27 New Routes

"There it is!" exclaimed Katherine as we approached the top of a hill, a small village being visible in the distance.

The village of Orun, a town in the dwarven kingdom of Schild, could be seen in the distance. 'Dwarf' was the word used to describe the population of the kingdom, so at least I didn't have to replace it with something else like I had to with the Feis.

A gentle smoke arose from the houses, a lingering scent of cooked meat wafting into my nose. This village, isolated from the rest of the dwarven cities, was a hotspot for higher-ranked domains, ranging from B-ranks all the way to AA-ranks.

It had been an entire year since my first domain alongside Katherine, and since then, we had definitely grown, both in terms of power and teamwork. Being able to predict each other's movements were natural, and I doubted there was another duo out there with our combative capabilities.

There was only one other individual I was able to fight so efficiently with, that being Asthia.

I never compared the two, treasuring both of them as my dearest of friends separately, each for their own reasons.

Considering we had both attained A-rank by now, we were eligible to take part in A-rank domains, and we were both looking forward to it. Contracts were accepted when taking charge of clearing a domain, and upon completion, you could return to the appropriate guildhall and return the contract, exchanging it for gold.

An A-rank domain was no joke, and the pay was extremely generous. Katherine and I were sharing all our funds, but considering we had made a decent amount from the lower-ranked domains, I wasn't all too concerned about the payout. As long as we both made it out alive, I was satisfied.

"When is the party supposed to arrive?" I asked as we approached the village. Katherine had become taller than me due to our age difference, but she had never once questioned me about it. Maybe she just thought I'd hit my growth spurt later.

"In a week, so we have a few days to relax," replied Katherine with a long sigh. It had been a long journey to get here, and I could tell she was relieved we had finally arrived.

Agreeing beforehand with a predetermined party was the most efficient way to gather a team for the higher-ranked domains. We had kept in contact with Mike, our previous tank, due to his performance in the Sect's Lair, and he was supposedly leading this upcoming raid as well.

I hadn't heard about Hugo ever since our last encounter, and I was glad. There was no reason to reside near him, considering he probably hated me for what had transpired.

I nodded at the dwarven guard at the gate, his heavy metal armor gleaming alongside his massive battleax that was almost twice his size. He nodded back, granting us access to the village. Dusk was already approaching, and we had to find a place to stay for the next few days.

"We should go find a place-"

"Woah! Is this a festival?!" exclaimed Katherine, interrupting my suggestion. My eyes readjusted to my surroundings, and sure enough, stands were being set up along the main road.

It had been a while since I had attended a festival, not even being able to recall the last time I had experienced one.

"Let's find a place, then we can come to check it out," I said. Katherine nodded in approval at the final part of my sentence, clearly satisfied. I smiled behind the mask that had kept my identity a secret for so long, shifting my attention to potentially suitable locations.

I managed to find an inn a few blocks out from the main festival, reserving the final room available.

"We're almost full due to the influx of people from the festival" explained the clerk. I nodded, not requiring further explanation. The room contained two beds anyway, I wouldn't have taken anything else anyway.

Katherine and I made our way to the room, sitting down on our beds and sighing in relief.

"My feet hurt," she grumbled, laying on her bed. I chuckled at the comment, getting up and opening the door.

"I've got something to take care of, I'll be back in a bit," I said.

"Sure," she responded. She had gotten used to me doing my own thing without questions, and I appreciated it more than she probably knew.

I made my way outside, a gentle veil of darkness setting across the region. My chest was tingling, a sensation I only felt when in proximity to the only other species I was genetically similar to.

I followed my instincts, finally arriving at a small tree atop a hill separated from the rest of the village.

"Yes?" I called out, a figure emerging from the darkness.

"Is that any way to address your Empress?" teased the figure, the voice immediately sparking joy within me.

"Selena?!"

"Hey, Jay," she responded, chuckling at my surprised expression, "It's unusual to see you so emotional."

"What are you doing here?" I asked, dumbfounded as to why the other motherly figure in my life was standing before me.

"I came to personally give you good news."

"How did negotiations go?"

"Successfully. A few final touches and our existence will be made public," said Selena, soft happiness visible in her voice.

I only now realized I still had my mask on, removing it to properly see Selena. She smiled at the sight of my face.

"You've gotten older," she said.

"What about Asthia?" I asked, ignoring her comments.

"She's doing well. She'll probably be the first dragon student in an allied school if everything goes as planned. I hope you've been training, she's gotten quite powerful, you know?"

"I've been busy," I responded truthfully. I had been learning how to utilize my bind and spells in real-life situations, but my training on improving my own bind had come to a halt. I definitely needed to practice.

Selena sighed, clearly making fun of me with a disappointed expression.

"What kind of knight can't even protect their princess?"

"I'm not that weak," I added, smiling at the nostalgic feeling within me. Selena nodded, approving my answer.

"I hope so. I'll be returning now, negotiations are about to continue. Stay safe, Jay," she added, a small smile appearing on her face before vanishing from sight.

I put my mask on as I felt a presence behind me, dropping my guard as I realized who it was.

"Darck, I'm hungry," said Katherine as she approached the tree, "and what are you doing on a hill alone?"

"Haha, nothing. Let's go to the festival then," I said, following the now cheerful Katherine down the hill.

I looked back at the place Selena was standing, her words echoing in my mind.

The world was about to change.