A few moments ago, almost simultaneously with the movements of the other groups, the atmosphere to the north of the Astoria Kingdom's capital felt a bit colder. The wind blew, carrying the distinct scent of damp earth from the direction of the northern forest, which was well-known for its density and danger.
The northern gate was quite quiet, unlike the capital's entrance gates to the south and west. Yet, around the gate area, the footsteps of Alrain, Davin, and Arion echoed calmly.
Seeing the arrival of the three youths walking toward the outer perimeter, a young soldier on duty at the checkpoint immediately stepped forward to approach them. His demeanor was alert and full of dedication.
"Good afternoon." the young soldier greeted politely yet firmly. "Do the three of you intend to exit this capital gate?"
Alrain responded with a nod, confirming the question.
"Yes, we wish to go into the northern forest over there to look for several types of herbal plants." he answered in a very calm and friendly tone.
Hearing such a rather risky destination, the young soldier still carried out his security procedures.
"The northern forest has a quite high monster threat level. May I see your identification cards or travel permits first?" he requested with a polite hand gesture.
With a very relaxed movement, Alrain took out an academy student card from his magic bag and handed it into the young soldier's palm.
The soldier received the card and lowered his gaze to begin reading the carved letters inscribed on the surface of the identity card.
Name: Alrain Vedegra
Status: First Year Academy Student
Class: 1-A
At that very instant, the professional expression on the young soldier's face turned deathly pale. His eyes widened as he read the string of words on the card.
A-Alrain Vedegra? the soldier thought in shock, his heart seemingly skipping a beat for a second.
Suddenly, the hand holding the student card began to tremble violently. With stiff movements like a broken machine, the soldier slowly raised his head, looking at the green-haired youth standing calmly before him.
When his gaze dropped slightly, directly toward the back of the youth's right hand, the soldier saw a white contract symbol carved very clearly and beautifully, a symbol that served as absolute proof of a bond.
"P-Please forgive my insolence, Young Master..." the young soldier said, his voice sounding shaky. He tried hard to maintain his composure amidst the fear and mental pressure that suddenly assaulted him. "Are you... are you a descendant of the Vedegra family?"
Hearing the question, Alrain merely offered a faint smile and shook his head.
"No!" Alrain answered straightforwardly, without the slightest offended tone. "I am the second spouse of Arvin Vedegra, who is the descendant of the Vedegra family."
The young soldier could only swallow hard and nod stiffly, unable to reply to the green-haired youth in front of him. His mouth felt locked by an aura of calmness that ironically felt incredibly oppressive.
Alrain then directed his left hand toward the brownish-white-haired youth standing beside him.
"This is Davin Vedegra, he is the eighth spouse of Arvin Vedegra." Alrain introduced.
Then, he directed his hand toward the reddish-yellow-haired youth on his right. "And this is Arion Vedegra, the ninth spouse of Arvin Vedegra."
Hearing that brief introduction, the young soldier became even more incapable of hiding his shock. His eyes darted back and forth, staring at the faces of the three youths. He truly never expected that the three handsome and dignified youths currently standing right in front of his guard post were spouses of an Arvin Vedegra.
Seeing the soldier merely standing frozen with a tense expression, Alrain smiled once more.
"Are you a soldier newly assigned to this gate?" Alrain asked in an understanding tone.
The question instantly snapped the soldier out of his daze.
"Y-Yes, you are correct, Young Master!" the young soldier answered, stuttering, reflexively correcting his posture. "I have only been working for seven days as a guard soldier at this northern gate post."
"I see..." Alrain replied casually, nodding in understanding. "So, after this identity check, may we pass now? The three of us must immediately execute the order from our husband to search for herbal plants inside the forest."
Hearing the word "order" from a noble descendant who is highly feared and respected throughout the capital, the soldier hurriedly handed the academy student card back into Alrain's hands using both of his own.
"P-Please pass, Young Masters!" the young soldier said while bowing his head deeply. "Please be careful inside the forest out there. That area has been quite prone to danger lately."
"Yes, we understand. Thank you for your warning." Alrain replied as he took back his identity card and placed it into his magic bag. He offered a friendly smile. "Have a good duty, Sir Soldier."
Then, without further ado, Alrain, Davin, and Arion began to walk through the arch of the northern gate. They walked casually yet with a steady rhythm to their steps, following the dirt road toward the forest border, which was located about two hundred meters away from the edge of the main road connecting the capital to the outer territories.
Slowly but surely, the silhouettes of the three youths began to shrink, piercing through the thin mist, until they finally disappeared completely from the sight of everyone watching their departure from the capital's northern gate.
A few moments after their departure, a middle-aged soldier in full battle armor approached the checkpoint. That man was Captain Joan, the officer responsible for the security of the northern sector.
He stared toward the forest with a confusedly furrowed brow, then turned to his new subordinate.
"Will, why did you let the three of them head into that forest?" the captain asked in a tone of bewilderment mixed with a reprimand. "Don't you know from this morning's briefing that the area inside the northern forest is currently highly dangerous due to reports of wild movements?"
"Forgive me, Captain!" replied Will, the young soldier, his face still a bit pale. "I was terrified and completely lacked the courage to block the path of those three."
"Terrified?" the captain repeated, furrowing his brow. "What are you terrified of from three youths like them? Did they threaten you?"
"No, Captain! Those three are Young Master Arvin Vedegra's spouses!" Will explained in a half-whisper. "They stated they were receiving direct orders from their own husband to search for herbal plants out there."
Hearing the answer that escaped his subordinate's mouth, Captain Joan's movements instantly halted. The middle-aged officer's facial expression changed drastically right away. It did not shift into fear like what Will experienced; rather, his expression relaxed, implying an extraordinary sense of relief. The burden on his shoulders felt as though it had been lifted.
"I see..." muttered the captain. He took a step forward and looked into Will's eyes. "Tell me, which of them went out there? Was it Allen Vedegra, Alrain Vedegra, Ordion Vedegra, or Alvein Vedegra?"
Will was quite surprised by his superior's response. He did not expect his captain to know the specific and exact names of Arvin Vedegra's spouses, including the green-haired youth he had just inspected.
"T-The one who just entered the forest is Young Master Alrain Vedegra, Captain. He is with two others named Davin and Arion." Will reported honestly.
Hearing that name mentioned, Captain Joan nodded slowly. All of his concerns regarding the reports of dangerous movements in the northern forest instantly vanished without a trace.
"In that case, I no longer need to worry about considering additional patrols." the captain said casually as he patted Will's shoulder. "It seems all the problems existing within that forest will come to an end this very day."
Will stared at his superior with a furrowed brow, feeling increasingly confused by this situation.
"B-But, how do you know their names in such detail, Captain?" the young soldier asked curiously, unable to contain his inquisitiveness.
Captain Joan offered a small smile, his gaze drifting away as he recalled his family's stories at the dining table.
"My youngest son is a student at the academy." the captain answered, beginning his explanation with a proud tone. "When he comes home, he constantly talks about how terrifying and absolute the strength of those youths was when representing the academy at the inter-kingdom tournament held in the Victoriaz Kingdom. It was precisely because he saw their strength firsthand, my son became so highly motivated to train hard every day, so that one day he could become stronger like them."
Will nodded in understanding. A story about inspiring strength was a common thing for someone aiming to enter the military.
"And what shocked me the most as a father..." Captain Joan continued. His tone of voice suddenly changed, followed by a long, heavy sigh. The middle-aged man shook his head slowly. "My son even stated that he deeply wishes to marry Young Master Arvin Vedegra one day. I sometimes wonder just what kind of charm and charisma that Young Master possesses at the academy to be able to make my son think like that."
Hearing such a completely unexpected complaint from his captain, Will became quite surprised.
"What exactly is it about that Young Master Arvin Vedegra, Captain? Is his charm truly that potent?" the young soldier asked, growing even more curious, as if he were listening to a legendary tale.
"My son said that Young Master Arvin Vedegra is an incredibly fair and dominant figure, yet also full of affection for all his spouses." the Captain replied, recalling the convincing arguments his son had once made. "His appeal does not solely make women deeply desire to be chosen and married by him. The men at the academy want the exact same thing. All of them, including that foolish son of mine, truly wish to experience the honor of being in the position of all that Young Master's spouses."
Will was utterly astounded after hearing the brief yet impactful story about that mysterious figure named Arvin Vedegra.
Is that Young Master truly that incredible? the young soldier thought curiously, his imagination running wild to form the image of a perfect man. It makes me really want to know what this man looks like, the one who has captivated Captain Joan's son and many others to the point they are willing to throw away their sanity.
And without him realizing it, Will himself had also become curious about the figure bearing the name Arvin Vedegra.
Realizing that they had been chatting for too long during duty hours, the captain turned his body around, intending to return to his command post.
"Carry on with your duty and keep a good watch here, Will!" Captain Joan commanded firmly.
Will immediately straightened his posture and delivered a standard military salute.
"Yes, Captain!"