Lucilline felt like he understood the male lead a bit more.

He allowed Azalea to finish taking a bath first, before entering himself. Alas, the night regained its tranquility, where only the rustles of the nightly spirits and the crackles of a campfire can be heard. The group went to rest in their own separate tents, allowing themselves to succumb to sleep.

In the morning, Lucilline woke up to his numb and unfeeling limbs. The skin on his lips were cracked, and his eyelids felt heavier than before.

"Awake?" An indifferent voice sounded.

Farrah's pair of cold eyes reflected in liquid gold—Lucilline couldn't help but recoil back in his tent, where he could stay away from that menacing gaze. His long locks of black hair slid down a shoulder, wrapping around his neck like a scarf.

The Demon Princess handed him a plate of cooked corn on the cob. A few sides of the yellow cane had been burnt a golden brown, and an appetizing sweet scent wafted beneath Lucilline's nose.

The black-haired nobleman couldn't help but gulp.

"Thanks." He reached for the corn on the cob, sinking his teeth into the vegetable. Unsurprisingly, Farrah watched him eat with an indiscernible expression.

They fell into a mutual silence.

At last, Farrah spoke up, "You humans are strange creatures."

Lucilline raised his head with puzzlement. "Huh?"

The Demon Princess was unmoved. She had no idea why she was explaining her thoughts to a mere mortal, but she could not control her mouth. "Unlike humans or even weak demons, we Royal Demons do not fear of hunger or pain. I cannot comprehend why humans eat."

Lucilline thought to himself. "Well, we don't always eat for hunger. We often eat just to satisfy ourselves."

Farrah laughed, "So it's just the result of the humans' arrogance?"

The black-haired nobleman revealed a slight smile. He did not refute her, nor acknowledge her. In fact, not even humans could comprehend their own feelings.

When Lucilline finished eating, he set the cob aside in the waste bag. The black-haired nobleman stood up, draping his cloak over his torso, fastening the buttons up to cover his slender and cold figure. He exuded a nebula of confidence, one that made Farrah contemplate of his thoughts.

"Shall we continue towards the kingdom of only ice?" Percival asked.

The rest of the group were all up, discussing furthermore procedures for the later adventure. They sat circled around the campfire, which had already died into mere charcoal.

"Kingdom of only ice?" Azalea perked up. "What do you mean by that?"

The group's guide, Percival, began to explain. "Isdis Kingdom is situated in the most northern area, where not even a highly skilled demon can survive on its own. Ever since the demons were expelled and banned from Lydia Kingdom, with their own kingdom crumbling to the ground, Isdis Kingdom became deserted."

"There is nothing there but ice." Percival adjusted his long brown hair, the streaks of caramel was enough to alleviate Lucilline's hunger, like melted sugar swimming in banks of coffee.

Nothing but ice. Farrah hummed to herself. Would that really be all we find there?

*****

To Farrah's surprise, when they arrived at Isdis Kingdom, it really was nothing but ice.

It was as if they stepped upon an entire sea of glassware, the clear yet solid land resembled a frozen lake. Beneath their feet were endless darkness. The ice seemed to shake underneath every step taken, with soft quakes shuddering in between.

"Don't worry, they won't break." Percival mentioned. "The ice have remained stable and supported the Kingdom's structure for centuries."

Augustine lowered his eyes. He glanced at the dark ice, then peeled his gaze away. It was a common saying in the modern world that "When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes back". Who knew whatever was beneath the ice?

"If we keep going straight and across the kingdom, we should arrive in Ubel Kingdom." Percival calculated, his long and slender finger pointing on his handy map.

The bunch of knights and adventurers agreed unanimously.

"Then let's go."

Isdis Kingdom was covered with ragged icicles in the size of mountains. The edges of the ice were glossed over in frost, glimmering brighter than the foam floating upon beer. The snowy kingdom were glazed over in pure white snow, and steep slopes of cliffs rose unpredictably like waves.

The group of adventurers climbed over a steep cliff.

"Hah, it's really cold now." One of the nameless knights exhaled, with a misty white cloud blowing out of his mouth.

Lucilline hugged his cloak tighter to himself.

Flakes of soft snow drifted down from the plain canvas sky, melting into a small droplet of water upon hitting his nose.

In the distant snowstorm, a tower cloaked in grey shadows stood isolated from the world. The group of knights and adventurers stared at the tower, everyone in a trance. The peak of the tower were surrounded by fields of clouds, as if they were bees crowding around a single flower, vying for its love.

"...what is that?" Augustine blurted out.

Percival found himself pale, "That is the ancient tower where the Queen of Isdis Kingdom resided. To think that this structure is still alive and standing... how remarkable."

Layla snorted, uninterested in the subject of a forgotten kingdom. His head of bright pink was an eyesore amongst the large body of ice.

"We should not near the tower," Percival guided, "Who knows what kind of magical formations were left behind. We might accidentally trigger something—"

Before he could finish his sentence, the sound of thick snow and heavy footsteps raced in the distance. There was the ominous look of black shadows and red eyes, bold enough to sear into one's soul, like hot iron imprinted onto skin.

"Incoming demons!" Azalea unsheathed his sword.

Jacques hurriedly took out his staff, wielding it before his tall lean body.

Layla hid Lucilline behind him, only for the latter to wonder about the appearances. What are demons doing here in daytime? Perhaps it's because we're in Isdis Kingdom where it is always snowing, so the clouds block out the sun. However, that doesn't mean there is no light present.

The black-haired nobleman bit his fingernail. Demons have always despised the light, but it is not life-threatening. Typically, demons wouldn't venture out at daytime... unless if they are ordered by superiors.

From the corner of his eyes, Lucilline spotted the indifferent figure of the Demon Princess.

Farrah noticed his gaze and looked back.

Lucilline frowned. There may be more than one surviving Royal Demon. I wonder if this is a good opportunity for Farrah to retain her memories, or a bad thing for us.

The knights engaged in a fight against the demons. Snow piled upon their shoulders, heavy like iron shackles, strictly restraining their movements. Nevertheless, the demons were defeated after a few calculated strikes.

"How could this be possible..." Jacques frowned. "It feels as if the demons know where we are, and are purposely engaging in combat with us."

Upon hearing that, Dimitri's eyes were glazed over with a harsh light.

The Crown Prince pursed his lips. "Someone in the group might be a traitor."

Everyone fell silent. The tension in the atmosphere was solid enough to be cut by a knife.

If there really was a traitor... selling out their every movements to the demons, then the sudden appearances and attacks of those demons didn't seem so strange anymore. "However, this is just a hypothesis." Dimitri regained ground, his handsome face shone in the glistening snow. "Take my words lightly. Everyone in our group have been arranged beforehand. There is no opportunity for a demon's spy to sneak in."

Alas, everyone regained their calm.

But the fear of a spy being with the demons... the possibility still lingered in the corners. No matter how hard they tried to ignore it, the thought was always there.

"To be honest, I think I'd be the most probable traitor." Layla off-handedly commented. His beautiful face remained unfazed, as he explained, "I'm a mediocre prince of Miriam Kingdom that needs to gain favour from the King and Queen."

Lucilline disagreed.

The black-haired nobleman calmly analyzed, then refuted, "Before you joined our party, we were already attacked by demons before. You were not aware of our arrival in Miriam Kingdom, so it's impossible for you to arrange an ambush on us."

"Oh." Layla's face grew a smug smile.

"Hahahaha! As expected of Lucy, I can't believe how smart you are! Lucy is right! I am indeed no traitor serving the demons!" The pink-haired prince laughed, his chest heaving up and down. Tears formed in his eyes out of amusement.

A dark glare seared at his back.

Dimitri snorted, his face darker than a kettle.

Lucilline frowned. No, this isn't a good thing. It would've been easier if Layla was the traitor. It means that someone from Lydia Kingdom is it...

Starting off, the two nameless knights... he never really got to know them. Could it be that one of them is...

He shook his head.

Lucilline forced himself to wake up from the distrust. "Let's continue to Ubel Kingdom. Traitor or not, we will get to our destination." The path past the kingdom of ice was especially dangerous. Every step forward seemed to multiply the fatigue on their shoulders. The black-haired nobleman noticed many of the group members passing suspicious glances towards one another.

Sooner or later, they will fall apart.

"Is it just me or is the ground shaking?" One of the nameless knights murmured.

His buddy shook his head, shooting him a disdainful glare, "How is that possible? Didn't Young Master Delta say that the ice here wouldn't break?"

Percival hummed to himself with a serious face.

It really was strange. The ice of Isdis Kingdom was the most stable and cold, able to stay still even if a thousand horses trampled over the surface. So why is it that the ground feels like it's shaking...?

Lucilline suddenly slipped.

Before he could fall head first into the ice, a warm calloused hand grabbed onto his wrist. Augustine frowned, "Are you alright? Walk slower." The butler was wrapped in tight clothes, which exuded his tense and taut abdominal muscles. His wide shoulders had a thick bearing, as if piles of invisible snow piled upon them.

Augustine's brows furrowed.

He helped Lucilline steady back upon his feet, with the latter's black heels scraping upon the dark ice. The black-haired nobleman sighed, "The ground feels unsteady."

It was then a skyrocketing scream tore through the clouds. As if the skies were ripped open, and a pure black void spanned across the dark ice. Cracks seared through everywhere, like purple veins throbbing, and blood exploding past vessels.

The ground trembled like a frightened squirrel.

None of the adults were able to stand on their feet. They all fell to the ice, as cracks formed above the dark surface. "W-What is happening!?!" Willow blurted out.

The maidservant clung fearfully onto Farrah's arm.

The Demon Princess indifferently frowned.

"It is a dragon."

Black rocky scales had risen above from the cracks, like waves splashing onto a beach's shoreline. A thick and giant body climbed up within the dark ice. Wings unfurled themselves, with sticky goo webbed across the scales. A snout breathed in the cold air, and crooked obsidian black teeth poked out.

The black dragon snorted out a bunch of fire.

"W-Why is there a goddamn dragon beneath the ice!?!" One of the nameless knights cried aloud.

The black scales twitched, and the dragon's eyelids gradually opened. A slit pupil within a sea of green had stared down at the puny humans.

"All knights!" Dimitri commanded, his handsome look still unwavering in the face of danger. His dashing blonde hair shone like liquid gold, as if an entire field of wheat was bathing in the sunlight's glow. "Follow my orders! Take out your weapons and stay on guard!"

However, to face such a commendable dragon, the knights couldn't help but cower in fear.

The two nameless knights shivered, and their knees weakened. They couldn't even climb up from the dark ice, their feet and iron armour continuously slipping.

Jacques supported himself with his staff.

Azalea unsheathed his silver sword; his amethyst purple eyes searing into the black dragon.

The ice began to shake like platforms drifting upon a body of water. Lucilline struggled to stand up, his slender tights scraping against the ice. By his side, Augustine helped him.

Meanwhile, Layla lazily sharpened his sword. His servant, Noah, could only idly stand by and fall onto his knees due to the rocketing ice.

It happened all of a sudden.

The black dragon soared up high, its giant and scaly body becoming only a mere black dot. Hot green flames spewed out of its nostrils, and before every second could be clearly counted, a sea of green had drowned the knights into melted iron.

The knights all scrambled back, dodging the flames.

However, the sea of green fire had melted the ice.

The platforms of ice became even more slippery and unstable.

"Be careful!" The adventurers yelled out in chorus. Percival whipped out his bow and arrows, aiming the arrow at the black dragon above. However, it was too far away, making it impossible for the arrow to hit the target.

His actions were merely an act of reassurance.

"It's coming down!" Layla gave a smug smile, readying his sword to meet the black dragon.

The small ball of black fell down from the skies like a meteor shower. The black dragon was fast—too fast for the naked eye to track.

Before anyone could react, a sharp claw threw itself at Lucilline's face—

Lucilline prepared himself for the pain. Instead, he felt nothing but a soft push. The black-haired nobleman tumbled down onto the dark ice, and his obsidian black cloak had a layer of snow. "Wha—" He coughed, his lungs hurting from the frozen air.

His golden eyes blurred.

This is a familiar sensation. There was the odd sound of flesh being punctured—as if bones were crushed into bits within God's palm. The strange odour of metal lingered in the air, and something splashed onto Lucilline's face.

His lips opened in shock, and a nauseating liquid fell within the opened gaps.

It was a metallic taste—the liquid thick and made him awaken the memories he needn't remember. Blood. Crimson red.

"AUGUST—" His cry was interrupted, as the butler's bloodied body collapsed upon him.

There was hot blood splattered all across his body, as if he himself was the one who'd been stabbed by the black dragon's claws. Lucilline's four limbs shook uncontrollably. His entire skin paled by a tone, becoming a ghost instantly.

A giant hole was torn in Augustine's abdomen.

There's no way. Lucilline hugged onto the butler, whose body was slowly becoming cold. He was drowning in the sea of oozing blood. The wound wouldn't heal, no matter how hard he pressed at the injury, trying to stop the bleeding.

More and more blood seeped from his fingertips.

"Move aside!" Jacques knelt down. He hurriedly placed the staff between his light pink eyes, and his whole bundle of blue hair was blown into the air. The mage chanted a scripture of unspeakable words. Nobody at present could understand what he was saying, but his tone sounded thick and bitter.

The flesh at Augustine's open wound began to squirm.

However, it couldn't completely close. If Jacques couldn't stop the bleeding on time, then Augustine would for sure die of blood loss...!

White light enveloped the butler's dying body.

"Fight the dragon!" Dimitri unsheathed his own sword, "Don't let the dragon get close to the injured!"

Layla scoffed. "Not just the injured—he's almost the dead."

But before the pink-haired Prince was able to say another sentence, the ground beneath him started to shake. A crack formed in the dark ice.

"This—" Layla was speechless.

He cried out, and hurriedly stepped backwards. The dark ice only formed more cracks, forcing him to head back. Then, the pink-haired prince froze. He was at the edge of the cliff. The dark ice trembled even more, and finally—

Layla and the ice broke, tumbling down the steep cliff.

Everything was wrong.

Author's Note:

Aya! It seems that the worst is happening! Augustine is on the verge of death, and Layla falls down the broken cliff!

There also seems to be a potential traitor in the group!?!

Does anyone have any predictions for who it is? Or do you believe there is none?