T/N: Note that the term “Valkyrie” could also be replaced as “Champion”, which is a title not exclusive to women. Although the author has previously used this title only for female characters, it’s recently been revealed to be a more general term that can also refer to men, albeit rarely, in those cases I’ll use “champion”
Chapter 146: The Goddess’s Struggle
Breaking off the engagement!
Anastasia’s words surprised Qin Chu. For the princess of the Ice Duchy to break off her engagement with the Grand Prince of the Empire was no small decision. The pressure involved was immense, enough to crush a lesser person. Most girls in her position would have silently endured the humiliation.
The consequences of breaking off the engagement were too severe for her and her country to bear.
Anastasia had initially intended to endure it, even contemplating suicide. Breaking off the engagement hadn’t even been a consideration.
For the Grand Prince, for the entire Empire, being rejected in such a way would be a tremendous disgrace. If the Empire retaliated, the Ice Duchy wouldn’t stand a chance. Yet, Anastasia had made this bold, decisive choice.
“Have you thought this through?” Qin Chu asked.
“Of course,” Anastasia replied, her voice cold and resolute. “The Ice Duchy holds back more than half of the Demon Beasts on the northern front. If the Empire acts against us, I will ask my father to withdraw our forces and let the Demon Beasts run rampant. If we become enemies, the Ice Duchy will either die at the hands of the Demon Beasts or the Imperial Army. Either way, it’s death. So why not drag more people down to hell with us? I think Wadsworth will consider this carefully.”
“The Empire’s long-term oppression of the Ice Duchy has already caused much discontent among our people. I believe many would be willing to do this.”
Qin Chu burst out laughing, a genuine, unrestrained sound. That’s right, he thought, that’s how it should be. When you’re not afraid of death, it’s others who should fear you. Anastasia had finally understood this principle.
In the first playthrough, Anastasia, unable to bear the humiliation, had committed suicide. The consequences were disastrous: rebellion in the north, and the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Imperial soldiers. The Demon Beasts had even pushed deep into the Empire’s territory, causing heavy losses and a period of great instability.
As long as Anastasia held firm, she didn’t need to fear the Empire’s threats, at least not until the Hero subdued the Demon Beasts… And Qin Chu, as the Hero, would surely subdue them, right?
Probably.
After a while, Qin Chu’s laughter subsided. “Clever,” he said, “But what does this have to do with me? Why should I be responsible?”
A sly, fox-like smile appeared on Anastasia’s face. She leaned closer, her hand resting on his chest, the neckline of her dress dipping slightly, offering a tantalizing glimpse of her fair skin. “Because of you, of course,” she murmured, “If it weren’t for you, I would have already killed myself. I wouldn’t have made the decision to break off the engagement.”
“And it was you who made me understand that the Empire doesn’t dare to act rashly against the Ice Duchy right now!”
“You defended my dignity and made me realize that my feelings for the Grand Prince were just a girlish fantasy…”
“I was helping you,” Qin Chu protested, feeling a bit wronged, “Isn’t this a bit like biting the hand that feeds you?”
“That’s why… Hero, please continue to help me. I might have to stay in the Empire for a while longer. You wouldn’t want me to sleep on the streets, would you? I might be bullied by bad people,” Anastasia said with a pitiful expression. She seemed much more playful after recovering from her earlier despair.
Qin Chu didn’t dislike it.
“So, kind Hero, can you continue to take in the homeless Anastasia?”
“There will always be a room for you in my residence, Anastasia,” Qin Chu said with a slight nod.
Anastasia beamed. Imitating Qin Chu’s earlier casualness, she stretched languidly, disregarding noble etiquette, her graceful figure on full display. In front of Qin Chu, she didn’t have to be so reserved, she could relax a little.
“I need to contact my parents… I have to let them know about this important matter,” she said after a while.
As Anastasia left, Qin Chu felt a pang of loneliness. Lying on the grass, gazing at the night sky, he thought about the people in this world. Some lived their lives in a daze, some were filthy and corrupt, but some were struggling very hard.
He raised his arm, and the silver mark on his wrist shimmered under the moonlight.
Was the goddess trapped in the cage also struggling desperately?
As if in response to Qin Chu, a burning sensation suddenly came from the Goddess’s Hair wrapped around his wrist.
This time, Qin Chu didn’t touch the scroll he had taken from Loseweisse, but his gaze seemed to penetrate the endless night sky, reaching the deepest part of the Void.
His consciousness seemed to have made contact with some mysterious existence.
He saw it.
Massive metal cylinders, larger than meteorites, arranged neatly, forming an enormous cage.
He saw a tall, graceful figure within the cage, draped in white gauze. He tried to see the goddess’s face, but it was blurred.
A surging energy emanated from her. The white gauze fluttered in the void, her silver hair danced wildly behind her, and her fair hands continuously unleashed energy that distorted space, turning the area around her into a chaotic energy storm.
The cage trembled violently, dense cracks appearing on the thick metal cylinders.
Seven strange energies extended from different directions, wrapping around the cage and repairing the damage.
They didn’t dare to relax for even a moment. Any lapse in concentration might allow the goddess to break free from the cage.
Qin Chu saw thick, swirling dark red clouds, a huge, twisted flame forming a grinning face; he saw a figure exuding elegance and nobility, sometimes male, sometimes female, filled with a sinister charm…
Suddenly, a sharp pain pierced through Qin Chu’s mind.
It felt as if his brain had been turned into mush.
His body convulsed in a twisted posture, countless strange symbols appearing all over him in an instant, making him look terrifying.
He felt as if countless ferocious insects were wriggling inside his body, trying to break free. Countless vertical eyes appeared on his skin, quickly rupturing and festering.
A strong sense of violence surged within him, an urge to destroy everything.
Strange whispers echoed in his ears, like needles trying to pierce his soul, tempting him to remove the hair from his wrist.
Twisted and chaotic illusions appeared before his eyes, strange limbs seeming to call out to Qin Chu, inviting him to become one of them…
At this moment, the silver hair on his wrist suddenly emitted a gentle and bright light, quickly dispelling the abnormalities in his body. His convulsing body gradually calmed down.
He was drenched in sweat, as if he had just undergone strenuous exercise. He gasped, his throat burning.
He knew that the goddess in the cage was struggling. It was her struggle that distracted those seven strange deities, preventing them from noticing him.
He closed his eyes, trying to regulate his breathing and his chaotic consciousness…
That wasn’t something he could consider now. It was better to avoid gazing into the Void in the future. It was full of danger.
After a long while, Anastasia returned, “My parents agreed to my proposal and asked me to convey their gratitude to you.”
“Also, my father asked me to ask you if you’re interested in becoming the royal consort of the Ice Duchy,” Anastasia squatted down beside Qin Chu, the tight-fitting, pure white dress outlining the alluring curves of her thighs and buttocks.
This princess was becoming less and less concerned about etiquette.
Qin Chu’s mind had recovered. Anastasia didn’t notice anything. He averted his gaze with some embarrassment, “Royal consort? Not interested, the Ice Duchy is too cold.”
“Is that so? That’s a pity,” Anastasia shrugged with disappointment, “I was thinking, the Grand Prince hates you so much, if I married you, it would definitely infuriate him…”
So that was why it was a pity? For a moment, his heart had actually skipped a beat.
Anastasia stood up, patted the grass and dirt off her clothes, and extended her hand to Qin Chu, “Hero, shall we go home?”
…
By the time they returned to the residence, the news of what happened at the banquet had already spread because of some gossipmongers. Even the four guards knew about it.
They were furious at the Grand Prince’s rudeness and very grateful to Qin Chu for standing up for their princess.
They were worried about their princess, but they found that Anastasia seemed to be in a good mood.
Anastasia even comforted them, telling them not to worry. She had spent a long time this evening preparing a statement.
The next morning, Anastasia was already properly dressed. She changed into a gorgeous outfit and headed towards the Imperial Palace.
The guards at the gate didn’t stop her. Although such a thing had happened yesterday, and both the Grand Prince and Anastasia had become laughingstocks, her status was still there.
According to the rules, Anastasia handed her statement to a civil official, then waited quietly in the council hall. Her demeanor was elegant and confident, seemingly unaffected by what had happened yesterday.
Wadsworth, who had been angered by his stupid son and hadn’t slept all night, couldn’t help but smile wryly when he saw the statement in his hand.
In this statement, Anastasia used euphemisms to express that she and the Grand Prince had incompatible personalities, and if they were forced to be together, it would only bring misfortune to both of them. Therefore, she hoped to break off the engagement.
What did “incompatible personalities” even mean…? He had already slapped her in public before they were even married. What would happen after they got married?
Anastasia was a princess, after all. It was normal for her to be unable to bear such humiliation. But Wadsworth didn’t expect this girl to be so strong and directly propose to break off the engagement.
This made Wadsworth feel a little regretful. Such an excellent girl, if she could really become his daughter-in-law, would definitely be a great help to his son.
Too bad, that idiot.
Wadsworth continued to read as he pondered, his expression gradually becoming serious. At the end of the statement, in a pleading tone, she mentioned that the Ice Duchy had suffered great losses in the war against the Demon Beasts, and due to lack of food and clothing, many excellent warriors who shouldn’t have died had perished at the claws of the Demon Beasts.
If this continued, the Ice Duchy might not be able to continue shouldering the responsibility of blocking the Demon Beast invasion from the north. The humans of the Heavenly Continent were all interconnected, like lips and teeth. Therefore, she hoped that the Empire could provide more material support.
Wadsworth’s expression became more and more regretful. This was truly a capable girl. Perhaps he could transfer the engagement from the Grand Prince to another prince?
…
Soon, an announcement was issued in the name of the Auville Empire’s royal family.
Because Princess Anastasia Maysfield of the Ice Duchy and Grand Prince Lance of the Auville Empire had incompatible personalities, both sides had friendly consultations and exchanged opinions frankly, deciding to break off the engagement.
However, those who knew a little about the situation understood that this was just a euphemism used to save face for the Empire.
After Anastasia submitted her statement, the engagement was quickly broken off. It was clearly Anastasia who had initiated the breakup.
Although this princess had lost face at the banquet, her decisive and resolute action still earned the admiration of many.
Another piece of news was that in order to maintain the united front against the Demon Beasts in the Heavenly Continent, the Empire decided to increase its material support to the Ice Duchy, including cotton-padded clothes, weapons, and food, with a tentative increase of 50%.
At the same time, the Royal Knights, led by Champion Morton, were sent to the homes of various nobles to solicit donations…
…
“Bastard, damn it…”
On the other side, the Grand Prince, who was confined to his residence and couldn’t go out, heard about the broken engagement from a few of his loyal subordinates and flew into a rage.
Almost everything in the room had been smashed to pieces, there was nothing left for him to throw.
His handsome face was twisted with rage, looking terrifying. His bloodshot eyes were filled with intense anger and killing intent.
That damned bitch, how dare she break off the engagement!
What friendly consultation? He wasn’t even present.
He was the Grand Prince, the most noble person in the entire empire in the future.
He could abandon that woman, but he would never allow her to break off the engagement on her own initiative.
All his face, dignity, and glory had been trampled upon by that woman. This was something the Grand Prince could never tolerate.
The series of blows almost drove the Grand Prince mad. He let out low growls like a crazed mad dog.
That woman, how dare she?
Who gave her the courage?
“Where is that woman now?” The Grand Prince roared at his few remaining loyal subordinates with a hoarse voice.
“At… at the Hero’s residence.”
Hiss…
The Grand Prince’s body twitched violently.
The Hero’s residence, had they even started living together?
Filthy, shameless things.
Qin Chu… That’s right, it was all Qin Chu. It must have been that bastard who instigated this. Otherwise, Anastasia would never have dared to break off the engagement.
That damned bastard, he would kill him…
“Send a letter to Qin Chu for me,” the Grand Prince snarled.
It was… a challenge letter!
When the challenge letter was delivered to Qin Chu, he just smiled contemptuously and tossed it aside, “Tell the Grand Prince…”
“If he wants to fight, then let’s fight!”
After the messenger left, Qin Chu suddenly asked Shaye, “Shaye, is there any way for me to kill him legitimately?”
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