Strongest Kingdom: My Op Kingdom Got Transported Along With Me
Chapter 233 - 235: Ironvale City

Alix leans forward slightly, eyes narrowing.

Just for a second, his system flares to life behind his eyes—scanning.

[Target Identified: Hadrik Velmarth]

[Race: Human]

[Tier: Middle-Level Tier 6]

Alix blinks once, uninterested.

A middle-tier Tier 6… Not bad for this continent.

The carriage slows to a halt.

Velira jumps down first, her voice warm. "Uncle!"

Hadrik smiles faintly as she runs up. "Velira. You've grown sharper." His voice is deep, calm—like someone who doesn't need to raise it to be heard. "And taller. Your mother will be proud."

Velira grins. "We made it to fifth. We got the fruit."

"I know." He glances past her, toward the carriage. "And I know who got you there."

Alix steps down quietly, Karnessa behind him.

Their eyes meet.

Hadrik's smile tightens just slightly. Not cold. But calculating.

"So… you're the boy."

Alix returns the look evenly. "Alix."

Hadrik studies him for a second longer, then suddenly laughs—loud and hearty, the kind of laugh that echoes across a battlefield.

"Haha! Good boy!" he says, clapping Alix hard on the shoulder. "Strong eyes, steady step… I like you already. You've got the feel of someone who doesn't flinch, even when death is at his doorstep."

Alix doesn't react much to the slap—doesn't flinch, doesn't smile. He just nods once.

"Thanks," he says simply.

Hadrik turns, glancing at the rest of the group as they file down from the carriage. "You all did good. Real good. But let's not pretend the outcome wasn't tilted by this young man here." He gestures toward Alix again, eyes twinkling. "The entire Ashedge Clan owes you more than words."

Solven smirks. "Uncle Hadrik giving someone else praise? That's a first."

Gresren grins. "Someone write it down. It's historic."

Hadrik waves them off, still smiling. "Bah, you kids. When someone saves your name from becoming a footnote in history, you give him the respect he deserves. Especially when he does it with style."

He looks back to Alix, voice steadying. "From this point until we reach the clan grounds, I'll be your sword and your shield. Anything that comes near us with bad intentions dies before it can speak."

Before anyone can respond, a faint humming sound rises in the distance—low at first, like a song carried by wind. Then it sharpens, growing louder and steadier. Everyone turns.

Over the trees ahead, sleek and shining, a small vessel descends from the clouds. Shaped like a boat but clearly meant for the skies, it glides silently through the air before coming to a smooth stop just beside the road. Its hull glows faintly with runic engravings. Gold-trimmed wings fold inward as it lands.

The moment it touches down, Velira gasps. "No way…"

Gresren stumbles a step forward. "That's—!"

Solven blurts, "That's one of the clan's aerial boat!"

Velira nods quickly, awestruck. "There's only one back home—and it's kept in the high vault!"

Gresren stares at it like it might vanish if he blinks. "There's no way they sent that just for us."

Even Karnessa, usually calm and aloof, steps closer to get a better look. Her eyes gleam faintly, reflecting the ship's soft glow. "It's beautiful…"

Hadrik chuckles under his breath. "Well. Like I said—you guys didn't just win a match. You made waves."

But Alix only gives the ship a single, blank glance. Then he turns away like it's nothing worth mentioning.

In his mind, he casually pulls up his system inventory.

[Inventory: Sky-Class Imperial Cruiser (x1), Phantom Lancer Glider (x2), Obsidian Dreadbarge (x1), Mirage Veil Skiff (x3)...]

He doesn't say a word.

the group boards the flying vessel, its doors opening with a quiet hiss. Hadrik follows behind them, taking the rear. The ship lifts into the air soon after, and with a soft pulse of light, it cuts through the sky—fast, smooth, and silent.

Nothing happens during the journey. No ambushes. No beasts. No hidden attacks in the clouds.

For two full days, they glide over forests, hills, and mountain passes without a hitch. They camp once in a guarded watchtower, and the rest of the time, they fly.

Then, on the second evening, just as the sun begins to dip into the horizon—

"There it is," Hadrik says from the front deck, pointing.

Ahead of them, nestled in a valley between towering cliffs, lies a sprawling city of stone and steel.

Alix's eyes narrow.

The city is enormous—easily three times the size of the city they just left. It stretches in all directions, built in layers that rise like steps along the hills. The outer wall alone could crush an army; thick, gleaming with runes, and guarded by dozens of high watchtowers.

Gresren whistles. "Home sweet home."

Hadrik glances back at them, the wind tugging at his cloak.

"Welcome to Ironvale," he says. "Heart of the Ashedge Clan."

The ship angles downward.

And they descend.

As the aerial vessel lowers toward the landing platform outside Ironvale's massive outer gate, they spot horses already waiting at the base.

Each mount is groomed to perfection, their armor polished and cloaks bearing the Ashedge crest fluttering in the wind. Even Karnessa has one—sleek, dark-coated, with eyes like amber glass. Her brows rise slightly.

"…They gave me one?" she murmurs.

Velira grins. "Of course, you are also part of the team."

Karnessa hesitates, glancing down at the reins in her hand. The horse snorts softly beneath her. After a moment, she turns her head slightly toward Velira.

"…Thank you," she says quietly.

Velira blinks, a little surprised. Karnessa doesn't speak often—especially not first.

But she smiles. "You earned it. You fought with us. You bled with us. The clan honors that."

The group finishes mounting, Hadrik leading them through the final stretch toward the city gates. The closer they get, the louder the sounds become—cheering, drums, horns.

As the massive gates swing open, the sight that greets them draws stunned silence from even the most composed.

The road is lined with people.

Not just guards or soldiers—citizens, families, elders, and children. Everyone has come out. Banners bearing the Ashedge sigil wave proudly from rooftops. Streamers flutter from balconies. Flowers are thrown into the path ahead of them.

Someone calls out, "They've returned!"

And the cry is picked up by dozens more.

"Victory!"

"Young Lady Velira has returned!"

"All hail Young Lady Velira!"

Cheers explode from every corner of the entrance plaza.

Velira blinks rapidly. "I… I didn't think…"

Gresren laughs, clapping her on the back. "Of course they're here! You brought back the Aetherheart Fruit and brought the clan into the top five! They've been waiting to see you walk through that gate since the rankings were announced!"

Solven adds, "You just became a living legend, Velira. Better get used to it."

As the horses trot slowly into the heart of Ironvale, flanked by a roaring crowd and showered in petals, Alix lets his gaze drift across the tall stone buildings, the towers laced with enchantments, and the people cheering like they've just been saved.

He says nothing.

Shortly after the procession winds its way through Ironvale's bustling main avenue, the group arrives at a massive estate—more fortress than mansion. Sprawling courtyards stretch to either side, marble pillars rise high, and the banners of the Ashedge Clan flutter atop every tower. The central building looms like a palace, its entrance flanked by armored statues and twin waterfalls cascading into glowing stone basins.

At the top of the grand staircase, waiting in silence, stands a tall, broad-shouldered man with weathered skin and iron-gray hair slicked neatly back. His cloak is trimmed with crimson silk, his tunic embroidered with the clan's sigil in gold thread. His eyes—sharp, tired, and unwavering—are fixed directly on Velira.

Velira spots him the moment they reach the base of the steps.

Her breath catches.

"Father…"

She slides off her horse before it even comes to a full stop and runs—armor clinking, boots thudding softly against stone.

The man doesn't move.

He waits, arms behind his back, gaze steady.

When Velira reaches him, she stumbles to a stop, and the words burst out of her—cracked with emotion. "I did it. I—I brought it back. The Aetherheart Fruit. Mom will live."

Her voice breaks.

And then, for the first time since leaving the capital, Velira's composure shatters. She throws herself into her father's arms.

Tears stream down her face. Her voice comes out muffled, pressed against his chest. "We made it to fifth… thanks to Alix…"