William didn't have to wait long. Compared to normal horses, warhorses were incredibly fast. The few kilometers between them were covered in less than a few minutes.
Once they arrived, William stood up as a muscular man at the front dismounted from his warhorse.
He was as tall as William and appeared to be in his early twenties. A prideful aura surrounded him, and the rest of the group seemed to respect him.
"You can call me Captain Kyle," he said, extending his hand, which William shook firmly.
"My name is William, and this is my daughter, Isabella," he introduced himself and then gestured toward Isabella.
"Oh, you're awakened ! I didn't know anyone awakened lived in the Wildlands. The lord didn't mention that," Kyle said, raising his eyebrows in surprise.
"Perhaps because he didn't even know I was coming. How did you know I was here?" William asked, still surprised by their sudden arrival.
"His lordship will explain everything. He instructed us to escort you to the outpost immediately, and that's what we'll do. Can you ride a warhorse? If not, you can ride behind Sutre," Kyle said, pointing to another man in the group while heading toward his horse.
"Is the lord not here?" William asked, scanning the group.
"Of course not. He's at the watchtower, keeping an eye on the enemy," Kyle replied matter-of-factly. William looked into the distance but couldn't spot the watchtower among the hills. How could he keep an eye on the enemy from so far away. More importantly, if he wasn't among this group, how did he shoot arrows earlier? He didn't understand but refrained from asking.
They had brought a spare warhorse as well.
"I've ridden warhorses before," William replied to Kyle's question after a moment.
"Good. Then we should move immediately."
William hesitated, not out of fear, but because John and Telo were expected to arrive at any moment.
Kyle noticed his hesitation and frowned slightly.
"Is something wrong?" he asked, his tone still polite.
"No, it's just that my two comrades who accompanied me should be arriving shortly. They must be exhausted. I wanted to wait for them."
"Oh, Sutre, wait here for them with three others," Kyle ordered the same man from earlier.
"Yes, Captain," Sutre replied with a slight nod.
"Let's go!" Kyle said, clearly not wanting to wait any longer.
William agreed to leave after confirming that John and Telo would be safe. He was still deeply worried about Isabella, her condition was worsening.
He mounted the horse and rode it skillfully toward the outpost. The escort formed a protective circle around him, keeping him in the center. Captain Kyle took the rear, clearly intending to guard against any threats from behind.
William didn't like Kyle's attitude at first, but his actions quickly improved his impression. Kyle might have been prideful—perhaps even arrogant—but he wasn't a coward and took his responsibilities seriously.
It took just a few minutes to reach the outpost at full gallop. After crossing the valley, they entered a winding path through the hills. At one point, they left the main road and took a side path. Just behind a small hill stood the outpost.
The outpost was built atop a hill like a small fort, barely large enough to hold fifty warriors.
It was well fortified with thick stone walls on all sides, and all basic facilities appeared to be contained within its defenses.
"Follow me," the captain said as everyone dismounted.
William held Isabella in his arms and followed Kyle quietly. They entered the central building, which stood three stories high. After passing through several gates and guards, they climbed to the third floor. They entered a large room that resembled a throne room—though much smaller—and there, William met the lord.
The lord was an ordinary-looking man in his thirties.
Dark brown hair, brown eyes, and sharp features. He wore no extravagant garments or jewelry, just simple yet comfortable silk clothes.
Despite his unremarkable appearance, he could be considered handsome with his sharp jawline and athletic frame. He exuded a sharp aura. His brown eyes, though ordinary at first glance, gave off a peculiar energy. There was something baffling about him, William couldn't quite place a finger on it. He looked ordinary, but he was anything but.
"Not bad. You have good senses," the lord said after a moment, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
William snapped out of his daze and hastily bowed in respect.
What's wrong with me? I shouldn't be staring at someone like that, especially not at a lord. He's a transcendent, he reprimanded himself.
"Rise. No need to fret. It's normal for the newly awakened. You'll learn to control your aura eventually. Right now, you're like an open book to any awakened or a transcendents like me," the lord said in an instructive tone.
"Ah, yes, my lord. Apologies if I disrespected you," William said, embarrassed.
"At ease. I don't really care about such formalities, but be careful in front of other transcendents. It's considered rude to scrutinize our aura," the lord said casually, though Kyle looked visibly displeased.
"Kyle, give us some privacy," the lord said, glancing at Kyle, who had just risen from kneeling.
"What?" Kyle asked, startled. Why would the lord want to speak privately with this guy? he thought.
"Give us some privacy," the lord repeated calmly, clearly accustomed to Kyle's behavior.
Kyle nodded and immediately left.
"Don't hold it against him. He's just young and inexperienced. It's natural to be prideful when you're the most talented among the few awakened in the city," the lord said with a sigh.
"He did nothing wrong," William replied respectfully.
"You must already know me, but let me formally introduce myself. I am Jofra Archer, a transcendent archer and the lord of Atari City. Now, let me see her," he said, gesturing toward Isabella.
"How do you know about her?" William asked, not alarmed, but genuinely surprised. For the lord to inquire directly, he must have known she was special.
"How do you think the Dark Lord discovered her? Why do you think he wants her eliminated? I have my sources. I already knew about her. But now that she's so close, I can sense her clearly. Why do you think I came here? Why do you think the Dark Lord attacked you so suddenly?"
"Are you saying the Dark Lord sensed her from afar and attacked us in haste because of you?" William was visibly shaken from realisation.
"Calm down. I don't have all the answers. I don't know exactly how he discovered her. But I suspect he attacked your settlement because he learned I was coming. He knew he wouldn't be able to reach her afterward, so he struck quickly. Why else do you think you survived? He wasn't prepared, I think.
Now let me examine her. She looks injured."
William obliged. He wanted to know her condition quickly. If the lord could treat her here or they had to go to the city.
Since there was no table or anything as such in the room. He directly handed Isabella's frail body to lord arms.
Lord took her gently in his arms and closed his eyes.
"Remarkable! She is still alive after resisting such a strong magic attack. If I am not perceiving it with my own senses, I wouldn't believe myself."
"Your lordship, can you save her? Please tell me you can save her." William suddenly felt fear. Uncertainty gnawed at him. He could no longer wait to no if lord could save her or not.