Hot Spring Town No-Ridge

  No-Ridge was a town famous in the game for triggering various events—primarily affection-reted ones, where pyers could deepen their bonds with NPCs.

  Built within a gorge, the town was enveloped in steam rising from its many hot springs, a pce meant to soothe the soul.

  "But damn, why is it so hot?"

  Even in foggy London, the visibility wasn’t *this* bad.

  "Is all of this… steam?"

  After several days of travel from the capital, just as we were about to reach No-Ridge, we noticed something was off.

  A thick white mist shrouded the entire town. At first, I thought it was just hot spring vapor lingering due to wind conditions.

  But as we got closer, the humidity and the smell of sulfur grew stronger.

  And then, the mist became so dense that advancing any further by carriage would be dangerous.

  "It seems harmless, but the temperature in this area is abnormally high. If it’s like this here, I can’t imagine what the town itself must be like."

  The mist was so thick I could barely see Cudia standing beside me.

  This had to be intentional.

  "Let’s return to the carriage for now. Pushing forward like this would be difficult.""Agreed. I can sense presences, but if something’s hiding in this mist, it’s too risky."

  Was there an event like this in the game?Was there a monster capable of causing something like this?

  Searching my memories and game knowledge, nothing came to mind. I’d experienced every hot spring-reted event, but none involved steam *this* dense.

  Maybe overpping events triggered this, but even then, I didn’t recall anything about the town being swallowed by mist.

  **"Ah, you’re back."** **"Everything alright?"** **"Yeah, no monsters—just zero visibility thanks to the steam."**

  After walking for a few minutes, the mist gradually thinned, revealing our group parked on the roadside, setting up camp.

  Nel and Amina stood guard, weapons ready, with Ingrid behind them.

  **"Phew, it’s so hot in that steam. Though I bet it’s great for the skin."** **"It’s like being in a sauna. Lady Liberta, I brought water."** **"Thanks, Ingrid."** **"Would you like some as well, Lady Cudia?"** **"Please."**

  Ingrid carried a tray with a pitcher and wooden cups.

  The steam had been so intense I was sweating buckets—fanning myself only blew more hot air in my face.

  **"Ahh, good. Tastes like lemon?"** **"Pin water isn’t ideal after sweating, so I added a bit of lemon and salt."** **"Makes sense. Delicious. May I have another?"** **"Me too."** **"Of course."**

  Coming out of that sauna-like heat made even lukewarm water taste amazing.

  **"Amina, how did it look from above?"** **"Hmm, the steam went all the way up, so I couldn’t get close. Couldn’t see the town either."** **"I see."**

  Amina, the only one who could scout from the air, reported that the white mist blocked everything.

  **"Nel, what did Lotus say?"** **"He mentioned the possibility of turning back, but he’s more worried about the townspeople."** **"Understandable."**

  We *could* force our way forward, but the risks made it hard to decide on the spot.

  Lotus was in charge of the convoy. His call would dictate our next move.

  Still, given the crisis, suggesting we just leave and find another spirit wasn’t an option—nor did I want to.

  **"What should we do…?"** **"Liberta, do you have a solution?"** **"Not me, but Ingrid might."** **"Me?"** **"Yeah. There’s a skill I pnned for her to learn—one that could break through this situation. She’s a support-type maid, after all, specialized for harsh environments."**

  If people were in trouble, helping was the obvious choice.

  **"If it’s ‘pnned,’ does that mean she hasn’t learned it yet?"** **"Exactly. I’d have bought the skill scroll if I’d found one, but no luck."**

  I knew the solution—but without the scroll, it was useless.

  **"Apologies for eavesdropping. But Lady Liberta, if we *could* obtain that scroll, would it resolve this situation?"**

  No scroll meant no solution.

  But as I resigned myself to that, Lotus approached with a serious expression.

  **"Not resolve, but it’d let us investigate the cause and check on the townspeople."**

  Knowing he was doing everything a noble should in this crisis, I didn’t hesitate to confirm.

  **"And that skill is…?"** **"Air Clean and Thermo Control. The former purifies the air in a set range to livable standards, scaling with skill level. The tter lets you adjust the temperature in an area to your preference."**

  Originally, these were skills to counter boss monsters in extreme environments.

  Some bosses lurked in poison swamps, volcanic craters, or blizzard-ridden wastends—pces deadly to humans.

  These two skills couldn’t turn the environment to *our* advantage, but they could neutralize the disadvantages.

  At higher levels, they could even block special attacks like a dragon’s poison breath. Among cleaning-type skills, they were incredibly valuable.

  **"…We have them. In the mansion’s vault."** **"Seriously?!"** **"I’ll send a fast rider to retrieve them."** **"That might take too long. We should go back now. The teleport can only carry six, so it’ll be just us and Lotus."**

  If we could get those scrolls, we might have a way forward.

  Traveling back by carriage would be a pain, but if we marked this location, the Pendulum of Transfer would let us return instantly.

  **"That is…?"** **"Something I got by chance. It lets me teleport to my home in the capital—way faster than a horse."** **"Incredible! That’s a lifesaver."**

  The teleport had a six-person limit and a one-hour cooldown, but by the time we reported to the Duke, it’d be ready again.

  I pulled out the Pendulum from under my clothes, gathered Nel, Amina, Cudia, Ingrid, and Lotus, and activated it.

  Our vision fshed white—and the next moment, we were in my living room.

  **"To think we returned in an instant… Then, I shall report to His Grace at once."** **"We’ll come too. It’ll make returning quicker."** **"Much appreciated."**

  Lotus immediately moved to leave for the ducal manor, but since there was no reason to split up, we all headed there together.

  With the elderly gentleman leading the way and Cudia—even under a parasol—drawing attention as a celebrity, the townsfolk’s eyes were inevitably drawn to us.

  But under normal circumstances, no one would dare approach a group led by a high noble’s steward.

  **"Hey! Aren’t those dies from before?!"**

  …*Normally.*

  **"!?"**

  A familiar man stepped into our path—Ares, in casual clothes (was it his day off?).

  After the way we’d st parted, how could he act so casual?

  Did he not see Nel’s bristling tail, her full alert stance?

  **"Pardon us, we’re in a hurry. Could you step aside?"** **"Huh? Just go around. I only need to talk to those dies."** **"They are guests of my master. I must insist—any discussion will have to wait."**

  Despite not seeing Nel’s reaction, Lotus smoothly positioned himself in front of Ares, polite but firm.

  Ares had clearly been ignoring everyone *but* the girls—his face twitched in irritation when Lotus intervened.

  But upon seeing the steward’s attire, he quickly schooled his expression.

  Not that Lotus missed that momentary slip.

  Smiling amiably, he emphasized their urgency, subtly warning Ares not to interfere.

  **"Still, meeting like this must be fate!"** **"I’m afraid I can’t entertain that. We’re on urgent business. Your understanding would be appreciated."**

  Ares pressed on, undeterred.

  Nel and Amina hid behind me, while Cudia, sensing trouble, stepped forward to shield us.

  **"Wait—aren’t you Lady Cudia?!"** **"…I am."**

  That was a mistake.

  She’d meant to protect the girls from Ares.

  But blocking his view only redirected his attention—straight to *her*.

  And since she was famous, Ares immediately switched targets.

  **"The Iron Fist of the Central Continent—why are *you* here?"** **"Personal matters. None of your concern."**

  Her voice turned icy, a clear dismissal.

  But Ares ignored it, stepping closer.

  **"I see! But this is incredible luck! To meet the legendary Cudia here—it’s like the gods are blessing me!"**

  *More like cursing us*, I wanted to say, but arguing would only make things worse.

  I gnced up, half-expecting divine punishment, but the skies remained clear.

  **"I’ve received no such blessings. Lotus, let’s go."** **"Understood. Excuse us."** **"Wait! At least hear me out!!"** **"No. We’re in a hurry."**

  Disappointed that no lightning struck him down, Cudia and Lotus resumed walking.

  Ares spread his arms, blocking their path—

  But Cudia was faster.

  **"Ah—my foot—"** **"Now’s our chance."**

  Before he could react, Cudia pinned his shadow, freezing him in pce.

  Lotus slipped past, and the rest of us followed, brushing past Ares.

  Confused, he stared at his immobile legs.

  **"Will Cudia be okay? That guy seems persistent."** **"She’ll be fine. Shadow Step only stops movement. Once we’re gone—"** **"Sorry for the wait."** **"—she’ll just reappear like that."**

  We left Ares behind, still trapped.

  Nel gnced back worriedly—and so did I, catching a glimpse of Ares desperately talking to Cudia.

  But just as we turned the corner, Cudia vanished.

  **Thunder Step**—instant teleportation.

  To Ares, it must’ve looked like she disappeared into thin air.

  **"Welcome back. Everything alright?"** **"I’d heard from Liberta, but that man truly is the definition of ‘troublesome.’"**

  *Just how stubborn do you have to be to fluster Cudia, one of the strongest NPCs in FBO?*

  **"The best policy with such people is to avoid them entirely."** **"Fully agreed."** **"Good."**

  That little detour aside, all that was left was reaching the manor.

  *Surely nothing else could go wrong now.*