I exhaled slowly, feeling the frost burn my lungs.
"Even in war, the heart can be a weapon…" I murmured, finally understanding what she meant.
Because the moment the people believed in her, she'd already won.
Not just the battle.
But the North itself.
I yanked the reins, turning my horse sharply toward the Frost Territory. Snow whipped at my face as the wind howled past, sharp enough to sting.
From my coat, I pulled out another crystal orb—one of the few relics I hadn't already burned through.
'Originally,' I thought with a bitter smile, 'it's a virtue to collect as many artifacts and treasures as you can.'
I never imagined I'd be wasting them like this—on emergency calls and desperate plans.
Still, there was no choice.
"Lady Amelia, can you hear me?" I said, channeling mana into the crystal.
The orb pulsed faintly, and after a moment, a familiar voice filtered through—irritated and tired.
