Legacy of a Benevolent Lord
Chapter 36: Travel Preparations - Part 2

Chapter 36: Travel Preparations - Part 2

"I’m sorry, Azira. I didn’t mean to scare you. I just had to stay a bit longer to attend to an important matter regarding the travel. And his highness is not a bad person."

Azira looked up, her big, watery eyes staring at her.

"Did... did they hurt you?"

"No, no one touched me," Azhula said firmly. "Nothing bad happened. Actually... something good happened."

She smiled smugly and pressed a hand against her chest.

"My cultivation improved. I’m stronger now."

"Really!?"

"Really, really mean it," Azhula said, tapping her nose lightly.

Azira let out a small, relieved breath.

But after a second, she caught something in Azhula’s words and tilted her head.

"Big Sister... you said ’travel’?"

Azhula nodded, voice soft.

"I have to leave for a while," she explained, careful with each word.

"You’ll be traveling with His Highness. It’s a journey to train, to see the world."

Azira’s eyes widened, full of worry.

"But... what about you?"

"I... well...I have another matter to attend to. But don’t worry, you will be fine. Someone you know very, very well will be joining too. So you will be at ease~"

"Ah!? Who??"

"Hehehe~ Not telling~~"

After a bit of bickering back and forth, they eased the little girl’s nerves, promising that she would be completely fine, and then both went to sleep.

Outside, the night deepened.

The Green Plum Cottage grew silent again. But this time, the flame of warmth remained.

...

Riven had already asked the servants to gather everything they needed, following Azhula’s list for this mission.

Disguise materials, clothing, and provisions are neatly handled.

Soon after, Azhula applied her skills.

In a short time, she transformed herself into the spitting image of Selene Virelyn.

And Selene, under Azhula’s expert hand, became Azhula.

The two of them swapped identities.

They rode silently atop Solwing, returning to Peony Manor under the cloak of night.

In the dimness, Selene, disguised as Azhula, turned her head and gave Riven a playful huff.

"Bad man," she muttered under her breath, cheeks slightly pink, "Don’t hug me... I’m Azhula right now."

To avoid ruining the disguises, they refrained from practicing their martial arts that night.

Instead, they sat side-by-side, quietly discussing the Star-Shifting Technique.

........

Meanwhile, in the Main Manor.

At the Matriarch’s Study Room.

The old woman sat upright behind her wide desk, wearing simple but dignified robes.

Across from her, Riven Ashvale stood, his back straight, hands behind his back.

Matriarch Ashvale set down the scroll she was reading and looked up sharply.

"Ready?" She asked.

"Yeah, Grandma," Riven said simply. "Everything’s ready."

She tapped her fingers against the carved wood, thoughtful.

"And you’re still planning to take only a few attendants?"

"Two girls, a few guards, and minimal baggage. Enough to look casual, but not enough to draw too much attention."

Matriarch Ashvale gave a small grunt of approval.

"You thought it through. Good."

She leaned back slightly in her chair, studying him.

"And your cover?"

"Well.... to the world it will be Scholarly travel to study old martial scrolls along and across the Great Lake and surrounding counties," he answered smoothly.

Matriarch Ashvale gave a small nod of approval.

"You’ve learned to be thorough."

She paused, her gaze sharpening like a blade.

"But remember-"

"Opportunity and danger are always two sides of the same coin, my boy. Do not hesitate if you have to take lives."

After some back-and-forth advice and Riven listening with a helpless smile, he kissed her cheek goodnight and left.

The old woman kept silent for a long time and returned to thinking about and arranging anything that would be missing for her grandson’s trip.

.......

The next morning.

Soft chorus of early birds stirred in the trees, their sleepy chirps weaving into the crisp morning air.

A low mist clung to the stone pathways, curling around the steps and garden hedges like pale ribbons.

On the top floor.

Selene leaned against the table, her fingers tapping lightly against a stack of travel documents.

"Riven," she said, her voice thoughtful, "the servants have finished packing. But do you really think we’ll be able to move unnoticed?"

"Nahh... Not unnoticed," he casually admitted. "But it doesn’t matter, though."

"We are not sneaking away anyway. The rats can follow. It’s been a while since I got my knuckles bloodied."

"You sound almost eager."

He met her gaze, his smile turning into a toothy grin.

"I am."

......

Out of the manor.

On the driveway, there were two luxurious carriages.

Riven stood tall in a new robe, white and gold, Solwing perched proudly on a nearby giant tree.

Selene, now disguised as Azhula, radiant even in a simple riding dress, adjusted Azira’s cloak carefully.

Azhula had already left for Peony Manor in the dark morning.

Finally, as the sun’s first rays touched the stone pathways, Riven gave a small nod.

"Let’s move."

With light footsteps, they all boarded the carriages.

The wheels rumbled against the cobblestones as the convoy rolled slowly toward the lake’s port.

Mist clung to the earth, swirling like phantom ribbons around the hooves and wheels.

........

The moment the carriages came out of the Exile’s garden and hit the streets of the city, many ’people’ were stirred.

Evidently, the new Crown Prince of Sundawn has already gained the attention of certain groups.

But there were people to handle them.

Caldor stood on the top of a bell tower. To his side was Edric, as usual, blending with the shadows of dawn.

"Edric. Our orders are clear: handle the spies, but exclude those from Murong Manor." Caldor’s eyes lock onto each observer, scrutinizing every single one without fail.

If the special forces, who were tasked with guarding the entire Border Direction, couldn’t identify the rats, then they might as well call it quits.

Edric’s eyes turned pitch black and hollow. He made a gesture that Caldor recognized as a ’nod.’

Moments later, he jumped off the tower, vanishing into a thin cloud of smoke in an instant.

From the rooftops and shadowed alleys.

Cold eyes watched.

A beggar was wiping his face with a dirty cloth.

A fruit seller was adjusting his crates for the early morning customers.

A washerwoman was hanging laundry that was already dry.

One after another, silent messengers slipped away, weaving through the early morning crowds like fish in a river.

Coded notes were interrupted silently by a dark soldier, slipping away into the shadows before they could fall into hidden hands.

But one such note had a smooth journey, falling into the hands of an irritated young master who had recently discovered that his ’little brother’ was acting strange.