The young woman mumbled to herself and stretched languidly, making her curvaceous and alluring figure suddenly seem more prominent, as if it could stoke a fire in someoneâs heart.
At that moment, a frivolous voice sounded beside her.
"I say, âFlame Princessâ sister, could you let me go to Yalefu to see the play?"
The ingratiating tone caused the âFlame Princessâ to pause mid-stretch.
She glanced at âTrillionâ with a flattering smile beside her and said irritably, "Are you sure youâre going to watch the play and not recklessly looking for trouble with someone else?"
"...Youâve seen through me, huh."
âTrillionâ suddenly appeared sullen.
"Your little scheme, not just me, but I bet even the leader and the old man have seen through it, right?" The âFlame Princessâ curled her lips into a smile and said, "I advise you better not. Though jealousy is a common ailment among men, youâve just taken that first step, and you wonât stand a chance against someone who even âIce Maidenâ sister couldnât beat with the National Guardian Divine Weapon."
"Even if you completely mastered that secret treasure, at best, youâd only be on par with âIce Maidenâ sister, or perhaps even less."
"So you better stay put right here with me and wait for the news from there instead of going off to court death."
The words of the âFlimme Princessâ made the smile disappear from âTrillionâs face.
"...I just want to see for myself what kind of skills the man who unusually stirred âIce Maidenâ sister has."
âTrillionâ uttered these words.
"What abilities he has, you should be well aware of by now, shouldnât you?" The âFlame Princessâ said bluntly, "Donât forget, youâve already been defeated by him once."
âTrillionâ said nothing more.
Seeing this, the âFlame Princessâ couldnât help but sigh.
"Isnât it about time you face reality? âIce Maidenâ truly doesnât like you, no matter how much effort you expend, she wonât give you a second glance."
The âFlame Princessâ spoke these words with a trace of pity.
âTrillionâ clenched his fists for a moment before smiling again.
"How can I know without trying?" he said as he turned his back, "No matter how she sees me, I wonât change my mind."
"Why put yourself through this?" The âFlame Princessâ shook her head and said, "I know that girl the best. Her heart has long turned into ice, which is why she was recognized by the National Guardian Divine Weapon and became the only person in a thousand years who could freely wield it."
"If I werenât here, even if the leader and the old man personally took action, she wouldnât have joined us."
"I know you joined us because of her, but I still have to tell you that even if you do, she wonât be moved."
"That child is naturally perceptive, seeing through and understanding too much. No one can melt the ice in her heart."
The âFlame Princessâs earnest advice was met with nothing but a dismissive smile from âTrillionâ.
"Perhaps youâre right."
âTrillionâ did not deny it, perhaps having resigned himself to this fact long ago.
Yet...
"The day she appeared before me like a goddess from the heavens, when she cleaved my damned father in two and turned him into ice, from that moment, I saw nothing else but her."
"Since that moment, I swore that no place would suit me except beside her or behind her."
"Even if she were to go to hell, I would crawl through Karmic Fire to her side."
âTrillionâs tone was no longer frivolous but had the solemnity of a pilgrimage, earnest and devoted.
"This is my only wish, and nobody can stop me."
"Not the leader, not the old man."
"Or you."
With these words, an indescribable silence enveloped the only two present.
"...Youâre going to get yourself hurt, you know?"
The âFlame Princessâ said, seemingly with pity.
"I donât care."
âTrillionâ laughed it off carelessly.
"Is that so?" The âFlame Princessâ didnât probe further, simply saying, "But I still hope you wonât go to Yalefu."
"Why?" âTrillionâ grew discontent and said, "Have you got so little confidence in me?"
"Canât help it. Iâve never seen before someone who could injure âIce Maiden,â capable of drawing the National Guardian Divine Weapon." The âFlame Princessâ said matter-of-factly, "I just donât want us to lose a member before our revolution even starts."
"...Fine." âTrillionâ felt persuaded, and said helplessly, "In that case, sending a puppet there should be fine, right?"
"That could work," the "Flame Princess" nodded and said, "Just be careful not to disrupt the âSkyhuntâ plan."
"Got it, got it," "Trillion" perked up, chuckling, "Iâll be careful."
Having said that, he hopped away merrily.
"Really..."
The "Flame Princess" smiled helplessly, then soon became contemplative.
"However, I really didnât expect that the princessâs master would have such a deep connection with the Franzel family."
"Could this affair possibly involve the Franzel family?"
"And that child..."
Thinking of someone, a look of worry emerged in the eyes of the enchanting young woman.
"...I hope that child doesnât get dragged into this as well."
The "Flame Princess" could only pray with such caution.
This night, all manner of ghosts and goblins were stirring restlessly, causing the moonlight above the royal capital of Yalef to be obscured, casting a dark pall that seemed to portend something ominous.
...
Dawn.
Warm sunlight spilled from the east, chasing away the loneliness brought by the night, filling the land with a thick sense of morning vigour.
In the courtyard of the Franzel residence, the figures of Reiger and Liz appeared, standing opposite each other at a distance.
"Iâm coming, Master."
Liz held the Moslo Sword without drawing it from its scabbard, holding it high with sheath and all, adopting a stance for attack.
"Come."
Reiger stood opposite Liz, one hand on the hilt at his waist, ready to draw his blade at any moment.
The master and servant had shown up early in the morning just to assume the appearance of being on the verge of battle.
In truth, they really were planning to fight.
"Let me see what kind of changes have occurred in you after the awakening of your bloodline, Liz," Reiger said with a rare look of enthusiasm, addressing Liz from across the way.
"Yes!"
Liz obediently responded, then took a deep breath and adjusted her breathing.
"InhaleâExhaleâ"
With a unique rhythm of breathing manifesting in Liz, her expression changed.
It became calm.
It became sharp.
A burst of Magic Power, whether it arose spontaneously or was stimulated by Liz, appeared quietly on the young princess, like a flame burning slowly, and it also changed how she felt to others.
Reiger keenly sensed the change in Liz.
If the old Liz was like a lioness, appearing weak and powerless but capable of unleashing astonishing strength once in battle mode, then the current Liz was more like an elf. She appeared to be a human girl, but in reality, she had transcended humanity, becoming a different kind of life.
The Magic Power coursing through the girl seemed to contain a peculiar strength.
The breath that flowed over her seemed to infuse her with vitality.
Facing Liz at this moment, Reiger felt as though he was confronting Morgan.
It wasnât that Liz had turned into a witch, but she had become a kind of transcendent being, no longer confined as before within a certain range.
"Iâm coming at you!"
Just then, Liz announced her attack.
"Boom!"
She stamped on the ground forcefully, kicking up a burst of explosive wave-like impact and dust, and like a launched rocket, she burst toward Reiger.
"Click..."
Reiger reflexively drew his black blade, ready to slash furiously.
But the next second, something surprising happened.