Third Person's POV

But the armored master paid no attention to her resistance as his voice sounded in her mind in a cold and firm tone,

"Stop struggling, Princess. I am responsible for your safety, and I will act accordingly to fulfil my duty.

It would be better if you focused your attention on the crisis we are currently facing."

His tone left no room for argument.

And just as his words settled, the source of that crisis revealed itself.

A green-hooded figure suddenly appeared ahead of them out of nowhere, standing about ten meters away upon the snow-covered slope and being accompanied by two white-robed figures who stood slightly behind her.

Even at a glance, they could figure out the fact that the green-robed figure was clearly a woman, as her curvy figure and large chest were subtly outlined beneath the flowing cloak despite the heavy layers of cloth that covered her from head to toe.

The two white-hooded figures, on the other hand, remained more concealed, their appearances completely hidden beneath their robes.

The moment Arlene's eyes landed on the green-hooded woman, anger flared within her.

She recognized instinctively that this woman was the one who had ambushed her moments ago.

A powerful and menacing aura radiated from her body and constantly pressed outward like an invisible tide towards her.

It weighed heavily upon Arlene's senses, making her soul feel suppressed under its pressure.

A feeling of nausea started to affect her mind and body, while a realization struck her immediately that this woman was a Sky Realm mage.

She was a true high-level opponent, and realizing that, her heart tightened.

She quickly shifted her gaze toward the other two figures.

One of the white-hooded men felt comparatively weaker as his presence was noticeable but not overwhelming.

However, the other, the second white-hooded figure, radiated no aura at all.

He appeared like an ordinary civilian whom she would not even glance at normally, yet paradoxically, that absence made him feel even more dangerous.

Arlene's intuition screamed at her that this person was the greatest threat among the three.

And the fact that the whole time, that person's attention and head were turned towards the immobile ice golem carrying the ice coffin seemed to give her a message that he didn't seem to care much about her and her protector, the armored aura master, at all.

This fact made her heart sink at the bottom as she realized that she would most likely not be able to fulfil the task her aunt had given her and also lose her main find of this expedition.

But before she could voice any of her observations, her words died within her throat, and her eyes widened in shock.

A few meters away, her maid Claire stood immobilized.

Thick green vines had wrapped tightly around her arms, legs, and even across her mouth, sealing her voice and binding her completely.

Those vines emerged directly from the ground beside the green-robed woman, making it clear who had captured her.

Claire's eyes were wide with fear, and her body trembled helplessly as she pleaded for help from her lady.

"Look over there…"

Before Arlene could react or cry out, the armored master's voice sounded once again directly within her mind as he subtly gestured toward another part of the battlefield.

Her gaze followed the direction, and what she saw sent a chill straight through her spine.

Old man Caspian stood calmly at a distance with his grandson beside him.

There was no fear on his face, no confusion regarding what had just happened, and no panic at the sudden appearance of three powerful enemies out of nowhere.

Instead, a strange and unsettling expression rested upon his features that seemed to suggest a feeling of anticipation.

It was as if everything unfolding now was something he had expected, and now he seemed to be looking forward to something good.

His grandson, on the other hand, looked confused and frightened, clearly unable to understand what was happening, yet he did not dare to speak, perhaps intimidated by both his grandfather's demeanor and the presence of such overwhelming enemies.

At that moment, the truth became painfully clear to Arlene that the armored master's warning had been correct.

Her aunt's unease had been justified, and a cold realization settled within her heart.

She had been used, set up, and betrayed by someone who had walked beside her all this time.

She felt lost, angry, and anxious all at once as the situation seemed to slip entirely beyond her control, like sand escaping through her fingers no matter how tightly she tried to grasp it.

Everything she had worked for and everything she had endured this harsh journey to obtain now seemed to be on the verge of being snatched away from her.

The mysterious treasure she had discovered was almost certainly no longer within her reach, while her maid, Claire, was bound helplessly in the hands of the enemy.

And to make matters worse, she was no longer even certain whether they would emerge alive from this sudden and overwhelming confrontation.

She still had trump cards, and she still had hidden techniques and resources that she had never revealed to anyone.

But what frightened her was the realization that the enemy likely knew about her capabilities already, as old man Caspian, no, that traitor must have revealed everything.

Which meant that the enemies standing before her had not come unprepared.

They must have already devised countermeasures against whatever strength she believed she possessed.

That thought alone shook her confidence.

For the first time in her life, Arlene found herself in a situation where neither her status, her preparation, nor her strength gave her any sense of control.

The helplessness hit her hard, and her thoughts became chaotic.

Her breathing turned uneven, and her mind began to spiral.

And it was at that exact moment that the firm and steady voice of the armored aura master echoed directly within her mind once more, cutting through her turmoil like a blade.