Chapter 746: Golden Chariot

Later the next day, the group was still traveling south, drawing close to Albert’s former settlement. Elion was curious about what had been left behind, but he decided against going there. There was little point in wasting time confirming something he already knew, especially when they were moving much more slowly than he would have liked.

He glanced back toward the people Solara and Althea’s group had found. There were a little fewer than twenty of them, and despite their numbers, they had been surprisingly easy to manage.

Elion had already told them that they would need to fend for themselves, and none had objected. They simply followed along, helping when necessary and keeping their complaints to themselves. Perhaps they believed that staying with this group was their best chance of surviving.

Little did he know that his own presence had quite a lot to do with their docile behavior. Whenever he spoke to them, he adopted a serious tone, unknowingly allowing his Presence to leak out.

The poor young men and women could barely breathe beneath it, much less find the courage to argue with him. To them, he seemed like a natural-born leader, someone who expected to be obeyed and had the strength to make sure he was.

Some of the young women found that particularly appealing, and his towering height and impossibly handsome face only seemed to fan those little flames blooming in their hearts.

The second-years, meanwhile, had spent much of the day trying to get on his good side, almost to the point of bootlicking. Elion wasn’t buying it. He knew what they wanted, and he had already made it clear that he had heard about their attempts to approach his women.

Their horrified expressions had been quite entertaining.

They had wasted no time apologizing, explaining that they hadn’t known the three were already spoken for. Elion had ignored most of it. Whether or not he would sell them any liquid mana was something he had already decided against, and their incessant attempts to please him weren’t helping their case.

Makho, however, had done no such thing. He had nothing to apologize for, and he seemed perfectly content to keep to himself. The red-haired young man rarely spoke unless someone addressed him, and his expressions gave away very little.

Elion regarded him for a moment before turning toward Mira, Tessa, and Isolde.

The three were walking together, with Mira and Tessa occasionally nudging the poor elf between them. Isolde could only blush and play with her hair, looking at the ground, her pointed ears turning pink whenever one of them whispered something in her ear.

They had been teasing her all day.

’How did they figure it out so quickly?’

It was almost unsettling. He hadn’t said anything, and he was quite certain Isolde hadn’t gone out of her way to announce what had happened the previous night. Somehow, the pair had known anyway.

"Elion."

Maya approached from the side, drawing his attention away from them.

"Something wrong?"

"No. I thought we should discuss what you learned about the formation," she said. "If understanding it requires that much strength, I doubt any of us will be able to help you."

"Perhaps not yet." Elion glanced at her. "Actually, I’ve been meaning to ask about your Orikari bloodline. Has anything changed since you integrated it?"

Maya looked around before moving a little closer and lowering her voice.

"A few things. I’ve gained some abilities, though I’m still trying to understand how they work. But the most important part, at least to me, is the knowledge that came with it."

"Knowledge?"

"Memories of formations," she whispered. "Sometimes, when I sleep, I dream about someone creating them. The details are so clear that I’ve started calling them visions instead."

Elion raised a brow.

"Can you remember them after waking up?"

"Some of them. Enough to realize that I have no hope of understanding what I’m seeing." She smiled wryly. "I don’t even know where to start, much less how to create one myself. But I want to learn. It would be a waste to leave all that knowledge sitting in my head."

"It certainly would."

Given what they had discovered beneath the rift, Elion was becoming increasingly aware of how useful formations could be. If Maya could eventually make use of those memories, the benefits would be considerable.

He summoned a waterskin and passed it to her.

Maya accepted it before looking down, her steps slowing as she realized what it was.

"Elion...?"

"For you and the others... We need all the additional strength we can get. The gains decrease with every dose, but you should benefit from it much more than I do. Perhaps some of you will even break through to the next major stage."

She looked from the waterskin to him, holding it a little more carefully.

"Thank you. Really."

"Just make sure everyone takes their time. There’s no point in forcing a breakthrough if it damages your cores."

Maya nodded before returning to Mayumi and the others. Judging by the bright smiles waiting for her, they had already seen what he had handed over.

Mayumi looked back at him, giving him a thumbs-up before blowing him a kiss.

Elion could only smile wryly and shake his head. She had gotten into the habit of teasing him recently, and he wasn’t quite sure what to make of it.

As for Princess Isla, Holy Daughter Solara, and Paladin Althea...

He looked up.

Their so-called fast means of travel was a freaking golden chariot.

It glided a short distance above the group, its polished frame gleaming beneath the sunlight. Delicate patterns ran along its curved sides, while pale strands of light trailed from its wheels without ever touching the ground.

Before it, an ethereal steed beat its magnificent wings, its translucent mane streaming behind it like flowing silver. Each movement carried the chariot forward with effortless grace, the entire sight looking as though it had been plucked from a painting of the heavens.

It was beautiful.

It was also becoming rather annoying to look at while he walked beneath it.

The three women seemed perfectly comfortable up there, spared the uneven ground and the occasional stretches of mud. Now he understood how they had traveled to the eastern landmass and back so quickly.

’Must be nice.’

They had left their other three escorts down below: one belonging to Solara and two accompanying Princess Isla. The princess’s escorts were young knights in training, which wasn’t particularly surprising. Someone of her standing would naturally have people assigned to protect her, even inside the Legacy World.

Elion had to admit they had been well trained. They knew how to handle themselves, followed instructions without unnecessary arguments, and remained attentive even when the journey became tedious.

The group had encountered its fair share of monsters along the way, after all, and Elion hadn’t needed to lift a single finger.

He slowed his steps until Mira, Tessa, and Isolde caught up, then reached out to pat Mira’s head.

"What are you three whispering about?"

"Nothing you need to worry about," Mira replied, smiling as she leaned into his hand.

Tessa eyed him when he reached toward her next. "I’m not a child, you know."

"Of course not." He said exaggeratedly, eyeing her voluptuous chest with a lecherous smile. She didn’t seem to notice, though.

"Then stop treating me like one."

Despite her complaints, she made no attempt to move away. Elion gave her another pat before turning to Isolde, gently running his fingers over her hair. She looked up at him with a shy smile, and he found himself staying on her a little longer.

"Seriously?" Tessa asked. "You barely touched my head!" She complained.