Traces in the snow through time

A long time ago, in the lavish halls hidden behind the high walls of the Elven Kingdom, Princess Adeline bore a title as heavy as her own blood. She was the fourteenth princess of the royal lineage, but in the eyes of the court, her true standing was quite different.

Her father was none other than the great Elven King, a legendary figure revered across the entire continent under the title of the «Endowed of the Elven Race».

Thanks to that direct lineage and her progenitor's immense political influence, Adeline had held the status of de facto First Princess since the very moment of her birth—an absolute hierarchy that no member of the nobility dared to challenge or strip away from her.

However, being at the apex came with an invisible cost.

Surrounded since her earliest childhood by an asphyxiating pressure and a sea of impossible expectations, Adeline paid an emotional price that any ordinary person would consider absolute torture.

"What a pain, what a pain!"

Yet what tormented her to the point of desperation was not the duties of the crown, but her total and absolute lack of freedom.

"Why? Even though I'm a princess of a country, I..."

To the outside world, she was a figure of dreams, but the reality of her day-to-day life was a golden cage.

Bearing the weight of being the first princess, she was forced to endure suffocating round-the-clock security.

From the moment she opened her eyes in the morning, lines of maidens awaited her under strict protocols, flanking her even during breakfast in sepulchral silence. Furthermore, whenever she wished to take a simple stroll through the gardens, her movements had to be reported in advance to the royal family; and crossing the imposing gates of the capital city required, without exception, her father's direct seal and authorization.

"I really want to go out and play!"

Consequently, just thinking about those relentless limitations made her blood boil with frustration. Unable to contain herself, she would throw herself onto her bed to complain and throw tantrums in the absolute privacy of her chambers, causing her outburst to echo down the hallway until it forced the maids to knock urgently on her door.

"Your Highness, are you alright? Do you need anything?"

Hearing the commotion coming from inside the bedchamber, the maids hurried to push the door open slightly, asking her in a highly respectful and obliging tone if the princess had a problem or required immediate assistance.

"...It's nothing, I'm fine."

In response, trying to calm the frustration in her voice, Adeline replied with a feigned serenity, politely turning down the employees' offer and brushing off the commotion with the excuse that she was just feeling a bit unwell and wanted to be alone for a while.

"If that's all, then I do not wish to be disturbed until dinner."

Right after, with a firm tone that admitted no argument, she made it clear that under no circumstances did she wish to receive visits or interruptions of any kind for the rest of the afternoon.

"...At your orders."

Consequently, even though the maids knew perfectly well that such an order flagrantly violated the princess's strict security and protection protocols—especially considering that, due to her high rank, she required constant supervision and company twenty-four hours a day—they chose to follow instructions anyway. The fear of displeasing the princess and earning a formal complaint that could cost them their coveted and well-paid positions at court weighed far heavier than blindly following the rules.

As a result, bowing their heads in submission, the maids had no choice but to retreat in silence, closing the door with utmost care and finally leaving her alone in her chambers.

(Knock, knock, knock...)

Sharpening her senses with a mix of excitement and caution, Adeline pressed her ear against the wooden door, listening intently until she heard the maids' footsteps fade away down the corridor.

"..."

Once she was certain the hallway was completely empty, the elven princess smiled mischievously and immediately proceeded to execute the plan she had been secretly hatching for days.

"Great Elven King... please forgive my insolence."

Determined to sneak out to explore and have fun in the outside world, Adeline clasped her hands before her chest and made a quick gesture of prayer, reciting an incantation that temporarily sealed the overwhelming magic of the Elven King within her to avoid being detected by the palace sensors.

Thanks to that concealment ritual, no creature in the capital would be able to perceive the royal blood running through her veins, rendering her a complete stranger in the eyes of the royal guards.

However, in making such a decision, the young woman was taking on a colossal risk that left her totally vulnerable and exposed to the dangers of the outside world.

After all, once her mana and lineage were sealed, Adeline was momentarily reduced to an ordinary girl, devoid of even the physical strength needed to kill a chicken, leaving her completely at the mercy of common bandits or kidnappers without any ability to fight back.

"...It'll only be for a moment. The risk is worth it."

Nevertheless, in her innocent desire to escape her routine, she never imagined that the price of that little prank would surpass any nightmare her mind could possibly conceive.

(~FCSHHHH...)

And so time passed...

"This should be good."

Returning to the present timeline, cold gusts of wind lashed the lonely mountain ranges...

"...It's very windy."

There, Silvia's solitary figure wandered with steady strides through the snow, carrying a large urn on her back, with the inert body of the Great Speaker Witch, Scarlet Astrea, wrapped in her cloak over one shoulder, and holding the small spherical ice capsule in her free hand.

"Clear walls..."

Then, after pausing for a moment, she scanned her surroundings calmly, her dull electric blue eyes assessing every corner of the terrain.

"Pocchi, surface!"

Immediately afterward, once the safety of the environment was confirmed, Silvia adopted a firm and dynamic posture, precisely tossing the ice marble into a clear opening.

(~Fssshhh!)

Enveloping it instantly, a faint grey fire membrane flickered briefly until it completely dissolved the sphere.

"WOOF~!"

As a result of that action, a dense frosty vapor dispersed into the air, and the voluptuous figure of a Wolf-kin woman materialized instantly, barking happily in affirmation while shaking the frost off her shoulders.

"Good girl."

In response, seeing her reliable "hunting hound" prostrate herself animatedly on all fours before her, Silvia stepped forward and gently rubbed her head as a well-deserved reward.

"Pocchi, track."

Following that, taking the next step, Silvia pulled out from her robes the ancient elven map she had acquired in the depths of the underground market, partially unfolding it over the surface of a snow-covered rock.

(Snif~ snif~)

Immediately, the gifted and hyper-sensitive Wolf-kin began sniffing the parchment with a frenzy, seeking to catch the exact scent that would guide them toward their next destination.