Early March, in Gedaria, royal capital of the Kingdom of Asethelan.
The forest capital resembled a fresh painting newly freed from winter's heavy canvas, showcasing the stillness and novelty of early spring. Cobblestone streets, just liberated from ice and snow, lay damp and gleamed with greater luster beneath the midday light.
The lakes within the city were gradually awakening. Across gentle ripples on the water, a few stray petals drifted down with the breeze to lightly touch the surface. Branches swayed, carrying on the wind the faint fragrance of fresh grass.
Beside Gedaria's lake, within a temple encircled by ancient trees, the low chants of priests arose from time to time, weaving together with distant birdsong, blooming flowers, and chirping insects into a harmonious chord of nature.
Deep within the innermost hall, in one corner of the chamber, stood an enormous bookcase reaching nearly to the ceiling. Many of the book spines resting on its shelves had yellowed with the passage of time, while others were preserved as if brand new.
Not far from this bookcase stood the Ice Snow Witch. Bathed in natural light, the long skirt of her gown drifted like snowflakes, pure and noble.
"As an operative, one must remain calm at all times—that is a familiar adage."
And here in this temple, it was the Ice Snow Witch's parting counsel to Hyperion.
After all, if one grew slack and careless or lost one's composure, even the Goddess of Fate could hardly offer help.
"This card—I hope it will protect you in my stead."
The Ice Snow Witch handed Hyperion a Pink Sacred card draped in frosty mist.
Their voices echoed through the grand hall of ice and snow.
Hyperion nodded with great solemnity and received the card, feeling the gentle, familiar magic radiating from within.
This was the spell the Ice Snow Witch had previously promised her and rushed to craft—a spell Hyperion had never been able to master no matter how long she tried.
"Teacher Almis, thank you for looking after me all this time."
Hyperion bowed sincerely to the Ice Snow Witch in gratitude.
"Do your best. Whatever happens once you reach the Protos Empire, put your own safety first."
The Ice Snow Witch embraced Hyperion.
Over the time they had spent together, she had come to regard Hyperion as her most cherished disciple.
At first, owing to Hyperion's background, Almis had considered keeping a certain distance from her.
Yet in the end, Almis had become convinced that Hyperion was a truly good child, sincere and unblemished. While she indeed possessed the resilience and cold resolve of the demon race, whenever she faced those close to her, her eyes reflected nothing but honesty.
"You seem to carry an Epic card on you. Though I don't know its effects, the more trump cards you have, the more at ease I feel,"
the Ice Snow Witch said with a smile.
"No... it isn't mine. Lanqi lent it to me,"
Hyperion answered after a moment of thought.
"An Epic card can be lent?"
Almis paused slightly in surprise.
Magic cards of Pink Sacred and Orange Epic quality could not be traded freely, for a Pink Sacred card's soul-bind was extraordinarily difficult to sever, while an Orange Epic could not be unbound at all.
Unless it was an auto-trigger high-grade card, lending it to someone else rendered it completely unusable.
"This card is rather unusual. She can summon herself... Even without Lanqi, she can aid me of her own volition. But she's somewhat dangerous, which is why I haven't let her out while in the temple,"
Hyperion explained.
"May I see it?"
the Ice Snow Witch asked with evident curiosity.
Hyperion nodded and brought out a translucent orange card that carried the fragrance of flowers—[Poet of Great Love].
"Poet of Great Love, you can come out for a moment."
She called out to [Poet of Great Love].
There was no response.
"Lanfu?"
Hyperion held the Orange Epic card and called twice, but the Poet of Great Love showed no intention of appearing.
Hyperion was bewildered.
Usually, whenever she called for the Poet of Great Love at home, the summon would leap out with utter delight. Only this time was it failing completely.
It was as though she feared the Ice Snow Witch and was unwilling to show herself before her.
Then again, without their master present, magic cards might genuinely dread being handled by an ultra-high-tier magic artificer.
To a magic card's eyes, such a person might very well look like a top-tier dismantling machine.
"It's all right. It is only natural for an intelligent summon to fear an unfamiliar magic artificer. I simply didn't expect a demon-type summon to be this cowardly,"
the Ice Snow Witch observed the card cursorily and murmured to herself.
For a moment, even she couldn't quite fathom the structure of the card.
"Who's afraid of you?! I just don't want you laying eyes on my peerless beauty!"
All at once, the Poet of Great Love materialized, both hands shielding her face as she hunched her back slightly.
Had Lanqi not stressed to her before departing that she must never let anyone on the Northern Continent—especially demons—see her face, she would never have cowered before this obnoxious woman. How dare she call her cowardly!
Though the Poet of Great Love didn't know the exact reason behind Lanqi's repeated warnings, she could guess a thing or two. For instance, Tata might once have been a rather prominent figure on the Northern Continent, and given that the Poet of Great Love shared a near-identical appearance with Tata, being recognized could stir up needless trouble.
Hyperion watched the Poet of Great Love's comical antics, utterly at a loss for words.
"Just how beautiful could you possibly be?"
The Ice Snow Witch found it somewhat amusing. She had never seen a summon so timid yet so stubborn and sharp-tongued.
She hadn't intended to say much, but hearing the summon's outrageously provocative tone, she couldn't help shooting back a retort.
"!"
The Poet of Great Love was sorely tempted to drop her hands and let the Ice Snow Witch behold her unmatched beauty, yet Lanqi's warning echoed repeatedly in her mind.
The more she thought, the angrier she grew. Finally, her gaze flicked slightly downward.
"Anyway, far prettier than a cutting board like you!"
The Poet of Great Love curled her lips in disdain.
The Ice Snow Witch blinked, taken aback, but quickly understood what she meant by 'cutting board.'
She took a deep breath.
"I will not stoop to your level, but mark my words: with a personality like yours, no matter how beautiful you are, no one in this world will ever genuinely love you,"
the Ice Snow Witch said coldly.
At those words, the Poet of Great Love's hands trembled with rage, plainly refusing to concede.
Seeing that a full-blown quarrel was about to erupt, Hyperion hastily stepped between the Poet of Great Love and the Ice Snow Witch.
"Lanfu, calm down, calm down!"
She hadn't imagined that Teacher Almis and the Poet of Great Love would have such incompatible personalities, ready to tear into each other the moment they met.
"Hmph! Lanqi may always think the woman who shares my face is cold, ferocious, and old, but I'm different! Not only do I have looks, I have charm!"
Tossing out that parting shot, the Poet of Great Love dissolved back into her summon card.
*Hiss—*
A cold sweat broke out across Hyperion as she drew a sharp breath. She knew full well that the Poet of Great Love was making veiled accusations—sounding as though she were talking about Tata, when in truth she was calling the Ice Snow Witch cold, ferocious, and old.
Fortunately, this was the Northern Continent. If those words had been uttered in front of someone who knew Tata, Hyperion would have seriously suspected whether the Poet of Great Love was wishing for Lanqi's death!
"I'm so sorry, Teacher Almis. The Poet of Great Love is used to being indulged,"
Hyperion quickly bowed her head to apologize to the Ice Snow Witch.
"It's fine. The fault is mine. I never expected I would stoop to reasoning with a demon summon."
The Ice Snow Witch shook her head.
The instant the Poet of Great Love vanished, she had also realized what the summon's effect was—to think that even she had been influenced by this melody magic.
Chapter 321