It was a murder that occurred in an instant, almost meaninglessly.

Looking at the two corpses staining the clear seawater with blood, I sighed.

Right, there was no way they would have left them alive in the first place.

Ernant would have wanted me brought secretly, so he must have ordered not to leave a single witness alive.

Even those who brought me were not to be spared…

Anyway, it wasn’t particularly enjoyable to watch perfectly healthy people turn into two corpses, so I was frowning at the time.

One of the guards who had swung his sword to create the corpses approached me and bowed his head respectfully.

“Are you alright? I’m concerned those ignorant fools may have been disrespectful while escorting Lord Shnesstern.”

“His Majesty was the disrespectful one.”

“…”

“Ordering to kidnap someone by tying them up like this.”

It was a statement that could get my head chopped off for insulting the imperial family, but I blurted it out anyway.

If Ernant had ordered to ‘confine’ me on the island, these men wouldn’t be able to harm me recklessly anyway.

As expected, the soldier pretended not to hear my comment.

“Please bear with the inconvenience for a little while. His Majesty will be arriving here soon.”

“…His Majesty?”

“His Majesty cherishes you. That’s why he wanted to bring you to a quiet place to persuade you.”

“…”

“If you promise to behave until then, we’ll remove the restraints on your arms and legs. Of course, excluding the ability-sealing item.”

The ability-sealing item fastened around my neck wasn’t something that could be cut off with a blade.

It was literally an object imbued with the power of sealing.

It could only be removed with the help of an awakened one with the ability to neutralize that power itself.

In other words, even if my hands and feet were freed, it would be impossible for me to remove this item from my neck.

That’s why the soldiers were talking as if they were being generous by offering to free my hands and feet.

“Alright. I’ll behave.”

Anyway, since I couldn’t do anything while tied up, I made that promise to the soldier to get untied for now.

The soldier soon nodded to his subordinates standing behind him, signaling them.

The subordinates who quickly approached cut and removed the ropes binding me.

Though my body was free, I still couldn’t fight against them right away.

My ability was still sealed, after all.

It seemed I would have to escape secretly when their guard was down.

To do that, I’d need to first find out the location of the ship that must be hidden somewhere on the island.

While quickly sorting out the situation in my head, I simultaneously asked the soldier:

“When will His Majesty arrive?”

“He will arrive within three days.”

“Is there a place to stay until then? I’d rather not camp on the ground anymore.”

“Please follow me. There’s a villa on the east side of the island.”

The soldier said that and immediately began to lead me.

Other soldiers soon followed, surrounding me as if to escort me.

In reality, it wasn’t to escort but to keep watch so I couldn’t escape.

I was feeling a bit uncomfortable because of that when suddenly the soldier walking ahead stopped.

“And I’ll give you one warning.”

“…?”

“Don’t try to escape. And even if you do try, don’t go to the west.”

I could understand being told not to try escaping, but the warning that followed was puzzling.

Don’t go west?

“…Why? Is there a ship suitable for escape in the west?”

“No.”

After answering like that to my question, the soldier eventually gave me an even more perplexing puzzle.

“There is something that threatens life dangerously. In the west.”

“…”

Something dangerous.

It was a statement that stimulated the imagination.

Unless there was an evil witch living in the west, it might be a dangerous beast or monster.

Or these guys might be lying to me to hide a ship they have concealed there.

“Then I absolutely must not go there. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Hearing my response, the soldier began to move again.

After traveling like that, we finally arrived at a small villa located on the east side of the island.

After losing Yulia, the members didn’t engage in much conversation.

The absence of Yulia, who had supported them as vice-captain, had taken away their words.

Making only the crunching sound of treading on snow, they crossed the snowfield, and as a result, they were finally able to reach the winter queen’s habitat.

“That’s… like a castle. A castle made of ice.”

Karl was the first to say so.

Oscar, who was also hiding behind a nearby rock looking in the same direction, added:

“There are ten ice golems in front of the castle. They’re guarding it like soldiers.”

Then Maximilian grumbled:

“Getting in will be a challenge from the start.”

The expressions of the royal guards, who were also hiding nearby like the members, were not so bright either.

For them, it was the first time seeing so many monsters, and also the first time seeing a building created by a monster using an ability.

While everyone’s expressions darkened like that, Martin called Oscar in a small voice.

“Oscar. Use your ability to check the cliff behind the castle. Are there monsters there too?”

“No. There’s nothing back there. It’s literally a sheer cliff.”

The winter queen’s ice castle was located at the edge of a cliff.

Behind the castle was a cliff where nothing could exist.

Therefore, the ten golems were only wandering around the front of the castle.

Martin, who had been quietly lost in thought after hearing Oscar’s words, suddenly said to the group:

“We’ll have to go with a feint operation.”

To the gazes demanding a detailed explanation, he continued:

“Karl, Maximilian, and Raymont. You three come with me. We’ll secretly infiltrate the back of the castle by climbing the cliff.”

Raymont, who heard Martin’s plan, narrowed his eyes and showed an uncomfortable look.

“…The cliff? It will be slippery and difficult to climb because it’s frozen.”

“Have you forgotten what my ability is? I can quickly melt the ice on the wall. Once the ice is melted, we should be able to climb up easily.”

“But… why are only the four of us going? What about the other members and guards…”

“While we secretly approach the castle, the others will face the golems in front. Draw their attention as much as possible so the queen doesn’t notice us approaching from behind. Wait and start the attack around sunset. By then, we should have arrived at the bottom of the cliff.”

Martin looked over the rest of the members and guards and added:

“It would be best to draw attention as much as possible. If we’re discovered by the queen and attacked while climbing the cliff, we’ll be dead men. Our four lives depend on what you do.”

Raymont, who had been waiting for Martin to finish speaking, immediately asked:

“Will four be enough? Once we succeed in entering through the back of the castle, we’ll have to face the queen after that. We need at least seven―”

“No, the four of us are enough. The more people there are, the easier it is to be noticed. The possibility of being discovered by the queen increases.”

“…”

“Do you have anything else to say?”

Unable to withstand Martin’s cold gaze, Raymont finally lowered his head.

“No, sir.”

“Then let’s depart immediately without dawdling. Follow me.”

Martin moved first, followed by Raymont, Karl, and Maximilian.

To climb up the cliff behind the castle from the bottom, they first had to go down there.

Fortunately, if they moved quickly, it was a distance they could reach before nightfall.

So they hurried their steps, and finally managed to arrive around sunset.

At the bottom of the sheer cliff behind the castle.

“Phew, it’s going to be quite difficult to climb up, isn’t it?”

Looking up at the cliff that seemed quite high, Karl was the first to mutter that.

Martin quietly watched him.

Just quietly.

Just as Karl, feeling something a bit strange, was about to ask Martin if something was wrong, Martin spoke first.

“Does it seem difficult?”

“Huh? Ah, yes. It seems a bit difficult for me. I’m sure climbing a cliff is nothing for you, Captain…”

“It’s alright.”

“Pardon?”

To Karl, who didn’t understand Martin’s words and asked back in confusion, Martin replied in his usual calm voice.

“You and Raymont won’t have to climb the cliff. Because you’ll lose your lives here right now.”

“…!”

Raymont, who had instantly grasped the situation, hurriedly grabbed his sword.

However, before the sword could even come out of its sheath, Martin’s halberd swung vertically towards Raymont’s neck.

Thwack―

With a dull sound of bone and muscle being cut, Raymont’s head was completely severed.

It happened in an instant.

Watching Raymont’s severed head roll across the white snow, Karl froze in a daze.