Chapter 19: Treasure Hunt (1)

The Silver Sabertooth, slashed by Elaine’s sword, finally collapsed.

True to its nature as a beast from the monsters, its ferocity and fighting spirit were exceptional, and it tried to rise again and fight.

But as soon as the cold wind subsided, Grace, who rushed towards us, cut down the creature, which was trying to summon its last strength.

After being struck by both Elaine and Grace, the Silver Sabertooth was completely subdued.

With the leader, the Silver Sabertooth, falling, the other monsters began to panic, most of them fleeing.

A few of them, deeply enchanted by the magical energy of the Crystal Lake, remained to resist until the end.

However, it was no match for the morale of the Northern Army, which pierced the sky.

Thus, the hunt for the Silver Sabertooth came to a successful conclusion.

“I never asked how you’d defeat it, but a dagger made of obsidian, huh? You had quite the weapon.”

After the battle, Grace came over to me, impressed.

I awkwardly smiled at her.

When I made the dagger, I had coated it with obsidian during the forging process, and as Elaine had recognized

earlier, Grace too had seen the obsidian and assumed that it amplified the power of fire, which helped land a blow on the Silver Sabertooth.

She wasn’t entirely wrong, but…

If she had asked how my dagger pierced the Silver Sabertooth so easily, and how despite Elaine’s full effort to attack

its face, the blade of the dagger remained intact, I would have been in trouble. I felt tense.

No matter how much Elaine allowed me to carry the dagger, ultimately, all decisions in the North were made according to Grace’s will.

However, the reason I gave her an awkward smile wasn’t because I was worried about the real material of the dagger.

‘Though it is a bit concerning…’

After the battle, I was lying in my tent.

Though I didn’t suffer any serious injuries, I had fought to exhaustion with the Silver Sabertooth and was now recuperating.

And now Grace was here…

Yes, right now, I was sitting on the folding bed inside my tent, surrounded by Grace, the Grand Duke of the North;

Elaine, the Captain of the Guard; Ki, the Third Squad Leader of the Guard; and Gunter, the commander of the elite

soldiers. Damn, they were all standing. I was sitting.

‘This useless sabertooth bastard. If you were going to keep me pinned down, you should’ve knocked me out for days. Why leave me in such an awkward situation? Are you getting revenge on me?’

I was about to get up when Grace ordered with a sharp look, “Stay put.”

So I remained sitting, though it felt uncomfortable to do so.

I always reminded myself that I didn’t want a life where my body was at ease but my mind was strained.

Sitting down with my shaky legs, my body felt comfortable, but the sight of the stars—meaning the people around me

—was honestly making me feel dizzy.

When Grace and the officers walked in, I stiffened, and the questioning glances of the other guard members in the

tent also made me uneasy.

‘Maybe I should’ve just laid down in Elaine’s tent.’

In fact, after the battle, Elaine had suggested I take her tent as a reward for the effort to save the commander, but I

had firmly declined, thinking that would be a bit too forced.

The last time, I had secretly used it for a moment, but if I used it openly, there would definitely be talk.

What commander would give up their own bed as a reward?

Anyway, Grace, despite being in charge of her own guard, came to the tent where the soldiers slept to commend my contributions in the battle.

“Even if you had a good dagger, to charge straight into the eye of the storm like that… Your bravery

alone makes you an outstanding warrior.”

She was as pleased as if it were her own achievement, and Gunter gave me a glance of interest.

Elaine quietly answered Grace’s questions but looked at me with pride in her gaze.

‘I’m glad, but it’s a bit overwhelming.’

I couldn’t help but recall the tense atmosphere I had felt when the battalion commander visited the dormitory during my past life in the army.

I responded to their words with a suitable smile as the compliments continued for a while.

Then Grace changed the topic.

“I came here not only to praise your performance in the battle but for another reason.”

“What is it?”

“You suspected that the Silver Sabertooth’s strength might be related to the Crystal Lake, didn’t you?”

Ah! Finally, we were reaching the last phase.

I had subtly hinted to Grace about the Crystal Lake while fighting the Silver Sabertooth, so that she might keep an eye on it after the battle.

Thinking about it now, I found the process of discovering the ice crystals in the novel somewhat strange.

Though it was mentioned as background story, I didn’t know the details.

Grace didn’t investigate the Crystal Lake immediately after the expedition but only came back to examine it much later, eventually discovering the ice crystals.

Her command to search the Crystal Lake where the monsters resided meant that she, too, had noticed something odd during the fight.

But why was there such a delay?

In the novel, Grace probably didn’t have the time to pay attention to the Crystal Lake right away.

After all, her most trusted subordinate, Elaine, had been injured by the Silver Sabertooth, and treating her must have

been her top priority.

After that, I had forgotten about the Crystal Lake for a while.

However, when danger struck in the north and the process of searching for weapons began, I suddenly remembered

the old memories and investigated the Crystal Lake, eventually finding the Ice Spirit.

This was my prediction.

I had planned to intervene and save Elaine this time, but I also considered the possibility that things might not go as planned.

So, before jumping into the freezing cold, I reminded Grace of the strange nature of the Crystal Lake.

Since Elaine wasn’t injured and the battle ended safely, there was no need to divert Grace’s attention. She seemed to

be intent on continuing her investigation.

‘Good, good.’

Nodding in hopes of a bonus coming my way if Grace found the Ice Spirit, I felt optimistic.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“I think the same. Especially when it transformed into the freezing cold, the feeling became stronger. The freezing

cold that regenerates immediately after being cut, the ice that regenerates right after being sliced. No matter how I

think about it, there seems to be a connection.”

“I agree! My great sword can break even rocks, so how could the ice floor withstand it? It’s incomprehensible!”

Did this guy really…

Did he keep smashing the ice floor with his great sword during the battle?

What if the thick ice broke when struck normally?

Ah, no.

This man would probably say something like, “Even if your subordinate falls into the ice-cold water, the man’s

passion won’t be extinguished! I’ll protect you, so climb up without worry! Swimming will tear all your muscles, so you should learn it!”

A warrior doesn’t care about the battlefield.

“What do you think, Lieutenant?”

Grace’s question made Elaine hesitate for a moment before answering.

“I did feel that Silver Sabertus became strangely stronger after transforming into the freezing cold. At the time, the

situation was urgent, and I couldn’t think deeply, but looking back now, it’s suspicious.”

When even Elaine, who fought closest to Silver Sabertus, agreed, the opinions naturally aligned.

“Your Excellency, is that the reason why you didn’t retreat after eliminating the target and stayed in position?”

“Yes, Sir Gunther. It’s to treat the injured soldiers, and also because I think we need to investigate this matter

further. If the Crystal Lake itself is the issue, then there’s a chance that other monsters could occupy this place later

on.”

In truth, the Crystal Lake wasn’t a key strategic location that had to be seized; it was simply a place known for its natural beauty.

It was too far from the city to be useful for tourism, and the northern regions hadn’t developed their tourism industry like the warm southern areas.

Therefore, it hadn’t attracted attention, and even if there was Ice Spirit energy, it hadn’t been discovered until now.

But if it turned out that there was something special about the place, the story would change.

The northern region’s military industry is top-notch, and their obsession with strengthening power is almost insane.

“We’ll select those in good condition and begin the search immediately.”

“Wait.”

Grace stopped Gunther, who was about to leave, and turned to look at me and Elaine.

“I want to ask you both first since you fought against Silver Sabertus. If there’s treasure hidden in the Crystal Lake, where do you think it might be?”

When Grace asked, Elaine fell into thought.

I had a rough idea of where the Ice Spirit might be, but I pretended to think for a moment, not wanting to seem too eager to answer.

“The center of the lake.”

“The area beneath the center of the lake.”

We both answered at the same time, and then we looked at each other in surprise.

Grace chuckled at the comedy-like situation and then said to Gunther.

“Did you hear that? They both said it’s beneath the center of the lake. There’s no need for the soldiers to search the entire area.”

“Indeed.”

“Why do you think it’s there?”

This time, Elaine answered first.

“Silver Sabertus positioned itself at the center of the lake. Since it deals with cold magic, it likely instinctively sought

out a place with a high concentration of magical energy, absorbed the cold, and grew stronger.”

Elaine’s reasoning was spot-on.

I simply added to it.

“I agree with the Captain’s opinion. The reason I think it’s beneath the lake is because of the phenomenon where the

water instantly freezes. I think there’s some force in the water that causes it.”

After hearing both of our opinions, Grace nodded.

“Beneath the lake, huh? It sounds simple, but breaking the ice and going in would be easy enough. However, the ice

regenerates quickly.”

“Your Excellency! Leave it to me! I’ll make a large hole that won’t regenerate so quickly!”

“Alright, let’s give it a try. I was already annoyed by those little jabs during the fight. We can relieve some stress, and

I should be able to break the floor with full force.”

“We’ll select soldiers who are skilled swimmers.”

Grace accepted the idea, and Gunther agreed as well.

I had no strong objections either.

If Grace doesn’t control the power of the Lion Sword, breaking the lake’s ice would be nothing for her.

With her energy added, she’d be like a heavy-duty combo.

‘But…’

I know from reading the novel that the ice crystals are below the lake.

However, I don’t know exactly where they are.

They could be at the bottom of the lake, drifting in the water, or maybe even floating on the surface.

If it’s the third case…

What if Grace throws the Lion Sword and the ice crystals on the surface shatter?

That would be a real emergency.

‘It’s not at the bottom.’

Logically, if it were at the bottom of the lake, how could the search team without Grace, as mentioned in the novel, break the ice and get to the bottom?

It must be either drifting in the water or stuck on the surface. That’s my conclusion.

So, if I don’t want to see the ice crystals shattered, I need to step in without hesitation.

The other three wouldn’t get mad if I interfered, and from what I’ve seen so far, Gunther probably wouldn’t say anything either.

“Sir, I have a suggestion.”

“Go ahead.”

??

I tilted my head slightly at how quickly Grace gave me the floor to speak.

Since she came directly to me, she must have expected this kind of response.

“I can control heat. Without the need for both of you to exert force, I will melt the ice.”

“Elaine.”

“Yes.”

“What’s Luke’s ability? I’d like to hear your judgment after seeing it firsthand.”

Elaine glanced at me and then spoke.

“Luke was able to defeat Silver Sabertus because he neutralized it with a dagger. If Luke’s heat can counter Silver Sabertus’s ice magic, he should be able to melt the bottom too.”

“I see.”

It’s nice that she’s supporting me, but I think there’s a bit of exaggeration in her statement.

I hesitated to intervene, as the timing was awkward, so I had no choice but to remain silent.

After hearing her response, Grace thought for a moment, then smiled and spoke.

“Then, I’ll leave the ice of the lake to Luke.”

Huh? She’s approving it so quickly? Even though our Northern Duke is known for being straightforward, this feels like too much trust too fast.

Anyway, that works for me. Now I don’t have to worry about shattering the ice crystals and can melt the ice without concerns.

“If there’s something powerful freezing the water below the lake, it would be hard for regular soldiers to find it. I’ll go myself.”

Everyone at the scene was shocked by Grace’s declaration.

The bodyguards, who had been standing like screens until now, were completely stunned, mouths hanging open.

Elaine hurriedly stepped forward.

“Sir, this could be dangerous. Instead, I will…”

“But you can’t swim, can you?”

“I’ll go! I’m confident in my swimming!”

“Alright, then Kyeong will go with you.”

I was stunned.

Grace is actually going to search for the ice crystals herself?

If the Northern Duke is leading the search, it would make finding the ice crystals much easier.

‘Haha, everything is going smoothly.’

Things were progressing so quickly that I felt a little dizzy.

By the way, Elaine can’t swim.

Even in this situation, I felt a little hopeful that I could gain something by being resourceful.

• If I directly help with the search for the ice crystals, the crumbs I get from it will likely be a little more.