A little while ago in the royal garden.
Lucian received a report from one of the knights, who said, "My lord is at Casca. It seems like he plans to duel the ice tide."
Astaroth, who was listening while Doloros's disciple Kael tended to his injuries, burst into mocking laughter.
"What? Has cousin Zerath finally lost it? He thinks he can defeat the tide with his…sword? It's ice, not some enemy on the battlefield. He can't even use magic. I see that he has brought death sentence upon himself."
Malphas nodded in all seriousness, agreeing with his judgment.
Vivia's eyes narrowed. There was much she wanted to say, but she kept her focus on the situation.
Orobas said, "Though I don't appreciate young lord Astaroth's tone, his argument holds merit. What is my lord planning? Is Sir Gressil joining him? But all the knights are displaced because of the ice."
The reporting knight bowed. "As of now, only my lord is at the gates. He has instructed Captain Valtor to help citizens escape as soon away as possible. Captain Valtor was adamant to join, but my lord commanded otherwise."
Malphas raised an eyebrow. "I understand that my lord is a skilled swordsman, but how can he hope to stop this chaos? He cannot use magic. How can he possibly fight it?"
Vivia looked down at Eurus, who tightly held onto her with his little might. She wanted to talk to him and calm his troubled heart. But completely withdrawing into his shell, he could neither hear her nor feel her desperation.
"His mana is growing increasingly unstable," Doloros said grimly, his fingers pressed to the center of his brows, feeling his body growing more and more feverish.
She stared at Eurus and after some contemplation, she said, "I'll join the Crown Prince in his fight."
Lucian's eyes widened. "No, Princess. We cannot let you join my lord at Casca. You're our guest, and it's not your responsibility to get involved in our problems. Let's not also forget that it's simply too dangerous."
"And troublesome," Asmodea squinted her eyes, flapping her fan near her cheeks.
"Princess Clairette already got involved in Nethermoor's crisis as is and…" she acutely stared at her burn injury and directed her annoyance at Astaroth. "Diplomatically speaking, the situation has become a little difficult to explain to the Emberlain convoy. We had assured your safety, after all."
Astaroth caught Asmodea's eagle-eyed stare but only snorted without a care. He sneered. "You can remind the convoy that their princess harmed a noble demon too."
Orobas narrowed his eyes. "And then the convoy will remind the young lord that you barged in with your aggression first."
He smiled. "I was simply executing my duty of punishing the criminal who hurt Nethermoor for years. It's the duty that, ideally, my cousin should've carried out."
"Seeing how the young lord received one lakh thousand gold coins from the royal treasury yet Nethermoor's situation remained unresolved, we'll see how much 'duty' you truly carried out."
Astaroth stiffened. He shot a quick and panicked glance at Malphas, who swiftly averted his gaze.
Vivia bowed. "I humbly request you to allow me to be at the Crown Prince's side. I assure you, I can protect myself."
Malphas said, "I see no harm in accepting her request. The princess was so kind enough to end the eternal winter. Perhaps, she can demonstrate that magic again and end this ice tide as well."
Though his words sounded reasonable, she caught the sarcasm beneath them, but she chose not to react.
Asmodea cast a severe look at Malphas. "Do you wish for our ties with the Human Realm to worsen by allowing her to leave in her condition?"
His eyes narrowed. "It's nothing too difficult to handle, Lady Asmodea. A simple misunderstanding happened, that's all. Whether they understand our side or not is up to you. Or is it that you don't feel confident in your abilities?"
Orobas cursed.
Here we go again…
She smiled with a jeer. "I'd love to see your abilities in convincing the Emberlain convoy about wrapping up this incident as a mere misunderstanding."
"If your glib tongue cannot even handle such a simple situation, then you probably shouldn't have snatched the Ministry of Diplomacy from me," he sharply countered.
"Ah, men who cannot accept a fair defeat only know how to make excuses."
"Enough," Doloros said, eyes stern. "This isn't the time and place to rake up past misgivings and grudges."
Malphas and Asmodea backed down with his warning.
Eventually the consensus was to let Vivia join Zerath. Convinced by Malphas's logic, they hoped that if the situation spiraled out of control, she might be able to calm the child's heart and control the tide just as she had done with the eternal winter.
Asmodea smiled. "Hope Sir Malphas knows how to take responsibility in front of His Majesty if anything were to happen to the princess."
At present, Nefarion had left with Gressil to assess the palace's situation. Without his order, it was a big risk to agree to Vivia's request.
Malphas smiled back. "The Ministry of Diplomacy should've been really mine. Lady Asmodea is too much of a scaredy cat."
"Time will tell who's the real coward, hoho~"
"I'll accompany Princess Clairette," Lucian said, casting a silent gaze at her.
—
And so at present, Vivia and Lucian were now at Casca, ready to support Zerath in his battle against the ice. Though the looming ice seemed too formidable for a lone demon to defeat, he never once yielded before the threat.
It wasn't only Valtor who felt fortunate to witness Zerath's splendor. On the other side of the watchtower where Vivia and Lucian were, she too, watched his swordsmanship with pure admiration.
Without missing a beat or a step, Zerath's blade sliced through the air akin to water cutting through the mountains with ease. It was as if she was watching a captivating performance on stage.
She was left enthralled when his sword glowed golden and the frozen ocean of ice beneath him burst with radiance as he plunged into it. The light made her think of his golden eyes.
Ah…This is how Zerath looks when he draws the blade…
On the other side, as Zerath stared at the now-stilled ice tide, a small smile tugged at his lips, thinking about Eurus.
Thank you for trusting me.
Holding his sword, he remained still in front of Casca's gates for several long moments.
"My lord."
Recognizing Lucian's voice, he slowly opened his eyes and turned but was taken aback to see another familiar figure.
"Princess Clairette?" He immediately rushed to her side, his brows furrowing with confusion. "What are you doing here?"
He glanced at her hand, which radiated a gentle medicinal glow. Though the burn marks appeared less severe after Doloros's treatment, it was clear that full recovery would still take several days.
"You should be with Sir Doloros-"
"Your sword skills were so splendid, Crown Prince!" she gleamed.
They jolted with her sudden zeal.
Zerath stared at her, who was staring back at him all starry-eyed. Her face illuminated with pure bliss and awe that met his puzzled gaze. The elation of watching him in action outranked the pain searing across her burned wrist.
"My eyes feel so blessed after watching your splendid performance…" Vivia couldn't hold back her emotional tears.
"Ah, please forgive my insolence. I know it wasn't a performance but Crown Prince Zerath, you're an incredible swordsman! From your wrist movement to your footwork, it felt like you weren't battling but dancing instead!"
Zerath's lips parted slightly, caught off guard by Vivia's dreamy gaze and fervor. He was praised as a skilled swordsman in the Demon Realm numerous times, yet somehow, he felt at a loss of how to respond to her heartfelt compliments.
His gaze softened. "...Esthar om ven, Princess."
Vivia clapped her hands in delight. "Seeing your blade dance so flawlessly reminded me of my master. Her sword flowed beautifully just like yours!"
Zerath smiled. "That's an honor for me."
"Oh, oh! And what was the golden light? It felt so warm and assuring. It melted the ice, did it not?"
Zerath glanced at Lucian, who shared the same question by the look on his expression. He had witnessed Zerath's sword fighting skills countless times but had never seen any golden aura enveloping it in the past.
"I understand you have questions, Princess, but it's too cold out here. Your lips are quivering."
Only then did Vivia realize that she was freezing. Though the grey clouds had departed, the chill in the air lingered. The cloak Zerath had previously wrapped around her was no longer sufficient.
"Why did you come to Casca though?"
"Ah. I felt anxious about the situation. I thought I could be of some help to you. But you flawlessly resolved it on your own," her eyes sparkled.
He looked at Lucian to which he sighed. "Princess was stubborn."
Zerath smiled helplessly. "You're too kind, Princess. Lucian, take her back to the palace."
"What about you?" She asked.
"I've to speak with Captain Valtor about the situation and check on everybody's safety first. It must have been very chaotic to escape at such a sudden notice. Accidents are bound to happen."
Lucian asked, "Shall I ask Commander Gressil to send some knights for your assistance?"
"No. The knights here at Casca should be enough. How is Eurus?"
"He is running a high fever, my lord, but he is safe under Sir Doloros's care," he replied.
Zerath's voice took a plunge into the ice next. "And cousin Astaroth? Does it look like he is reflecting upon his actions?"
"Unfortunately no, my lord."
A wintry smile played his lips. "He soon will."