“A place where I might not be betrayed, huh…”
These words seemed to have resonated with Kael’s very soul.
He glanced at Lavinia and silently observed her cold, emotionless purple eyes.
‘A place she would like to die in, huh…’
Kael hadn’t missed those words. Just those words were enough to tell him he needed to know about the woman’s current mindset. Honestly, he wanted to talk about it, he wanted to give her hope, he wanted to help her in any way. However, seeing as to how she was still wary of him, he knew he had to hold back.
For now, he would only take what was being given to him.
“How long do you think it will take us to get there?”
“Depends on how we go there. We can hire Flying Escorts; that will make things easier. If we push ourselves, it will take about two week—”
“We cannot take Flying Escorts. We need to travel on the ground.”
Kael shook his head before Lavinia could even complete her words. Imperia’s Ants were following them wherever they went. Even now, they had already spread all around the area to make sure nothing out of Kael’s expectations happened.
Obviously, Kael wasn’t planning on giving them up. These past few days had been more than enough for him to know just how absurdly useful the Ants were. They were his strongest trump card. He would never leave them behind.
“How much time would it take to get there if we continue at our current speed?”
He rephrased his question.
Moving the entire Ant Colony was not easy. They had to carry Eggs and Larvae. The Children and Elderly Ants, who are slower than normal Ants, could not be abandoned either. Including all this, they were also responsible for scouting the area for Kael and feeding information to the Hive Mind-link.
So even though the Whisperveil Ants were incredibly efficient in almost everything they did, Kael still needed to move a bit slowly in order to ensure complete and safe migration.
“That would take about a month.”
Lavinia answered.
She pointed at the map and,
“Ashen Heights is at the very end of the world, far from other Nations. Getting there would not be easy.”
“I understand.”
Kael nodded.
Even though it was much longer than what he was expecting, it was honestly his fault for not having a proper follow-up plan after leaving the castle.
Plus, he could use this chance to explore this world and actually learn about it.
In any case, Kael believed that the journey ahead would be much less tense than spending time surrounded by people who could be possible enemies.
“A month it is, then.”
Kael nodded again, confirming that they would be going to Ashen Heights. Lavinia nodded back. Since the conversation was over, she did not say anything else.
Again, Kael tried to hold a small conversation, wanting to know more about Lavinia, but the Princess remained silent, giving short replies and making sure they did not get too close. What happened before repeated itself. Kael gave up and stopped bothering her as well.
He could always converse with his adorable children anyway. There was no need to waste his time with a woman who wasn’t interested.
The two ate the rest of the meal in silence, silence that annoyed Vitaria, especially since she had a soft spot for Lavinia and wanted her to be close to her father, but she didn’t say anything for now.
After they ate the food and Kael packed some for his children, they left the inn. He didn’t know it back then, but the coins Elira had given him that day were enough to last a normal man for years. He never had to worry about money.
Of course, he still needed to be careful while using those coins, so he had to exchange a few coins and get bronze or silver coins for daily use. As to how and where to exchange those coins without raising too much suspicion, well, with Imperia with him, Kael never had to worry about such questions.
The little thing knew everything about the place they were in within a few minutes. She knew all the important spots. Finding places that exchange coins without raising any questions was hardly a difficult task.
The journey continued. With a destination in their mind, Kael relied on Imperia to guide the way. With her leading the way, Kael was sure everything would be just fine.
After all, he had been following Imperia’s instructions during his travel all this while and all this while, he had not faced even a single problem.
What could possibly go wrong now?
Yes, the Flag was raised.
Kael’s plan was simple. They were out of Zarak’s influence and were currently travelling through the forests, but even then, there were countless Towns and Villages around them. Because she had such a deep understanding of her surroundings, Imperia had planned the journey in a way that every time they needed to eat or sleep for the night, they would be near a town.
A place where they could enter the inn and do whatever they desired.
For the first two days, because of Imperia’s thorough planning, Kael and Lavinia didn’t have to hunt or spend the night out in the forest.
But…
Luck wasn’t always on their side.
On the third day, about three hours before the sun was about to set,
‘Father,’
Imperia called out.
‘We need to stop here.’
“Huh…?”
Kael frowned.
Lavinia stopped as well, staring at Kael in silence.
In these past two days, she had gotten used to travelling with Kael. The last time they had a conversation was when they were talking about Ashen Heights and why they should go there in that inn.
Yes, the two hadn’t spoken to each other for two days.
And this is what made Lavinia get used to Kael’s presence so easily.
He was different.
He wasn’t trying to continuously make small talk to win her over, he wasn’t being overly showy around her, he simply did what was required.
He ordered food for both of them, booked the room inside an inn, and then entered that strange portal of his, not bothering her at all. During the travels, she simply needed to follow his footsteps without thinking or saying anything. It was much more efficient and the silence made her more comfortable.
It gave her the space she needed to maintain distance and keep her heart cold.
It made it possible for her to trust him but… not be hurt when he betrays her in the future.
It was a feeling she cherished quite a lot.
But then suddenly,
Kael changed the direction he was walking in. Lavinia frowned. She found it odd, but she decided to follow him anyway.
After about an hour, she saw a small hut in the middle of the dense forest and Kael started walking towards it.
“This is where we will stay today.”
He spoke as they got close to the hut.
Lavinia frowned.
“Is there no inn nearby?”
She questioned.
Kael shook his head,
“It is raining ahead. If we continue, we will be drenched and things will get dangerous.”
Kael answered.
According to what he had learned from Veylara, travelling through the forest in any condition other than what one is taught was dangerous.
Forests alone are dangerous as it is. Adding rain to it will only make things more difficult: low visibility, lost trails and markings, slippery terrains, mudslides, flash floods, collapsing ground, wet clothing, lack of heat, difficulty starting fire, aggressive beasts, insect swarms, infection, waterborne diseases, slower reaction time, and psychological panic.
There were thousands of things to worry about.
Even though Kael had Imperia to guide him, it was still better to avoid rain if possible. Even Imperia suggested the same and had her ants find a safe place for them to stay.
“Right.”
Lavinia nodded in understanding.
She hadn’t spent much of her life travelling around, so she was still new to all this. However, this didn’t mean she was naïve. She had read about the problems adventurers and mercenaries face. She knew how dangerous the forests were and even though they were travelling with considerable ease, Lavinia knew it was only because Kael was with her.
Following what he said was the only option she had.
She walked into the hut Kael pointed to.
“Stay here.”
Kael spoke up, getting ready to leave.
“Where are you going?”
Lavinia questioned without thinking. Kael noticed that her hands were clenched into fists. She seemed like she was preparing herself to be betrayed here.
“We need to spend the night here and there are chances that it might rain here too. Before that, I want to go and hunt a few beasts for dinner.”
“I’ll come with you.”
Lavinia answered instantly.
She didn’t trust him, but just the thought of staying here alone and waiting for him to return filled her heart with a strange sense of unease, something even she couldn’t explain.
“You should res—”
“I’ll come with you.”
The Princess repeated, looking right into Kael’s eyes, and in front of those eyes, for some odd reason, Kael couldn’t say no.
“…just don’t hold me back.”
“I won’t.”