Chapter 145: Eyes on the Horizon, Blades at Our Backs

Duke Arkwright stood motionless for a long moment after the doors closed, his sharp blue eyes fixed on the spot where the peculiar group had stood. The pleasant facade he had maintained for the princess fully melted away, leaving only cold calculation.Gareth broke the silence, his voice tight with frustration. "Your Grace, are we truly just letting them walk free? They’re dangerous. Unpredictable. My scouts lost track of them completely after they left the duke’s residence, and then they reappeared at the Crags and back here in less than a day. That’s not normal. That’s... unsettling."

The Duke finally turned, walking back to his desk and lowering himself into his chair. He steepled his fingers. "Worrying over them is a waste of energy, Gareth. The matter will resolve itself."

"How?" Gareth pressed, stepping closer. "The path you suggested? The Ghostwind Gorge?"

A thin, humorless smile touched the Duke’s lips. "Precisely. According to the latest reports from Count Helbert, that region has become a nest for the bandit groups that have been plaguing our northern trade routes. Not just bandits, either. The ’anomalies’ there are rumored to be a breeding ground for mutated creatures drawn by the distorted mana flows. It’s a perfect, untraceable graveyard." He looked up at his captain. "Even if they could best a wind spirit, every power has its limits. A prolonged gauntlet of bandit ambushes and monster swarms in treacherous terrain will wear down even the strongest. They will be slowed, injured, perhaps even killed. If nothing else, it will bleed them considerably."

Gareth considered this, then voiced his doubt. "I understand the logic, Your Grace. But what if they ignore your suggestion? What if they take the main, safer road?"

"Then the situation becomes even simpler," the Duke replied, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial tone. "I have already dispatched a specialized expeditionary team—the one supposedly investigating ’rogue entities’ in the region. Their orders are to patrol the main southern route toward Red Hollow Pass. If the princess’s group appears there, looking tired or wounded from their Crag ordeal, the team will engage and eliminate them under the pretext of protecting the realm from monstrous threats."

A flicker of understanding, followed by a shadow of concern, crossed Gareth’s face. "And the princess? Eliminating a royal heir of a neighboring kingdom, even unofficially... that could spark a war."

The Duke’s smile turned icy. "That is the most telling part of all this, Gareth. Think. Why is a crown princess of Melium wandering the hinterlands with such a bizarre retinue, with only a single knight for official protection? Why is there no diplomatic entourage, no official word from her court?"

Gareth’s brow furrowed. "You believe her own kingdom has... cast her out?"

"Or she is fleeing a internal conflict," the Duke stated. "A coup, a disinheritance, a scandal. Whatever the reason, it means her value as a political asset is null, and her potential as a liability is immense. If she vanishes in the wilderness between here and the Red Hollow Pass, who can Melium blame? Bandits? Monsters? A tragic accident. They have no leverage, no proof, and likely no great desire to find her. We clean up a potential problem on our border without ever laying a finger on her directly. We report her disappearance with appropriate regret. It is the cleanest solution."

He leaned back, the plan laid bare. Two paths, two traps. The dangerous gorge with its natural and human predators, or the "safe" road patrolled by his own monster-hunting executioners.

Gareth absorbed the scheme, his initial frustration giving way to a grim respect for his lord’s ruthlessness. "A double snare. I see."

"Precisely," the Duke murmured, his gaze returning to the map. "They have until sunset to leave my town. After that, they are merely prey moving through a hunting ground I have prepared. Let us see how far their peculiar strength can truly take them."

The quiet certainty in his voice left no room for doubt. In his mind, the fate of Adam and his companions was already sealed.

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The heavy doors of the Duke’s study had barely clicked shut behind them before Elise rounded on Adam, her exhaustion momentarily burned away by a flare of royal indignation.

"Adam! What was that?" she hissed, keeping her voice low but no less intense. She gestured back towards the sealed door. "That was incredibly rude! You practically taunted him! After all the trouble to secure his cooperation, do you want to render it useless with your attitude?"

Adam didn’t break stride, leading them down the corridor. His expression was unrepentant. "I did it so we wouldn’t look pressured. So we wouldn’t look weak. If I’d sat there politely, head bowed, answering every prying question, he’d have pegged us as subordinates. As people he could intimidate and control. Fear invites more questions, not fewer. It invites contempt."

Lilith fell into step beside him, her agreement silken. "Precisely. We must be perceived as equals, or at least as an independent force. To be seen as fearful or overly compliant is to invite further scrutiny and attempts at domination. Mystery and unapologetic strength are far more effective deterrents against bureaucratic interrogation."

Seraphina, walking protectively close to Elise, shook her head, her face lined with worry. "That may be true in a... dungeon, or in the wilds. But that was a Duke’s court! There are protocols! Consequences! Your recklessness could have gotten us thrown into a cell, or provoked an immediate attack! We could be facing worse problems now because of it!"

Elise pressed a hand to her forehead, the brief anger giving way to the deep weariness beneath. "I’m just... so tired. Tired of the pressure, the threats from every direction, the constant balancing act. I feel like I’m one misstep away from causing a disaster for all of us."

Adam glanced at her, his stern expression softening a fraction. "Then stop overthinking it. What’s done is done. The important thing is we got what we needed. We’re moving forward. That’s the only thing that matters right now."

Ignis, who had been bouncing lightly on the balls of her feet, piped up, "Yeah! And we get to see a new place! I hope there are things to burn there. Or eat. Mostly eat."

Elise let out a long, slow breath, the fight draining out of her. She looked at Adam, a flicker of something else in her eyes—not anger, but a weary, wry realization. "Is this... is this your revenge for me blurting out my identity at the Crags? Tit for tat?"

A slow, genuine smirk spread across Adam’s face. He met her gaze, a glint of amusement in his crimson eyes. "Could be."

Elise’s cheeks flushed a faint pink. She looked away quickly, but a small, reluctant smile tugged at her own lips. "That’s... that’s completely unfair," she mumbled, but the tension had finally broken.

Seraphina’s voice, sharp with practical concern, cut through the moment. "Your Highness?"

Elise jolted slightly, her thoughts scattering. She cleared her throat, the faint blush receding as she turned to her knight. "Yes, Sera? What is it?"

"The Duke’s suggested route," Seraphina said, her brow furrowed. "Do we take it? It promises speed, but we must assume it is dangerous. The safer roads are longer, but they are known. Should we not verify the safety of this ’Ghostwind Gorge’ before committing?"

Ignis bounced on her heels. "Who needs a road? We can just fly over everything again! Fastest way! We go whoosh and we’re there!"

Lilith let out a soft, dismissive sigh. "And how long do you intend to fly, Ignis? Until your wings give out and we plummet into the middle of a town square? And we cannot rely on Adam’s Deep Camouflage to hide an entire flying drake in broad daylight. The skill, while occasionally useful, has its... inconsistent moments."

Adam placed a hand over his heart, feigning deep injury. "It hurts...."

Elise ignored the byplay, considering the options. "Flying is risky. We’d be exposed, and a large creature in the sky draws attention—and possibly arrows or spells. A swift ground route through known dangerous territory is also a risk, but a more contained one..." She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps the faster route is the better choice, despite the danger?"

Adam dropped the mock-hurt act, his expression turning decisive. "We’ll take the fast route. The Duke wants us gone, and I want to get to the Archivist. If it’s dangerous, fine. It’ll just be target practice. I’m confident in my strength, and in all of ours. We’ll cut through whatever’s in that gorge. It’ll be faster than sneaking around on safe roads, and less conspicuous than painting a target across the sky."

Elise nodded, a determined look settling on her face. "If you’re that confident, then we’ll take the route."

Seraphina gave a formal bow of her head. "Very well, Your Highness. I will gather our remaining supplies from the inn and make the final preparations. If you will excuse me for a moment." She cast one last, appraising look at Adam, Ignis and Lilith, then turned and strode down a side corridor toward the guest quarters, her steps purposeful.

Adam watched her go, a brow slightly raised. "Huh. She left your side. That’s new. Usually, she’s glued to you like a second shadow."

Elise followed his gaze, a small, thoughtful smile on her lips. "Perhaps... she’s starting to trust you all. Or at least, she trusts that I am safe with you for a few minutes. That’s progress, isn’t it?"

"Progress that could get her killed if she’s too trusting," Lilith remarked lightly, though her eyes held a glint of approval. "But it is more efficient than constant suspicion."