Van turned around to call his subordinates. He came back again with four injured knights behind him. All of them wore an exhausted face with bodies tarnished by their own blood.
Michael glanced at the battered knights one by one before turning his head to one of his companion.
"Gabrielle."
"Understood." A woman in white, outfit and locks, revealed herself from behind her companions' back.
"Whoa…" the knights, including the faithful Van, gaped upon laid their gaze into the most beautiful being they even seen in their entire lives. The woman named Gabrielle is more stunning and gorgeous than most female everywhere, even their Young Lady couldn't compete.
Those angelic blue eyes, a charming almond shape, staring at them with innocence. Her long straight-cut hair, platinum-blond in color, shone like a dazzling plenilune in the middle of the day.
Her voice so pure and gentle, enticing every being, wicked or lawful. She covered in cleric outfit, and yet, her divine beauty can be compare to the divine being herself.
The angel in front of them gripped her shiny silvery staff firmly with both hands. Her skin so white it almost uniform with her pure white cuff. Gabrielle closed her eyelids after stamping the pommel of her staff on the earth.
"Level 5 Area Heal."
"A Level 5 healing spell?!"
A wide magic circle stretch above covering her teammates and the injured knights nearby. The knights surprised upon hearing the words coming out of Gabrielle's carnation lips.
The circle rained its magic and bathe the ones below. Placate and soothing warmth runs through the knights' blood and veins. The wounds the bandits' blades inflicted prior gradually closed and restored. Cicatrix surfaced on the skins as a mark of their bravery.
"Alright, done."
"The light bathe my entire body and soul, as if I am being revived by an angel herself."
"Hmm?" Gabrielle tilted her head.
"I am getting blessed by an emissary of the Goddess, today's the day I'm feeling the best."
"Huh?!" She gaped hearing the other knight.
"I've been restored by a divine beauty, I'll do anything to protect this blessed body."
"What?!" She stammered.
"For an angelic being to treat an inferior being like myself, it was nothing but a miraculous opportunity."
"Angelic?!" She fell in crimson hearing the four knights' Shakespearean remarks.
The real Raphael cannot be flustered this much. It's just a facade of Gabrielle's suggested personality. Raphael designated the attitude and personality of each his embodied egos for security purposes.
"When did you all become a poet? You are embarrassing our saviors." Reprimanded Van. "Anyway, thank you again for your help."
"It's nothing at all." Said Michael before turning his attention to the corpses on the dry road. "By the way, can you explain us what happened here?"
"I'll tell you about that later. But before that, the Young Lady wants to personally thank our saviors."
◆◇◆
"An invitation from the noblewoman herself? Isn't it too hasty of her?"
"We only do what our Young Lady told us to. She even offer you a ride if you are going to the city of Jeffer."
"The lady don't have to go that far. Besides, you don't even know us and we just met less than an hour ago. What if we are also one of them?"
"It's nothing compared to how much you treat us until now. My guts are telling me that you all are kind people. You rushed in despite being overwhelmed in numbers."
"If you say that much… Understood, we will accept her invitation." After a tired sigh, Michael utterly accepted the noblewoman's invitation.
"Thank you very much for your response." Van lowered his head again before Michael. "This way."
"Let's go." Michael's company then follow the steps of Van towards the rear carriage.
The group of Michael just save a noblewoman's convoy from a bandit ambush, so it's natural of a noblewoman to show her sincere gratitude to her saviors. Offering a comfortable ride straight to the Imperial Capital is just a trivial matter that she can offer as of now.
The group surveyed the area as they walks. He noticed the lines of corpses laying beside the road. Twenty-five were the former bandits and three were the mage escorts of the convoy.
They walked their feet for several meters before facing the exquisite carriage before them. Pulled by a pair of E-ranked monster resembling a horse called Warhorse. Engraved upon the black door was the crest of the Gracier Earldom, same as the front carriage.
The window pane was very black and had high opacity. It's called jet glass. It's a type of glass the the outsiders couldn't see the people inside but opposite from the inside. The glass is durable, comparable to the bullet proof glass of Earth.
It looks like a black-painted surface if glanced from afar, but the exterior of the carriage was apparently made out of ebony Black Treant's wood ornamented with brass accents. The memory of Raphael had seen this type of carriage before.
"A magic carriage…" Uriel act as the representative of the group to express their thoughts.
"Just as you said, miss. This is a magic carriage of a big company in the empire." Said Van before knocking the door twice.
Shortly, a clicking noise emitted from the other side of the door, implying the door has been unlocked. Van's gauntlet gripped then pulled the brass handle.
"Please, come in." Van plead to the group.
The quadrad inclined their head up and down indicating their agreement. Van get in first. It's a Knight's job to secure the safety of his lady in case group were to target her.
Michael stepped inside the carriage next after the full plated Van, followed by Lucy, Gabrielle, and lastly, Uriel. His eyes opened wide upon taking a look what inside the carriage, but subsequently wore a subtle face immediately after regaining his composure.
From the outside, the carriage appeared to be the size of average carriage. But the interior's a lot different from the outside. The carriage was apparently enchanted with a Space-Time Magic: Level 5 Space Expansion.
The square space inside was a lot more spacious compared to what it looks. The two adjacent seats so long can fit several people comfortably. Together with the table between, a group can have a tea party on the wheels. Overall, it's like four-by-four room fitted inside a normal closed carriage.
The magic carriage is a luxury item customized for stable and comfortable travel. This great convenience comes with a great price, so pricey only rich merchants and high-ranking nobles could afford. Raphael knew about it because magic carriages are manufactured by his Mom's family.
But the carriage was not the matter that opened his eyes wide, but one of the two who sits on the front row.
"Please take a seat."
"Thank you for your hospitality."
A persuasive female voice made the group to take the seat in front of the speaker. Their sitting order were the same how they entered the vehicle. The seat were soft and comfy, their butts submerged in the red-covered cushion. After comforting themselves, the four faced the young woman in front of them.
"Young Lady, these are the ones who helped us defeat the bandits." After taking the front seat, Van introduced the group to his Mistress.
"Thank you our brave saviors for saving our lives despite being overnumbered. I saw through the window how you fight off the bandits with you own strengths. In behalf of all of us, we are sincerely thanked you all from the bottom of our hearts. I, Eisherz Gracier, will repay this favor as much as I can."
"Ah! No need for a noble like you to lower their head before commoners like us! Please raise your head!"
The young woman, Eisherz, lowered her head parallel to the carriage's floor, which made Gabrielle to startle and hurriedly asked her to raise her head. Her Gabrielle's plead, Eisherz raised back her head and straighten her posture.
Upon turning back to her elegant self, the four saw the full image of the young noblewoman. Eisherz appeared to be in her late teens, young and pretty. The young woman has a very pale blue shade on her long wavy hair and snow white skin. Gleaming amber eyes observed the group as if appraising their values. Clad in gorgeous blue dress, the four couldn't help but think of her as noble and magnificent.
"Now that I introduced myself, may I know the names of our beautiful and brave saviors?"
"I apologize for not introducing ourselves earlier." Then Michael clears his throat. "My name is Michael, a swordsman, the leader of this adventurer party. These are my party members…"
"Lucy's my name, a rogue. Michael's twin sister. Nice to meet you, Lady Eisherz."
"I am this party's support, Gabrielle."
"My name is Uriel. As you can see, I am a magic caster."
"Oh. So you two are twins. That explains why you two resembled each other."
The party of Michael formally introduced themselves with politeness in the tone in front of a noblewoman. Offending a noble is not good for their name and image in adventuring.
"A vanguard, support, rearguard and a scout." Van muttered.
"A well-balanced party." Eisherz clasped her hands. "All of you are beautiful and charming on your own."
"We don't deserve such praise from a stunning woman like yourself, Lady Eisherz."
"I am just speaking facts." Eisherz flatly interjected Gabrielle's modesty.
Raphael inside Michael and the others knew that Gabrielle's a lot exceptionally sheener that the aristocrat. But the Raphael wasn't fond of praises and laud. Hence, Gabrielle's reaction was practically made sense.
With that, the party of Michael formally introduce themselves to an aristocratic young woman. Their march to the Capital begins.
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