Chapter 820
Anton made sure to clean himself thoroughly on the day they were set to leave for Rendindura. After three days of rest, he felt a bit grateful that neither his father nor his sister had bothered him.
They were probably giving him space on purpose. After all, once the journey began, they’d be stuck together most of the time.
Even though they could return to the Rose Manor whenever they wanted, Anders had insisted they travel properly—like normal adventurers. That meant long stretches on the road and roughing it out in the wild. They wouldn’t be going back home every night—maybe once or twice a week at most.
At least the group was small. Just four of them: Anton, Anders, Anna, and a wizard assigned by Ormunda’s higher-ups.
Anton learned that both his father and sister had commissioned tiny houses similar to his own wooden one. With their wealth, they each owned high-capacity spatial storage items, so carrying portable houses around wasn’t an issue. Essentially, they had comfortable “tents” ready anytime.
They had also picked up Anton’s habit of hoarding supplies. Their storage items were packed with food and drinks—only the best, of course. What Anton didn’t know was that both of them actually owned more than one storage item.
Another habit they adopted was his obsession with cleanliness. Anders, despite not being a wizard, had memorized the Cleaning spell and kept it in his arsenal.
“I have to admit,” Anders once said, “this spell is incredibly useful. Every adventurer should know it.”
When departure day came, there was no big farewell at the manor. Thanks to Anton’s portal scroll, everyone knew they could return anytime. It felt less like a long journey and more like a casual trip somewhere nearby.
The assigned wizard turned out to be an archmage named Omatee, a man in his mid-thirties. Fortunately, he was easy to get along with.
What Anton didn’t know was that Omatee had secretly been given his own portal scroll. If necessary, he could report directly back to Ormunda’s higher-ups. It was clear they still wanted to keep an eye on the Sunders family.
Not that they were worried about safety. Anton, Anders, and Anna were more than capable of handling themselves anywhere in Rendindura.
They traveled through Anton’s portal and arrived in the city of Nermador.
Their first goal was simple: buy a large carriage. Anton planned to have it pulled by summoned Dire Wolves, so they wouldn’t have to worry about the animals’ health or exhaustion. He even intended to summon something to act as the driver.
Nermador was slowly regaining its former liveliness. As the capital of Amendora, it served as a major gateway between the western and eastern kingdoms. Nearly every major road passed through it, making it one of the wealthiest cities on the continent.
That wealth showed everywhere. Massive walls surrounded the city, while the buildings formed a mix of architectural styles from different cultures. The roads were spotless, and the people—well, it almost looked like every other person was a powerful wizard.
Anton noticed the crowds returning. Many wore wide smiles, but something about them felt… bittersweet. He figured most had lost someone during the undead crisis.
At least, that’s how it seemed to him.
Anders took charge of finding their carriage. He chose a large, sturdy one meant to be pulled by four horses.
It wasn’t flashy, but it was well-built. Inside, it was spacious—more than enough for the four of them. In fact, it could probably fit ten people comfortably.
Once the purchase was done, Anton summoned two Dire Wolves to test if they could handle the load.
After harnessing them, Anna couldn’t help but giggle. Omatee’s expression as he stared at the massive wolves was priceless.
Next, Anton summoned his Valkyrie and instructed it to act as the driver. He had some doubts at first, but they turned out to be unnecessary. The Dire Wolves were intelligent enough to follow commands on their own, while the Valkyrie simply sat in the driver’s seat, looking the part.
In reality, it wasn’t even driving. The wolves already knew to follow the road at a steady pace.
At first, Anders and Anna felt it was a bit undignified to use such powerful summons as beasts of burden and a driver. Anton had to remind them that his summons weren’t living beings—they were constructs made of mana.
That led to an interesting question from Omatee.
“Have you tested their obedience?” the archmage asked. “Would they follow any command… even questionable ones?”
Anton shrugged. “You should think of them as spells. Would a Blizzard spell hesitate if used to destroy a city?”
Omatee tilted his head. “So if you ordered them to do something… morally questionable, they’d still obey?”
Anton, Anders, and Anna all glared at him.
The archmage was staring at the Valkyrie with a rather unsettling expression. What made it worse was that the Valkyrie looked almost identical to Anton.
Seeing their reactions, Omatee quickly raised his hands. “Nothing like that! I meant something scientific—like… exploratory surgery.”
Anna snorted, clearly unconvinced, but Anton answered anyway.
“It wouldn’t work,” he said. “My summons are extremely durable. Ordinary tools wouldn’t even scratch them. And if you did manage to damage them enough, they’d just disappear.”
He paused briefly.
“Besides, there’s nothing to study. Their bodies are made entirely of mana.”
Once they left the outskirts of Nermador, their journey to Mendi officially began.
Anton was more than happy to let others handle things. Anders had already taken care of all the planning and knew exactly which roads to follow back to their former kingdom.
Before they departed, Anders gathered all the information they needed. Based on his estimates, the trip would take about six weeks—assuming they traveled at the pace of a normal carriage.
Anton didn’t recognize the first few towns marked on the map Anders showed him. But once they reached the port city of Whaling, things would start to feel familiar again. From there, he would recognize most of the kingdoms and towns on the way back to Mendi.
For the most part, the journey started pleasantly.
The roads near Nermador were hot and humid due to the nearby desert. Normally, that would make riding in a carriage unbearable, but Anders had a solution. He pulled out one of the Frozen Orb air conditioners Anton had given the family over the years and activated it.
Almost instantly, the inside of the carriage became cool, dry, and incredibly comfortable.
When noon came, Anton simply instructed the summons to slow down. There was no need to stop—they could eat right inside the carriage.
Anders handled the food. Anton had to admit, his father had excellent taste when it came to stocking supplies. Their lunch was nothing short of delicious.
“This is the most comfortable journey I’ve ever experienced in my life!” Omatee said with obvious delight.
Anton, Anders, and Anna simply nodded.
For them, this wasn’t anything new. Even during their most difficult times, Anton’s abilities had allowed them to travel in relative comfort.
After a while, Omatee looked around thoughtfully.
“I know we’ve already defeated the Undead Coalition, but I’m surprised we haven’t encountered any monsters on the road.”
Anton chuckled.
“What’s so funny?” the archmage asked.
“We actually have,” Anton replied casually. “Several times already.”
Omatee blinked. “What?”
“Our coach has been dealing with them,” Anton added.
That answer caught even Anders and Anna off guard.
