The Grand Duke's Son Is A Heretic-Chapter 162:The Ice Elves[II]

Kael and Lyria walked through the snow-covered city, hands still bound as the Ice Elves dragged them along.

The air grew heavier the deeper they went in. More Ice Elves stopped and stared. Their cold eyes burned with anger.

Kael didn’t miss it,the killing intent was real as dozens of sharp glares fell on him and Lyria like falling daggers.

The castle loomed over them like a frozen mountain, each spire carved from glacier glass and rimmed with icicles as long as spears.

Light refracted off the ice, casting faint blue rainbows across the snow-packed courtyard. The main gates, tall enough to swallow a fortress, groaned open with a sound like cracking glaciers.

Kael and Lyria were marched through, still bound, the Ice Elf guards flanking them with stiff postures and glacial stares. The wind that swept through the gate was colder than death, cutting through their clothes and straight to bone.

Unlike before, the guards didn’t tug or shove them. Their movements were rigid but respectful—ceremonial. These weren’t brutes dragging prisoners. They were elite soldiers escorting something... or someone.

Kael frowned seeing all of this.

He glanced at Lyria, who was staring at the crystalline walls in awe. Even she, despite the situation, looked enchanted.

Every wall of the interior glittered with frozen runes, ancient symbols alive beneath layers of ice. Chandeliers made of snow-dusted gemstones hung from the ceilings, glowing with pale magic. Frosted murals lined the corridors, telling forgotten tales of the old world.

Their footsteps echoed through the vast halls as they passed through corridor after corridor of surreal beauty. Not a speck of dust, not a footprint out of place.

Kael’s eyes narrowed.

’Thiis isn’t some border outpost. This is the heart of it—the goddamn capital.’

He blinked slowly, trying to hide his surprise.

’I thought we got flung near the periphery, somewhere in the outlands.’

His thoughts raced. How the hell did Carol’’s will send us straight to the main stronghold?

What is this—some kind of sick joke? Or a test?

The guards remained silent, but Kael could feel them watching. Measuring. Judging. Their grip on their glaives tightened every time he shifted his gaze, yet they made no move to threaten him. They simply kept walking, boots crunching lightly on enchanted frost beneath their feet.

When they reached a set of towering double doors, the leading guard stepped forward and touched the center rune. The ice melted like water under his hand, revealing a swirling pattern of white mist. The doors opened inward with a hiss.

...

Massive pillars lined both sides, spiraling up toward the ceiling like twisted frozen trees. Blue flames flickered in silver braziers along the path, giving the space an ethereal glow. At the far end sat the throne Kael had glimpsed earlier, sharp and radiant like a frozen crown.

Kael exhaled slowly and muttered, "Well, I’ll be damned. Straight into the wolf’s mouth, huh?"

Lyria gave him a side glance, then stepped beside him, her steps hesitant but steady.

As they entered the hall, the sheer pressure of the room settled on Kael’s shoulders like ice-laden chains. The stares, the silence, the cold—it wasn’t just temperature anymore. It was a presence.

Still, Kael didn’t flinch.

He walked forward, eyes calm, head high, the faintest smirk curling on his lips.

Because if they thought he’d kneel easily, they clearly didn’t know Kael Veydrin.

Someone growled, "Humans... the world destroyers."

Another hissed, "They poisoned the rivers. Burned forests. Killed spirits."

"Walking trash," one spat on the ground near Kael’s feet.

"They chopped down the sacred trees... for what? Get more lands and feed on luxuries?"

"They pour black poison into the water and call it progress."

Kael looked around, expression deadpan, not a single flinch. He just muttered, "Ah. I see the fan club’s growth but how the hell we destroyed nature.What’s with this ridiculous claims.’’

They arrived at a massive hall made of solid ice. The walls sparkled like diamonds, and giant frozen pillars held the roof up like a temple. At the far end stood a raised platform with a throne of sharp, beautiful crystal.

And then.. ƒreewebɳovel.com

She appeared.

A cold gust swept through the room as a tall woman walked in, slow and graceful. All noise stopped.

She wore a flowing blue gown that shimmered like moonlight over snow. Her skin was pale like fresh ice, smooth and flawless. Her body curved perfectly beneath the soft fabric—elegant and strong.

She wore a thin silver veil over her face, but even through it, her beauty burned through. Her long white hair fell like a frozen waterfall down her back. Her aura was sharp, cold, and untouchable.

She climbed the steps to the throne, turned, and sat. She crossed her legs slowly, one over the other, like a queen who owned the world.

Everyone around dropped to their knees.

An announcer stepped forward and raised his voice.

"Her High Grace! The ruler of the Frost Peaks, Guardian of the Silver Glacier—Queen Alvera Isolde Frostborne of the Ice Elves!"

Lyria, seeing everyone kneel, bent her knees too but Kael didn’t. He stopped her with a wave of his hand, then simply bowed his head.

He raised his eyes and grinned at the Queen.

She looked at him, not impressed. She scoffed.

"You people destroy Mother Nature... and you don’t even know how."

Kael raised an eyebrow. "What?"

He looked at Iris. "What does she mean? Is it the ’bad attitude’ or something?"

Before Iris could speak, someone answered from the side.

"Pollution."

Kael blinked.

"Pollution?"

He looked around with a puzzled face at Lyria.

Then scratched his head.

"...Now what the hell is pollution?"

Lyria leaned closer to Kael and whispered in his ear, "Pollution means an unwanted change in nature... See that smoke rising from the mountains? That kind of stuff is ruining the air."

Kael blinked, then slowly nodded. "I see... so that’s what they call it now."

Then he looked forward, straight at the throne, and took a few steps ahead.

Kael gave a crooked smile and bowed his head with a casual, mock-elegant sweep of his hand.

"Your Ice Majesty," he said with a grin, "Kael Veydrin greets you... though I’d rather be in a warm inn then freezing my balls off here in your fine shiny ice castle."

Queen Alvera stared at him coldly. Her voice rang sharp across the hall.

"What are you doing here, Veydrin?" she asked, folding her arms ignoring his insolence.

"Are you trespassing, or do you have secret plans hidden under that crazy head of yours? I don’t care if you’re Veydrin. If your intentions are dark, I will deal with you myself."

The moment she finished, the Ice Elf courtiers around the hall started shouting and barking.

"He’s lying!"

"This human must be planning something!"

"He should be frozen, not spoken to!"

"Can’t trust someone who smells like burnt trees!"

Kael stood still, not even blinking. His face remained bored as ever.

"We don’t have any plans," he said calmly. "Honestly, if you open the gates right now, I’ll walk right out. Being stuck in this icy hell isn’t my idea of fun."

He paused, scratching his head.

"As for how I ended up here... I was fighting that Serpent Fang Tattoo gang. They were doing some creepy voodoo, trying to summon or curse something. I stopped them. But before I knew it, the Ice Dragon—Viseron’s last remaining will—sent us here."

For a moment, silence ruled the hall.

"WHAT?!"

A wave of gasps and shocked screams spread through the Ice Elves.

Queen Alvera’s eyes widened. Her calm mask cracked. She stared at Kael hard, scanning his expression. Looking for lies. For signs of mockery.

But Kael’s eyes held firm. No shift. No flinch.

She stood up slowly and declared, "You say Ice Dragon Viseron’s will sent you here?"

"Yes," Kael replied.

Alvera’s gaze turned steel cold, and her voice rang through the chamber like a whip.

"Release his shackles."

One of the courtiers stepped forward in protest.

"My Queen! You mustn’t believe the nonsense of a lunatic human!"

Another snapped, "This is madness! Viseron wouldn’t choose him! He reeks of blood!"

"Your Grace, he could be a danger to the city! Let’s lock him first, test his claims!"

Alvera raised her hand, and her aura exploded like a blizzard.

"Enough!"

Her voice silenced them all.

"That is my decision. I will oversee this myself. If he causes any harm... I will take full responsibility."

The room went quiet again.

And in that silence, Kael’s eyes narrowed slightly. Something about all this didn’t sit right.