Chapter 238: Karinshan’s Reques (1/2)

Princess Karinshan’s soul slowly opened her eyes and stared at us. Her pair of black, beautiful pupils were filled with both enigma and sorrow. She asked quietly, “Young infantrymen, are you the warriors of Floating Ice City?”

I stepped to the front of the group and nodded. “Mn!”

Karinshan let out a sob before asking another question. “Is Floating Ice City doing well? What… what year is it now? Has Heavenblessed Continent been reborn from the ashes of war?”

I shivered. Poor Karinshan seemed to know nothing at all.

This time, He Yi walked next to me and said clearly, “It is Heavenblessed 8125 right now, and the Silver Moon Alliance seems about equal to the Night Creatures in strength. The war has never stopped.”

“Oh…”

Karinshan let out a long sigh before staring at her own palm. She whispered tearily, “I’ve been sealed here for a thousand years? What… what happened to my home while I was gone…”

I asked, “What is going on, princess? Your tombstone says that you have taken your own life at the foot of Floating Ice City. If that is true, why is your soul at this place?”

“Me, taking my own life? Hehe…”

Karinshan tried to chuckle, but it quickly turned into sobs again. “I would never take my own life. Even now, I still desire to protect my people and my home. It was all a ploy by Undead Magus Cardilla. He used a forbidden curse of the dead to rip my soul out of my body and seal it in this place. My real body is trapped in the basement beneath the royal court of Floating Ice City!”

“What?!”

I was shocked. I wasn’t expecting to unearth such a huge conspiracy when I chose to take part in this quest. After all, who would’ve thought that the wise and courageous Princess Karinshan herself would fall to the curse of a devious magus and be sealed in a place like this for a thousand years?

After crying for a moment, Princess Karinshan suddenly asked us a question, “Young warriors, do you know who is the monarch of Floating Ice City right now?”

I thought for a moment before answering, “I think… I think it’s Cardin The Third…”

Some time ago, I read that someone had accepted a quest from the king on the forums. I had never met the old man myself, though. I was an undead, a member of the neutral faction. Therefore, I was reluctant to approach the royal palace unless absolutely necessary. What if the king was accompanied by a Holy Magus or two? I would be burned into a crisp if they discovered my identity.

To my surprise, Karinshan shivered visibly when she heard my answer. “Wh… what?! Royal father is still alive… after a thousand years? How… how is that possible?”

Shing!

I pulled out my sword and asked her solemnly. “Give us the order, Karinshan. What do you want us to do?”

Gripping her own sword, Karinshan gritted her teeth as determination returned to her features. She stared at us and said, “For the past couple centuries or so, no adventurer has ever dared to venture into this place until today. You are both my and the city’s hope. We must kill Cardilla, reclaim the city, and rescue it from the clutches of darkness!”

I gave her a nod of acknowledgment before voicing my worries. “Princess, your soul and body were separated due to Cardilla’s curse, correct? In that case, is there a way for you to come back to life?”

Karinshan wiped away her tears and nodded. “Yes, I still have some power in me. Time has frozen for me ever since my soul was ripped away from my body. As long as they reunite, I should be able to come back to life. However, I didn’t think that Floating Ice City would still be in the clutches of the Night Creatures after so many years!”

Karinshan fixed her gaze on us. “I have a very dangerous mission for you all. Floating Ice City and I are counting on you now!”

Ding~!

System Notice: Will you accept the follow-up quest, [Karinshan’s Request]? (Current Quest Rank: S-)

……

Fuck, S-rank? At this point, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call this an Epic-rank main quest!

Everyone in the party chose “Yes” in unison. A melodious ding later, the main quest entered our quest screens.

Ding~!

System Notice: You have accepted the quest [Karinshan’s Request]! (Current Quest Rank: S-)

Description: Karinshan believes that Cardin The Third is already dead. You must head to the royal palace, find Cardin The Third and kill him. Besides that, you must find Princess Karinshan’s sword, the Blade of Kings. Kill Cardin The Third with this sword, and the Undead Magus Cardilla who is possessing will perish as well. But be careful, Cardin The Third possesses incredibly powerful undead magic. He can summon an endless amount of lost souls with his devilish scepter. The Blade of Kings is buried beneath the red maple tree at the back garden of the royal palace.

……

He Yi blinked and smiled after she finished reading the quest description. “This quest isn’t easy at all…”

“Yeah!” I nodded with a sigh. “We must first slip into the royal palace and dig out the Blade of Kings. Then, we need to seek out Cardin The Third and kill him. Finally, we need to bring Princess Karinshan’s body back to this tomb and revive her. Only then will this quest be considered complete.”