Inside a golden chariot rolling along the stone roads of Red Dragon City, William sat quietly with his eyes half-closed.
His body still ached from the cultivation backlash two nights ago.
The memory replayed clearly in his mind.
The shattered darkness.
Grecia's betrayal.
The blade against his throat.
Silver's arrival.
Too close.
Far too close.
William opened his eyes slightly.
"Thanks to little Silver arriving in time, I survived," he muttered softly.
"But luck is not strategy."
His gaze turned cold.
"One mistake nearly cost my life."
He leaned back against the carriage wall and slowly flexed his fingers.
The damaged meridians inside his body still pulsed painfully from time to time.
"I pushed too hard trying to force cultivation."
"That was foolish."
He closed his eyes again.
"In this world, recklessness kills faster than weakness."
The dragon inside the pendant snickered.
"Kek… little mouse finally learned."
William ignored him.
"I cannot continue destroying my body trying to circulate qi naturally."
His thoughts sharpened.
I need a viable solution.
The Spirit Beast Contracting Talisman.
The Fate Breaking Hall.
The Horn of the Bulldroc.
So that was the King's intention.
Obtain the horn.
Trade it for the talisman.
Fix his broken cultivation path.
Every thread connected neatly together now.
Just then—
The carriage door slid open.
Silver climbed inside energetically.
Compared to her exhausted appearance two nights ago, she had mostly recovered. Her silver hair was tied behind her back, though fresh bandages still wrapped around several fingers.
The heavy atmosphere inside the carriage lightened slightly the moment she entered.
"Brother!" she called brightly.
Then her eyes narrowed immediately after seeing his expression.
"You're thinking too much again."
William glanced at her calmly.
"No, I'm not."
"Yes, you are."
"…Forget it."
He shifted slightly and asked,
"Are the others coming?"
Silver grinned mischievously.
"Pretty sure they are."
"As you told me, I visited them all last night."
William raised a brow.
"And?"
"They agreed."
A strange excitement flashed across her face.
William nodded slowly.
Good.
The more people moving with him openly—
The harder it became for hidden enemies to act recklessly.
Silver suddenly leaned closer.
"Still… keeping that maid around was stupid."
William looked out the carriage window.
"She was a trained spy planted inside my estate by one of the princes."
Silver blinked.
"And you still kept her?"
"I already knew she would betray me eventually."
"Then why?"
"To follow the trail."
Silver stared at him silently for a moment.
Then—
"Oh my, that's actually stupid."
William almost laughed.
Instead, he watched her carefully.
The naive princess from the Blood Awakening Ceremony was disappearing little by little.
The palace had hardened her.
The mountains had hardened her.
And perhaps—
His teachings had hardened her most of all.
Silver suddenly pulled out several food boxes from a storage pouch.
Luxurious breakfast dishes filled the carriage instantly with aroma.
Roasted meat.
Dragon pepper soup.
Golden bread soaked in butter.
Without another word, the two began eating quietly while waiting for the others to arrive.
Outside—
The golden carriage continued rolling toward the western gate of Red Dragon City.
Toward the Fate Breaking Hall.
And toward the next stage of the Crown Prince Selection.
Suddenly, the horses neighed sharply.
The carriage slowed to a halt.
Silver immediately pushed open the window curtains and peeked outside.
Then she smiled.
"They're here."
William leaned back lazily.
"Good. Invite them in."
Silver snorted and crossed her arms proudly.
"They have hands and legs. Let them board themselves."
William almost laughed.
The carriage door opened.
Ashley entered first.
As expected, her expression looked as though the entire journey offended her existence.
Behind her came Wilson.
The crimson-haired youth stepped inside and barked immediately,
"Sixth Prince, we're all busy people. Why drag us into this ridiculous journey of yours?"
Silver looked away coldly, pretending not to hear him.
Ashley folded her arms and stared at William as if demanding an explanation as well.
William rested his chin against his palm calmly.
"Get inside and sit."
The two frowned.
William continued indifferently,
"The King already approved both of you as members of my entourage."
"In simpler words…"
"I own your schedules now."
Ashley's face flushed red instantly.
Wilson's expression darkened.
Before either could respond—
The carriage shook.
A round figure squeezed himself inside energetically.
"Exactly!" Gon laughed as he dropped beside William.
"We're all part of Seventh Prince's camp now. Personally, I think journeys are fun."
Ashley's eyes narrowed instantly.
"Shut up, Gon. Nobody invited you."
Gon froze dramatically.
He slowly turned toward William with wounded eyes.
"Your Highness…"
"So I'm unwanted?"
He began standing up sadly.
William grabbed his shoulder and shoved him back down.
"Brother Gon, there seems to be a misunderstanding."
"Of course you're coming."
Gon grinned immediately.
Ashley clicked her tongue.
Wilson still refused to sit properly.
The atmosphere inside the carriage remained stiff.
William glanced toward Silver.
"Little Silver."
"Convince them."
Silver finally turned around.
A sweet smile appeared on her face.
It somehow looked more threatening than anger.
"Big Sister Ash," she said gently, "shall we continue our spar from last night?"
Ashley's body visibly stiffened.
She immediately turned toward the window.
Silver's smile widened.
"And you too, Wilson."
Her voice remained soft.
"Brother William kindly extended an olive branch to both of you…"
"…yet you still bark at him?"
Wilson's lips twitched slightly.
"Come. Sit properly."
Neither argued further.
William watched the sudden change silently.
Interesting.
What exactly did she do to them last night?
The two quietly sat across from him without another complaint.
Silver looked extremely satisfied.
She whistled cheerfully.
Outside, the horses neighed again.
The golden carriage resumed its journey toward the western gates of the city.