The carriage rolled along the main road.
This time, it was no longer a desperate escape, and with Ivina’s protection, Lucas could finally relax for a moment without keeping his nerves constantly on edge.
From this region to the Capital, it took two full days by carriage.
Throughout the journey, it was mostly Lucas and Relia chatting, while Ivina quietly sat in the carriage compartment with her eyes closed, as if lost in thought.
No one knew what exactly was on her mind.
After several days of travel, Lucas and Relia finally arrived at the Capital.
Having once lived on the borderlands, Lucas and Relia had imagined the Capital countless times.
But even now, upon seeing its true form for the first time, Lucas couldn’t help but marvel—his and Relia’s imaginations had been far too limited.
The kingdom’s Capital was built against the mountains, clearly divided into three distinct tiers from bottom to top.
The carriage followed the winding main road and eventually stopped at the palace square on the highest level.
Relia was stunned by the palace’s magnificence, her mouth agape in astonishment.
The palace gardens had been meticulously tended, with rows upon rows of blooming flowers whose names she could not recall.
Before her stood a grand structure built from creamy-white stone blocks, with a golden dome shimmering brilliantly under the sunlight.
Lucas found himself at a loss for words to describe the palace’s grandeur.
He glanced downwards, taking in the entire Capital.
The mid-level commercial district and the lower residential areas were neatly arranged like a chessboard, orderly and precise.
Soon, Lucas’s attention was drawn to two slightly shorter buildings flanking the palace.
One had a black roof, with flags bearing the insignia of the Capital’s Knight Order fluttering atop.
That was the Capital’s Knight Order—the kingdom’s military force and the very area Ivina was responsible for.
The building next to it had a pure white dome, but Lucas had no idea what it was used for.
“This is the Capital’s palace,” Ivina introduced as she led the way ahead, “and on either side of the palace are the Kingdom’s Knight Order and the Church.”
“If you’re interested, you can visit the Church later.”
Ivina guided Lucas and Relia into the Knight Order building.
She asked them to rest briefly in the hall while she went deeper inside.
They waited for over half a day.
Lucas sat in the hall watching knights come and go, nearly falling asleep from boredom.
Relia, meanwhile, was unusually reserved, clutching her skirt tightly as she sat beside Lucas.
Ivina left when the sun was high, and when she returned, the sun was setting and darkness was approaching.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
Ivina returned with two documents in hand.
“I apologize for taking so long to process the necessary paperwork for you.”
She handed the documents to Lucas.
He glanced over them briefly—proof of identification for himself and Relia in the Capital.
But that wasn’t all. Ivina had also arranged a permanent residence for them.
“Miss Relia, please wait here a little longer. Lucas and I have some matters to discuss.”
Relia obediently nodded and sat back down.
Lucas followed Ivina deeper into the Knight Order, eventually arriving at her office.
“Please, have a seat.”
Lucas and Ivina sat facing each other across the desk.
“Lucas, what I’m about to say must not be shared outside.”
Here it was—likely something related to that Serfi woman.
“First, I have specially authorized your entry into the Kingdom’s Knight Order as a special non-regular member.”
Ivina placed a Knight Order badge on the desk.
“Non-regular member?”
“Joining the Knight Order isn’t easy—you need to pass strict examinations. If you were to enter through connections, others would object. But rest assured, although you’re a non-regular member, you will receive all the benefits and treatment you deserve.”
Lucas wasn’t here to hear that.
“However, as a special member, you will report directly to me and higher authorities. When there’s a task you need to perform, you’ll do it. Otherwise, you carry on with your usual affairs. Do you agree to these terms?”
Lucas considered carefully.
He and Relia had just settled in the Capital, and their livelihood was still unsettled.
Money was urgently needed.
For now, it seemed he had no choice but to accept Ivina’s arrangement.
“No objections.”
“Good. Now, let me tell you about the woman named Serfi.”
Finally, the main point.
“Serfi is one of the leaders of the Eight Sins, a vast criminal organization whose influence spans the entire Morovilla. She’s also one of the kingdom’s top wanted criminals.”
Lucas hadn’t expected Serfi to be just one of the leaders.
If her reach covered all of Morovilla, how many leaders did this organization have?
How large was the group?
“She’s a complete lunatic. Once a doctor, she suddenly became obsessed with human experimentation for reasons unknown. Countless people have died under her hands, used as test subjects.”
“For what purpose?”
“That’s unknown to us. Actually, the entire purpose of the Eight Sins remains unclear. This organization appeared suddenly decades ago and quickly grew strong. There are many Eight Sins members active even inside the kingdom. One of the Knight Order’s special missions is to eliminate these members.”
“So you’re recruiting me to deal with the Eight Sins?”
“Yes. You’ve managed to defeat the Eight Sins leader alone, which suggests the divine authority bestowed upon you is considerable. The kingdom faces many problems because of the Eight Sins. We need strong, fresh blood like you.”
“What about my own mission…”
“There’s a special division within the Knight Order dedicated to investigating unusual incidents within Morovilla. When you have time, you can check there for valuable clues. If the invaders really come from beyond Morovilla, as the gods say, then their invasion signs wouldn’t have gone unnoticed. And don’t worry, we won’t call you to handle every Eight Sins matter.”
At this point, Lucas had no other concerns.
He already had channels to obtain external invasion information, and he and Relia now had a new place to live.
Agreeing to Ivina’s request was acceptable.
Besides, dealing with the Eight Sins came with pay—turning down money would be foolish.
Seeing Lucas accept, Ivina smiled and extended her hand.
Lucas shook it.
“Looking forward to working together. Now, let me give you a new weapon.”
Lucas could actually create weapons from thin air, but he didn’t mention this.
He wasn’t ready to reveal all the effects of his divine authority to Ivina just yet.
Pushing open the armory door, Lucas was met with an overwhelming variety of weapons.
Some he recognized, others he couldn’t even name.
“These weapons were developed by the kingdom’s workshops based on the ones forged by the Creator God. Some you probably haven’t seen before—after all, many people don’t prefer to use certain weapons.” Ivina introduced the armory’s inventory one by one.
Lucas listened to Ivina’s explanations while his gaze roamed over the weapons.
Eventually, it settled on one uniquely shaped weapon.
He stepped forward and grasped it.
“Oh? This is… a saw spear?”
Ivina looked at Lucas with interest.
“I didn’t expect you to be interested in something like this.”