Life didn't get easier, even in another world.

"We are going after them, but keep in mind that it might... no, it is most probably a trap. So don't let your guards down."

That was what the team leader said the first thing in the early morning. 

After they took a rest for a few hours, the team leader told them to get ready to move.

Kairen had woken up in the middle of the night and had kept checking that man's location since then. The man had been moving in circles in one small area the whole night and didn't get anywhere else at all. 

So they were pretty much sure that he was waiting for someone, probably them, to show up.

The way to The Frozen Ocean wasn't long, but it took them quite a while to reach it as they had to walk in the snow and ice.

But the problem wasn't reaching The Frozen Ocean, but finding those people in that wast place.

The Frozen Ocean wasn't a small area. It was literally an ocean. 

"It's that way."

"Are you fine with using your mana now?"

"Yeah, there is no problem, Reyan."

"Still, don't use it too much."

"Yes, team leader."

Fortunately, with Kairen's spell, they could locate them to some extend and find their way towards them, but again, Kairen couldn't keep using his mana until he was out of it again. Also, his spell only showed their coordinates, it wasn't a GPS that would show the way towards them. They had to stop from time to time to check the map in order to not get lost.

Rubbing his hands together, Kairen stated what he had been thinking about for the last one hour.

"It's so cold. How did they stay here at night?"

Reyan answered him almost immediately as if he too was thinking about the same thing.

"I know right? How are they not still frozen until now?"

"He must have some means to keep him and the girl warm if he had decided to come here."

"Yeah..."

Reyan nodded in agreement and peeked at Alan. He was finally given SMF's uniform to wear. Although he nagged a lot about them not being at his taste, he still wore them. Still, he was perfectly fine in such a cold even without the uniform.

"And they are not mages or something like that to keep themselves warm with magic..."

Team leader Dains quickened his steps and walked past Reyan and Kairen.

"You can ask that from them when we finally see them if you want, for now, walk faster."

"Yes, sir."

"Yes."

"Look at this brat ordering me around! Tsk!"

. . . . . . 

"Wow, Mr. Hey. I didn't know your cloak had a temperature modification function!"

Claire walked behind Mr. Hey while pulling his cloak, trying to wrap the cloak more around her body. 

"Stop. You'll tear my cloak at this rate."

"But it's cold!"

She pulled the cloak again.

"I'm tired! When will we stop walking?"

"Sigh..."

Mr. Hey sighed. 

"I told you, you would freeze to death if you stay in one stop in such a place."

"Arrghh!! You said they would come for us, but why is no one here beside us??"

The man heaved a sigh and raised his head, staring at the sky.

"Girl, aren't you tired of nagging??"

"What?"

"My ears are numb already! Stop nagging!"

"Heeeyyy!!!!"

Claire pouted and pulled the cloak with all of her might.

"It's because of you that I'm here! Is this how you appreciate my help?"

"...."

Instead of answering her, Mr. Hey suddenly turned back and looked around.

"Why aren't you answering-MFMF!!"

Mr. Hey put his hand on Claire's mouth, forcefully stopping her blathering.

"SHH!!"

He then took something out with his other hand. 

Seeing the thing in his hand, Claire's eyes widened. Her mouth was released once she nodded her head in understanding and she hurriedly hid behind the man.

"You are finally here. Took you so long."

Mr. Hey said that out loud in the empty land. Once he was done talking, a few shades became visible in the distance.

No answer came from the other side. The only change was that the shades got bigger and more visible. And after a few seconds...

"Put down your weapon."

He could finally see the four people who were approaching him. Instead of putting down the spear in his hand, the man said something with a modest tone.

"You really were around this place. Then, was my guess correct? Would the spell be broken if I moved too far away from the caster?"

He looked at the mage who was standing behind the three others.

"...."

The mage looked away without giving an answer.

"So I was right."

Mr. Hey clenched the spear in his hand.

"Put your weapon down unless you want us to use force."

He looked at the agent who was pointing his gun at him and then looked down at the spear.

He sighed and shook his head...

"Sigh. Such a harsh way of greeting..."

Clang

And threw the spear on the icy floor. 

"Take off your hood."

Team leader Dains pointed at the man's hood and cloak with his gun, ordering him to reveal his face.

"Hey, sir, let me at least talk first."

The man raised his hands in the air, showing that he had no hostile intentions, but team leader Dains and Reyan still didn't lower their weapons.

"Where are the documents?"

"Poofff!"

The man looked at the sky and puffed.

"They are with me. But first, remove this spell."

"Show them to me."

As if he had never heard the man's second sentence, the team leader impatiently asked for the documents again.

"But the spell- Haaa!"

The man sighed again and shook his head. He then moved his hand and took something out of the inner part of his cloak. 

"Look closely!"

He shook the papers in the air, showing the title and the stamps on it to the others.

"And what proof do you have that these are the real confidential documents?"

"Tsk!"

Clicking his tongue, the man took out a device from his pocket again.

"Here!"

He placed the device on the floor. 

"Stop!"

He was about to kick the device towards the four agents when he stopped doing so after hearing the team leader.

"Is that a verifier?"

The man nodded his head.

"You've probably seen these before. They are used to check the secret codes embedded in some of the documents to make sure that they are the real ones."

"...."

Team leader Dains silently gazed at the device. 

Such devices were also used in SMF to make sure that SMF's documents weren't changed or faked. The devices belonging to SMF and Philomns were coded differently, but it wasn't hard for him to recognize them. 

"You can use it to check the validity of the codes in these documents. But of course, after removing the spell."

Team leader Dains looked between the man and the documents, his finger still resting on the trigger of the gun.

"What is all this for? Do you expect us to let you go after you hand us the documents?"

"Yeah, exactly."

The man confidently nodded his head.

"And what makes you think that we'd do that?" The team leader asked. "You can't fight with the four of us in such a place."

Hearing that, the man chuckled.

"How are you so confident about that?"

"...."

"Let's just make a deal okay? Remove the spell, and I'll go without causing trouble."

Tap

Taking half a step to the side, team leader Dains clenched his gun.

"Such a thing is not going to happen."

Now, instead of the man, his gun was pointing at someone else.

"E-eh!"

Claire shuddered after seeing the gun pointed at her and moved to hide her whole body behind the man.

BANG

But before she could take a single step closer, a bullet landed right under her feet.

"EEKK!"

Tap

The man moved to the side, completely shielding the teenager with his body.

"Look, I've told you before but there is no point in us fighting each other."

"Hand over the documents."

"Don't you guys understand words? I'm telling you, remove the spell and get the documents instead. I'm not here to-"

BANG

Another bullet landed before the man's feet.

"What makes you Philomns pests think that we would do whatever you tell?"

The man took a deep breath and raised his hands again.

"Look, I can get what makes you have such a grudge against Philomns, but you shouldn't think that everyone in that group is the same-"

BANG

The man's words were cut off again by the sound of a bullet being shot.

"...."

The man looked down on the ground. There were two holes on the ice where he was standing.

"You are right. There is no need to fight. So hand over the documents and surrender. You know, your punishment will be less severe if you cooperate."

"...."

The man lowered his head.

"Really, it is starting to make me annoyed."

He then lowered his hands, clenching the papers toughly in his hand.

"You know, there were so many ways to remove the spell if I wanted to try..."

The man moved his hand and threw the papers. The papers moved in the air and landed a few meters behind him on the snow and ice.

"But I thought I'd be nice and all since I didn't want to be enemies with you guys..."

Brrr Brrr

Suddenly, the spear on the ground started to shake.

"Even that water dude too..."

Brrr Brrr

"Seems like there was no need for me to go so far for such thickheaded people."