Leaving the Imperial Capital, the surrounding environment gradually matched Winidice’s stereotypes of Western fantasy elements: gray stone paths cutting through vast grasslands, windmills visible everywhere, and children blooming with joy like flowers… After seeing it enough, it inevitably felt a bit boring.
Furthermore, Winidice encountered a troublesome problem she had never faced before — she was motion sick.
“Ugh… I want to throw up…”
The slender girl lay listlessly on the bed, her enviable silver hair seemingly losing its luster.
The Empire’s most beautiful flower was currently experiencing the most haggard moment of her life, a sight that would make anyone’s heart ache.
“I’ve already had the chef make some apple porridge. Just bear with it for a little longer.”
Isabella held her hand, her heart aching for her friend.
To handle emergencies, the convoy was equipped with priests skilled in healing magic, but the priest felt helpless after examining Winidice’s body.
After all, this young lady wasn’t suffering from any illness; her body was simply too delicate to handle the rugged mountain roads.
“Once we return, I don’t care what you say, I’m going to make you exercise. If you refuse, I’ll go beg Uncle Vidal.”
Isabella rarely showed such a forceful side in front of Winidice, but once she did, Winidice knew this wasn’t something she could escape by just acting cute.
Thus, she could only endure the nausea churning in her stomach while looking pitifully at Isabella with watery eyes.
The effect was outstanding.
Anyone who saw the girl’s pitiable state would have their heart softened.
Because of this, Isabella simply turned her gaze toward the window, cutting off the possibility of her own resolve weakening at the source.
“Arns.”
She called out a name.
A moment later, the Deputy Commander of the Royal Knights, clad in silver armor and mounted on a white horse, approached the carriage and struck his chest with one hand in a gesture of respect.
“Your orders, Princess.”
“How much longer until the next town?”
Isabella didn’t use many words with this rigid knight; simple commands were more effective.
“In response to Your Highness, the next town is Mohovi City. It is a town on the very edge of the Empire, approximately 120 kilometers from here. At our current speed, it will take 6 hours.”
6 hours?
Isabella furrowed her beautiful brows and glanced sideways at the suffering Winidice.
‘6 hours? Does Windi have to suffer like this for another 6 hours?’
She was very dissatisfied with this result.
Since that was the case, she would have to do something beyond her official duties.
“Arns!”
Isabella’s voice suddenly turned stern.
The rigid knight immediately straightened his back upon hearing her tone, respectfully awaiting the Princess’s orders.
However, the command he received was far beyond his expectations.
“Windi and I are leaving the convoy.”
Arns was stunned.
He looked at the Princess’s face; that beautiful countenance held not a hint of a joke.
The Royal Knight was suddenly caught in a dilemma.
This was an order from the Princess, and as a Royal Knight, he should not and could not refuse.
However, before they departed, His Majesty had also instructed him to protect the safety of the Princess and Lady Winidice at all times.
Since both sides giving orders were royalty, whom should he listen to…?
The Princess sensed his hesitation and timely added more weight to her side of the knight’s internal scale.
“Before we left, Father stated publicly that I am in full charge of this operation.”
“Yes!”
Two against one.
The Royal Knight readily accepted the Princess’s order, but just as he was about to find horses for the two young ladies, the Princess issued a new directive.
“Arns, both you and Uncle Aaron are 8th-rank Warriors. If you leave, the Envoy Group will surely fall into chaos!”
Isabella spoke with a serious expression.
The knight thought for a moment and realized she was right.
Seeing his bewildered look, the Princess felt a secret sense of amusement.
“Therefore, neither you nor Uncle Aaron can leave, and our departure cannot attract any attention… I know. Go to Hiberton and borrow that 7th-rank Mage from the Pers Family in my name.”
Arns listened, dumbfounded.
His not-so-bright brain had completely stalled, and his face turned red with effort until he finally managed to squeeze out a sentence.
“This… this might not be appropriate, right?”
“Are you intending to defy a royal command?!”
Arns immediately fell silent.
With his heart pounding, he prepared to go to the Pers Family’s carriage to borrow that female mage.
“By the way, have Uncle Aaron come here for a moment.”
As the knight was leaving, Isabella tossed out another sentence.
She was right; Aaron and Arns had to stay with the convoy to ensure everything ran normally.
But different people required different methods.
To deal with Arns, she could use royal authority, but for Aaron, she needed a different approach.
Clop, clop, clop…
The sound of hurried hoofbeats quickly traveled from the rear of the convoy to the carriage.
Aaron, who had just learned of the situation from Arns, didn’t even have time to question her before he saw the blonde girl’s aggrieved, red-eyed look.
His prepared lecture instantly dissolved.
“Uncle Aaron~~”
Isabella cried out pitifully.
Her soft, delicate voice made Aaron tremble; even a heart of steel would have melted at that moment.
“Isa… Princess, what… what’s happened to you?”
Aaron asked incoherently.
Winidice was the young lady he doted on, but he had also watched Isabella grow up since she was a child.
Seeing the two girls he pampered most looking so miserable and aggrieved in the carriage, how could he not understand what they needed right now?
But… if he let them leave his sight and they encountered danger, what would he do?
His stance wavered several times before finally turning into a long sigh.
“Your Highness, Mohovi City is near the border, and the internal factions there are extremely complex. If you and the Young Lady go there, remember to keep a low profile. Even if you find something interesting, you must wait for us to arrive before doing anything.”
“His Majesty has reserved plenty of time for us. It wouldn’t be impossible to spend a few days playing in Mohovi City.”
“The Young Lady has a delicate constitution and has lived a secluded life at home; she isn’t familiar with the outside world. Princess, please take good care of her.”
Aaron gave his earnest instructions, and Isabella simply nodded obediently, trying her best to maintain her image as a good girl.
Right at that moment, Arns returned, having borrowed the 7th-rank Mage from the Pers Family.
This mage, who possessed a mature figure, was so frightened after hearing Arns’s explanation that her legs went weak.
However, she didn’t dare defy a royal command and could only nerve herself to approach the most luxurious carriage in the entire convoy.
“Are you Mela? The 7th-rank Mage supported by the Pers Family?”
Aaron carefully scrutinized the woman.
From this close distance, he could indeed feel the dense magical power emanating from her.
She was indeed a 7th-rank Mage.
It should be fine for her to protect the Young Lady for a while in his and Arns’s stead.
“Yes, Lord Aaron,” Mela answered, steeling herself.
The pressure of an 8th-rank Warrior bore down on her like a mountain.
If Mela hadn’t seen something of the world, she probably would have turned and fled by now.
‘Admirable courage. Barely passing.’
Aaron’s expression softened.
He withdrew his aura and replaced it with a gentle smile as he patted the 7th-rank Mage on the shoulder.
“Remember to protect the Young Lady and Her Highness well.”
“Yes!”
Mela instinctively stood up straight, though she was bitter in her heart.
‘These two young ladies are certainly not easy to deal with. I really shouldn’t have come on this trip.’
But there was no way out now.
Mela couldn’t refuse, so she cast Invisibility Magic around herself and pulled a scroll from her robes.
“Oh? A Magic Carpet?”
Winidice, who had been lying on the bed resting with her eyes closed, opened them to see this scene, and her dull eyes suddenly lit up.
She had wanted to ride a Magic Carpet for a long time, but her elders had always worried about safety and never allowed it.
She hadn’t expected to realize this wish today.
“Yes. Ever since you proposed the concept of the Magic Carpet 5 years ago, Lady Winidice, the Royal Academy of Magic has produced a batch of prototypes.”
Hearing the eldest daughter of the Trenton Family take the initiative to speak to her, Mela’s voice trembled slightly.
After all, beyond her noble status, this girl was a genius whose future achievements would surely surpass those of the Great Mage Moredi!
“This Magic Carpet was given to me by my mentor. My research project was how to increase its weight capacity.”
“Mm-hm. So, how is your project coming along?”
Winidice nodded.
When the first batch of Magic Carpets was created, the Dean had shown them to her.
At that time, a Magic Carpet could only carry about 5 kilograms, which was a far cry from the flying Magic Carpet she had imagined.
“200 kilograms. I think that should be enough for the three of us.”
Mela grew nervous.
If she could get Winidice’s approval, her project would be 80% successful!
“Isn’t that great!!!”
‘It’s settled! It’s settled!’
Before she could rejoice over her project passing, what followed was a lesson from the genius mage.
“But I just checked with Spirit Vision, and your weight capacity is entirely built up by stacking flight magic.”
“Also, the gaps between the various arrays are too large. If they were arranged better, you could definitely add a few more arrays.”
“There are also problems with the engraving of the Magic Array. Don’t just memorize what your teacher taught; you need to be flexible. For example, the elemental arrangement here could be changed.”
Isabella and the other two didn’t understand magic, but it wasn’t hard to tell from Mela’s increasingly cramped gestures that everything Winidice said was the truth.
‘Windi really is a magical genius.’
Isabella sighed inwardly, then grabbed Winidice’s hand and smiled at Mela.
“Miss Mela, we’ll rely on you to escort us to Mohovi City.”
“Of course, of course! Please step onto the Magic Carpet. I’ve already set up Invisibility Magic on it; no one will notice your departure!”
The rescued Mela hurried to spread the Magic Carpet to welcome the two young ladies.
Because the path was narrow, the ceremonial procession moved in a single long line.
Thanks to the fact that Winidice’s carriage was large enough, the people behind couldn’t see what was happening here at all, allowing the three of them to leave the group silently.
Watching the Magic Carpet rapidly recede, Arns hesitated for a moment and then asked for Aaron’s opinion.
“Lord Aaron, is it really okay to let Her Highness and the Lady leave like this?”
He knew his own intelligence was lacking, so he sought help from Aaron, who seemed smarter.
“They’re already gone, what’s the use of saying all that now? Order the convoy to speed up and reach Mohovi City as soon as possible!”
Aaron rolled his eyes at him.
Just as he was about to turn his horse back to the rear of the line, a servant suddenly arrived with a bowl of apple porridge…