Chapter 13: The Arctic Calamity
Bai walked through the dead city, the frozen corpses a grotesque tableau, their faces twisted in a final, agonizing scream.
“They all… froze to death,” she murmured, a frown on her face.
A quick examination revealed that while a few had been torn apart in the city’s final, chaotic moments, most had been killed by the “Bone Marrow Cold.”
And because of the nature of the cold, which seeped from within, the city itself was untouched, a strange, unsettling juxtaposition of life and death, a burning fireplace beside a frozen corpse.
“Why didn’t I feel anything last night…? Wait.”
She remembered the heritage space, and a chilling thought occurred to her.
Could she have been the cause of this…?
She wasn’t sure, but the evidence was undeniable.
From Iradace, she had learned about the “cold snaps” of the Frigid Lands, but the towns were usually built in areas where the cold was weakest, to avoid such disasters.
And if this had been a more powerful storm… the town would have been completely destroyed.
So, it must have been her, her awakening of the heritage, that had triggered this cold snap, an unconscious release of power that had been enough to kill everyone in the vicinity.
“…Headache.”
She rubbed her temples, a feeling of helplessness washing over her.
It wasn’t that she had killed so many demons. She had killed more in her time as a knight.
And the demons of the Frigid Lands were all outcasts, criminals.
But the scale of it…
A few dead demons was normal in the Frigid Lands.
But an entire town, wiped out overnight, by a “natural” disaster…
It would attract attention. The various factions would investigate. And they would discover her, an Ice Demon.
And soon, her existence would be known. Iradace had been so open with her…
And…
“I wonder if Iradace is still alive.”
She had wanted to learn more about the Snow Maiden from her.
If she was dead, it would only cause more trouble.
And Bai hated trouble.
“Is Bai talking about the dark-skinned sister from yesterday?” Ara asked, tugging at her sleeve.
“Yes,” Bai nodded.
“She’s not here,” Ara said, looking around.
Unlike Bai, who needed her soul vision, Ara could see souls, even the spirits of the dead.
And among the countless, screaming, tormented souls, she didn’t see the dark-skinned sister.
“Hmm… she must have left. But that’s also a problem. When she comes back and finds everyone but me dead… what will she think…?”
Bai had a headache. Should she just reveal her Ice Demon identity?
But to Iradace, she was a Shadow Demon royal… and now an Ice Demon? It was too much.
Even a hybrid demon couldn’t possess two such powerful bloodlines.
Just as she was about to despair, Ara said, “I see her.”
“See who?”
Ara pointed. “The dark-skinned sister from last night. She’s at the manor.”
Unlike a normal person’s senses, which were affected by the environment, Ara’s ability to see souls was absolute.
And her ability to manipulate emotions was based on soul resonance, which was why even a Calamity Class being wasn’t completely immune.
Bai’s expression hardened. The strangeness of the town was obvious. Even she, a newcomer, had sensed it.
Iradace should have come to investigate. Unless… she already knew.
So…
“Is she looking for me?” Bai asked.
Ara nodded. “She couldn’t find Ara and Bai at the manor. She’s coming this way now.”
Bai thought for a moment, then took Ara’s hand. “Let’s go meet her.”
Ara wanted to say, Since we’ve been discovered, shouldn’t we just leave? But she trusted Bai’s judgment.
“Ara will be good. As long as Ara is with Bai.”
She took Bai’s hand, their fingers intertwining.
Bai smiled, a faint warmth in her heart, and squeezed her hand.
A short while later, they saw Iradace, panting, running towards them. She had rushed back from the manor, afraid they had already left.
Seeing them, she sighed in relief.
Then she saw the frozen corpses, a sea of grotesque, ice-covered bodies, a frozen hell.
But she seemed… unfazed.
“Phew… Your Highness, Shadow Princess. I was afraid you had left without saying goodbye,” she said, offering a strange salute, her respect for Bai undiminished.
“…I’m sorry. I caused you trouble,” Bai said, unsure what else to say.
She was the cause of all this, and Iradace must have known.
“Huh? What are you apologizing for, Your Highness?” Iradace asked, a look of genuine confusion on her face. “Did I… do something wrong?”
