Chapter 22
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Dragon Lair
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The next morning.
Fortunately, nothing major happened, unlike the ominous premonition I'd had.
If I had to nitpick, the woman had tossed and turned all night because her heart was racing at the thought of sleeping in the same room as a strange man, so she hadn't gotten proper rest—and neither had I.
Well, even that much didn't affect my condition at all, since I could go a few days without sleep anyway, so it wasn't worth worrying about.
Probably harder on Roselia than on me, though.
"Hoo... I'm tired."
As if to prove the point, ever since the morning sun had risen, she had been sitting there with half-closed eyes, yawning nonstop and staring blankly out the window.
"Yaaawn... So sleepy."
"Are you very tired?"
When I asked carefully, she rolled her eyes toward me for a moment before shifting them back to the window.
"I should've just slept separately, even if it was a little scary. Sleeping in the same space as a man is harder than I thought."
"I see. Certainly..."
In this world, no man and woman could share a sleeping space unless they were married.
Not even fiancés were exempt.
Something like "separate at seven"—that kind of custom was widespread across the continent.
That's why Roselia and I, who had done all sorts of cringeworthy things to look like a couple, had never shared a bed.
It was because rumors could spread the wrong way and cause severe damage to one's image.
And naturally, the imperial princess would suffer the most from that.
"Shall we rest a bit, then? We have some things to discuss with the knights about the Winter Forest anyway, so I can spare two or three hours."
"No, it's fine."
Roselia shook her head and waved it off.
"I'm not so exhausted that I absolutely have to sleep right now. I did get some rest, after all. Besides, I'm sure you want to wrap up this journey as quickly as possible and see Seria."
"...Thank you for your consideration. But if you feel even a little unwell, you must tell me immediately."
"Don't worry. I take the best care of my own body."
She answered briskly and lightly patted both her cheeks with a smack.
It was meant to wake her up, but the way her white cheeks flushed pink was quite adorable.
I stared at her for a moment before snapping out of it and speaking up.
"Then, to shake off the sleep, shall we do one final check before we arrive?"
"A check... you mean?"
"Creating the key to open the door."
"...Ah, yes, we do need that."
Roselia withdrew her playful gaze and extended her right hand with a serious expression.
I nodded, removed my glove, and placed my left hand palm-to-palm against hers.
The Mirror of the Sky at the peak of Drakenspitze, and the ancient dragon's lair hidden within it.
To open the entrance there, two opposing forces had to achieve perfect balance.
And our chosen method was the 'Mana of the Sun,' which only imperial blood could wield, and the 'Mana of Frost,' which only the head of the Kaltstein family could wield.
Mixing those two energies in an exact 1:1 ratio to create resonance.
That was the core of this journey—and the biggest reason Roselia had come along personally.
"Let's begin."
"Yes. Come in slowly."
Whumm.
A low vibration hummed as golden haze rose from Roselia's palm.
Warm—almost hot, in fact.
I, too, drew up the ice-attribute mana slumbering deep in my heart to counter that heat.
Blue mana flowed from my fingertips and slowly began to blend with the golden mana.
Crackle—!
At first, the two opposing energies clashed violently, repelling each other like water and oil.
The slightest lapse in focus, and my chill would snuff out her flame—or her heat would melt my ice. It felt precarious.
'Hoo... Focus.'
I steadied my breathing and finely adjusted my mana output.
Roselia bit her lip, sweat beading on her forehead as she matched my rhythm and tuned her power.
Cold and heat.
Opposites that could never mix began to blend little by little, then started swirling around each other, tails connected.
And finally.
Woooong—!
The wild mana streams coalesced into a single stable orb, emitting steady light.
An iridescent aurora orb, gold and blue perfectly intertwined.
A perfect 1:1 ratio.
"Hoo... Success."
Roselia let out a sigh of relief and smiled brightly.
"It's much more stable than usual today. This should open it in one go."
"Thanks to Your Highness's lead. Your mana control has improved a lot since yesterday."
"Flattery gets you nowhere. Well, I did put in some effort."
We pulled our hands apart.
'The lukewarm residual warmth lingering on my palm isn't half bad... or rather.'
Anyway, this gave me confidence we could reach the lair's entrance without issue.
That was when it happened.
Clatter, creak.
The carriage, which had been rocking steadily, slowed, then came to a complete stop.
A knight's voice came from outside, where they'd been traveling alongside us.
"Your Grace, we've arrived."
With the report, the carriage door opened, and a faint fishy water scent brushed past on the cold wind.
"The Mirror of the Sky."
"...It's been a really long time since I've been here."
I stepped out first and escorted Roselia down after me, then scanned our surroundings.
Mirror of the Sky.
True to its name, the water's surface was flawlessly clear and transparent, like a massive mirror laid flat.
The lake perfectly reflected the sky, making it impossible to tell where the heavens ended and the water began. It was utterly mystical.
'It seems even more beautiful than when I came here on a family outing as a child.'
Lost for a moment in the hazy memory and its dreamlike scenery, I turned to look beside me.
Roselia was entranced, gazing around just like me.
"Wow..."
Her eyes sparkled brighter than the lake.
She seemed moved to actually see a landscape she'd only read about in novels.
"It's... so beautiful. Way more than I imagined."
She murmured and reached out, swiping at the air.
As if confirming the scene before her wasn't a mirage. I chuckled softly and turned to look behind us.
The knights stood in neat formation.
"Knights."
"Yes, sir!"
"Her Highness and I will have some time alone from now on. Wait near the lake until I call. Keep vigilant, but don't get too close."
At my command, the knights began to wear strange expressions one by one.
Not rude, but sly and mischievous smiles.
The kind that said, "Oh my, our duke is finally getting some youthful action."
"Understood, Your Grace! Don't mind us—enjoy your time with Her Highness."
"Your Grace, you're far more romantic than you seem."
"They say even an ice block like you burns hot for love..."
"..."
These guys are really something.
I raised one eyebrow, and they scattered with chuckles.
For a moment, I considered retraining them, but it was harmless enough teasing, so I let out a hollow laugh and turned back to Roselia.
"Finished taking it in? More importantly, what now? You said the lair is under the lake."
I pointed at the lake.
"Surely we don't have to dive in on a day like this? Even a Sword Master like me would rather pass."
In the freezing northern winter, dunking in icy lake water.
Even with aura protection, it'd be insane.
But Roselia blinked at me like the question was absurd.
"Isn't that obvious?"
"...Pardon?"
"It's under the water, so we have to go in. But jumping in like this would freeze us solid. So you make an ice sphere with magic and we go down inside it."
"An ice... sphere?"
"Yes. Keep air and temperature stable inside while moving through the water. For the Northern Duke who wields Mana of Frost, that's a piece of cake, right?"
"..."
I nearly laughed at the sheer absurdity, but then a story I'd heard once flashed through my mind.
'Wait. Come to think of it...'
Akulis, the maritime city on the continent's east coast.
I'd heard fishermen and divers there used special magic tools or spells to roam underwater even in midwinter.
Creating air bubbles or barriers to push back the water.
'Block the water with an ice wall from frost mana and maintain the air inside...'
Thinking it over, it wasn't theoretically impossible.
In fact, it was pretty plausible.
And creating a simple ice sphere didn't even require advanced magic skill.
"It just might work."
I approached the lake and extended my hand.
Focusing my image, I drew up mana.
Firm, transparent ice—and a safe space within.
Whumm.
Visualizing the spell in my mind, blue light poured from my fingertips, and a massive water-drop-shaped ice sphere began forming above the lake surface.
Big enough for two comfortably.
Glass-clear but reinforced with Kaltstein mana to be harder than steel, the ice wall completed in seconds.
"Whoa! Awesome! It actually worked?"
Roselia clapped and cheered.
"As expected of you, Your Grace! My eye for talent is spot on. Come on, hop in! I can't believe we're actually doing something I only dreamed of!"
She hopped excitedly into the ice sphere.
I followed with a wry smile.
As we boarded, the entrance sealed smoothly, airtight.
"Then, down we go."
"Yes!"
Splash.
The ice sphere sank slowly into the lake under my control.
Descending below the mirror lake's stunning surface revealed a completely different world outside.
"Oh..."
I couldn't help but gasp.
The lake's interior was clearer and more transparent than imagined.
Like entering a giant crystal cave, azure light pillars shimmered as sunlight filtered through the water.
The bottom was carpeted in colorful gem-like pebbles, and schools of unnamed fish swam lazily by.
"Wow... It's so pretty..."
Roselia pressed her face to the ice wall, lost in awe.
"It's like a dream."
"Indeed... I had no idea the north hid a place like this. First time for me too."
Probably no Kaltstein bloodline in history had seen this sight.
We silently admired the enchanting view for a long while.
A tranquil underwater world.
The only sounds were our breathing and the occasional rush of water against the ice.
How far had we descended?
As the lake bottom neared, a bizarre structure came into view in the distance.
Beneath a massive rock cliff, a huge stone gate carved by human hands.
Flanked by majestic dragon statues.
Not a speck of moss despite ages underwater—an entrance to a mysterious ancient ruin.
"There it is!"
Roselia pointed at the stone gate.
"That looks like the entrance!"
"..."
We'd found it at last.
The place from legend, sought by Kaltsteins for centuries but never discovered.
I maneuvered the ice sphere slowly toward the gate.
Standing before the massive door, an overwhelming pressure bore down on Roselia and me—far beyond the lake's water pressure.
As if warning the unqualified to turn back.
I swallowed dryly and looked at Roselia.
She nodded solemnly, understanding.
Now was the time to use the key we'd practiced dozens of times to open the lair's door.