I Was The Hero, But I Woke Up as a Phoenix Princess! – Chapter 568

Chapter 26 Witch Hunter (Part 1)
“Rustle—”
Light boots stepped on the soft snow. All around were frost-white ice mist. The blowing cold wind stirred the white silk skirt, cutting into the delicate skin like blades of ice gravel.
However, at Ig’s request, she wore a magic-infused bracelet inlaid with flame gems, which automatically released magic. The biting cold wind melted, feeling warm and gentle on her skin.
“Hoo…”
She exhaled a small puff of white gas which quickly condensed into mist in the air. Before her golden eyes, the ice dragon girl with frost-blue hair, as always, held her Dragon Spear and walked at the forefront. The black-haired young man behind her guarded her.
Suddenly, Ig gently grasped the fair small hand hanging by her skirt sleeve.
“Veer, are you tired? Shall I carry you?”
It was the young man’s concerned voice. Seeing the girl shake her little head, Ig smiled and didn’t insist, saying,
“This ice mist is likely a trace left by last night’s blizzard. In my True Eye, it’s not just the land that’s being eroded, but the entire space has taken root with the power of frost, as if turning this land into a territory of frost.”
“If it’s like the story Young Lady saw, it’s a domain of calamity, at least covering several kilometers of forest around us.”
Verafia stuck out her slender tongue. A lighthearted expression appeared on her snow-white delicate face, “It’s just walking, no problem. And if any accidents happen, I can’t hinder Ig’s combat.”
From the campsite tent to here, it was only a ten-minute walk, but they had already encountered several battles. The attackers were the strange creatures that had attacked their ice-infused forms during the blizzard last night.
However, Verafia wasn’t too surprised. If this chill was truly the condensation of a dead god’s will, then it wasn’t strange for such anomalous creations to appear in the blizzard. Even if the blizzard dissipated, the residual will would still keep them in the human world.
Although, compared to creations of divine concepts, these “snow offspring” born from the blizzard seemed much stranger. They weren’t pure concepts or elemental incarnations, but rather somewhat similar to the “Star God’s Will” Ig mentioned.
However, Verafia didn’t have much to go on. Besides “frost cold,” there was no other connection to the will that attacked them in the deep sea, so she attributed it to the deities of the strange continent being different from those of the Agrand continent.
Verafia slightly lifted the lantern held by her slender hand. A soft light flickered in the frosty world, melting the residual chill from the air. The girl slightly raised her golden eyes.
This frost-white mist was the residue of the frost will. However, for her flames, as the Flame Goddess herself, even her afterglow had little power of resistance.
The frost-white ice mist also melted with the flicker of the firelight. The short boots wrapping her fair silk feet landed, leaving slender and exquisite marks on the soft snow. Verafia wanted to quicken her pace slightly to catch up with Ophi, who was walking in front.
Suddenly, Ophi’s footsteps faltered heavily. Her sapphire eyes, which still had a hint of softness, instantly became serious. Her jade-like slender hand gripped the long spear tightly, and the slightly raised spear blade reflected a stern ice-blue gleam.
Verafia quickly stopped, her small boots sinking into the snow, almost falling to the ground. Ig quickly stepped forward.
“Are there snow offspring ahead too?”
“No, it doesn’t seem like it…”
Ophi shook her head hesitantly, but soon her little face became convinced, “What’s approaching us are likely human auras, and many of them!”
Ig was taken aback and exchanged a glance with Verafia.
Last night, Ig had been thinking of taking the girl to find traces of humans. This was an instinctual rejection of loneliness in an unfamiliar environment, so much so that before the blizzard, her first emotion upon seeing the white-robed girl with frost-white hair and blue eyes was still surprise.
But at this moment, in the frost domain, encountering a group of strangers…?
No one could tell their intentions.
The other party also quickly sensed their presence. In the frosty mist, a powerful aura suddenly spread out, it was indeed a crystal-level expert!
Ophi instinctively raised her spear blade, but Ig pressed her wrist. The black-haired young man picked up his sword and stepped forward, shielding Verafia behind him, while shouting loudly in the common tongue,
“We mean no ill will. May I know your identity?”
The air fell silent for a moment. Then, a deep, resonant voice sounded:
“Witch Hunters of the Vinash City Inquisition. We are here to exterminate the calamity’s offspring of witches.” The language used was not any language on the Agrand continent, but it was similar to the common tongue, making the meaning understandable.
The person who spoke was the one releasing the crystal aura. Their tone had the deep resonance of constantly chanting spells, appearing to be a middle-aged mage.
Behind Ig, Verafia judged in her heart. She slightly raised her snow-white cheek, her golden eyes gazing at the figures slowly emerging from the ice mist.
They were clad in black robes, leather, and thick fleece, providing excellent warmth. On the robes, a square shield bore patterns of blue moons and sea winds, likely their crest from Vinash City.
But more conspicuous was the flaming star cross hanging from it—a reversed, straight sword blade burning with flames representing judgment.
“This person said, the Inquisition… and Witch Hunter?”
Verafia’s jade lips moved slightly as she softly uttered.
From this string of words, she couldn’t help but recall the story Ig had told her, the “North Wind Witch” representing the frost calamity, and… the indifferent girl who suddenly appeared beside them before the blizzard.
The “Witch Hunters” emerged from the frosty mist.
It was a small team of about ten people. The leader was a crystal mage with a considerable aura. The staff in one hand subtly shimmered with magic ripples, clearly on guard.
Behind the mage, a group of black-robed warriors also raised their weapons cautiously.
Suddenly, Verafia’s gaze was drawn to one of them.
He was a platinum swordsman, but unlike his older colleagues, he was just a young man. The eyes on his handsome face beneath the red hair were the crystalline blue of clear frost and snow.
The red-haired young man also held a sword in his right hand. The straight blade reflected a cold arc of light, and the hilt was inlaid with a fiery red gem, appearing to be quite expensive.
However, what more captivated Verafia’s gaze was the metal long tube at the red-haired youth’s waist, seemingly forged from mithril steel, with magic markings shimmering. His left hand rested on the grip, ready to unleash intense magic.