Chapter 16: A Spy has many uses

The golden hues of twilight faded into the cool indigo of evening as the setting sun dipped below the horizon, signaling that the time for departure had finally arrived.

Craig walked out through the heavy double doors of the White Rose Palace, the cool night breeze catching his long, crimson hair.

Below the marble stairs, the central courtyard was a scene of disciplined activity.

Over thirty elite guards stood waiting, draped in gleaming silver plate armor with the Darkstar crest etched into their breastplates.

They were armed to the teeth with steel broadswords, cross-bows, and heavy lances, mounted atop sturdy warhorses that stomped their hooves against the cobblestones.

A palpable air of excitement vibrated through the ranks.

Every soldier in the retinue knew the significance of this journey.

Their young master, the Seventh Young Master who had ruled their frontier barony with wisdom and leniency for five years, was finally heading to the grand capital to undergo the sacred Dragon’s Calling ritual.

If Craig successfully awakened his mana core publicly and tamed a true dragon, he would instantly transcend his status, becoming an official Dragon Rider.

From there, he would climb the ruthless hierarchy of the Darkstar bloodline until he was certified as a full-fledged Dragon Lord—a power that would elevate the entire Lucerion Barony along with him.

Ser Hughway noticed his liege’s arrival and immediately marched forward, bowing his head in deep respect.

"My Lord. Everything is prepared."

Hughway gestured toward the luxurious, dark-steel royal carriage parked at the center of the escort.

"I must inform you, My Lord... the carriage interior has been optimized strictly for comfort and defense, meaning it is not suitable for carrying heavy travel trunks or bulky luggage.

However, I have placed a heavy chest containing several stacks of imperial gold coins inside your seating compartment. You may purchase new silks, formal armor, and any necessary goods the moment we arrive in the City of Dragons.

The rest of our heavy supplies and goods will follow behind us in a merchant caravan and should arrive a few days later."

Craig gave a calm, approving nod. "You have done well, Hughway."

Looking past the commander, Craig spotted the two Sword Runner knights conversing in low, cheerful tones with their squad leaders, lighthearted smiles on their faces as they checked their horses’ reins.

However, as Craig’s golden eyes swept further to the right, his gaze locked onto a figure standing near the step of the royal carriage.

It was Arya.

She wore a simple traveling cloak over her maid’s dress, holding a small leather satchel in her hands as she looked around with an eager, expectant expression.

Craig’s eyebrows furrowed, his eyes narrowing into a cold, dangerous slit.

Ser Hughway immediately caught the drastic shift in his liege’s atmosphere. ℴℴ𝘮

He turned his head, following Craig’s glare toward the young maid, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"My Lord... is there an issue?" Ser Hughway asked softly, leaning in close. "Did you not grant her permission to accompany the retinue to visit her brother?"

"Yes, I did," Craig replied smoothly, his tone low so the surrounding guards wouldn’t overhear.

Then, his cold frown deepened. "Because she is a spy planted here by one of my fellow successor siblings."

Ser Hughway’s entire body went rigid.

His hand instinctively twitched toward the pommel of his longsword, his eyes flashing with sudden, murderous intent.

"She served me a concoction of mana-corrupting tea before my rest," Craig continued, his voice dripping with icy disdain.

"A slow-acting poison designed specifically to rot my mana pathways from the inside out and ensure I fail miserably during the Dragon’s Calling ceremony."

"A spy?" Ser Hughway gritted his teeth, a dark vein bulging on his temple as he glared at the distant girl. "If that is true, My Lord... why is she still drawing breath? Allow me to take her head this instant!"

Craig held up a single hand, a faint, dark smile touching his lips. "Because a dead spy is useless, Hughway. A live one, however, can be fed false information.

I will use her as a puppet to set a trap for whichever successor planted her in my estate. I intend to find out exactly which of my dear brothers or sisters wants me crippled."

Craig turned his head, locking eyes with his Lord Commander.

"For now, act completely oblivious. Treat her with normal courtesy, give her free reign, and make her feel completely welcomed and unsuspected. Let her believe her plan is working flawlessly."

Ser Hughway took a slow, deep breath, wrestling his rage back under control before bowing his head sharply.

"Understood, My Lord. It shall be done as you command."

Turning back toward the courtyard, Ser Hughway raised his gauntleted hand and clapped loudly, the sharp metallic sound cutting through the chatter of the soldiers.

"Attention!" Hughway bellowed, his voice booming across the estate grounds.

"The Lord Baron is beginning his journey! All squads, assume defensive vanguard formations!"

The soldiers instantly snapped to attention, their leather saddles creaking as they sat tall in their stirrups.

A footman stepped forward and pulled open the heavy, rune-reinforced door of the royal dark-steel carriage.

Craig stepped up the polished wooden stairs, entering the grand, velvet-lined interior and taking his seat on the soft leather bench.

Arya followed closely behind, bowing her head submissively as she boarded, taking a seat on the opposite bench near the door with a timid, grateful smile.

Finally, Ser Hughway stepped inside, taking his position right beside Craig, his broad frame filling the compartment as the heavy door slammed shut and locked from the inside.

CRACK!

The coachman whipped the reins, and the heavy warhorses surged forward. Flanked on all sides by the thirty silver-armored guards and led by the two elite Sword Runner knights, the royal dark-steel carriage rolled out of the White Rose Palace, thunderously crossing the drawbridge and embarking onto the main imperial road.

Because the Lucerion Barony was situated at the far eastern outskirts of the Darkstar Duchy, a massive geographical expanse stood between Craig’s frontier land and the central heartland.

A distance of over six hundred kilometers stretched across the rugged wilderness, rocky canyons, and sprawling valleys.

Under normal circumstances, such a journey would take a standard merchant caravan over a week of continuous travel.

However, Craig’s escort was no ordinary traveling party.

Mounted entirely on high-grade warhorses bred for supernatural stamina and pulling a lightened carriage reinforced with weight-reduction runes, the unit pressed forward at a blistering, relentless pace.

They rode straight through the cold night, bypassing smaller border towns, stopping only briefly at high-speed coaching stations to swap out tired steeds for fresh, fully rested warhorses.

As the wheels churned through the night and into the next afternoon, the landscape began to shift dramatically.

The rugged, desolate hills of the frontier gradually gave way to sprawling, paved imperial highways flanked by massive stone arches and towering magic-infused streetlamps.

The air grew dense, heavy with the ambient mana of millions of residents and the distinct, sulfurous trace of high-tier abominations.

Finally, as the setting sun began to paint the western sky in brilliant shades of dark violet and burnished gold the following day, the high cliffs gave way to a breathtaking sight.

Loomed up in the distance, spanning across the horizon as far as the eye could see, was the gargantuan, unyielding silhouette of the grand capital.

They had arrived at the outer gates of the City of Dragons.