Departure

Yeluvia, Outskirts.

This place was a vast grassland, situated a distance away from the city walls of the royal capital.

The grassland stretched as far as the eye could see, seemingly enclosing the entire royal capital. Only eight major roads extended from various city gates of Yeluvia, cutting through the grassland and extending outward.

They were the main roads leading to the royal capital, as well as the main roads when leaving the royal capital, heading toward various territories of Jinas. Each main road had been meticulously maintained, giving it a clean and refreshing appearance.

After leaving the Frenzel residence—Riezel, Yuri, and Marilyn, made their way out of the royal capital, arriving at this grassland divided by the eight main roads.

Their location was quite remote, far from the main roads, making it difficult to encounter anyone. However, this also meant that the three didn't have to worry about being found, waiting here for Ain and Ian's arrival.

The wait stretched for several hours.

After several hours, a carriage finally approached from the direction of the main road, crossing the grassland and reaching the spot where they were.

"Sorry for the delay, My Lady."

"We're late."

Looking a bit disheveled, Ain and Ian step down from the carriage, bowing in apology to the casually observing Yuri.

"No problem, can't blame you..." Yuri shook her head. "The tasks I gave you were indeed a bit much. It's already impressive that you managed to complete them in just a few hours."

As the ones that were deliberately left at the Frenzel residence by Yuri, Ain and Ian indeed had a heavy workload. They had to gather knights, guards, and servants to extinguish the fire.

Moreover, they had to deal with the royal family and various representatives from major nobles. Finally, they needed to settle the knights, guards, and servants before finding an opportunity to locate Yuri.

It was quite challenging for both of them to complete so much work in just a few hours.

Yuri understood that and didn't pressure Ain and Ian to hurry. She didn't even blame them for making her wait for several hours.

"How's everything? Is everything sorted out?" Yuri casually inquired.

"Yes!" Ain replied immediately.

"Everything has been taken care of, My Lady." Ian reported diligently. "The fire at the residence has been extinguished, and temporary accommodations have been arranged for the guards and servants. We've also disclosed the news of your serious injury to the royal family's representatives. After completing all this, we brought the knightly order out together in the name of searching for you and smoothly left the royal capital."

Now, the knightly order had been divided and dispatched by Ain and Ian, departing in various routes. They were executing a mission of 'finding their lady' while heading toward the Frenzel territory.

As a result, only Ain and Ian arrived in this place.

The rest did not know that Yuri was actually here, let alone understanding her plan. They genuinely believe their lady was seriously injured, with some worrying and others anxious.

After all, to deceive others, one must first deceive their own people. Considering this, only the five people present here truly know Yuri's true plan and current condition.

"Very well." Yuri nodded in satisfaction.

At this moment, Riezel, curious on the side, asked.

"What's the situation in the royal capital now?"

Upon hearing his question, Ain and Ian quickly turned their attention to him.

Their demeanor had changed compared to before.

If Riezel's previous display of power, surpassing that of an ordinary Sword Master, had earned recognition from Ain and Ian, making them no longer view him as a mere guest, then today's performance had subtly made the two lower their guard and show him some respect.

After all, he wasn't just a highly skilled Sword Master but also a Tactical-Class Magician.

Either having one of these identities alone would command respect, let alone both.

Ain and Ian had never heard of anyone in Jinas who excelled in both swordsmanship and magic, achieving such feats before.

A Sword Master and a Tactical-Class Magician, Riezel, with both of these identities, would likely hold a position just below a Sword Saint and a Strategic-Class Magician.

In the face of such a figure, showing some respect, if not awe, was deemed necessary by Ain and Ian.

As a result, Ian was the first to answer Riezel's question in a formal and respectful tone.

"The royal capital is in chaos right now. No one could have anticipated that a Strategic-Class Magician residing in the royal capital would be severely injured due to a plotted attack. Furthermore, no one expected the Lady would choose to flee the royal capital. As a result, whether it's the royal family or major noble families, everything is in chaos. Even those who tried to stay out of it are getting involved."

Yuri's plan with the fake escape truly played out well.

Initially, many major forces in the royal capital viewed this incident as a joke, as perceptive people understood that the attack was orchestrated by the Basolo family since their goals were not hidden from the royal family and nobles.

In this situation, everyone who knew the inside story treated the incident as a foolish joke, a circus, even Yuri herself thought so.

However, Yuri had a surprise in store, intending to turn the tables and shatter the dismissive attitude of those watching.

With her move, this event would undoubtedly escalate. As long as her safety remained unconfirmed, the royal capital would likely never find peace.

This was Yuri Frenzel's retaliation.

Not only against the Basolo family but also against those who only coldly observed, remained indifferent, and chose to ignore the Basolo family's actions, allowing Marquis Frenzel to be attacked unjustly.

Especially the royal family, Yuri undoubtedly harbored long-standing grievances to them. Even without Riezel's earlier involvement in political struggles, the fact that she faced various restrictions and became so constrained in her freedom persisted.

Now, presented with an opportunity to make a retaliation, she had no qualms about doing so.

'Powerful women are not to be trifled with, huh...'

Riezel marveled, silently evaluating Yuri in his mind, then asked again with apparent nonchalance.

"What about the Basolo family?"

"The direct members of the Basolo family have all been taken to the royal palace by the kingdom knights. Especially their eldest son, with the highest suspicion. There's a possibility he's been colluding with a Tactical-Class Magician from foreign lands. The King is preparing to interrogate him personally."

Ian explained, her tone betraying a hint of satisfaction. The nearby Ain also couldn't hide a sense of satisfaction in her eyes.

Undoubtedly, Yuri wasn't the only woman holding a grudge; these two were equally vengeful.

Of course, Riezel had no right to judge others since he was also someone who held grudges.

"It seems everything is going smoothly." Yuri smiled ambiguously. "Since that's the case, let's depart to the Frenzel territory."

"Are we really going, My Lady?" Ian questioned. "With this incident, it should be impossible for the Basolo family to plan any marriage, right?"

"Who knows?" Yuri replied indifferently. "There's always another Basolo family. I don't want another marriage proposal to suddenly appear in my life without me knowing."

In other words, this trip to the Frenzel territory was undoubtedly a must for her.

"There are things that my father, who arbitrarily decides my marriage, won't understand unless I explain to him personally, face-to-face. Besides, I can't really disappear completely, or chaos won't be limited to just the royal capital."

Yuri explained calmly while looking at the blue sky.

"If I, a Strategic-Class Magician, disappear for a long time, not just Jinas, but the surrounding countries will take action. Whether the so-called humanoid bomb has truly disappeared or is roaming outside freely is a crucial matter for any country. If I disappear for too long, the consequences will be significant. I can't afford to play around with that." 

She needed to appear in the right place at the right time to ease the minds of many, and returning to the Frenzel territory was a good choice.

"Let's go." Yuri took the lead and headed toward the carriage.

Marilyn, Ain, and Ian quickly followed, while Riezel stood still, watching Yuri's back, pondering.

After a while, everyone finally boarded the carriage.

Riezel, Yuri, and Marilyn entered the compartment, while Ain and Ian sat in the driver's seat.

Riezel glanced around the luxurious compartment and spoke up.

"So, we're taking the carriage to Frenzel territory like this?"

It was not surprising for him to ask like that.

The Frenzel territory was remote, located north of the royal capital, near the border area. If they only use a carriage, it might take a couple of months.

Riezel did feel a bit uncomfortable on such a long journey. Inside the carriage, he could neither practice swordsmanship nor engage in combat. If he had to spend a couple of months in the carriage, it would be too distressing.

Fortunately, things weren't as bad as he thought.

"We'll take the carriage to Trantia first." Yuri answered. "There's a grand canal there. We'll take a ship through the water route, and it'll only take three days to reach the Frenzel territory."

"There's a grand canal in Jinas?" Riezel asked with astonishment.

"Of course." Yuri smiled. "This grand canal was excavated by many magicians, workers, and craftsmen called upon by the king centuries ago. It flows through various territories of the kingdom. Through it, anyone can quickly reach any territory governed by any noble without having to endure the dull and lengthy journey by carriage."

After saying that, she shouted toward the driver's seat.

"Let's depart!"

Hearing their master's command, Ain and Ian quickly drove the carriage toward the other side of the grassland.