Isabella took out a board, on which “Xue” was written in characters from another world.
“Isabella… Are you really…?”
When you haven’t seen someone for three days, you should look at them with fresh eyes—let alone the fact that Xuefei had personally watched Isabella vanish into the smoke and flames of battle, right in the middle of Rakudo’s Bombardment Domain. There was no way she could have emerged unscathed to stand before her like this.
She appeared like a ghost, materializing abruptly in what should have been a storm of rebukes and curses.
But if she connected the two odd occurrences earlier with the little girl’s behavior, it wasn’t hard to piece together.
Moreover, this girl could even read the exact meaning and pronunciation of that character, so…
“Hehe, I knew you wouldn’t recognize me, big sister.”
Xuefei gave a composed smile, propped both hands on her knees, and spoke in the soft tone one might use with a child.
“Is that so, Miss Elf? You actually know what that character means?”
But Xuefei had no intention of signing the rest of her name. For all she knew, this unpredictable little girl might slap some bizarre contract on her the instant she did. It wouldn’t be hard to break with her strength, but caution was still the better part of valor.
“Isn’t it simple?” Isabella said with a smile when Xuefei didn’t agree. “You just need to observe carefully. I saw big sister’s name right there on your face~”
Xuefei nodded.
The other girl clearly didn’t know the second character of her name, though, so she’d settled for calling her “Xue.”
“What a terrifying power—right up there with mind reading.”
The corner of Xuefei’s mouth twitched upward.
“Legends say no one knows the Elf Queen’s true name. With your abilities, you should be able to see right through it, right?”
The smile vanished from Isabella’s face.
In its place came a look of pure grievance. She pouted her little mouth in a way that was both cute and mortifying, nearly fooling Xuefei—but she’d spent enough days enduring Leia’s relentless “torment” to have honed her skills at reading people.
“Don’t mess with me. Fine, I’ll admit it—I’m the Elf Queen! And I never meant you any harm. You thought I was one of the bad guys just now, didn’t you? Damn it, if only you were an elf…”
“Who admits it that fast?! Can’t you at least pretend to have some dignity as the Elf Queen? And for that matter, you’re not some body double someone hired, are you?”
“How could I be?”
“So your real name is Isabella? What do you want with me?”
Xuefei straightened up and asked in all seriousness.
After all, she’d only just escaped one disaster.
“I just happened to notice your beautiful silver hair—like fresh snow—and that perfectly fitted dress amid the crowd… But you won’t believe that, will you? Truth is, I’ve been waiting for you a long time. I didn’t think you’d show up until today, but hey, better late than never.”
What? Waiting a long time?
She’d been ambushed right from the start of her journey and dumped right in this girl’s lap. Not suspecting her as one of the masterminds was already generous—and now she had the nerve to complain about the timing?
Xuefei grumbled inwardly, keeping her face impassive, but Isabella picked up on her thoughts anyway and bowed frantically in apology.
“Sorry! I didn’t mean it like that. I was just marveling—nothing insulting about it, I swear. I’m not like those other elves. Sorry, sorry!! Oh, and yes, my name really is Isabella. It’s a pleasure to meet you, evil dragon.”
“I’m probably gentler than you think. And what’s this ‘evil dragon’ business?” Xuefei sighed.
“Ah, sorry—I thought ‘evil’ was a compliment where you come from…”
“Well, it’s not entirely wrong…”
Xuefei stared at the little elf, who kept issuing apologies, at a loss for words.
She wore a gray coat, different from the one shed had on when they first crossed paths. Golden hair cascaded down to her waist, paired with white socks and adorable little boots. To conceal her identity, Isabella had topped it off with a gray beret, her emerald eyes watching Xuefei with wary caution.
If this girl could truly read minds, there was no point acting timid. If only she could fully master soul manipulation—then maybe she could peer into someone’s very essence and read their true nature…
But there was no doubt: she was the Elf Queen.
“Masterful mental manipulation, the gait of a seasoned warrior, and insight beyond the ordinary—Isabella, what do you really want from me? You should know that without you, the chaos in the Elf Kingdom never would have erupted in the first place. I’m not blaming you; it’s simply the truth.”
“Well…”, Isabella stared at the floor. “I’ll explain this matter.”
“It’s better to let the elves fall apart than to keep covering up their disgrace. If I were in your shoes, I’d take the exact same path.”
Xuefei approved of the Elf Queen’s decision to fake her death and slack off.
She wasn’t the Elf Queen, after all. Ultimately, she needed to figure out Isabella’s true intentions.
Why get close to her? Why seek her out right away?
“Thank you very much for your understanding, Lady Xue,” Isabella said with another slight bow. “This is a difficult matter to explain, but I know what you want—no, I know what all of you want.”
Isabella glanced to the right, toward the empty street. Under her mental control, no one else would approach this place. Even so, she couldn’t help sensing a powerful presence nearby, and her delicate brows furrowed.
She turned around anxiously and said, “Xue, I know you’re feeling lost too. That’s exactly why we had to find you. Come with me—I’ll take you to meet someone you’ll find very interesting.”
“You should know Dolores, right? Please stay close to me~”
After dropping that bombshell, Isabella was confident she could convince Xuefei. With those words, she transformed into a leaf. A sudden breeze lifted Xuefei’s long hair and carried it away. Xuefei suddenly realized Isabella’s plan. She cloaked her presence with magic, spread her wings, and swiftly followed the leaf hurtling through the air.
~~~
Layer upon layer of jagged peaks filled the vast valley, where long, ethereal echoes reverberated. In the distance, a hazy mist induced a profound sense of disorientation.
Relentless water vapor battered the surrounding walls of razor-sharp, icy stone. The cries of crows echoed from all directions, impossible to pinpoint, while beneath the surging rocks, clear spring water played an eerie, otherworldly melody.
No one would ever guess that this was no forsaken wilderness, but a hidden underground fissure beneath one of the Elf Kingdom’s cities.
Here, two sets of footsteps echoed with steady rhythm.
Water droplets splashed against Xuefei’s lovely face. She tucked away a strand of her silver hair and lifted her head to ask, “So, you staged that whole fake death just to drag me to a place like this?”
Xuefei ran her hand along the slick, dripping rock wall, watching the light from the outside world fade into the distance. She didn’t even know where to begin with her complaints.
The little elf girl before her had transformed into a young woman of nearly the same height, her petite frame now infused with the fresh bloom of youth. Her eyes sparkled with vitality, betraying not a hint of negativity.
“I’ve told you, Sister Xue,” she said. “I’ll explain everything, but first, let me take you to find the Ice Holy Key… Actually, this canyon isn’t some treasure vault or sacred site. It’s the fastest route to the Northern Border.”
“The Gods and Dolores are ‘imprisoned’ right beneath the Winter Queen’s throne.”
