Two carriages were standing outside the Tyrant Palace.
Reinh and Lina stood in front of them, while several men and women in bright silver armor silently placed the luggage into one of the carriages. Everything was orderly, fast, and without unnecessary words, just like any other official mission from the Vorhelm family.
Naturally, those armored men and women were knights of the Vorhelm family. Of course, they were not high-ranking knights, only those who usually patrolled the northern lands to keep the situation under control.
They even worked as mercenaries when needed, and August had personally hired them to escort Reinh and Lina during the journey.
As for August himself, he was nowhere to be seen. It seemed he was not here.
It didn't take long before the last piece of luggage was loaded.
It was time to leave.
Reinh looked one last time at the distant mountain range, then at the Tyrant Palace.
A place where he had perhaps spent the calmest days of this life. A place with silence, distance, and one that had not yet been touched by the smell of political blood.
Unfortunately, he did not deserve this peace, at least not for now. Not as long as that his bloodthirst still existed.
The moment he returned to the Garden Of Crowns, his revenge would no longer remain just a thought. It would begin.
Without saying a word, he sat inside the carriage and took the seat opposite Lina. A moment later, the carriages began to move, and the sound of wheels echoed on the stone road.
"Ugh… we're finally leaving this place. Even though I'm happy, somehow I feel like I'm going to miss it," Lina said with a cheerful and slightly relaxed tone.
Twelve years of isolation was not little. But at least their prison had been peaceful. It had scenery, it had silence, and no one bothered them. More importantly, in Reinh's view, it was far away from those stupid battles.
Reinh did not reply.
Lina sighed. She wanted to start a conversation. She felt there were things she needed to say to her young master, things that would be too late if left unsaid. She believed she had to prepare him for what was coming.
"You don't need to worry. I know how dangerous the Garden Of Crowns is," Reinh said after seeing her expression.
"I know you're aware to some extent, young master… but the situation there is much worse than you imagine. Even though your whole family is there, in reality, they can also be your enemies," Lina said. She hesitated slightly, but continued.
As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized what she had said.
"I'm sorry… that's not what I meant--"
Saying that a child's family could be his enemies, especially to a twelve-year-old, was a very wrong thing to say. Still, this child always acted so mature, and even because of his presence, she could no longer see him as just a child.
That was why such words slipped out without thinking.
"I know. There's no need to explain. My brothers and sisters don't see me as a threat… at least for now," Reinh said with the same emotionless face.
All children of the Vorhelm family lived under the shadow of different factions, factions that would do anything to take the leadership of the Clan.
Lina wanted to warn him. She wanted to tell him to be careful, and she had every right to worry. As his guardian and the one who raised him, she was concerned for him.
But the truth was, for now, none of them took Reinh seriously.
He was an illegitimate child, and more importantly, the only illegitimate child of the Patriarch, which made the situation even worse for him.
He had no faction and no support, and it was very unlikely that anyone would be willing to back him.
Because of his illegitimate status, in their eyes, he was nothing more than a talentless child, so insignificant that he was not even worth eliminating.
At least, that was how it had been in his past life. Because he was weak and untalented before leaving the family, there was only one person who tried to kill him, one of his father's wives.
The others were satisfied with bullying him, humiliating him, and beating him.
However, the only question was: how long would this belief last in this life?
"That's true… with you around, it's unlikely they can do anything. But no matter what happens, I'll always stay by your side," Lina said with a smile.
Maybe, in truth, he should be the one worried about them.
Reinh did not respond and simply looked outside.
Lina's words had brought back memories he did not want to remember.
But suddenly, his expression changed—from indifference… to pure coldness.
His gaze fixed on the plants beside the road. Their leaves were folded in a specific way.
If it had been just one or two plants, he would have ignored them. But many plants were folded in the same strange way, a way he knew very well.
After his body evolved from a human body into that of an Ancestral Dragon, his vision had greatly improved, and he could clearly see the pattern of those folds.
"Where exactly are we right now?" he asked quietly.
"If I'm not mistaken… it's been about three hours since we started moving. We should be near the Gray Valley area," Lina replied, confused.
Gray Valley.
Reinh remembered why August was not with them. He had used the excuse of a sudden problem and promised to join them along the way.
At the time, Reinh thought it was his father's order, maybe something related to that old man, so he ignored it and didn't think much about it.
But now… with this kind of plant folding, was it possible? Still, how? Had they advanced to Gray Valley at such speed?
Or maybe… they had come here for another reason?
Before he could finish the thought, bloody screams tore through the air.
Before any reaction, chains were thrown from both sides and tightly wrapped around the carriage. The wood cracked, and the horses neighed loudly.
"What the hell is this?!" Lina frowned and immediately felt unknown auras surrounding them.
They were under attack? But in the entire North, who would dare to attack carriages bearing the symbol of Vorhelm?
"Barbarians… they're here." Reinh let out a short, cold laugh.