Chapter 119: Poetry and Parting Need No End

Chapter 119: Chapter 119: Poetry and Parting Need No End

Goddalir was already exhausted from the long trek up the snow mountain. After a magic duel and a roller coaster of emotions, she finally gave in to her fatigue and fell soundly asleep in Wang Xi’s arms.

A moment later.

Wang Xi used Magic, a faint blue, cold light glowing at his fingertips. As he moved, ice crystals formed on the snow, and in the blink of an eye, a small, dome-shaped igloo materialized out of thin air.

He carried the girl in his arms, gently placed her inside the igloo, then turned to retrieve the black Cloak and draped it over her.

Pinocchio was rolling around in the snow, having the time of his life all by himself. It seemed as if "worry" was something he had never experienced.

In his own words, "You can’t wait until life isn’t hard anymore to decide to be happy." This was something his father, Gepetto, had taught him.

Pinocchio had never forgotten.

Wang Xi sat down alone on an ice chair and inspected the two orbs of light in his mind—

one blue, and one deep green.

The former was the Ice Magic gifted by Isabella; the latter was the Card captured after Goddalir conceded defeat just now.

Perhaps because the difference in their power was too great, Wang Xi had only managed to get one card from Cinderella by defeating her.

He couldn’t say he was disappointed. After all, the original purpose of the spar was just to test Goddalir’s strength, not to get something from her... Obtaining a Deep Green Card was already a pleasant surprise.

People are always like that.

It was amazing how looking at the same thing from different perspectives could result in opposite emotions.

’Kaos, extract,’ Wang Xi thought.

[100 Energy consumed (2965 remaining)]

"Studying Magic is like gazing into an Ice Mirror—the deeper the obsession, the more cracks appear. Only by learning to live with imperfection can you reflect your true self."

Isabella’s murmur echoed in his mind.

Before the fissure in his consciousness, the blue orb of light bloomed.

HUMMM—

[Ice Mirror (Skill Card)]

[Quality: Blue One Star (Upgradeable)]

[The Queen once dared not look upon her painful past, nor could she bear to see the increasingly cold person she was becoming... She created the Ice Mirror in an attempt to find what was lost.]

[Upon use, you will master this Ice Magic. You can create a hard Ice Mirror to block attacks, and it is especially resistant to Elemental Magic. Each use consumes a certain amount of Magic Power.]

This was the same Ice Magic Isabella had used when teaching him the Meditation Technique.

The Ice and Snow Queen’s signature skill.

A Defense Magic with High Magic Resistance.

Although Wang Xi was very satisfied with this Blue Card, he couldn’t help but feel that something was off... ’Aren’t I getting a few too many defensive abilities?’

The perfect Parry of the Blood Orchid Secret Skill, the all-around protection of Ice Armor, and now the magic-busting Ice Mirror—his turtle shell was getting harder and harder.

’Survival is king!’ Wang Xi thought.

Maxing out his defensive capabilities wasn’t a bad thing. After all, you have to be alive to deal damage. The glass cannon path was a dead end, and the old Warlock Bertrand was a classic cautionary tale.

’Kaos, continue,’ he commanded again.

[100 Energy consumed (2865 remaining)]

In his mind, the remaining deep green orb of light bloomed.

HUMMM—

"Fairy Bettina says Natural Magic should be used to nurture life, but if you can’t even protect the people who are important to you, what’s the point of making these flowers bloom so beautifully... You idiot, the person you’re desperately trying to protect is actually most afraid of you getting hurt."

Goddalir’s soliloquy echoed in Wang Xi’s mind.

It seemed to be something Cinderella had murmured to herself while arduously practicing her magic, her words tinged with longing.

[Guardian of the Flower Garden (Skill Card)]

[Quality: Deep Green One Star (Upgradeable)]

[A dangerous form of Natural Magic. It is a Forbidden Magic that Cinderella learned from the Woodland Fairy only after repeated pleading. She wanted to use this magic to protect the one she loved most.]

[Upon use, you will master this Natural Magic. You can create a flower garden that provides protection from Elemental Elves, accelerates Magic Power condensation, and has a Calm Heart and Peaceful Spirit effect. Each use consumes a large amount of Magic Power (If Magic Power is insufficient, it will trigger a backlash from the Natural Elements, forcibly draining Life Force as a substitute).]

"Goddalir..."

Wang Xi took the Deep Green Card floating in front of him.

The Universal Card was cold to the touch, but he felt a sense of warmth from it.

"Thank you."

He glanced back at the small igloo and said softly.

...

...

Since Wang Xi had already decided to leave the snow mountain, he didn’t stay much longer.

In the afternoon.

After Goddalir woke up, Wang Xi went into the Ice Crystal Castle alone to bid Isabella farewell.

The Ice and Snow Queen was as cold and detached as ever, as if she were indifferent to everything in the world.

In response to the young man’s farewell, she just grunted in acknowledgment and turned to leave.

As she reached the ice crystal steps, she said without turning back, "Go. The Ice Mirror may shatter, but the snow mountain will remain."

The words were somewhat poetic, but Wang Xi heard the subtext in Isabella’s message.

The Ice Mirror referred to both the Magic she had taught him and the bond between master and student. The Ice and Snow Queen seemed uncaring, but she already saw Wang Xi as her student and was subtly offering her protection.

To put it simply...

If he couldn’t make it in the outside world, he could always come back to the snow mountain.

"Teacher, I’ve left a thank-you gift for you. It’s in the empty space behind the castle."

Wang Xi said, looking at the tall figure on the steps.

However, Isabella seemed not to care at all. Her footsteps never paused, and she didn’t reply.

Seeing this, he could only bow once more before turning to leave.

After Wang Xi had gone.

Isabella stood on the highest ice crystal step, her head slightly tilted as she watched the young man and his companions recede into the distance, until they disappeared completely at the edge of the snowy plains.

She stood like a statue for a while, her eyes downcast.

In the end, she gave up on the idea of an afternoon nap, descended the steps again, and strolled toward the back of the castle.

Before long.

Isabella stood frozen in the snow.

She saw a patch of pure white flowers.

On the silent, snowy plain, it was a garden of blooming white roses—their petals condensed from Ice Crystals, they were cold and bright. Set against the vast white snow, their pristine beauty held a stubborn vitality.

In Isabella’s eyes, she could see a dense gathering of Magic Power. The elemental particles of ice and nature, two normally conflicting forces, were instead interwoven in an unusual, harmonious cluster.

The Queen’s elegantly shaped red lips parted slightly.

This... was the gift Gai had left for her?

Isabella walked gently into the flower patch. She raised a hand to brush against a petal, and the corners of her lips curled up into a small, involuntary smile.

Her hand soon found a letter formed from ice. On it, Magic Power was gathered into Magic Text, invisible to mortal eyes—

"To Teacher Isabella: You said that real roses cannot survive the bitter cold, and fake roses cannot retain warmth. But this student believes that even on the Snow Mountain Peak, an eternally-blooming spring can be born."

"When the Magic Power dissipates, they will still bloom in your memory, covering up the painful past."

"Real and fake can be meaningless, just as poems and partings can be without end."

"But at the very least, the ice and snow remember the shape of every petal, and this student remembers you. And from this, a meaningful hope remains—"

"The hope of seeing you again."

"Your eternal student, Gai Farrell."

"(P.S. This student left an Ice Rose. It’s sweet. You should try it.)"

Isabella clutched the letter, lost in a daze.

After a long moment.

She gently picked up the flawless, crystal-clear Ice Rose from the center of the garden.

She parted her lips and took a bite.

Gai hadn’t lied to her.

It was sweet.

...

...

The winter sunset was like honey, coating the buildings of the Stag King’s Capital in a layer of gold.

The clock tower cast a long, slanted shadow, warm light reflected on the stone-paved roads, and the scent of cinnamon and wheat drifted from a corner bakery.

As evening approached, the three of them crunched through a thin layer of snow and returned once more to Daphne.

A moment later.

They arrived at the Royal Palace.

As it happened, Queen Xianna was in discussion with her Court Ministers about the invasion from the Northern Lands.

The sudden appearance of Prince Gai made the nobles in the Royal Palace instantly tense up.

The Prince, who had been gone for half a year, was now strolling through the hall with a young man and woman, as if no one else were there. Every step he took seemed to land on the beat of everyone’s hearts.

The bloody memories of the council hall were still fresh in their minds—the spattered blood and brains from that day remained an indelible shadow in some of their hearts.

The Ministers unconsciously held their breath, afraid that a single careless glance might bring about their own demise.

Everyone in the Royal Palace knew.

The name Gai Farrell itself reeked of blood, a name built upon a mountain of countless white bones.

"Her Majesty the Queen."

In the deathly silent atmosphere, Wang Xi walked straight to the foot of the throne and bowed to Sianna above.

He smiled and said,

"Your sword has returned, reforged by the snow mountain. If you have need of me, you have but to command."

"Prince Gai, there is no need for such formalities."

Sianna rose from her throne, a pleasant surprise on her face.

"It is good enough that you have returned safely."

As she spoke, she descended the steps and came to stand before Wang Xi. The smile on her face gradually faded, replaced by a solemn expression. She said in a serious tone,

"As it happens, there is a matter I need to discuss with you."

...

...

「Two hours later.」

The sky had already darkened.

The council hall was brightly lit, and the nobles and Ministers were whispering amongst themselves, deep in discussion.

Wang Xi was leaning back in an ornate high-backed chair beside the throne, his chin resting on one hand as he pondered. Pinocchio and Goddalir stood on either side of him.

A short while ago, Sianna had briefly explained the current situation in the Northern Territory to him and had two military ministers answer his questions.

In truth, the army mobilized by the Northern People for this winter raid was not large, only about five thousand men. But in this era, that was already considered a great army.

The Stag Kingdom was not large.

The Northern Territory contained only two duchies.

Due to the harsh environment and sparse population, Dunkel’s total population was only 120,000, while Philos had a mere 90,000. This included a large number of farmers and free citizens of the towns.

Their standing armies probably didn’t even number five thousand.

It wasn’t impossible to forcibly conscript ten thousand men, but most of them would only be fit for defending city walls; they wouldn’t stand a chance in a real, pitched battle.

Take the Dunkel Duchy, for example. It was comprised of 3 Count’s Domains, 4 Viscount’s Domains, 6 Baron’s Domains, and 17 Knight’s Domains.

Wang Xi and Goddalir’s home, Count Randall’s Domain, was considered a relatively prosperous territory, yet it could at most field a regular army of less than three hundred men, of which only about a fifth were Knights.

Since the Dunkel Duchy was located further north, it bore the brunt of the Northern People’s devastating attack.

Queen Xianna planned to order the "Queen’s Sword," Prince Gai Farrell, to lead a coalition force of one thousand soldiers to provide support.

When Wang Xi heard this, he was dumbfounded.

’How many?’