Chapter 75: A Crown Prince’s Pride

The entire battlefield disappeared beneath a thick cloud of steam. Within moments, the frozen hunting grounds were shrouded in a sea of swirling fog.

"A steam blinding field?! No. Not steam. It’s fog!"

"Bingo, Ephraim!" Lydia chimed in.

The Glacial Dragon roared, swinging its enormous body toward the last place it had seen its enemies.

"Sure, we will have a hard time looking around but that dragon was at a huge disadvantage here since we are much smaller."

The Glacial Dragon beat its enormous wings against the air to send waves of cold wind across the battlefield. But the fog was too thick to blow away.

Lydia remained slumped on the ground with Zachary’s jacket wrapped around her shoulders.

Her injured shoulder throbbed with every movement, but she ignored the pain and concentrated her two Sentinels.

"Since the Glacial Dragon has lost one of its eyes, I’m sure its eyesight is limited. I don’t want you to get hurt again, Ephraim. Let’s put this moment to good use!"

Lydia poured her mental power and let it synchronize with her Sentinels’ Resonance.

Her mental power flowed and boosted their Resonance through their connection. Lydia reached toward the Glacial Dragon’s defense.

Just a tiny, little crack would do. Even a small opening would give her Sentinels a chance to strike.

"Resonance Amplification! Resonance Break!" Lydia winced at the sharp pain that burst into her head but she forced through it with a smile. "Or should I say... Attack Up and Defense Down? Now’s our chance!"

Her words made Zachary gasp in awe. He turned toward Lydia who was trembling on the freezing ground while clutching his jacket around herself.

"You sure are a mad woman, Lydia!" he shouted. "This way, you’ve made us twice, no, four times stronger against this damned lizard! You never fail to amaze me, my deerling!"

Ephraim’s lips curled into a smile as he glanced at his fiancée. "My beloved mad woman. Amazing."

"Ours, Golden Boy."

Ephraim frowned at Zachary’s words but he didn’t bother to correct him.

"Can you two save the flirting until after we survive this nightmare? Less talk, more action! Go, my Sentinels!"

Lydia tightened her grip on the jacket as another wave of pain shot through her shoulder. Her face paled, but she refused to let her concentration slip.

"Teamwork is the dream work! Ephraim, melt the Glacial Dragon’s scales! Zachary, hit it hard with all you’ve got!"

The dragon suddenly rose onto its hind legs, towering over the battlefield. Its six wings spread wide, and the remaining eye glowed with furious blue light.

Frost gathered inside its open jaws as it prepared to unleash another devastating ice beam in their direction.

"Now!"

Ephraim blazed his sword with intense fire as he poured his Resonance into the blade. Unlike usual fire, his fire color was gold.

Heat spread across the dragon’s icy scales as Ephraim melted the outer layer and exposed the vulnerable surface beneath.

He struck the Glacial Dragon with all his strength and made the massive beast stagger backward.

Before the dragon could recover, Zachary lunged through the thick fog. His black claws gleamed as he drove his Resonance into the weakened area.

The impact shattered the damaged scales, sending fragments of blue ice scattering across the battlefield.

The dragon roared.

Its enormous body trembled as cracks spread from the point of impact. The thick armor that had protected it from their earlier attacks could no longer withstand the combined assault.

The perfect timing of Ephraim’s strikes and Zachary’s slashes finally broke through the dragon’s tough defenses.

The Glacial Dragon tried to retreat, but the fog concealed the Sentinels’ movements.

Its remaining eye darted desperately through the fog, unable to track the Sentinels accurately enough to defend itself.

SCREEEEEEEEECHHH!

A deafening roar shook the surrounding trees as the dragon began to crystallize.

Within seconds, the entire Glacial Dragon had transformed into an enormous blue crystal, almost as large as an airplane.

The crystal trembled before suddenly shattering into millions of brilliant bursts of blue light that exploded across the battlefield.

Countless fragments dissolved into streams of light that shot toward Ephraim and Zachary, entering their bracelets in dazzling flashes.

"Wait. That’s it? We actually won?"

Before Lydia could celebrate, both Sentinels raised their wrists. Their bracelets glowed as they transferred the rewards they had received directly to Lydia’s bracelet.

"For you, our Guide," they said in unison.

Lydia squealed.

Blue light burst from her bracelet, bathing her hands in a brilliant glow. Her eyes widened as she watched the reward register on the holographic display.

"Oh, my goodness! That was worth every second of suffering!"

Lydia almost forgot about her aching shoulder. But the celebration didn’t last long.

Above them, the enormous Dimensional Rift began to fold into itself until the dimensional distortion finally knitted itself closed.

The Rift Barrier flickered before disappearing. The fog began to disperse into the familiar Restricted Area of the Imperial hunting grounds.

For several seconds, silence settled over the area. Then the crowd erupted.

Thunderous cheers filled the hunting grounds as nobles and VIP guests from various nations and planets celebrated.

"How did they even manage to defeat an SSS-Rank Rift monster? A Glacial Dragon, at that!"

"Lady Valendorf is such a lucky freeloader."

"She was just a useless cheerleader who let her Sentinels do all the hard work."

Oh, wonderful.

Even after nearly dying fighting an SSS-Rank monster, those nobles still thought so poorly of her.

So these nobles and VIP guests had gathered here after hearing that we were trapped inside an SSS-Rank Dimensional Rift.

Before Lydia could come up with a suitably insulting response, Ephraim stepped forward.

The Crown Prince straightened his clothes and faced the crowd. His familiar, polished smile returned, but his next words carried a sincerity that caught Lydia by surprise.

"Today’s battle has shown us that even an SSS-Rank Rift monster can be defeated when Sentinels and Guides work together."

He turned toward Lydia and offered her his hand.

"However, I must give special recognition to Lady Lydia Valendorf. Her quick judgment and exceptional guiding turned the tide of this battle. Without her, even Count Ludenberg and I would have struggled to overcome the Glacial Dragon."

A wave of murmurs swept through the crowd.

"Lady Valendorf remained calm despite her injuries and found a way to weaken the dragon’s defenses. She did not simply support us from behind. She stood beside us and helped lead us to victory."

Ephraim’s gaze softened as he looked at his fiancée.

"I am proud to have fought alongside her."

Lydia blinked, caught off guard by his unexpected praise. That was rare but she could tell that Ephraim was being really genuine about this.

Ephraim leaned closer and quietly asked, "May I?"

Before she could fully process his question, he waited for her small nod before placing a gentle kiss on her cheek.

The crowd erupted into cheers and applause.

Ephraim gave Lydia one last warm look before turning back to the audience.

"Today’s victory also reflects the unity between the Empire’s Sword and the Empire’s Purse. House Valendorf and House Ludenberg have stood side by side in service to the Crown, and I hope that bond will continue to grow stronger."

Lydia was still trying to recover from her fiancé’s unexpected display of affection when Zachary stepped forward with a knowing smile.

"Both the Crown Prince and House Ludenberg dedicate our hunting spoils to Lady Lydia Valendorf."

The cheers erupted.

Several nobles turned toward Lydia, while others exchanged startled glances. The announcement was simple, but its meaning was impossible to miss.

Ephraim and Zachary both smiled as they watched the crowd’s reaction.