The Academy’s Weakest Became A Demon-Limited Hunter
chapter-263

Would you talk about that here?

It was an embarrassing story. I decided to withhold my answer.

"I don't particularly want to talk about it right now."

"I beg your pardon. I'm deeply sorry, Your Majesty."

"It's fine."

Grand Regent Richard did not press further on the subject I intentionally avoided. Alice seemed deflated by my response and relaxed her posture, lowering her gaze.

After that, Richard, along with the courtiers, escorted me, discussing the schedule as we crossed the beautiful ice garden in front of the palace.

Since I had no intention of resting, I immediately met and talked with key administrative officials and soldiers, and in the evening, enjoyed a banquet at the long dining table.

Dorothy was always enthusiastic about whatever she did, while Alice remained composed. In a way, they were polar opposites.

As the sky gradually darkened, Richard and the courtiers eventually took me somewhere.

"Where are we going?"

"There is something I need to show Your Majesty."

We reached an annex at the back of the palace.

At Richard's nod, the following courtiers all stopped.

"Please follow me."

I followed Richard into the building.

There were stairs leading downward. As we descended, a barrier came into view.

"What is this?"

"This barrier has sealed the coldness of the cellar for a thousand years. Anyone who touches that cold will instantly freeze and lose their life."

"A thousand years?"

"The first lord commanded that when a new Ice Sovereign appeared in the future, this cellar's contents should be conveyed to them. Only Your Majesty can control the cold that fills this cellar."

"What's in here?"

"A powerful ancient magic beast that could turn an entire area into an ice field with a single footprint, the 'Radiant Snow Wolf of the Ice Heaven Valley.' This 'Cloak of the Radiant Wolf,' made after subduing that beast, is the ultimate magic armor symbolizing the Ice Sovereign."

Magic armor refers to armor with magical powers, similar to magic weapons.

I knew the Primordial Ice Sovereign wore a cloak, but I didn't realize it was called the Cloak of the Radiant Wolf. Even in ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱, such a garment couldn't be obtained.

"This barrier can only be broken by the authority granted to me. If you wish, I will break the barrier."

"...Break it."

"As you command."

A power boost in a place like this is an unexpected gain.

Richard extended his right arm forward and manipulated his mana to break the barrier.

Softly, the barrier melted away, and a chilling sensation enveloped my skin.

The extreme cold gradually flowed out from the cellar, cracking and freezing the surroundings to white.

The inside of the basement was extremely bright as if dozens of lights had been installed. Probably because something inside was emitting strong ice mana.

"Please go ahead."

Richard bowed his head.

I descended the stairs and entered the cellar filled with extreme cold.

I heard the sound of the iron door closing from outside. Grand Regent Richard had gone out and closed the door to keep the cellar's cold from escaping.

The cellar was filled with a deadly cold, but it had no effect on me. It must have been because the power had transferred to me as the new Ice Sovereign. Surely, this cold was linked to the power of the Blade of Frost Flowers.

In the spacious cellar, a neat and long cloak hung quietly on a silver stand.

It was a dark blue cloak adorned with a white fur collar. It emitted a pale blue cold, turning the cellar into a space of death to protect itself.

I approached.

Whiiiing!

The cold reacted as if meeting its master, starting to swirl around me.

Is it welcoming me?

As I touched the cloak, the cold emanating from it intensified.

I picked up the cloak and draped it over my body. It clung tightly to my shoulders.

"Whew."

I fastened the clasp and took a deep breath.

Cloak of the Radiant Wolf...

Slowly, the cold that filled the cellar seeped into the cloak.

As if it had found its new master and regained stability.

You have acquired the ultimate armor [Cloak of the Radiant Wolf!]

The Cloak of the Radiant Wolf became mine.

Whoooooooo.

Finally, as the cold subsided, only the soft light remained desolately in the cellar.

The lamps on the walls glowed with mana stones that drew the energy of ice mana.

Thanks to the cold released by Cloak of the Radiant Wolf, the lamps hadn't lost their light even after a thousand years.

Oh.

The smooth texture of the cloak.

Even though over a thousand years had passed, the extreme cold had preserved the garment, so it seemed to be in good condition. Only traces of wear from the Primordial Ice Sovereign could be occasionally found.

Its performance would have to be tested to be fully understood, but it was definitely a very useful cloak. I could immediately sense the high density of the unique ice mana contained within the cloak. It was, without a doubt, a valuable item.

"Eh?"

There was a small box placed next to the stand. It was hard to notice, so I hadn’t found it till now. I picked up the small box.

The small box was frozen solid, probably due to the cold emitted by Cloak of the Radiant Wolf, but I was able to restore it to its original state by using defrost.

The ice that had frozen the box dissolved into a pale blue powder and faded away. I opened the box.

A note?

A single note.

That was all it contained.

I took the note out of the box. There were two sentences written in the language of this world.

“…”

I gasped, forgetting to breathe.

For a moment, I stood still, my mind frozen.

The one who sealed the Evil God will be helping you.

But if you want to live, trust nothing.

What does this mean?

This was a cellar filled with deadly cold. The only person who could have left something here along with the Cloak of the Radiant Wolf...

It must be none other than the Primordial Ice Sovereign.

Suddenly, the words of Dorothy's book from the first round flashed through my mind.

─ While the specifics are unclear, there is someone in the most direct form assisting you. You must ensure that this person is never discovered by the Evil God. But do not blindly trust her.

“…”

I cooled my head.

I tucked the note and box close to my chest. Now was not the time for confusion.

I left the cellar and climbed the stairs, the iron door opening effortlessly. As I stepped outside the tower, Richard and his courtiers bowed to greet me.

Suddenly, Richard was on the verge of shedding tears of joy, but they didn't fall.

"Your majesty...! I cannot help but be overwhelmed with admiration at your majestic appearance, having grasped the extreme cold and donned the Cloak of the Radiant Wolf...!"

Richard, who had been full of plans to slack off, now fawned over me obsequiously upon seeing me wearing the Cloak of the Radiant Wolf.

I had mixed feelings, so I simply smiled kindly.

"...Let's go."

"Yes, let's."

I took off the cloak, placed it in a magic pouch for valuables, and started walking.

"Let me ask you something."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"How did the Primordial Ice Sovereign die?"

The Primordial Elemental Kings only appeared as simple silhouettes in-game cutscenes or settings collections.

Their detailed appearances or how they met their end were unknown.

"That... we also do not know."

You don't know?

"According to old records, she set off on a very long journey and never returned."

"A journey?"

"Yes. She even created the position of Grand Regent, instructing that if she left this world, she should be honored in a pre-built tomb... It seems she left knowing she would not return."

She left with her mind made up?

"It has been so long that even with the power of [Eternal Youth], no human lifespan could endure it. We are certain she passed away in an unknown place. We are still diligently searching for her remains."

"..."

The tomb of the Primordial Ice Sovereign, Veronica Aslius, sat like a shrine at the edge of the Imperial Palace.

It was called a tomb, but Veronica's remains were not actually there.

She knew in advance that she would embark on her final journey...

"Did the Primordial Ice Sovereign leave any last words?"

"I'm not sure if it counts as a final message, but she did say something before she left on her journey. The meaning of her words is still widely debated and unclear."

"What did she say?"

Richard spoke in a solemn voice.

"'I will follow the star. To cast away falsehoods.'"

“...”

"Those were her words. No one knows which star she followed or what she meant by the 'falsehoods' she sought to cast away. Do you have any idea, Your Majesty?"

I recalled the chant of the 9-star ice elemental magic [Cocytus] and the story Hilde told me about her former master.

It seemed the Primordial Ice Sovereign didn't form attachments to anyone in this world.

She said that finding no meaning in her life, merely living, and this lonely world was like hell.

In the end, did she set out on a journey alone?

"...Not at all."

I couldn't know exactly what the Primordial Ice Sovereign had in mind or what she was pursuing.

Nor what the falsehoods she sought to cast away were.

The reason for leaving me a message to trust nothing if I wanted to live.

Or why she left a message to eliminate her without hesitation.

The clues to that truth would be in the Ice Lake.