Chapter 30 Camp
Darkness was approaching, casting a dim, yellowish light onto the snow. A massive black punishment army banner fluttered in the wind. Beneath the banner, amidst a crowd of black-robed warriors, a knight clad in black armor stood with a sword.
This was the first scene that met Verafia’s eyes.
With a slight lift of her gaze, she observed the black-armored knight before her. He was a middle-aged man, his body still strong and firm. Beneath his sweeping cloak, his armored torso exuded a sense of grandeur. His face, weathered by frost and dusk, was etched with tightly knit brows, making him appear stern and imposing.
“Is this Sir Trist, the leader of the Punishment Army of Vinash City? Hmm…”
As she assessed the knight at the front of the camp, Verafia pursed her delicate lips, her golden eyes shifting slightly.
The Punishment Army was a force formed twenty years ago after the Frost Calamity, along with the establishment of the larger city’s Inquisition.
The Punishment Army did not belong to any lord nor fight for worldly matters. Instead, they were under the authority of the Alliance Council and the Church. Named after each city, they vowed to eradicate the Frost Calamity and its affiliated beings.
Sir Trist Horn had led the Punishment Army of Vinash City for twenty years, battling the Frost Calamity.
Her gaze returned to his face, and the scars from the frost’s corrosive touch fell into Verafia’s sight.
Trist did not unleash his Battle Qi, but the subtly radiating aura indicated he was at the Star Rank.
Verafia had heard about him from Azer. Trist commanded great prestige in Vinash City, not only as a powerful Star Rank beneath a Saint but also as the closest knight to the former Count before becoming the leader of the Punishment Army.
Five years prior, after the former Count and his wife perished in the Frost Calamity, the new Count of Vinash, who was only ten years old, inevitably relied on Trist’s influence. Crucial administrative and economic matters often required consultations with the knight entrusted by his father.
During the regency, Trist was the most powerful figure in Vinash City.
Trist’s steely gray gaze swept over them as they approached. Verafia felt a chilling sensation as his eyes briefly lingered on her before moving away.
The black-robed mage at the forefront of the demon hunters stepped forward promptly. “Lord Trist, thank you for waiting outside the camp.”
“I am merely waiting here while you face the Frost Calamity,” Trist stated, his voice rough and forceful, the voice of a warrior. “Did you find any clues regarding the Frost Calamity that descended upon the coastal forest last night? Did you find any trace of the North Wind Witch?”
“This… as always. Perhaps the North Wind Witch’s tracks were completely erased before the blizzard arrived.”
Verafia suddenly noticed Azer, standing beside her, clench his fingers slightly as the black-robed mage spoke.
Trist nodded calmly, showing no disappointment, evidently having anticipated this. “Then, what about them?”
The knight’s gaze fell upon Verafia.
The young girl slightly parted her lips. Of course, she was not surprised. Among these black-robed demon hunters, she and Ophi, a golden-haired girl in a white dress, and even more so, a Dragonkin, had not made any attempts to conceal themselves, so they would naturally be recognized at a glance.
“Lord Trist, Miss Verafia and the others were found by us in the forest consumed by the Frost Calamity…”
“In the Frost Calamity?”
Before the black-robed mage could finish speaking, Trist’s eyes suddenly sharpened. His hand grazed the hilt of his sword, and suddenly, a fierce gust of wind emanated from his body, rustling his cloak. Then, a powerful Star Rank aura surged towards them!
Igg grabbed Verafia’s small hand and instinctively stepped in front of her.
The Star Rank aura struck him like a solid wall. Igg raised his eyes, a deep blue hue, and gazed at the indifferent Trist before him.
When he first met the demon hunters, although there had been no conflict, Igg had considered the possibility that they intended to lure him and Verafia to their camp so they could strike more effectively.
However, during their subsequent journey and due to Azer’s presence beside Verafia, Igg had lowered this likelihood… but he still maintained some caution.
“A powerful Star… judging by his aura alone, he doesn’t seem inferior to Lancaster’s Dark Sword. However, if I add Little Fei, we should be able to escape. But, he has Witch Hunters by his side, and at least a hundred Punishment Army soldiers…”
The wind stirred by the Star Rank aura seemed to condense into cold frost. The black-robed mage said urgently, “Lord Trist, the Count had given orders…”
Azer stepped forward. “Sir Knight, Miss Verafia has nothing to do with the Frost Calamity. They are survivors of a shipwreck from the outer sea, and their arrival in that forest might have been an accident.”
“Oh?”
Trist’s gaze descended, and he spoke, “But, a Platinum-level kid, plus a Crystal-level Dragonkin, Azer, can you really believe they could survive in the heart of the Frost Calamity?”
“If that’s what you’re worried about… Miss Verafia, could I possibly borrow your lantern?”
Verafia hesitated slightly, then nodded, handing the lantern in her hand to the red-haired young man. Azer walked closer to the knight’s front. “Lord Trist, you see, Miss Verafia’s lantern can withstand the spread of the Frost Calamity.”
“The lantern?”
Trist was taken aback. He took it from Azer, his gaze falling upon it. His steely gray eyes reflected the fiery glow, and then they suddenly narrowed.
—
After confirming that Verafia’s lantern indeed had the effect of resisting frost, Trist no longer pressed the matter. He returned the lantern to the young girl and gave a simple order before turning back to the camp.
Nightfall was near, and the Punishment Army would depart for Vinash City the next day.
For Verafia and her companions, they were assigned tents in a relatively good position within the camp, and the supplied food was not deliberately lacking.
Although it was far from the sweet, delicious cakes and pastries of Lichen, in such a cold place, having food with sufficient calories was already quite good, and it tasted delicious.
Feeling a bit tired from the past two days, Ophi, after eating her fill, became very drowsy. She informed Verafia and Igg and then crawled into her tent to sleep soundly.
Verafia merely smiled softly. By the campfire, she rested her little head on Igg’s shoulder, feeling the young man stroking her golden hair. A satisfied smile graced her small face, and her slightly raised eyes gazed up at the night sky.
The night sky of the snowfield was clean and clear, as if washed by ice and snow. In the cold air, the pristine moonlight shone down from the sky.
“Still two moon shadows, is this sky the same as Lichen’s night sky…?”
She murmured softly at the corner of her lips, her golden pupils seemingly staring intently. Igg’s expression shifted, and just as he was about to take the girl’s small hand, a young man’s footsteps sounded in the air.
“Miss Verafia… oh, Lord Igg is here too.”
In the firelight, they could see Azer appearing before them.
