Building a Kingdom and Conquering the World - Chapter 252

Chapter 252: Mana Freezing Curse

Eleanor looked at the golden-haired woman. Her bright green eyes made her look more like one of those secretive forest elves than a regular person. The resemblance was so strong, Eleanor almost wanted to move the woman’s hair aside to see if her ears were pointed.

“I do not think we have met before,” Eleanor said, shaking her head as she gently cleaned the blood on her lips as she gave Zolun a quick glance, ordering him to stay put and not draw his sword. “I have a good memory. I would remember you.”

Luna looked at her quietly, as if trying to remember. Eleanor’s face did seem a little familiar, but no matter how hard she tried, nothing came to mind. Not that it mattered—Luna didn’t really care. She was more interested in her books and her work with seeds.

Thanks to her research, she had almost finished stabilizing the Torch Tree Seeds, something many others had failed to do. Even skilled mages had come secretly to the cold lands of the North, hoping that studying these seeds and managing to compress the raging mana inside it would help them breakthrough to another realm, but all of them failed.

And indeed, working on the seeds had brought Luna closer to a breakthrough she had been chasing for years. She had also gotten some old books from Henry, books that showed slightly different ways to use Mana, unlike the one she had learned back home.

“Anyway,” Luna said, “where’s Henry?”

As if in response, they heard the sound of boots on the stairs, then footsteps in the hallway.

“Well, you got here faster than I expected…” Henry said as he entered the room, his eyes scanning the broken chunks of ice scattered around. From his chambers, he felt the surrounding’s mana stirring. However, he would have never guessed that this quiet and fragile-looking woman was a Fifth Stage Mage.

“I assume you’ve already introduced yourselves,” Henry said. “Princess Eleanor, this is Luna, a mage from the South who’s been helping me and the kingdom. I’ll be leaving you in her care for now.”

As he spoke, the air in the room grew tense. Eleanor and Luna exchanged wary looks, and Zolun stood ready, still shaken from the earlier attack, the ice shards had grazed him, and he hadn’t seen them coming.

Luna, who had already given up trying to remember where she’d seen Eleanor before, turned to Henry. “So, when are you going to give me my books?”

Henry scratched his head. “As soon as I get back, I promise.”

Luna nodded and waved him off. “Then go quickly. The faster you leave, the sooner you’ll return.”

“I will…” Henry replied with a sigh. Luna really was obsessed with books. “And what about the trainees I sent you?”

“Oh, I told them to travel slowly. They should get here in a few days,” Luna said, still waving her hand dismissively. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep training them.”

“Then, Miss Eleanor,” Henry said with a small bow, “I’ll leave you in Luna’s care. She’s from the South as well, and a fellow mage. I think you’ll find it useful to work with her. I’ve already told her the basics of the mission, but it would be good for you to explain it in more detail.”

Eleanor nodded. There was still a faint metallic taste in her mouth. She had struck without thinking, a reflex she’d developed after years of being targeted. As a princess, she’d been trained to react—if something came fast and unnoticed, she had to take it down before it reached her.

“Shoo, just get going,” Luna said, stepping toward Eleanor and suddenly throwing her arms around the princess’s shoulders like they were old friends, her eyes widened as soon as they touched. Zolun tensed, ready to strike, but Eleanor’s calm glance kept him still.

“Then I’ll take my leave,” said Henry, king of Stahl. He didn’t even wait to share a morning meal with them. His mind was elsewhere, he was worried about Leier’s situation. Days have already passed.

As soon as Henry left the room, Luna pulled her arms away from Eleanor. Her green eyes lit up with excitement, like she’d just discovered a forgotten magical text.

“What an interesting constitution you have,” she said, reaching eagerly for Eleanor’s hand, eyes gleaming with obsession.

Zolun, standing nearby, couldn’t take it anymore.

“Get your hands off my lady, you barbarian!” he shouted, drawing his sword. In a flash, the blade swept toward Luna, a surge of Fifth Stage Warrior power behind it, aiming straight for her neck.

“No!” Eleanor cried—but the strike was already in motion.

Then something strange happened.

Luna clicked her tongue, and the air in the room grew thick and heavy. The blade stopped inches from her skin, as if caught in a wall of invisible stone. The air compressed right in front of him, creating an invisible barrier. Zolun couldn’t move. His sword trembled in place, stuck mid-swing.

His eyes widened in shock. “Ahhh!” he shouted, pushing with all his strength. The marble under his feet cracked as he tried to break through the magical barrier.

Luna turned her head slightly, as if only now noticing him. “Your shouting is so annoying,” she muttered, and with a flick of her finger, Zolun was thrown across the room. He hit the wall and crumpled to the floor, unconscious.

“A Mana Freezing Curse…” Luna whispered, her attention back to Eleanor. Her mana slipped into Fifth Princess’ body, probing her inner structure. The Fifth Princess tried to resist, but her mana wasn’t strong enough to stop a Ninth Stage Mage.

“How are you even alive?” Luna said, eyes wide with disbelief. “No one survives this curse past age twelve. It should’ve frozen all your mana—and your heart. But here you are, casting Fifth Stage spells.”

She paused, frowning, then slowly blinked in realization.

“Oh… You’re that little princess from the Sylvanhart Empire,” Luna said, her voice quiet. “I didn’t think you’d survive. Even my master couldn’t do anything about that curse.”