Chapter 58: The Frost Spear and the Unreasonable Maiden

A thunderous roar erupted, and a fierce gust of wind surged outwards, centering on Ketia and the Maiden.

Fist met fist, only to separate an instant later.

The Maiden somersaulted backward, then floated once more in mid-air, gazing down at Ketia.

“Who exactly are you?” Ketia demanded. “Why do you dare offend Candirac!”

Ketia’s left hand clenched into a phantom grip, and a cross-shaped sword, coalesced from magical energy particles, reappeared. Pointing the blade at the Maiden hovering above, Ketia’s voice dropped, her gaze sharp and unwavering.

“Offend?” The Maiden pouted, shaking her head innocently. “I didn’t.”

“Then why did you slay my subordinate?”

Ketia gestured towards the knights who lay dead by the city gate, casualties of the Maiden’s actions. A sharp glint flickered deep within her eyes.

“Those are your subordinates?” The Maiden huffed, crossing her arms and turning her head away. “Hmph, let me tell you, he was a bad guy! He actually dared to block my path.”

“Just because he blocked your path?”

Gripping her cross-sword tightly, Ketia’s feet shimmered. A crescent-shaped magic array, encircled by three five-pointed stars, materialized beneath her.

“That’s right,” the Maiden affirmed with a nod.

“Then do you know why he blocked your path?” Ketia asked, rising from the ground to meet the Maiden’s gaze levelly.

“Anyone who blocks my path is a bad person,” the Maiden declared. Ketia’s words had momentarily stunned her, but she quickly lifted her delicate chin, muttering her response as if she were the one who held all reason.

GazIng at the Maiden, whose demeanor was both arrogant and utterly unreasonable, Ketia’s eyes widened slightly. “Hah,” she scoffed. “What a convenient philosophy you have—anyone who blocks your way is a bad person.”

With that, Ketia raised her sword and lunged, slashing towards the Maiden.

“Hmph, give me back my things!”

As Ketia attacked, the Maiden let out an angry huff, then spread her hands wide.

Just as Ketia wondered if the Maiden had lost her mind, she suddenly brought her sword horizontally before her.

*Clang!* Ketia recoiled slightly in mid-air.

Only after the pushing force dissipated did Ketia look with a solemn expression at the Maiden, now encircled by three long purple snakes. ‘She truly is a snake woman,’ Ketia thought.

‘I didn’t realize she had so many snakes,’ Ketia mused internally.

“Hmph, I have many toys,” the Maiden declared, her voice swelling with pride as she stroked the distinctly layered snake scales shimmering under the sunlight.

Ketia remained silent.

“I don’t want you anymore! I’m going to avenge Little Purple!”

Pointing at Ketia, the Maiden cried out in a delicate yet firm voice.

Ketia’s eyebrow twitched slightly, a hint of a smile almost touching his lips. ‘This woman truly deserves a beating,’ he thought. ‘Who could have created such an utterly unreasonable puppet?’

‘It would be best if I never discover who created her, otherwise, I’ll have to ‘invite’ them for a rather unpleasant discussion.’

“Little Zi, Zizi, Zai Zai, protect Little Purple!” the Maiden shrieked, clenching her small fists and glaring at Ketia. “And bring back my heart!”

The three purple snakes coiling around the Maiden flicked their tongues, rearing up to their full height and opening their jaws wide at Ketia.

A putrid, bloody stench assaulted his senses. Ketia’s brow furrowed. Gripping his cross-sword, he swiftly spun around and brought the blade down.

*Clang!* Sparks erupted.

‘When did it arrive?’ Ketia wondered.

Observing the purple snake slowly retreat back to the Maiden’s side, Ketia felt a prickle of unease. This snake was simply too fast, dozens of times quicker than the one he had just slain.

‘If the other two snakes are equally swift, I might truly find myself at a disadvantage once more.’

Releasing his grip on the cross-sword, Ketia watched it fall to the ground, where it dissolved into shimmering specks of light. He then pressed his hands together, guiding the magical energy within his body to surge forth into his palms.

Elemental particles, dispersed throughout the world, resonated with Ketia, slowly converging upon his hands, which now pulsed with an icy blue luminescence.

Immediately, a tiny cross-shaped magic array flickered into existence on Ketia’s clasped hands.

Spreading his hands apart, Ketia let out a sharp cry. “Extreme Ice, Frost Spear!”

The tiny magic array flared with blinding intensity, radiating a dazzling, icy blue light.

In that instant, the magic array vanished, replaced by a spear radiating an intense chill. Four meters in length, it was conical in shape, tapering to a sharp point at the top and widening towards its base, where a flared guard expanded outwards.

Gripping the spear’s shaft, Ketia’s forehead glistened with a thin sheen of sweat as he pointed the weapon at the Maiden.

“Once more!”

Perhaps sensing the formidable power of the spear in Ketia’s hand, the Maiden recoiled slightly.

The most immediate reaction, however, came from the purple snakes.

The moment Ketia summoned the spear, they vanished without a trace, retreating back into the Maiden’s body.

“Bad… bad person, you’re a bad person!” the Maiden wailed, suddenly plopping down in mid-air. She raised a hand to her eyes as large teardrops began to stream down her face. “Wuwuwuwu, you’re bullying a child!”

Gazing at the sobbing Maiden, Ketia frowned. ‘What is going on?’ he wondered.

Feeling utterly bewildered, Ketia remained silent for a moment. Then, wielding the spear, he unleashed a wave of extreme cold.

The intense cold struck the Maiden, instantly transforming her into a lifelike ice sculpture.

Deprived of its energy source, the ice sculpture—still locked in its crying posture—plummeted to the ground, shattering into countless tiny shards of frost.

Descending from the sky to the ground, Ketia retracted his frost spear.

Summoning the frost spear had utterly depleted his magical energy. If he didn’t dispel it, he risked dying from sheer exhaustion.

He was a soldier; his place was to die on the battlefield, not here.

‘Dying of exhaustion’ was not a fitting end for him. To fall in battle was.

“Colonel Ketia, how should we handle this?” As the battle concluded, the knights, who had been observing from a defensive circle, immediately converged around him.

“Didn’t she want to see His Majesty?” Ketia said, his voice cold as he gazed at the frozen Maiden. “I’ll take her to His Majesty and let him decide her fate.”

He then turned to the knights, his tone softening slightly. “Bury the knights who tragically perished at the hands of this mysterious Maiden, and ensure their families receive double the usual compensation.”

“Yes, Colonel Ketia!” a knight from the finance department respectfully replied.

Ketia gave a slight nod, then beckoned four knights to assist him in transporting the ice sculpture to His Majesty.

“Alright, everyone, return to your posts,” Ketia commanded.

Observing the knights still murmuring amongst themselves, Ketia called out with a slight headache.

“Yes, Colonel Ketia!”

After responding to Ketia in unison, the knights orderly returned to their respective stations.

Watching the knights depart, Ketia managed a faint smile, silently murmuring in his heart, ‘Thank you!’

After standing for a moment, the knights who had accepted the order to transport the ice sculpture to His Majesty returned, pulling a flatbed cart.

“Colonel Ketia, the cart has been found,” a slightly burly knight among the four stepped forward to report.

“Load it up!”

“Yes, Colonel Ketia!”

After performing a standard knight’s salute, the four knights began loading the ice sculpture onto the cart.

Soon, the ice sculpture was securely placed on the cart.

“Let’s go!”

Ketia declared, then took the lead, heading towards the palace.

The four knights silently pulled the flatbed cart, following closely behind Ketia.

After a considerable walk, the four knights, pulling the cart, and Ketia arrived at the grand hall where the royal throne was situated.

With a heavy *thud*, the ice sculpture was moved from the cart to the floor, guided by Ketia’s instructions.

“You’ve worked hard,” Ketia told the four. “Go claim your reward!”

After dismissing them, Ketia turned his gaze to the empty hall.

Silently saluting, the four knights slowly withdrew from the palace.

‘Strange, where has His Majesty gone?’ Ketia wondered.

Ketia surveyed the vast, empty hall, a sense of confusion settling over him. Typically, around midday, His Majesty would be seated on the throne, contemplating matters concerning the nation’s future. Yet, despite the hour, the monarch was nowhere to be seen.

Unable to fathom the reason, Ketia could only stand silently in the grand hall, awaiting Novas’s arrival.

Time flowed onward, and soon, night began to descend.

Ketia glanced at the unchanged ice sculpture behind him. Feeling the approach of night, he let out a sigh.

‘It seems His Majesty won’t be appearing today.’

With that thought, Ketia prepared to summon several knights to escort the ice sculpture to the jail located beside the royal palace.

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