Chapter 34 – Quarrelling skies

Fleeing from the sky, the sun heralded the night. However, instead of it being a time of rest and reconciliation, Haruki and the convoy were busy trying to find the unlucky clovers. Their carriage was supposed to ride beside Haruki's, and yet for whatever obscure reason nobody had seen them since they'd escaped from the tundra.

"Where the hell are they?" Illuminating the dark forest with her holy staff, Diana was leading the charge for the search.

"Why even bring novice adventurers to such a dangerous mission?" Kate complained, grunting from frustration.

"I'm sorry," Asuka mumbled.

"Uh? Why are you apologizing to Miss Asuka? Wasn't that mage Rise responsible for the recruitment?" Mortar asked, looking down at Asuka from behind her.

"Can you all stay quiet? And why did you have to drag the duke here? It's dangerous," Jenna added to the complaint while jumping from one tree branch to the other.

'This is too much, I'll die from their bickering alone.' Fuming in rage, Haruki tried to keep his anger in control.

The further they dwelled from the camps, the less certain of the clover's safety they were. Despite that, they kept pushing until it led it back to a snowy path leading back into the tundra. Tired of moving around all day, they gave each other glances that screamed for someone to call off the search.

"Circle back, we'll try to find them tomorrow," having the most authority in the matter, Haruki ordered everyone to retreat back to the camp.

Hearing that everyone instantly relaxed their shoulders and turned around to make their way back. Stuck between the Nue's eyes, and the silver storm Haruki envied the privacy and freedom that he had back at the castle. Sure, they were only trying to protect him, but having someone always looming over his shoulders was a lot more annoying than he had initially thought.

"Wait!" Jenna warned, moving in front of everyone to hold them back. "I hear something."

"What is it?" Fidgeting under Helma's shadow, Pon spoke for the first time in hours.

"Shush!" Shushing him, Jenna jumped back onto the tree and kept climbing until she reached the very top.

Taking out a miniature telescope, she looked through it in the direction of the camp. Whatever she saw at the end of the scope, made her hiss in surprise, but before she could make it down the tree to tell the others, a flaming ball of fire flew right at her.

"Aghh!" The moment the projectile struck her, her whole body burst into flames.

"Shit! Arthur, keep the duke safe!" Ordering the others, Kane rushed under the tree trying to judge where Jenna's flaming body was about to fall. "Lucy! Get the healing magic ready!"

But before Jenna could hit the ground, something swifter than the wind snatched her through mid-air. Left baffled by the lack of any signs of Jenna ever being up there, Kane looked in horror at the dark sky. Taking a swift defensive stance around the duke, the others were no different in that regard. Even the seemingly cold-hearted Helma was sweating from the unknown threat.

"Stop it!" Right over their heads, a feminine cry shrieked through the skies.

"Oh come on, I'm just having some fun," Yet another voice joined the exchange, however this time, it was followed by a boyish chuckle. "The Dullahan was no fun, so let me play a prank at least."

'A prank? What the hell are these voices? Is Jenna even alive?' Looking around the others, all Haruki saw was the same uncertainty in their eyes and the nervous grips around their weapons. 'Are they Margarette's new assassins? I told Moriyana this won't work!'

Freaking out of his mind, Haruki couldn't spare a moment to think straight. Instead, his mind was shooting through worthless possibilities that didn't make much sense.

"Who are you?!" Holding her iron club to the sky, Helma growled.

Tired of waiting for someone to take action, she decided it was best for her to be a distraction for the duke's escape. Glancing at Kane, she gave her an affirming nod, and that was more than enough to let him know what she had in mind. Rushing back to his party, Kane quickly took a defensive stance with his heavy sword.

"Diana, we didn't break the transportation seal back at the cave, did we?" Whispering as low as he could, he closed his eyes to focus on her answer.

"A seal?" Asked the boyish voice roaming in the sky. "Ahh, see? They wanna play too!"

"What?!" His eyes wide open, Kane peered up in terror.

"Mother will be angry if he gets hurt!" The feminine voice scolded the other. "Just let me heal the girl, at least!"

"Why don't you let me play a little first? Ahaha," The carefree laugh from the boy's voice felt mocking to everyone on the ground.

'Dammit! How many times do I have to rely on others for my safety?!' Haruki's nails curling into his skin began to draw blood from his frustration alone. 'Even though I'm level forty now, it feels like I'm no stronger than I felt at level one!'

Sniffing up the smell of blood, Asuka turned to Haruki. Her eyes widened in shock as she noticed his lips conjuring up a spell. What surprised her the most wasn't the incantation, but the nature of the mana twirling up in the air.

"Take a deep breath," All eyes turned to Haruki as he mumbled that out loud.

Clamping the sapphire brooch hanging by his neck, he thought back to what Rose had said while giving it to him. 'The soul of the first duke of Laria, the frost dragon slaver, if those records in the library are correct then…'

Channelling his mana through the sapphire stone in the brooch, Haruki could feel his body freezing down to the very soul. That sensation wasn't confined to him either, as a cold storm of ice began circling around the party.

"Damn you, Snow Frost, be useful!" Howling a scream, the ground under him dug into a crater. Feeding the stone more and more mana, it sprang into existence a whirlwind of ice reaching into the skies.

Safeguarded under the typhoon swarming with razor-sharp icicles, Haruki turned to the other with blood-red eyes.

"Move! I can't hold this thing much longer!" He yelled, ordering the retreat.