Departure

All preparations for the journey were completed in just five days. Though this was past the original plan since Lyria had intended to leave within two, it was still an impressive feat.

The knights, the horses, and the supplies were all carefully arranged, ready to depart at a moment's notice.

During those extra days, Lyria found herself lost in thought, replaying her decision over and over again. She had weighed every possibility and considered every consequence, yet the answer remained the same. Leaving was not the best choice for the Windwalker family, but for herself, it was.

If she left now, the Windwalker family would likely cease to exist, regardless of whether the Bloodstone family managed to defeat the monster or not. With no Silver Knight left to lead, there would be no hope for their survival.

If she stayed, and if the Bloodstone family or another power somehow succeeded in slaying the monster, there was a slim chance the Windwalkers could recover. The surrounding families might hesitate to annex them immediately. After all, the Darkwind family and the Stonefist family had also suffered devastating losses when they encountered the mysterious Golden Knight.

But even with their rivals weakened, the damage inflicted upon the Windwalker family was far worse.

Even before the monster had razed Windwalker City to the ground, Lyria had already been considering leaving. Now, that choice was all but forced upon her.

The reason was simple: Windwalker Castle.

Other noble families had many Silver Knights, while the Windwalkers had only a few. The attack of the Golden Knight had wounded the neighboring families, but they still had Silver Knights elsewhere - knights who had not been present when the attack occurred. The Windwalkers, however, had placed all their hopes and power in a single location. And when the monster came, it destroyed Windwalker City, along with nearly all of their Silver Knights.

Lyria had seen it with her own eyes.

The Silver Knights who had tried to suppress the beast had been slaughtered in an instant. She had watched them fall, one after another.

Unlike the other families, the Windwalkers had no Silver Knights stationed elsewhere. Their entire strength had been concentrated in their capital.

The Windwalker family had only one Marquis and one Count. Other families, though similarly led by a single Marquis or Duke, had multiple Counts beneath them. And where there were Counts, there were Silver Knights. A Count typically commanded at least one Silver Knight, a Marquis half a dozen, and a Duke… a Golden Knight.

That power structure alone placed the Windwalkers at a disadvantage.

But now, without their castle - their greatest source of defense - the Windwalker family had no means of withstanding what would inevitably come next. It would not be long before another noble house sought to claim what was left.

In the end, even though staying was not impossible, it was little more than a slow death. If she remained, the Windwalker family would be swallowed by the Darkwind family before long.

Lyria clenched her fists.

She didn't want to be the one who let her family die.

But at this point, she had no choice.

With that in mind, Lyria made her final decision. She would leave the island. She would seek a new land, waiting for the day she could secure a place on a ship bound for the Flicker Empire.

She had always wanted to go there.

The Empire held far greater resources, and for a legendary talent like herself, it was the ideal place to grow. There, she would have a far higher chance of breaking through to the Golden Rank.

Silver Flower Island, in contrast, felt like a wasteland. It lacked the resources she needed, and its harsh conditions made knight training difficult. Even with her natural talent, her odds of reaching the Golden Rank here were far lower than they would be in the Empire.

Of course, her decision wasn't entirely driven by the monster's rampage or the looming threat of annexation by the Darkwind family.

After Edric's death, only two paths had remained before her.

The first was to stay on Silver Flower Island, break through to the Golden Rank, and carve out a position as a Duke. With that status, she could spend decades accumulating resources before finally leaving for the Empire.

The second was to leave for the Flicker Empire immediately after becoming a Golden Knight.

After Edric's death, she had never intended to stay on this island.

The only reason she would have ever considered staying was if she could rise to become Queen of the country - or even Queen of Silver Flower Island itself. That was the only future in which remaining on the island would have been worthwhile.

But she knew that was nothing more than a fantasy.

The only path to making that dream a reality had died with Edric. If he had reached the Legendary Rank, she might have had a chance. But now, with him gone, so were her ambitions.

So she discarded those foolish dreams and set her sights on reality.

Her plan had been to remain as the Windwalker family's new Marquis, drain its resources for as long as possible, and leave once she reached the Golden Rank, or after a few decades at most. But with Windwalker City in ruins and a monster still lurking, that plan was no longer viable.

There was nothing left to drain.

She wasn't a Golden Knight yet, but she had no choice but to leave quickly, even as a Silver Knight. It was a dangerous decision. Venturing to an unknown island with her current strength was far riskier than leaving as a Golden Knight, but there was no other option.

She planned to train on another island for some time until she reached the Golden Rank, then make her way to the Flicker Empire.

Of course, if decades passed and she still failed to break through, she would leave anyway to reach the Flicker Empire, even as a Silver Knight.

She didn't have the luxury of wasting time.

Her lifespan was limited, and if she delayed too long, she might reach the Flicker Empire too old to ever have a real chance at advancing.

But there, in the Flicker Empire, even if she failed…

At least she would die chasing a greater destiny in a vast world -

Not in some forgotten, isolated backwater.

With her plans finalized, Lyria entrusted one of her most loyal knights with the position of city lord. Alongside him, fifty knights were assigned the responsibility of assisting in managing the city.

This was the last act of kindness she would grant this place.

At the very least, with knights in charge, the city would not immediately descend into chaos. Riots would be prevented, and bandits would think twice before trying to take advantage of the situation. If the Bloodstone family managed to slay the monster and restore stability, the city would remain intact until then.

She wrote a letter as the acting Marquis of the Windwalker family, formally surrendering the city and the territory of the Windwalker family to the Darkwind family, and handed the letter to the knight city lord she had appointed.

Once everything was in place, she took one last look at the land that had once been the heart of the Windwalker family. Then, without hesitation, she turned away.

Surrounded by her Great Knights, her most loyal warriors, and Aelira at her side, Lyria set out on her journey.

...

The roads were quieter than she had expected.

Too quiet.

Few travelers were in sight, an oddity in itself. Perhaps most believed it was too dangerous to be wandering in these chaotic times, especially with a monster lurking in the shadows. Maybe some were unaware of the threat, or perhaps they simply underestimated it.

It was also possible that many cities had locked down in response to the crisis. If trade routes were cut off, movement would naturally decline.

Whatever the reason, the eerie emptiness worked in their favor.

They moved swiftly, passing through multiple cities without stopping. From a distance, Lyria could see that some cities were indeed sealed off. Though curiosity tugged at her, she had no time to investigate.

Time was precious.

Every moment wasted in a city posed unnecessary risks.

So they continued forward, never slowing down, never lingering where they were not needed.

In just two weeks, they arrived at Dock City - the gateway to the open sea.

Here, ships awaited passengers, offering a path to lands beyond.

At the moment, three types of ships were available:

The first was the Silver Grade Ship, suitable only for short trips along the outskirts of the open sea. These vessels were incredibly risky for long voyages, with a staggering 1% death rate—a high statistic for those who frequently traveled by sea.

The second option was the Golden Grade Ship, typically owned by powerful organizations like the Bank of Bloodstone. These ships offered a far safer journey, boasting a survival rate of over 99.99%, as long as they did not venture too deep into uncharted waters.

Finally, there was the Legendary Grade Ship, the highest tier available in the region, owned by the Bloodstone Order. These ships were sturdy, built to withstand long voyages across the sea without risk of destruction or death. They were sufficient for reaching nearby islands…

But they were still nowhere near strong enough to travel to distant lands like the Flicker Empire.

For long-distance voyages - such as those to the Empire - only Mythic Grade Ships could make the journey safely.

Unfortunately, Dock City had none.

These ships were rare, appearing only once every decade, sometimes even less.

But even if a Mythic Grade Ship were docked here, it wouldn't matter.

Securing a ticket was nearly impossible. Travelers needed an impeccable background, immense wealth, and often years of advance booking. Lyria knew there was no chance of obtaining passage on one.

She had no choice but to settle for a Legendary Grade Ship - if one was even available.

...

Upon arriving in Dock City, she was relieved to find that a Legendary Grade Ship was indeed preparing to set sail.

However, the demand was overwhelming. Hundreds of passengers were already scrambling for tickets, driving the prices to absurd levels.

In the end, after exhausting all their funds, Lyria managed to secure only 24 spots—for a staggering 150 million silver. Each ticket had cost over 6 million silver, far beyond her expectations.

With each ship carrying thousands of passengers and each voyage lasting only three days, she couldn't even begin to imagine how much wealth the shipowners amassed.

But securing the tickets came at a painful cost.

She had originally brought 30 knights with her, but now, she could only take less than half.

After much deliberation, she made her choice.

She would bring herself, 12 Great Knights, 10 of her most skilled knights, and Aelira.

The knights she chose were those with specialized skills - those experienced in training soldiers or possessing unique talents in various fields.

As for Aelira, her presence was non-negotiable.

Aelira had a keen mind for management and financial oversight. If Lyria was to establish a new foothold on the next island, she needed someone capable of organizing resources and people. Aelira was indispensable.

With her new company assembled, they boarded the ship.

A few days later, the massive vessel set sail, carrying thousands of passengers toward Greenmoon Island.

As the coastline of Silver Flower Island faded into the horizon, Lyria felt a strange mix of emotions - relief, sorrow, anticipation.

Beyond these waters lay the unknown.

Beyond these waters lay her future.

And she was ready to meet it.