My exclusive card pool

Chapter 120: Poetry and Farewell Can Both Have No Ending

Godariel was exhausted from the long journey up the snow mountain, and after a spell battle, her emotions fluctuated. Finally, she collapsed from exhaustion and fell into a deep sleep in Wang Xi's arms.

After a while.

Wang Xi used magic, and a cold, eerie blue light emanated from his fingertips. As he moved, ice crystals condensed on the snow, and in the blink of an eye, a small, domed igloo, just like the one the Chicken-Loving Mushroom Man had built out of thin air.

He scooped the girl up in his arms and gently carried her into the ice house, then turned around and retrieved the black cloak to drape over her shoulders.

Pinocchio was rolling around in the snow, having a great time all by himself. It seemed that "trouble" was never a thing in his life.

In his words, it is "life cannot wait until it is no longer difficult before deciding to be happy," a teaching he inherited from his father, Gippertto.

Pinocchio always remembered.

Wang Xi sat alone on the ice chair, examining the two orbs of light in his mind—

One blue, one dark green.

The former is ice magic given by Isabella, and the latter is a card captured by Godariel after she conceded defeat.

Perhaps due to the vast difference in strength, Wang Xi could only obtain one card from Cinderella even after defeating her.

There's no question of disappointment, after all, the purpose of the sparring was just to test Godariel's strength, not to gain anything from her... Having a dark green card was already an unexpected bonus.

This is always the case with people.

It's amazing how you can get opposite emotions from looking at the same thing from different angles.

'Caus, extract.'

Wang Xi said secretly.

"Consume 100 energy points (2965 remaining)"

“Practicing magic is like gazing into an ice mirror—the deeper the obsession, the more cracks appear. Only by learning to live with imperfections can one see one’s true self.”

Isabella's murmurs echoed in his mind.

Before the crevice, the blue sphere of light bloomed.

hum-

"Ice Mirror (Skill Card)"

"Quality: Blue One Star (Upgradable)"

"The Queen once dared not look into her painful past, nor dared to see her increasingly cold self... She created the Ice Mirror in an attempt to find her lost past."

"Upon use, you will master this ice magic. It will create a hard ice mirror to defend against attacks, especially elemental magic. Each use will consume a certain amount of magic power."

This is the ice magic that Isabella used when teaching meditation.

The Snow Queen's unique skill.

High magic resistance defensive magic.

Although Wang Xi was satisfied with the blue card, he felt that something was not right... Did he have more and more defensive measures?

The perfect parry of "Blood Orchid Secret Technique"; the all-around protection of "Ice Armor"; and now the magic nemesis "Ice Mirror" has arrived—the turtle shell is getting harder and harder.

Survival is the only thing that matters!

Wang Xi thought to himself.

Having maximum defensive capabilities in terms of combat strength isn't necessarily a bad thing. After all, you can only deal damage if you're alive. The "glass cannon" approach is a dead end, and the old warlock Demberlang is a prime example of what not to do.

'Caus, continue.'

He issued another order.

"Consume 100 energy points (2865 remaining)"

In his mind, the remaining dark green sphere of light bloomed.

hum-

“Fairy Bettina said that natural magic should be used to nurture life, but what is the point of these flowers blooming beautifully if you can’t even protect the people you care about? Fool, the people you’re desperately trying to protect are actually the ones who are most afraid of you getting hurt.”

Godaril's soliloquy echoed in Wang Xi's mind.

It seemed to be Cinderella's murmurs as she practiced magic, her words tinged with longing.

"Guardian of the Flowerbed (Skill Card)"

"Quality: Dark Green One Star (Upgradable)"

"A dangerous natural magic. Cinderella learned this forbidden magic from the fairy godmother after much pleading, and she wanted to use it to protect the one she loved most."

"Upon use, you will master this natural magic. It can create a flower garden, providing protection from elemental spirits, accelerating the concentration of magic power, and calming the mind. Each use will consume a large amount of magic power (if magic power is insufficient, it will cause a backlash from the natural elements, forcibly drawing life force to replace it)."

“Godalier…”

Wang Xi took the dark green card that was floating in front of him.

Although the wild card was cold, he seemed to feel warmth from it.

"Thank you."

He glanced back at the little igloo and said softly.

...

...

Wang Xi had already decided to leave the snow mountain, so he didn't linger for long.

In the afternoon.

After Godaril woke up, Wang Xi went into the Ice Crystal Castle alone to say goodbye to Isabella.

The Snow Queen remained aloof, seemingly indifferent to everything in the world.

When the young man said goodbye, she simply hummed in response and turned to leave.

Finally, standing on the ice crystal steps without turning back, he said, "Go. The ice mirror may shatter, but the snow-capped mountain remains."

The sentence was somewhat poetic, but Wang Xi discerned Isabella's subtext in it.

The ice mirror refers both to the magic being taught and to the bond between master and disciple. The Ice Queen may seem indifferent, but she has already regarded Wang Xi as a student and secretly intends to protect him.

In layman's terms...

If you can't make it outside, you can always go back to the snow-capped mountains.

"Teacher, I left you a thank-you gift, which I left in the open space behind the castle."

Wang Xi looked at the tall figure on the steps and said.

However, Isabella seemed completely unconcerned, continuing her steps without responding.

Seeing this, he had no choice but to bow and turn to leave.

After Wang Xi left.

Isabella stood on the highest ice crystal step, tilting her head slightly to watch the group of young people gradually disappear into the distance until they vanished completely at the edge of the snowfield. Her eyes were lowered, and she stood there like a statue for a while.

In the end, he gave up the idea of ​​taking a nap, went down the steps again, and strolled towards the back of the castle.

Not long after.

Isabella stood frozen in the snow.

She saw a patch of pure white flowers.

The snowfield was silent, a field of blooming white roses—petals of ice crystals, pure and white, contrasting with the white snow, their pristine beauty revealing a tenacious vitality.

In Isabella's vision, she could see a dense concentration of magic, where ice and nature, two extremely incompatible elements, were strangely intertwined and living in harmony.

The queen's elegant red lips were slightly parted.

This... is the gift Kai left for her?
Isabella walked gently into the flowerbed, raised her hand to brush the petals, and a slight smile involuntarily appeared on her lips.

Her hand quickly touched a letter made of solidified ice, on which magical runes, invisible to mortals, were formed—

"To Teacher Isabella: You said that real roses cannot withstand the bitter cold, and fake roses cannot retain warmth, but I believe that even on the summit of a snow-capped mountain, spring can bloom that never fades."

"When the magic fades, it will still bloom in your memories, covering the painful past."

"Truth and falsehood can be meaningless, just as poetry and farewell can be without an ending."

"But at least, the ice and snow remembered the shape of each petal, and the students remembered you, leaving behind meaningful expectations—"

"I hope to see you again."

“Your student forever, Gai Farrell.”

(Note: A student left behind an ice rose; it's sweet, you might want to try it.)

Isabella clutched the letter, lost in thought.

half an hour.

She gently picked up the crystal-clear, flawless ice rose from the center of the flowerbed.

She parted her lips slightly and took a bite.

Kai didn't lie to her.

is sweet.

...

...

The winter sunset was as sweet as honey, and the buildings of the capital city of Mulu seemed to be edged with gold.

The clock tower casts a long, slanted shadow, the stone pavement is bathed in warm light, and the aroma of cinnamon and wheat wafts from the corner bakery.

As evening approached, Wang Xi and his two companions returned to Daphne'er through the thin snow.

After a while.

They arrived at the palace.

At that very moment, Queen Siana was discussing the invasion from the North with her court ministers.

Prince Gai's sudden appearance put the nobles in the palace on edge.

The prince, who had disappeared for more than half a year, was now walking slowly through the hall with a young man and a young woman, seemingly oblivious to everyone else. Every step he took seemed to tread on the heartbeats of everyone present.

The bloody memories of the council chamber are still vivid—the blood and brains that splattered that day still leave an indelible shadow in the hearts of some.

The ministers unconsciously held their breath, fearing that a careless glance could lead to their deaths.

Everyone in the royal palace knew this.

Kai Farrell, the name itself exudes a strong sense of bloodshed, built from countless bones.

"Her Majesty the Queen."

In the chilling atmosphere, Wang Xi walked straight to the throne and bowed to Xiana above.

He smiled and said:

"Your sword has been refined and returned from the snow-capped mountains. Please feel free to ask if you need anything."

"Prince Gai, there's no need for such formalities."

Siana rose from her throne, a look of surprise on her face.

"I'm glad you're back safe and sound."

As she spoke, she descended the steps and stood before Wang Xi. The smile on her face gradually faded, replaced by a solemn expression, and she said in a deep voice:

"There's something I need to discuss with you."

...

...

Two hours later.

It's getting dark.

The council chamber was brightly lit, and the powerful ministers whispered among themselves, discussing the matter.

Wang Xi leaned back in the ornate high chair beside the throne, resting his chin on his hand, a thoughtful expression on his face. Pinocchio and Goddariel stood on either side of him.

Just now, Xiana gave him a brief overview of the current situation in the North and arranged for two military ministers to answer some of his questions.

In reality, the army deployed by the northerners for this winter raid was not large, only about five thousand men. But in this era, it could be considered a large army.

The Kingdom of the Deer is not large.

There are only two principalities in the North.

Due to the harsh environment and sparse population, Dunkirk has a total population of only 12, while Philo has only 9. This includes a large number of farmers and free citizens of towns.

The standing army probably doesn't even reach five thousand.

It's not impossible to force out 10,000 troops, but most of them would only be enough to defend the city; they wouldn't be able to fight a real battle.

Take the Principality of Dunkirk as an example. It has 3 earls, 4 viscounts, 6 barons, and 17 knights.

Wang Xi and Godariel's hometown, the Earldom of Rondale, was a relatively wealthy territory, but it could only muster a regular army of less than three hundred men, of whom knights made up only about one-fifth.

Because the Principality of Dunkirk was located further north, it was the first to be hit and suffered heavy blows from the northerners.

Queen Sienna planned to order Prince Gai Farrell, the "Queen's Sword," to lead a thousand-strong allied army to provide support.

Wang Xi was stunned when he heard this.

How many?

(End of this chapter)