Chapter 10: The Next Target

Arth's loud grunt was heard below the guild's hideout outside. He was on the snowy ground swinging a sword made of ice towards the metal pole. He's trying out the strength and durability of the ice-made weapon he created.

There was light fog on the forest and the freezing air filled the whole forest. It was still early in the morning but the chill of winter didn't affect him.

As he cried while giving a full strike, the ice finally broke and was shattered into pieces as it hit the metal pole.

"It's still not enough!" He muttered a curse and gave a sigh.

Arth raised his hand and it began glow brighter. He closed his eyes,

When the light faded in his hand, he was already holding another frozen sword. He gripped its handle and struck the metal again.

A few minutes later, he saw Janshai coming from a far. He just probably got back from his mission. He was wearing his usual black cloak with his deep red eyes locked on to Arth while walking.

Arth noticed something on him ever since he first met Janshai. I wonder what his weapon's like. I never saw him using one. He furrowed his brows as he looked at Janshai. His hands were only on the side pockets of his black cloak.

"Hitting on a mere metal won't do anything good," Janshai suddenly said with no emotions on his face. "Your opponent won't just stand like that getting hit all the time."

Arth looked down on the ground. He's right. If I want to test the ice weapon I created, I should use it against beasts or with anyone here.

Janshai just continued walking and climbed up the circular staircase without saying anything more.

How come a nineteen year old like him is already experienced and knows a lot about fighting? Arth watched him go inside the house.

"I need to become stronger," Arth's grip to his ice sword tightened. "For the sake of my village and all of the people suffering."

He swiftly ran through the depths of the white forest to hunt some beasts. He wasn't bringing his own sword with him. He needs to practice what Alice told him yesterday. However, he doesn't want to drain himself this time since he and Robert will be going on the capital later for their mission.

He caught a glimpse of a white bear ahead and so he immediately charged towards it.

Arth jumped high and raised his ice sword. The beast only noticed him on air and didn't have the time to react.

He landed a killing blow as he plunged through the bear's head above. He struck a powerful kick which pushed the bear away and rolled on the white ground.

"I guess it's stronger now compared from yesterday," Arth stared at his frozen weapon pierced through the bear's head.

A few seconds later, more beasts came with the same type as the white bear Arth just killed. He was now surrounded by beasts that were a lot bigger.

He extended his right hand and created another ice weapon. He grasped its hilt and advanced towards them.

B-class beasts wouldn't be a problem for him. He managed to slit their throats without getting hit from the beasts' claws. He has this intense passion of his target's necks. He believed it was the easiest way to kill them as quick as possible.

He was already breathless when he pulled his ice sword from the last beast's face. The frozen weapon was now showered with dark and thick blood.

Arth placed his hands on his hips as he was catching his breath. He never knew that using magic while moving his body a lot would be much more draining than he thought.

When he went back to the hideout, he immediately saw Robert preparing his horse ahead.

"You're late!" Robert pointed at Arth's face.

"Wait, it's not noon yet," Arth sighed and scratched his head.

Robert just gave a smirk. "Get ready, we'll leave in ten minutes," he said and then walked out of Arth's room.

Arth hurriedly went back to his small bedroom and changed his clothes. After a few minutes, he went out of his room and walked towards Robert outside.

They directly started on their travel to Ice Crown Citadel. It was in the west of their hideout in the white forest. There wasn't snow falling but the cold wind was blowing hard.

"So, what's our mission?" Arth asked him while they were riding their horses.

"An observation, Arth, for our next target," Robert replied.

"We're doing an assassination already?"

"No, stupid!" Robert laughed and shook his head. "We'll just observe, Arth! We're not gonna kill anyone today. But when we're done reporting to the boss, he might send Janshai to kill our target."

"Why him and not us?"

"Because our target is a high councilor of the king. We all know that councilors were highly secured and protected by grand knights," Robert answered. "So we should let a professional assassin, handle this."

Arth sighed and just nodded with a little disappointment.

"Isn't that great? We're gonna have so much fun on this mission!" Robert smirked. "This is what I've been waiting for. You know, we're just gonna go around the capital, maybe hit on some girls we see!" he winked at Arth.

"You really are a playboy, you know that?" Arth rolled his eyes. Robert just laughed.

A few hours later and Arth could already see the high kingdom capital from a far. Its vast land territory surrounded by strong walls was elevated on the high bedrock.

"It's huge!" Arth's eyes widened as they already entered the huge gate house. "So this is the Ice Crown Citadel?!"

When Robert and Arth reached the gate house, Arth realized that the walls here were two times higher than those in Casterfall. He looked up to the crenellations of the wall and noticed that the knights above were wearing blue capes and elegant armors.

The capital was like a huge mountain with the castle built on top. It has already miles in radius that covered their land territory. The whole kingdom has three layers of walls. Inside the outer wall was the lower ring where Arth saw many commoner people. Some knights were also on patrol around the area.

Then he looked towards the upper ring where it was elevated and was covered by another high wall. It's probably where the nobles and high ranking people reside. But what caught Arth's eyes was the magnificent and huge castle at the heart of the capital. He could see the blue pillars and fortified walls that covered the whole castle structure inside the upper ring.

The lower ring was indeed a compressed place of high buildings and houses. The place was also more crowded compared to the main street in Casterfall city. Arth saw many knights patrolling the streets but they weren't noticed. He was wearing his blue cloak while Robert was on his brown coat.

They went to a weaponry shop because Robert was finding something for his equipment. Arth took his time to look for daggers or knives for his emergency use. He was amused seeing the quality of the weapons here in the capital.

But then his eyebrows rose in shock as he saw the price of the dagger he's holding. "Damn, these prices in the capital are way more expensive than I thought," he whispered.

He also remembered that he still needs to save the money he got from his first mission. He wants to send the money to his village in Frostwood. Arth knew that they will need it to cover the debt the village had from paying such high taxes to the authorities.

When they went out of the shop, Arth noticed the tallest tower at the center of the castle. It was a high circular structure. At the top of the tower were blue pillars stood at the sides supporting the cone-shaped roof above.

"What's in that high tower?" Arth asked Robert while pointing at it. Robert looked at what Arth was referring to.

"The blue crystal, Arth," Robert replied. "It's the one that protected the North a long time ago from the demons, but now it's dead."

Arth suddenly looked at him confusingly. "What? Why?"

"I'm not sure. But I heard that it is somehow related with the legendary sword used by the kings of Ice Crown before,"

Arth's eyes widened. "Legendary sword?"

Robert nodded. "The cursed blade, Frostcalibur. It was the only sword that could restore the power of the blue crystal in the North. But now, it's nowhere to be found."

"What happened to it?"

"When king Letholdus, the previous king, died eighteen years ago, the legendary cursed blade he's wielding was totally gone. Some said that the king sent it far north and made it hidden so that one day, one who's worthy, could wield it and rule the Ice Crown Citadel, someone that has the royal blood of the Aragon family."

"But isn't his brother now, King Terrowin Aragon, could wield it?" Arth furrowed his brows. "He's the only living Aragon now, right?

"Yes," Robert nodded. "But they've already kept searching for years, Arth, including the boss. Still no one ever saw it again."

"Wait, Lucas is also looking for it?!" Arth looked at him with wide eyes.

"Of course he is! He was the divine knight of King Letholdus Aragon before he died," Robert explained.

I wonder why he's looking for it and what's he going to use it for. Arth thought.

They stopped walking in front of an alehouse. Arth looked at Robert with furrowed eyebrows. "What are we gonna do here?" he asked in a suspicious look.

"Relax, Arth! We're not gonna drunk ourselves," Robert chuckled. "We need some information here about our target."

Arth's eyes surveyed the front cemented walls when his attention was suddenly caught by the wanted posters on it. His eyes widened when he saw Lucas and Luna's face on one of the wanted posters. The writing said that the king would pay a generous amount to someone who could bring their heads to him.

"Woah, really?" Arth said while looking at the posters.

"Good thing I wasn't caught yet, right? I still want to explore the north all the way!" Robert told him.

He leaned to Arth's ear and whispered. "But we still need to be careful, Arth. The king has eyes and ears everywhere."

Arth nodded and the two finally went inside the alehouse.

It was a noisy place for Arth. He could see drunken men laughing and shouting while others were already dancing like fools. The stinky and bitter smell of alcohol made Arth cover his nose. Some women were also offering drinks to their customers which Robert couldn't take his eyes off to.

"This is why I love the capital," Robert elbowed him while biting his lower lip.

Arth just rolled his eyes and shook his head. They went to the counter where one man was serving beers and ales. He seemed to be the owner. The two sat on the high wooden chair.

"Couple of beers for ya' young lads?" the man said.

Robert nodded and placed one gold coin on the counter. The man took it and started getting beers.

"He's the brother of one of the high guards of our target councilor," Robert whispered while pointing at the owner. "I heard his brother is a grand knight and always comes here at this night."

Arth looked around and tried to find the 'knight' Robert was talking about but he couldn't. Only fat and good-for-nothing, drunken men who doesn't seem to be knights were the ones he saw.

The owner served two big wooden containers filled with beer. Arth tried to taste but he just choked because of the bitterness of the liquid. Robert laughed loudly at Arth's face as he coughed.

"This is the worst drink I ever had," Arth swallowed hard and placed his beer on the counter.

"Come on, you'll like it more as you drink it," Robert replied.

Arth was about to reply when he suddenly noticed a tall and middle-aged muscular man going towards them and sat on the high chair beside him. He has this presence of a knight that Arth could immediately sense.

Robert's eyes signaled Arth to inform him that he was the one. Arth nodded and took his beer. He tried to drink slowly at a time.

"You've settled the papers already?"

Arth heard the owner asking the man beside him.

"Not yet. 'Been so busy these days," the man replied in a dark voice. The owner gave him a drink and he sighed heavily.

"I've been with the councilor the whole time preparing for the tournament shit he's gonna held,"

Arth and Robert slowly looked at each other.

"When is it? Peter's gonna join?" the owner asked.

"In two days," the man replied and then he drank on his ale before continuing. "Yea that kid's been working hard for this tournament."

"King Terrowin's gonna be there?"

The man shook his head. "He won't concern himself with this crap. But the Frostguarde will be there to watch over and guard the high councilor."

Frostguarde? Arth noticed that Robert almost coughed from the beer he's drinking after hearing what the man said. Robert cleared his throat and then wiped his mouth. He signaled Arth that they should be leaving now.

Both of them stood up and walked out of the alehouse.

"This is bad," Robert shook his head.

"What's the Frostguarde?" Arth directly asked while catching up to him.

"I don't know, Arth," Robert shook his head. "They might be the new guild the boss was talking about."

"New guild?!"