Ding!
[The “Soul Curse” has been removed.]
The moment that message appeared, a ripple passed through the quiet room.
All at once, Arcelia’s eyes snapped open.
The girls nearby froze, stunned.
“…Holy crap?” Alice muttered first, blinking rapidly.
“No way, it actually worked?” Alera followed, her voice quiet but astonished.
Lilith just stared, her tail swaying slowly behind her.
But Alex didn’t react.
He remained completely still, standing at the edge of the couch, gazing down at Arcelia.
His arms were folded, and his expression unreadable as the girl, slowly and with effort, shifted from lying down to sitting upright.
Arcelia clutched her head with one hand, wincing as a faint pulse echoed in her mind.
“What… the hell… happened…?” Her voice was hoarse, confused, yet steady enough to hold weight.
Alex answered without hesitation.
“The curse’s gone, I removed it.”
She looked up.
And when her gaze met his, she froze.
It wasn’t the tone of his voice that chilled her, nor even the words.
It was the look in his eyes, those two glowing orbs of gold and crimson.
They didn’t shimmer with compassion or relief.
There was no pride in his expression, no smile of accomplishment.
Just intensity, unwavering, calm, cold.
He was staring at her like she was just another file to be closed, another problem solved.
And for the first time in centuries, the highborn princess of the [Maple Empire], a level 600 mage in her own right, felt something rare: fear.
“…I… I want to go outside,” Arcelia muttered, her voice quieter this time.
A small tremor ran through her words.
“I… I want to talk to Eleonora…”
Alex gave a small nod and turned toward the door without a word.
Arcelia watched him go, then slowly swung her legs off the couch and stood up.
To her own surprise, she didn’t collapse.
Her knees didn’t buckle.
There was no wave of weakness or pain.
Her breath steadied, her pulse slowed, and for the first time in what must’ve been centuries… she felt normal, alive.
She lifted one hand in front of her.
Fingers trembling slightly, she opened her palm wide.
Frost began to form instantly, slow at first, like thin mist trailing from her fingertips.
Then, a shard of ice emerged, hovering gently above her palm, catching the morning light with a glimmer.
Her eyes widened.
A breath escaped her lips.
“I… I can use magic again…”
A tear rolled down her cheek as she smiled, voice trembling with joy.
“Thank you…”
The last time they had met, she had been trapped in an icy coffin, sealed away and barely conscious.
Even after being freed, she had been difficult, even aggressive, demanding answers, asking about her empire, attempting to reestablish control like the royal she was.
She hadn’t trusted them.
She had viewed them more as pawns than saviors.
But now, standing on her own two feet, feeling her power return to her hands, her soul unshackled, she understood.
If it hadn’t been for them, she would’ve still been imprisoned, forgotten by time.
And Eleonora would’ve been left to rot in the sealed temple.
Her empire may be lost, but… she was still here.
And that meant something.
A few minutes later, the door opened, and one by one, the group stepped out of the house, Arcelia following last.
As she stepped outside, sunlight bathed her skin.
The gentle warmth, the fresh air, the hum of birds and the subtle rustling of leaves, it all felt foreign and yet somehow familiar.
She looked up, blinking at the sky.
For a second, her body locked in place.
She had seen the sky countless times in her youth.
But not like this. Not after so long in isolation.
She smiled faintly, almost hesitantly.
Though to her it felt like mere days had passed, her soul remembered.
This peace, this warmth, had been absent for hundreds of years.
Then suddenly, the ground beside her shifted.
A surge of magic pulsed in the air as a massive presence began to materialize beside her.
Beige-scaled, graceful, and glowing softly in the light of morning, Eleonora appeared.
The moment their eyes met, Arcelia’s lips trembled again.
“Eleonora!” she exclaimed, rushing forward.
The dragon’s wide, majestic eyes lit up in shock.
“A-Arcelia…?”
“I missed you…” Arcelia whispered, hugging the massive creature’s foreleg as tightly as she could, “It’s good to see you…”
Eleonora bowed her head low in return, her voice tinged with disbelief.
“I… I felt it… I knew something changed, but I didn’t expect… you actually stood up.”
They talked for a while after that, about everything.
“They’re… kind,” the dragon said, “Strange, powerful, but kind.”
Eventually, Arcelia turned back toward the group.
Her gaze softened.
And then, slowly, she bowed.
“Thank you… truly.”
It was the kind of gesture that would’ve once been considered beneath her.
But right now, pride didn’t matter.
Rank didn’t matter. Only gratitude.
Especially when it came to someone like Alex.
She could feel it in his presence, that chilling pressure.
She introduced herself properly not long after.
“Arcelia Maple,” she said with a polite bow, “Princess of the [Maple Empire], level 600, and wielder of advanced ice magic.”
The group welcomed her warmly, each taking a moment to nod or smile in acknowledgment.
Then her expression darkened slightly.
“My kingdom… it was destroyed.”
“Ripped apart by other races, and by one of our own.”
“A Grand Mage named Esteban.”
She clenched her fists.
“He could’ve killed me, but instead… he cursed me.”
“Locked me in my own body.”
“A [Soul Curse], so I would suffer endlessly without dying.”
Alex’s eyes narrowed.
[Truth.]
She wasn’t lying.
Her words aligned with what she had muttered upon waking. It fit.
And yet… her next words weren’t what he expected.
“I want to kill him,” she said, softly at first, “No matter how strong he is. No matter what level,” then again, louder, “He… he destroyed everything. My family. My empire.”
A heavy silence followed.
Arcelia’s heart was pounding, but she stood her ground.
Even if he was level 2,000, even if she had to dedicate her entire life to it…
Alex interrupted her thoughts with a blunt sentence.
“He’s already dead.”
Her breath caught in her throat.
“What…?”
Eleonora’s head jerked slightly in confusion.
Arcelia stepped forward out of instinct, reaching for Alex, only to freeze when his gaze fell on her.
She backed off immediately.
“I’ve killed all the Grand Mages except one,” Alex said plainly, “Esteban was probably among them.”
“If I didn’t personally kill him, then someone else did before that meeting.”
“Either way… he’s not in this world anymore.”
Her legs gave out slightly, and she sank to her knees, eyes glistening.
“…Really…?” she whispered.
“Yeah,” Alex confirmed, “You’re free to rebuild what you lost, or live for something new,” he continued, tone calm.
“…Stay here,” Alera chimed in, flashing a warm grin, “We’d be happy to have you, so long as you don’t cause problems.”
Arcelia looked around at the faces surrounding her.
People who had no reason to help her.
And yet… here they were.
She bowed for the third time.
“P-Please take care of me… I think I’ll stay here for a while.”
“Welcome!” Alice beamed.
“New fox tribe member?” Lilith tilted her head, tail swishing curiously.
“Let’s gooo!” Alera laughed.
Even Eleonora nodded, smiling in her own draconic way.
“Master… this place is amazing. They took care of both of us. It’s… peaceful. I think staying here would be a good choice.”
“I will,” Arcelia said softly.
And just like that, her long, frozen chapter came to a close.
The introductions were over.
Which also meant Alex had no more reason to delay.
There were still things he had to do.
The [Chosen Games] loomed ever closer.
And he had no intention of entering unprepared.