Chapter 33

Holographic blueprints of the glacial capital flicker across the center console table. All captains, Celeste, Kalt XVIII, Astera, and Lily are present.

Shizuku
Alright. We’re approaching Raureif’s orbit in six hours.
That means we need to plan this down to the mana thread.
Kalt, show them.

Kalt steps forward and gestures. The hologram shifts to a towering palace of cold-white stone, surrounded by multiple rings of fortified cities.

Kalt XVIII
The capital has three main defensive rings. Givre’s palace is at the center—elevated above the rest.
The Knights of Givre patrol in shifts of 48. About 16 in each ring at any given time.
But inside the palace? That’s a mystery. I never made it past the antechamber after I… surrendered.

Eris
That’ll be our job then. Outer, middle, and inner rings—cleared one by one.

Asche
Standard suppress and advance. No unnecessary destruction. We don’t want the citizens thinking we’re invaders.

Berwick
Nor do we want to risk harming them. Givre’s enchantments may be stronger than we realize.

Alto
I’ll take command of the inner ring breach. Celeste, stay just far enough to assist magically without putting yourself in frontline proximity.

Celeste
Please. I’ve got all my guards prepped and my vocal amplifier rune array charging.
And don’t worry—I won’t blow Berwick across the street again.

Berwick
(grimaces)
I still feel that echo in my spine.

Shizuku
Now—Givre himself.
I’ll be honest, I don’t trust anyone else to land the final blow.

Astera
(interrupting calmly)
Then don’t worry about that part. Lily and I can take care of him.

Lily
Yeah. I’ve got the Yin sigil core prepped and ready. Astera can move in silence with wind magic, and I can handle the fracture fields.
We’ll infiltrate the palace from the spire wall. Old architecture. Weak point.

Shizuku
You two sure about that?

Alto
I’d prefer—

Lily
Papa.
(smiling)
We’ve got this. Trust us.

Astera
If you all are busy with the Knights, it makes sense for the two most agile and stealth-trained operatives to handle the target.

Kalt XVIII
(quietly)
That spire wall… I know it. The snowlight vents can let you inside without triggering any ward.

Eris
Then it’s settled. The infiltration team: Lily and Astera.
Suppression team: the rest of us. Celeste, maintain a sonic perimeter.

Celeste
Already tuned my harmonics. Any mental suggestion fields Givre’s using? I’ll collapse them before they can twist a thought.

Asche
(grinning)
Kalt, what about you? Ready to stare down your kingdom?

Kalt XVIII
It’s not mine yet.
But after tonight… maybe it will be.

Good. Everyone get some rest. Tomorrow morning… Raureif remembers her real king.