Chapter 2 - Alluring Nightmare

Part 1

Laum

One of Pantala's Port City

Finally, the Old man's merchant ship had dropped the anchor at the port of Pantala Empire in this early morning.

At the grandiose port, different ships stood by, all types of sea vessels and boats, from small and big, new and old. Some were magical ships ran by mana and were peacefully docking on this port too. Some were heavily armed with cannons.

My Father said he is afraid of the foreigner's magical ship. Those must be the ships that Papang was talking about. Hmm, definitely bad news to any peaceful and more humble community like ours. If we were to confront the Pantala Empire, surely they would send these big magical ships in hundreds to pulverize us within our villages. My Father is deeply bothered of that. I am afraid, too. And I do not want it to happen.

To prevent that from happening, Papang needed a sacrifice and that's me. Even though I do not want to leave my homeland. Even though it hurts so much, I have to accept it. I accepted it.

Perhaps, things may change. No, things have already changed when I have accepted My Father's decision.

Now, early morning had passed.

The seagulls were noisily chirping while settling down on the folded sails of the ships anchored at the port. I had already bid my goodbyes and 'see you again' with the old man and his crews. Some of the crew awkwardly cried while others donned their single-toothed smiles. The old man gave me instruction where I should go.

Heck! He only said that I should just walk straight to the exit gate and then he gave me a big thumbs-up and a smile before my butt was literally kicked out from the ship. That was it. How inconsiderate of him.

I waved them a proper goodbye and never looked back.

After bidding our 'sayonaras', I walked with my sling bag and the pair of Arnis Sticks hanging in my back. I had only with a virtual map in my mind. Go straight, go straight. Okay.

Inside the sling bag, the pixie was still logging Z. She succumbed deeply with the dizziness of her empty head. She also secretly dunked some ale on her mouth on last night's party.

But -

'Aaaah….'

It's always the same when I wander into a big city like this. Early folks had their discerning eyes staring at me.

'Ha! Sorry guys but I have acquired immunity with those eyes...'

Well, I would not blame them though.

More likely, I would blame the young man who was wearing his tribal clothes. His scarred chest and bellies left open for the public to see. That young man was walking on the middle of the road like it was nothing unusual. Even I, if I were to see a young man with such strange attire, I would be curious enough to have a querying look.

I had replaced my g-stringed 'bahag' with a brown trouser that the old man gave, though. It would be so much of embarrassment if I were to step in the middle of the town predominated with city people and openly swinging my arse as I confidently walked around covering only my manhood and my arse hole.

I became conscious enough not to bring myself to be the center of the crowd's attention. Still, I think the way these city folks see my attire is unfamiliar or strange to them. Perhaps not only my clothes, the tribal tattoos on my right arm and the light-blue bandana tightly tied in my forehead had also their contribution to my weird attire.

But there's nothing I can do, everyone. This is my attire, my ethnic clothes. This is my entity. And in my eyes, this is common and your clothes are unusual.

Casting their stares, their murmur, their murmur… or even their murmur aside, people had already scattered in the roads, busy, even though it was just passed the early morning.

Yeah, all I heard was their buzzling murmurs.

That's a major city for you.

Lined two-story buildings had already opened since long ago and their windows were letting the morning sun to come in. Some crowds were vigorously shouting their precious merchandises and the rhythmic sound of the carriages' hooves was already running down on the cobblestone road.

The townhouses and stores were properly organized. I mean, the white buildings of the city aligned beside the crisscrossing streets. Garbage and the likes almost lost their meaning, as the streets were so tidy. Streetlights would light up the road at night. This city was on the next level on what I had seen in those previous towns and cities I had been.

It was so lively and busy. Lovely, lively? Huhu.

I continued strolling towards the port's exit gate and as I grew close to the gate, more and more of crowds welcomed my eyes. Their nonsense buzzing also intensified. I described it as nonsense buzzing for I could not understand what they were saying. For me, it was as if I was listening to the bees busily buzzing while swarming on their newly acquired beehive.

Speaking of which, a mid-aged woman, who was holding her merchandise while mumbling some advertising tone, interrupted my rubbernecking. I bet she was selling it to me. Well, what other else?

I just simply ignored with a passing look at her that made her stopped murmuring as she turned into stone, by the way. That's a new way of 'ignoring' nuisance now; looking down them with cold eyes.

Sorry woman, I have no time for you!

The crowds, the houses and the big stores, their buzzing noises, the lively town, even though I had already seen these settings, no matter how many times I had seen these things, they would still leave me astonished and bemused. My eyes would wander itself to the hectic scene without me knowing while my mouth left open.

The city was so lively and so active even though it was just past early morning.

As I continued walking, ahead of me, there's a grandiose gate, the exit gate. Designed with curvy carvings in the arch, the arch's zenith was a figure of a winged man, an angel, holding a staff with a pair of wings on its tip. To me, it somehow looked like a dove. It was truly majestic. Truly a piece of art and aesthetics.

'Maybe a patron or a symbol for a religion, or something...'

As I approached the exit way of the gate, another woman standing in the front of what seemed a royal carriage caught my attention. She was swaying her dark brown-haired head as she was looking for something or someone.

When our eyes had met, I felt a chill.

She fixed her eyeglasses. Her mystic brownish pupil somehow sparkled. Dressed up with a black blazer paired with black pants, she walked her way towards me. She was in high-heels. There's an insignia at her left breast designed with an upside-down sword colored with red like a flame or maybe blood. Every step she took was heavy and intimidating.

Fixing her eyeglasses again, the woman stopped at my very front, blocking my way out. Seconds later, she went examining and scanning me while holding her eyeglasses. Every now and then, she nodded while mumbling.

'S-Scary!'

The ways her brownish eyes scrutinized my whole body was scary. It was like I was molested by her eyes. The feeling that this woman intensely stared and scanned my body was very uncomfortable.

'D-Don't stare at me too much. I know my outfit is on the weird side a little bit. However, you do not have to be so hard!'

Hard? What hard?

Uncomfortable, I matched a step back as she intently leaned forward to me.

'Darn it! Why this Pixie in my bag is still asleep? Why her Pixies' intuition did not ring up as this suspicious woman approached me? She's dangerous. I'm sure of it. Her beauty is extremely dangerous!'

Finally, the woman crossed her arms, grinding something. She fixed her eyeglasses repeatedly and looked at me with squinted eyes.

'Whew, that was close...'

Suddenly, the woman spoke and murmured something, followed by her hand gesturing a handshake.

"OOOOOOO" She paused. "OOOOO?"

"…..?"

My eyes widened, confused but by that time I had the premonition that she must be the one who will pick me up.

"Oh! OOOOOO!"

Based on her 'Eureka' reaction, she was intelligent enough to realize I could not comprehend her words. Perhaps as a quick solution, she chanted a skill. Her right index finger started to glow with mystic brown light.

"OOOOO: OOOOO"

'What the! - '

Casting a spell at someone out of the blue, surely it startled me. However, she softly signed using her left hand saying 'calm down' or 'do not worry'. Therefore, I calmed down a little bit and gambled that this mystical woman in front of me would do me no harm. Then, she slowly pointed her slim finger to poke into my forehead.

Ting! The several lines of light brown lights traveled inside my mind as if something new had been unlocked. My mind went blank and sooner went total white.

Gradually I heard a faint voice, then a two… then the flood of the crowd's loud noise completely overwhelmed me. My vision had completely returned to me as well.

"New items from Sicily!" I hastily turned to check up on the man shouting his fabric merchandise in the nearby store.

"OH! That's too much!" "Thank you for your patronage" "I'll be back!" "Hey, you! Give it back or I'll kill you!"

'How the?'

'How the heck? I can understand the crowd now. How?' – I knew that the spell the woman cast on me had something to do with it, by the way.

"What did you – "I got my attention back on the woman. Now, she did not curse me, did she?

"Oh, you understand me now, no?" The woman asked me while vexingly smiling. She fixed her eyeglasses again.

Seriously, what's with the constant fixing of your eyeglasses – was I would like to ask but there were more important matters needed to be attended.

"Y-yes... What did you do?" I asked her even though it was obvious she cast a skill on me so I could understand their language.

'Oh, not only that. I could speak smoothly in their complicated language too. How I wish I got to understand their language sooner when I was still with the Old Man.'

"So you do understand me now, uhm, Prince Laum, no?" She said.

"P-Prince? Yes, I am Laum, but do not call me a prince. I am just a humble son of a humble Rajah."

'Wait – what? How did I understand the concept of being a prince?'

Even though I am a son of a Rajah, I am definitely not a prince.

Back to my homeland, Rajah, paramount datus, and the likes work not of a monarchy. In every Balangay (village), A Datu is elected based on his charisma, leadership, power, and achievements. Of course, one has to be a Maginoo or adopted by a Datu. That practice has some similar concept with the monarchy, but the power of Datu over the members of the Balangay is not absolute as the king. Moreover, the Datu of the Balangay owns not all the land inside the village's territory and rule not his subjects. He only leads his villagers. Clearly, there is a fine silver line between leading the people and ruling the subjects.

In upper Abbalon, in where our small village belongs, the confederation of the village's council selects a Datu among the member villages to become the paramount Datu, Rajah, or a Lakan. However, the selected Datu don't act like a King since every village is independent of each other. It is more like a sign of friendship among balangays and the chosen paramount leader is the coordinator of the pact.

Perhaps, it is not quite right to say that Paramount Rajah has no power within other Villages since Paramount Datu is entitled to a Datu for the reason he is the most powerful and famous leader among the neighboring Balangay. He is also influential enough to meddle other Villages affair. Politics and leadership, both are quite trouble-prone and too many entanglements after all.

The bottom line is, even though Papang is a paramount Rajah, he is certainly not a king. I am also not a prince even I am a son of a paramount Rajah. Also, even though I am a son of a paramount Rajah, it is not still certain that I will be the next Rajah since I still have to prove myself worthy of the position. I am not a prince who is certain to ascend in throne once the former king descends from the crown.

"Okay, then... Uhm, Mister Tillano?" She stopped as I intercepted her. Mister? That doesn't sound right.

"Laum will do" I encouraged to her.

She coughed, and then fixed her eyeglasses again. "Laum, we don't have any time left. But I guess, I'll introduce myself again, no?" she fixed her eyeglasses after again.

Seriously.

"Johan Alconza, you can call me Johan – or Hon as in Honey if you want." She grinned mischievously while saying that. Then, she presented her right hand again for a handshake.

"Y-yes. Laum Tillano, first son of Rajah Suliman of the Abbalon, at your – "I reached her hand. Two shakes and regretfully, she immediately let go of my hand.

"His Highness ordered me to pick you, no?" She did her mannerism again, fleetingly turned her back, and walked straight back to the royal carriages. "Come in. You don't need to worry. I am not fond of lying."

Hmm, it's not that I was worried. Besides, the pixie sleeping inside my bag had not given her warning. Maybe, it's okay for me to go with this mysterious woman. Well, given that I am the protagonist of the story, I should limit myself doing action based on rational thinking. It would be boring. Therefore, it's a go.

'Wait, wait, wait for me, Miss Beauty!!!'

"Hurry! We'll have breakfast in the carriage!"

'Hoho! She's asking me to hurry… eh? Wait. Breakfast? No need, though.'

Such a bummer. I thought she was asking me to hurry since she wanted to be alone with me. She just had thought that I might have not eaten breakfast yet. That's considerate of you but I had already eaten one. Even so, a second with beauty in front while eating sound not bad enough for me to decline.

I sprinted towards the carriage and rode it. The carriage doors slammed, then started moving.

I was rattling. For the first time in my life, I rode a carriage. Not some ordinary carriage, it's a royal one and with some exceptionally attractive woman in front.

****

Laum

On the way to Ferrum Kingdom

Three days.

We spent three days, just the two of us, Johan and me, facing each other inside the carriages while bouncing up and down as we trailed the country road. Ah, how my butt was already sick and had been complaining about the 'forever sitting moments'. Naturally, we stopped in towns, cities, or even villages as we passed through. She brought things, not only our foodstuff and other necessities. Apparently, Johan was also buying presents, some cute stuff. I just wondered if to whom she would give the presents.

'Teddy Bears again, maybe she bought it for herself… no way.'

By passing them by, we victoriously and safely conquered different terrains. We had crossed large and small rivers. We passed through the shades of the trees, the forests, and woodlands. We clambered up high mountains and ran down sharp slopes. We rode through the gentle wheat field, which astonished my eyes. We passed through the sea of crowds of big cities and crossed different people in the road. We overcame some monster chasing the royal carriage. We dodged deathly claws and hungry fangs of the monsters along the way.

Somehow, I felt that this road trip was like an adventure.

Again, while my face glued on the glass window of the royal carriage as I looked outside, I could not help myself to be amazed by the new things I had seen. Hmm, the world is truly vast.

But, something's bothering me. From the start of this journey with Johan, there's something I had overlooked.

Sometimes, Johan and I would talk to each other, interviewing about stuff and random things. It would be awkward if we would do nothing but pass stares to each other, which would be embarrassing as hell and also contradicts to what I said earlier that we just spent three days facing each other.

Yeah, I am a liar… Folks...

Then, as time went by, we had finally reached our last stop and drop before we will arrive at our final destination. Hmm… for some reason, Final Destination sounds not good.

"Aren't we there yet?"

Could not come out another thing to talk about and I had yet to know what's really bothering me, I cloddishly asked Johan as I was gnawing a bread that we had bought in the previous town that we had passed. Yeah, yeah. We had eaten nothing but bread during stops like this, in the middle of nowhere and somewhere.

Apparently, our destination was toward the heart of the continent, outside the border of Pantala Empire. Right now, we just passed through the Empire's border and entered another kingdom's border.

We had our lunch under the shade of a big tree in the top of a hill.

"We will arrive before twilight. We just entered the Ferrum Kingdom's border." Johan repeated what I had just narrated earlier while she sat on a log on the front of me. She was gnawing a thin stick as a toothpick. The royal carriage's coachman was also eating his lunch but he preferred eating alone. I really felt bad for him, but Johan, being more knowledgeable than I, told not to bother him.

'He seems so lonely. It is bothering me'. But not that… something more than that was bothering me but I did not know what really it was.

The three of us decided to have our break in this nostalgic place. Who would not? The place was too perfect. The cold winds blew from the blue mountain while white clouds in the corner decorated the blue skies and the chirps of the birds were like soothing symphonies, whispering to our outwore ears.

In comparison for the reason to stop because of the scenery's perfection, the less relevant reason was that foams started to come out from the two horses' mouth. Perhaps, they were experiencing exhaustion.

'Hmmm, definitely less relevant…'

While the gentle blow of the cold wind touchingly carried Johan's mind, it was the perfect chance for me to snatch bread. I put the bread inside my bag. The pixie was surely wailing out of her hunger, so I had to do my sneaky moves.

However, Johan, whose mind had just wandered a while ago, fixed her eyeglasses. She caught me in the act of doing my sneaky moves. Her eyes somehow sparkled stating 'you won't underestimate the other set of my eyes, no?'

I smiled wryly while basking on her stern gaze.

"My bag got a little bit hungry, I guess. Ha-ha." I bashfully scratched my head, trying to make a good reason. "Y-you had good eyes"

She replied with a wicked grin on her face but somehow I could tell that she did not seriously take this one. Perhaps she thought that it was natural for me to do such a petty thing because I originated from the eastern seas. Poor me.

I tried changing the subject but I had still yet to come out a topic.

Aha! Speaking of having good eyes –

"Johan?"

"What, feeling sorry now?"

"I-It's not that. I have my circumstances and responsibility. This bread I hid will be offered to the great spirit who always accompany me." huhu. That was a good excuse. It's true that I had someone who's always with me, but not that great. On the contrary, it was the opposite. A gluttonous one, as a matter of fact.

"You're ritualistic. Is that so? You should have told me, no? All this time I have been wondering why you keep on snatching bread into your bag. Hmm, that's it."

My lame excuse somehow persuaded her. Well, it's not that all of it was a lie. Half of it was the truth. More importantly, she had already seen me many times doing my sneaky moves! Then, you could have just told me already!

"Y-Yeah, But it's not that. I have been wondering the whole time – "

"This one again. As I had said, you will know once we get there, no?"

Based on her tone, she had concluded that I would ask again to what place we were heading. I already poked her couple of times during our trip that question and why did I not ended up to the Pantala Empire. This time, it was not that question. There's something bothering me while we were passing through crowded cities.

"It's not that one too. It just I noticed, even though we are riding on a royal carriage -" based on the luxurious design and the size of the carriage, I assumed it was a royal carriage. I also spotted one while we were touring around cities when I was with the old man. "– we don't attract much of an attention." I attentively observed her doing her mannerism again. "Why is that?"

Naturally, royal carriages attract a lot of attention especially coming from those filthy eyes of the thieves and the likes on the dark corners of the streets. A royal carriage traversing the wildwoods would be like money walking towards the hand of the bandits.

"Ah. You notice. I guess I could not underestimate the gray–colored eyes of yours, too."

"…."

I looked at her with a 'go on' stare.

"It's because of me, no, rather because of my attribute: mystic"

Still, I had my curious eyes on her, which left her no choice but to continue. Sooner, she let out a resigned sigh.

"I am a Mystic attribute user, no? My skills include that one I had cast on you, 'Open mind'. As you had experienced, it can make someone understand and grasp something by loading my information in one's mind and creating new neural connections in your psyche. The thing you had asked about is also my skill, a passive one, 'mystic blur'. It causes my surrounding and I to get pretty less attention."

I see. The reason why we don't get pretty much attention especially from the bandits was because of her passive skill 'Mystic Blur'.

"Mystic attribute, huh. I had already encountered that attribute in our village, but I guess every person will have different skills depending on their environment and their personalities."

Even though two persons have the same attribute, their skills will differ depending on their environment and personalities. For example, the case of Johan and the voodoo priest I know back in our balangay (village).

Johan lives in this kind of environment, more composite and more crowded, needs her skill to cope up with her surroundings. 'Open mind' is useful in acquiring new info or loading the information she gathered to someone else. It's useful in info gathering. While mystic blur lessens the attention one can get. I got the feeling that Johan is suited to be a superspy.

On the other hand, the Voodoo priest that I know lived in an environment that is crowded with trees, animals, and the likes. His abilities/skill would be 'Voodoo', 'Hex', 'Summon', etc. which are usually associated with harming enemies from hostile balangays.

Speaking of passive like the pixie now, passive skills are those skills that are not active, obviously. I mean, essentially does not require mana and consciousness to be activated. It needs not to be chanted.

Passive skills can be divided into three broad categories.

First, Aura passive skills. Just like a mystic blur, it has a limited area of effect. Pure water's essence is also one, which makes stamina, health and mana regeneration doubles within the user's reach. Bunsoi (my little sister) has the skill.

Second is Chance or possibility-passive skill. These passive skills, as obvious on its name, have the chance to activate if one requirement or requirements had been fulfilled or in some case, randomly activate without a requirement. Example: My Father's 'Counterattack'. If someone attacked and hit Father, he had a chance to launch a deathly right-away counterblow on his opponent.

Third is Solo passive skill, exclusive only to the Attribute user. It can be improving one's strength and force, power, increasing one's speed and agility, sharpening one's senses or resistances. Etc. There are too many solo passive skills to mention but I will give an example. Spell shield increases the user's resistance to certain kinds of magic spells.

There are also passive skills that deviate from the category. Some passive skills require mana to function, some passives skills activate only periodically and some when the user meets a certain condition. Example: Adrenaline rush activates only when one mana hits the critical level, and Unholy Reincarnation activates only when the user had required mana when he dies. There's also Janida and Tide bringer, passive skills that activate or charge up every one hour.

Passive skills is complicated stuff to talk about. Besides, I could not relate to it since I do not have passive skill in the first place.

Going back to the current situation, I was still facing Johan as she gave me her explanation.

"Did I answer your question?" she asked, fixing her eyeglasses again then clearing her throat.

"Yes, but I just wondered. Who really are you?"

Hearing my words, her toothpick dropped from her lips. After a second or two, she chuckled loud at her amusement.

It's a given that we had a lot of time facing nothing but each other inside the carriage but I did not wield enough courage to ask her who really she is. We talked and chatted sometimes of course. However, the horse footsteps were the dominant sound during the trip. Moreover, the thought of biting my tongue off while speaking reigned over the chitchatting. It would be scary and painful, you know, biting your own tongue. I had a similar painful experience when I was boasting to my pals while I was riding a water buffalo. I bitterly learned my lessons. Maybe Johan understood that too, that's why she was almost muted during the trip.

Finally, she recovered from the burst of her laugh.

"Ha… As I had already told you, no? I am Johan Alconza." Of course, she had told me back at the Pantala's port "One of the assistants of His Highness, King Nero Ferrar, The current king of the Ferrum Kingdom."

"Yeah, that's what bothers me. I mean – Rajah Suliman, my father, had told me that I am to be 'given' to the Pantala Empire as a sign of allowing ourselves to be under their empire and also a peace offering 'cause my uncle had done something to voyager named Fer- ferni-whoever he was. So..."

My eyes questioned her.

The case is supposed to be like this. My land sent me since I am a Rajah's son as a sign that the confederation of Abbalon's Balangay allowed with willingness to be under the Jurisdiction of the Pantala Empire.

It's not that we are coward. My Father's council of Datus soothed the slaughter of the people, which my father would not allow, if we were to fight with the incoming invaders. Therefore, Father, as a Paramount Rajah of Abbalon, decided to cooperate and to befriend the Empire. I did not know Other Balangays, but surely, our Abbalon had already fallen under the power and jurisdiction of the Pantala Empire.

And I am just a package deal.

Then, why am I with this mystic-attributed woman? Why am I going to another Kingdom named Ferrum?

"Hmm... It may be the Pantala Empire is not interested in your offering or they do not need someone who comes from the eastern seas. They only need the lands and resources. It's true that people are also a resource, but the superiority complex...Laum. Superiority complex is difficult to cure. That is what we are talking about. They don't want a uncivilized soul like you to make a step on their royal capital. But even how small the Empire sees you, The Empire made you as an opportunity. They presented you to us as a gift to strengthen the alliance between the Ferrum Kingdom and the Empire or so I heard. Pretty clever if you think about it, no?"

Hmm, that makes sense since the Empire looked down on us, the ones who lived in eastern seas, inferior. Because I am here as a sign of submission/peace offering, they could not do whatever they want or just kill off-hand, which would definitely anger my Father and would lead to a violation. I am pretty sure that nonsense and useless bloodshed would follow. Instead of accepting me in their empire, Pantala disposed me by giving me to one of its allied nations, the Ferrum Kingdom.

I nodded at her and she continued.

"As an allied kingdom and having a lower military force compare to the Pantala Empire, the Ferrum Kingdom has no powers to decline. Well, it is not that we could do nothing but also as safety precaution not to provoke the Pantala Empire. Besides, we have no problem receiving you, Laum. His Highness has no problem welcoming you even you are treated as a gift to strengthen the friendship between the Empire and the Ferrum Kingdom."

Hearing her, I could not help but feel more or less humiliated at the same time heavily angered when the Pantala Empire tossed me as if I was treated as an object, not a person. However, I would not put the blame completely on them either. I understood the fact that my father had also 'used' me as a way to prevent the slaughtering of his people away is also a fault. It hurts. It hurts that my own father used me as a remedy and a sacrifice when I had been training my whole life to be the next leader. Of course, there's the honor of being the sacrifice that will save his people, but I could not help the feeling that someone had stolen half the meaning of my existence.

From young, my grandmother 'Nanang' trained me to become the next Rajah of our Balangay. I trained myself hard to the point that there were times I got myself in the brink of extinction. In the first year of my training, when I was still six, my attribute had not yet shown up, so many had doubted me. They said that I would not become the next Rajah. However, Nanang was there for me, picking me up and telling me where I should start.

She knew I had a thorny path ahead of me becoming a Rajah. I knew it too because I am weakling. I crawled my way up and proved myself to the village.

However, Nevermind being the next Rajah, I am away now from my homeland. I could not throw away the fact that I have learned many new things thanks to this journey but…

Still… there's always a lingering pain in my chest.

Now that the Pantala Empire handed the responsibility of keeping me to the Ferrum kingdom, the Empire had cut its strings with me. The Ferrum Kingdom can do anything with me. In the worst case, I might find myself licking the king's feet like a slave.

Johan, who was looking at me, saw somehow the train of thoughts running in my head when my face was hanging down to point that my face touched the ground.

"No need to worry. His Highness is different. Let me tell you this, no? 'Alconza' is related to witches and witchcraft. In short, I have the blood of a witch, which is widely discriminated and hunted down by the people, no? Nevertheless, his highness sheltered me. He neglected the circumstances of keeping a witch that might question his power and the fact that I am a witch myself."

'A witch, huh.'

That's must be the reason why I had been wondering about this woman. There's something in her. It's not her presence is dangerous because if that's the case, the Pixie inside my bag would have alarmed me a long time ago. (Now, she preferred hiding in my sling back rather than making herself invisible. She said it was tiring.) It's something to do with her mystic attribute, I assumed. She's something alluring which is the opposite of her passive skill, mystic blur.

If his highness is a kind of person who does not judge a book by its cover, it somehow gives me a light to continue this long journey. It's least possible that I will found myself being a slave. In the best-case scenario, I could be a servant serving directly to his highness. Hopeful thinking of mine.

"However, you must prove His Highness yourself."

"Un, I understand" I nodded after I said that.

"Well, you'll understand better when you see him in person. But at the time being, I must say you must prepare, no?"

Heading to the carriage again, she called the carriage's coachman and entered.

"Prepare for what?" While sitting, I shouted.

"Just hurry! Or we'll leave you."