Raiders Amidst Snow Mist

Albedo! We're back~!

Oh, hey, does he have a guest over?

Yes, perhaps it is too soon to ask our greenhorns to come adventuring here...

But adventure is nothing if it is not about pushing our limits! What is a journey without struggle, without excitement?

This place may be infested with wicked hilichurl bandits and knee-deep snow, but an adventurer must never stop pressing forward!

Cyrus, to the point, please.

Hahaha! Come, come! The beauty of a chat lies in the journey, not the destination — just like an adventure!

Even if you are robbed blind and must give up on your encampment, you can start a fire and cook a meal in the frigid snow!

This journey up the mountain will be an unforgettable one for all our newcomers!

Mm, yes.

They may resent me, or even hate me. But in the future, they will think back upon this moment with hearts full of gratitude — for this was the day that the spirit of adventure was passed on to them!

Oh yes, go on.

Oh brother... Albedo's at it again. He's always so cold when the topic doesn't catch his fancy...

He isn't interested in adventurers in the slightest, is he?

He sure is interested in you, though.

Still... should we say that our newcomers are too green, or that the mountain is too mighty? We have taken great losses this time...

What? What do you mean, "great losses"?

Oh, you must be...

What's up, Cyrus?

Long time no see—!

Ah, yes! The young adventurer and his companion! It is my pleasure to see you here.

I trust these frigid ascents have not given you too much trouble?

Ha, we can take anything it has to throw at us!

Hahaha! Good, good! I love your confidence!

But you must be here on some important duty, braving the wind and snow like this.

I came here to gather the latest data on hilichurls, and asked him to serve as my assistant.

(Huh. Is that how it went?)

Ah, I see. A gathering of people chasing their dreams and ideals, is it?

Then I wish you all the best. Farewell for now — I must go see to our new recruits.

Haha, looks like we've made a discovery!

Albedo is keeping Cyrus in the dark.

Well, it is a magical sword after all. It's understandable that he doesn't want other people to know about it.

I am listening, you know...

Should I not ask?

There is no "should" or "shouldn't" here. I can answer your questions...

But not right now. Right now, I have more pressing matters on hand.

"Pressing matters"? ...Let Paimon guess, we've got a part to play in it too, huh?

Hehe. You're getting smarter, Paimon.

Hey! Paimon will have you know that she's always been smart!

I have discovered some new habitats nearby with different monster types. I believe they will provide us with similarly varied data.

You sure love your research, don't you?

Perseverance is key to research, and persistence is the basis of the alchemist's art.

So, are you ready? Then let us go.

Hmm. It seems that no one is here.

Do monsters go out to run errands too?

Well then, would you like to take a look around before they return, or shall we rest a while here?

Just what I was thinking.

So, we're having a chat now? Paimon wants in!

I know you must have questions, whether it be about me, or about this entire situation. As I said before, I will answer them.

But I will not deceive you. There are some things I cannot go into detail on. On these matters, you'll have to permit me to summarize a bit.

Huh. Guess Albedo can be pretty straightforward when he wants to be...

More earnest than I expected, for sure.

Tiga plata!

Uh huh! ...Eh, what?

Odomu Movo!

Are you making those strange noises, Albedo?

Do you really think that's possible?

Ah, hilichurls!

We must get the book back, it has my notes and sketches in it.

Albedo, how's the sketchbook situation?

It's alright. A few pages were destroyed, but most of it is intact.

The temperature in the Snowy Mountain is subzero. It can reach extremely low temperatures, especially near that cavern.

What makes matters worse is that the hilichurls have drooled all over the pages. To leave wet paper in such low temperatures, it's too dreadful to imagine...

Frozen paper is so brittle. It doesn't take much for it to fall apart, huh?

Fortunately, you knew how to piece it back together.

No wonder you're an alchemist! Such an ingenious mind!

If the sketchbook had been severely damaged, you'd be furious, wouldn't you?

What leads you to believe that?

You told us there's a lot of drawings and notes inside.

I must admit, I bring this sketchbook everywhere I go.

However, I wouldn't fly into a rage over such a thing.

Had I not been able to salvage it, I would just draw everything again.

Eh... How pragmatic of you...

Is that so?

After all, you've put a lot of effort into your drawings.

That's right!

Think of all the memories you've committed to paper.

Yep yep!

Such mementos shouldn't be easily abandoned.

Absolutely! All well said. You took the words out of Paimon's mouth, 旅行者.

Hmm... You're right. Redrawing everything would be a tedious endeavor.

Especially since you're so talented, right?

You've mastered so many skills and gathered so much knowledge that other people can only dream of!

But such talented people sometimes forget about that. It's one of the downsides of being smart, isn't it?

Albedo's also praised your smarts, Paimon.

Without a doubt, Paimon is an interesting creature.

Paimon forgets about the little things, too?

Ahhhh! Don't put Paimon on the spot when it comes to wisdom!

Changing the subject... Cyrus told me that the hilichurls from this mountain attack and rob adventurers.

The place we visited should be one of their camps.

The hilichurls in this area are strong.

Yeah, the hilichurls here are way stronger than the ones at the bottom of the mountain.

I can't disagree. I assume... this must be related to the dragon.

The corruptive power emanating from Durin's remains is making the monsters stronger, which, in tandem with the frigid climate, depopulated some mountain areas.

Can you take out the sword, Traveler?

Each time you fought in the mountains, this sword was absorbing power and storing it within itself.

Moreover, thanks to your purification, the corruptive power of the dragon's blood seems to be all gone now.

It's a very interesting phenomenon.

It's not the first time we've done something like that. We're experts!

I always wondered what purification was capable of... I knew you were capable of doing it, but seeing it with my own eyes is a unique experience.

A power-absorbing sword must be quite dangerous.

Indeed, I can't say it's the safest of weapons.

Lucky that it wasn't snatched away by those hilichurls, otherwise we'd be done for!

Aren't Fatui a bigger threat?

Hilichurls are a threat, too! What if that power could turn them into... super, no, ultra hilichurls!

Ultra hilichurls!

Ultra demon hilichurls!

Ultra demon snowman hilichurls!

"Snowman"? Now you've ruined the game...

Anyway, about the sword... If it's so powerful, can't it absorb your energy as well, Albedo?

...

Would you like to try it out?

Yikes! Such a cold gaze!

Paimon was just joking...

It's fine. After all, I still hope you'll continue to use this sword.

You still trust us? Even though this sword is so dangerous? Well that was unexpected.

Albedo, you say one thing but do another... Paimon can never tell what's really on your mind!

I have no idea what you're talking about...

But if you want to know why I trust you... It might be because...

The "unusual" ones like us share a certain degree of understanding.

Unusual ones?

Lonely individuals... Those who aren't like ordinary people. Just like... you and me.

(...?)

Did you see that? That hilichurl ran off while holding on to something that looks like a book!

That's... not good. That was my sketchbook.

Paimon thinks it's just your run-of-the-mill thief, really.

To think that it dared to steal my sketchbook. Quite bold, this one.

Hmm, looks like Albedo's got a frosty temper...

I'll lend you a hand.

The paths we may venture are not limited to those the eye can see.

Looks like it's a dead end. You know, except for this huge cavern entrance.

Did it run in there?

Judging from the tracks, that seems to be the case.

Then what are we waiting for!? We can't let it escape!

Wait.

This mountain is incredibly large. Even if there was a path within its bowels, such a road would not be easy to walk.

...

Can you feel it? The wind carries the scent of ice and stone with it... and the sound of echoes. The space within must be massive.

R—Really?

As such, rash moves are of no benefit to us.

But... But we've come all this way — we can't just let it leave!

Isn't that sketchbook very important to you?

It is. But that doesn't mean that we should act recklessly.

There is another way. It just requires some extra work.

If my guess is correct, this cavern's exit is on the other side of the mountain.

You are quite the expert glider, and I'm a fair hand myself. So prepare yourself, and we'll glide across in one go.