166 - The Freed S*aves Became Obsessed

In the permanent frozen tundra region of Isengar, lies an undiscovered realm untouched by anyone for hundreds of years. However, its treasures emit a radiant light when near the kingdom, guiding the way and granting entrance solely to the chosen. Beyond this mirage-like domain, the relentless snowstorm ceases as if it never existed, revealing a fairy-tale kingdom. A kingdom of winter, buried in history along with the snow; it is Ashies' homeland. Their group reached the Preesian Kingdom. The two of them wandered through the streets, exploring the kingdom. Time seemed to stand still, as houses and goods retained their frozen past. "I've been to countless cities, but this is the first of its kind I've seen." The aesthetics were remarkably tranquil and beautiful, unlike any other city, yet an inexplicable eerie atmosphere lingered. Not a single human presence was detectable anywhere in this vast city. Where people should have been, there were only blunt ice pillars. The sizes and details varied, but the overall form was similar across all. Ashies, never resting, moved her head continuously, surveying the city, her eyes reflecting a mix of unexpressed confusion and dismay. "No one, nobody is here." "It's been too many years." Centuries wear things down eventually. Both body and soul, even if frozen over. Unless specially maintained like Ashies. "Do you remember anything?" Ashies shook her head. "Let's go further in." The two ventured deeper inside. Through the city's streets and into the palace. The first thing to greet them was the garden. Frozen still, the garden was no exception. Ashies did not pass by. She turned and, as though spellbound, wandered among the garden filled with various flowers. Ashies moved through the garden, inspecting each flower. "Do you remember anything?" She couldn't say. As always, an unfamiliar yet familiar dual perception of something that shouldn't exist, soaked through the flowers. The ice flowers resembled the frozen roses Ashies once had created. They appeared beautiful but lacked scent or life. When lifted by hand, their stems crumbled powerlessly. The petals fallen to the ground shattered with a resounding crash, leaving only an empty sensation in her hand. She proceeded into the castle. Chill hallways. Frozen chandeliers. Icy decorations. Incomprehensible ice masses. And again, ice masses. Yet more ice masses. Inside the helmet of a frozen knight, there lay an ice mass as well. Ashies' hand jerked back. Just looking made her feel suffocated. Her pace, unreasonably quickened. As if to pass by quickly. She examined each room. Some rooms were quaintly adorable, while others retained a dense and musty odor even after centuries. And then, there was one room. A room more luxurious than the others. Ashies halted in front of the frames. Family portraits. A couple seated side by side. A tiny baby nestled between them. The couple smiled brightly, but the baby remained expressionless. In the next picture. The baby had grown. She sat next to a woman who looked strikingly like herself on a sofa. Still, the baby bore no expression. Beside. The baby had matured into a woman. She remained expressionless. "A princess of the Preesian Kingdom, with her king and queen. This must be the princess's room." This was, the room of Snow White. "Do you remember anything?" "......." To Ashies, memories were no more than a vague existence, drifting like phantoms just out of reach. Veiled in fog, invisible. When she reached for them, they dispersed like fragments of a dream. The voices murmuring almost seem to surface but remain elusive. Yet now. The phantoms began to assume tangible form. As if long-hidden things were extending hands to her. Upon taking hold, the forgotten memories surfaced bit by bit. What was forgotten was not gone. The memories remained within her, merely waiting for the right time. A moment immune to being vanished by any curse. Staring endlessly at the drawings, Ashies spoke softly, her lips quivering. "……Yes." She remembered. In flawless detail. Softly smiling faces, warm touches, And the tender voice caressing her ears. And, even the tragedy that befell the kingdom. Upon realizing this, Ashies dashed out of the room. "Haa, haa…." For some reason, her breath was ragged. Despite not having moved strenuously. The thought of those 'ice masses' scattered throughout the kingdom was the cause. At the Great Hall, where her memory's end was, Ashies arrived. The hall was peculiarly chaotic. The ceiling shattered as if bombarded. Objects fragmented, it was tough to find anything intact. Among them, Ashies stood before two ice masses. Gnarled, as if trying to shield something, their forms huddled with arms extended. On their heads, ice spikes standing erect as if imitating a crown. Ashies recognized them. Despite their shapes being indistinguishable. The ice masses were the king and queen, stolen from Snow White by her stepmother. *** The princess's chamber, adorned with snow and ice. Ashies, the room's owner, sat on the bed, hugging her knees. Shocked, her gaze wandered in the air, unmoving. It was no surprise. Frozen subjects. Time had ravaged both body and soul. Those were no longer people frozen in time but mere worthless ice chunks. The king and queen were no exception. With their reunion came an eternal farewell. In the face of such a harsh reality, it would not have been unusual to collapse into tears, yet Ashies was only mildly shocked. Having just begun to learn emotions, Ashies didn't have the capacity to endure intense feelings yet. In a way, that might be fortunate. I decided to leave Ashies alone for a bit. The rush of memories and emotions must be overwhelming, and she needed some time to process everything. With nothing else to do, I roamed the palace interior. My steps weren't aimless. Typically, a royal castle hosts a plethora of invaluable treasures. There might be something akin to the Lapis Lazuli or the Holy Grail, or perhaps even greater treasures. 'This isn't stealing.' Ashies, the sole survivor and last royal of the Preesian Kingdom, is my slave, and I am her master. Naturally, the kingdom’s possessions could be considered mine. I’m merely inspecting my belongings. This, in turn, becomes an investment in Ashies. ‘What could be here?’ I started with the library. A modern library is inherently different in value from one of this era. A rare magic book or a historical tome. Finding just one would be a fortune. True to the status of a royal palace library, the shelves were densely lined with countless books. I couldn't help but smile broadly, but, unfortunately, it didn’t last long. ‘All the books are frozen?’ From cover to individual pages, everything was frozen solid. When I attempted to open a book, it broke with a crack. It would be pointless to thaw them. Once melted, the ink would likely smudge as the water seeps in. Every book here was utterly useless. “Ugh.” I threw the book away carelessly. Instead of a thud, it shattered with a crash. With a sigh, I left the library. It's fine. The true valuables are kept elsewhere. I purchased an item. [Dungeon Map] It’s a dungeon map. Priced at 500 points. This is the map I used with Mirabel during our dungeon explorations. Why would a dungeon map be in a castle, you ask? Well, the Preesian Kingdom is officially categorized as a dungeon. Although monsters don’t roam freely, it’s a secret kingdom requiring special conditions for entry, thus a hidden dungeon. Items never lie. The map began to reveal the layout of the castle. By tapping the arrow on the map, different floors are displayed. Truly a magical map. Naturally, my destination was the underground. There’s no better place to safeguard treasures than underground. With the map's help, I found the hidden door leading to the underground. I lit a torch and navigated the narrow winding staircase. Did ancient pyramid thieves feel like this? Thrill, anxiety, excitement. It was incredibly exhilarating. An Eldorado bursting with treasures awaited me! "Huh?" Upon descending further, a treasure vault appeared. But something felt off. ‘The door's busted?’ An enormous arched door lay in ruins. Considering it's been centuries, collapse isn’t surprising. But while the rest is intact, why only the vault’s door? ‘Was it a Crystal Serpent?’ A treasure-devouring serpent. Previously, it served as a guardian against intruders. Perhaps, with the kingdom’s downfall, it broke free after seizing the dangerous Holy Grail. That seems the most plausible guess. Well, it made entry easier for me. Getting through a locked door would have been a hassle. With a sprightly step, I entered the treasure vault. As expected, it glittered with countless gold and jewels. Though the treasures seemed frozen under Skadia’s influence, it didn’t matter. Melting them would suffice. They wouldn’t be ruined like the books. ‘With such a haul, transport isn’t easy.’ Yet, inviting outsiders in isn’t ideal either. Maybe I'll snatch a few valuable-looking items from deeper within. The more precious the item, the more securely it’s hidden. “What the heck. I came here expecting fun but there’s none at all? Had I known, I wouldn’t have come.” Then, a voice echoed from inside. The distinct syllables weren’t that of a monster. ‘An outsider? Or perhaps another survivor?’ It was a child’s voice. Gender unclear due to its neutral tone, but one thing was certain. It was an incredibly mischievous voice. Among the treasures, a small figure flitted about. Human. But the large black wings on its back revealed it wasn’t an ordinary human. A demon, belonging to a demonic race. A new voice emerged, "Was it a demon? Was it the one who threatened to kill Karami back then? Time for some intense drama." A user remarked with interest, mentioning connections to previous events, such as those involving Karami, hinting at the tension and excitement in the story. Another chimed in, acknowledging a character, Mirabel's follower, before speculating further on the plot developments.