Chapter 8
A week had slipped by since the news first electrified the kingdom. Tomorrow, King Arveth Neltan would officially bestow the title of Count upon Damnern Solv during a grand, high-court ceremony at the royal palace. The weight of that honor hung heavy in the morning mist, humming with a mix of anticipation and formal tension.
In the pale, golden glow of dawn, a gentle breeze carried the crisp scent of dew-kissed leaves through the open windows of the Solv manor. The household was already alive with quiet, purposeful activity.
Damnern stood tall in the main foyer, adjusting the high collar of his formal military coat, which bore the silver insignia of the Kingdom of Neltan. His silver hair was slicked back with military precision, and his usual laid-back fatherly aura had vanished, replaced by the razor-sharp, commanding presence of the Fifth Strongest Warrior. Beside him, Elina stood with effortless grace, her fingers deftly straightening his lapels, her green eyes shining with quiet, steadfast pride.
"Must you wear that terrifying expression even inside your own home?" Elina teased softly, her fingertips brushing against his chest.
Damnern's stern facade cracked instantly, melting into a rare, crooked smirk as he looked down at her. "Only because I know you adore it."
Across the room, Sasha—now twenty-one and carrying herself with poised maturity—was busy with her own task. "Hold still just a moment, Lady Elyra," she murmured affectionately, her fingers weaving the toddler's bright blonde hair into an intricate, travel-ready braid. "There. You look like a true little princess. The capital won't know what hit them."
Elyra stared shyly at her reflection in the polished silver vanity mirror. This little body... it's absurdly cute, she thought, blinking in quiet bewilderment. Is she truly me, or am I just inhabiting her? I still can't wrap my head around it.
"Tankyu, Sasa…" she mumbled aloud in her awkward, half-formed baby voice.
Sasha's eyes welled up instantly. "You are just far too precious, Young Lady…" Her voice choked with sudden emotion, and she pulled Elyra into a tight, smothering hug before the toddler could protest.
From the corner of the room, twenty-two-year-old Rina chuckled as she wrestled Eldern into his miniature formal tunic. "Young Master, stop wriggling! If you keep shifting, I'm going to tie your sleeves in a knot!"
"Elyra, look at me! I look just like a real royal knight!" Eldern declared, puffing out his chest with sheer, unadulterated pride.
Sitting obediently while Sasha finished her hair, Elyra cast a side-glance at her brother. A genuine, unguarded smile tugged at the corners of her lips, a stark contrast to the heavy, analytical gears turning inside her mind.
"Eden... lookth cool," she muttered aloud, though inwardly, Ryudien was miles away.
The last time I went out was two years ago, Elyra mused coldly, her blue eyes briefly adopting the distant, hollow stare of a trained assassin. Back then, I was a ghost slipping through the dark, executing Ferwel's bloody orders. Now... I'm being paraded around as the cherished daughter of the man who ended my life.
The irony tasted like ash on her tongue.
Outside, the morning wind whipped across the palace courtyard, where ten elite royal guards stood rigidly at attention, their plate armor gleaming under the climbing sun.
Stepping forward from the ranks, Rayyan Bartos—the Polearm Deity and the Fourth Strongest Warrior—offered a crisp, flawless bow.
"Lord Damnern. It is an honor to escort your family today. The primary routes have already been swept and secured."
Damnern did not blink. He stared past Rayyan as though the man were nothing more than a passing shadow. When he finally spoke, his voice was dangerously flat.
"That is your baseline duty."
Rayyan straightened his posture, unbothered. "Of course. Still, I wished to offer my personal assurance. If any threat rears its head, I will crush it before it ever reaches you or your household."
Damnern glanced at him sideways. "Words are cheap."
Several royal guards behind Rayyan stiffened at the disrespect, but the Polearm Deity merely maintained his calm, steady smile. "Then judge me by my actions, Lord."
For a long heartbeat, silence hung heavy between the two powerhouses.
"I don't require your loyalty," Damnern finally muttered, turning his back. "Just stay out of my way."
He added over his shoulder with biting indifference, "And stop wasting your breath trying to impress me."
A faint, amused smirk ghosted across Rayyan's lips. "As you wish, Lord Damnern." He stepped aside, sweeping into another low bow. "Safe travels."
From inside the carriage, Elyra didn't spare the Fourth Strongest Warrior a single glance. Her universe had narrowed down entirely to the safety of her family—and Rayyan Bartos didn't even register as a blip on her radar.
The grand carriage, emblazoned with the newly minted Solv family crest and streaming royal banners, rocked gently as Damnern climbed aboard. He hoisted Eldern and Elyra inside with practiced ease before settling heavily beside Elina, the thick door sealing shut with a muffled click.
The procession lurched forward. Heavy wooden wheels ground smoothly against the stone-paved avenues of Willowess City, accompanied by the rhythmic, thunderous cadence of cavalry hooves and the echoing clank of steel armor.
As they rolled past the main commercial districts, a massive sea of citizens spilled onto the streets, waving silk handkerchiefs and roaring with unbridled enthusiasm.
"Lord Damnern! Congratulations!" "Long live the Count of Willowess!" "May the Solv house bring eternal prosperity to our lands!"
Eldern's eyes went wide as saucers, sparkling with childlike wonder. He pressed his palms against the glass pane, waving both arms frantically. "Papa! Look at all of them! They're cheering for you!"
Damnern offered a dignified, measured wave to the adoring crowd, his imposing frame radiating quiet, unshakeable authority.
Sitting safely in Elina's lap, Elyra watched the vibrant spectacle unfold. In her past life as Ryudien, the only crowds she had ever known were faceless masses fleeing in terror or executioners baying for blood. To be the recipient of such raw, unearned warmth felt deeply, uncomfortably alien.
Almost unconsciously, her tiny hand rose, and she offered a shy, hesitant wave to the cheering onlookers.
The reaction was instantaneous.
"Kyaaa! Look, the young lady is waving!" "Oh, the gods above... look at those big blue eyes!" "She has Lady Elina's exact smile!"
The roar of the crowd shifted, doubling in volume as hundreds of voices began chanting directly for the little blonde girl. Damnern's chest swelled with immense, unabashed pride. He beamed down at Elyra, his eyes practically shining. "Well, look at that. My daughter is completely stealing the show."
Elyra felt a sudden, uncharacteristic flush creep up her neck. Why is he looking at me like that? she thought, hastily dropping her hand with a scowl, though a strange, unfamiliar flutter blossomed in her ribs. It's not like I'm doing this for your approval... Yet, for a soul that had spent its entire existence treated as disposable trash, the genuine adoration felt dangerously intoxicating.
A short while later, the procession cleared the city gates, leaving the bustling noise behind as they entered a quiet, sun-dappled stretch of forest road.
Eldern turned away from the window, his attention instantly shifting. "Elyra, look at this!" he chirped excitedly, pulling a thick, hand-drawn parchment map from his small pack.
Curiosity instantly overriding her cynical musings, Elyra scrambled closer, her bright blue eyes locking onto the document. "What... is dat, Eden?" she asked, leaning in.
Eldern grinned, proudly tracing a finger across the ink lines. "Papa gave it to me! See? Right here is where we started in Willowess, and we're heading straight for Valcreat. But before we reach the capital, we have to cross through the Valdwess territory first!"
Elyra squinted at the complex topography marked on the paper, listening to every word with intense, hidden focus.
Valdwess... then Valcreat, she noted inwardly, her adult intellect rapidly memorizing the trade routes and geography. In my previous life, I moved somewhere with Xuver's teleportation ability... I always knew the kingdom was massive, but seeing it mapped out like this...
She blinked, a rare sense of genuine fascination warming her chest. As I expected, learning could actually be this engaging. In this life... can I join the academy when I'm six years old?
An hour slipped by in quiet comfort. Lulled by the steady sway of the carriage and the exhaustion of the morning's excitement, Elyra and Eldern eventually blinked their heavy eyelids and drifted into a deep, peaceful sleep, the parchment map still clutched safely in Eldern's small hands.
Elina glanced down at the two sleeping children, a soft, fond smile gracing her lips. She met Damnern's gaze and subtly gestured for him to keep his voice down. Unable to resist the domestic warmth swelling in his chest, Damnern reached across the bench, wrapping his massive, calloused arms around both his wife and sleeping children in a tight, protective embrace. With a contented sigh, Elina leaned into his side, closing her eyes.
As evening descended, painting the canopy in bruised shades of violet and gold, the last lingering rays of sunlight struck Elyra's face, gently coaxing her awake.
As the carriage slowed to a halt, she rubbed her sleepy eyes and peeked out the window. Her breath hitched.
"Wow…" Elyra gasped softly, entirely captivated by the sprawling, glittering expanse before them.
The imposing, towering gates of Valcreat loomed under the evening stars, the royal capital shining like a galaxy dropped onto the earth. Hundreds of elite palace guards lined the pristine stone avenues, keeping the bustling sea of citizens orderly as the Solv carriage rolled triumphantly into the heart of the kingdom.
To be Continued...