Peace Hunter

Several of the woman's body parts—including her head, tail, horns, legs, and torso—were instantly severed by the attack Duchess Arlet unleashed. Having successfully severed the limbs, Duchess Arlet launched a follow-up attack against the detached body parts.

~Ice Magic: Ice Mist~

Duchess Arlet exhaled a massive cloud of ice mist from her mouth. The mist slowly began to freeze the severed body parts. Before long, every piece was completely frozen solid.

Afterward, Duchess Arlet turned away, putting the frozen remains behind her. She walked away from the site, still clutching her rapier while the six ice rapiers she had conjured continued to hover around her. She was still clad in the short dress and white shawl, indicating that the ~Armor of Ice Spirits~ technique was still active.

Then, as she walked away, the short dress and shawl suddenly vanished, replaced by the outfit she had worn previously. Her ice-crystal pupils returned to their normal state, and the six ice rapiers surrounding her slowly cracked and shattered. Duchess Arlet sank to the ground, sitting down while gripping her rapier with both hands; she used the weapon to prop herself up, preventing her body from collapsing fully onto the earth. She appeared utterly exhausted, gasping heavily for air.

*Haaaahhhhhh.........*haaaahhhhhh.....*Haaaaahhhh*

Duchess Arlet continued to breathe rapidly. Furthermore, wounds began to reappear on her body—injuries she had sustained prior to activating the ~Armor of Ice Spirits~ technique. In addition to the injuries she had sustained earlier, the wounds she incurred while using the ~Armor of Ice Spirit~ technique still remained.

"Haaahhhh...*Haaahhhhhhh... I finally managed to defeat and kill that woman... I have avenged my knights who died on this expedition. Now... I must return to the San Lucia city," Duchess Arlet said, panting heavily.

Duchess Arlet tried to stand up, using her rapier for support. However, just as she attempted to rise, she suddenly collapsed back into a sitting position, clutching her left chest.

"My heart... it seems my heart has almost completely frozen over. I must... return to San Lucia immediately before... my heart freezes solid. I cannot... fall here," Duchess Arlet said.

She tried to stand up again, using her rapier as a prop.

"It looks like the technique you used earlier took a heavy toll on your body. You seem to be struggling to stand," a woman's voice said.

Duchess Arlet was shocked to hear the voice. It sounded exactly like the woman she had just fought. As she tried to stand, Duchess Arlet slowly turned around. Sure enough, the woman was standing right behind her. The woman—whom Duchess Arlet had previously struck with such force that parts of her body were severed—was now standing there, gazing at her. Duchess Arlet was stunned at the sight.

"You've got to be kidding me... how is this possible?!?" Duchess Arlet exclaimed.

"How is what possible?" the woman asked.

"...How are you... still able to get back up... after I sliced ​​parts of your body to pieces?" Duchess Arlet asked.

"Ah, that. The attack you used was indeed devastating; it even managed to sever parts of my body. But that isn't a major problem for me," the woman said.

"You... you previously said that... even if your body were destroyed, it wouldn't be... a big deal for you. You... who exactly are you?" asked Duchess Arlet.

"Didn't I tell you before? I am one of the leaders of the Ice Dragons dwelling in these mountains. Aren't my tail and horns proof enough? I even showed you my wings earlier. It seems you aren't aware that some dragons possess two forms: their true dragon form and a humanoid form—like the one I'm using now. That is why you keep questioning my identity, even though I am clearly one of the dragon race," the woman said.

"That’s not... what I meant. I know that some members of the Dragon race... possess two forms... but what I’m asking is... who are you, really? You are currently using... the humanoid form of the Dragon race. You have... a tail, horns, and wings, yet you look like... a human. But it’s impossible for a Dragon to recover... after having parts of its body severed. I believe the body I slashed... earlier was your true form, not a clone. So... how were you able to recover after I cut off parts... of your body? Don't tell me that you aren't actually... of the Dragon race... but belong to another race entirely. You're using the Dragon race's humanoid form... to hide your true identity," said Duchess Arlet.

"Believe whatever you want about whether I belong to the Dragon race or not. The important thing is that I’ve stated the fact: I am of the Dragon race," the woman said.

The woman then raised both her hands, stretching her body.

"Hmm, ah... finally, I feel refreshed. It’s been ages since I moved this intensely, hasn't it? Well, I’ve had enough of a workout; I’m going back to my place now. See you," the woman said.

She turned around and began walking away from Duchess Arlet. Meanwhile, Duchess Arlet looked bewildered and shocked by the woman's actions. She decided to stop her.

"Wait!" Duchess Arlet called out.

The woman immediately stopped walking and turned back to look at Duchess Arlet.

"What is it?" the woman asked.

"You said... you were leaving? Do you... think I’m going to let you go?" Duchess Arlet asked.

"Hmm? Can you actually stop me from leaving? You’re struggling just to stand up," the woman remarked.

What the woman said was true; Duchess Arlet appeared to be having difficulty standing properly. She even had to use her rapier to prop herself up so she wouldn't collapse.

"You can no longer assist me with my exercise. Besides, I’ve done enough for now, so I’m heading back. I want to rest," the woman said.

She turned around and resumed walking away from the spot.

"Wai—" Duchess Arlet began.

But before she could finish, Duchess Arlet was suddenly struck by ice magic. Three ice projectiles hit her—striking her abdomen and both thighs—and pierced right through her flesh. She collapsed instantly to the ground. Meanwhile, the woman who had intended to leave was looking back at Duchess Arlet, pointing her index finger directly at her; it was she who had fired the ice magic from her fingertip.

"You’re so noisy. I was ignoring you, yet you kept prattling on, trying to stop me. That left me no choice but to attack you."

"You should be grateful I ignored you earlier; that meant I was giving you a better chance at survival. But because you kept running your mouth, that chance has dwindled—now you’ve sustained three additional wounds. And these aren't minor injuries," the woman said.

The three wounds Duchess Arlet had just sustained were indeed severe, as the attacks had pierced straight through her body. The bleeding from these penetrating wounds was far heavier than what would result from a mere graze. Yet, despite being struck and brought to the ground, Duchess Arlet kept her gaze fixed on the woman as she lay there.

"You say you're giving me... a chance to live? I don't believe... your words after you slaughtered all... my knights," said Duchess Arlet.

"No, actually, I really am giving you a chance to live. The chance at life I’m granting you is simply by not harming or killing you. But even though I’ve given you that chance to live, in the end, you will still die."

"I know that nearly your entire heart has frozen over by now, as I’ve been watching it closely the whole time. I don’t know what will happen once it freezes completely—whether it means instant death or simply losing consciousness. Even if it’s just unconsciousness, you’ll still die if you pass out here in the mountains. The temperature is freezing, and the place is teeming with monsters. It would be incredibly dangerous for you to lose consciousness in a spot like this. So, even if I don’t kill you myself, you’re bound to die anyway."

"Then again, there might be a slim chance—maybe 1 to 5 percent—of you surviving if you pass out here. Perhaps other white-haired human will come along to rescue you. If that happens, I’ll let it be; I won’t interfere with anyone trying to save you. Besides, I’ve had enough of a exercis for now; I don’t need any more exercise. So, I’m going back to rest and sleep."

"It looks like you’re about to collapse and lose consciousness any moment now. In that case, I’ll be going. See you later, white-haired woman," the woman said.

With that, she turned and walked away from the spot. Meanwhile, Duchess Arlet could no longer hold onto her consciousness; her eyes slowly began to close.

"My consciousness is slipping away; it feels as though my heart is on the verge of freezing solid. From what I know about the side effects of the ~Armor of Ice Spirits~ technique, once the user's heart freezes completely, they remain unconscious until the ice thaws,"

"To melt the ice encasing the heart, one needs intense fire magic—on par with the flames wielded by intermediate-level Fire Spirits. Finding a human capable of such magic is incredibly difficult, let alone finding an actual intermediate Fire Spirit. It seems, then, that I will be unconscious for a very long time,"

"Forgive me, dear; it seems I won't be able to be by your side while I remain unconscious. And forgive me too, Asier, Irene; I cannot be there to watch over you while I am in this state. I won't be able to witness your growth firsthand—I am truly sorry. I love you all," thought Duchess Arlet.

Duchess Arlet slowly began to close her eyes as she lay upon the ground. But before she could fully shut them, she heard the woman speak.

"Oh, that's right—I forgot to mention this. White-haired woman, if you manage to survive and return home, pass this message on to the others of your kind: if you intend to return to these mountains to kill me, bring someone truly powerful. That way, I won't be bored when I defeat those who come here. If you bring only weaklings, I won't even show myself to you; it would simply be a waste of time," the woman said.

Having said this, the woman resumed her journey back to her dwelling. Meanwhile, the prone Duchess Arlet had fully closed her eyes. She had lost consciousness.

~Flashback ends~

-

Back to the room where Duchess Arlet was.

Queen Kayana appeared visibly shocked upon hearing Duchess Arlet's story.

"Then I lost consciousness, and when I woke up, I found myself in this room—and eleven years had already passed," Duchess Arlet said.

"I never imagined you would encounter a creature like that in the Orokho Mountains. A woman possessing a tail, horns, and dragon wings. She claimed to be the leader of the Ice Dragons dwelling in those mountains," Queen Kayana remarked.

"Yes, that is indeed what she claimed. Her appearance resembled the humanoid form adopted by some dragons, so it was natural for her to claim she was a dragon—and the leader of the Ice Dragons there. However, I felt that she wasn't actually a dragon, but rather a being of a different race."

"I believe she is actually a high-ranking spirit—the queen and leader of all Ice Spirits. She appears to be a Divine Ice Elemental Spirit," Duchess Arlet said.

-To be continued

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