Chapter 42: The Duke’s Teaching (Part 2)
The Duke was instantly enveloped in a cold mist.
I couldn’t help but feel a smidge of triumph, stepping back two paces before conjuring a dozen ice balls around me, launching them right at the silhouette in the mist.
Sure, the frigid cold might not affect him much, but I could surely confuse him, right?
Getting pelted by ice balls hurts!
The corners of my mouth were struggling to resist a smile as I quietly flashed a victory sign in my head.
One point for me!
However, just a few seconds later, I realized I was a tad too premature in my celebration.
Despite the mist clouding my vision, the moment the ice balls zipped toward him, he merely swayed slightly, evading them all!
My jaw dropped in disbelief.
“Ha! Applying what you learned, not bad, not bad. I guess I underestimated you.”
As he spoke, the Duke emerged from the ice fog, wearing an expression of effortless calm.
My surprise attack had caused him zero trouble.
Why? Was he relying on sound to dodge?
This reflex…
I stomped my foot in frustration, wanting to pursue but wary of that massive sword in his hand. From this distance, he could easily close the gap with one of those peculiar steps of his.
With a rush of anxiety, I hopped backward a few times to escape.
Then, fixating on the Duke’s imposing figure, my eyes began to sparkle.
I had no clue how to defeat him.
He’s amazing—really amazing!
“Uncle Duke.”
“Hmm?”
“Who’s stronger, you or Carlos?”
The moment I asked, the Duke’s expression faltered slightly.
“Why the sudden curiosity?”
“I’m just curious.”
I just wanted to know how far I was from that arrogant, bearded brat without tapping into the abyssal powers.
“Hmm…” The Duke planted his ice blue sword into the ground, hesitating for a moment, then laughed, “Though I’ve never fought with him, I’d wager it’s most likely Carlos who would win.”
Well, that answer was pretty much expected… I think?
Carlos is just too strong. There’s no way I could bully him with force anytime soon.
“But you don’t need to overthink it. After all, my Power of Order isn’t exactly top-tier; I can’t launch brutal attacks like you can. And that happens to be Carlos’s greatest weakness—he’s just like me, not a natural talent, you see.”
Shaking his head as if in reflection, the Duke continued, “Not relying on talent, privilege, or exceptional weapons.” He glanced at his metallic left arm, chuckling to himself. “Just sheer determination to get where I am is quite admirable, don’t you think…”
Wait, that’s quite the compliment!
I originally thought Carlos was one of those naturally talented types who are truly powerful without putting in much effort. But according to the Duke, it seems there’s more to it.
Determination?
That lazy demeanor of his doesn’t scream ‘determined’ to me. More like ‘lack of motivation’.
“So, do we continue the battle?”
The Duke hefted his massive sword, looking at me.
I slyly glanced at Lady Catherine in the distance.
She’s been waving her hands, yelling for us to stop since earlier.
…I get the feeling I might annoy her.
But how could I be satisfied with it ending like this?
I nodded.
“Let’s continue.”
The Duke’s smile widened.
“Then bring it on.”
The massive sword in his hand danced, creating swirling blue blossoms as the icy mist fell to the ground, frosting it white.
He approached me.
Suddenly, I remembered that last strike when I defeated the endless abyss; it kind of… had a similar ice formation.
What was that blue hue like? How did it feel…?
I recalled being consumed by rage, fixated on slaying the monster before me. Ordinary ice couldn’t penetrate its defenses, so I kept compressing the temperature and density with the Power of Order.
Ultimately, I formed an indestructible azure blade that pierced the monster’s head.
Could I do it again? Let’s give it a shot.
A flash of blue light sparked in my right hand as an icicle appeared in my palm. I focused entirely on recalling how I achieved that before.
Don’t lower the temperature too broadly; concentrate on the icicle…
Then… compress, compress, compress!
Crack, crack!
I could hear the ice crunching under pressure—this was tougher than I recalled.
Not enough, keep going.
Crack!
I saw the Duke’s expression turn from surprise to concern as he halted in his tracks.
The icicle was glowing a bright blue, chilling to the touch.
Still not enough—keep going.
Sweat trickled down my forehead as I gritted my teeth, fueling the powers of Frost Order.
It was tough adapting to this precise control after my usual wild approach. But the Duke was right; I had to master the technique to find the most effective and efficient fighting style.
Otherwise, I’d forever be stuck as a rank amateur.
My palm continued to emit dull sounds as the ice was compressed, and I saw excitement replace the Duke’s concern.
“I spent two solid years just reaching this threshold, and you, after just observing, can already do this much!”
Wait, is he actually complimenting me? Heh heh.
A sweet rush of joy filled me, and I was about to modestly downplay it.
But the moment I lost focus, the icicle nearly blew up in my face! I quickly gathered my composure to stabilize that restless power of order.
“Don’t rush.”
“Yes, just like that. One step at a time.”
The Duke patiently guided me.
The icicle’s color intensified, approaching the blue of the Duke’s massive sword.
But still not enough—lower it even further, lower…
Crack!
I did it!
Grabbing the chilling icicle, I held it up for a closer look.
Its azure hue was even deeper than the Duke’s sword, sparkling beautifully in the sunlight, casting faint glimmers.
Feeling the refreshing chill in my palm, I twirled it a few times on my fingertips, then looked up and smiled at the Duke.
I lunged forward to stab him.
“Ha ha!”
The Duke quickly raised his massive sword to block.
But will that even work?
Watch me poke a hole in your sword!
To my surprise, the icicle shattered instantly upon touching the sword, breaking into two with a loud crack.
“…Huh? Why?”
I stared at the half of the icicle left in my hand, dazed.
My ice was deeper in color, colder in temperature, and supposedly harder… so why on earth did it break so easily?
“Ha ha ha!” It seemed the Duke had anticipated this, bursting into laughter. “Of course! Ice is quite brittle. Your ice is hard enough, but it lacks toughness. If you can’t enhance its resilience with the Power of Order, what good is it if it’s stronger than steel?!”
“…”
I instantly wore a disappointed expression, gazing at him with a pout.
“It’s okay, managing to do this much on your first try is already impressive,” the Duke comforted. “I’ll teach you the rest. With your talent, you should master it before leaving Winter City.”
Before leaving…? Well, that’s not too late, but I’m determined to prove him wrong.
I’ll try again!
Once more, I conjured an icicle, following the same steps to compress it.
This time, the azure blade formed much faster, and it seemed even darker than before.
Gripping the shimmering icicle in my hand, I didn’t rush this time. Instead, I recalled that time in the little village when I held the scythe.
Back then, to enhance the tool’s resilience, I wrapped it in Frost Order. I didn’t think much of it then, but now looking back… perhaps that was serendipitous?
So I mimicked that method, gradually channeling the order’s power into the icicle.
Buzz—
With a gentle hum, the icicle glimmered with a faint white light, wisps of frost seeping from it.
This might actually work!
I immediately beamed, glancing over at the Duke proudly.
This time, he seemed so shocked he could hardly speak.
Shall I try again?
I lunged at the massive sword.
Clang!
The metallic clash resonated, and I could feel the icicle trembling slightly in my hand.
It didn’t shatter!
“Ha ha, take this!”
I thrust at the Duke’s sword again.
Clang, clang, clang, crack!
After a series of collisions, the icicle shattered again. Looking at my hands filled with icy fragments, I felt overjoyed.
“Let’s do it again!”
“Miss Silvya, though I can’t quite understand why things turned out this way, you are truly the most talented one I’ve seen.”
The Duke’s tone was filled with sentiment.
He gazed at the beaming girl before him, seeming to share in her joy at this moment.
By nature, one’s affinity for their source is predetermined at birth—everyone knows that. However, staring at the evidence before him, he had to acknowledge it.
This girl’s talent has evidently soared to new heights.
Not only her affinity for the Power of Order, but her combat sharpness had also become frightening—no longer the clumsy girl she once was.
It was as if… someone else had taken her place.
“Hehe, let’s go again!”
The girl’s soft and melodious voice snapped him back from his thoughts. Watching her eagerly prepare another icicle, he couldn’t help but smile.
“Crafting weapons from ice can be slippery. I’ll have the workshop craftsman quickly make you a pair of grip gloves, something like this.”
The Duke pointed to his right hand gripping the sword, adorned with black fingerless gloves that resembled silk, though significantly thinner.
“…Okay.”
“During the coming days, I’ll slowly teach you how to control the shape of the ice you create.”
…………
On the sidelines, the hunters looked on as the battle between the two resumed in the clearing, coming to an understanding.
The girl and the Duke’s figures would likely continue to grace this spot for days to come.
Despite the lady nearby looking quite irritated.
