Chapter 42: The Chill of Revelation

Eileen Calibot froze in place. Grantown… could it truly house a palace like this?

The sheer extravagance of the palace before her rivaled the opulence of Faltis Calibot’s Golden Sanctuary.

While it was perhaps ten times smaller than Faltis’s palace, its grandeur still made it an awe-inspiring sight.

“What a truly lavish life,” she murmured.

Taking a few steps forward, Eileen detected the faint scent of magic emanating from ahead. It was a warning spell, yet it posed no challenge to her.

“Durand,” she commanded softly.

The golden bracelet transformed into Durand, who subtly raised a hand, effortlessly slicing through the defensive barrier blocking Eileen’s path.

Concealing her aura, Eileen slipped inside the palace.

To its credit, the palace was an impressive replica, painstakingly detailed. This very accuracy, however, made it easier for Eileen to pinpoint her targets.

What truly surprised Eileen, though, was the utter simplicity of her infiltration. There wasn’t a single guard in sight, allowing her to stroll brazenly through the corridors.

Perhaps they believed no one would dare to oppose them. After all, only a fool would seek trouble with an S-rank Dragon Slayer.

During her silent advance, Eileen found herself recalling her five former teammates.

Who among them could have abandoned their path? She couldn’t fathom it.

Perhaps only seeing them would reveal the truth.

Eileen’s objective was clear: she was heading straight for Izawa. Of the five, he was the one she could least afford to let go.

She needed to uncover the truth of what happened five years ago.

A golden gate stood before Eileen, though compared to the formidable entrance of the Dragon Treasury, this one seemed almost trivial.

Eileen merely placed her hand upon it. “Seventh-tier magic, Void.”

With a resounding crash, the golden gate was instantly flung outwards.

Yet, the other four inhabitants of the palace seemed utterly oblivious to the commotion.

“Who’s there?!” Izawa jolted awake from his slumber, clutching the Golden Holy Sword by his bedside.

*Thump-thump-thump!* Eileen’s footsteps echoed on the floor, like a death knell counting down.

A maiden, encased entirely in frost armor and wielding a scythe, charged forward.

True to his S-rank Dragon Slayer title, Izawa reacted with lightning speed. “Flame Infusion! Sixth-tier spell! Blazing Blade!”

His hand swept across the sword’s edge, engulfing it in flames before he slashed at the approaching figure. She was too slow to dodge, taking the full force of the attack head-on.

“Where did this fool come from?” Izawa sneered, observing the maiden pinned beneath the debris.

“Why… aren’t you a Dragon Slayer? Why would you do such a thing?”

Izawa visibly flinched, then burst into laughter. “A Dragon Slayer? You mean that path where there’s not a single glimmer of hope? I refuse to die in such a pointless place. Only those who haven’t witnessed the Calamity-tier Dragon Kings could still cling to such fantasies about this profession…”

“Do you know? That one called Afuya is terrifyingly strong.” Izawa sat on his bed, his hands trembling slightly. “An S-rank Dragon Slayer squad can contend with a Calamity-tier Dragon King? That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.”

Afuya?

Eileen had heard that name before. The individual was apparently a Silver Dragon, much like herself, but also the Queen of the Silver Dragon Clan.

However, among the many Calamity-tier Dragon Kings, she was considered one of the weaker ones.

“So, this is how you choose to act?” The white shadow slowly rose to its feet.

“You’d best stay down.” Izawa raised a hand, unleashing a sixth-tier gravity spell.

The maiden struggled, barely holding on. “Why?! Weren’t they your companions?!”

“Ah… companions. Such a foreign word. But it’s true, without them, I would never have known how prosperous life could be after abandoning the Dragon Slayer path. All I have to do is eliminate a few individuals who pose a threat to the Empire.” Izawa pondered for a moment.

“Speaking of which, someone does come to mind. Kassim Damocles.”

“?!”

“Who’s there?!” Izawa seemed to see the curtains stir.

Then he felt a chilling breeze. It was only the wind, he realized, rustling the curtains.

“Kassim? What happened to him? Didn’t he disappear five years ago?”

“I’m very grateful to him, and I miss him dearly…” Izawa lowered his head, his eyes filled with longing.

Eileen watched Izawa’s back.

‘Was this truly an accident?’

‘The kind Captain Izawa from back then couldn’t possibly have done such a thing. He must have been threatened.’

“After all, I’ve spent five years searching for a target as valuable and easily deceived as he was, and found no one,” Izawa suddenly burst into laughter.

“It’s fair to say that he contributed a third of the resources needed to build this castle. It’s truly laughable that with the First Prince still alive and well, someone would be so foolish as to covet the throne. But it’s thanks to Kassim that my resolve was strengthened.”

The white figure suddenly broke free from the debris, lunging directly at Izawa.

“Ridiculous.” Izawa had already gauged her strength, a sneer twisting his lips. “Sixth-tier magic! Blazing Blade!”

The scorching fire blade cut the maiden in half at the waist.

However, as the maiden fell to the floor, she made a crisp sound, shattering into pieces of ice.

“Who’s playing tricks?! Come out now!” Izawa’s expression changed drastically. Was the person he’d been fighting with just now a mere decoy?

‘Impossible! That magical fluctuation was definitely human!’

“Come out! Standing before you is none other than the captain of the S-rank Dragon Slayer squad, the Emperor of Grantown, a noble of the Yuslanka Empire, a trusted confidant of Prince Liana, the great Lord Izawa!” Izawa shouted, hoping to intimidate his opponent.

He gripped the Golden Holy Sword, warily scanning his surroundings.

Soon, however, he felt the surrounding temperature drop at a visible rate. The precious vases and windows in the room couldn’t withstand the extreme cold, gradually developing cracks.

Even Izawa felt the biting chill, forced to use fire magic to maintain his body temperature.

He crushed a gem—a distress signal—but to no avail.

The bizarre temperature seemed capable of freezing even magic itself.

Izawa panicked. An entity with such terrifying power was beyond his ability to contend with. Who exactly was this?

Clank! Clank!

Armor-clad footsteps echoed on the icy floor, slowly advancing towards Izawa.

The footsteps of death drew closer. Izawa looked up.

A figure in black armor slowly emerged. White mist continuously seeped from the crevices of the black armor, as if a revenant had returned from the depths of hell.

That attire, that sword?!

It was Kassim! He had returned from hell!