Chapter 1698: Chapter 1698

"Is that Dolores's tutor?"

In the room in Nolan, the eldest princess pointed out the identity of the woman who had appeared out of thin air, her voice laced with surprise.

"She's a Benefactor too? I thought she was just an advisor. Hmm... I remember you were quite close with this lady, and she's Dolores's tutor." Check latest chapters at NoveI-Fire.ɴet

Whatever crossed her mind, she shot Jenkins an accusatory look.

"Oh, yes, she's a Benefactor too."

Jenkins murmured, his brow furrowed slightly. He had assumed Alexia would let the snowman army handle the trouble, not that she would enter the fray herself.

This was different from Jenkins taking action. No matter in what capacity he involved himself, he was ultimately the Saint of the Sage. Even if his identity as an Enchanter were discovered, it wouldn't be a major problem.

But Alexia was different. She was a non-believer demigod with no backing whatsoever. Appearing in public now would inevitably cause trouble after this incident was over.

"But... it seems there won't be much trouble after all. Although she's a non-believer, Alexia is of the good alignment, and with me to vouch for her, in these special times at the end of an Epoch, the Church should be happy to have another demigod fighter in Nolan... Plus, by revealing herself , under the spotlight, she won't have to hide her identity anymore. She's just appearing as Dolores's attendant. From now on, she can move freely in Nolan, be active by my side, which also directly adds weight to my own status..."

Chocolate raised a small paw and tapped Jenkins. Seeing him focused intently on the chessboard, she was a little unhappy at being ignored. She stood up from his lap, then leaped onto the chessboard, but Jenkins caught her just before she could dive headfirst into it.

"What are you doing?"

He asked his cat curiously. Chocolate flicked her tail against Jenkins's wrist, trying to struggle out of his grasp.

In Ruen, the power of the snowman legion had, for some unknown reason, suddenly grown stronger after Alexia's appearance. The hill where the royal palace stood, which had merely grown colder before, was now seeing flurries of snow. The entrance to the Mysterious Realm above their heads had not yet vanished, causing snowflakes to swirl around them like rapidly spinning blades.

Everyone raised their hands to shield their faces, but most of the Stuarts still recognized the woman who had just appeared as Dolores's tutor and personal advisor.

Seeing that Alexia hadn't answered, the man in the black formal suit asked again. The black mist around him swirled with the dancing snowflakes, resembling a multi-headed black-and-white serpent coiling about him.

Alexia still didn't answer him. Instead, she raised her right hand, palm up, and an azure cube materialized in it. But she didn't immediately unfold her [Mathematical Principles]. After all, the "god" who had recently descended upon Nolan had used a similar technique. Although Alexia was now revealing her identity, she didn't want to be associated with that deity.

Instead of immediately starting a fight on the cramped ground, the two demigods flew into the sky in a tacit understanding. Then, amidst the swirling snow, blue and black light intertwined. The clash of spirit triggered strange optical effects, which, combined with the atmospheric pressure changes from the Mysterious Realm's entrance, made the snowy horizon even more bizarre and fantastical.

"She's actually a demigod?"

The eldest prince was not without insight; he had at least managed to guess the truth. He then shot his sister a dark look. This was truly an incredible bargaining chip.

But regardless, the powerful enemy had been drawn into the sky, so the group immediately continued their escape. At about the same time, Salsi II, who had been ambushed through his clone, finally woke up at the table in Nolan.

The two princesses immediately helped their prone father up, while Yani Stuart brought a cup of tea.

"Why do I feel better? Was it you..."

He looked at the young man across the table. Jenkins was "wrestling" with a squirming Chocolate and had no time to speak to him. Taking advantage of this moment, Yani stood behind her father and quietly recounted what had happened during the twenty minutes he was unconscious. Meanwhile, in Ruen, the Stuarts and the clergy had already fled into the city.

By now, snow had blanketed the streets. Down the hill lay the dark northern part of the city. The fire that had burned a fifth of the city had long been extinguished by the power of the snowmen, causing little property damage. Although the snowmen had not yet appeared in this area, trudging through the dark, snow-covered streets in thin clothes, one stumbling step after another, was not a pleasant experience.

The people in the northern district had long been evacuated. In the deepest darkness before dawn, the group faced a city as silent as death.

The blizzard was so fierce that it was hard to even open one's mouth. Everyone hunched over, huddling together as they moved forward. In the oppressive atmosphere, Dolores suddenly heard someone crying beside her. She turned to see it was her younger sister, Angelina. She was the youngest in the group and shouldn't have stayed in the palace to help plan the retreat. But Angelina felt that since she had always been helping her sister Dolores, there was no reason to leave now. Thus, she became the only Stuart child present who had no connection to the game.

"It's alright. We'll be somewhere safe soon."

Dolores hugged her younger sister and walked with her, encouraging the young princess to be strong. In truth, none of the Stuarts were in good spirits. While they wouldn't cry like children, this bizarre night, orchestrated by their father, was proving to be too difficult for them.

The four princes were responsible for carrying the stretcher. The guards could have done it, but perhaps wanting to take the opportunity to prove themselves, the princes had volunteered for the task.

Before leaving the palace, carrying the stretcher hadn't been too strenuous. But after descending the hill, trying to carry it with one hand on streets thick with falling snow was no easy feat.

Ronald Stuart, walking at the back left, stumbled over something and fell to the ground. The other three, not expecting this, lost their balance. The already trembling stretcher tilted, and Salsi II's body tumbled off onto the snow.

Amidst the wind and snow, the Stuarts stared at each other in dismay. It took a moment before anyone remembered to pull the body out of the snow. Everyone's face was grim. Behind them, the hill where the palace stood was now completely enveloped in black mist, and a trembling sound urged them to leave at once.

They scrambled to call the guards to lift Salsi II back onto the stretcher. This time, the princes stepped back, letting the attendants carry it. But they had barely taken a few steps when someone else unfortunately slipped in the heavy snow. It wasn't one of the clergy or guards this time, but another Stuart child. Although he wasn't carrying the stretcher, he bumped into the guard in front of him as he fell, causing Salsi II to be thrown face-down onto the snow once again.

A tense and somewhat frantic mood spread through the group. Sarrot, his face dark, was about to call everyone to lift their father again when, unexpectedly, Salsi II rolled over, opened his eyes, and with great difficulty, pushed himself up from the snow to a standing position.

The two princesses beside him immediately rushed to support him. They were still wearing the light summer chiffon dresses from Nolan, and their faces were pale with cold. The white puffs of their heavy breaths grew faint in the air.

"You've disappointed me greatly."

The standing Salsi II faced the blizzard, his complexion an unnatural red. He didn't bother to straighten his rumpled clothes or brush off the snow, letting the flakes whiten his hair as he berated his children in the snowy night.

"You must not panic, no matter the situation! Is this a dead end? You've already left the most dangerous place. Is that so terrible? Cough, cough..."

He coughed violently, then suddenly doubled over, leaving a crimson flower of blood on the snow. But fortunately, this wasn't his original body, so there was no need for excessive worry.

"I designed this contest tonight precisely so that you children, who have grown up in an era of peace, could truly experience the chaos of war. The age of peace has lasted too long. You live in comfort. The last thing I can do for you is to give you this final guidance."

He started coughing again, even more violently than before. The wide street seemed even broader in the deserted night, surrounded by a vast expanse of white, making the blood trickling from the old king's lips look exceptionally red.

"And now, a simple setback has reduced you to this!"

He rebuked his children.

"What king in history has not endured things far more cruel and terrible than this? You are merely lucky to have been born in a good era, but do not think the world will always be this way. You... cough, cough, all of you... with you , how can I dare to die in peace?"

He clutched his chest and coughed in agony, the sound so ragged it was as if his lungs were tearing apart. The people from the Tree House had ill intentions when they provided the ritual for the clone. They knew the famously resolute and tough northern king wouldn't cooperate easily, so to make blackmail easier later, they had placed a powerful curse on this body.

He called out the names of two of his children. Under the watchful eyes of the group, Sarrot Valens Stuart and Dolores Elizabeth Stuart walked up to their father.

Both were also in thin clothes. The prince was pale from the cold, and Dolores was pale from her earlier injury; they both looked miserable.