The atmosphere was tense because of Ron's actions,
which left everyone in the room shocked and bewildered.
Lucia spoke up, rebuking Ron once more.
"Ron, stop it! You've gone too far..."
Ron spoke with a serious expression and a stern tone.
"This is for your protection, young lady."
Karsa looked up and glared at Ron with a sharp,
dead stare. Ron looked at Karsa's face, which truly seemed lifeless,
while his golden eyes and intense expression made everything behind him appear as a mirage to Ron.
Ron's eyes widened in shock at the sight before him.
Then Maria screamed, her voice sending shivers down Ron's spine.
"Ron... stop..."
Ron looked at Maria, whose face was contorted with anger and whose eyes were sharp.
Ron sheathed his sword and stepped back toward his mistress, saying,
"Don't blame me, Maria, if anything happens to you. I care only about the safety of a young lady..."
Lucia screamed Scolding,
"Ron... you're being rude... I'm sorry about that, Maria, and Mr. Karsa too. Ron can be overprotective sometimes..."
the fat goblin approached Lucia with a smile.
"You're very kind, Mrs. Lucia... hehe."
Lucia patted the fat goblin's stomach and tickled it,
making him laugh heartily in a funny scene.
Maria looked at Karsa and said apologetically,
"I'm sorry about that ugly sight I saw, Mr. Karsa... we were both very rude."
Karsa looked back at the ground, saying,
"It's alright... I'm used to this kind of caution..."
After some time, everyone got into the carriage,
and the three goblins drove it.
The carriage passed through several forests,
plains, and farms where animals such as deer, birds,
and wild boars sometimes crossed the carriage.
Unfortunately, this beautiful sight wasn't enough to create a friendly atmosphere in the carriage.
Throughout the journey, the atmosphere was tense.
Karsa sat next to Maria. His eyes remained fixed on the ground,
while Ron sat beside his young mistress,
his arm resting on his sword the entire time.
To break the ice, Lucia spoke warmly,
"We didn't encounter any bandits along the way... a wonderful coincidence.
Is the kingdom of Maltalia always this safe?"
Maria replied with a smile, "I think it's because one of the Eight Greats has appeared in Maltalia—the Great Sun General...
and he's known for his hatred of bandits."
Lucia was surprised and commented, "Oh yes, I read that in the Star Gazette...
but for a creature to force the sun to rise early...
that's truly terrifying, haha."
Ron spoke firmly, "That's to be expected from someone who is one of the Eight Greats... but I believe the Sun General is the weakest of them all..."
Maria spoke, puzzled, "Why do you think that...?"
Ron looked at Maria and said firmly, "That's because the Sun General is just a cowardly man who ran away from his responsibilities and isolated himself from the world,
unlike the other Eight Greats who are Actors like the Lord of the Court who spreads justice,
and the Red Sword who teaches everyone who comes along,
and the Wanderer who does good wherever he goes,
and many more... General of the Sun has never done a single good deed in his life...
quite the opposite, he has ruined the lives of many people..."
Lucia spoke gently."Have you ever met him, Mr. Ron?"
Ron spoke in surprise."Huh?! No, I haven't. Why?"
Lucia spoke with a smile."Then how do you know all this information?
Have you started listening to the gossip of bars,
brothels, and markets, Mr. Ron?"
Maria smiled, hiding her laughter.
Ron became flustered and apologized, saying,
"Ahem, I'm sorry, young lady, for saying some nonsense."
Maria spoke gently.
"And what about you, Mr. Karsa? Let us hear your opinion."
Karsa was silent for a moment amidst the slight rocking of the carriage,
then said,
"I agree with Ron... General of the Sun is just a coward..."
Everyone in the carriage was surprised by Karsa's words,
which Ron suddenly agreed with.
Ron said with a slight smile, "It seems you do have some sense after all..."
Lucia shouted at Ron, rebuking him, "Ron! ... This is the last time I'm warning you about this insolence!"
Ron remained silent.
...
Maria spoke up, "So, Karsa, where exactly are you headed?"
Karsa replied calmly, "I intend to go to the Duchy of Zatopia to resolve some issue, then to the lands of a holy church, and then to the Atlas Academy..."
Everyone in the carriage was surprised until Lucia said,
"Oh, we're also headed to the Atlas Academy... We're actually teachers there,
Lady Maria and I..."
Karsa was surprised and looked up, then said, "Thank you for your hard work. I hope you'll take good care of my daughter."
Even more surprised were those in the carriage until Maria said with a smile and a laugh,
"Oh! Does your daughter study at Atlas Academy?!... I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself very well.
I'm a professor of the military history,
and Lucia is a professor of the ancient magic,"
Karsa said respectfully, his eyes on the ground.
"You both seem knowledgeable and learned... It's an honor to meet such distinguished scholars as yourselves."
Those in the carriage were surprised by Karsa's kind words.
Lucia said warmly,
"Hehe, thank you, Mr. Karsa... I apologize for my rudeness,
but you don't look like you're from the Central Continent.
Are you, by chance, from the Western Continent?"
Ron looked at Karsa's face, waiting for his answer.
"Yes, I am. I'm from the Great Sun Empire, to be precise..."
Lucia replied enthusiastically.
"Hehe, it seems I was right.
Were you a soldier or a warrior there?"
Karsa said calmly.
"Yes, I was..."
Maria spoke, looking out the window.
"It's strange to see someone from the Sun Empire call the Sun General a coward."
Karsa fell silent.
A moment later, he said, "Everyone has their own point of view..."
A brief silence fell, and then Lucia broke the ice again.
"What's your daughter's name, Karsa?"
Karsa smiled and said gently,
"Amana... her name is Amana... she'll be entering the academy next school year for her first year."
Lucia said kindly, "Hmm, Amana is a beautiful name... I'll remember it."
The carriage stopped, signaling its arrival, until suddenly...
A noise began to be heard outside.
Ron looked through a window and saw the city guards,
spears raised, heading towards the carriage.
The three goblins had closed the iron gate,
and guards on a rock wall raised their arrows towards the carriage.
The three goblins were annoyed and began shouting at the guards,
"Do you know who's inside the carriage?!"
The guards shouted back, "Shut up, you filthy beast!"
Vaso became annoyed and tried to draw his sword.
Ron emerged and advanced towards the guards,
shouting in exasperation, "How dare you stop the carriage? Identify yourselves and your affiliations!"
A commander of soldiers, clad in shock-riddled iron armor,
stepped forward and spoke sharply,
"You're the one who should identify yourself, riding in a carriage pulled by filthy beasts!"
Three goblins, enraged, brandished their swords.
"You bastard! I'll cut your throat and throw you in a pigsty!"
Ron spoke, unleashing a powerful black aura that caused all the guards to kneel.
In a terrifying scene, the gate began to crumble,
and even the horse pulling the carriage started to tremble.
"You bastards! You dare stop a carriage carrying the daughter of the Iron King and the daughter of the Demon King of Garnos!"
Fear and shock were etched on the faces of the guards,
especially the commander, whose eyes trembled with fear and pain.
"the Iron King? ... The Demon King of Garnos? ... One of the Five Kings of the United Lands Empire?"