Splash, splash…
The sound of water slapping against wooden planks was heard.
On the Whispering River, a fleet of several hundred ships was slowly advancing. Leading the way was Dahlia's fleet.
Dahlia stood at the stern of the ship, looking at the dense collection of large and small boats behind her. Her feelings were currently very complicated; she didn't know if bringing so many people to Sedona City was a good thing or a bad thing.
But she remembered what Lord Lucas had said before they parted. He told her not to worry and not to mind the followers—just bring them all to Sedona City.
"How much longer until we reach Sedona City?" Dahlia asked without turning her head. "Miss, it will be another eleven days before we reach Sedona City, and…" The knight replied respectfully, but he began to stammer halfway through.
"Go on, what happened?" Dahlia said faintly. At present, none of the leaders of this fleet would want anything to happen to her.
"The snow has been melting especially fast these past few days, and the water level upstream is very high. The fleet can't move quickly. I'm afraid we might not even make it to Sedona City in eleven days," The knight said quickly. His eleven-day prediction was based on their previous travel speed.
"Hah…" Dahlia let out a breath. If it weren't for having to wait for Catherine, she would have set out more than ten days ago. This time, she was half a month later than scheduled.
"I've really let Lord Lucas down," Dahlia sighed. She didn't know what to do now. Catherine was currently confined and might have to marry someone she didn't like in the future.
"It's a little hard to bring this up," Dahlia said, looking up at the gloomy sky. It looked like it was about to rain. On this trip to Sedona City, she didn't even know how to ask Lord Lucas for help.
But besides Lord Lucas, she couldn't think of anyone else who could help Catherine. As for Lucy, there was no point thinking about it. She could barely protect herself right now.
If she sought help from anyone else, she would probably be captured and brought before Duke very next second.
She looked down at the fleet behind her. There were definitely envoys from the three princes among them. As for their purpose, she didn't need to think to know they were after the perfume, wine, paper, and other goods.
"These visitors do not come with good intentions," Dahlia sighed helplessly and turned to walk into the cabin. The wind outside was strong, and standing in it for too long made her dizzy.
Dahlia's guess was correct. In the fleet that followed, there were indeed envoys from the other three princes, such as Kevin and Scott, who had come once again.
"Hmph, that woman. I'm afraid this will be her last time doing business, won't it?" Kevin said, watching Dahlia's retreating back as she entered the cabin.
"His Highness the Fourth Prince said that as long as we can get the perfume formula, we can do whatever we want with that woman," Scott said with a dark expression. He now hated that woman to the bone.
Because of Dahlia, his reputation in the capital was in tatters. No noble girl was willing to associate with him anymore, let alone consider a marriage alliance.
"What? You still want her?" Kevin asked, narrowing his eyes, a cold glint flashing within.
"Want her? Of course I want her. I'm going to play her to death," Scott sneered, his voice low. "I'll give you some money as compensation, how about that?"
"Tsk…" Kevin scoffed and said coldly, "No. I want to play too."
"Hahahaha…" The two looked at each other and laughed sinisterly, drawing strange looks from those around them.
"And that damned Lord of Sedona City. If he doesn't know what's good for him this time, then his doomsday has come," Scott said through clenched teeth.
The experience in that small dark room, that pitch-black and soundless house, was the biggest nightmare of his life. Now, he had to light a candle to sleep, otherwise, he wouldn't dare.
And mining in that cave... if they didn't dig up enough ore, they wouldn't get any wheat porridge to eat. The first two days, they were starving, so they could only mine desperately to avoid starving to death.
"Heh~~ Do you think he'd be willing to hand over the perfume formula?" Kevin sneered. He also hated that Lord of Sedona City, and those disgusting beastkin.
"Of course not. If it were me, I wouldn't be willing either. So? He's a dead man," Scott laughed sinisterly. This time, they were acting on the Fourth Prince's orders. If the man didn't hand over the formula, they could kill him.
With Catherine not present this time, they were no longer afraid of a minor noble. Moreover, they had brought over a hundred knights with them.
"This time, we need to watch out for the First and Second Princes' men. They are our biggest competitors," Kevin said, glancing at a large ship to their left front. That was the First Prince's ship.
"Don't be afraid. Don't forget what the Fourth Prince said," Scott said with a grin.
"I don't quite understand," Kevin said, scanning his surroundings vigilantly and lowering his voice. "Why would the Fourth Prince choose the western lands? That place is too remote."
"You don't understand, and neither do I," Scott said, also lowering his voice, speaking helplessly. "I suspect the nobles in other regions are unwilling to support the Fourth Prince."
"Hah…" Kevin let out a breath, his tone bitter. "I don't know if the Fourth Prince can succeed. If he can't? Then we'll be…"
How could he not be bitter? Getting involved in the struggle for the throne... if they failed, they would surely lose their lives. Even if they were lucky enough to survive, they would be demoted to slaves. "Hmph~ What's the point of talking about this now? From the moment we chose a side, there was no turning back," Scott said indifferently.
This trip to Sedona City was a scouting mission for them. They had even brought all their assets with them. They couldn't return to the capital for the time being. The Fourth Prince would also be withdrawing soon to settle in the western lands to develop and grow his power, with the goal of rebelling again in the future to seize the throne.
"I heard there's a Count George who has been planning the western lands for the Fourth Prince. I wonder how that's going," Kevin said, changing the subject.
"I heard the Fourth Prince mention it briefly last time. It seems he's already recruiting knights in the western lands. The first batch is a thousand-man knight order," Scott said with a smirk. He had overheard it, but only those two sentences.
"That powerful? He already has a thousand-man knight order? That's amazing! The Fourth Prince definitely has a shot at becoming king," Kevin hissed excitedly.
The Siacan Kingdom was about to be split in two: the inland territories of the First and Second Princes, and the remote western lands, including Sedona City, which would all be under the Fourth Prince's rule in the future.
"The first mission, the perfume, must be completed. As for the wine, we can let the envoys of the First and Second Princes have it," Scott said faintly.
"No, didn't you say there's a thousand-man knight order? Why don't we just have the knights wipe out the envoys of the other two princes and then take Sedona City by force? Isn't that better?" Kevin's voice was cold and low.
"That's worth considering…" Scott frowned in thought, then nodded. "Let's get to the western lands and contact the thousand-man knight order first."
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