After bidding farewell to Elvia, Lin Gui sat at the front of the raft.
He controlled the raft to float off the ground, slowly flying in Betty's direction.
Betty stood on the grass, gesturing with her hands and chanting under her breath.
The lengthy Levitation chant lasted for a full three minutes.
Only then did she wobble onto her staff and fly over to meet up with Lin Gui.
The moment her feet touched the raft, Betty sat down on a wooden crate behind Lin Gui.
Crossing her legs, she was the first to speak, her tone teasing:
“Who would have thought, little mage? You've got quite the luck with women!”
“That blonde beauty just now is way prettier than the High Elves at our magic academy!”
Lin Gui didn't reply, steering the raft to change direction.
The raft accelerated instantly, hurtling toward Twilight Fortress.
The scenery on both sides rushed backward as the mountainous region where the Royal Capital lay gradually shrank beneath them.
A fierce wind howled past, and after a slight wobble, the raft stabilized.
Lin Gui asked calmly:
“Are you the only one?”
Betty replied with a smile:
“Of course not!”
“To find you and meet up with you, the North Wind caravan sent two other people besides me.”
Lin Gui asked:
“Where are they? Aren't they coming with us?”
Betty gave a soft snort, a hint of smugness in her voice:
“Oh, they've been on board for a while!”
Just as she finished speaking, the air at the back of the raft warped slightly.
The figures of two men silently materialized, already seated on the raft.
Betty looked at Lin Gui, her face practically screaming, “Did we startle you?”
Lin Gui played along, putting on a slightly surprised expression before saying helplessly:
“Since you're here, there's no need to stay hidden.”
The man dressed as a scout swept a sharp gaze over Lin Gui.
He seemed reasonably satisfied with Lin Gui's reaction, then closed his eyes to rest.
Betty proudly introduced them to Lin Gui:
“This is Alvin, our scout.”
“And this is Dulu, our assassin.”
“They're both Mid-tier Transcendent experts!”
“Pretty impressive concealment skills, right?”
Lin Gui nodded in praise on the outside, but internally, he couldn't help but mock them.
His perception hadn't even triggered, yet his rear end had already felt the raft dip when they got on...
Impressive?
It felt like their concealment skills...
were several tiers below Caesar and his crew.
As for why Betty and the others pulled this stunt, it was most likely to give him, the newcomer, a warning.
To warn him that if he tried anything, the assassin's blade would instantly incapacitate him.
It was unlikely that Betty was the mastermind behind this display.
From their brief interaction, Lin Gui felt she was more like an innocent magic academy student who hadn't seen much of the world.
She probably didn't even realize the deeper meaning behind the two men's actions.
This arrangement was likely specifically ordered by Freya.
Although it seemed a bit cold and impersonal, Lin Gui actually appreciated this level of caution.
At the same time, he was perfectly happy to play his part on the way to Shield City.
He would act like a weak mage who only knew Levitation.
Betty suddenly remembered something and asked:
“Oh, right. Didn't you say a week ago that you were bringing two other people with you?”
“Why is there only one now?”
Eve sat on Lin Gui's right, side-by-side with him.
She was currently in disguise, with her hair cut short, her eye color altered, sitting quietly beneath her cloak.
Hearing the question, a faint, barely perceptible smile touched the corner of her lips.
Lin Gui looked ahead and replied:
“You'll see in a moment.”
The raft flew at high speed, quickly approaching the mining area where they had previously hidden.
Just then, a nimble green figure, like an elf of the forest, leaped up from the entrance of the mine below and landed lightly and precisely on the swaying raft.
It was none other than Theia.
After brief introductions, Theia squeezed in on Lin Gui's left.
She huddled next to Lin Gui and Eve, the three of them crowding together at the front of the raft.
With Betty guiding the way, the group rode the raft toward Twilight Fortress.
One of the reasons Betty and the others had stayed behind in the Royal Capital was to escort Lin Gui on this leg of the journey.
Although adventurers, mercenary groups, and knight orders regularly cleared the demons around the Royal Capital, some would inevitably slip through the cracks.
If something were to happen to Lin Gui because their caravan had left early, it would be a failure of duty on the part of the North Wind caravan.
The assassin Dulu and the scout Alvin scouted ahead, their figures flickering in and out of sight among the trees.
Lin Gui controlled the raft, keeping a steady and moderate speed as they advanced.
With several strangers on board, the atmosphere became slightly awkward.
Theia was no longer as relaxed and casual as she had been when it was just their own group.
Because of the increased supplies and the thousands of reply letters they needed to escort, the number of wooden crates had grown significantly.
Lin Gui had specially widened the raft, reinforcing it with several thick wooden planks.
The front of the raft, which could previously barely accommodate one person, now squeezed Lin Gui, Theia, and Eve together, making it a bit tight but still manageable.
Along the way, Theia would occasionally lean close to Lin Gui's ear, whispering softly.
Lin Gui would also turn his head to reply in a soft voice.
They only spoke of minor, trivial matters.
Betty was not far behind them.
Whether it was Lin Gui wanting to ask Eve what kind of prophecy had guided her to him, or wanting to convey Elvia's message to Theia, now was not the time to speak.
The hearing of Transcendent experts was extremely sharp.
During the journey, Betty actually took the initiative to strike up a conversation with Lin Gui. She seemed to have many questions, especially regarding Levitation.
On this matter, Lin Gui didn't hold back, sharing some of his own insights and experiences.
His understanding of the precise control of Levitation clearly exceeded Betty's knowledge.
“So that's how you can guide mana...”
“Oh my goodness, your perception of air currents is incredibly sharp!”
Betty's eyes lit up as she listened, her face filled with genuine admiration.
Lin Gui's openness undoubtedly earned him a massive amount of goodwill from her.
After all, mages keeping their techniques to themselves was extremely common.
They spent immense amounts of gold and effort to acquire these magical skills.
No one would easily pass them on to others.
Twilight Fortress was not too far from the Royal Capital, roughly three times the distance between Eagle Fortress and the Royal Capital.
The raft flew along, passing through dense forests and soaring over rolling hills.
They traveled upstream along the wide river that flowed through the Royal Capital.
About an hour later, they entered the jurisdiction of Twilight Fortress.
A magnificent, grayish-white stone fortress came into view.
It stood guard over a narrow valley between two mountain ranges, its walls towering and thick.
Surprisingly, they did not see the expected raging tide of demons in front of the fortress.
However, the walls were currently packed with soldiers standing ready.
Kingdom knights in standard-issue armor and mercenaries in varied clothing were mingled together, creating a solemn and tense atmosphere.
When Lin Gui cast his gaze toward the highest point of the wall, he spotted two familiar figures.
The leader of the North Wind caravan, the Legendary Mage Freya.
And Rhode, the Guardian Knight who had represented the King in welcoming the Saintess.
They were standing side by side, looking down at the area in front of the fortress.
Rate on N.U.
