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Chapter 8: Cause and Effect

Freldreich.

Royal Palace.

After several rounds of combat, the Royal Palace lay in jagged ruins.

Clovie already fell into a complete disadvantage, and Regent Leonhard crushed her without mercy.

Many ministers were accidentally slain in the recent exchange.

The fight between Fillers and Enado already spilled outside the palace.

At this moment only two people remained inside the Royal Palace to fight a duel.

Blood seeped from the corner of Clovie’s mouth, and she kept steadying her breath.

Everything she knew came from her teacher—including battle skills and magic—so whenever she launched a move Leonhard read it first, which meant that even with the strongest scepter she still was no match for him.

Leonhard said, “What now, Your Majesty? Is this all you can do?”

Clovie wiped her lips and said nothing; she simply fed more energy into the spell in her hands.

Leonhard said, “If I remember right, your royal line owns a grand magic, yes? One that only the King’s Scepter can drive?”

He sauntered forward two steps, as though this was not a life-and-death duel but an adult humoring a child at play.

“Why do you still refuse to use it?”

The moment he finished speaking, countless ice shards stabbed in from every angle, forming a net that no one could dodge.

Leonhard already knew her attack pattern, so he merely swung out a lazy slash and every incoming shard dropped to the floor.

“Are you still hoping to capture me alive after fighting this long?”

When Leonhard finished, a sharp light flashed in his eyes and another slash flew out.

Clovie raised her scepter to parry, but her guard was too slow; the blow blasted her across the hall and into a wall, kicking up a cloud of dust.

She struggled to her feet, tears brimming from beginning to end. “Then Teacher, why do you keep pulling your punches…”

From the first exchange she knew she simply was not his equal, not at all.

She herself spotted countless openings; how could her teacher miss them?

Missing one chance would be normal, but missing so many was strange!

He clearly could kill her outright, so why did he hold back?

That was also the reason she never used her final trump card.

Leonhard laughed coldly. “Heh, Clovie, you really love playing clever.”

“I spared you only because I want to see how strong your royal grand magic is—what power lets the Vessild line sit the throne. Yet you still refuse to unleash it.”

“What are you thinking? Do you still believe I… cannot bring myself to strike you?”

Clovie rose slowly, her heart sinking.

“Even now your subjects still bleed and die for their queen, yet you stand here dithering…”

“I stayed here to play with you; do you know why?”

“I will tell you the truth. Your subjects, the entire Royal Capital, everyone!”

“I will cleanse this Royal Capital from top to bottom!”

“You! What did you say?!” Clovie cried and looked outside.

In the distance came endless screams of innocent people!

“Nix Kingdom can have only one king! Anyone who worships you must die! Hahahahaha!”

“Teacher… no! Leonhard!!! I am the seventy-ninth queen of Nix Kingdom! I will never let you destroy it!”

Pale blue light flashed in Clovie’s eyes, and an ice-snow sigil slowly appeared upon her forehead.

It was the symbol of the royal blood.

An extreme chill poured from her body, and even her voice cut like frost.

Leonhard said, “So you can be serious at last?”

She exhaled a freezing breath; the final tear that slid down turned into a crystal droplet hanging at the corner of her eye, and she looked like an angel born of snow.

If earlier her resolve was to stop her teacher, it was only to stop, not to kill.

Now…

She simply lacked the strength to stop him and remain alive…

To stop him from walking further down the wrong path…

Once the secret art of the Ice-Snow Clan was cast, death followed; no one escaped unharmed.

If more innocents were to live, she must, with her own hands…

Kill the teacher she respected and loved most.

She poured out every bit of her magic, and the entire Royal Capital turned into a world of ice and snow!

The Breath of Vessild…

…

Just as the final ice lance was about to pierce the man’s chest—

“Well done, Clovie.”

The familiar voice came from the man opposite her.

Her body froze, and she stared blankly at his face.

She saw the gentle smile she once knew and a completely undefended chest!

Crack—

The ice lance pierced through him; she stared at the man who bent forward in pain.

The darkness in his eyes vanished an instant before the lance struck.

Leonhard gave a light laugh; his face already darkened by the overwhelming ice magic. “You still… are not very bright…”

“T-teacher…”

Enduring the pain, he used his last strength to wipe away the crystal tear at her eye. His voice stayed gentle. “After this war, whoever survives will swear absolute loyalty to you…”

“T-teacher…”

“W-what are you saying…”

Clovie trembled all over; she wanted to hear that warm voice, yet now she feared it.

She felt as though she ruined everything…

“Fillers never touched the ministers loyal to you. Those who died in the chaos were the ones who plotted to side with me.”

“Heh, they did not know I am your teacher; how could I possibly not be on your side…”

Understanding dawned on Clovie. She looked toward the corner of the hall.

Minister Isis, who fell earlier because of Fillers, slowly stood up, clutched his chest in confusion, then saw the scene of Clovie impaling the Regent…

“Y-Your Majesty… Regent… Your Highness…”

Isis also knew the truth…

Clovie broke down and wept aloud.

“Don’t cry… never trust others too easily… you should know what to do with what remains…” Leonhard swayed, and the hand he raised to wipe her tears fell halfway.

“Clo… vie… this is the last lesson… I can teach you…”

“No… Teacher… no…”

She already cried like a child and gripped Leonhard’s hand tightly, but his hand was cold and stiff.

Those struck by this curse finally turned into frost powder, drifting away without trace, as though they never visited this world.

“You… will become an excellent queen…”

With those words Leonhard kept his gentle gaze; then he turned into ash and scattered across the frozen land in an instant…

“Teacher… no… TEACHER!!”

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