Chapter 65

Chapter 65

The magic stones could not be fixed to the ground with regular tools. High-level magic had to be poured in or a strong blue sword was required.

Nine knights stood in the snowy field where snowflakes were fluttering. Three men in black uniforms were preparing themselves, memorizing the spell with their eyes closed, and were surrounded by five knights and Pranin who were fixing the magic stones to the floor with blue swords.

Damn it. Why do I have to be in the same group as a maid? Onjet, trying to strike the magic stone with his sword, spat out on the cold snow.

Leasis did not even give him an eye and wielded her wooden sword. Onjet stared at her. He had tried to find a gap by provoking her, but rarely had a chance.

She was working silently like that, and was working hard for the Knights even if she had suffered because of them.

As a result, some knights had recently asked Onjet carefully. They had said that they thought they were wrong about the person who had stolen the operating expenses.

We have to kick her out somehow. Onjet grabbed his sword with an unpleasant face. That woman had caught the Commander’s eye before anyone else but she was unable to use a real sword.

But from one to ten…

“There, you. What are you doing? Are you kidding me?”

“No!”

At Pranin’s words, Onjet hurriedly struck the magic stone with the sword. However, he became nervous when it was not fixed as easily as he had thought, even after trying several times.

Leasis quietly lifted herself up, as she was looking at the scene. She approached Onjet’s side and struck the magic stone with her wooden sword.

Boom boom.

The magic stone was stuck on the floor with a clear sound. Because of her light work that looked like she was laughing at him, Onjet bit his lips. Her presence brought his mood to the bottom.

“You need to spread the energy up to the sword. The blade alone cannot deliver all the aura to the bell.”

Leasis calmly explained why Onjet failed. Then she took off one of her leather gloves and showed her hand in front of his nose.

“Look carefully.”

Her long fingers turned red in the severe cold weather. She laid her hand down on her sword and spread out energy on the blade and back to her hand. The faint blue light that was barely visible made Onjet embarrassed.

He was the one who tried to kick out Leasis. But why was she showing him such kindness? He had a hard time in the snow.

“Do you understand?”

Before they knew it, the rest of the knights completed the installation of the stones. The three members of the Imperial Elite Knights entered the circular silver thread and began casting.

The four knights settled around them. However, Onjet approached Leasis, who had put back on her glove, and asked in a threatening voice.

“Are you messing with me?”

“Onjet-nim, please calm yourself. We are on a mission right now.”

Leasis’ low voice scattered in the snow. He flinched as her blood-colored eyes shone coolly.

“Even at this time, soldiers are dying because of the monsters crossing the border.”

“…”

“I’ll listen to your personal questions after the mission.”

Leasis went near the circle and pulled out her wooden sword. The sight left Onjet screaming.

“Hey, you! How dare you…”

At that moment, Pranin and Leasis moved simultaneously at the subtle sound of a bell. As they lowered their heads, they saw the silver thread on the floor beginning to glow blue.

Leasis and Pranin moved at the same time. They wielded their swords in the air while guarding the magic stones. A strong piercing sound scattered across the snowy field.

After a while, faint black blood appeared on their swords. Pranin tried to hold back his anger as he saw the black blood dripping on the snow.

“I would have cut your throat normally, but… There are so many annoying guys coming in now, so I’ll wait.”

Pranin and Leasis stood close to the circle. The other knights also focused their attention, but only Onjet was still standing there blankly.

It was clear that he was going die. Having to save Onjet somehow, Leasis shouted.

“Onjet-nim, move!”

“…”

“If you die like this, you’re worse than a maid-turned-trainee!”

“What, what?”

“You’re worse than me if you stay still and die. Your tombstone might say, ‘A knight worse than a maid-turned-trainee sleeps here’.”

“Don’t be ridiculous!”

Onjet shouted loudly and also reached the circle. A blue aura soared like a fire on his sword.

The six knights wielded their swords like crazy, and guarded the magicians making the ice castle.

As time went by, a large ice star appeared in the snow. As the knights wearing black uniforms faltered, Leasis supported one with each of her shoulders.

However, she looked around as she had no hands left to help the last one. Next to her, Onjet was gasping with his waist bent halfway.

“Onjet, please help me.”

Is that maid giving me orders? Upset, Onjet burst out.

“Are you crazy? Why me!”

“I don’t believe you’re stronger than a maid-turned-trainee…”

Onjet, with his pride hurt, ran and helped the last knight in a black uniform. Then Leasis closed her lips to hold back her laughter.

Pranin, who was putting his sword back into its scabbard, glanced at Onjet with his cold eyes. If it were not for that knight trainee, he would have died earlier.

However, she had perfectly grasped the enemies’ movements, while protecting the three swordsmen and him, and defending herself at the same time. As a result, Leasis’ arms and legs were filled with claw marks from the monsters.

Pranin clicked his tongue while looking at the blood that had settled on the snowy ground. He did not know why women wanted so much to become knights these days. She reminded him of his nephew, who had cut her hair like a man, and her appearance overlapped with Leasis.

Pranin turned his eyes and looked up at the ice wall. The solid ice was like a fortress that no enemy could break through.

They were magic swordsmen belonging to the Imperial Elite Knights, but their skills were comparable to the imperial wizards. They might be even better.

Count Dratius was right. Pranin was deeply impressed, and ordered the knights to return.

Since then, the battlefield was organized according to Hizen’s judgment. The knights who had come as support threw Pranin’s special traps on the floor from the top of the castle.

The successful knights were treated like heroes and rested in the barracks. But Leasis did not take a break. She used healing magic on the tired knights, climbed to the top of the castle and helped the others.

Pranin looked at Leasis. No matter how much he looked at her, she seemed to overlap with his small and sincere nephew. When he could not take his eyes off her, Suha said with a pleased face.

“Isn’t that trainee amazing?”

“Yes, she’s not bad.”

“She was a winner of the gladiator tournament and a direct maid under Count Dratius. She’s definitely worth looking at among the Imperial Family’s people. If it weren’t for her status…”

Pranin’s face noticeably stiffened by the words ‘gladiator tournament’. Suha lowered his head in surprise. He had completely forgotten that Pranin’s nephew was seriously injured in the competition.

“I’m sorry.”

“No… it’s okay.”

Pranin sighed heavily. His nephew had participated in the gladiator tournament and was now lying in bed. Although her condition had improved a lot recently, it was still painful for him, who cared about her very much. Because now she could not lift a sword like before.

Pranin recalled a letter from his nephew and headed to his private barracks. He looked at the messy desk and smiled a bit sadly. Since he was relegated to this place because of the Crown Prince, he had never been able to read letters properly.

Still, he had a little time now thanks to the trainee named Leasis. He thanked her and ripped off the plain sky blue letter.

He could see a spirited letter written in a rough handwriting for a woman.

[Uncle, I’m doing fine, so don’t worry. I could take one step yesterday, so I will be able to take two steps next month.]

“That kid…”

Pranin took off his gauntlets and wiped his eyes with his hands. And as he read the next line, his eyes grew bigger.

[I want to be healthy again and become stronger like Leasis, the winner of the gladiator tournament. Vice President Max-nim told me. She’s the hero who saved me and kicked out the prince from Utran…]

After reading the letter entirely, Pranin hurried to the top of the castle. He was able to discover Leasis more easily than he thought. There were already several knights around her.

Pranin pointed his chin at Leasis, who was carrying some luggage. At the signal, Leasis hurriedly put everything down and followed him.

They arrived at a deserted place outside of the castle. Pranin asked her, as she was waiting for an order.

“Trainee. You’re the champion of the gladiator tournament?”

Leasis was a little embarrassed by the unexpected question, but affirmed. Then Pranin spoke in a softer voice.

“Thanks for saving my nephew.”

“What?”

“Lipacano Ryue Kyun. That child is my nephew.”

Looking closely, the sky blue hair of the two look strangely similar. When Leasis spat out an exclamation, Pranin said cynically.

“By the way, the Imperial Family is also ridiculous. To you who won the gladiator tournament and kicked out the Utranian prince…”

Kicked out the Utranian prince? Leasis doubted her ears. Pranin continued in a low voice.

“Anyway, thank you. Thanks to you, my nephew was able to escape safely.”

“Officer-nim, what do you mean? About kicking out the Utranian prince…”

Leasis, who was asking questions, stopped talking. What happened with Blix passed in her mind like a panorama.

[Where are you from?]

[Utran.]

“Blix-nim is the Prince of Utran…”

“Blixrond Lan Milcheko. If you’re talking about the second prince of Utran, you’re right. Vice Commander Max personally erased all the traces of his infiltration as a spy.”

Did you not know? Pranin frowned at Leasis, who was stunned.

Leasis panicked. She remembered the image of Blix smiling brightly, and Max, who said there was no such person.

She asked in a dry voice.

“So where is Blix-nim now?”

“We’ve already received reports that he crossed the border. However, His Majesty is not ready to step up because of the diplomatic relationship with Utran.”

Leasis’ breathing became a little rough. She quickly calmed down and forced herself to change the subject.

“I see. But I’m glad that Lipa-nim’s condition got better.”

“Fortunately… yes, I’m glad. It will be hard for her to hold a sword or walk properly, but now she’s awake and undergoing rehabilitation.”

Even this was a lie. When she had asked Max about Lipa’s condition from time to time, he had smiled affectionately and said that she had improved a lot.

‘Why did Max-nim lie to me? I wonder if the Count-nim knows about this too. And why was Blix-nim after Lipa-nim…’

Leasis’ heart pounded uncontrollably. Still, she could not express it in front of Pranin, so she opened her heavy lips.

“I will definitely visit her next time.”

“Yes. Feel free to.”

“Then I’ll go back.”

Leasis hurriedly bowed her head and turned back. She was stiffened as if her feet were tied to the floor, but she gave herself strength.

“Trainee.”

At Pranin’s call, Leasis stopped walking. As she turned her head slowly, she saw his expressionless face.

“Let me give you a piece of advice. Watch out for Prince Elnos. He can’t stop you, who saved my nephew.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

“Elnos… He’s the devil’s son.”

The voice in her ears was full of hatred. She bit her lips firmly.

If Max was hiding something, there must be a reason. It was better to find out secretly.

‘I’ll have to look at the Imperial Palace archives.’