Chapter 45 : To a House with Nothing (2)

Is it the saying that even a rotten fish is still considered a carp?

The Frost Duchy already knew that Wolfgang and Theodore were coming for them, and they had prepared a grand welcome worthy of their names.

Wolfgang and Theodore could easily realize that a considerable military force was surrounding them.

Though the new model was hidden in the forest of the Frost Duchy, they could not hide their presence and the aura of death surrounding them.

Especially Wolfgang, who had faced both external and internal enemies during the Winter War, was highly sensitive to such killing intent.

However, the first thing that caught their attention was the small figure of the girl.

Her physique looked like that of a first-year middle schooler, but in her hand, she wielded a massive axe that seemed completely out of place for her size.

But there was no time to leisurely admire this strange impression.

The girl, despite her small stature, closed the distance to Theodore in the blink of an eye with explosive speed.

However, the girl’s axe did not strike Theodore’s neck.

Before anyone else could act, Galina moved first.

To be honest, she didn’t care what happened to the girl.

In fact, Galina personally thought it would be better if the girl died cleanly.

After all, she was the only family the commander had, and the only guide for leading the kingdom.

Whether she liked it or not, Galina concluded logically that losing Theodore here would be a significant loss.

But the one thing her instincts disagreed with was this:

‘If I don’t step in, the commander will.’

The girl’s huge, unwieldy axe was completely blocked by Galina’s arm.

The girl’s expression turned to one of shock, clearly not expecting that her attack would be stopped by a body.

But Galina had no mercy in her hand.

Without hesitation, she swung her fist directly at the stunned girl’s face.

The punch, like a flash of light, slammed into the girl’s face.

Unable to withstand Galina’s overwhelming strength, the girl was sent flying.

To think she would swing a weapon in front of the commander with such skill… It was a crime that deserved a thousand deaths.

Boom!

“Who dares swing a weapon so arrogantly in front of me?”

Even as the girl slammed into the wall like a ragdoll and collapsed, no one intervened to stop Galina.

Because, in the Empire, this was considered normal.

She had drawn her weapon first?

Not killing her right away was enough of a mercy.

If you don’t kill first, you will die.

This truth had been ingrained in them during the Winter War, a battle of bitter cold and death.

However, Galina silently looked at the fist she had just thrown.

In the battlefield, when you risk your life, you inevitably come to understand a certain feeling—the sensation of ending someone’s life with your own hands.

Of course, she hadn’t intended to kill this time.

But despite that, she felt nothing in her hand.

The punch had connected perfectly, but it didn’t feel like an effective attack at all.

And that wasn’t just a passing thought.

As the girl’s clothes were torn by the blow, revealing her well-toned abs, she didn’t even care about it. Instead, she glared at Galina, who had interfered.

“Damn! I really thought I was going to die.”

‘Did she block my attack in that short moment? She’s not ordinary.’

“Hey, lady. What the hell are you doing interfering with someone else’s family matters?”

“Lady?”

It was the first time she had heard that word, but it stirred up a deep, unfamiliar anger inside her.

In a word, it was one of those things that made you feel uncomfortable as soon as you heard it.

“Did I unconsciously hold back because she looks like a kid?”

“Who are you calling a kid?! Who!!”

“You.”

“……?!”

The girl’s reflexes were incredible.

She managed to block Galina’s sudden surprise attack with her axe, but that was the extent of her abilities.

She could block Galina’s attacks, but the overwhelming gap in power meant she couldn’t do anything more.

In truth, considering her age, just being able to block Galina’s strikes was an impressive feat.

In the end, the girl’s body, exhausted and unable to overcome the power gap, collapsed.

Just as Galina was about to take her life, someone grabbed her hand.

“Who the hell…?!”

“It’s me.”

“Commander?!”

It was none other than Wolfgang who had stopped Galina from killing the girl.

No matter how much of a mad dog she was, Galina wasn’t crazy enough to not recognize the commander, who had saved her life.

‘Damn, things are getting out of hand.’

When Galina, with the blood of monsters mixed in her veins, got caught up in a fight, she became a beast that slaughtered anyone in her path without regard for anything.

That was why they called her the mad dog.

Normally, she would have let it slide.

But this was the Frost Duchy, and the enemy appeared to be connected to them, so letting her die would have been a problem.

“Good job. If you hadn’t stepped in, I would have.”

“Are they connected to the Frost Duchy?”

“Her name is Mirina Frost, the youngest daughter of the Frost Duke, whom he cherishes dearly.”

“If we had killed her, it would have been a disaster.”

At first, there hadn’t been time to stop the attack, but now that the girl was clearly trying to kill, things were different.

Killing the youngest daughter of the Frost Duke would certainly bring a terrible aftermath.

Galina quickly suppressed the rage that had flared up.

If the commander wished it, there was no need for further explanation.

At the same time, she didn’t forget to give the girl a warning.

“You’re lucky, kid. You’d better be grateful for the commander’s mercy for the rest of your life.”

“Sure, you’re strong. You’re the first human I’ve met as strong as that traitor.”

“If that’s the case…”

“But, you’re not at a level I can’t catch up to.”

The girl, Mirina, gazed intensely with her piercing blue eyes.

Despite being pushed to the brink of death, she felt more pleasure than fear.

For now, she admitted she could never win.

But if she asked herself if she would never be able to win again, the answer was different.

She was already envisioning how to catch up.

If anyone else had said this, Galina would have thought it was just bravado.

But Mirina’s words couldn’t be dismissed.

Her instincts had already recognized the truth.

Mirina Frost had talent she was born with.

Having the blood of a hero family, it was no surprise that she had great talent.

However, no matter how incredible the talent, there were definitely limits to what was possible.

Mirina’s blue eyes fixed on a woman with white hair, who had been standing nearby.

The woman, dressed in a black military uniform, looked like any other soldier at first glance.

But Mirina recognized her immediately.

In the brief time they had fought, the strange woman had defeated all the knights who had surrounded them.

She had even kept them alive.

The time Mirina had endured was at most three minutes.

In that short span, the woman had subdued the knights.

The knights of the Frost Duchy were trained warriors who had shed blood and sweat to protect the duchy.

Although not as powerful as the royal guard, they were still elite soldiers.

‘No matter how much I look at it, I can’t catch up to her. Who is she?’

Even Theodore, the kingdom’s strongest swordsman, Mirina believed she could one day catch up to.

After all, she could already imagine that. But this woman was different.

She couldn’t even imagine how to defeat her.

She had never encountered an opponent like this before.

Not even the guardian dragon was at this level.

“Who is she?”

“I don’t have an obligation to tell you.”

“Wolfgang Leonhardt.”

“Commander?!”

“Wolfgang Leonhardt… Wolfgang? The war hero of the Empire?”

To some people, a name could hold enormous value—so great that it was almost beyond measure. Leonhardt was one of those names.

The savior of the Empire and the hero who led them to victory in the Winter War.

Legends around heroes often come with exaggerations.

This is common in myths and stories.

Of course, since she was called a war hero, she must have real skill, but Mirina had assumed there would be some exaggeration.

However, when she faced her directly, she realized.

The legend of Wolfgang Leonhardt was not exaggerated.

Because of that, Mirina had found the answer to her dilemma.

The current position of the Frost Duchy was precarious.

Ten years ago, when Lana Frost’s engagement had been broken off, the Duchy had become weaker.

And now, with the traitor betraying the kingdom and joining the Empire, they were even weaker.

‘Originally, I was supposed to capture the traitor, deliver them to the saint, and get absolution.’

Mirina’s mind raced quickly.

The woman who had just overwhelmed her was clearly a subordinate of Leonhardt.

Along with a monster with immeasurable strength.

“I am Mirina Frost, the next Duchess of the Frost Duchy. Everyone, follow me. I will guide you to the Duchy.”

She would like to fight properly, but… for now, she had to follow the orders to bring them along.