Chapter 253: The Frostbite Rebellion

Chapter 253 “The Frostbite Rebellion”

Tyrian’s account finally concluded, but Duncan felt the strange tale ended far too suddenly.

“Is that really it? Just like that?” He couldn’t help but glance at the pirate in the mirror, his voice laden with doubt. “A submarine, loaded with explosives, went a thousand meters deep and resolved the ‘uncontrolled supernatural phenomenon’ that was worsening? Let’s not even discuss the power of those explosives at that depth—simply from a supernatural standpoint, could such an explosion even destroy a supernatural phenomenon?”

“We can only speculate,” Tyrian seemed unfazed by his father’s skepticism. “In truth, nobody knows what occurred a thousand meters below the surface, nor what the fourth submarine witnessed down there. Our only link to the depths was the partial perception the priest shared through psychic resonance... a scream, a roar, and a rumble. These brief fragments revealed little truth.

“However, after the fourth submarine’s explosion, no more ‘third submarine’ replicas emerged from the deep sea. Thus, we can only assume... the issue was resolved.”

“The issue was resolved...” Duncan furrowed his brow and shook his head. “Fine, let’s say it was resolved. What happened to the Abyss Plan afterward?”

“The Abyss Plan didn’t end, and that’s the oddest part,” Tyrian stated bluntly. “After such a costly event that finally resolved the third submarine’s mysterious crisis, one would think we should have reevaluated the Abyss Plan and halted this perilous endeavor. Yet, Queen Ray Nora disagreed, not only announcing the project’s continuation and the construction of a fifth submarine but also... elevating the Abyss Plan’s priority to the highest level, employing an exceptional amount of manpower and resources.”

Duncan’s expression grew serious, as he realized that the truly “uncontrolled” element of this tale might have only just begun. The “charges” against the Frost Queen and the rebellion half a century ago all originated from this.

He looked intently into Tyrian’s eyes: “It appears you didn’t support your queen at that time.”

“We had heated debates, which is why I mentioned I was no longer directly involved in the ‘Abyss Plan’ after the ‘thousand-meter’ depth. I believed things were headed in a dangerous direction,” Tyrian spoke slowly, his voice subdued. “But looking back, I should have done everything in my power to stop the Frost Queen, not avoid her... I had too much faith in her and didn’t realize she was fallible too.”

“Do you believe the Frost Queen truly made a mistake?”

“The Abyss Plan led to a series of crises under the Frost Queen’s reign and provided her adversaries with opportunities to take advantage. This increasingly extreme exploration eventually cost Queen Ray Nora her life. At least from this angle, it was definitely a mistake.”

Tyrian took a breath, gesturing with his hands: “And then, as you know, the Frostbite Rebellion that shocked the North took place.”

For a moment, the small warehouse filled with “antiques” fell into silence, only to be broken again by Duncan’s calm voice that emerged from the mirror: “It’s understandable that people connected this with subspace, but linking it to the Vanished is a bit too far-fetched.”

“Actually, it’s quite a reasonable connection, and it even involves me,” Tyrian said with a wry smile, shaking his head. “Who would have thought that I am your son — while also loyally serving the Frost Queen and participating in this terrifying project during its early stages? You know, conspiracy theorists always have the wildest imaginations.”

Duncan neither agreed nor disagreed, and after a brief moment of thought, he said: “In that case, the outbreak of that rebellion wasn’t entirely unfounded. The Abyss Plan that Ray Nora insisted on carrying out was too dangerous, and based on your description... her mental state at the time was indeed questionable.”

“This is precisely what I wanted to mention,” Tyrian interjected. “I know that all signs pointed to the Frost Queen losing her sanity at the time. She seemed like a madwoman being enticed by something, stubbornly following her own path, but I know that she... was always clear-headed, highly rational, and fully aware of her actions.”

“Really?”

“I argued with her, but I was still a trusted general. I could approach her — in fact, other high-ranking city-state officials could too. They all knew that the Queen had never gone mad nor intended to destroy the kingdom or endanger the world. Yes, they knew... but they were afraid, hesitant, and some had been bribed and misled. They weren’t as resolute as I was.

“But I know that perhaps the other participants of the Abyss Plan were indeed gradually being influenced by something, but she... evidently withstood this influence and exploited it to her advantage.”

“You mean that the Frost Queen actually had a coherent and ‘safe’ plan, and she was confident about accomplishing it, but she didn’t tell anyone — she didn’t even explain it to you,” Duncan looked thoughtful as he gazed at Tyrian. “And you still trust her unconditionally? Because you believe that, even if there is something threatening the city-states deep in the sea, everything is under Ray Nora’s control?”

“From your perspective, this trust is probably too blind.”

“Whether it’s blind or not is up to you,” Duncan shook his head. “I just want to say that the Frost Queen evidently couldn’t keep ‘everything under control’ — she ultimately died at the hands of the rebels, and the Abyss Plan was entirely buried. Things didn’t unfold as she had planned.”

“...I really can’t argue with that,” Tyrian sighed helplessly.