IRM Chapter 110

The rabbit was jolted awake by a bout of bumping. It curled up its cold furry belly, rubbed against the hard “bed,” and huffed twice in dissatisfaction.

Why was it sleeping in such a cold, hard place? Had Ji Chi finally had enough and decided to start torturing its cute and obedient self?

How terrible this person was! The rabbit grew angrier the more it thought about it, and rolled over to open its agate-like red eyes.

Before its eyes was a swaying snowy landscape, and in the distance stretched a continuous range of snow-capped mountains. The pristine mountain range was wrapped by an ice-blue ribbon that stood silently and meanderingly in the wind and snow, separating the snowy mountains from the snowy plains.

That was the border fortress.

Sila had never seen what the fortress looked like, yet knew at a glance that this was the place it had been dreaming of seeing. Moreover, the real fortress was far more magnificent and beautiful than it had imagined.

The rabbit squatted quietly in place gazing into the distance, until the fur on the back of its head was touched by something equally cold. Only then did it come back to its senses, squinting and twisting its head around. “I don’t want to argue with you right now, but rest assured, sooner or later I’ll settle accounts with you.”

Ji Chi poked his head over from the other side, looking at it innocently. “Are you talking to me? How did I provoke you again?”

The rabbit twisted its head back around, huffing angrily. “Look where I’m sleeping! Besides you, who else would be so bored—”

It suddenly realized as it was speaking that the angle from which they were talking was quite strange. It was actually looking down at Ji Chi right now, that red firecracker was sitting in the sled with a half-smile, looking at it teasingly.

Sila’s fur bristled all over, and it slowly turned its head back around.

Silvia happened to lower her eyes. Her pupils were jet black, but the irises outside were a very light yellow-brown. When she stared at someone, it always made one think of cold, cruel predators.

Seeing the rabbit’s scared silly expression, Silvia put down her other hand that had been touching it. “Sorry, there’s no warmer place on horseback. I could only let you sleep in my hand.”

The rabbit stupidly lowered its head, only now discovering that it was lying in Silvia’s palm. Although her hands had been blown hard and cold by the freezing wind, but—it was her palm! Her palm, the goddess’s palm! Had it arrived in heaven?!

Sila almost fainted again from excitement, its entire rabbit body trembling as if it had epilepsy.

Silvia frowned and looked toward Ji Chi, her eyes full of: Is this little thing okay? I told you they’re easily frightened by me.

Ji Chi just smiled without speaking.

“Ahhh—” A familiar scream rang out as the rabbit clung to Silvia’s palm. Ji Chi could see a sense of devotion on its furry face. “Goddess… no, General, hello! I like… no, I’ve admired you for a long time! I’ve wanted to meet you since I was six months old!”

Silvia paused and turned to look at Ji Chi: Half a lifetime? Six months?

Ji Chi coughed lightly and pretended not to know: Sorry, rabbit, this is what happens when stories don’t match up…

Silvia shook her head and rarely lifted the corners of her mouth.

The rabbit stared blankly at the smile at the edge of Silvia’s lips, as if watching a snow crystal flower blooming on the fortress. “She smiled, amazing…”

Silvia lowered her head and raised her thumb to rub its soft fur. “The fortress is no place for a one-year-old little beastman. Follow me first, and I’ll have someone send you back to somewhere safe.”

“How do you know I’m one year old?” Sila was puzzled for a moment, then immediately shook its head. “No, no, I just wanted to come here to see you and see the fortress. I’ll protect myself and go back. I won’t cause you any trouble.”

The Countess laughed and sighed beside them. “This child is really well-behaved. Not like my son—when he was infatuated with Miss Saintess before, he practically wanted to sleep on the Church roof every day.”

Ji Chi’s expression was complicated: “…” Fortunately the young master didn’t follow along, otherwise they’d still have to leave this country overnight.

At this moment, far away in the Elven Forest, Brandon: “Achoo— Evan, what did you spray on yourself that smells so good!”

Evan raised his arm and sniffed it doubtfully. “Nothing, you must have smelled wrong?”

Not far away, Coralie was shocked and raised her hand to wave out a cluster of light arrows, beating back the man-eating flower hanging over their heads until it shrank back. She shouted angrily, “Be careful! You two idiots! If you want to chat, why not go chat in heaven! It’s so quiet there!”

Brandon and Evan were splashed with sticky, foul-smelling dark green liquid. They shrank in place, dejected as they endured Coralie’s sarcasm.

Brandon even carefully raised his eyes to glance at Coralie, thinking: Was I crazy before? How could I have blushed over this thing?

The Countess also felt her son had been quite silly and adorable back then. Watching the rabbit clingingly nuzzling against Silvia now, perhaps reminded of the young master she’d raised with care, she couldn’t stop smiling with pursed lips.

She reached out to pat Silvia’s stiff shoulders and back, asking in a low voice, “Didn’t you always like these small creatures when you were little? Now that you’ve finally met a dumb snow rabbit that won’t run away, how can you bear to let it leave?”

Silvia held the rabbit in her palm in a stiff posture, constantly vigilant that it wouldn’t hop down from the horse. She also replied in a low voice. “Guarding the fortress is not their mission. They only need to make the kingdom prosper.”

The Countess withdrew the smile from the corners of her mouth and looked at her with a solemn expression. “That’s not your mission either. You must remember, you stayed at the fortress never for others, but for yourself. And I’m the same—I’m willing to accept the choices I’ve made.”

“Sister, are you happy?” After a moment of silence, Silvia suddenly asked her.

The Countess raised her chin and smiled. She brushed away the coolness on her cheek—a crystalline six-pointed snowflake stuck to her lace glove, equally white and elegant. “Of course I’m very happy. Saint Trilley is much livelier than here. It’s just that sometimes it’s indeed too peaceful—”

She instantly pulled off her white lace glove, revealing her scarred hands. She drew a black broadsword from her waist. The broadsword emitted a faint red glow, like a condensation of power, and like lingering blood.

The Countess’s hand that wasn’t holding the sword pushed against the horse’s back. Her toes exerted force, and her figure fell like a sharp arrow onto the flat snowy ground in the distance. She gripped the long sword with both hands and thrust it hard into the snow!

“Roar—” A deafening roar rang out. A berserk snow tiger with red glowing eyes burst out from the thick snow layer and roared at the army!

This berserk snow tiger was much larger than ordinary snow tigers, with coarse fur and long sharp fangs. Its red eyes weren’t the warm ruby color of the rabbit’s, but carried a glaring, terrifying blood-red light, flashing with crazy bloodthirsty killing intent.

It had originally wanted to lurk and approach this army, but unexpectedly the Countess saw through its disguise at a glance. The jet-black sword slashed down, cutting off half its neck. Black blood dripped down along its fur, emitting a rotten stench.

“Protect the General!” The expeditionary army immediately reacted. Calmly and swiftly, they drew their weapons and arranged themselves in orderly formation, protecting Silvia and Ji Chi layer upon layer within their armor and thick shields.

Sila had never seen such a scene before. The rabbit’s ears trembled with fright. “What is… this monster?”

Silvia coldly observed the bloody battle scene and said coldly, “It’s a berserk beast, a wild beast from outside the fortress, and also an enemy hunted by the expeditionary army.”

Sila trembled. “I, I didn’t know… how could there be such a terrifying thing…”

Silvia: “Mm, not many people know what they look like because they can’t escape the direction pointed by the expeditionary army’s swords.”

She spoke casually and indifferently, but Sila could hear the weight contained within.

Ji Chi slowly sighed. When the game reached the snow plains main storyline, the Nors Empire already had beastman warriors spontaneously resisting the berserk beasts, and by that time, the Snow Plains Expeditionary Army no longer existed.

The expeditionary army had actually fulfilled their promise, but unfortunately later, their swords could never be raised again.

The rabbit covered its eyes, worriedly and fearfully glancing in the direction of the snow tiger. The area was full of flying snow dust. It couldn’t even distinguish the two entangled figures, only seeing flashing red sword light and the thick black blood the snow tiger spilled.

Listening to the sharp roars, the rabbit asked with trepidation, “Don’t we need to help her?”

A hint of amusement flashed in Silvia’s light brown beast pupils. “No, whoever dares to steal her prey will end up like that snow tiger, maybe even worse.”

The rabbit understood her meaning and obediently closed its mouth: You carnivores are really scary…

Ji Chi glanced at the Countess, then at the rabbit: If I’m not mistaken, you’re also a carnivore, right? The gap between you animals is really interesting.

The rabbit bared its grain-sized teeth at him, looking quite fierce.

Ji Chi was amused by it and laughed, thinking that one should leave room for future encounters, so he didn’t continue teasing it.

Finally, Silvia couldn’t watch anymore. She called out loudly to the Countess. “It’s time to go. There are more berserk beasts near the fortress, enough for you to warm up.”

As soon as she finished speaking, a reluctant sigh came from within the snow dust. The Countess stopped her attack. She held the sword at an angle and stood in place quietly watching the blood-covered snow tiger.

The berserk snow tiger didn’t think twice before roaring and rushing toward her. Its huge paws trampled on the snowy ground, and everyone could feel the faint tremors transmitted through the earth!

Facing the approaching mad beast, the Countess neither dodged nor avoided, only slowly raising her sword with one hand. The bright red glow grew brighter and brighter on the sword’s edge. She raised the sword before her eyes, and just as the beast’s mouth opened wide about to bite her in half—

“Ice and Snow War Song.” She flicked up the sword tip, then forcefully swung downward. The ice and snow on the ground were swept up by the strong sword wind, whistling to form a mournful melody, vertically splitting through the charging mad beast!

The berserk snow tiger, carried by its momentum, crashed straight through the Countess’s figure without touching her at all, because it had already been vertically split in half by the sharp sword. The black cross-section didn’t spray out internal organs and blood because they were all sealed by a layer of crystalline ice and snow.

The huge snow tiger crashed to the ground with a thunderous sound, and in an instant turned into a pile of red-black snow dust, drifting away with the cold wind.

The rabbit stared blankly as the Countess shook her sword and returned. It had always thought she was just a pampered, extravagant noble lady, like a snow-white fox fed on silk and jewels, a completely different existence from General Silvia.

But now it discovered it seemed to be ridiculously wrong.

So in this team, were only it and Ji Chi useless?

Ji Chi was displeased. “Hey, hey, hey, open your little rabbit eyes and see clearly. How am I useless? Face reality, baby, you’re the only useless one here.”

The rabbit listlessly didn’t want to argue with him. It raised its eyes to look at his handsome, delicate face and his slender arms that even his coat couldn’t hide, and said nothing.

Ji Chi: “…” Tsk, he really had had enough of the mage’s delicate setting!

The Countess, having left the battle, returned to her usual demeanor. She gracefully sat back on the horse’s back and rummaged through the exquisite magic pouch under her coat, taking out a small ice-blue bottle.

“Mm… the scent of cold wind and pine from the Northern Kingdom, intertwined with the moving song of the snow plains—it’s a fragrance suitable for now.” She introduced the perfume in her hand as if chanting, slightly tilting her neck back as she sprayed the crisp mist before her, removing the rotten stench brought by the mad beast’s blood.

As soon as Silvia saw her movement, she sensed great trouble. She quickly urged her horse forward, her expression even more serious than when she’d seen the berserk snow tiger.

The rabbit sensitively detected her panic and vigilantly looked around. “What’s wrong? Are there monsters chasing us from behind?”

Silvia solemnly hummed in acknowledgment.

“Little Silvia, why are you walking so fast? I suddenly remembered something to ask you.” The Countess asked softly from behind them, “Do you still remember the twenty-six bottles of perfume I left you before?”

Silvia firmly nodded. “Mm.”

Countess: “Have they been preserved well?”

Silvia hesitantly nodded. “Mm…”

Countess: “Have you distinguished each different occasion and used them correctly?”

Silvia guiltily nodded. “…Mm…”

The Countess smiled. “Oh, is that so? If you’d used them, you should know that I didn’t leave you twenty-six bottles, but one hundred twenty-six bottles~”

Silvia’s scalp exploded. The mighty and far-famed leader of the Snow Plains Expeditionary Army was, after seven years, once again forced to flee in panic by her older sister.

She galloped wildly on horseback, lowering her head to say through gritted teeth to the rabbit. “She’s not a monster, she’s a devil!”

The Countess looked at her retreating figure with regret, her smile gradually fading as she said to Ji Chi, “My concerns weren’t wrong. They’ve become quite a bit stronger.”

They were talking about those berserk beasts.

“It’s as if they’re never afraid, never tired, endless, more and more… Do you know what they really are?” A trace of weariness appeared on the Countess’s face.

Ji Chi pondered for quite a while before answering, “I have an idea, but I’m not certain yet. I need to go outside the fortress to find the answer.”

The Countess furrowed her brow tightly. “Outside the fortress? Quite a few people have gone there before, and none came back alive—even an Archangel couldn’t return.”

“I once thought that only that person on the entire continent could discover the truth about the berserk beasts. Unfortunately, he won’t care about the life and death of beastmen.” The Countess smiled bitterly and gestured toward the south.

There was a country floating above the white clouds. The highest point of that country was called Yura Summit, and the continent’s acknowledged strongest, Great Archangel Akangie, lived there.

“I once went to Yura Summit many times, offering countless treasures. I aroused the angels’ greed but couldn’t call back their conscience.” The Countess said expressionlessly, “That’s right, they went outside the fortress year after year, seemingly still wanting to find some treasure, hmph… but not one person could bring anything back.”

Ji Chi listened quietly, showing neither surprise nor any other excessive emotion.

The Countess glanced at him sideways, her narrow eyes slightly raised. All her thoughts and calculations were contained in her charming fox-like eyes. “That expression of yours looks like you know everything… If Brandon hadn’t often told me about you, I’d think you were some extraordinary deity.”

Ji Chi frowned, putting the emphasis in the wrong place: “Wait, what has Brandon been saying about me?” He suddenly had a bad feeling. What kind of description could make the Countess’s judgment take such a huge turn?

The Countess showed a peculiar yet affectionate expression. “I’ve trained thousands upon thousands of beastman soldiers, and they’re all without exception robust and strong, but I’ve never heard that standing under a waterfall to receive the baptism of flowing water can make one grow taller.”

“Nor have I heard that doing handstands on one finger can build muscle.”

“Similarly, I’ve never heard that sitting cross-legged on a rock spacing out can make one stronger.”

“What were you… thinking?” The Countess asked sincerely, as if looking at a child with some mental problems.

Ji Chi: “…” Anime has led me astray!