Chapter 030 : Calamity
Observing the situation, Elder Choi Han-rim, who was from the Guardian Squad, realized that the Elders were more hostile toward Hyeokryeon Yeom than expected.
'Even if he is a follower of the Demonic Cult.'
Looking at the actions Hyeokryeon Yeom had shown since arriving at the Ice Palace, one had to acknowledge what was due.
He saved the Young Palace Head, Seol Ye-rin, whom no one had been able to save despite all efforts.
Although it was by the Palace Lord's order, he wiped out the horse bandits.
Having such contributions recognized, the Palace Lord must have shown him the Ice Crystal, which he hadn't shown even to the Elders a single time.
'To think he came out perfectly fine even after seeing the Ice Crystal.'
Choi Han-rim stared at Hyeokryeon Yeom.
The Guardian Squad of the Ice Palace, unknown even to the Ice Palace Lord, would be watching Hyeokryeon Yeom.
If he was an existence helpful to the Ice Palace, they would help Hyeokryeon Yeom, and if he was a harmful existence, they would try to erase his very existence somehow.
Visiting the Council of Elders at this time should be seen as a good move.
It meant he could learn a bit more about the person named Hyeokryeon Yeom.
"Permission? Of course, I must receive it."
At Hyeokryeon Yeom's single remark, Han Bing-ok stepped forward.
"Do not stop me."
There was no intention to stop her.
If Elder Han stepped up, he was rather grateful.
It was an opportunity to verify just what level of martial prowess Hyeokryeon Yeom possessed.
Elder Choi Han-rim's gaze turned toward Chairman Seol Un-gang.
Normally, he would surely have stopped Han Bing-ok's action.
But there was no restraint whatsoever.
Seol Un-gang might also be curious about Hyeokryeon Yeom's martial prowess.
"I visited the Council of Elders to offer my greetings, not to be acknowledged as the live-in son-in-law of the Ice Palace."
At Hyeokryeon Yeom's remark.
"I apologize, Elder. If you intend to harm the Captain, we have no choice but to block you."
Eun Bin slightly opened his slit eyes and blocked the path in front of Hyeokryeon Yeom.
"Basically, I heard the Small Snow Squad is a unit that protects the Young Palace Head, but to protect the Young Palace Head, the Captain must not be injured."
Tae Un-seo also stood in front of Hyeokryeon Yeom, holding a kitchen knife.
"If you intend to hurt the Young Master, you will have to deal with us first."
Wi Ji-yeong fearlessly stood next to Tae Un-seo.
"Kuhum, I have no intention of making enemies with the Elders, but since I am also a member of the Small Snow Squad."
Lastly, even Baek Mu-yong stood in front of Hyeokryeon Yeom.
"Ha."
Choi Han-rim's eyes widened at the sight of them prioritizing the Captain over the Elders of the Ice Palace.
It was a sight that had never been seen in the Ice Palace until now.
'Guys who should know full well the authority of the Elders.......'
They were voluntarily moving to protect Hyeokryeon Yeom.
'I heard it has only been a few days since he came to the Ice Palace.'
Even setting aside the maid he brought from the Demonic Cult.
'Eun Bin, who only had eyes for the Young Palace Head. Baek Mu-yong of the Ice Wolf Squad. Plus, the aspiring chef swordsman from the Snow Tiger Squad.'
It seemed Hyeokryeon Yeom had completely captivated those three.
Leaving aside whether he was a lecher or not, that ability to captivate people had to be acknowledged.
"How dare......."
The problem was that the high-nosed Elder Han Bing-ok was experiencing such a case for the first time.
"You will only come to your senses if everything is frozen."
Whoosh—
The Cold Blood Witch, Han Bing-ok's hair fluttered, and a tremendous chill began to emanate from her.
'Hmm?'
Seeing that, Hyeokryeon Yeom tilted his head.
It was strange.
Clearly, their faces did not resemble each other at all.
But the moment Elder Han Bing-ok emitted the chill.
Elder Han Bing-ok began to overlap with the Young Palace Head, Seol Ye-rin.
***
The moment Elder Han Bing-ok spewed out her ice arts.
-Pant, pant!
The Yin Wolf jumped out of my embrace.
"Oh my!"
Gulp— Gulp—
Then it began to suck in the Yin Qi.
"Snow Wolf?"
Seol Un-gang's eyes flashed at that sight.
"I told you not to eat just anything."
I ,Hyeokryeon Yeom, put the Yin Wolf back into my embrace and then kindled a flame.
'Just now, what was that?'
I wondered if the two people with completely different appearances overlapping were due to their martial arts.
Thinking that I should find out a bit more about Elder Han Bing-ok as well.
"If it were up to me, I would also like to experience the Elder's martial prowess, but it seems today is not the day."
"What do you...."
"What is this commotion!"
Two men entering the Council of Elders were seen.
They were Elder Gwak Tae-san, from the Snow Tiger Squad, and Elder Baek Seol-pung, from the Ice Wolf Squad.
"...Small Snow Squad Captain?"
"Why are you in the Council of Elders?"
"Two Elders, have you arrived?"
At my greeting, both of them made awkward expressions.
Having already had a scuffle with me, the two's expressions brightened upon seeing Elder Han Bing-ok raising her energy.
"Hoho, isn't it the Small Snow Squad Captain? Are you competing with Elder Han this time?"
"To hold a duel even in the Council of Elders. Impressive."
"...Elder Baek. Is that Snow Wolf the one you handed over to the Small Snow Squad Captain?"
At Seol Un-gang's words, Baek Seol-pung nodded.
"I had no choice."
"To hand over a Snow Wolf to someone who isn't even an Ice Wolf Squad member."
"...Isn't that outside my authority?"
At Chairman Seol Un-gang's words clearly rebuking Baek Seol-pung, Baek Seol-pung showed blatant discomfort.
'It seems factions are divided even within the Council of Elders.'
If there was a traitor among the people I had investigated through conversation so far.
'I don't know why, but Elder Han Bing-ok seemed sincere about Miss Seol's matters.'
If Tae Un-seo's words were correct, Elder Choi Han-rim, who protects the Ice Palace, wouldn't think of overthrowing the Ice Palace.
Then the remaining impurity was only one person.
'Elder Seol Un-gang.'
It seemed necessary to dig into his background.
'Since I seem to have roughly achieved my objective.'
It seemed time to leave.
"It would be better to postpone crossing hands until next time."
"Wait, where do you think you are going?"
At Elder Han Bing-ok's words, I pointed behind her.
"We can't fight in front of the Young Palace Head, can we?"
At my words, Elder Han Bing-ok looked at the figure following behind Elders Gwak Tae-san and Baek Seol-pung.
"You were in a place like this."
"Ah......."
Elder Han Bing-ok, seeing the recovered Young Palace Head, Seol Ye-rin, for the first time, let out a gasp.
***
"Thanks to you, I survived."
"You wouldn't have died even if I wasn't there, right?"
With the appearance of the Young Palace Head, Seol Ye-rin, I was able to slip out of the Council of Elders without a clash.
-Pant! Pant!
The Yin Wolf wagged its tail as soon as it saw Seol Ye-rin.
"Not this time."
Since it had already absorbed Elder Han Bing-ok's Yin Qi, I stopped it from trying to absorb Seol Ye-rin's Extreme Yin Qi.
The Yin Wolf understood my words.
It seemed to understand the concept that too much is as bad as too little quite well.
"It's a very intelligent Snow Wolf."
"I wish it would grow up quickly."
Carrying it in my embrace all the time was also a chore.
"So, what brings you to find me this time?"
"We agreed to do the Cold Snow Secret Realm training together."
-How about dealing with her for a bit?
-Keul keul, since she understood emptying and filling, it would be good to combine it with actual combat next.
At the advice of the Martial Gods, I turned to look at Seol Ye-rin.
"That's a good idea."
"Pardon?"
"Ah, since Miss Seol is training in the Cold Snow Secret Realm, I thought I might as well learn some of the Martial Gods' martial arts."
-It will be hard for you to learn our martial arts.
"There is no rule that says you have to be good from the start."
Thinking to myself, it didn't seem like I lacked talent for martial arts.
Was it because I had experienced three different lives?
Improving the Sword Venerable's Snow Wind Sword to fit my constitution wasn't that difficult either.
'I heard they call this kind of talent the talent of a Grandmaster.'
I didn't think so at all.
In fact, rather than talent, this could be called the price of fierce effort until now.
'Analysis and effort.'
In my first life.
In my second life.
And in my third life.
I had practiced these two things without fail.
I was simply unlucky.
Come to think of it.
'Did my luck start to open up after meeting Miss Seol?'
I found the Sword Venerable's legacy that hadn't been found for three hundred years, and I also found the Demon Queen's legacy that hadn't been found for two hundred years.
Walking toward the training ground, I glanced at Seol Ye-rin's profile.
'She is certainly a beauty.'
The saying "Beauties have unhappy fates" doesn't exist for nothing.
Seol Ye-rin's life also changed quite a lot after meeting me.
Originally, she should have died young, but she was revived through Yin-Yang Unification with me.
It must have been from that time.
I started meeting the Martial Gods, recruiting squad members, and establishing my place in the Ice Palace.
'But has Miss Seol's fate completely changed just like this?'
Fate is not an easy opponent.
Having died three times, I knew that all too well.
"What are you thinking about so deeply?"
"I was thinking about Miss Seol."
"Pardon?"
"No, let's just train."
Lost in thought while walking, we had arrived at the training ground before I knew it.
The Young Palace Head's Hall.
Entering the training ground exclusive to the Young Palace Head, Seol Ye-rin and I faced each other.
-Hello? We met again.
"Hello?"
When I handed the Demon Queen's secret manual, the Cold Snow Secret Realm, to Seol Ye-rin, the Demon Queen began to be visible to Seol Ye-rin's eyes as well.
-Since you experienced emptying and filling, let's go full power this time!
"By full power, you mean......."
-Until now, you must have been unable to use your full power because you were afraid everything would freeze.
At the Demon Queen's words, I stared at Seol Ye-rin.
Seol Ye-rin is known to have achieved the twelfth stage of complete mastery in the Ice White Divine Art, the unique martial art of the Ice Palace.
The problem was that since she already had an Extreme Yin Body, she could make people freeze just by a light touch.
As the Demon Queen said, if Seol Ye-rin unleashed her full power, the surroundings would turn into an ice sheet in an instant.
"Really... is it okay to do that?"
-Of course. In any case, that side won't freeze, and besides, isn't the Snow Wind Sword Venerable with him?
The Demon Queen explained while pointing at me.
Watching the Demon Queen, I also asked the Sword Venerable.
"Who created the martial art called Cold Snow Secret Realm?"
-You could call her a distant ancestor of the Young Palace Head.
As soon as the Sword Venerable's words ended,
Vwooooom—
A chill more terrible than the Yin Qi Han Bing-ok emitted in the Council of Elders just now began to pour out from Seol Ye-rin's entire body.
-If you don't want to die, you will have to block it with all your might.
"You heard that, right?"
-Lift Extreme Snow.
"I apologize, but I think the name of this sword needs to be changed now."
Fwoosh—
Flames began to soar from the tip of the sword.
-Naming the sword is up to you. But what name do you intend to give it?
"Extreme Flame."
To survive against Miss Seol unleashing the Cold Snow Demon Queen's martial arts with full power.
I, too, would have to put my Flame Soul into the sword with full power.
"...If you freeze, I will be disappointed. Third Young Master."
Craaaack—
Everything began to freeze.
As I raised the Extreme Yang Qi against that tremendous full power, I thought.
'The saying that frost falls even in May if a woman holds a grudge was a sheer lie.'
Correction was needed.
It's not frost, it's a calamity.
Even without holding a grudge, Seol Ye-rin herself was no different from a calamity.
And I,
Intended to become a comrade in the same boat as that calamity.
***
At that time.
Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, Cult Leader's Hall.
"Cult Leader. A gift has arrived from the Ice Palace."
"A gift?"
The Cult Leader, Hyeokryeon Hwi, tilted his head at the report from the Strategist, Sa Ma-ui.
To think the Ice Palace, which was no different from an enemy, sent a gift.
"What gift did they send?"
"They say it is a wedding gift."
Clatter—!
At Sa Ma-ui's answer, the teacup Hyeokryeon Hwi was holding dropped.