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Join the Server“Excellent! I’ll leave this to you!” Count Gina shouted, his face filled with relief, then turned and fled.
‘Today was truly not his day to die,’ he thought. The assassins had targeted him in this secluded suburb, knowing he wouldn’t have many bodyguards, but they hadn’t anticipated the formidable guest he was entertaining.
Even as their target began to flee the scene, neither Alice Liddell nor Jeanne Decker made any move to pursue him.
The sheer power displayed by the person blocking their path rendered such an action impossible.
Forget pursuing; even a moment of distraction could cost them their lives.
‘It truly was the Snow Princess of the Winter Kingdom!’
‘Why would the Snow Princess be in a place like this!?’ Alice Liddell’s mind reeled with shock.
She had anticipated several variables that might arise during this mission. Of course, she had considered the possibility of Count Gina’s guest possessing a certain level of combat prowess, but the guest being the Snow Princess was an utterly preposterous development. Who could have ever guessed such a thing?
Jeanne Decker, too, broke out in a cold sweat. The previous attack had been lightning summoned by a mage, moving with such speed it was impossible to dodge.
As for its power, she couldn’t even be certain her Divine Protection would have been able to withstand it.
Had Alice Liddell not foreseen the attack’s trajectory and reacted preemptively, both of them would surely have been grazed by the fleeting lightning spear.
Yet, even facing such a ‘desperate situation,’ Alice Liddell remained remarkably calm.
‘The Snow Princess’s rank should be below Queen Isola’s. If I were to die at the Snow Princess’s hands, Queen Isola should have been able to divine that future.’
‘Queen Isola issued no specific warning, which means I shouldn’t die here—as long as I don’t make the wrong choice!’
“Wait a moment, Your Highness the Snow Princess of the Winter Kingdom!” Alice Liddell raised both hands, her voice altered, and spoke, “We have no intention of becoming your enemy.”
“So, you know who I am,” the Snow Princess said indifferently. “But whether you intend to or not, it makes no difference to me.”
With her power as an ‘Elementalist Lord,’ these two individuals were unlikely to pose any real threat to her.
“Count Gina is secretly involved in human trafficking, selling living people,” Alice Liddell challenged. “Surely, your mysterious association with such a person isn’t to meddle in those unsavory dealings, is it? It would be utterly disgraceful for the Eldest Princess of the Winter Kingdom to engage in such business.”
“Human trafficking?” The Snow Princess frowned, clearly unaware of such matters.
“If you are truly ignorant of this, then please step aside and do not obstruct us,” Alice Liddell stated.
She believed the Snow Princess was likely unaware of Count Gina’s clandestine activities. Given the Snow Princess’s status, there was no need for her to be involved in such sordid business, and if word got out, it would be a severe blow to the entire Winter Kingdom.
The fact that Count Gina hosted her here also suggested that she had no connection to the Chain Market. Count Gina would hardly risk exposing his leverage to a powerful figure he couldn’t control.
However, the Snow Princess remained unmoved, stating, “I can’t simply believe you based on your word alone.”
Even if it were true, she could still leverage the situation. If Count Gina’s illegal dealings were exposed, she could either extort him or reveal him, freezing his assets at her discretion.
Before that, she could certainly capture these two petty thieves, ascertain their origins, and assess any potential value they might hold.
Having spoken, the Snow Princess assumed a stance, and a chilling wind began to swirl around her.
Just then, the sound of hooves approached from behind Alice Liddell and Jeanne Decker, growing louder.
The Snow Princess subtly furrowed her brow, gazing intently into the distance. She vaguely saw someone galloping fiercely on a warhorse, cutting through the mist.
Alice Liddell slightly turned her head, exhaling a silent sigh of relief.
‘He’s finally here, Mad Hatter!’
Given such an unexpected turn of events, the Mad Hatter, no matter how reluctant he was to act personally, could no longer hold back.
She hadn’t truly expected to make the Snow Princess stop, but at the very least, she could buy enough time for reinforcements to arrive.
The rider galloped past Alice Liddell and Jeanne Decker, pulling up in front of them before dismounting.
Alice Liddell scrutinized the Mad Hatter, noticing that his disguise was far more elaborate than usual this time.
The Mad Hatter wore a wide-brimmed hat adorned with feathers, a mask concealed his face, and his attire resembled that of a wandering knight, complete with a sword at his hip.
Not only that, Alice Liddell also observed that his physique seemed slightly more robust. She wondered if it was some ability, or perhaps extra armor concealed beneath his clothes.
To diminish the impression of the ‘Mad Devil,’ this fellow seemed to have put considerably more effort into his disguise.
The Mad Hatter dismounted, pointed at his horse with his back to the two women, then slowly walked towards the Snow Princess.
The meaning was clear: he would hold off the Snow Princess, allowing them to continue their mission.
Alice Liddell and Jeanne Decker exchanged glances. Jeanne Decker helped Alice Liddell onto the horse, then effortlessly vaulted onto its back herself.
The tall warhorse the Mad Hatter rode was more than capable of carrying the weight of both girls.
Jeanne Decker spurred the horse to move, charging in a different direction, intending to first bypass the Snow Princess, create distance, and then pursue Count Gina. Count Gina was fleeing on foot and undoubtedly heading towards the city, so they should easily catch up on horseback.
Unconsciously, she turned her head, not towards the vigilant Snow Princess, but towards the Mad Hatter walking towards her. For some reason, she found the Mad Hatter’s attire particularly striking.
The Snow Princess glanced at the two departing figures, only briefly considering an attack, before the man who remained immediately drew his sword.
The Snow Princess promptly abandoned the thought, redirecting her attention to this new arrival.
Facing a Fourth-Tier opponent, this man maintained a clean, practiced posture and footwork, exuding a composed demeanor that only battle-hardened individuals possessed.
‘A powerful adversary!’
Her intuition told her that this opponent was not to be underestimated. If she were to divert her attention to attack the two assassins, he might seize the opening and defeat her.
“Who are you? State your name!” The Snow Princess raised her sword, pointing it at the newcomer.
Meanwhile, approximately a hundred meters away, the true Mad Hatter stood in a tree, using his demonic night vision to survey the battlefield.
“Who is this guy?” He stroked his chin in thought.
Before he could fly over to assist Alice Liddell and Jeanne Decker with his abilities, this mysterious stranger suddenly appeared on horseback, arriving at the scene before him.
This reinforcement was a bizarre and unexpected intrusion.
‘Regardless, since they’re both safe, I’ll observe for now.’
The mysterious figure standing before the Snow Princess finally spoke, his original voice altered by the specially crafted mask.
“My name is…” he began in an ancient tone, planting his longsword before him, “Bluebeard.”
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