Chapter 472: Ice Queen
Gu Sewei led Li Wei to the foot of the steps.
She bowed and called out, "Her Majesty the Queen."
After a moment’s thought, Li Wei performed a hand gesture common among Mages.
"Greetings, Ice Queen."
When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
The Ice Queen raised her hand slightly and said, "You may rise."
Seeing that there were no Holy Knights lying in ambush in the room, Li Wei quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
’Not that they would have been any threat to me, anyway.’
The Ice Queen looked at Li Wei, a faint smile on her face. "Your Excellency Mage, do you intend to speak with me using this illusory body the entire time?"
"Huh?"
Gu Sewei looked surprised at the Queen’s words, subconsciously turning her head to glance at Li Wei. She didn’t grasp the meaning behind Her Majesty’s words at first.
It was only when the Li Wei beside her vanished like a popped bubble that she realized what was happening.
’The person beside me isn’t Li Wei at all, just an illusion!’
’And I didn’t notice a thing.’
Gu Sewei wondered, ’When did Li Wei switch his real body for a fake one?’
’I didn’t sense it at all.’
CREAK. The palace doors swung open.
Monice and Gu Ze, standing at the entrance, watched with confused and bewildered expressions as Li Wei walked into the room once more.
THUD!
After the doors closed, the two exchanged a glance, each seeing the confusion in the other’s eyes.
’Didn’t Li Wei already go inside?’
’Why is there another Li Wei?’
However, since the palace doors had opened for him, it meant everything was happening under the Ice Queen’s watch.
And since Her Majesty the Queen hadn’t given any order, Monice did not react, merely keeping her confusion to herself.
Gu Sewei watched Li Wei walk in, her expression complex.
Li Wei smiled, bowed again, and said, "Her Majesty the Queen has sharp eyes indeed."
The Ice Queen paid no mind to Li Wei’s little trick. She looked at him and asked, "Oh? Can you tell me what you did to make the Light Divine Sect send a Legendary Level Holy Knight to hunt you?"
Li Wei tensed upon hearing this.
He was shocked. He hadn’t expected the Light Divine Sect to actually dispatch a Legendary Level expert.
Until now, he had no idea there was a Legendary Level expert among his pursuers.
’But this also proves one thing,’ he thought.
’If I want to run, not even a Legendary Level expert can necessarily catch me.’
Though inwardly surprised, Li Wei didn’t let it show on his face.
He mulled it over for a moment before saying, "Oh, it was nothing much. No harm in telling you. I just borrowed the Light Divine Sect’s Goddess’s Tears, then accidentally broke it. Since I couldn’t return it, they started hunting me."
Upon hearing this, the Ice Queen fell silent.
Gu Sewei stared at Li Wei, her mouth hanging slightly open, at a loss for words.
The Ice Queen looked at Li Wei, unable to understand how he could speak of such a momentous event so casually, as if it were a trivial matter.
’That’s the Goddess’s Tears! A Holy Artifact of the Saint Hall of Light!’
’Even she had heard of it and knew how powerful the Goddess’s Tears was.’
’Most importantly, this guy actually broke the Goddess’s Tears.’
’I don’t know how he managed it, but for that reason alone, the Light Divine Sect sending a Legendary Level Holy Knight to hunt him down wasn’t the least bit excessive.’
’That was a Holy Artifact!’
A thought flashed through the Ice Queen’s mind.
’Should I hand Li Wei over to the Light Divine Sect?’
’The trouble he’s in seems even bigger than my own, doesn’t it?’
She quickly cast the thought aside. Her eyes took on a look that seemed to say, ’You’re exactly the kind of person I need.’
’It’s good that he’s in so much trouble. It means he won’t be afraid of attracting even more.’
’After all, no amount of trouble could be more serious than being hunted by a Legendary Level Holy Knight.’
’Viewed this way, Li Wei was actually the ideal candidate for her.’
Li Wei found it strange. He could sense the Ice Queen’s attitude shifting from stunned silence to an appreciative gaze.
The Ice Queen didn’t press Li Wei for any more details.
She was afraid she might hear something even more shocking.
The Ice Queen looked at Li Wei and said, "You must know that I sought you out to ask for your help, correct?"
Li Wei’s expression turned serious. ’Here we go. We’re getting to the main topic.’
"Her Majesty the Ice Queen is all-powerful in the Extreme North Icefield. Even the Light Divine Sect relies on your Power. What small matter could you possibly need help with from someone like me?"
The Ice Queen said, "This is no small matter. It concerns the safety and well-being of every living creature in the Extreme North Icefield."
Li Wei was taken aback, surprised and caught off guard. "What?"
The Ice Queen asked, "Have you heard of the Extreme Cold Abyss?"
Li Wei nodded. "I’ve heard of it."
He was somewhat surprised. ’The matter the Ice Queen wants my help with is related to the Extreme Cold Abyss?’
The Ice Queen continued, "Then you must have heard of the Ice Emperor as well."
Li Wei nodded.
The Ice Queen said, "A thousand years ago, the Ice Emperor fell into a deep sleep within the Extreme Cold Abyss. Now, a millennium later, someone is trying to awaken him. Once the Ice Emperor awakens, he will bring a devastating catastrophe to the entire Extreme North Icefield. Even the lands south of the mountains will be affected."
"Should the Ice Emperor awaken, it would be a terrible turn of events for the entire Northern Territory. What’s more, the people trying to awaken him want to use his Power to vie for world domination."
"If they succeed, it will be a disaster for the entire world."
"And Frelert City will bear the brunt of it."
Gu Sewei looked shocked as well. She had never heard the Ice Queen speak of such matters before.
After listening to all this, Li Wei wasn’t particularly shocked.
He had become rather numb to so-called world-ending disasters and crises.
’It was the same story when the Legendary Witch Lich launched the Undead Calamity.’
’But in the end, that all came to nothing. They didn’t even breach the Storm Wall.’
’Of course, part of the reason was that the Legendary Witch Lich himself had no real intention of breaching the Storm Wall to push deep into Central Earth.’
Li Wei looked at the Ice Queen and said, "In that case, shouldn’t you be telling the Light Divine Sect about this? Aren’t they the ones who specialize in handling world-ending disasters?"
The Ice Queen gave a bitter smile. "I told those Holy Knights, but they said they were here specifically to capture you. They have no intention of interfering in this matter, and they don’t even plan on reporting it to the Light Divine Sect."
Li Wei wasn’t too surprised to hear that.
From his time with Lancelot in Storm City, Li Wei had already seen the true nature of the Light Divine Sect.
Everything the Light Divine Sect did was to please their Divine Spirit.
The Ice Emperor posed no threat whatsoever to the Light God’s interests; the two were completely unconnected.
Therefore, from the Light Divine Sect’s perspective, it was a matter that could be completely ignored.
They didn’t care if the Ice Emperor turned the entire Northern Territory into a frozen wasteland.
Li Wei said, "Even if the Light Divine Sect won’t get involved, can’t you report it to the Professional Association, the Mage Association, or other Extraordinary Influences?"
The Ice Queen was silent for a moment before she said, "If the very people who want to use the Ice Emperor’s Power are among those ranks, what do you think would happen?"
’They’d kill to silence her?’