I regressed and became the Sword Ice King

Meadow sighed inwardly at his statement.

Her hands curled into tight balls beside her. Her head was bent downwards as she took in his words.

A frown formed vividly on his face.

'This isn't just any preparation.'

A preparation for war. Attrition. Politics. Persecution.

A change was happening soon, and she knew Raph could see it.

'If he's so sure of it, it wouldn't be bad if I hear him out.'

Her expression turned sombre at the thought. Realisation began to creep in.

'Rana would have helped with my decision.'

She had not only been her right-armed protector in person, but in mind.

Assisting her decision-making, especially with critical curveballs that would dent their livelihood.

She struck first when emotions flared, reckless as a flame—but when calm, no shift in tone or twitch of a hand escaped her.

Rana was the kind of person who only read the room while calm, but completely flipped it off when she suspected hostility or disrespect towards the Princess.

It saddened her.

'Such loyalty…will I ever find it again?'

She raised her head and held Raph's gaze.

Her golden eyes shimmered with a vibrant hue.

It cast a shade all too familiar for one to miss out.

Resolve.

Raph nodded with a smile.

"Then, I suggest you come with me after we leave here.

I want to meet the others since it has been a while. Instructions for the next few days to months will be stated when we meet up."

"Leaving the Castle would be a lot more difficult, now.

I don't have a personal guard nor a person I trust."

Raph tilted his head silently.

Then something vibrant, like a spark ignited in his eyes.

"Take Ban."

Meadow arched her brow. "Ban?" She muttered. "Ban Xen?"

Raph nodded.

Ban Xen was a classmate of theirs.

A quiet boy who sat by himself most of the time in the class.

In his past life, Ban was someone who hardly got involved in matters, even while Javier ruled the Academy.

He was simply someone they let alone, just like him.

'And his abilities…he's a Level 50 Moon Knight.'

Raph was aware of the Profession and Class system possessed by the System Users.

It was one factor that contributed greatly to their prowess, and Ban had one of the rarest.

'I'm not even sure if that's an Epic or Legendary Class.'

It could have been a Rare.

'But that's too low for something so…hard to forget.'

The name itself sends a chill down his spine when he recalls it.

He had wanted to observe his skills but he never got the chance.

'This is a good opportunity.'

Bringing in strong people to his side was the goal, and Ban, for a System User, especially considering his age was strong.

Meadow though, found it confusing.

She wasn't one to pry into others' thoughts if they didn't bother her, so Ban had been far from her list of observations.

She had simply considered him to be an introvert who liked to be alone.

"Why him?" She asked.

"Well…" Raph began. "He may not make up for it, but he's strong. Take my word for it."

He replied.

"Find him once we leave here and hire him…or convince him to be your guard."

Meadow shook her head.

"While something like that may be possible, I can't say my father would let that slide."

She paused, then scowled. Deeply.

"That boy may cut his life short if he takes that job."

"You're a Princess, Meadow. And you just lost your Knight…not to mention the King's failure in securing the life of his own descendant."

Raph replied with a stern expression.

"While he may seem impassive, there are things that can not be erased. Even by him"

Meadow parted her lips in startlement, then cleared her throat before she spoke.

"Like what?"

"Your Blood. You're a Swanstorm, a ruler blessed by the goddess Mayura. He may deny you the throne, but he can't deny you, your blood."

He scoffed right after.

"You read minds, yet you're unable to manipulate them."

Meadow's face contorted deeply.

A sudden strain in her body as she took in the jab with a restrained ear.

He was right, she admitted.

But manipulation had been one thing Rana stood against.

Royalty was meant to be just and pure, not…deceitful and manipulative.

She had agreed at the time, but what of now?

"Anyways." Raph continued, ignoring her honest reaction to his words.

"Once you've gotten Ban on our side, all that's left is you coming with me to the designated location."

The conversation ended.

With a sigh, he turned around and prepared to leave when she held him back.

"Wait. Where is it?"

The boy glanced at her.

His eyes stared down at the petite frame of the Princess.

"We'll be going together. Why bother knowing?"

"Because I would rather not be kept in the dark." She replied. "We're partners…are we not?"

Partly, but she was more curious about her eldest brother, Plum Swanstorm.

And his unjust banishment from the Kingdom.

She wanted to meet him as soon as possible.

'Rana and I already discussed this, anyway.'

Raph hummed in response before nodding.

"West of the main market. There's a collection store around a corner, walk by it and head straight and you will find yourself in the forest.

Go straight through the forest, until you get to a stream.

Find the start of that stream, and they'll find you."

Meadow's gaze narrowed to pinpricks.

"They'll find me?" She repeated.

As if she had not heard him right the first time.

Raph nodded.

"We have an abandoned prince in tow. It would be weirder if we weren't that cautious."

Meadow nodded once.

He was right.

Since they'll find her, she would have a better time understanding these…people who worked with or for him.

It didn't matter. At least for now.

She let go of his arm as they continued forward, just in time to see the others making a stop at the front of the fields.

They were far behind by now, and they hastened their steps in trying to reach them.

***

A minute passed, then a few more before they caught up with the others.

They were now behind the Hostel Complexes, in front of the fields– or what was left of them.

A part of it still suffered from the deadly cold of Raph's ice and the churning darkness of Elsie's abilities.

The rest of it was littered with broken sculptures or immovable armours from a line of artworks drawn by Rita Vinci.

Though the aftermath of the battle stood out like a sore thumb, the others seemed to have completely ignored it.

Focusing more on what was right in front of them.

Raph stopped to observe, but his gaze only narrowed more.

'They increased in numbers.'

The people gathered were far more than those they left behind.

By now, the air was filled with their voices, and a calm that seemed to melt tension away.

Raph glanced around in confusion, as did Meadow, who stood beside him.

Until a familiar voice broke through their thoughts.

"Raph."

Turning towards the direction, Phestus's gaze came into view.

The duo turned towards him, just before the gaze of the others.

Raph slowly shifted his attention from Phestus to the others gathered.

Then, with an ease in his expression, he took a step forward.

"You found the others."

He said as if confirming with his words.

Meadow followed after him. Slowly.

At first, they had only recognised the group they had come with, but soon enough, the students who had been captured, with the searchers, became recognisable to them.

The group of seven were surrounded by Phestus and the others, and had pre-emptively taken them by surprise.

'Well, that was fast.' Meadow thought to herself, and from Raph's words, she assumed he thought so too.

"Raffaelo Jun."

The familiar, icy voice projected in the air, and into their ears.

Sending a chill down Meadow's spine as she turned towards the source.

'Ciara Merlin.'

She thought in a whisper.

The chill spread through her bones forcing her to a halt.

Raph, though, didn't falter one bit.

His gaze landed on the crimson-eyed Mage, and he held her gaze with a smirk on his face.

"I can't even act surprised at this point." He said with a chuckle.

Raph had no inkling of a doubt that Ciara had been the one who found, secured and brought them back.

She was a thorough person.

Just like her mother.

'and from the looks of it…'

Glancing at the others, he called them in his head, one by one.

'Louis La Teuer, Mariam Aquarius, Tiara Goldin, Alicia Berry, Marshall Lorientt, Timothy Pheran and Koko Dreau.'

The names settled.

A realisation dawned on him.

'They actually managed to capture them?'

The thought of them being taken and never returned…the consequences began to ring in his head.

'The Headmaster would have been sentenced to death.'

There was no escaping that.

A child of the Great Families and several children from the Seven Royal Families.

To even think about what would have occurred if these children were taken and never returned.

'...civil war…'

It boomed in his head.

The Mermaids, and even the Elves who were in alliance with the King would have demanded their Princess be found and declared war if she wasn't found and brought back.

The King would have declined any form of assistance, and by then…the war would have been confirmed.

It would progress and worsen, with no form of placation.

Turning into chaos.

'And the Red Peacemakers…'

His gaze turned serious, at the thought.

'They would have stood aside and waited…then come to reap the rewards once both sides had worn themselves out.'

Did they, in fact, just dodge a major bullet?

"What do you mean?" Ciara's statement flipped him back to the present.

Pulling him from the sinking sand of thoughts that nearly clouded him in a mist of black.

'Hah….I'm overthinking things.'

He concluded before turning to her.

"It's nothing." He said as his smirk tuned back to form. "Just a compliment."

She raised a brow in startlement.

Confusion and wariness were taking root in her expression while the others conversed.

Darrell was seen being held back by Jane while the former wept as he attempted to hug Tiara, once again.

Tiara simply smiled awkwardly and watched from a not‐so-far distance.

Thalia and Rebecca were more organised.

They had gathered the Royal Households.

Alicia, Marshall, Timothy and Koko.

It was paramount that they were taken away from the Academy, immediately, and they were set to do that at the moment. Content sourced from MV4LEMPYR – My Virtual Library Empire.

Their mouths opened and closed with instructions being drilled into them.

Mariam was still resting in Louis's grasp. Eyes closed and her breath steady while Louis held a gaze stern enough to ward off any disturbances.

Raph's gaze had lingered on this sight for a moment.

Mariam, especially.

Then it shifted to Louis, who seemed too focused on her to notice.

He scoffed and looked away.

'It's good to see them again.'

Ciara simply folded her hands and stood in the middle.

Her attention was partly focused on Raph, and partly on Meadow, who stood behind him.

Her expression said everything.

She was calculating their connection.

Meadow, meanwhile, observed.

A moment passed and everything continued as it was.

Her thoughts lingered then…

'I'm tired.' She mussed.

___________________________

Hey dear readers (^-^)/

Your support has meant the world to me, and I want to say a huge thank you for your consistency and love!

We're approaching the end of Volume 3 – Festival of Fun and Gore.

I know, I know—you're probably tired of the same old heading:

Festival – Raid on a Rainy Night (ToT)

But yes, it's finally coming to a close. (^^)d

Onwards...

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I'd like to think I'm on my way, but with a few nicks and tinks here and there, I'll get there. I promise!

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