Chapter 138: An Unexpected Alliance in the Antarctic

Bai Yu?

Ellie Roth Charlotte lowered her head in thought, seemingly committing the name to memory.

“What’s wrong?”

Bai Yu asked, a hint of confusion in her voice, as she felt her name was rather ordinary.

“Nothing. Are you from Dragon Summer Nation?”

Ellie Roth Charlotte shook her head, beginning the conversation.

“Mm-hm.”

Bai Yu nodded, offering no concealment.

“Your hair color is quite rare. Every person from Dragon Summer Nation I’ve met has had black hair and black eyes.”

Ellie Roth Charlotte inquired with keen interest, Bai Yu’s silver-white long hair having truly captivated her.

“Well… perhaps it’s due to genetics…”

Bai Yu scratched her head. She had once been a spirited youth with black hair and black eyes, though she had undergone an irreversible transformation…

“So, where exactly are we?”

Ellie Roth Charlotte’s tone shifted as she asked Bai Yu.

“Are you only just now remembering this most important detail?”

Bai Yu felt a flicker of exasperation. The Maiden before her truly seemed a bit scatterbrained and peculiar in many respects.

“Never mind. This is likely the Antarctic continent. You saw that monster in the sea earlier, didn’t you?”

Ellie Roth Charlotte nodded. Her entire fleet had been annihilated by that creature.

“That makes things much simpler. Most likely, it was that creature that caused the arcanist teleportation to malfunction, leading us to be mistakenly sent here.”

Bai Yu explained. With Ellie Roth Charlotte aware of the monster’s existence, everything became considerably easier to manage.

“How do you know the monster was the cause?”

Ellie Roth Charlotte asked Bai Yu, her brow furrowed. She had been knocked unconscious by her female Secretary, and thus had no knowledge of the teleportation skill’s failure.

This made Bai Yu freeze for a moment. She certainly couldn’t reveal that Moweila had told her; that was one of her most crucial secrets.

‘That would be because of my extensive knowledge, of course.’

Bai Yu shrugged, feigning an air of profound competence.

****

Bai Yu’s words cast an immediate awkwardness over the scene, and Ellie Roth Charlotte offered no further remarks.

Bai Yu, deciding to ignore her, simply sat down beside a rock and began to nap.

Ellie Roth Charlotte, meanwhile, surveyed her surroundings. In the pitch-black night, only the flame in Bai Yu’s hand offered any illumination.

Heaven’s Fire, unlike ordinary flames, possessed a color so intense that merely gazing upon it evoked a sensation of being scorched.

“This flame…”

Ellie Roth Charlotte murmured, her eyes fixed on the Heaven’s Fire in Bai Yu’s hand.

This particular flame filled her with an unsettling irritation, even a sense of dread.

It was only when Bai Yu wielded this cluster of flames that Ellie Roth Charlotte felt a surge of animosity towards her.

Much like Bai Yu’s own rank, what astonished Ellie Roth Charlotte was that her eyes, too, could not discern the true nature of this flame.

‘Is this the power wielded by a fated adversary?’

Bai Yu opened her eyes.

“What’s wrong with my flame?”

Bai Yu asked, perplexed. Could Ellie Roth Charlotte be feeling too hot from its warmth?

“Nothing. This flame simply gives me an uneasy feeling. Would you be able to extinguish it?”

Ellie Roth Charlotte spoke as gently as she could, an attitude entirely uncharacteristic of her usual demeanor.

Even though the girl before her was a fated adversary, Ellie Roth Charlotte found, unexpectedly, that she harbored no dislike.

There was even a peculiar attraction, save for the ball of fire in Bai Yu’s hand.

“Extinguish it? What about the light, then? I don’t have a flashlight.”

Bai Yu retorted, a touch of annoyance in her voice. While she indeed lacked a flashlight, she could still conjure ordinary flames using the Fantasy World. Her current action was simply a refusal to heed Ellie Roth Charlotte’s request.

Just as Ellie Roth Charlotte harbored animosity towards her, Bai Yu, too, found herself less than fond of the gray-haired Maiden.

Despite Ellie Roth Charlotte’s undeniable cuteness, Bai Yu was not one to be swayed by mere appearances.

‘She was a very serious person, thank you very much.’

To Bai Yu’s surprise, Ellie Roth Charlotte promptly drew a sword inscribed with runes, startling her.

“What are you doing!”

Bai Yu instantly stood, her hand resting on her hip, ready to draw her weapon at any moment. It was fortunate she habitually carried [Morpheus’s Whisper]; otherwise, she would truly be in peril.

Seeing Bai Yu’s reaction, Ellie Roth Charlotte shook her head.

The runes on her sword began to flicker with a brilliant light, and then Ellie Roth Charlotte casually waved her hand.

In an instant, a burst of fire illuminated the night, forming a complete circle around the rock.

“This should suffice, then.”

Ellie Roth Charlotte stated calmly, betraying no particular emotion.

“…”

Bai Yu remained silent, merely retracting her Heaven’s Fire before leaning back against the rock.

This time, she had been outmaneuvered.

‘This person…’

Bai Yu felt a twinge of displeasure. She had sensed a powerful spiritual core emanating from Ellie Roth Charlotte’s sword.

This Maiden was exceptionally strong, and while she harbored no immediate animosity, Bai Yu remained somewhat apprehensive about their current predicament.

After all, they were utterly alone here; whatever transpired would remain unknown to anyone.

Furthermore, Ellie Roth Charlotte had strangely referred to her as a fated adversary. While Bai Yu couldn’t tell if Ellie Roth Charlotte was simply overly dramatic or something more, she knew she had to remain vigilant and couldn’t truly fall asleep.

She would also observe whether Ellie Roth Charlotte might attempt anything while she slept.

Throughout the night, Bai Yu never truly slept, merely drifting in and out of consciousness.

After a night had passed.

She had initially expected the circle of fire Ellie Roth Charlotte created to quickly dissipate.

After all, there was no combustible medium, only a flame clinging to the rock.

To Bai Yu’s surprise, however, the flame had not vanished even after an entire night, sparking a degree of curiosity about the Maiden’s abilities.

At this moment, Ellie Roth Charlotte sat by the rock, her gaze fixed on something indiscernible.

Bai Yu looked in the direction Ellie Roth Charlotte was staring, seeing only the boundless snowfield, utterly devoid of anything.

‘She couldn’t have stayed awake all night, could she?’

A wave of doubt washed over Bai Yu, and she suddenly felt a pang of pity for Ellie Roth Charlotte.

After all, Bai Yu hadn’t seen her carrying any food or even water.

Even the most powerful Arcanist would surely face issues if this continued.

Bai Yu walked over, approaching Ellie Roth Charlotte.

“What are you looking at?”

“I’m trying to figure out how to leave this place. If things continue like this, I’ll die here.”

Ellie Roth Charlotte uttered these chilling words with surprising nonchalance.

“So, have you figured it out?”

Ellie Roth Charlotte shook her head.

“My wondrous item for arcanist teleportation has already been used. Apart from teleporting, I don’t know where else to go.”

Bai Yu fell silent, refraining from further conversation with Ellie Roth Charlotte.

Bai Yu settled down to the side, taking out food and beginning to eat. The aroma drifted through the cold air, reaching Ellie Roth Charlotte’s nose.

Ellie Roth Charlotte’s nose twitched, and she glanced towards Bai Yu, realizing she was eating.

This caused Ellie Roth Charlotte to frown. Apart from the wondrous item storing her Curse Seal Blade, she carried nothing else—no food, no water whatsoever.

While water could be obtained by melting snow and ice, there was truly no food to be found here.

After all, not a single living creature could be seen here, let alone any source of sustenance.