Three days later.
A breeze brushed over her face, carrying the harsh chill of snow and the weathered desolation of the northern lands—a sensation bearing the weight of a millennium, yet crisp with the coolness of the snowfields.
Her brow furrowed slightly. Awakening in this bitter winter, she felt a shiver run through her, and her eyes fluttered open of their own accord.
She seemed to be riding in a moving vehicle. The bumpy mountain trail through the snow jostled the seat, rocking it to and fro.
Even so, there was a trace of warmth against her left shoulder.
The warm shoulder reminded her of falling ill as a child, when her mother had sat beside her just like this.
Sigrid slowly turned her head.
In the biting wind, her companion sat right beside her, wearing a white shirt and a diamond-patterned suit vest, holding the reins with an easy, leisurely expression.
"..."
The young man to her left noticed her waking and glanced over with a smile.
Yet his attention remained on the road ahead, steering the snow sled with the reins.
"I can't muster any strength..."
Side's voice held a rare weariness and frailty. She pulled the thick, heavy coat draped over her a little tighter.
So winter really was this cold.
Daylight on the northern snowfields was short, making it hard to tell whether it was early morning or afternoon, and the temperature would likely drop further soon.
Paying no heed to her rumpled hair, she stared at Lanqi.
She did not know how long she had been unconscious, or where they were now.
The collar of Lanqi's usually pristine, smooth coat was now badly wrinkled from being used as her blanket.
"You've been out cold for three days. Boss Cat was the one mostly looking after you during that time. We're currently on the road from the Northern Border Province to the Snowfield Province. I'd estimate it'll take a few more days to get back to the Snowfield Province."
Lanqi answered as if anticipating everything she wanted to ask.
Though Boss Cat had meager mana, he could still manage some high-tier healing cards, easing a bit of Sigrid's superficial wounds.
Sigrid glanced down and noticed the little black cat nestled between her and Lanqi. She knew that if this cat used [Polymorph: Human], it would likely turn into an adorable girl.
Boss Cat shivered under her gaze just as before, looking thoroughly timid.
"Thank you, little black cat."
Sigrid thanked him.
"...Meow, meow."
Seemingly not daring to accept the Bishop of Domination's gratitude, the little black cat merely tucked his head in, nodded, and murmured.
Yet for some reason, he felt that Sigrid was no longer so terrifying.
Perhaps it was because her voice had grown faint, or perhaps the terrifying aura about her had faded entirely.
"By the way, Side, there's something I need to tell you."
Lanqi thought for a moment before speaking up again.
"What is it?"
Sigrid asked.
"Your condition seems to have been locked by a sealing art."
Lanqi mused with a hint of uncertainty.
He had caught a slight sense of the spell Askesan used to deal Sigrid that final, grievous blow. It hadn't merely struck her with lethal force; it had virtually frozen her condition in place.
Across Sigrid's back, flesh was torn open in numerous places, laying bare traces of ghastly white bone. Whenever her body attempted to heal, faint popping sounds would crackle as the wounds repeatedly knitted together only to burst apart again. The sheer agony was unimaginable; Boss Cat had no choice but to wrap her tightly in layer after layer of bandages for now.
Even with her superhuman regenerative abilities, she remained incapable of recovery.
This sealing art bore a certain resemblance to the sealing magic [Immortal Eternal Punishment] that Lanqi had obtained in the Banquet of Sanctuary Villains. After inflicting damage, it prohibited the target from healing any injuries whatsoever and was virtually irremovable. It seemed Askesan had prepared it well in advance, specifically crafted to slay Sigrid and her formidable regeneration.
To lift it, likely only a Tier 8 Sealer on par with Askesan could do so—or it might only dissipate once the caster, Askesan, was dead.
"..."
Hearing this, Sigrid lapsed into silence. She too could feel that she hadn't regained a shred of strength, as though perpetually suspended at the brink of death.
In her present state, perhaps it would take only a Tier 5 or 6 Extinction cleric to deliver the finishing blow and kill her.
"Askesan and that robed fellow should both be severely injured. They're unlikely to pursue us south anytime soon,"
Lanqi added.
Yet the north was still Extinction territory, and communications were blockaded. With no way to relay word to the Imperial Capital or other Domination branches in the south, the two of them were essentially stranded and helpless.
"What should we do now?"
Sigrid asked Lanqi.
She roughly understood that the good news was Lanqi had successfully brought her out of the Northern Border Province, and both the robed figure and the Bishop of Extinction had been left behind.
Yet that hardly meant they could smoothly make it back to the Imperial Capital, Herrom.
If they wanted to reach the capital now, they would likely face the full force of the Extinction Branch blocking their way all the way south. Even if Askesan was currently lying low to nurse his wounds and wary that Lanqi might unleash another blast, he would hardly care about the lives of his subordinates.
Countless Extinction lackeys were bound to bar their path ahead, stopping them at all costs.
"Head straight south and return to the Imperial Capital, Herrom,"
Lanqi said with an airy smile, as though savoring every leg of the journey; so far, not a single day had gone to waste.
"..."
Sigrid had never imagined that she would embark on a fugitive journey with no sight of what the future held.
So this was what it felt like to lose the overwhelming strength that had once let her sleep soundly without a care.
Still, seeing Lanqi beside her remain so optimistic, she let go of her worries.
Her life was borrowed time anyway. This blizzard journey through thorns didn't seem so bad after all. More importantly, with someone who had braved life and death at her side, the road ahead didn't feel insurmountable in the slightest.
"Holy Son, you have to protect me, okay? I'm just a fragile young maiden,"
Sigrid offered a faint smile and spoke to Lanqi.
Her current state was probably far worse than even her earlier disguise as Side.
"Let me make something clear first. I'm merely your companion right now. While there is a theoretical possibility that I might save your life, I won't stop you from getting yourself killed. I believe in respecting other people's destinies. The moment I determine that you're undertaking a certain-death mission, I'll stop following you,"
Lanqi turned his head to look at her, showing not a shred of chivalric tenderness as he spoke with a smile.
"..."
Sigrid was still smiling, yet her expression froze in place, her teeth biting her lower lip as if reining in her fury.
She felt like she had heard these words before.
"Moreover, if I judge that an enemy is far stronger than me, I'll make a reasonable decision as a Tier 4 Sealer. For instance, when it's time to run, I'll run, and decide whether to sell you out or take you with me."
With eyes closed and a heartless expression, Lanqi continued to explain his operational mechanisms to Sigrid, which also served as a disclaimer.
"..."
Sigrid remained silent, simply smiling at Lanqi. If she had her strength back, she would dearly love to strangle this green-tea schemer.
"So you get it now, right? My favorability rating is very important,"
Lanqi let go of the reins, patted Sigrid on the shoulder, and declared with utter conviction.
And so, Sigrid remained silent for a while.
"Holy Son."
"Hmm?"
"You'd best not speak like that to other girls."
"Why?"
"Because I have a good temper and won't actually do anything to you. But a woman with a shorter fuse might not be so forgiving,"
Sigrid spoke with a smile.
Though her smile was radiant, she looked very much as if she were laughing out of sheer exasperation.
Chapter 336