"My lady, the carriage is already waiting outside," Iris informed Ingrid.

  Ingrid checked herself one last time in front of the mirror before heading out. She wore a dress that hid every piece of skin on her body that it could hide. Of course she did not forget to bring a pastel green veiled hat made to match the moss color of her dress.

  Today was the day of the Ragnar family's ennoblement. The family's patriarch was to be bestowed the hereditary title of count.

  Since it was Ingrid's idea, the grand duke granted her the privilege to present the title to the newly ennobled family.

  Several nobles expressed their opposition until the last minute only to be utterly defeated by the grand duke, whom not even the emperor can control.

  As Ingrid reached the corridor, she stopped and turned in another direction. Iris followed behind her with furrowed brows.

  Soon they reached Lily's personal chamber. Ingrid knocked on the door.

  "Lily!" Ingrid called in a concerned voice.

  A pale-looking Lily opened the door, her other hand clenching her stomach as she courtesied towards Ingrid. But Ingrid stopped her midway, and with Iris' help, led her back to her bed.

  "Are you alright? Should I call Alana?" Ingrid asked worriedly.

  Last night, one of the maids bought some clams from a traveling vendor outside their territory. The vendor insisted that the clams were freshly taken from the ocean, and the young servant being guillible believed him. It never occurred to her that the grand dukedom is thousands of miles away from the sea. She bought several kilos, which she shared with the soldiers and the other servants.

  When morning came, every single person who ate those clams ended up having diarrhea, including Lily.

  "I'm fine, my lady. Alana already came and prescribed me some medicine. I'm just disappointed that I couldn't come with you."

  A gentle smile appeared on Ingrid's lips as she caressed Lily's face. She clearly favored Lily above all the other servants in the palace, not just because she was her lady-in-waiting, but because Lily was her only friend. Perhaps it was because they'd grown up together, but Lily was the only person who treated her normally.

  "Don't worry, I'm sure there will be a next time," Ingrid comforted her.

  Unfortunately, she couldn't stay with her for long. She isn't a mere guest in today's celebration and could not suddenly bail. Though she did not leave until she was sure that Lily was being taken care of.

  As soon as Ingrid reached the yard where the carriage was waiting, her brow furrowed. She was familiar with the faces of the members of the Lights Knights, but the ones she is seeing are alien to her. They formed a neat line, a subtle nervousness on their feet as though that was their first day on the job.

  That was indeed their first day.

  "Who are they?"

  Oscar, the captain of the Light Knights, appeared and answered while bowing, "My lady, they are the reserve members of the Light Knights. Unfortunately, some of the regular members, well, had some...digestive troubles."

  Ingrid nodded, a subtle smirk on her lips, her eyes twinkling in amusement. She finds it amusing that the knights in her service, notorious for being undefeated among their peers, lost against a mere clam.

  "Some of the regular members weren't actually affected, but each team has a unique chemistry, and I fear that swapping members will only affect their efficiency. That's why I chose to replace everyone entirely," Oscar felt compelled to add. He didn't want to totally ruin their image in front of the young lady. His words didn't help much, though.

  "Don't worry, my lady, we've surveyed our route ahead of time. There shouldn't be any problems."

  Ingrid's eyes turned towards the direction of the wind that carried the words to her ear. That was Eros' wind ability.

  "Very well, let's go."

  Ingrid chose to travel in a simple carriage without the glaring insignia of either their household or her palace. The Light Knight knights also hid their armor under ragged robes similar to those worn by mercenaries. But their sheer number suggests the person inside the carriage is of a high status. There are not a lot of nobles who could hire that many mercenaries after all.

  The Lennox estate, unlike most others tucked away at the center or rear of their territories, sits at the forefront of the grand dukedom. It served to remind its people and the world of their unwavering commitment to protect their subject.

  Soon their carriage went past the military camp stationed outside of Rudbeckia's walls—the name of their grand dukedom. Ingrid's grandfather named it after the flower Rudbeckia, which symbolized resilience and a positive outlook, just like his wife, Duchess Eraniya.

  Ingrid's father, Grand Duke Rasmus, admiring his father-in-law's devotion to his wife, went and conquered a city in the north, expanding the empire's border, and named it Gazania. Gazania is a flower that, among other things, means strength and optimism—a trait that describes the deceased duchess Aria.

  It did not take long for their carriage to reach the busy street of Aldor, governed by Marquess Stanley.

  “Are you alright, my lady?” Iris asked, noticing Ingrid's absent-minded gaze. “We should have really used the official carriage. This one is too uncomfortable for a lady such as yourself.”

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  “I’m okay, Iris. Don’t worry,” she assured. “Besides, the official carriage is too conspicuous. I do not wish to be a nuisance to the common people.”

  Ingrid peered through the small opening of the window and watched the lively street market. The look of contentment in the commoners eyes was always a fascination to her. She couldn’t understand how they, who don’t have much, seem contented and grateful for what they have. Meanwhile, those who have many are still greedy for more.

  “Speaking of the common people, my lady, why do the people line up on the street when they see your carriage?” Iris asked, cutting Ingrid’s train of thought.

  "I once helped them," she responded with a helpless sigh.

  It was during a strong typhoon that devastated the entire kingdom. While most nobles were busy saving their assets, only the house of Lennox stepped in to rescue the affected commoners. Ingrid herself emptied several warehouses filled with gifts she received from her admirers and used it to aid those who were devastated by the powerful typhoon.

  However, the news spread that Ingrid had led the relief effort when her donation was less than ten percent of her father's. Since then, they started worshipping the land she treads as though she's some sort of divine being.

  That's the odd thing about commoners. Give them a little aid, and you'll gain their devotion. No wonder the nobles could easily lead them around the nose.

  Ingrid leaned towards the window when she felt their carriage stop just as they left the vicinity of the town of Aldor. She peeked through the curtain and found some of the knights heading to the front while the rest guarded her carriage with their hands clutching the hilt of their swords.

  Iris's hand also went inside the pouch hanging at the waist of her maid uniform, her eyes turning visibly sharp as she listened to her surroundings.

  “My lady, a minor accident occurred up ahead. There aren't any major injuries, but it may take a while before the road is cleared. We may have to take a detour if we want to arrive at the celebration on time,” Oscar relayed.

  Ingrid sighed, relieved. For a moment she thought there was an ambush—a ridiculous thought considering the busy market is just behind them.

  "Let's take a detour then," Ingrid decided.

  “We will have to use the forest road as it’s the closest route towards the capital, but the road is not paved, so it will be quite bumpy."

  "Hmmm."

  Ingrid felt a breeze next to her ear, and a voice said, "We will scout the area up ahead, my lady."

  The horses neighed, and the carriage started moving once again.

  Iris eased up and removed her hand from her pouch. For a fleeting moment, Ingrid wondered why Iris reached for her small pouch while wearing such an expression. But the thought flew out of her mind as soon as they entered the bumpy forest ground.

  The carriage bounced uncomfortably as the wheels rolled through the unpaved road. Iris was not the kind who easily felt nauseous, but the constant movement gave her a headache.

  Ingrid was in no better shape. The last time she traveled on an unpaved road was probably ten years ago when the grand duke would often bring her on his expeditions.

  She was about to tell the coachman to stop for a bit when all of a sudden, the carriage uncontrollably swerved.

  “Aaah!” Ingrid screamed in fright. Fortunately, Iris kept her steady, or she would have fallen.

  The panicked cry of the horses pierced their ears as their carriage lurched to a stop.

  “Are you alright, my lady?” Iris asked.

  Ingrid nodded her head, her heart racing.

  “What's going?!” Iris's voice thundered angrily. However, an eerie silence answered her. Iris instantly felt that something was amiss and pushed Ingrid down on the carriage floor.

  “Ambush...ugh!!”

  Ingrid swallowed a gasp when she heard a loud thud followed by the sounds of swords getting drawn and Oscar commanding his troops to protect the carriage.

  A sharp metallic sound echoed through the tranquility of the forest as metal clashed against metal. Ingrid grabbed Iris’ arm nervously while the latter pulled out an item in her pouch and secured it in her palm.

  Iris attempted to take a peek through the window when an arrow pierced through it.

  A volley of arrows rained down on their carriage, turning it into a porcupine. Everything happened so fast that Ingrid did not even have time to scream.

  In the midst of the rain of arrows, Iris grabbed Ingrid. She effortlessly kicked the carriage wall opposite the volley and jumped off. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she quickly assessed the situation.

  Iris found the coachman’s lifeless body with an arrow lodged at its throat. Beside him was another dead knight who probably sacrificed himself just to cut the horses free and stop the carriage.

  To Iris' astonishment, most of the Light Knights lay dead on the unpaved road, their bodies laden with arrow wounds. The only people left of the team of thirty were the Knight's Captain Oscar and three others who were fighting against a group of masked people in white tunics.

  Iris's face turned grim. They may be a reserved team, but they were no ordinary soldiers. For them to be easily killed—those arrows are either laced with something or the bowmen are extremely skilled. Perhaps both.

  Another volley of arrows flew towards them. But with the nimbleness of a seasoned soldier, Iris managed to dodge all of them while defending Ingrid.

  In just a few seconds, a fourth volley rained on them. Iris pushed Ingrid towards a clearing and activated the diamond-shaped item she had been holding in her hand. Instantaneously, the item emitted a blue light. The light expanded until it formed a dome surrounding Ingrid.

  “Stay here, my lady."

  Iris knew that only Vernon and the crown prince left for Aradhya while the rest camped outside Learia. Activating the amulet should have notified Kevian, hopefully.

  Iris fished another item from her pouch and flung it in the air. It was a tiny double-bladed axe the size of an adult's thumb.

  Ingrid's face distorted in wonder. It doesn't seem to be the appropriate time to be throwing toys. However, while the toy axe hung in the air, its size suddenly doubled, then tripled, then quadrupled, until it became a giant double-bladed axe that was impossible for any normal person to carry. Yet Iris effortlessly swung it to deflect the oncoming arrows as though it carried no weight.

  “Eeek!” Ingrid yelped when a stray arrow hit the dome that surrounded her before falling to the ground.

  Her eyes went wide. It flew so fast that she didn’t even realize it was coming until it hit the dome.

  Only then did it dawn on her—they were after her life.

  A torrent of thoughts rushed into Ingrid's mind. Though Empress Verandi couldn't wait to tear her apart, she would never kill her and risk angering King Oliver. It's even less likely to be the King of Serus.

  Ingrid suddenly remembered her grandmother's letters. "The Mizans..." Her heart sank.

  From a distance, Oliver and what remained of his men were holding their ground against their foes, but it kept them from coming to Iris' aid.

  Something isn't right, though. The Shadow Knights should have appeared by now, but they are nowhere in sight.

  “Who are you?” Iris shouted in a commanding voice.

  From within the thick forest, three masked men in white tunics with golden rims emerged. They ignored Iris' question as though she were below them and proceeded to attack.

  Iris’s lips formed a thin line. She sensed that they were far stronger than those Oliver and his group are fighting. They may even be as strong as her. There is also the problem of the bowmen hiding within the forest, their number still uncertain.

  Iris was in a predicament. It's impossible for her to deflect all of those arrows while defending against three equally strong opponents. She tore the hem and sleeves of her dress, and with a determined expression, brandished her humongous axe.

  The poorly made amulet could probably hold for at least two hours as long as it didn’t receive too much damage. She could only hope that reinforcements would arrive before the barrier lost all its energy. But for the meantime, she has uninvited guests to entertain.

  Iris twisted her neck, a predatory gleam in her eyes. She'd survived campaigns where battles stretched into weeks—two hours were insignificant.