The two followed Seth from behind; their thoughts were focused on the many possibilities that awaited them in the capital city itself. The possibility of failing this quest or succeeding is also important for them, as they knew that they were heading into danger throughout this cherry forest.
While Genno himself was content with focusing on the present, Bruno, on the other hand, still has lingering feelings after witnessing the crowd who adored the holy man with such ardor that he could never earn with all of his writings combined.
How can he earn the love of others for himself and his beliefs? Barely anyone had appreciated him or read his works in their entirety; not only that, he was ridiculed by many who accused him of being some con man who wants to lead people down into falsehood.
Those accusations of him being a madman stuck deeply in his heart, for they were never lies, and they were never true to any extent. It isn't fear of the fact that people don't know what to believe in or don't believe in anything at all; it is fear of having the unknown come and change their lives forever.
Humanity is naturally afraid of change and anything that will upset their lives. If it doesn't fit the status quo, they will take extreme measures to avoid it at all costs. This is the reason why societies as a whole are so divided in themselves—the conflict in trying to gain control and power over one another.
It is why he is here with these men, brought by fate or whatever forces bring them together. His strongest desire, aside from the appreciation of others, is the complete unification of all religions and philosophies. He will never give up on the dream of establishing a harmony of faith where everyone can agree on a singular basis.
Glancing over at Seth, his thoughts were brought to a halt by this man. He doesn't understand why he feels like this, but the sin of envy is truly tormenting him because he sees the holy man as an obstacle he needs to surpass.
Someday, he will get the adoration he always wanted from others. All it takes is patience and humility. After he reached back to the capital and finished his damn book, surely he would be more loved and recognized than Seth ever was in his entire life.
As the cherry blossoms were in full bloom, they cast a veil of pink petals over the travelers who were walking underneath the trees. The wind carried the scent of sweetness into their noses, and the colors of the pedals were naturally pink as always. The bright sunshine streamed through the branches, illuminating the trees with a warm glow.
In the far distance, there were mountains covered in snow as their peaks were hidden in clouds that cast shadows onto the cherry forest. The streams babbled and splashed quietly over the smooth rocks that lined the river beds. Everything looked so peaceful, as though nothing was wrong in this world. Not even the undead can ruin a peaceful moment like this.
Birds flocked to the trees, chirping in unison with the falling leaves as they soared above the land. The forest turned into a snowy wasteland after descending further into a new biome. Their bodies were surrounded by lush plant life, and their lungs were filled with the refreshing air of the environment.
"Snow?" Seth stopped in his tracks from this sudden change of atmosphere. "I never expected we'd reach so far from the forest," being completely unaware of the biomes in general, he turned back to his friends for explanation at this.
"This is the beginning of the tundra; we are likely almost halfway to the city," the scholar commented on the current predicament based on his observations of the landscape, "and it also seems that this place is quite different from what we are used to, but as far as I can tell, it means we are heading in the right direction," commenting on the current location of their position.
Surprised by the information, the holy man couldn't help but feel impressed by this discovery. "How did you know that?" Questioning Bruno about the deduction in the state of their surroundings from the top of his head like that in the first place.
"I used my observation and intelligence to figure out where we are in this vast land," the poet answered proudly, proud of himself for doing so. "And I also passed through a tundra before meeting you two," he explained briefly in coming up with the answer.
Genno crossed his arms as he looked at the confident poet. "And why do you think it is the same tundra you went through?" I challenged him about the claim, curious to know the reasoning behind it. There was silence before the man could properly explain the reason for this observation.
"Simple, it's the logical conclusion of what's around us," pointing out the fact, "I also mentally take note of the smallest things around me; it is why I was able to come up with this simple deduction." Bruno smirked in reply at this awesome skill he has.
The other two glanced at one another in speculation before turning their attention back to Bruno; their faces were in a deadpan. "That sounds ridiculous," Genno flatly remarked, his brows raised in disbelief of that absurd-sounding statement.
Smugness became upon Bruno's face as he couldn't contain his own pride in having said, "Trust me, gentlemen, I learned of using the mind palace technique that allowed me to store and use memory as if they were tools, and now, it's one of my many secrets," explaining the idea in detail to them, his eyes glowing with enthusiasm at this.
That answer seemed to have convinced the martial artist as he smiled in interest in the concept, "Well, it would make a lot of sense," chuckling in agreement with that answer before turning to Seth, "What do you think?" Asking his best friend about the mind palace technique.
Seth carefully caressed his chin with deep thought as many thoughts entered his brain like a train running through the stations: "It would make a lot of sense in making that assumption, that's all I can say," giving his best opinion to them, "then I suppose you make a great guide in maneuvering through this place then?" He proposed the suggestion as he glanced at the poet.
A confident smirk formed upon his lips at the compliment, "Indeed, I am," raising his eyebrows in confirmation to him, "and if you want, it is safe to say that I am more capable of safely leading the three of us out from the tundra," speaking with assertiveness in the tone of his voice.
Genno chuckled in amusement at this. "Lead the way then," he answered without much resistance to his idea. The poet nods with determination to accept the role bestowed upon him. The three wise men continued onward to their destination.
Stepping further into the woods, the ground became a pile of endless snow as the wind continued to blow. Soon enough, it got colder and colder as they moved; they weren't dressed appropriately for the climate due to their ignorance. Some of the trees around them lost their color and became bare branches.
Soon enough, the cold started to become noticeable to them, and Bruno shivered as his teeth chattered. He rubbed his shoulders in an attempt to generate more heat for his body. "This is unbelievable! It's like winter is here sooner than it normally is!" Shouting with frustration in the cold.
On the other hand, Seth was unaffected by the coldness around him; in fact, he understood the effects of temperature but wasn't harmed or disturbed by it. Instead, he walked through the snow like it was nothing, unfazed and unmoved by the chill.
But Genno was unlike the others. He alone had mastered his body, attaining total control over it to the point of being able to resist intense heat and cold. It also greatly surprised the scholar to see that, after taking a glance behind his back, they were completely fine.
"How are you two not affected by the cold like me?" He questioned, curiosity rising in him as he wondered why they were not expressing signs of freezing. "It makes me think you guys are ghosts," jokingly commenting on the matter of this discovery.
Seth slightly smiled at the man's comment; he himself questioned why he was not even bothered by how extremely cold it was. He wonders if this is because he is the Son of God or something else. Whatever the case, there was no clear answer as to why he was so comfortable in the cold.
"We have our ways," Genno answered briefly in response, his words being vague. "Do we need to find shelter first?" Worry came upon him upon seeing how Bruno was shuddering violently due to the icy temperature befalling them. After considering their options for the moment, Bruno agreed with the monk's decision: "Yeah, that will be best for us." His breath appeared like a fog through the air. "This is bad; I don't know if I can walk through this kind of weather." The scholar expressed the predicament of his never-ending shivering.
Frowning at the sight of his friend, Seth briefly glanced around to see any spot of natural shelter that may be used for them. Unfortunately, it was proving to be fruitless, as there wasn't any indication of having a suitable place to hide from the strong winds.
He thought long and hard, staring up in the sky with ways of warming Bruno. Seth knows how humans are incapable of handling this type of climate, but he too was confused as to why he is completely immune to the bitter frost. In a split second, a brilliant idea entered his mind.
Being the holy father's son, Seth can request a way to be able to give his friend's warmth through faith. And that's exactly what he is planning to do right now: "Bruno, come here," turning to the poet, who was keeping himself warm by rubbing his arm and legs.
"What?"
Bruno asked as he raised his brow, wondering what the holy man was indicating to him with that gesture. Nonetheless, Seth made no verbal response to that inquiry as he approached the poet and extended his hand towards him.
"Hold my hand."
That was what he told him, gazing intently into the eyes of the poet, who was hesitating at the suggestion due to finding this odd and yet also not so odd at the same time. Bruno is curious about what Seth will do for him to say that, and not being able to come up with anything, he chose to ignore the doubts at the back of his mind and decisively grasp his hand.
Feeling the palm of Seth's hand touch his skin, it was hard for him to be confused at this notion until surprise came upon Bruno after withdrawing these hands from one another. "Uh...?" He doesn't feel cold anymore like he used to; it was like being wrapped in a blanket that provided a sufficient amount of warmth that'll be needed to survive the harsh climates of this foreign tundra.
Placing his hand down, he looked at the open palm with contemplation of what had happened. "What did you do to me? I don't feel cold anymore." shock was in his words of disbelief. Astonished at how this was all possible, "I don't even understand; how are you able to do this type of thing?" Flabbergasted in bewilderment by the phenomena that occurred, Bruno continued to stare at the hand that made the impossible become reality.
Genno, on the other hand, can only watch with intrigue; he has already seen the types of miracles his friend can do and wonders what else Seth can do aside from healing others. It is without a doubt that the holy man is able to do what ordinary people cannot, and he is starting to believe that this is some form of magic that's only limited by his imagination.
Seth laughed lightly at this, his cheeks full of red with the rising heat coming from his neck as he heard these words. He smiled nervously at Bruno with embarrassment. "Oh, I didn't do much," he responded while scratching his cheek awkwardly. "Since you have believed in me, the holy spirit has blessed you with His divine gift of protection against the cold," Seth revealed with a wide grin in seeing his friend's expression of being both amazed and curious by these powers.
