040 - Calm Before The Storm (4)

A cavalry troop of 20, deep in the hills to the west, surrounded by woodlands and trees, was moving dynamically down the steep route at an above-average pace.

"Young Master Liam." A young knight on a black horse came up to a man on a black horse who was leading a troop of cavalry who were crossing the steep terrain.

Liam, who had been called, nodded, allowing the knight who had abruptly broken up the formation to proceed.

"If our speed stabilizes, we'll be in the castle in the early morning."

Hearing that, Liam pulled the reins to the right and his feet met the horse's nose. The black horse, which had been moving quickly, came to a complete stop.

The knights did the same thing, stopping their horses without even the least trouble.

Liam took at his surroundings, which included trees, grass, and uneven roads. Because the sun had set in the west, the light became dim.

However, because their objective was also to the west, they received assistance from the sun, which had nearly vanished from the sky.

'Should we stop or continue?' He deliberated on what to do.

While Liam, the troop's leader, was silent and solemn, a young man from the Berdandy family approached Liam casually, wearing simply an expensive black robe rather than a knight uniform.

When their leader was approached, the other knights kept mute and did not take a stand. Considering how proficient he was throughout this inspection, they even assumed that this man could look after their leader better than all of them.

"Liam." His deep voice heightened the chill in the air.

Liam raised his head to ask why 'he' had suddenly called his name, but he stopped talking as he saw a ray of light shine somewhere among the trees.

Liam took a step back and drew his sword.

"Who is there?" Similarly, the knights took their positions instantly, gripping their swords.

They were already ready to swing their swords and cut at anyone who attacked their group, especially the leader, Liam, whom they had to protect even if it meant risking their lives.

"... Teleportation?" mused Liam, who had noticed the light. Not only that, but he sensed a foreign power from the direction of the teleportation, which manifested as high-level displacement magic.

'The divine power? But who... And why did they emerge in front of us?' Liam was both surprised and wary.

Someone opened his mouth after noticing Liam's worried thoughts, "She is a high-ranking Priestess."

'She?'

Liam stared before re-asking the question, as he appeared to have no intention of keeping it a secret "… So, what is a high-ranking Priestess doing in such a place?"

"I contacted her."

Liam's pupils constrict. "You called her? Here? Meet us?"

He nodded. The hood of his black robe, which had before fully covered his head, shifted slightly in the wind and slipped off, revealing his red-blonde hair.

He said, raising the corners of his lips, "I want to ask Valeria about the thing I picked up.

"...Okay." Although Liam had no idea what he was talking about, he chose to comply like a loyal servant to the man who would rule over all on the Graham Continent.

The bright light that had strangely appeared behind the trees began to fade and was replaced by the presence of a person dressed entirely in white.

One word.

Beautiful.

She is so breathtaking that some may mistake her for an angel who descended from heaven.

Liam lifted his hand to instruct his knights to return to their original positions after correctly identifying the figure who emerged unexpectedly due to the teleportation magic spell.

"Valeria..."

The white-robed girl bent her head perfectly. She lifted the hood of her robes, revealing her beautiful, glossy golden hair.

"Greetings, Young Master Berdandy," she remarked to Liam before turning to face the man in the extravagant black robe.

"This humble priestess greets His Highness the First Imperial Prince, the blessed descendant of Goddess Gaia." She spoke in low voices that only the three of them could hear.

Upon hearing that greeting, the red-blonde-haired man smiled faintly. "Priestess Valeria, I appreciate your quick response to my urgent contact."

The girl laughed briefly. "It's an honor to be able to help you."

'Hmmm….' Liam was thinking about something else when he noticed the stiff interaction between the two, and he decided to join in on their conversation.

"Priestess Valeria, did you come by yourself?" Liam looked at the girl with gorgeous blonde hair that shimmered like the sun rising through the already dark sky.

"Yes. I came alone, claiming to be on vacation for 1-2 days."

The concept of a high-ranking Priest or Priestess traveling from the north to the west alone may not be a big concern, because the Priests' duty requires them to continue and continue to heal people rather than simply standing still.

However, Liam was concerned since the high-ranking Priestess in question was Valeria, a young Priest in her early twenties. The image of a young girl having to go a great distance using only her strength made him scowl.

"All fine, let's just rest now." That was what Liam wanted to say. However, the red-blonde-haired man had cut him off first.

"Let's keep moving along. After all, the peak of Berdandy's castle is visible from here."

Liam's eyes grew bigger. Liam couldn't see his house even if he used the aura surrounding his two purple eyes.

'As expected, the first Prince's abilities are between wonderful and insane.' He got goosebumps.

"Don't you need my help right now?" Valeria wondered.

Valeria thanked the knight for the horse and mounted it with ease.

"Are you able to ride it? Why don't you ride a horse with me if this is okay?" Liam, still concerned about Valeria's stamina, makes the polite offer.

Valeria gently declined and shifted her attention to the red-blonde man. She needed to know the answer right away.

After receiving a sudden magic communication from a highly important person, she quickly abandoned all her work and hurried to the coordinates that had been indicated.

Valeria had assumed that something serious had occurred until an important person called her, a high-ranking Priestess in secret.

As a result, she was obliged to use a valuable crystal containing a teleportation magic spell, which was a high-level difficult incantation for 6-star wizards and above.

However, this is not the case. This very important man appeared to be in good health. He seemed to be very relaxed and enjoying the ride back to Berdandy Castle.

'Haaaahhh, looks like I overreact it....' Her emotions alternated between irritation and laughter at her dumb remark.

"I can't have you check it out right now since we're out," the red-blonde man said, reaching into the pocket of his fancy clothes and showing it to Valeria, "but I can show you for a moment."

Valeria tilted her head and looked disinterestedly at the man's huge palm.

However. Soon after, her expression altered dramatically for a short moment after fully seeing the thing in the man's palm.

"... Unbelievable!"