Simultaneous Travel: Becoming a Legend in the Heavens.

Chapter 560 Heroes of the Kingdom (Part 1)

Time flies by, and a month has passed in the blink of an eye.

To welcome the upcoming royal delegation, Ye Lantier undertook a series of renovations, becoming more bustling and lively than usual, with lanterns and decorations everywhere.

Merchants enthusiastically hawked their goods, passersby chatted and laughed with their companions, and occasionally guards could be seen patrolling the streets. Of course, there were also adventurers everywhere.

Four figures draped in gray cloaks moved along the street. Their usually conspicuous attire blended seamlessly into the crowd as the number of adventurers increased, like a drop of ink falling into the ocean.

"There are more adventurers than usual."

A middle-aged man with a square face, upright features, and an air of integrity and courage sighed softly, his sharp eyes scanning every passing living being warily.

Gazef, the Kingdom's Warrior Captain, is currently wearing the full set of royal armor and has secretly visited Yelantier with two princes and Princess Lana.

The massive army was still two or three days away from arriving, but he deliberately led three members of the royal family away from the army and came to the city ahead of time.

“Gazef, when can we go to the city lord’s mansion? I’ve had enough of living without maids and servants, without good food and wine, and having to sleep in the open.”

Among the three people behind Gazef, who were also wearing cloaks, the taller one spoke up in dissatisfaction. He was Pablo, the eldest prince of Ri Yestege.

“Your Highness Pablo, please wait a moment. We came to Yelantier ahead of time to conceal our whereabouts and act in secret. There is no point in going to the city lord’s mansion to restore our identities now,” Gazef replied calmly.

The eldest prince remained dissatisfied, coldly scoffing, "So why bother hiding our whereabouts? Father sent us here to award that newly recruited adventurer team that slayed the demon god, didn't he? What's the point of this..."

"Brother, please don't lose your temper."

A soft, melodious female voice interrupted the eldest prince's words.

A few strands of golden hair drooped from the edge of another cloak, and the person inside raised their head slightly, revealing a strikingly beautiful face.

"An adventurer team capable of defeating a demon god is already a strategic resource. If we recruit or win over this adventurer team, Ri Yestege's overall level will undoubtedly rise several levels."

“Other countries will not stand idly by. There could be spies or assassins everywhere. You could lose your life if you’re not careful. Otherwise, Lord Gazef wouldn’t be here as your bodyguard.”

Princess Lana concisely explained the current situation, successfully silencing the Crown Prince's complaints.

The second prince, Zanak, who witnessed all of this, remained silent, as if the whole affair had nothing to do with him.

"Thank you for your understanding, Your Highness Lana."

Gazef bowed slightly to the princess, "During this time, your maids have been taking care of your daily needs, and Clem has been unable to stay by your side to protect you. You also haven't had Lady Priscilla to chat with and keep you company. It's truly been a hardship for you..."

"It's ok."

Lana smiled flawlessly. "I believe that a short separation will lead to a better reunion, and Clem and Priscilla are only arriving two days later."

Gerdoff sighed inwardly.

The eldest prince is brave but lacks wisdom. He is also impatient and impatient in his dealings with others. He cannot endure hardship or vent his anger. He is willful, self-centered, and domineering. You could say he has all sorts of bad habits.

In contrast, Her Highness the Princess is exceptionally intelligent and capable. Not only can she assess the situation in the face of the current circumstances, but she also endured hardships and slept in the open without complaint. Apart from being a woman, she has no other problems.

Then there's the taciturn second prince, ambitious but lacking in courage, capable but not showing it, to the point that even Gerdev can't figure him out, which is a real headache.

"Then, let's go find out where that squad is staying. We'll be paying our respects ahead, so please be mindful of your words and actions, Your Highnesses..."

Gerdoff stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence, his eyes widening in disbelief as he looked at the three figures that brushed past him.

The two women walking in front were undoubtedly beauties in no way inferior to the "Golden Princess".

The tall woman had shoulder-length, fluffy black hair, bright and elegant features, and a beauty mark at the corner of her eye that added to her allure. The girl next to her had skin as smooth as jade and delicate features, and was nestled affectionately beside her.

Gerdov was amazed by the two men's appearances, but what truly astonished him was the dejected and forlorn man following behind them, carrying various packages.

There's no mistake, that's none other than Brian, the warrior who fought fiercely with him in the imperial duel and only narrowly lost to him by half a move!

Under normal circumstances, one would probably assume that the relationship between the three should be that of lovers. However, the battle-hardened Gerdav clearly sensed that Brian's behavior was more like that of a servant or slave, with a deep and undisguised fear on his dejected face.

What could have happened to turn such a powerful warrior into this state?
Gerdoff looked at the two women in front of Brian with suspicion and uncertainty.

The next moment, he saw the tall, elegant lady turn around slowly and gracefully.

“————”

The violet gemstone's eyes were exceptionally captivating, possessing a seductive charm like poppies, but Gerdav felt as if his blood was freezing, a chill enveloping him from head to toe, and the whole world becoming blurred and distorted.

"Gadeff...Lord Gazef?"

Princess Lana's voice rang in his ears. When Gazef came to his senses, he only saw three figures walking away into the distance, and heard a faint conversation in the air.

"What's wrong, Elsa?"

"It's nothing, I just saw an interesting person."

…………

Gerdov withdrew his gaze and fell silent. The seriousness and solemnity on his face even frightened the eldest prince, who was still somewhat dissatisfied.

After a long while, he exhaled a breath of stale air, looked at the three members of the royal family in front of him, and spoke sternly:
"Listen carefully, Your Highnesses, His Majesty's order is that, at the very least, you must not antagonize that adventurer team. Please remember this carefully, and there is one more thing..."

"Because of the appearance of the demon god and the battle to subdue him, all sorts of powerful individuals may have gathered here. Even I may not be able to protect your safety, so you must be careful with your words and actions!"

After seeing the three nod, Gazef resumed his usual demeanor, remaining vigilant, and led the three through the walled city towards the Adventurers' Guild.

Perhaps because of Gerd's previous tone, they remained quite quiet throughout the journey, and even the eldest prince obediently restrained his temper and followed instructions.

It wasn't until they entered the living area where the Adventurers' Guild was located that Gazef gradually relaxed, and after thinking for a moment, he took the initiative to speak.

"Regarding this mission, there's actually one more thing His Majesty hasn't told you outright: the candidates for the throne..."

"If someone can win over an adventurer's party to defeat the demon god, the throne will be chosen in their favor, right?"

Lana smiled and gave the answer, her playful gaze sweeping back and forth between her two brothers.

The eldest prince's face immediately turned angry and panicked: "What? You're lying, right, Captain? I've never heard my father say anything like this!"

"If it's just a gesture of goodwill, anyone could come, or even just Gerdov himself. Why send all three of us? Aside from showing our sincerity to that team, the only other reason is to select a suitable successor."

The second prince had clearly anticipated this; he stated the facts calmly and without much fanfare.

"Lana and I guessed this a long time ago, brother, how come you didn't think of it at all?"

"...Heh, of course I know about this. I was just seeing how you would react. Lana aside, Zanak, did you ever intend to compete with me?" The Crown Prince's face turned pale and then red, barely managing to maintain his composure.

“Ah, I did think about it before.” The second prince answered slowly, not at all worried that his words would arouse his brother’s suspicion, and glanced at Lana, who remained uninvolved. “However, I don’t think about it at all now. I just want to live well and enjoy my luxurious life.”

"What do you mean?"

The eldest prince asked the question in an unfriendly tone, but failed to get an answer from anyone present, so he could only sulk and shut up.

After walking for a while, as they passed through a dark alley, Gerdev, who was in charge, heard cries for help coming from inside.

"Please! Please don't... all the money is here... save me! Someone save me!!"

The shrill female voice uttered only one sentence, followed by indistinct sobs, clearly her mouth had been covered, while a threatening, gruff male voice also rang out at the same time.

"Good boy, you'd better behave. We're just having some fun right now. If you make any more noise, I'll kill you!"

Gerdoff instinctively placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, but hesitated and did not make a move.

Crime cannot be eradicated. The kingdom was already increasingly corrupt. Not to mention a small place like Yelantil, even within the royal city, there were criminal gangs like the "Eight Fingers" roaming around.

Normally, he would have acted immediately, but now that things have taken an unexpected turn... Gerdov looked at the three royal family members who were with him and hesitated for a moment.

Aren't you going to help?

When the childish voice rang out, Gerdov realized that a little boy had appeared in front of him without him noticing.

The boy was exceptionally handsome, dressed in pure white men's clothing, the style of which resembled classic knight's attire. He had a small wooden sword, which looked like a toy, hanging at his waist, as if he were playing a game of imitating a knight.

Before Gerdov could answer, the boy shyly scratched his head.

"Then I'll go."

His figure disappeared at the entrance of the dark alley.

Gerdov's heart skipped a beat. As the captain of the warriors, he could not tolerate such a young child being harmed. He immediately drew his azure longsword from his waist and quickly gave instructions to the three princes behind him.

"Wait here for a moment, I'll be right back."

With his strength, he could kill even a slightly skilled adventurer instantly, in just a few breaths. It would be more time-consuming to deal with the aftermath.

Gerdov rushed in, and was slightly taken aback when he saw the scene before him.

Three thugs lay groaning on the ground, while a girl, tears streaming down her face, gratefully held the hand of the boy who had run in earlier, thanking him profusely.

In the few seconds he was gone, the boy had actually taken down three adults who were much larger than him?
As Gerdoff was surprised, he then noticed a detail he had missed: the boy had a pair of pointed ears, a feature not typically found in humans.

So that's how it is. An elf, or a half-elf?
Seemingly noticing his gaze, the boy exchanged a few words with the rescued girl and watched her leave quickly. He then ran over with a smile to politely thank her.

"You still came? Were you worried about my safety? Thank you so much!"

Gerdov paused for a moment, then sheathed his sword: "You're welcome. I wasn't of any help."

"Even though I didn't actually help, I should be grateful for having the intention to help and taking action... I didn't say that, but it sounded cool, so I wrote it down."

The boy spoke quite seriously, but then quickly smiled sheepishly and scratched his head as he introduced himself.

"My name is Mare, and I am a trainee knight who has recently decided to embark on the path of knighthood. Please take good care of me."

“I am Gerdov.”

When the boy gave his name, Gerdav saw neither shock nor admiration on his face, as if the knight commander, famous throughout the kingdom, was just an unknown nobody.

Not a local?

"The sword at your waist looks really cool, can I take a look?"

Just as Gerdov was about to refuse, he felt a lightness around his waist before he could even utter a word, and his face immediately stiffened.

The kingdom's inherited weapon, a sword capable of easily cutting through steel, appeared out of thin air in the boy's hand, and he was completely unaware of it.

"It's a very good sword, almost at the level of a divine weapon. It's a pity I don't have the [Item Appraisal] skill so I can't make an accurate judgment."

Mare fiddled with the azure longsword as if it were a new toy, then shook his head regretfully.

"No, the 'Dragon Sword' is silver-white, this sword isn't a good match. I guess it'd be better to get one from Cocytus... Hey? Why are you all sweaty? Are you feeling unwell?"

Mare returned the sword, asking in surprise.

"I am fine."

Still shaken, Gerdav took the sword and tucked it back into his waistband. He silently wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his throat a little dry.

Without a doubt, he was deceived by Mare's childlike appearance; the other party was a powerful being who could be considered unfair.

Less than an hour after entering the city, I've already encountered two waves of monsters that I couldn't defeat despite my best efforts. Isn't this world a little too crazy?

That's a lie, isn't he the strongest warrior captain in the country?

"Hey... Marei, may I ask what brings you here?"

Compared to the chilling woman before her, Mare was undoubtedly much kinder. Such a powerful target could not be ignored, so Gerdev tentatively inquired.

"I came here to find someone."

Marie took a cropped photo out of her pocket and handed it over.

Gazef took it and looked at it, his brows relaxing. "This is one of the members who fought against the demon god, Lord 'Black Swordsman' Momo. Are you looking for him?"

"No, Fei... Lady Momo is my former employer, and now she's actually a bit annoying. I want to find my sister through Lady Momo."

Are you looking for your relatives?
Gazef thought for a moment, then gave a friendly smile. "Actually, we were just about to visit the 'Black Swordsman' and the other heroes who fought the demon god. Mare, would you like to come with us?"

They had encountered far too many monsters, and there might be more to come. Just in case, he hoped to have a fellow monster to protect himself and the three princes.

Mare stared at Gerdov for a few seconds, then blinked. "Do you need help? If so, just say so."

Gerdoff touched his nose, feeling embarrassed that he had been seen through while trying to deceive a child, and nodded obediently.

"Yes, I hope you can come with us to meet the adventurers who are going to defeat the demon god. Would you like to?"

Marie performed a proper knightly salute and nodded solemnly.

"no problem."

(End of this chapter)