A week had passed, and the announcement of the Count title from King Arveth Neltan was only a day away.
In the morning, as the sun began to rise on the eastern horizon, a gentle breeze softly brushed past. Damnern and Elina were getting ready, while Eldern and Elyra were prepared by their maids, Sasha and Rina, to depart for the capital, Valcreat. They were accompanied by ten royal guards from the Kingdom of Neltan, who had been waiting since early morning.
Among the guards was the Fourth Strongest Warrior, the Polearm Deity, Rayyan Bartos (26 years old) — but Elyra paid him no attention.
"The last time I went outside was three years ago… in my previous life," Elyra thought silently.
Elyra and her family walked into the carriage. The guards stood tall by their sides, waiting for them to board. A few minutes later, the carriage slowly started moving, its wooden wheels turning quietly. Eldern's expression was filled with excitement. The long journey ahead was expected to take about six hours.
"Wow," Eldern exclaimed, mesmerized by the sight of Willowess City. The citizens lined the streets to send off the next Count, Damnern Solv, with cheers and applause.
Damnern waved at the crowd, his expression calm yet full of authority. "So many supporters for Damnern," Elyra thought to herself. Unconsciously, she also waved, unable to resist wanting to be noticed. The cheers grew even louder.
"Wow, how cute the young lady is!" someone shouted. Damnern's face glowed with pride at the remark. "Why do you look proud?" Elyra wondered silently. Eldern, seeing this, waved too.
Elina chuckled softly at their antics. Elyra, who had never received much attention in her previous life, now waved alongside Eldern. Unexpectedly, she never knew that she had more supporters than Damnern himself.
A few minutes later, the procession finally passed through the gates of Willowess City. The sound of hooves echoed against the stone road, marking the beginning of a new era.
An hour later, the group reached a quiet forest. Elyra and Eldern fell into a deep sleep, their bodies still exhausted after the energetic welcome and cheering earlier. Elina and Damnern looked upon them with warmth, hearts softened by the sight of their peaceful rest.
Elina glanced at Damnern and gestured for him to remain quiet. They simply smiled at each other. However, Damnern could not resist and ended up hugging them both with overflowing warmth. Seeing this, Elina joined in the embrace.
As evening descended and night approached, the last rays of sunlight lit Elyra's face, waking her from her nap. After the long journey, they finally arrived at the gates of Valcreat.
"Wow…" Elyra gasped, captivated by the beautiful evening scenery — something that had seemed ordinary in her previous life. They were welcomed by royal guards standing along the streets, keeping the citizens of Valcreat from crossing.
End of Chapter 6