The next day, after saying their goodbyes, Ard, Eva, and the rest of the group continued their journey toward the Kingdom of Rellios, following the forest roads. Beatrice and Adeline led the way with high spirits, while Rosalind kept a watchful eye on them from behind.
"Hmm... they seem pretty happy, don’t they?" Ard asked.
"Yep, that’s just Beatrice. She can’t wait to introduce Adeline to her father," Alicia answered.
"She’s been talking about her kingdom nonstop since yesterday," Claudia added.
"But sothing’s bothering ," Eva remarked.
"What is it?" Ard asked.
"Ever since yesterday, she’s been saying she wants to et the Dragon God as soon as possible. We both know that the trek up that mountain is no walk in the park. Besides, the two of us need to face him again anyway. I want to settle everything in this lifeti," Eva said.
"I know, but I think it’ll be fine. Between the twelve of us, we’re strong enough to handle whatever cos our way on that climb," Ard replied.
Eva turned to look back at Milia, Pyria, Mirea, Geoffrey, Ainsley, and Irwin, who were trailing behind them.
"True, but what about your sister?" Eva asked.
"Yeah... that’s the problem," Ard muttered, lost in thought.
"Hey! Hurry up! Why are you guys moving so slow?" Beatrice shouted cheerfully, spinning around to face them.
"Watch where you’re going, Princess," Rosalind called back.
They pushed on without stopping. By late afternoon, they cleared the forest. Milia, Mirea, Claudia, Ainsley, and Geoffrey all stood frozen, their eyes wide at the sight. A breathtaking range of snow-capped mountains towered in the distance, while a vast, lush grassland stretched across the landscape like a green carpet, decorated with terraced rice fields. High up in the peaks, they could see buildings that looked like ancient temples.
"Wow... so this is Rellios... it’s incredible," Milia whispered.
"It’s so different from Durnhill... even though they both have snowy mountains," Geoffrey added.
"It really is. This is my first ti seeing the Kingdom of Rellios," Claudia said.
"Sa here. I usually stick to Ateras and Orthus," Ainsley noted.
"Hey, why are you guys just standing there? Let’s go," Ard called out.
They noticed that Ard, Eva, Alicia, Beatrice, Pyria, Adeline, Rosalind, and Irwin had already forged ahead.
"They seem totally unfazed," Mirea remarked.
"It makes sense. Beatrice is the princess here, and Rosalind is her guard. Pyria lives close by. Ard, Alicia, and Adeline are from Fredonia, and Irwin spent ti there too. As for Eva... she’s from Orthus, but she’s a living legend. So... it’s only natural," Claudia explained.
"Whatever, let’s just go. We’re going to get left behind," Geoffrey urged.
"Right, let’s go, everyone," Milia added.
They ran to catch up with Ard and the others, who were already heading down a grassy hill toward the main road. Once they reached it, they followed the path and took in the view. Small houses were scattered far apart, each with massive fields or rice paddies in their yards. Farrs were busy behind their hos, hauling their harvests into storage sheds.
As Beatrice passed by, the farrs bowed in respect, but then they imdiately started chatting with her like an old friend. There was no stiffness at all; they didn’t act like peasants speaking to royalty.
"I didn’t realize Beatrice was so down-to-earth with her people," Alicia remarked.
"Well... she doesn’t really care about her status. It’s just that she’s incredibly spoiled," Eva replied.
"You seem to know her pretty well, Eva," Pyria noted.
"Of course. Back when we were eight, a group of princesses was sent on a retreat to socialize. There were three of us: one from Ateras, myself, and Beatrice from Rellios. Back then, Beatrice was the only one who complained about everything and refused to talk to us," Eva said.
"She’s not spoiled, she just has a bit of an odd way of thinking," Ard said.
"Yeah, her way of thinking tells her she’s the center of the universe. That’s exactly what being spoiled and selfish ans. Honestly, what is with you?" Eva countered.
"Hmm, fair point. I just hope she isn’t a bad influence on Adeline. For so reason, she seems really close to her," Ard said.
"She did ntion once that she wanted a younger sister... maybe that’s it," Alicia added.
"Um... sorry to interrupt, but take a look behind you," Irwin said suddenly.
Ard, Eva, Alicia, and Pyria turned around. They stopped dead in their tracks as they watched Milia, Mirea, Ainsley, and Geoffrey taking off their shoes by the side of the road and wading into the rice fields to help the farrs. anwhile, Claudia just stood in front of their pile of shoes with her arms crossed.
"Good grief, what are they doing?" Alicia asked.
"Well, like it or not, we have to wait," Ard said.
"Hey, Beatrice, Rosalind, Adeline! Co back here for a second!" Pyria shouted.
Beatrice, Rosalind, and Adeline turned and walked back toward Ard and the others, who were watching their friends.
"Oh my god, what are they doing? It’s going to be evening soon, and we still have a long way to go," Beatrice complained.
"Yeah, well, you’re the one who should go tell them that," Eva replied.
"Wait... sothing’s wrong. Why are they summoning their familiars and drawing their swords?" Rosalind asked.
Ard imdiately looked toward the middle of the field. His eyes widened as he spotted a massive invisible sli. Its body was translucent and nearly impossible to see, but it was enormous, lashing out with vine-like tentacles. When Ard squinted, he realized there were several people trapped inside the creature. Milia, wielding Wilgram, was firing off a barrage of ice and wind attacks.
"Hey, that’s... an Invisible Sli! Co on, Eva, we have to help them!" Ard shouted, drawing Exgrandal.
"Right. You can’t just fight that thing blindly—one wrong move and you’re caught and killed," Eva said, grabbing Exelion.
"Let’s go, what are we waiting for!" Ard urged.
Ard, Eva, and the others sprinted toward Claudia, their eyes locked on Milia, Mirea, Ainsley, and Geoffrey as they fought alongside their familiars. Suddenly, Milia leaped back and landed on Geoffrey’s massive sword. With a powerful swing, Geoffrey launched Milia high into the air. She tucked into a dive, spinning like a drill with Wilgram held out in front of her. Her body beca shrouded in a swirling aura of icy blue and windy green energy, looking like a miniature tornado. Ard and Eva skidded to a halt next to Claudia, watching the spectacle.
"Pyasssh!"
Milia tore straight through the sli’s body and shattered its core instantly. The monster exploded, ejecting Milia along with the two farrs it had been using as living shields for its core. Claudia turned to look at Ard, Eva, and the others as they reached her.
"Milia has beco so much stronger since she got that sword. Incredible," Claudia said.
"True. She’s actually soone we can rely on now. The difference is like night and day," Alicia added.
"I’m glad she could handle it. We were worried for a second—those slis can swallow you whole before you even realize they’re there. They’re such a pain to cut. A real nuisance of an enemy," Ard said.
"Exactly. They aren’t particularly powerful, but they’re a nightmare to fight using traditional thods," Eva added.
"Well, thank goodness I didn’t have to take off my shoes and trek into the mud," Pyria said with a sigh of relief.
"Ugh... of course this happens. Now we’re going to have to camp out," Beatrice complained.
"It looks that way, Princess," Rosalind replied.
"But we’re so close to ho, hmph," Beatrice pouted.
"Hehe, but this is fun, isn’t it, sister Beatrice?" Adeline asked.
"Yeah, you’re right, haha," Beatrice replied.
When Milia, Ainsley, Mirea, and Geoffrey made their way back, the two farrs they had saved thanked them profusely and invited the whole group to spend the night at their house. Ard and the others were more than happy to accept, but they all instinctively backed away from Milia.
"I’m soaked to the bone and... ugh... the sll is absolutely disgusting," Milia said, looking down at her clothes and the Wilgram in her hand.
"Okay... okay... for now, just keep your distance, please," Alicia said, pinching her nose shut.
"Yeah, she’s right. Over there, please," Beatrice added, pinching her nose shut.
"Ugh... you guys are heartless," Milia grumbled.
The group walked toward the farr’s house, which sat just across the rice fields. Once they arrived, the farr and his wife imdiately began preparing a bath for Milia, while the farr himself washed up using water from the well. Ard and Eva took a look around the place; the house was modest but cozy, with every piece of furniture crafted from wood, likely made by the couple themselves.
After thanking their hosts, the group decided to set up camp in the backyard. They didn’t want to crowd the couple, and the house was far too small to fit everyone comfortably anyway. But the farr’s wife wouldn’t hear of them going hungry. She began preparing a large dinner for everyone as a token of her gratitude for saving her husband. They all accepted the invitation with pleasure, and Alicia and Mirea even stepped into the kitchen to lend her a hand.
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