Chapter 416: Departing for Silvergrove City
Marilyn smiled, "Of course you have."
She did not seem surprised.
"I do not know how the rest of you found out about the Bloodline Trials. Almost no one else has information about this, and we arranged for the young ones to enter through a very specific method. The Legacy World, however, is more widely known, and its entry restrictions are much looser. So it is not too surprising that you know about it."
Elion listened quietly.
"My point is," Marilyn continued, "as you can likely guess, we are willing to offer you a slot to enter if you decide to join us."
Her smile became slightly more confident.
"I would like to think this is the most enticing benefit we can offer you right now. Everything else is rather basic by comparison, at least in my opinion."
She began listing them calmly.
"A fixed monthly allowance. Priority selection for dungeon excursions. Outfitting and equipment of your choice sponsored by the organisation. Access to certain restricted resources. And a few finer details that can be discussed properly after we arrive in the city."
Elion nodded. He had no problem hearing more once they reached Silvergrove. Truthfully, however, his thoughts were already drifting elsewhere.
He wanted to find Zenith as soon as possible.
Her current location was still a mystery to him, but that was not a completely hopeless problem. All he needed to do was use the link created by the Harem Seal. The only issue was that the connection was not perfectly accurate from a long distance.
It could point him in the right direction, but finding her precisely might still take some effort.
Marilyn seemed to understand that Elion was not going to give her a proper answer immediately, so she finally turned her attention toward Zenovia and Aeron.
She introduced herself to them as well, even though they had already heard most of what she said. What surprised Elion, however, was that she extended a similar offer to both of them.
"If your circumstances are not too restrictive," Marilyn said, "the Triad Alliance would also be willing to discuss recruitment with you two, though I cannot promise a slot in the legacy world, as you can guess, Elion is a special case; every other new entrant will have to earn their spots."
Zenovia wasted no time; she shook her head without any hesitation, "Sadly, I cannot make any promises to join an organisation I know nothing about," she said politely.
Elion glanced at her. For some reason, he felt there was more behind that statement than she was letting on. Unfortunately, her expression gave him nothing to work with. Zenovia was as difficult to read as ever.
What surprised him more was Aeron’s reason for refusing.
Aeron sighed and scratched the back of his head, looking as though he would rather avoid what he was about to say, "I suppose I should introduce myself properly."
He ruffled his hair again, clearly not too eager to continue, "My name is Aeron Tudelig."
Marilyn’s brow rose with obvious surprise, "Tudelig?" she repeated. "I assume you are affiliated with that Tudelig family?"
Aeron nodded, "Yes."
"Oh..." Marilyn seemed awestruck.
Even a few of the other escorts reacted to the name, their eyes moving toward Aeron with a touch more respect than before.
Elion noticed all of it, but he just studied their reactions quietly without making any comments. So, Aeron’s family was not simple either.
Aeron gave a helpless smile, "So, as interesting as your offer sounds, I am afraid joining another organisation would be troublesome for me."
Marilyn studied him for a moment before she nodded, "I understand."
"I would still appreciate that ride, though," Aeron said with an awkward laugh.
Marilyn giggled softly, "Of course. It would be a great honour for us to assist a member of Duke Tudelig’s family."
With that settled, the group prepared to depart. There were ten mounts in total, and several new riders joining them, so most of the group naturally had to ride in pairs.
Coincidentally, or perhaps not, Elion ended up sharing a mount with Zenovia, much to his joy and much to Zenovia’s displeasure.
She stared at him for a long moment, then sighed as though the world had personally wronged her. Still, she could not complain too much after being offered a free ride.
"Why did I end up with this bastard?" she muttered under her breath.
Of course, Elion heard her, "Oh, come now, Zenovia," he said with a teasing smile. "Are we not as thick as thieves?"
"No."
"How cold."
Elion climbed onto the saddle behind her and settled in comfortably. The mount shifted beneath them, its large wings flexing in preparation for flight.
He leaned forward slightly, and with his new height and broader frame, his chest almost completely covered Zenovia’s smaller back.
When his hands found their way to Zenovia’s slender waist, she immediately stiffened and shifted uncomfortably.
"Hmmmm.... " A few seconds passed as her eyes narrowed. "On second thought, you can have the reins."
Elion blinked, "Hm?"
"Come up front," she said flatly. "I will ride behind you."
Elion tilted his head, "And why is that?"
"Because I do not trust you to keep your hands to yourself."
Elion’s lips twitched.
Well, she was not wrong. He might have considered getting a bit touchy during the journey and pretending that the mount’s movement had nearly made him fall. Only a little, purely by accident, of course.
However, Zenovia’s glare made it clear she wasn’t having it; she probably would not believe that such accidents existed when Elion was involved.
Elion raised both hands in surrender, "As you wish."
They changed positions, with Elion taking the front and Zenovia settling behind him. Her hands gripped the saddle instead of him, as though touching his waist might somehow encourage his shamelessness.
Elion sighed inwardly. It seemed tricking Zenovia was going to be a hassle; convincing her to willingly enter his bed would be an even greater one. But he was a patient man.
Once everyone was mounted, Maya’s escort took formation around the group. The great beasts beat their wings as the wind surged through the ruined clearing, scattering loose leaves and dust into the air.
One after another, the mounts lifted from the ground and rose into the open sky. The ruined Demon King’s castle shrank beneath them, swallowed by the sea of green, and just like that, they began making their way toward Silvergrove.
