Journey to Korgard

**Gate of the Palace**

At the gate of the palace, there were nearly 30 mounted knights and about 10 wizards surrounding a luxurious horse carriage. Leading the group was a burly man whose horse was at the forefront, and it was clear from his demeanor that he was in charge.

**Theodoras' Room**

Theodoras was sitting on the edge of the bed in his room. It was a small, modest room with a single nightstand. The head of the bed touched the wall and was centered against it. On the left side was a window, and on the right side was a nightstand. On the nightstand, there was an empty vase and a simple magical device used for lighting; pressing a button was enough to activate it. Directly across from the bed was a wardrobe, and to the right of the wardrobe was a door.

Brillant Dispersion:

Brillant Dispersion is a cheap magical item widespread across the world, made from a mana stone. Its lifespan lasts a few months, and it converts magical power into light. It is produced by an anonymous company affiliated with the Magical Artifacts Guild.

Theodoras takes the Brillant Dispersion in his hand and plays with it. It is cube-shaped and emits light.

"Nobles really live strange lives; even at night, they can see as if it's daytime, and without lighting a fire," Theodoras says aloud.

Suddenly, the voice of the butler Montgomery is heard at the door. "It's not that special, little one; it's a common tool even peasants have." Theodoras jumps at the sound because it was a bit embarrassing for him to be heard talking to himself by someone else. "Really? It seemed so unique; there wasn't anything like this in the dungeon I stayed in or in our house on the island before." There was a hint of sadness in Theodoras' voice because he missed his mother, and the tough times he spent in the dungeon had worn out his soul and body. What pained him the most was that he could no longer remember his mother's voice—her face was as clear as yesterday in his mind, but her voice and scent had faded like dust. "Young man, don't be sad; you're now considered a member of this palace. Even as a slave, the Celestia family values those who serve them. I guarantee you'll have a more comfortable life than before," Montgomery says, placing his hand on Theodoras' shoulder in a comforting gesture. "Thank you for your kind thoughts, Butler Montgomery," Theodoras replies, putting on a faint, insincere smile so as not to upset the butler. "Just call me Butler Monte; no need for formality. I'm not someone who cares much about status. By the way, I came here because Lady Lily asked me to bring you. Come with me." The two of them head out to the palace garden together. "I'm going now, young Theodoras; Lady Lily is waiting for you in the carriage," Theodoras is surprised by the crowd. "Butler Monte, what's with this crowd?" Theodoras asks. "Lady Lily will provide the necessary explanations. Take care of yourself, young man. See you later," the old man says as he and Theodoras part ways, and he returns to his duties. After saying goodbye to Montgomery, Theodoras approaches the carriage and notices the condescending looks from the soldiers. Despite his young age, Theodoras could see their prejudice and arrogance. He opens the carriage door and steps inside, noticing that Lily is dressed more extravagantly than usual, wearing a long green dress. Sitting across from Lily in the carriage is a female servant. The carriage's cabin is quite spacious, pulled by two horses and guided by a groom.

"Lily, where are we going?" Theodoras asks. Lily had calmed down a bit after the events with Eleria, but her mood was still low. Lily nods toward the servant girl, and the servant begins to speak, jumping straight into the explanation.

"I'm Amy, Lady Lily's personal servant. We're going to the 15th birthday celebration—the coming-of-age ball—of Kael Korgard, the second son of the Korgard County. The Korgard County is surrounded by mountains and is extremely wealthy due to its gold deposits, making it the region's greatest economic power. Its people are known for being tough and honest." Amy's speech was like that of a puppet. "Thank you for the information, Amy. I'm Theodoras; nice to meet you," Theodoras says, smiling politely. His smile shines like the sun, but this expression bothers Amy. "Don't smile like that in front of my lady," she says in a low voice, glaring at Theodoras. Lily lets out a small laugh. "Looks like you two hit it off right away." Then Amy says, "My lady, I don't mean to question your grace, but do you really believe this man is talented? He smiles like a complete horse thief." Lily suddenly turns serious. "Amy, don't overstep your bounds if you want to." Amy feels ashamed, places her hands in her lap, and lowers her head. "I'm sorry, my lady. I didn't mean to say anything to hold you back." Lily puts her hand to her forehead, inwardly lamenting Amy's lack of manners. "Amy, apologize to Theodoras, not me." "But my lady, he's a slave," Amy says, and seeing Lily grow even more serious, she quietly apologizes to Theodoras. The three of them sit in silence for the rest of the journey.

**Character Introduction**

Amy:Amy is a young girl with long brown hair, large green eyes, freckles, and an average appearance. She is 14 years old. She's excellent at housework except for cooking—she can't cook at all but loves it. She was born and raised in Celestia city. Her father died before she was born, and she has a sick mother. Three years ago, Amy applied to work as a servant in the Celestia Viscounty to care for her mother and became a servant. Later, when Lily's former personal servant was executed for trying to poison her, Amy was chosen as Lily's new personal servant during the selection process.

Amy's likes: Her mother, Lady Lily, tying up hair, doing Lady Lily's makeup and dressing her, cooking, and apple cookies.

Amy's dislikes: Young Master Elijah and Theodoras.

Amy's fears: Viscountess Elaria.

Butler Montgomery: Butler Montgomery was a close friend of the former Viscount since childhood. Despite the huge class difference between them, they were true friends. After the former Viscount died, Butler Montgomery continued serving as a butler. He is a peak-level martial artist and a former member of the Celestia Knights' Order. He fought alongside the former Viscount Joseph Celestia in battle. After losing his son and one eye in a war, he left knighthood and continued serving the Celestia family as the palace butler. His wife died of mana disease years ago, leaving him with no family.

**Journey to Korgard**

The three of them were silent throughout the journey, especially Amy, who kept a sad expression and stared at the floor. Lily noticed this but stayed quiet, wanting Amy to realize her mistake. Theodoras, meanwhile, watched the road excitedly through the window, unaware of everything. It was his first time riding in a carriage, and his eyes sparkled as he looked out. Though it hadn't even been a day since he left the dungeon, he was already starting to smile again. Suddenly, the carriage jolts and stops. A knight opens the carriage door. "Lady Lily, we're under attack. Please stay inside."

"An attack? Who would dare?" Lily asks, and suddenly, a dozen arrows pierce the knight's back at the door. Arrows even embed into the carriage walls. "Get out of the carriage now, or they'll trap us here!" The three of them jump out and head toward the group leader. "Lady Lily, I'll clear the path. We need to escape, or we'll all die. Please follow me." They're surrounded by bandits, with arrows raining from the trees. Suddenly, a yellow transparent barrier appears around them, and the arrows hit it and fall.

Terraeperspicuaebarier:A ground-based spell powered by the earth source, it creates a large yellow transparent barrier. Its size and strength increase with the user's mastery. The minimum requirement to use it is being a 2nd-class earth mage.

"This will temporarily do the trick, but don't let your guard down," the barrier surrounds Amy, Theodoras, and Lily. The captain of the knight squad, Agil, is a burly man carrying a massive sword. He draws it and, with one swing, cuts four bandits in half. He orders the other soldiers to attack the bandits from a single point instead of closing in, and the wizards clear the way with large fireballs. The Celestia knights typically had 3rd-level sword mastery, with only a few at 2nd-level, which was quite weak—Celestia knights were usually no less than 1st-level mages or swordmasters. Lily grows confused, and suddenly, a spear made of pure fire pierces the barrier, striking Amy through the chest. The magical spear was so fast and sudden that none of them could react.