Chapter 175: Azure Fire Burning the Moon, bl**d Stained Royal City (Nine)
Victoria…
I slowly lifted my head to gaze at the stunning golden-haired, golden-eyed face above me, inhaling the delightful fragrance emanating from her, and suddenly felt a wave of relief wash over me.
Wriggling a bit in her embrace to find a comfortable position, I closed my eyes and whispered, “You’re too slow…”
Who would’ve thought I’d be princess-carried one day… but honestly, it felt pretty great.
Great enough that I realized I was a bit hungry.
Hungry enough to want to eat her.
“Is it all resolved?”
Victoria’s calm voice reached my ears, and I replied with a dreamy “mm,” as if sleep talking, “I think so… where did she drop?”
Once my tightly wound nerves relaxed, a wave of intense sleepiness hit me. I wanted to sleep, but I was also… really hungry.
“South.”
A faint sensation of weightlessness began as Victoria started to descend… the breeze brushed against my face, making it ticklish.
“Where are we…”
“Near the academy.”
Near the academy? Have I really flown this far?!
Victoria’s words jolted me awake. I opened my eyes wide: “We need to hurry—”
“First, explain the situation,” Victoria quickly interrupted, her beautiful brows knitted slightly. “And don’t move if you’re hurt.”
“I’m fine…”
“You’re covered in bl**d.”
I tilted my head, thinking it over: “That’s not mine.”
After I said that, Victoria looked at me as if I was wise beyond my years.
Suddenly nervous, I expected her to say something, but she didn’t. It was as if… I imagined it, but the wind around me felt softer… a little cool and comfortable.
If only I could fly too.
With that thought, I turned my head and glanced down below.
The brightly lit buildings and streets were gradually coming into focus.
Unlike the northern district, this area was bustling. Many shops and taverns stayed open all night. The royal city had excellent public order, and the streets were filled with people… most of them looking up at the sky. A few had noticed me and Victoria suspended in midair, and probably realizing it was their queen, hurriedly averted their gazes.
But as we got closer to the ground, the panicked murmurs grew louder… the disappearance of the royal city’s protective shell had clearly caused quite a bit of chaos for the common folk.
Victoria slowly descended to the top of a tower.
After gently placing me down, several figures approached, bowing just a few steps away: “Your Majesty the Queen.”
From their attire, they seemed to be from the Sword of Kanli… ah! My dress is torn to shreds—it’s going to show everything!
Panicking inside, I quickly scanned for something to cover up… when I noticed Victoria unfastening her pristine cloak and tossing it my way.
“Put this on.”
“…Oh.”
I obediently caught it and draped it over myself, feeling a faint sense of security. I wanted to thank her, but Victoria was already focusing her attention on the Sword of Kanli members, asking, “Where are they?”
“Over there…”
A person pointed toward a nearby street, then showed a hint of uncertainty, stuttering: “Approximately… I suppose…”
“Approximately?”
Victoria’s expression turned icy, her questioning tone making the person tense up as they quickly added, “They’ve been crushed into ice shards, the streets are covered… it’s really hard to identify.”
Hearing this, I genuinely let out a sigh of relief.
“It’s definitely her…”
The only one who could’ve ended up smashed into ice chunks was Teresa. Looks like she really kicked the bucket.
I killed her…
Realizing this made my feelings a tangled mess. Countless faces flashed through my mind… Tanis, the clerics from the church, the kids in Cataloma, Charles, Aili… finally landing on Lucas and Abe’s faces.
Snowflakes began to drift down from above, cold enough to tug at my heartstrings.
“Is… it snowing?”
“What a powerful Frost Order…”
“So cold.”
“Have you found anything else?”
“Nothing… Rekt and the others are still searching.”
“…Silvya.”
Victoria’s soft call snapped me out of my daze.
“Hmm?”
“What happened with Teresa, and why has Boswell vanished? Also, where’s Rect… tell me everything you know.”
“…Okay.”
I took a deep breath and began to recount everything that had happened.
From our night mission to Cataloma, finding Teresa’s notes and the cellar of the bell tower, Tanis’s corpse in the cellar, the kids being beheaded and drained of bl**d, the bizarre spine bone, the Goddess’s Tear, to the subsequent battle… I tried to keep it concise while Victoria listened quietly.
She didn’t show any emotions through my tale, only lowering her head in deep thought when I finished.
After a while, she lifted her head, looking at me and asking, “Are you certain the Goddess’s Tear is on her?”
“It should be.” I nodded, “In the cellar, I saw her put the bl**d Pearl in her clothing.”
“How long was she out of your sight?”
“For a while.”
“Tell me the specific time.”
“…Twenty minutes.”
About twenty minutes… I wasn’t really in the mood to keep track of the time then.
“When did Rect confront her?”
I tilted my head, thinking hard, then shook my head: “Not sure.”
What did she mean by that…
“Besides Teresa, have any other Gate of Truth members appeared?”
“…No.”
Suddenly, my heart dropped… I realized the problem.
I remembered when Teresa was in the cellar, she told me, “No time.”
Back then she had left in a hurry, as if something urgent was going on. But when I met her in Cataloma, she seemed unusually calm… just wanting to have a good old fight. At the time, I didn’t have much time to think, so I didn’t notice anything strange, but looking back… the change in Teresa’s attitude definitely hinted at something.
She couldn’t possibly be alone.
And Victoria… she clearly understood something.
“Victoria…”
Victoria remained silent.
After a moment, perhaps feeling a bit anxious, one of the Sword of Kanli members spoke up: “Your Majesty, should we also go look…”
“No need to search anymore.” Victoria’s voice grew stern, “Teresa is just buying time; she won’t have anything on her… Esta.”
“Here.”
“Go inform the royal city guard to immediately seal off the entire city. No one leaves tonight… also, notify the church.”
“Understood.”
“And who’s in charge of the arbitration here? Have them organize the evacuation of civilians immediately.”
“Understood.”
Victoria’s decisions were incredibly decisive. After issuing a series of commands, she turned to me again.
“Silvya.” Her tone softened slightly compared to before, “You look tired; go rest. Come to my place; there’s a doctor.”
I quickly shook my head: “I’m fine, I don’t—”
Before I could finish, the street in the distance suddenly erupted in commotion.
“Ah—!”
“Oh my gosh…”
“What is that…”
Panicked cries and screams rang out, intermingled with a few urgent and serious shouts.
“Evacuate the civilians, now—!”
“Get out of here!”
“Be careful!”
A terrible premonition rose up in my heart as I instinctively stepped forward in that direction.
Boom—!!!
In the next instant, a towering inferno shot up into the sky.
