Their departure from the capital wasn’t a quiet one at all.

It seems tradition dictates that the people, as well, say their goodbyes to the saintess.

Now their entourage has become a parade through the capital, with hundreds of people lining the streets in joyous celebration to bid the saintess farewell.

This also serves as the official introduction of this generation’s heroes to the people, and just like they were clamoring for the saintess, the heroes in the lead were also being celebrated.

However, Zorat noted that beneath this projected celebration and happiness, the real state of the kingdom was not being reflected.

Most of the happy citizens in front, throwing flowers and celebrating, were from the more comfortable households, those with high to mid-level income with several sources to fall back on in these hard times. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Far back, and with many more numbers were the hardened faces of the kingdom’s real people, who toil its soil only to barely survive on scrap, and that little they managed had also been stripped by the disastrous famine.

Even the relief efforts from the royal family had always been subpar, causing simmering and pressurized resentments to ferment among the people, and Zorat could sense that boiling wave beneath the surface threatening to explode.

Rather than getting a solution from their king, they were being shown to a parade, and expected to be joyful about it.

Zorat could smell a riot in the air, and considering he had stripped the royal family clean.... He is doubtful they would find a way to appease the masses this time.

Though relative to the forces backing the royal family, the peasants are weak, but a kingdom is like a well-structured engine; take out one important piece, and it breaks down to a stagnant alt that can be disastrous.

Whatever may unfold in their absence, Zorat was confident in the preparations he’s made with Kaelara, and is certain his investments would be secure until he returns.

They carried on through the capital, and from every corner, every open window, and the side of the streets, the capital residents would either celebrate or look on at the procession with scorn.

However, for the latter, none were bold enough to actually act on their impulses with the saintess of the holy sea inside the golden carriage, or the otherworldly heroes in the lead, and several other powerful knights....

And like so, the entourage passed through the capital’s gates with the pathfinder, a middle-aged man named Urasmus, who was also at the grandmaster realm, taking the lead as they rode forward in the direction of the Algove forest...

Same one they had come from when they had gone to the catacombs of permafrost.

From Zorat’s calculations, having already come through there, it should take a few hours to reach the forest, and over a day to get through it.....

And deeper still is the forest of no return, where they would have to go through in order to reach the kingdom’s border.

Apparently, according to the pathfinder, there is a frequented path through the Algove forest where the saintess’s carriage can still follow, but after reaching the fringes of the forest of no return, she would have to use a horse as well.

The entourage was not fast, but also not slow. The heroes were deep in conversation as they rode their horses side by side of one another, while the kingdom’s knights remained their ever-professional selves and simply followed along without so much as a peep.

On the other hand, the pathfinder, Urasmus, was a chatterbox and wouldn’t stop regaling anyone who would listen with tales of his adventures.

Like so, the journey carried on, and Zorat was starting to battle with his very own chatterbox, Broddy.

The young man had been lamenting about how his girlfriend Erica had changed and that she wouldn’t even allow him to touch her anymore.....

Citing, she behaves as if she’s repulsed by him, very different from the Erica she knew and loved, and that Zorat should please intercede and help him talk to her, just like he did when she had broken up with him.

Of course, Zorat promised to give Erica a proper talking to. A promise that greatly satisfied Broddy, earning Zorat a few more ’bro for life’ vows from the young man.

Zorat was really starting to enjoy this ruse he had going on, and was curious to see just how far he could take this. Riding side by side, the two sworn bros continued on their journey.

The journey carried on, and after several hours, they made it into the Algove forest, that’s where they started discovering beasts, but those beasts were no longer a match for this team of heroes.

Their development was shining through, with some like Ariana already taking aspects of her skill, with her red air igniting with an aura of flame when she channels her abundant mana to char a pack of rabid wolves.

Roberto’s spear dance, as he calls it, is now leaving after-images in its wake, with every lethal thrust piercing several centimeters wide holes in his target of wild boars.

Julia, busy drawing in the agro where needed and standing like an impregnable wall in front of the rest with a shimmering dome of grey in her front circumference, interfering with every assault from the beast.

Broddy, plowing through everything in his wake, with just his ridiculous physical strength and insanely durable skin, rendering most attacks useless against him.

Jacob, sending down rains of lightning in AOE attacks, charring everything within range.

Erica, drawing her armament bow, impaling targets to the trees and ground while she maintains a safe distance, jumping from tree to tree.

Ava .... No one actually kew were Ava was, only that targets were falling from different locations.

Then there was Andrew.... Who now wielded two katanas. Both were customized especially for him. Special grade armaments.

Wherever Andrew passed, heads of beasts would follow in his wake. Everything he draws his blade on is sliced in half.

His attacks were so fast that now he was almost as fast as when Ava had gone into that state at the catacombs of permafrost, and he was only on the verge of the master realm.

Only two people were busy doing nothing in this fight, and that was Lily and Zorat.

Zorat just enjoyed watching the show from the comfort of his horseback, observing the improvements in these heroes.

However, just as Zorat was carrying out his observations, someone else was keeping a close watch on him too.

From inside the golden carriage, slowly rolling its way through the forest grounds....

The window curtain was parted slowly, and through the glass, Saintess Sylvara had her mesmerizing amber eyes fixated on Zorat’s back as she muttered in curiosity.....

"What are you..... Caleb Cole ?"