Danger ahead

"Who?" Qhah-el asked.

"I'll discuss it in more detail later on, your highness." Constance grabbed the reins of her white horse before looking at him. "For now, let us set out and find her."

Qhah-el raised his brows.

Since she said Lydia and her companion are heading towards the palace, they could just wait instead of wasting time and energy.

With the number of troops deployed, even if Lydia drops by somewhere else, one to three units would likely encounter her and bring her back.

Other than that, they could just send messenger birds to the deployed troops and make them block the major and minor routes leading to the Ah-ihtier.

"Explain, lady," Qhah-el said as he put on the hood of his cloak that Qu-mar purposefully pulled off so he'd look more dashing in front of Lydia.

"The energy in the field was shifting rapidly when I retracted my energy."

"There was tension in the air and an unpleasant energy was lurking around."

"Gaia was ushering her sons and daughters into safety…"

A sharp glint flickered in Qhah-el's eyes.

Those lines are not new to him. 

Constance often recites them before an impending war or a monster attack. 

Since the Ah-ihtier was several days away from the border, there's a high likelihood that a powerful monster has awakened.

With Lydia's inner force, if she encounters it, she'd likely die if the person accompanying her was not a high-ranking knight or a master.

Qhah-el's jaw tightened as the thought crossed his mind. 

It was not like Lydia mattered to him, but she's still his wife in name.

Since the battle for the throne is ongoing, it will be a huge discredit to him if he loses her.

After all, how could a man or woman rule an empire if they could not even protect the people in their inner circle?

A vein twitched in Qhah-el's temple.

When he was reminded of the smile she had when he first saw her, guilt seeped into his flesh and bones.

Within a few seconds, he replaced that smile with fear, then tears. 

He robbed her happiness to please his father and gain the recognition of people… who at the end only labeled him as a monster.

Occasionally, he desired to return that smile to her… maybe that was why he picked her from the remaining captive princesses even though she had the lowest standing.

After all, among the conquered kingdoms, only hers had come to ruin. She had no support at the sky palace.

Qhah-el gritted his teeth. 'Useless thoughts…' 

To return his focus to the current issue, he turned to the chamberlain.

"Have there been any reports of unusual occurrences or anything out of the ordinary from the nearby towns or villages?"

"None, my lord."

"Your highness, what I sensed could be a precedent for something that will occur in the near future," Constance said as she gripped the reins tighter. "Still, it would be better to be prepared. I am sure of what I sensed. I do not have to remind you of what a monster that could cause ripples in the field could do." 

Qhah-el stayed still, his gaze still on the chamberlain. "Dispatch the elite hunters."

"Alert all nearby towns and villages and deploy the masters equally to support them."

"Also, inform the commanders of the upcoming danger and tell the deployed troops to escort civilians home and assume post to guard the populace. Only the strongest and the closest to the Ah-ihtier will continue the search for the princess."

"Understood, my lord," the chamberlain said with a light bow. "If there are no further instructions, I will attend to these tasks immediately."

"Wait, if a powerful monster reaches the palace, don't let the masters fight and put their lives at risk. Just inform my brothers and sisters who have already arrived. Eliminating a monster that could decimate a city would be child's play for any of them. Let them have fun."

"U…understood, my lord."

"Now, go."

"At o…once, my lord," the chamberlain said as he hurried to the palace like a dried leaf.

Implementing Qhah-el's orders was easy, except for the last one. 

For someone with his power, disturbing one of the emperor's children could be a death sentence. 

After all, they are called the devil's spawn for a reason.

He doesn't want to get on their wrong side.

The chamberlain stopped and looked back, hoping Qhah-el would retract the last order, but he had already set out with Constance and the entourage.

The only ones remaining on the spot were the injured squire and Qu-mar, so the chamberlain just entered the palace while hoping no powerful monster would reach the palace gates.

…

Meanwhile, at the Ah-ihtier, Ahmad couldn't help but glance at Lydia from time to time.

Earlier, she was laughing and smiling with glee.

It was a rare sight.

Even though he had guarded her chamber for more than a year, he saw nothing but a stoic face whenever she passed by.

When a smile crept on her face again, Ahmad decided it was not the right time to continue his oath earlier and ask for her verdict. Thus, he quietly rode by her side and stopped when she did.

He watched as Lydia stared at the horizon, then at the road before fixing her sitting position.

When she tugged on the reins, he did too.

As soon as the horse galloped, her face brightened once again so Ahmad couldn't help but think that horse riding was an activity she enjoys.

However, that was not really the case.

Until now, Lydia was still amazed that she could actually ride a horse… and that she could ride it like a pro.

'Mwhahahahaha I'm a genius at horse riding.'

'Just kidding, it's probably the skill of the original owner of this body, but I'm glad I'm able to use it.'

'I wonder what happened to her…'

'I hope she's alive too, just like me… but if that's not the case, I hope she's already resting in peace.

Lydia stared at the snow-covered path as the horse galloped. 

Contrary to her expectations, the snow was not that deep. It was like the blizzard never raged there.