Without too much fuss the Astral Express swooped into the planet's atmosphere and we were dropped a few miles away from the city of Belobog so that our arrival didn't set off all the alarms... As apparently, at one point during a landing at a planet, March 7th got in trouble with a bit of a rough landing or something.
Either way. Now my group was on Jarilo Vi, Stelle, March 7th, Dan Heng, Elysia, and myself. I think we had a solid chance of rolling over everything honestly.
But that... Was kinda an issue as I did want to grow bonds with the inhabitants of this world as well. Me coming in and flipping Cocolia on her ass and spanking some sense into her milf of an ass wouldn't exactly let me build bonds with the inhabitants of the world.
Its... Fucking cold!" Stelle howled making me cackle as she tried and failed to push her short skirt down to give her legs more warmth as the howling snow-filled winds tried to rip every ounce of warmth from our bodies.
"Jake! I can't see much in all this snow, can you get rid of it!?" March even asked me making me laugh again and ask.
"You got your super special ice creation powers. Can't you tame the lesser ice or something?"
And March groaned and retorted with embarrassment. "It doesn't work like that and you know it!"
So with that, I hummed and then the howling winds died. All of the rushing snow came to be but just a gentle whisper that battered against an invisible barrier I created around my party.
"Would you ladies like heating? Some hot chocolate as well?" I teased with some amusement.
But I was surprised when Dan Heng asked casually. "Can you give me a cup of hot tea Jake?"
Everyone stopped to look at Dan Heng, and after a moment I asked. "What kind of tea? Sweet, bitter, tart? I don't think we have had the same taste in tea with how we lived on different worlds."
Dan Heng hummed and said easily. "Something to keep me warm, I suppose." And I saw the girls one and all look with hate and jealousy as the heavenly aroma of pumpkin and cinnamon hit the air as I manifested a large steaming cup of the drink to hand over to my buddy.
"Giving a pumpkin spice drink to another guy when three ladies are just freezing in an ice storm... How ungentlemanly." Elysia scolded me with a smile across her face as we continued walking through the snow plains.
But a few minutes later as we continued our walk through the ice flats to head towards the world's sole city and habitable area in Belobog. I stilled as I felt something... Weird.
And I realized that it was similar to the feeling of being around entities of the Fragmentum or entities aligned with Nanook the Aeon of Destruction.
But it was different, it wasn't a feeling of oblivion that hit my senses. No, it... Tasted purple?
I kept walking and then my lips twitched seeing a large mound of snow that was a makeshift shelter of sorts and I called out to the group. "Ladies and gentlemen. I have found us a guide."
The girls and Dan Heng paused as I altered our course towards the side of a valley where the person was taking shelter and once we got to the snow pile I spoke loudly. "Disciple of the Elation, Masked Fool. Please come out of your igloo!"
There was silence before the snow pile exploded outwards with enhanced winds slamming the snow towards us. But I blocked the snow with my previous barrier that was blocking the snow and with the snow removed, so was our so guide that was unveiled.
"Woah! That wasn't needed!" March 7th yelled as she and everyone else armed themselves.
But I just chuckled and said. "Nah... It was just a joke, a surprise jack in the box as it were."
I looked upon the disciple of Elation, and he wore thick jeans and a jacket over his shirt with sharp green eyes gazing at us with wind-swept dark purple hair slicked back and around his head.
"Woah woah! You just scared me haha! I thought you guys were Fragmentum monsters or something." He spoke bombastically as he held up his hands in surrender.
But my friends knowing well the mercurial nature of the Masked Fools kept their guard up while I meanwhile was relaxed. As I knew Sampo, this man wasn't our enemy.
"My name is Jake Bariss, and my companions are part of the Astral Express, the Nameless. If you wouldn't mind, could you help us get into the city of Belobog without creating a bunch of attention?" I asked making Sampo's face twitch as he gazed at me with a small frown.
Before the frown broke up and he clapped his hands together with a winning smile coming across his face as he said. "Well well, the Nameless is here to save the day I assume? In either case... The city itself is locked up tight with all the Fragmentum monsters roaming outside the city."
I raised an eyebrow hearing that before Dan Heng said dryly. "What do you want in exchange for leading us into the city?"
The man paused before he placed an arm over his chest and said brightly. "My name is Sampo! And as your... Leader? Guessed, I am indeed a Masked Fool of a sort. I am willing to help bring you into the city through a secret passage, but you gotta keep my status quiet you hear?"
I heard March make a noise of discontent at myself being labeled the leader and remembering Welt and Himeko asking me to give the others a chance to shine I took a step back and said. "Oh, I am not their leader. Just their companion."
With Stelle stepping forward verbally and asking. "You just want us to keep your status quiet? That's fine, lead us to Belobog without us causing a major scene and we will never say a word unless something extraordinary happens."
Sampo tilted his head to the side in thought before he shrugged and said joyfully. "Alrighty then! One smuggling operation is a go! Though... I am curious, how are you guys so casually blocking off the wind without using a bunch of elemental power?" He asked with some confusion as he led us further into the valley's filled with snow.
We were silent until March with total honesty said. "Oh! Our friend here is an Aeon! So don't even think about betraying us, as I totally remember in the files on the Express that Aha blew up the Astral Express!"
Everyone gave March 7th a look of disbelief for her saying that, with Sampo clearly not believing her while I literally face-palmed.