253: Take a ride

Chapter 253: Hitching a Ride

An hour later, at the Beast Training Ground in the Northern suburbs of the Royal Capital.

Three adult White Feather Beasts lay here, stretching their pure white wings, their heads lowered as they grazed on fodder.

Even while lying down, the White Feather Beasts were nearly thirty meters high, like small mountains, truly colossal Beasts.

After millions of years of breeding by beast tamers, this docile herbivorous Beast has been completely domesticated, becoming an incredibly reliable aerial mode of transportation.

With a single feeding, a White Feather Beast can fly continuously for a week without landing, making it perfect for long-distance journeys.

Not only that, but through long-term cultivation, the White Feather Beast has excellent weight-bearing capacity and incredibly stable flight, with almost no shaking.

Therefore, people build wooden structures on their flat, spacious backs, turning the White Feather Beasts into mobile houses, further enhancing the riding experience.

However, raising White Feather Beasts is very troublesome, requiring beast tamers of at least level 40 to be competent. Thus, their price is also outrageously expensive.

The entire Aimiya Empire only has three White Feather Beasts, all of which are in the Beast Training Ground in the Northern suburbs of the Royal Capital. The cost to rent one is as high as ten thousand gold coins!

"I can pay two hundred thousand gold coins, which is more than enough to rent three White Feather Beasts. You're not refusing to rent to us just because we're Toyans, are you?"

The burly military officer who had previously welcomed Victoria was now arguing fiercely with the Beast Training Ground owner.

His spitting, agitated appearance made it seem as though he would draw his sword and kill someone in the street the next second.

"This, sir, we often do business with foreigners, there is absolutely no discrimination..."

The Beast Training Ground owner was terrified, waving his hands repeatedly. He was truly afraid of being killed by a sword.

"If that's the case, then stop talking nonsense, rent them quickly! We need to ride the White Feather Beasts and leave now!"

Facing the aggressive military officer, the Beast Training Ground owner still didn't agree, only saying helplessly, "These three White Feather Beasts have already been rented to someone else. We must conduct business with integrity and cannot breach the contract..."

"Damn it, how can there be such a coincidence?" The burly military officer grew angrier the more he thought about it. He immediately stepped forward, grabbed the Beast Training Ground owner by the collar, and lifted him high.

Just as the officer was about to throw a punch, Victoria spoke up from behind him.

"Calm down, don't cause trouble. We can't waste time here."

With that, Victoria slowly stepped forward, looked up at the Beast Training Ground owner still held in mid-air, and said gently, "Whatever the guest who rented these three White Feather Beasts paid, we can pay three times that!"

Upon hearing "three times," the fear on the Beast Training Ground owner's face immediately vanished, replaced by greed blossoming in his eyes.

But soon, he seemed to remember something and said helplessly, "Still, still no. We cannot breach the contract, it's a matter of reputation..."

Hearing this, Victoria's delicate brows furrowed slightly. She had clearly just seen the greed in the Beast Training Ground owner's eyes and thought it would work, but she didn't expect him to still refuse?

"What kind of damn reputation? Three times the price is more than enough to cover the breach of contract penalty! You're clearly discriminating against Toyans, deliberately refusing to rent to us..."

The burly military officer couldn't hold back and immediately wanted to punch the Beast Training Ground owner.

"Wait!"

Victoria still stopped the officer. After taking a light breath, she looked at the Beast Training Ground owner and asked, "May I ask who the guest who rented these three White Feather Beasts is?"

"It, it's the newly appointed Count Grudia. He is a favorite in the Empress's eyes and has extremely high prestige in the Royal Capital. If I offend him, I'm afraid the entire Beast Training Ground might go out of business..."

Hearing this, Victoria's face darkened, and she clenched her fists.

So it was Dick pulling the strings. He truly predicted everything like a god, knowing that she would choose to ride a White Feather Beast and take the safe aerial route back to her country, which is why he rented the three White Feather Beasts in advance.

Damn Dick, it's you again!

You've ruined my plans time and time again. The failed assassination in the Underground City was because of you, and now it's you again!

"Let's go."

Victoria scoffed coldly, not wanting to waste any more time here. Since Dick had intervened, even if they talked themselves hoarse today, it would be impossible for them to rent a single White Feather Beast.

Just as Victoria was thinking about how to return to her country safely, a cheerful young voice called out to her.

"Yo, isn't this the Princess of the Toya Empire, the number one Rogue talent in the Northern region, the future Toya Empress, Lady Victoria?"

Hearing this, a vein bulged on Victoria's forehead. She turned back indignantly and looked at Dick, saying coldly, "What do you want? Have you come to humiliate me?"

As she spoke, Victoria also noticed two young girls wearing white fox masks behind Dick, one flat-chested, the other with ample curves.

Evidently, the two were Elizabeth and Cecilia.

Seeing this, Victoria became even more certain that Dick had come here just to humiliate her.

On the other side, Elizabeth was speechless. She hadn't expected that coming to see Dick off today, she would actually run into Victoria coming to rent a White Feather Beast.

What was even more awkward was that these three White Feather Beasts were exactly the mode of transportation for Dick and his group going to the Eternal Frost Forest. She hadn't expected Victoria would also need them to return to her country.

But thinking about it, it made sense. White Feather Beasts travel by air, are fast, highly safe, and comfortable. It was normal for Victoria to want to ride a White Feather Beast back to her country.

But their Aimiya Empire only had three White Feather Beasts...

"Your Toya Empire has been so generous, giving us three hundred and thirty million gold coins and even half a year of tax exemption. I am grateful beyond words, how could I possibly humiliate you?"

At this moment, although Dick's expression was gentle, combined with what he said, in Victoria's eyes, it was nothing short of the highest level of mockery!

"Damn it, Dick Grudia, you will pay for your rudeness sooner or later..."

Looking at the completely flustered Victoria, Dick waved his hand and interrupted, "I just happen to be heading to the Eternal Frost Forest in the Northern region, which also passes through the Toya Empire. I could give you a ride along the way."

Hearing this, Victoria was stunned again and again. She blinked her eyes, feeling like she couldn't understand what Dick was saying.

"Wha- what kind of joke is this? Do you think I would ride together with you? What an utterly boring suggestion..."

Victoria was now extremely paranoid, feeling like everyone wanted to kill her, and people from the Aimiya Empire were especially suspicious.

Ride together with Dick?

She was afraid she wouldn't even know how she died!

Looking at Victoria's mocking face, Dick shook his head. He didn't expect this cautious Toya Princess to agree.

Although, Dick actually wanted to protect Victoria. After all, he was also worried that Victoria might encounter misfortune on her way back to her country, which would affect his grand plan.

"Princess, this old man will also accompany you. You can rest assured about riding together."

Just then, Fama spoke up. As one of the examiners for the Elite assessment, and also for his own longevity plan, he was originally going to travel to the Eternal Frost Forest with them.

Coincidentally, he could become the basis of Victoria's trust, allowing this suspicious Toya Princess to get on board.

Indeed, when Victoria saw that Fama would also accompany them, she was immediately overjoyed. She had originally planned to find Fama to be her bodyguard.

One must know that Fama was a person from their Toya Empire. As the President of the Adventurers Guild, he was very close to the Toya Royal Family and was absolutely trustworthy!

Furthermore, during the rest of the journey, if she could get Fama to help eliminate Dick, that would be even better!