Having taken the gift, we headed to a small hotel on the outskirts of the city. We could have gone straight to the palace, but Seleria didn't want to attract unnecessary attention.
"Ho-hoo, not everyone gets such an offer," Seleria removed her mask and smirked mischievously at me. "Are you sure you don't want to become an assassin?"
"No, that's not something I'd want," I replied.
"But think about it, it's a good job for the state, decent pay, and anonymity. You can retire early and earn a secure old age."
"Well, no, that's definitely not what I dreamt of doing in life."
"Do you already have plans for who you want to become in the future?"
"Certainly not a nationally renowned thief," I glanced at the girl, and she looked away embarrassed.
"Seli, so what's this all about? Since when do princesses engage in dark dealings?" Rizel also wanted to pry details from the princess.
"Um, sorry, I haven't been with you for long, but the princess has always seemed a bit strange to me," however, Miri did not show such concern.
"Hoo, and what didn't you like about me?"
"Well, why didn't I like you? You're a decent person, but quite secretive. And your combat skills gave away an experienced warrior, though you behaved like a spoiled noble in front of people. It annoyed me a bit, but since no one paid attention to it, I didn't share my suspicions with anyone."
"Well, it seems not everyone can be deceived by my act."
"So, how long have you been doing this?"
"For the past six years, ever since I got to know the current guild leaders. In our country, there's just sometimes too much deceit and intrigue, someone has to act from the shadows."
"But what if everyone finds out?"
"So far, I've managed to keep it a secret; you are the first after the masters to know about it. And even if they find out, it won't change anything. I've never needed what I stole, so I distributed the loot to people. I think that's how I earned myself a few popularity points. And soon, you'll accompany me to an event that's not entirely legal."
"Damn, if we get caught, you won't be able to cover all of us!"
"Then we just can't get caught, hehe."
The group of riders leisurely made their way south from the capital of Nordrune. Five riders followed a woman in beautifully adorned armor, while three little dragons flew through the air, trying to keep their distance from the riders.
"So, if I understand correctly, we're heading to a potential heiress?" Reines clarified the hidden details. Ragni and Grain simply lacked the courage to inquire about it from the Valkyrie.
"Yes, she is Hilda's sister and the daughter of the former chief Valkyrie, Frigg."
"Her name is Helen, and she's almost the same age as Hilda, did I get that right?"
"Yes."
"I understand everything, but that means that while you were pregnant, your husband..."
"It's alright, I don't worry about that because I allowed him to do it."
"Wow, everything is really alright," Grain looked at Hilda, clearly disapproving of her mother's calm attitude. "And does she know about her origin?"
"No... I don't think so. Frigg wanted to take her away far so that she would grow up without thinking about our political struggles. She probably never told her about her father."
"And what do you plan to do? Bring her to the palace? Then there will be no avoiding explanations."
"I don't know, but for now, let's hope that nothing happened to her. After all, not many people know about her existence and her connection to Sigfrid."
"Yet we suspect some involvement in the assassination attempts, possibly from the Thanes, so anything is possible."
"I don't want to admit it, but that's entirely possible. Some Thanes have spoken out against Hilda. Speak quieter; we are entering wild territory."
The riders reached the edge of the forest, which stretched from the western border of the main trade route to the mountains that separated the capital from the western regions of Verania.
"There are no towns ahead," one of the little dragons landed on the edge.
"Yes, they live in a small house in the forest, so you won't see them from the air."
"Well, then, we'll fly around. I don't like dark places," the "little ones" soared back into the air.
The tall trees shielded the travelers from the sun, making it even colder.
"I really don't like your weather," Ragni wrapped herself tightly in a fur cape and occasionally exhaled weak flames to keep warm; unfortunately, the others didn't possess such a useful ability.
"Hmm, maybe someone should've dressed less conspicuously," Hilda glanced at the exposed legs and belly of the dragoness under her cape.
"Well, sorry, I don't have a very rich selection of clothes, and we rushed into this journey too suddenly."
A cold breeze swept over the trail, causing the unprepared Veranian students to huddle in their capes.
"Hehe, and they also laughed at my fur armor," Hilda proudly puffed her chest.
"Yes, and someone also barely functioned in the heat during summer, refusing to change into proper clothing."
The princesses exchanged friendly banter.
"If you keep being so amicable, it will be a long journey," Grain wearily leaned on her saddle.
"Don't worry, they live nearby; otherwise, it would be difficult for them to get supplies from the nearest village."
Twenty minutes passed when a roar from the sky halted the travelers.
"What do they want?" Ragni threw off her cape and spread her wings.
Three little dragons circled above the companions, trying to get their attention.
"Mama, there are people lying there," one of the dragons nodded in the direction away from the trail that the group was following.
"And they're not moving."
The little dragons flapped their wings peacefully and flew ahead, indicating the way.
"It seems there are some people there," Ragni returned to her horse and followed the little ones.
"Hmm, are those the ones we're looking for?"
"Or the ones who were looking for them before us."
The group turned off the road towards the edge where the camp of unknown people lay.
In the middle of the forest was a small clearing with hastily set up tents. Covered in snow, there were also the ones the little dragons spotted from the air.
Freya and Hilda carefully dismounted their horses and went to check on them.
"They're all dead," Freya turned over one of the bodies. "It's cold here, but they haven't started decomposing yet, so they must have died no more than five days ago."
The bodies bore deep cuts, and the weapons were lying not far from them. It seemed they perished in a battle.
"And is this what I think it is?" Reines picked up one of the swords, with visible traces of rust and cracks. "He probably didn't fight with such a sword, but it could have been due to that poison."
"Perhaps this group is related to those assassins. We need to hurry to Frigg," Freya was about to return to the horses, but Hilda stopped her.
"Just wait," the princess carefully took out an axe and scooped up a handful of snow with the edge of the blade. "We need to find out who's been tracking us."
The girl swung her axe, and the snow turned into a hail of icicles, flying towards a tree at the edge of the clearing. A large branch snapped off from the sudden impact, and a small figure jumped down from it. The girl, wearing fur boots, thick pants, and a heavy hooded jacket, landed smoothly, dropping from a height of five meters.
"Well, who do we have here?" Hilda slowly approached the intruder, not sheathing her weapon.
"Are these your comrades?" the girl nodded towards the corpses. Her voice was somewhat rough, but it carried a sense of pretense, as if she was trying to appear more serious than she actually was.
"Not exactly, but we would like to know what happened to them."
"They didn't measure their strength, that's all," the girl nonchalantly turned towards the forest.
"Hey, wait, I wanted to ask you something else," Hilda came closer, but the girl immediately leaped back, clutching the hilt of the sword at her side.
"I don't trust strangers, and you'd better leave while I let you."
"Heh, no, we have some unfinished business here."
"Then it's your fault," the girl smoothly unsheathed a claymore from her back and assumed a fighting stance. "I have no reason to fight you, but you're the ones who are starting it."
"I don't want to fight you either; there's no need to complicate the situation."
"Well, no, last time such talks didn't end well for me."
"It seems we won't get anywhere like this, but if words won't convince you, we can always make our point with our fists," Hilda smirked and also assumed a fighting stance.
The two girls prepared for battle, but their companions did not try to stop them. The stranger was armed with a blade all too familiar with pain – long and wide at the base, with a slight thickening near the tip.
Hilda attacked first. Taking a couple of steps, she swung widely, aiming for a circular strike with a large radius. Her opponent crouched slightly and positioned her sword at an angle, deflecting the blow's trajectory. The axe changed the rotation angle and struck the ground. Unfazed, Hilda swiftly made a half turn forward, intercepting the axe's handle with her left hand. Another forceful strike was easily parried by her opponent. However, this time, the girl didn't wait for Hilda to strike again. She smoothly moved behind the warrior and aimed for her side with the tip of the blade. Hilda intercepted the axe's handle once more and blocked the attack with her steel forearm guard. The girl immediately stepped back, ready to defend herself.
"I think I've seen a similar blade before," Reines thoughtfully scratched her chin.
"All Valkyries carry such swords," Freya patted the sheaths at her back.
"Doesn't that mean she's the very girl we're heading to?" Asura frowned in displeasure.
"Yes, I believe so; at least she's her daughter. Otherwise, Frigg would have killed my daughter a long time ago, heh-heh."
"And you're not going to stop them?" Ragni gave the warrior a stern look.
"Why would I?" The queen only smiled contentedly.
"Oh, right, why am I asking such foolish questions," the dragoness grumbled in dissatisfaction. "We don't care if there are more killers wandering around nearby, or how many there were in the first place. And, of course, we shouldn't be bothered that they might kill each other!!"
The dragoness's words smoothly flowed around the unwavering queen, who observed the "games" of the young girls with a smile.
"Freya and I have been rivals for a long time, crossing swords on numerous occasions, so I see nothing wrong in our daughters adopting this tradition as well," Hilda said.
"Oh yes, those quirky Nordic customs, how could I forget..." Reines muttered sarcastically.
"Just watch them; you can feel the difference in their skills," Freya pointed at the fighting girls. "Look at their movements. Hilda relies on strength and precision, which is logical with her weapon. She takes only rare steps forward, closing in on her opponent and delivering powerful blows to wear them down. Her inhuman strength allows her to swing the axe so freely, and she uses her adamantium bracers and boot plates for defense. She doesn't use the axe to parry attacks, but she doesn't let the opponent strike hard enough to break her defense."
"Her opponent, on the other hand, acts quite differently," Asura closely observed the movements of the stranger. "Her techniques remind me of my clan's. She deflects the opponent's attacks and constantly changes her position to counter in the openings she sees in Hilda's defense. At the same time, she is practically exposed, and any strike could be deadly for her. I doubt I could withstand Hilda's pressure for so long; a katana is not meant to fend off an axe, but her sword is just what she needs."
"Exactly! You understand perfectly how they operate," Freya joyfully patted the warrior on her back, causing her to bend slightly. "If we compare them to natural phenomena, Hilda is like a block of ice, with impenetrable defense but straightforward and predictable attacks. Meanwhile, Helen is like water splashing in the frost. You can slash at her all you want, but she will just flow around your sword. And when you get distracted for a second, she will immediately turn into a thin shard of ice that will pierce you."
"Yeah, Hilda lacks agility and speed, while Helen seems to lack strength," Asura commented.
"But they have something else they haven't measured yet," Freya chuckled with satisfaction. "Ah, here it is. It seems it's time to intervene."
The girls had exchanged dozens of blows, but it didn't tip the scales in either direction. Hilda grew tired of waiting and began gathering mana at the tip of her blade.
"It's time to get serious," this time, her circular axe strike was accompanied by a thin icy edge directed towards her opponent's face.
Deflecting the attack, the swordswoman jumped forward but suddenly halted. In mid-air, Hilda altered the trajectory of her axe and brought it down with force aimed at the head of the approaching girl.
The swordswoman barely managed to brake, and her blade just clicked against the buckle on her belt, but the mana accumulated in the axe burst out at that moment, sending a palisade of ice needles shooting up from the ground. The girl did two backward somersaults, but the needles kept growing from the earth, trapping their prey in the corner.
"Tch," for a moment, her sword glowed with a bluish light, and she sliced through the approaching ice with ease. The ice needles instantly turned into snow, covering the battlefield in a white cloud.
"STOP!" Freya's cry shook the clearing, and for a moment, it seemed even the wind ceased to blow.
The icy dust settled, and we saw two girls fiercely entangled with each other. The princess's sword rested on the swordswoman's neck, ready to strike, but the axe, ripped from the ground, stopped just a few centimeters from the swordsman's groin. If it weren't for Freya's intervention, we would have had one headless and one halved corpse right now.
"Ha-ha-ha, you really are so much like your mother," Freya gave the swordswoman a not-so-gentle pat on the head. "Just don't go swinging your weapon at everyone you meet."
"I already trusted some scoundrels not long ago, and my mother suffered because of it. Don't think I'll trust you just because you supposedly know her."
"Well, okay-okay, lead us to her, she'll confirm it herself," Freya gave her daughter another pat on the head this time. "And you, too, stop attacking everyone you see."
Considering the weight of the Valkyrie's gauntlets, I doubt the girls heard anything but a resounding clang.
"Pf, it's her own fault."
"Alright, move forward, and don't you dare pick up your weapons," the girl stepped away from Hilda, but she didn't hide her sword. We obediently followed her.