-- POV Freya --

We were moving through the forest at a great speed, spinning through the dark-leaved trees where even the sun was having trouble penetrating. The goodbyes had been hard for my wife and daughter, and even though Kira and I were thinking of them, our minds were focused on our goal. I was on Inferno's back while the Commanders and Lieutenant ran behind me as their training had already begun.

Since we left the Empire, I had ordered the eighteen people who were following me to run behind me so that we would arrive without stopping if possible. If all went well, we should arrive at the ice and water tree before nightfall. During our little trip I planned to train them no matter what we found in the Syn forest and even in a hellish way if necessary.

As soon as we left Elysium, my plan was to work on everyone's endurance because until now, no one had really had the opportunity to run like this over a long distance. It was not only the breath that was worked on but the muscles, the precision because with a high speed it was necessary but also the agility and the reflexes.

Trioa the half-human wyvern and her Lieutenant Nella the harpy were flying instead of running, but they were not allowed to glide through the sky. They followed us by weaving through the trees trying not to get their wings caught in a branch. Trioa was quite good at it as she had already been trained by Gaya for this exercise but it was not the same for the harpy with pigtails.

Overall, the Commanders followed me without much difficulty because with their levels, they could match the speed of a horse. Even though Inferno wasn't at his maximum potential, it wasn't very hard for them. On the other hand, all the Lieutenants without exception were behind and although they were still able to keep up for now, in a while it wouldn't be the same.

Unlike when I was with my family, I didn't automatically link Kira to the others to have some privacy. I had decided to do so only when she asked me for a chat or when I felt it was necessary.

[They've been running for hours now, won't you stop ?]

*Not until someone asks for it*

I wanted everyone to push their limits, for once we reached the base of the tree we were to rest before discovering anything anyway. During this exploration, I was ready to become the Ice Empress, whose training of soldiers would be known as ruthless but effective. No wild beasts were attacking us, repelled by my aura, and the Syn forest was not far away, so I found this an interesting exercise that could reveal the flaws in some.

*We have to be fast, but also careful and cautious. One mistake could turn everything upside down, we're leaving without knowing anything and I don't like that at all. Let's make the most of the time we have and if we can only gain more strength, I'll take it*

While I was talking with Kira, I was using my senses to perceive the scene without even seeing it and understand what was happening behind me. With my ears I could hear everyone's movements, every step, every rhythm and even the power. The rustle of the leaves, the sound of the earth being trodden, the breaths, everything allowed me to understand as if I were observing with my own eyes.

Ash, the half-human leopard second to Luna, didn't have much difficulty due to his section and race giving him great stamina, as did Liz, the half-human tiger second to Ralph, who used her muscles instead to hold on. The last one was Nixia and Naia's second, an elf named Kurumi who despite her small size ran almost as easily as the Commanders.

*Interesting*

The Commanders were still following me easily for the moment but four Lieutenants were already starting to fall behind. Zak the red-furred bear, Emilia's second in command and Leon the kobold second in command to Thorunn were the first to slow down. Then there was Itham the elf second to Ynir and Persea the guardianns and Nina the dryad second to Caipy in the medical section.

[And now, you stop ?]

*No. I told you, I would only stop if one of them asked me to. They are the ones who know their limits best, and admitting their weaknesses is not a sign of cowardice but of strength.*

In this exercise, the mind also played a big part and I wanted to see who among them would have the strength to ask for a break. I used to say it a lot, but I preferred a warrior who was aware of his weaknesses and was able to overcome them rather than an unconscious fighter who was able to push himself to the limit in search of glory.

*An unconscious ally can sometimes be far more dangerous than an intelligent enemy*historical

[Mmh I understand what you mean by that but still...don't let them fall apart before you even get there pffhaha~]

Despite Kira's words, I had no intention of going back on my word, this was far from a game and I had no plans to be conciliatory. I wasn't training children for a school show, but I was training warriors who would be participating in a war in the near future at the head of my army.

As I looked straight ahead, a breathless voice came from behind, almost pleading.

"Y...your...Hi...Highness..."

Without even turning around, I guessed that the one who had just spoken was Zak the red bear, who with his great stature was having trouble keeping up. Immediately afterwards, it was Nina's voice that started to ask for a break.

"Em...Empress...can...we...take...a b-break ?"

We were soon in the Syn Forest and I could even see the bright green trees, quite different from the Dark Forest. With a wave of my hand our whole expedition came to a halt as I dismounted my horse. The sound of a stream could be heard not far away so the place was perfect.

"Rest a little, we'll resume our run in five minutes ! Those who are thirsty, go drink from the stream, I'm saving our supplies for later when there's no water around."

"A... aye !"

Thanks to my storage element, I had been able to take everything we needed, allowing us to travel light. I had a supply of food, water bottles, sleeping gear, and anything else I thought might be useful. While the Commanders sat on the ground and the Lieutenants went to the stream to drink, I leaned against a tree.

[We should arrive before nightfall. Once there, you plan to sleep by the tree before you discover its secrets, don't you ?]

*Mmh. I'd rather everyone be ready and well rested before we find out anything. I don't know where we're going, but the last time I stood by that tree I didn't see anything special. There must be something hidden somewhere.*

[You mean nothing special except the tree itself which is more than special ! Like Gaya, you think it's a place rather than an object ?]

*I don't know what else it could be. Honestly, maybe we're going about this the wrong way, but how could a simple object answer all our questions ?*

When I had woken up and told Kira and Gaya what had happened in my dream, my wife had mentioned a tomb or a cave. I agreed with her and was eager to find out what was in store for us.

"Good ! Let's go back !"

"Yes, your Highness"

It wasn't long before the sun would set in a few hours. I also wanted to arrive during the day so I could conduct some research in the area with my group.

*That'll be the first thing we do, then we set up camp just to get an early night's rest.*

[You also have to contact Gaya and Shiro if we find out anything...or even nothing at all actually. I'm sure they'll be happy to talk to us even if it hasn't been a day since we left haha~]

As I smiled quietly, I climbed once more on the back of my black stallion who was proudly waiting for me. This time we were not going to stop and the next time I would set foot on the ground, it would be in front of that tree.

"Let's go !"

___

"Here we are !"

There before me was the huge clearing where I had met Warg in the early days of my new life. There was still that great lake whose water seemed unfathomable, bathed in sunlight. In the center of this lake was the islet on which stood proudly the tree we sought. It was massive, a weeping willow made of water and glass, its leaves were water flowing into the lake and its branches were transparent as crystal.

"Beautiful !"

"I...I didn't know such a thing existed here.."

"Your Highness, is this the tree we were looking for ?"

The Commanders and Lieutenants seemed to be in awe of the scene and although it was not the first time for me, I still found it beautiful. Last time, at night, the tree and lake had given me a sense of being surrounded by a magical, fairy-tale atmosphere, but now, during the day, it was different. This time the tree looked rather divine and solemn, standing there proudly in the middle of the glittering water.

[How could we have missed such a thing ? We had seen this magnificent tree, but we never tried to understand why it was there]

*That's true, but we didn't know the world at the time, not to mention the fact that we had to kill Magni and Daggus. We didn't know if this tree was something common... in a magical world, it's not illogical.*

Despite my words, Kira was right, and I couldn't believe I'd even missed something like that. However, that was all in the past and today I stood in that clearing once more, determined not to let anything go. Laying my feet on the ground, I turned to face the Commanders and Lieutenants to give my orders.

"The sun will set in about three hours, so rest for ten minutes and then we'll start our search by the tree."

"Yes, your Highness !"

The ten half-human women in charge of the army were out of breath this time as well, and although most of them didn't want to show it, it was easy for me to see. Their faces were flushed, their breathing was ragged, their bodies were shaking, and it was clear that everyone needed a break.

As my soldiers sat on the grass with a relieved expression, I couldn't help but approach the lake. It looked deep, but even with squinting and concentration, I couldn't see much. I couldn't make out anything, and yet the water wasn't dark.

[It's quite disturbing...]

*Mmmh. The water of the lake is beautiful and bright but the closer we get, the more it loses its shine, as if something was preventing us from seeing inside*

It was very strange and not even the sunlight could do anything about it. This lake was a mystery but what intrigued me most was this tree.

[How do you plan to reach the island in the middle ?]

*Have you forgotten already, little sister ? kufufu~"

[Oh~ for a moment it seemed like yes...]

As I chuckled slightly, I concentrated on making my ice wings appear on my back. With practice, now I could shape them quickly and fly right away. I wasn't 100% good at flying yet because I wasn't as good as Gaya, that proud dragoness, but I was getting better little by little. My blue, almost white wings opened majestically, creating a current of air that lifted the leaves and earth around me.

"Your Highness ? Shall we come with you ?"

Nixia, who was no longer tired at all, had approached me before asking her question. Behind her stood all the other Commanders and Lieutenants as well, seemingly determined to come with me instead of resting.

"If you're ready to search alongside me, yes that's okay we're here for that. However, we will be searching for a minimum of two hours, so if you need a little more time to breathe, now is the time ! From the moment you decide to embark on the inspection of the area, you won't get a break until tonight."

We had only just arrived but there was no way we were going to rest until tomorrow before we found out what it was. Tomorrow morning we would venture into the hidden place after a good night's rest but today we had to find it first.

"All right !"

All the warriors without exception nodded their heads but did not seem to give up on coming with me. Turning back to the island that was several meters away, I jumped high into the sky before flapping my wings to reach it. It was also possible for me to create an ice bridge, but I was also very curious as to how those who accompanied me would cross.

[Simple enough for you haha~]

*Yes, but let's see how the others do*

I was now on the small island where the mysterious tree stood and I watched eagerly as the soldiers planned to join me. Trioa, Nella and Ynir who also had wings, were obviously the first to join me followed by Persea who had used her brambles to create an ephemeral bridge.

[I would have done the same thing]

The others, having no other means than swimming, dived into the water without hesitation before arriving at high speed. Nixia's tail beat the water with force, propelling her further and further. Ralph and her second Liz did the same with their arms and legs, and with their strong, trained bodies it didn't take them much longer to reach me.

Little by little, everyone arrived where I was, in front of this mysterious tree whose secret we wanted to discover at all costs. The whole group was there, so it was time for us to start our search, hoping that the sun's rays would help us in our quest for the truth.

____

FULL STATUS

Name : Freya

Age : 0 years old / Mentally : 25 years old

Sex : Female

Course : Ice Demon Wolf of chaos - Adult

Race : Imperial Demon

Titles : Blessed by Titania, Goddess of endless Chaos and eternal frozen Hell.

Dragon tamer

Ruthless slayer

Level : 36/70

Exp needed for next level: 16 600 / 37 000

HP : 120 000 / 120 000 MP : 60 000 / 60 000

Strength: 500

Defense : 500

Agility : 506

Endurance: 503

Speed : 502

Intelligence: 500

Charisma: 500 (imperial she-wolf)

Attribute points to allocate : 0

Married to : Gaya

Daughter : Shiro

Empire (menu)

Subordinates: 1239

Humans killed: 153

Souls: 2/3

Elements: Ice / Chaos

Skills (all):

Attack - Demon Claws (Lvl 5)

- Bite of hell (Lvl 6)

- Infernal ice spikes (Lvl 6)

- Fighting techniques (Lvl max)

- Mastery of the katana (lvl max)

- Demonic Empress aura (lvl 5)

Defense - Ice demon wall (Lvl 6)

- Demonic Cloak (lvl 5)

Pain Resistance (lvl 4)

Attack/Defense - Domain of the Ice Empress "frozen wrath" (lvl 2) - (under condition)

Others - Humanoid form

- Ice creation (Lvl 6)

- Storage of chaos (Lvl 4)

- Devouring Chaos (Lvl 5)

- Analysis

- Second soul (Lvl max) - unique

- Telepathy

Detection and control of mana (lvl 5)

Master of souls (lvl 1)

Passives - Commander (lvl max)

- Natural Aura of the Ice Empress ]