I Will Become the Queen of the Enemy Country

“Ahhhh!”

At the sound of a scream that could tear one’s eardrums, Elise lifted her head.

The chaotic gate entrance came into her view.

“Oh no…”

A regretful moan naturally slipped out.

The ice created by the magicians melted in an instant due to the intense heat, causing a water bomb-level deluge to hit the gate.

A large amount of water and intense heat collided, causing an incredible explosion.

Steam rose like a cloud.

The heat-laden steam attacked the fragile human skin.

“It’s hot, it’s hot!”

The knights who suffered burns writhed in pain.

“Everyone, back off!”

David, who had grasped the situation, shouted and pulled the knights back.

Even without his command, it was an impossible situation to enter.

“Ouch, who stepped on my foot!”

“Move aside, don’t you need to clear the way!”

Although they were well-trained knights, they were clumsy in dealing with the sudden situation.

Karan, who had been watching the chaotic scene, clicked his tongue.

The two sages who had spread the ice quickly conjured up a wind.

As the sweeping wind blew away the steam and cleared the view, the knights’ excitement gradually subsided.

However, the situation was problematic whether they could see ahead or not.

“Ice magic won’t work.”

Amber muttered, looking at the knights suffering from burns.

There was no confusion or excitement in his voice.

David was disappointed by his tone, which didn’t seem to carry any emotion.

“Didn’t you say that ice magic would be enough? We planned our strategy based on your magic. And then this happened.”

“Your Highness, it’s not the time to discuss responsibility. The situation has been well managed.”

David sighed. He had known since childhood that sages, who were pampered, lacked empathy…

“Isn’t it impossible to enter? How can we…”

“We’ll go first.”

As David was heatedly discussing the situation with Amber, Karan and his party brushed past them.

“Wait a minute! It’s dangerous. The steam has dispersed thanks to the wind, but it’s hot inside the gate. It will be hard to breathe.”

“Oh, we’re fine.”

Tetris people are basically good at withstanding heat and cold.

Moreover, thanks to the cold preservation magic circle that Elise had drawn on their clothes, it was much easier to endure.

Karan pulled up the scarf he had wrapped around to protect his respiratory system.

“It’s dangerous, Prince Karan. It’s not a situation you can handle with bravado.”

David’s words carried sincere concern.

Even the warriors, who would have been offended and angry if others had said it, didn’t feel bad.

So Karan, who was ready to break through at any moment, made his warriors wait and faced David.

Not to have a conversation.

“We’ll clear the way, so you can come and catch the Salamander.”

To make a unilateral announcement.

“You’re telling me that you’ll do the hard work and we’ll take the credit?”

Karan nodded leisurely. David’s eyebrows twitched.

Then he stepped away from Elise and got close to David.

“If you have the ability to catch it. If not, just cut off the Salamander’s neck.”

David’s eyebrows shot up like mountains.

He was more surprised by his confident attitude than by being ignored.

And his confidence didn’t even feel fake.

Suspicion arose.

‘He’s telling me to take the credit? Why?’

Gate subjugation was important in content, but the result was more important than anything.

You had to conquer it, not just work hard, and catching the boss monster was a much bigger achievement than catching many minor monsters.

So it was common for the lower people to do the hard work and the upper people to take the credit.

“I’ve said all I have to say, so we’ll go first. Follow when you’re ready.”

“We’ll support you right away. It won’t take long.”

David didn’t stop the person who offered to take the lead.

It was a relief that they were buying precious time.

Karan nodded and took the lead.

Karan’s warriors entered the gate, swinging their arms and stretching their necks from side to side.

“Those guys, sigh, they don’t know how hot it is inside. They must be burned first to come to their senses.”

One of David’s knights, who had poured cold water on his head to regain his senses, commented.

Then, around them, disparaging remarks about Tetris’ warriors erupted.

“Unlucky bastards. Go and roll around as much as you want. After all, we will be the ones to conquer the gate.”

“It’s a perfect job for barbarians. They’re like janitors clearing the way.”

“I’m looking forward to when they’ll run out screaming.”

Despite Bedrokka’s knights’ high expectations, Tetris’ warriors didn’t run out in a panic.

Not until they finished treating those with burns, the sages changed the entry method by casting a shield, and the knights formed a line to enter.

****

An hour after Karan’s warriors entered the gate, they had already reached the middle of the gate.

“Phew, it’s getting hot.”

“My shirt is soaked with sweat.”

The monster cubs posed no threat to them.

They were all monsters they had faced before.

‘The number of monsters is significantly less than before. That’s probably because…’

The gate boss was forced to open the gate prematurely by Ragnaros before it could fully awaken.

‘So, we should be able to easily conquer the 3rd, 4th, and 5th gates.’

It was a blessing in disguise.

“Hydrate yourselves moderately. Check your weapons.”

“These guys’ shin bones are amazing. There’s no problem!”

The warriors hit the gate wall with the weapons they were holding.

Then, the sound of steel hitting steel echoed.

Just hearing the sound, you could feel its solidity.

What they held in their hands were the bones of the skeletons that had gathered at the entrance.

“When I hit them with this, the monsters fall down. Why didn’t I know about this good thing before?”

Haltbin regretted the bones of the skeletons he had left behind in the past.

It would have been great if he had picked up those bones and made weapons.

“Only the skeletons here are special.”

Elise, who had been listening quietly, stepped forward.

“The bones have been tempered several times by the hot heat.”

“Ah, I see!”

Haltbin lavishly praised Elise’s insight.

“But how did you know…”

Just as Haltbin was about to ask a question.

“We’re leaving.”

Karan stood up and took the lead, holding the shin bone of the skeleton.

Even though the shape of the shin bone drawn like a sword seemed insignificant, when Karan did it, the shin bone looked like a great weapon from a legend.

“Wait! Your Highness! The conversation isn’t over yet.”

Haltbin, regretting the unfinished conversation with Elise, immediately followed Karan.

The sight of them marching with the unrefined bones of the skeleton, while their fancy weapons were at their waists, was quite amusing.

But in terms of efficiency, it was the best, just as Haltbin said.

There was nothing like the shin bone of the second gate skeleton to deal with the monsters of the second gate.

Even the swords owned by the kingdom’s army, made of the best quality steel, couldn’t break the bones of the monsters that had been tempered by drastic temperature changes in one go.

So, a continuous supply of weapons was needed, and if the supply was cut off, they had to go back the way they came.

Then, the monsters that had reformed their ranks entered the entrance again, and it was back to the beginning.

The morale of the army was broken by that exhausting event, and the budget was wasted as it was.

‘At that time, an angry knight threw the bone of a skeleton. That hit the vital point of another monster, afterwards they thought of making weapons with the skeleton’s bone.’

After that, the weapons made from the bones of the skeleton that came out of the second gate changed the course of the war.

Skel-sword, Skel-hammer, Skel-halberd, Skel-shield…If the name Skel was attached to the front, the price skyrocketed geometrically.

Despite that, there was a shortage of supply and they couldn’t buy it.

Elise acknowledged the warriors of Tetris, who were excitedly beating the monsters, carrying out a one-sided slaughter.

She had no choice but to acknowledge it.

A good weapon for a warrior is his life, victory, and brings glory.

In the past, Elise gave that glory to Chase.

But this time it’s different.

[What we want in return for our help is one thing. The monster called the skeleton of the second gate, please give us the by-product of that monster.]

Instead, the warriors of Tetris were not able to receive any support.

David tried to give more to the deal that seemed like a loss at first glance, but Elise refused.

The items from the second gate, excluding the bones of the skeleton, were nothing but a burden to the Tetris warriors who had to travel a long way.

The longer the distance, the more luggage, the more wasted money.

If it wasn’t a high-value item, even if it could be sold, it didn’t mean much.

It would have been possible to sell everything in Bedrokka, but then they would have to be checked in the market and time would be delayed.

“There it is, the Salamander!”

About two hours after entering the second gate, they set foot in the middle of the gate.