A Few Monts ago in the Ice Elves' Palace.
The cold air carried a strange silence as Iris stared at Kael, her breath catching in disbelief.
"What did you say?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.
She blinked her eyes in suspicion, wondering if she heard it correctly.
"Don't need to act like that. Your ears are fine."
"WHAAAAT!"Iris squealed in shock.
Kael's eyes narrowed, a chilling glow of intent flickering within them. "I said, we need to take care of them as soon as possible. That woman is a problem. She saw —I can't let her leave alive." His voice was calm, but his killing aura surged, as if the snow itself recoiled from it.
Iris frowned, her voice hardening. "But this is a risk… The Queen won't agree."
"Do you even understand what you are saying? If we kill her now, especially in the lands of Elves, it might really worsen the situation?"
Kael opened his mouth to reply, but another voice cut in, cold and commanding.
"I wouldn't have agreed before either, but there's been a change."
Iris and Kael turned sharply. Alvera stood at the edge of the clearing, her white cloak brushing against the frost-covered ground, her presence pressing down like a storm.
"What do you an, Your Highness?" Iris asked, confused.
Alvera took a few steps forward and fixed her gaze on Kael. "Did you notice anything odd about that woman?"
Kael shook his head. "Not exactly. But I doubt she ca here by accident. She moved with purpose. I don't think she would be foolish enough to co here and then leave without gaining anything. It felt off.."
"Exactly," Alvera said, her voice quiet. "During the declaration, I saw her eyes. She wasn't just looking around—she was quite focused on soone. Watching one person in particular. At first, I thought he might be a commander, but… no. He's not strong, but I felt sothing dark from him. Sothing hidden."
Kael's eyes darkened. "Could be soone from the Serpent Gang."
"They're already here?" Iris muttered, her tone laced with dread.
"I believe so," Alvera continued. "The Serpent Gang is known for its vast collection of stolen artifacts. I wouldn't be surprised if they've got sothing that lets them detect lies or track movents."
Kael scoffed. "They should be public enemies by now."
"They are," Alvera replied. "But they're like vermin—deep in hiding, crawling across borders and under flags. Hard to pin down."
Kael exhaled, lips curling into a grim line. He didn't say it aloud, but he'd long suspected many rogue groups, even minor pirates and freelance hunters, were secretly affiliated with the Serpent Gang.
"Enough," he said sharply. "We're wasting ti. I want to kill that woman. Even if you forbid , I can't allow her to live any longer as she has seen ."
"Even though it may have been spread, killing the actual person in the talk would lessen the effect."
Alvera stared at him. "Can you do it?"
Kael nodded. "If the riflen are taken care of, yes. Last ti was rough. The crates gave cover, but this ti, the terrain is open. I can't afford distractions."
Alvera fell into a thoughtful silence, then glanced toward Iris.
"It's dangerous," Iris said cautiously. "If we kill them all, we'll be suspected. The battle aura will linger. They'll trace the aftermath."
"We can manage suspicion," Alvera said flatly. "They can't act without proof if everythingweree done by Kael."
A final silence fell between them before Alvera gave her command.
"Iris, take the archers. Support him. But don't use any signature shots—just pin down the riflen and snipers. Keep it clean."
Then, she turned to Kael.
"Can you handle the rest?"
Kael smiled, slowly and grimly. "Of course."
.....
Iris led the archers along with Kael. They took a hidden path buried under the snow, aiming to cut off Mira and the Nightstae guards. The group moved quickly, their bodies wrapped in cloaks and faces hidden behind masks. Their speed was fast, kicking up cold air as they dashed across the icy path.
As they marched, Iris glanced at Kael with a deep frown. "Can you really handle it? If soone escapes, it could beco a big problem." Kael scoffed and replied, "Then you can act."
"What?" Iris yelled in shock. She had only been told to assist, but now he was pulling her into the fight. Kael just shrugged and said, "It's hard to hide the traces after a big fight, but killing a few quietly isn't a problem. You just need to cut them down quickly." He laughed and made a slicing gesture with his hand.
"You—" Iris narrowed her eyes, but before she could say more, Kael's voice turned cold. "They're here."
Iris looked ahead and spotted the enemy group nearby. She also noticed a sudden change in Kael's expression. "I'm going. You all take cover," he said. Iris gave a nod and ordered the archers to move around and hide.
Kael rushed forward silently, his mana spreading under his feet so he glided across the snow without a sound. As he neared the group, he pulled out his sword and poured his aura into it. "Ti to destroy you sons of bitches," he muttered, and then vanished in a blur.
BOOM! A violent blast of sword energy erupted from beneath the ground. The snow flew in all directions, trees shook, and a deep crater ford. The guards caught in the blast were torn apart by the powerful attack.
Dust filled the air. Kael stood in the middle of it, scanning the area until he spotted Mira, who had jumped back. A grin ford beneath his mask.
"Last ti, I was in trouble," he said in a low voice. "No… I lost. But this ti…" His aura burst out like wild fire, climbing fast until it reached B-rank. The sheer force of it froze the other guards where they stood.
"No one," he growled, staring straight at Mira, "is walking out of this place."
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