Chapter 161 - 87: The Last Chance

Chapter 161: Chapter 87: The Last Chance

Victor looked at her for a moment.

"...I’m sorry," he began. "I can’t go there with you."

Lilia: "..."

’She knew it.’

The girl crossed her arms and turned her face away, refusing to look at him.

Victor instinctively took a step forward, reaching out to touch her, to draw her gaze back to him. But his arm froze midway.

In the end, he simply opened his mouth to say, "If it were possible, I would wish for you to never go there."

"But..."

He knew Lilia.

He knew she was a strong, stubborn girl who would never give up until she achieved her goal.

In her search for the truth, she was never afraid of hardship or danger.

She would only ever press forward on the path she had chosen.

Victor lowered his head. Out of Lilia’s sight, the corner of his mouth lifted into a smile that was somewhere between helpless and relieved. "But you won’t listen to me, will you."

"Who says I won’t?" Lilia retorted.

Victor froze for a second, then looked up at her.

Lilia was looking at him, too, her gaze filled with a desperate resolve. "As long as you’re willing to tell me what you discovered in that mountain range, I promise you I’ll never go near it for the rest of my life."

"But if you’re not willing to tell me, then I’ll just have to go see for myself with my own two eyes."

Victor’s Adam’s apple bobbed. "...You’ve been investigating these past few days."

Lilia didn’t deny it. "I’m not working alone, you know."

"..."

Victor fell silent.

He seemed to be thinking, weighing his options.

Looking at his expression, Lilia simply couldn’t understand.

’She didn’t get it.’

’What in the world was hidden in that mountain range? Could the secret really be so important that he couldn’t even tell her?’

She clutched the hem of her clothes. "...One day."

Lilia said in a low voice, "I’ll give you one day to think about it."

"Tonight, I’m going to the Valgipps Mountain Range with Jennifer and the others."

"If you change your mind before then and decide to tell me the secret... I’ll cancel my plans and stay in Navia. I could even return to Hillflan as you wish and never come back."

"But if you still haven’t shown up by midnight, if you’ve really decided to keep this secret from me forever..."

The girl’s voice was firm. "Then I will find the answers my own way."

She had said her piece.

Lilia didn’t even wait to see how Victor would respond.

She backed away, one step, then two.

Once she had put enough distance between herself and the young man, she turned and left.

The hem of her skirt cut a sharp arc through the air, like a gust of formless, intangible wind.

Gentle, yet unyielding.

Never stopping for anyone’s will.

...

Jennifer was highly efficient.

That very evening, she knocked on Lilia’s door to inform her that all the paths had been cleared and any overt threats had been eliminated.

They could depart for the secret-shrouded heartland at any time.

From Jennifer’s report, Lilia learned that the reason it had taken so long was not only because they had to scout for dangers and analyze the Magic Circles, but also because numerous Defense Techniques had been placed in the surrounding area to block their approach.

The traces of these Magic Techniques were recent, clearly left behind by Victor.

He wasn’t necessarily guarding against anything specific; perhaps he just didn’t want anyone getting close, or wandering in by mistake.

After all, for the ordinary residents of Navia, an Artificial Spiritual Vein filled with Demonic Qi and containing unknown secrets was extremely dangerous.

If someone were to wander in by mistake, they might die without ever knowing how.

Even on Lilia’s end, despite their thorough preparations, they couldn’t afford to be careless.

In the last playthrough, she had dominated the Demon’s forces, but that didn’t mean they were weak—only that she had happened to find a way to suppress them.

This time, however, a powerful, High-level Demon might be slumbering within the Spirit Vein. The narrow environment in the heart of the mountains meant they couldn’t use Magic Crystal Bombs as a weapon. If one exploded, it was uncertain whether the Demon would die, but Lilia’s people almost certainly would.

With so many restrictions, a single careless mistake could lead to disaster.

Lilia stood at the entrance to the courtyard, listening to Jennifer’s reports one after another.

"...I’ve already prepared contingency plans for all potential dangers," Jennifer said, pushing up her glasses. "Princess Lilia, we can depart now."

Lilia nodded lightly. "What time is it?"

"Eleven-thirty. There’s half an hour until midnight."

"Then we’ll leave in half an hour."

"Understood!"

Jennifer didn’t ask why. The Lord’s decisions didn’t require an explanation to her.

They weren’t taking many people this time—only Nokes, who knew Divine Arts, and a few powerful Knights.

After receiving her orders, Jennifer withdrew to continue discussing tactics with the others.

No matter what might happen in the Spirit Vein, they had to ensure Lilia’s safety.

In the sky, the clouds under the moonlight were shrouded in heavy shadows, looking pitch-black and incredibly somber.

They were pushed ever forward by the wind, like the ceaseless flow of time.

Soon, half an hour had passed.

Jennifer appeared by Lilia’s side right on time. "Your Highness, it’s time."

Lilia kept her gaze fixed on the distance.

That was where Victor was.

If he had made up his mind to tell her, then he should have appeared before her right then and there.

But he hadn’t.

He would rather Lilia face danger and the unknown herself than tell her the secret with his own lips.

Lilia clenched her fists.

’That guy...’

’What in the world is he thinking?’

’And what is he so insistent on?’

"Your Highness?" Jennifer spoke again when Lilia remained silent.

Lilia pulled back her gaze, her lips set in a tight line. "Inform everyone. We’re moving out."

...

Under the cover of night, the group arrived near the Valgipps Mountain Range.

The moonlight was bright tonight.

It pierced through the clouds, illuminating the entire mountain range in sharp detail.

The advance team led by Jennifer had already carved a passage into the mountain leading to its core. For the past few days, several Knights had stood guard nearby, remaining vigilant for danger while also ensuring no one else approached.

Led by Jennifer, Lilia arrived at the entrance.

The Knights saluted her and reported the day’s situation in a serious tone.

As always, no one had come near, and there was no movement from within.

Jennifer nodded to show she understood.

Time had been limited, so the passage they had carved was extremely narrow, barely wide enough for two people to walk side-by-side.

For safety, Jennifer had the personnel entering line up in single file.

A Knight with keen senses was at the front, with an experienced Mage at the rear.

Lilia was positioned in the middle, where she wouldn’t be the first to encounter danger and could also retreat at the fastest possible speed.

Lilia focused, listening to the steady, rhythmic footsteps of their group.

The deeper they went, the clearer the footsteps became, even drowning out the pounding of her heart.

「About ten minutes passed.」

The Knight at the front called out in a low voice, "We’re here."