Shirley could not control the World Energy threads, whereas Benedict, after memorizing some basic spells, also failed to mobilize his Magic Energy. Elizabeth and Freon continued to try sensing the Martial Energy inside their bodies. Nassandra was busy with her own things, leaving Yuna to stare out the carriage windows. The forest and trees whipped by, but there was no sound of wind or feeling of a breeze. The carriage was clearly high quality. There was only the sound of soft breathing. It was otherwise silent. Time passed slowly in Yuna's eyes. This was not exactly what she had in mind when she agreed to join. She peeked at Freon secretly. Seeing him, and everyone else, work so hard made her feel embarrassed. Looking at her like this, they would think she was a shallow girl. She inwardly slapped herself and decided to change her attitude. Such an atmosphere was infectious. She wanted to make an effort too!
Nightfall. The convoy stopped by a large lake and began to make camp. The setup was handled by the guards and servants, who swiftly assembled everything. Elizabeth, her friends, and the two Grand Nobles did not move a finger. Instead, they stretched their limbs and came to the lakeside. A bright white moon hung in the sky, like a porcelain plate. Moonlight radiated through the heavens, piercing through the sparse clouds. Millions of stars sparkled in a vast sea of light. And when the light reflected off the water surface, it was like the divide between two worlds! It was a magical sight. The convoy could have pushed to a small village to stay at. There was no need to camp in the wilderness. Elizabeth chose not to, so they could have this view.
She had a great, big smile on her face. Here, there were no schemes, no plots, no pressure. Here, there was no princess, no former heir apparent, no Royal Ambassador, no 'Guardian Angel'. Here, there was simply a girl named Elizabeth! Only a girl facing heaven and earth! She felt terribly feeble and insignificant, yet… at the same time, she felt relieved, as if all of her previous worries and concerns were needless. An invisible weight lifted off her shoulders! She wanted to scream! Ah! What a wonderful feeling it was! This peaceful serenity was exactly what she fought for, what she longed to reach. Perhaps, nobody in the world could understand her. Perhaps, nobody ever would.
She raised her hand to the stars, wondering if her family could see her now, the last survivor of New Havens! The feeling was incredibly bittersweet. In this far away place, her emotions overflowed to the surface in a rare show of vulnerability. A pair of hands reached around Elizabeth and hugged her tightly. She was startled, before she realized it was Shirley. Nobody else would have the courage to act so intimately with her. Elizabeth found it oddly comforting though. They said nothing, but Shirley's warmth seemed to say… she was not alone. Her friends were here too! Elizabeth felt grateful from the bottom of her heart. Together, they watched the sparkling stars above.
After a while, dinner was ready. It should have been inside a well-lit tent, but unexpectedly, it became an open air meal. Elizabeth inquired, and she learned that it was due to Lord Fredrick's request. She looked at the Grand Lord, who smiled softly in return. Lord Fredrick might have noticed that she was particularly entranced by the night sky, so he requested this change. After interacting with Elizabeth a handful of times, he gained a good handle on her personality. Elizabeth did not say anything, but she was inwardly thankful. Her impression of the young man grew a notch. The group settled down amidst the stars. Because of the dense candles and torches, there was no shortage of light. Everybody could see everything on the table.
Elizabeth sat down with Benedict to her left, and Shirley to her right. Although they were her Royal Guards and Protectors, they shared the same status as her. It was unthinkable for anyone else. Next to Benedict was Freon, Nassandra, and Yuna. Facing Elizabeth were Lord Fredrick and Lady Kalasena, these two Grand Nobles. Their guards and maids did not sit down. They silently stood behind their masters like statues. It was a stark contrast to Benedict and Shirley. Elizabeth took a glance and moved on. Naturally, Sir Melvin, the other junior Arcane Knights, and Elder Unvo from the Featherwind Sect did not accompany them. Raising her glass, she toasted everyone. Her mood was jubilant! They chatted while eating. The night passed uneventfully.
In the morning, they resumed their journey. Elizabeth and her friends continued to practice, using this rare chance to advance their strength as much as they could! Sadly, they could not accomplish much. They entered the vicinity of the village by dusk. This village was very small, having around two to three hundred inhabitants. It was around the same size as New Havens once was. Many villagers were returning from a hard day's work in the fields. Winter was rapidly approaching, so they needed to finish their harvest and organize the animals. When they saw the four lavish carriages stopping at the village entrance, everyone was curious. Aside from the yearly merchants, nobody would visit this quaint village. It was to the point that this village had no name! Children rushed over excitedly to inspect the horses and carriages closer.
Their approach was halted when the Grand Knights and Arcane Knights formed a defensive line. The knights did not say anything. Only one of them stepped out. Just one! Yet! Boom! A fearsome aura exploded from the knight, plowing right into these poor villagers. The might of a Perception Realm was unleashed! At once, the children froze, while the adults paled. Although it was just one knight, one person, facing a large crowd, his aura easily overwhelmed their mental defenses. They felt fear deep within their bones! It was like they were facing a terrible monster! Nobody could breathe! It was somewhat ironic, because if these villagers worked together and fought, regardless of the consequences, they had a mild chance at beating this knight. After all, four fists beat two. A person was limited in what they could do. However, none of these villagers dared to.
"Stand down!" Elizabeth shouted as she stepped off the carriage with a grimace.
Anyone could tell these villagers were harmless. There was no need to go this far. Maybe she saw a shadow of her old home here, but she felt protective of this small, but humble village. Hearing her, the knight quickly restrained his aura and stepped back into line, his face showing no reaction. Elizabeth looked at him coldly. Although she could yell or criticize the knights, she knew it would be pointless. On the surface, they would nod and agree, saying they would change their behavior. However, it was all lip service. These knights believed they were high and mighty, above the likes of common citizens. They could not tolerate their presence! This mentality between the upper class and lower class was essentially fixed. Elizabeth could not do anything about it.
Lord Fredrick snapped his fingers, summoning his guard. "Go. Learn what you can."
The guard nodded and stepped forward, immediately grabbing everyone's attention. He was very tall, almost on the verge of towering. His figure easily dwarfed the crowd. Furthermore, he was big. His arms and legs looked like stone pillars, radiating boundless strength. His glint was cold and sharp, containing cunning and cruelty. His toned skin revealed many scars from his long history of combat. One particularly long scar cut across his face, giving him a memorable appearance. Anybody could tell he was a warrior through and through! And in fact, he was arguably the strongest person in the convoy, since he was a Perception Realm Adept, one step from Expert! His mere presence was enough to dominate the surroundings and invoke a sense of fear. If not, why would the Ovarr Household leave Lord Fredrick in his hands? Of course, if Martial Energy were included, then he might drop to the top ten instead.
He did not conceal his contempt for the villagers, but that did not stop him from carrying out his task. He fulfilled it to the best of his ability. As he spoke with the village chief, Elizabeth had an unfriendly impression of Lord Fredrick. She hoped Lord Fredrick would have been more openminded. As it turns out, he was the same as the rest. They could not shake their prejudice! This was especially meaningful because two years ago, Elizabeth was that lowly villager! In other words, Lord Fredrick's prejudice was against her former self! She restrained her irritation and prevented it from showing on her face. Nobody suspected a thing. Fifteen minutes passed, and the guard returned with the results of his investigation.