Did we get captured?

Absolutely.

Was it all part of my plan?

Absolutely.

Was my plan a detailed one?

Not at all.

But, of course, none of that mattered. What truly mattered was the fact that we were finally about to enter the fabled territory of the Ice Elves, a place that had eluded us for days and was exactly what we’d been looking for. The rest was… uh, just details. Yes, that’s right… details!

We were currently in some sort of cage, bouncing along with each jolt as it was carried by a strange, hulking beast I’d never seen before. It loomed over us, massive and unshakable, its thick, snow-white fur absorbing the cold, its wide back supporting our cage with ease. Each time it shifted, I could feel the iron bars pressing against my back, but even in our confinement, I wasn’t exactly worried. I had bigger plans in mind.

“Hey, can I ask you guys a question?” I called out with a bright smile, acting as if this whole situation was perfectly normal.

The Ice Elves glanced over at me, their expressions a mix of confusion and annoyance, likely wondering why their prisoner was grinning like an idiot. Phoebe had warned me right after our capture that they didn’t speak the same language as us, so they probably thought I was just babbling nonsense. Not exactly ideal, but it was something to work with.

“Right… you can’t speak our language,” I muttered, grinning as an idea struck me.

I began waving my hands around in exaggerated motions, attempting to convey my questions with elaborate gestures. The Ice Elves watched me with raised eyebrows and exchanged frowns, their eyes narrowing as if trying to decipher my antics. To them, I was probably just some foolish prisoner, unbothered by his own capture and making a strange spectacle of himself.

“Damn… now how the hell will I show them that I want to know the location of the Lake?” I glanced over to Phoebe, who sat across from me in the cage, watching with wary amusement. “Can’t you speak their language? You’ve been exploring this place for years; you must know a word or two, right?”

Phoebe considered this for a moment before replying. “I do know a few words, but not enough to have a real conversation with them.”

“Who cares about conversation? Just tell them we need their help finding that lake you talked about. Give it a shot!” I insisted. Experience more tales on empire

Phoebe hesitated, clearly uncertain. She knew, as I did, that if she said the wrong thing, it could make everything more complicated. It was risky, but waiting to speak with their leader felt even riskier. After a beat, she turned toward the Ice Elves marching beside the creature carrying us. She spoke a series of rough, awkward syllables, her words tumbling out in quick succession.

The Ice Elves looked taken aback, their brows rising in surprise at first. But then, as the message sank in, they began laughing—a sharp, booming sound that echoed off the icy walls around us.

“Hey, hey, what’s so funny? Did you tell them a bad joke?” I asked, bewildered.

Phoebe sighed, looking slightly embarrassed. “They’re laughing because I asked for their help to find the Icy Lake. That’s all.”

“Tsk, you must’ve said something wrong. There’s no way they’d be laughing at us like that if you hadn’t.”

Resigned to silence, I leaned back, deciding to wait until we reached our destination. Conversing with their leader was our best option anyway. Low-ranking elves wouldn’t cut it for my plan. I needed to talk to the big boss—the one with the power to give us what we needed.

After what felt like an hour, the beast finally stopped, and we arrived at the Ice Elves’ village. My jaw dropped as I took in the sight around us. This was no ordinary village—it was a hidden fortress, an ice haven concealed from the outside world. There was no chance we would have stumbled upon this place on our own, not with how isolated and obscured it was. Even Phoebe, usually so composed, shot me a look of grudging respect, perhaps admitting that my decision to get captured had been the right one.

The beast lumbered forward, carrying us through a towering gate carved into an enormous ice wall. Beyond the entrance, the hidden village sprawled out before us, nestled within a vast ice cave. Everything here shimmered with a faint bluish glow, the icy walls reflecting the cold light like a mirror, casting eerie shadows across the snowy streets.

The cavern was colossal, with winding streets and buildings of varying heights stretching as far as I could see. Each building was crafted from solid ice, unique in shape and style, with intricate etchings decorating the walls, like ancient runes frozen into the very structure. But one building stood out—a towering castle made entirely of ice, looming over the village like a frozen crown.

An Ice Castle!

“I’m betting the King of the Ice Elves lives there,” I whispered to Phoebe, nodding toward the grand structure with a grin.

As we were paraded down the main street, every Ice Elf turned to watch us. Their cold blue eyes were filled with curiosity, suspicion, and, in some cases, amusement. They muttered in their own language, glancing at us with knowing smirks. Some pointed, their faces twisted into sneers or pitying looks, as if our capture was a source of grim entertainment.

I could only smile inwardly, imagining the change in their expressions once we strolled out of this castle with the full support of the Ice Elves. Soon enough, they’d see we weren’t fools or weaklings. They wouldn’t be laughing then.

“C-Caedrel… everything is going to be fine, right?” Phoebe asked, her voice barely above a whisper. I glanced over and saw her fingers gripping the bars tightly, her lips trembling slightly from a mix of stress and cold.

“Don’t worry, everything will be fine. Just let me do all the talking, and everything will go exactly as I planned.” I gave her a confident smile. “You trust me, right?”

She looked at me with narrowed eyes. “To talk with the King of the Ice Elves? Absolutely not!”

I laughed, unfazed by her lack of faith, and gave her the same bright smile as before.

“Don’t worry. They’ll love me!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep