Chapter 40: The Duke’s Instruction (Part 1)
At his words, I immediately furrowed my brows.
Guarding the gates? Isn’t he supposed to be on the walls?
Is he out of his mind? It’s the middle of the night—who guards the gates?
I held onto this thought until I was almost done with the food on my table, when I suddenly remembered that I had annoyed him last night and tricked him into guarding the gates.
My mood instantly shifted into something a bit more complicated.
I had originally thought he would guard for a while, run into Carlos coming back from the orphanage, and the two would have a bit of a scuffle… No wait, it should be Pasifal getting thrashed by Carlos, coming back all bruised and battered to complain to the duke, leaving Carlos in a tight spot.
Or maybe he’d stand there for a bit, not see anyone, and obediently head back to sleep. Who would’ve thought he really stayed out the whole night? Is he really that earnest?
So cute!
But if he’s still standing guard, that means Carlos hasn’t come back since last night.
Hmm…
I don’t really understand these things, but I feel like that thing called Lotus Seed Grass is similar to drugs in the real world—like heroin or meth. Awful stuff, but unfortunately pretty common. Many rich kids partake in it as casually and frequently as someone would smoke.
These people are indeed detestable, but surely there are Church Knights to handle it? At worst, paired up with the duke’s influence, they could have the hunters assist with investigations and nab a few dealers. It can’t be that hard, right?
But Carlos hasn’t returned all night… With his strength, surely he wouldn’t be in any serious trouble, but is the situation at the orphanage really that severe?
And those heretics, they look truly terrifying, just like the books describe: sacrificing their own bl**d to demons… They give off the vibe of a bunch of lunatics who only harm themselves and others. How does a place like the orphanage, which takes in poor kids, get tangled up with people like them?
“Miss Silvya, how is it? Once you’re done eating, we can head out.”
The duke’s voice pulled me back from my reverie, and I numbly nodded.
I quickly shoved the last piece of sweet bread into my mouth and gulped down the final bit of soup.
“Mhm.”
I could hardly contain my eagerness.
“You two really…” Lady Catherine shook her head helplessly, “Why must you do such things? Can’t you just stay home peacefully?”
“Hah, how could that be?” The duke chuckled, “Don’t forget, Miss Silvya is a Pope Knight, the youngest in history! I can’t let this opportunity to exchange ideas with an esteemed Pope Knight pass by!”
I smiled and nodded in affirmation.
This was something we arranged yesterday. The duke said he’d make me a weapon without charge, but I had to agree to one condition.
The condition was simple: starting today, until I leave Winter City, I must do daily training with him every morning.
As for how to train… Strong against strong, and since we’re both part of the Frost Order, how can we understand each other without a little clash first?
Going head-to-head is the romance of manhood!
But clearly, Lady Catherine couldn’t understand the burning passion inside us.
“What’s so great about being a Pope Knight? You almost lost your life doing it—what good are those hollow titles?”
“How could they be hollow? Two years ago, if it weren’t for—let’s not go into that.”
“Sure, sure, I know you’re all great heroes, but what if something goes wrong and you get hurt?”
“I’ll be careful.”
“Careful? What will you be careful of? It’s not like you can just stop when a fight breaks out… Hmph, I know I can’t stop you two, but I’m coming along! And you better not stop me! If I see you hurt Miss Silvya, I won’t let you off easy.”
“Haha, then you’d better stand back…”
………….
Behind Shanter Castle, there is a large courtyard.
Walking along the corridor of the courtyard, there’s an open area roughly the size of two football fields.
This is usually a training ground for the elite hunters of the Shanter Army, and occasionally the duke comes to stretch his legs. One side of the space is filled with targets and straw dummies clad in heavy armor.
The snowfall last night hadn’t been heavy, and what little snow had piled up was clearly cleaned up.
As the sky brightened, sunlight poured down.
In the expansive area, over a dozen hunters had laid down their weapons and were gathered in small groups, their eyes glued to the sight of two figures—one large, one small—fighting not too far away.
Boom—
Crunch, crunch—
The sound of ice shattering filled the air.
Lady Catherine, standing in the midst of the crowd, looked tense, unconsciously clenching her fists.
In her view, the petite girl moved gracefully, her agile figure weaving expertly among the breaking ice.
The rhythm of their battle was incredibly fast, each close encounter sending her heart racing.
Though her face remained calm, that was only because there were many hunters around—she couldn’t afford to show any signs of distress.
Inside, she had already ripped the duke a new one.
Really, what kind of father picks a fight with his own daughter? Does he think this is a game? Like a storybook duel where the sword always stops just shy of the opponent’s neck?
What a joke! Even kids brawling can end up in accidents—let alone this terrifying spectacle in front of her!
This isn’t a joke with their lives. Even training those Workshop Hunters shouldn’t get to this level of danger.
What angers her most is that the two seem to be having a ball, while the hunters beside them are watching with rapt attention, leaving her in a state of dread all alone.
What in the world is this?
Thank goodness they are not using weapons; otherwise, no matter what, she would not agree to this.
Crunch—
The sound of ice cracking again made Lady Catherine flinch, and she quickly pushed aside her chaotic thoughts, focusing intently on the figures in the arena.
“Phew, phew—”
Her chest rose and fell with her heavy breaths.
The battle had gone on for an eternity, and I was starting to feel a bit worn out.
But at that moment, I could only stay alert, scanning my surroundings while constantly shifting my footing, not daring to let my guard down.
The next moment, a shadow appeared above me.
“Right here—!”
A massive ice hammer came crashing down. My heart skipped a beat, and I quickly sidestepped to avoid it.
Boom—
Ice shards exploded, flying through the air in a dazzling display.
But this wasn’t the time for admiration. Taking advantage of the duke’s momentary imbalance, I swiftly turned and delivered a high kick.
My pant leg sliced through the air, producing a series of explosive sounds.
The duke reacted quickly, decisively dropping the ice hammer in his hands and raising both arms to block.
Bang!
My kick connected.
Shi—
The impact sent the duke sliding back four or five meters, his boots scraping against the ground with an ear-grating sound.
“Haha! You’ve got some strength!”
He laughed heartily, steadying himself before shaking out his arms.
“Not bad! By the time March comes around, I might even have to concede some ground to you.”
As in, am I still not worthy enough to make you yield? Don’t underestimate me!
Focusing my palms, I gathered icy energy, intent on launching my next attack when I noticed the duke suddenly change his stance. He lightly tapped his right foot on the ground, and though the motion looked effortless, he shot forward like an arrow, suddenly right in front of me.
So fast!
My heart raced. Wasn’t that the strange footwork the masked man had used?
Before I could think too much, the duke’s fist was already crashing toward me, carried by the wind.
Swish!
The punch whooshed by my ear, ruffling my hair.
I tilted my head just in time to dodge the attack, followed by a quick jab aimed at the duke’s abdomen.
Clang—
It didn’t connect as expected—my fist hit his metal arm instead, jolting me back half a step, my arm buzzing with pain.
That hurt.
But the duke stumbled back a few steps.
“Impressive! No wonder that brat Carlos said you have a knack for fighting; it’s almost instinctual,” he praised, his eyes alight with admiration. “You quickly assess the situation and seize the openings to counterattack—just now, I doubt you even thought about it.”
“Nope. You came charging at me, so I moved.”
I nodded at the duke. While speaking, I conjured a fist-sized chunk of ice and hurled it at him.
“Haha, it seems I should avoid close-quarters combat with you; otherwise, I’ll end up regretting it.”
The duke sidestepped the ice block as blue light flickered in his hands.
I caught the glint in his eyes and a sense of dread welled up within me.
Boom, boom, boom—
In the next moment, countless ice pillars erupted from beneath me, shooting up in all directions and encasing me in a shimmering crystal prison, rendering me immobile.
“Now then, do you want to continue?”
The duke advanced toward me slowly, again forming an ice hammer in his hand, casually tossing it over his shoulder.
Want to continue?
Why does that feel like he’s already determined I’ll lose?
But I think the outcome is still far from decided…
I took a deep breath.
The air temperature began to plummet, frost creeping across the ground.
“Be careful.”
Whoosh—
An ice fog erupted like a low-temperature bomb, conjuring a chilling storm around me, dense enough to obscure visibility.
Everything turned into a hazy blur.
Where is he?!
I squinted ahead, trying to catch sight of the duke amidst the haze.
“…Let me teach you something.”
A voice suddenly echoed, causing my pupils to dilate sharply.
“When Frost Order members face each other, unless the difference in strength is overwhelming, the ice attribute ‘low temperature’ doesn’t have any effect.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, something tore through the fog, hurtling toward me.
