... I never expected to find the ice crystal we both needed right here. I thought we'd have to defeat a tough enemy, mine for it, or exchange points. Who would have thought we could make friends with a boss character and get it created for us?"
TT seems shocked, and honestly, I am too. I never imagined Phoebe would ask something like this.
"Here we go! Haahhhhh!!!"
As the Ice General raises both hands, the surrounding snow and ice begin to gather, swirling towards him.
Suddenly, a large snow crystal takes shape.
"Now, take it with you, my beloved fairy!"
"Thank you so much! Lena-san, I can't hold it, so could you take it?"
"Um, sure."
I accept the ice crystal in place of Phoebe. Using my appraisal skill, I confirm that it's indeed the sought-after ice crystal (extra large), the key material needed for the Memory Fairy Gate.
Objective complete, but what do we do now? How do we part ways with the Ice General? He might have some demands…
"Lena-san, let's hurry and get to work! I'm so sorry, Ice General! We need to head down to a warm place to process this crystal. We'll see you again!"
"Ah, yes! Until we meet again, my beloved fairy!"
Prompted by Phoebe, we began our descent. Even the Ice General waved us off... Wait, is this really the end?
"Is this really it…?" I asked, feeling a sense of disbelief.
"Well, we did accomplish our goal," Phoebe replied.
I felt as though I had just been hit by a surprise twist, wearing a look of confusion. We had gathered enough materials to complete a few event quests, even if some remained unfinished. However, there was no penalty for leaving those behind, so descending without completing everything was perfectly fine.
As we started our descent, I realized I needed to tell TT about Phoebe's swimsuit.
"I've got to say, that was easier than I expected. Phoebe charming the boss made a huge difference. If we had been fighting against the Ice General, we would have been at a serious disadvantage, with blizzards obscuring our vision, and those fast-moving horses making the battle even tougher."
TT shared his thoughts as we made our way down. Even when enemies appeared along the path, they were only one or two at a time, so we didn't struggle. We managed to take down some bunnies and small ice golems; it seemed like, as long as we weren't outnumbered, we could handle this snowy mountain.
Thanks to the power of fire and light, I hoped to make it off the mountain before my MP ran out. Still, the magic had allowed me to learn swordsmanship skills at level 1.
"Personally, I prefer things to be easier. I don't want to die… Were you perhaps hoping for a fight?"
"Not really? I mean, I wasn't even thinking about that boss…"
"Well, you were captivated by Phoebe, so the power of her allure is something else…"
I've experienced it myself, and I was truly glad that during that state, I couldn't see anything but Phoebe.
"But I was really surprised to see Phoebe wearing such a sexy swimsuit tucked into Lena's breast pocket… Hehe…"
I explained to TT that the Ice General was enchanted by the swimsuit, and I showed him Phoebe in her swimsuit, but instead of being captivated, he just laughed like a fool. For TT, the sheer absurdity of the fact that I had made such a revealing swimsuit was downright hilarious… He laughed so much that I worried about an avalanche from the noise. Thankfully, the Ice General seemed to stay out of our territory. Although, on the other hand, we did get attacked by a pack of long, red-toothed rabbits, which was quite a hassle…
I never thought I would create such a revealing swimsuit while playing Fantasy Freedom, but even so, he could at least try not to laugh so hard… Honestly.
"By the way, Phoebe, why did you ask the Ice General to create an enormous ice crystal? Did you know he could do it?"
"No, asking him whether he could was a gamble… But since Wendy said she could create water crystals, I thought maybe the Ice General, with his name related to ice, could manage it too…"
"Ah, so in the end, it brought about the best possible result," I said.
"Great play, Phoebe!"
"Hehe, I did my best! Now we can make the key!"
As I patted Phoebe's head, she beamed with a smile. How adorable.
"Though I have to say, if this were a genuine case of love at first sight, poor General Ice would be in trouble..."
"Huh? So it wasn't charm, TT?"
"I've heard rumors that NPCs in Fantasy Freedom can fall in love at first sight, though it might have just been a long-lasting charm... Either way, those two clearly looked like a couple—ones that General Ice couldn't compete with."
Suddenly being told they appeared to be a couple left me at a loss for words.
"A couple..."
"Yeah, if you took a screenshot and posted it on the bulletin board, you'd stir up a storm of jealousy among the single folks. They look that close!"
"Stop saying weird things to Phoebe, TT!"
I playfully nudged the blushing Phoebe.
"Ouch, you're so overprotective."
"Of course! It's not like they can get back up infinitely like us; wouldn't that make anyone cautious?"
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
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