I regressed and became the Sword Ice King - Chapter 485

Chapter 485: Chapter 485- Exiled?

A door within the Loan Castle of the Arcanus Household clicked and immediately swung open as two figures graced the halls with their presence.

Sophia Arcanus and Tacha, the only Maid of one of the feared Great Households, walked side-by-side on top of the velvet rugs.

Expressions dimmed by the dull lighting of Floating Magic Lamps and Solemn silence that endowed their presence.

Within this space, they walked like two starved warriors. Itching to pull out their weapons for the sake of the woman who had meant much more to them than they had ever thought.

‘They say it takes one to lose something to know its worth.’

Tacha thought to herself. A subtle ache in her chest was probing as she walked carefully with that woman’s daughter.

‘Perhaps the Young Lady is feeling exactly that.’

Sophie was restless. Evidently so.

Her actions, her words.

Each movement told her the young girl was begging to be set loose in the same space as her mother.

To be involved in the plans they had worked so long to fulfil.

‘But not today… not ever.’

Cressida Arcanus was different from others.

She carried the rage and the revenge down through the years of generations over her head.

Shielding her daughter from the beginning from facing such darkness.

Of course, with their history clear as day on the Castle walls, Sophia had seen the darkness anyway and chose to follow it.

‘And we were glad.’

But now… things were different.

The words of the Matriarch of their Household rang in her head just before she left for the Trial.

It had been a question she had asked herself within the space of her study, while she was serving her.

‘How much can one truly burn to see through a predetermined fate?’

A silent frown formed on her face, and unbeknownst to her, the duo had now made their way to Cressida’s study.

“Alright, what were mother’s instructions, specifically?”

Sophie trailed around her mother’s table before making her way to her chair and then sitting on it with comfort.

Her gaze lingered over the paperwork folded and arranged in a neat corner.

She hummed silently before looking up at Tacha.

“How do we fuck with those people?”

Tacha remained silent.

Her eyes probed the young miss with delicate touches and subtle glances.

Too gentle for pity, yet too sorrowful for guilt.

“Your mother had dropped this.”

She shook her hand into her side pocket and pulled out an envelope.

“I have not opened the contents, so I suppose you do that yourself…Lady Sophia.”

She handed it over to the Young missus who took it with an arched brow.

Her lips turned into a frown before she had even opened it.

“Were my Undeads taken into battle?”

Tacha shook her head.

“Undead summons is a rare technique even within our Household. You are one of the rarest who is capable of such feet… and your numbers are astounding.”

She smiled softly.

“They’re all safely kept in the Dimensional Storage.”

“I see…” Sophie stared at the letter, and her expression slowly grew more grim.

“What were the Vestiges she had taken for the battle?”

“Um…” Tacha began to recount. “Other than the floating doors which are shared between you two.

She had taken the Shadow Mirror, the Blood Seal, the Scythe of Azaroth and a Doom Barrier.”

Sophie sighed heavily as she adjusted herself on the seat.

“Most of which are one-time use items.”

Tacha immediately frowned.

“I… I suppose.”

Tension rose in the room with the silence that followed, and an all too familiar feeling began to creep across Tacha’s spine.

The Maid watched Sophie for a moment longer.

Her pupils darted from side to side as it absorbed everything that occurred around and from her.

Her actions, her movements, gestures. Everything.

Sophie was a battle maniac. Evidently so, and she had been one since her early days.

She wasn’t just sharp on the battlefield though. Real matters and personal life, she had shown an uncanny intelligence when it came down to inferring… and right now, Tacha could almost swear on her life that she was doing exactly that.

‘Hah… I had forgotten about her keenness.’

There was no way Sophie wouldn’t realise that something was up.

‘But her Mother predicted even that.’

After the silence stretched for far too long, Sophie jumped to her feet and made her way to the door.

Ignoring the Maid, she strolled with intent and stretched her arm towards the knob.

But in that moment–

“Where to, My Lady?”

Sophie froze.

“Hah…” She scoffed. “Where else? Of course to the Mirror Dimension.”

She turned to Tacha… slowly.

“She must be there with the Great Households…”

Tacha smiled softly as she clasped her arm around her back while she turned around to face her.

“How sure are you?” She began.

“Of course I’m sure. There are tons of wild mutts hidden within one of the Shards of that Mirror… she will lose them unto the Heads of the Household.”

Tacha hummed in agreement. “True… over a hundred 7th-tier Grand Demons.”

Her smirk widened.

“The Heads wouldn’t leave there alive.”

“Exactly… but Mother is also in danger…those demons are impossible to control.

She would need to be prot–”

“And thus, the Doom Barrier.”

The silence was choking.

“Do you not trust your mother’s plans?”

Sophie chuckled nervously.

“Why are you stopping me from going to my mother, Tacha?”

Bullseye.

The silence stretched on… and the tension that followed was increasing with favour.

“I am not stopping you… Lady Sophia, but you must be aware of what you intend to do…”

“I intend to fight with my mother.”

“To what ends… Lady Sophia?”

Sophia scoffed.

“This has been our Household’s dream! Our goal! Our revenge! I am an Arcanus! I have every right to endow myself in the bloodshed that is to come.”

She narrowed her gaze.

“You can not stop me from my destiny.”

Tacha’s expression loosened.

Vivid pain and sadness unfolding itself from the depths of her Heart.

“Even if it meant killing him?”

Sophie shook her head.

“Killing who? There is no one within the Great Household I can not ki–”

“Raffaelo Jun.”

Sophie’s mouth hung open as her entire world stilled for a fraction of a second.

Her head reeled, a sudden ache striking it like a baseball bat as she nearly tripped to the ground.

Her chest tightened and her gaze locked onto Tacha’s.

“Ho– How…”

“Your mother and I suspected you had changed… and indeed you had.”

Tacha’s lips broke into a smile.

A deadly contrast to the sorrow held within her eyes.

“You found something which none of the Heads of the Households had ever dreamed of experiencing…”

Sophie shook her head.

“It– It’s a misunderstanding!”

“Something that had somehow brought you… pushed you from the generation of Hatred and into a path of warmth.”

” I-I don’t even know him! It’s a mistake!”

“What you found, Lady Sophia… do you know what it is?”

Sophie’s lips flickered like the temperature had dropped to negative degrees, and tears began to fill her eyes.

” I-I don’t want to know.”

Tacha giggled softly.

“You always run away when things confuse you… mess you up… startle you.”

And her head tilted to the side.

“It’s like you temporarily forget how brave you are… but… this time, I hope you remember soon.”

“What are you saying…” Sophie nearly fell to her knees. She pulled all her strength into her wobbling legs and anchored herself to the doorknob.

She refused to fall. To let go.

This was the path she had decided to follow, and she would see it through, whether they liked it or not.

“He’s dead for goddess’ sake. He’s dead!”

“But that feeling lingers… and whether you like it or not, it will get in the way of our Revenge.”

Tacha stood up straight.

“Besides, you only decided to join us because of his death, am I right?”

Sophie’s gaze nearly bulged out of her socket as she stared at the mage with bewilderment.

“Honestly, your Mother is a scary woman. She read you like a newsletter and knew exactly what had happened to make you glow the way you do now.”

Tacha unclasped her hand and placed her right hand on her left.

“She even consulted the Oracle… she used her Base ability to see one’s fate to find out who it was that changed you… and the circumstances of that individual.”

Sophie jerked, her breath catching in her throat.

“She did what?!” Her scream tore through the Office walls. “Is she crazy?! She promised never to use that again! It takes so much from her! Her life! Her energy! She’s not even meant to be fighting right now.”

Immediately, Sophie turned the doorknob and jumped out of the Office.

Expectations rose until she crashed into the Hallway wall.

Her arms slammed against it, and so did her mind as a cord of realisation struck her head.

Whipping her body towards Tacha, her voice grew grated.

“Why is the door not working?”

Tacha stood still in the same spot.

Silent in response and guilty in execution.

She looked away from Sophie’s gaze and pulled a finger forward.

The door croaked as it shut itself closed between them.

“TACHA!”

Sophie screamed as her footsteps thundered against the floors.

She pulled the doorknob, swung it open and dashed inside.

But in the next second, the world warped and her feet touched something white and soft.

Sophie’s eyes widened in shock as her head glanced around.

The air was bizarre and terribly cold and the trees were statues of snow and ice.

With snow falling down across the expanse of the puffy, dark clouds which had not seen the light of the Sun in centuries, the location became vivid to her.

‘The Northern Forests.’

Her confusion was adamant.

‘But how?’

But realisation struck, once again as she turned around… and there, at the opposite side of a floating door, was Tacha. A carefully laced smile on her face.

“Wha– what did you do?”

She stormed forward, but the moment she reached the door, a subtle ripple effect from an invisible wall hummed and slammed her back.

Sophie fell on the snow.

“This… This can not be happening.”

“I apologise for my rudeness, Sophie… but this was never your war.”

The door began to close.

“No!”

She jumped to her feet and rushed forward, but the same force slammed her back.

“Why?! Why isn’t this working?!”

“All your abilities will be unsealed soon… until then… stay safe.”

Immediately the door locked, clicked shut and vanished into thin air.

Sophie stood in shock and confusion.

Eyes widened and lips apart while her attention focused on the spot where the door once was.

The wind danced around her… And the chilling silence that followed only made one thing apparent.

‘This is not a dream.’