Chapter 13: Journeys of Destiny

“Time to wake up, Qing Yu. The horses are ready; we can depart shortly.”

Before dawn had even broken, Aldoran, already fully dressed, gently patted Qing Yu’s still-sleeping cheek.

Qing Yu smacked his lips, then, with eyes still heavy with sleep, he merely rolled over, tugging the blanket tighter, evidently unwilling to rise.

“Alright, no more childishness.”

Seeing no reaction from Qing Yu, Aldoran gently patted his face again, attempting to rouse him.

Alas, no matter how Aldoran called to him, Qing Yu only grumbled softly, stubbornly burrowing deeper into his blankets, utterly refusing to get up—as if determined to sleep until daybreak.

Left with no alternative, Aldoran clapped her hands, summoning the maids and instructing them to prepare Qing Yu’s luggage. She then slowly pulled back his blanket, scooping him into a princess carry. To prevent Qing Yu from being awakened by the cold morning air, Aldoran deliberately enveloped his body in a warm current of power.

“Aldoran-sama, the carriage is ready.”

Stepping out of the main gate, Thrud had long been waiting for Aldoran, standing patiently beside a magnificent, jet-black steed, sleek and powerfully built, easily towering over a man.

“Yes, our first stop will be Alastor,” Aldoran replied, gently placing Qing Yu into the carriage at the back and tucking the blanket around him. “It’s the closest to Aranpa and also the largest information exchange hub in the human kingdoms.” She then turned to Thrud, striking up a conversation.

“Yes, Aldoran-sama,” Thrud nodded, then inquired, “Do you require me to drive the carriage? Or perhaps—”

“No, you shall drive.”

Aldoran did not hesitate, agreeing to Thrud’s offer almost instantly. Among all the maids, Thrud’s skill in driving a carriage was, without question, the most trustworthy.

“There is one more matter, Aldoran-sama,” Thrud continued, a hint of concern entering her voice. “Do you require additional guards? Your journey is bound to be fraught with peril, and I believe we should seek more escorts.”

The memory of that night’s attacker still sent a shiver down Thrud’s spine; their power had been truly immense, and Thrud could not guarantee they wouldn’t encounter that assailant again on their journey.

Aldoran’s destination was Mimir, yet for centuries, no one had definitively known Mimir’s dwelling place. Thus, Aldoran’s quest was destined to be filled with countless hardships, and relying solely on Thrud and herself would be exceedingly dangerous.

“It’s fine, we won’t encounter any issues,” Aldoran assured Thrud, nodding and revealing the bracelet on her wrist. “Besides Bishus and Saulte, I have two other guardians. Coupled with your strength and mine, that should be enough to overcome most obstacles.”

“Yes, Aldoran-sama, I shall obey your command.”

Since Aldoran had spoken so decisively, Thrud found it inappropriate to press further, merely inclining her head slightly in deference.

This nascent divine lord, contrary to everyone’s expectations of ascending to the legendary Immortal Palace, was instead compelled by the guidance of fate to embark on an arduous journey, receiving none of the customary treatment befitting a deity.

‘Fate,’ indeed, was a truly inscrutable force.

However, regardless of Thrud’s thoughts, this was Aldoran’s destiny, the destiny of ‘Odin.’ As a ‘Valkyrie’ chosen by fate, she could only obey Aldoran’s every command.

“Then, my Lady, may we depart?”

Thrud mounted her horse, her long golden hair swept up by the night wind, shimmering brilliantly under the starlight, presenting an undeniably heroic figure.

“Yes, let us depart.”

Aldoran, too, settled into the carriage, gently resting Qing Yu’s head on her lap, then instructed Thrud to depart.

Thus, with a single cry, the magnificent steed stretched its limbs, its powerful hooves rapidly traversing inch after inch of land, as it vanished into the night amidst a cloud of swirling dust.

****

“Hoo—this wine is truly excellent!”

Meanwhile, even as Aldoran and her retinue had just set off, Lance, having departed earlier, had already found temporary refuge in a small beastkin village along a completely different route.

Inside a dilapidated wooden house, dimly lit by a kerosene lamp, Lance sat at a modest wooden table with a cat-eared girl, both feasting on meat and drinking copious amounts of wine, all while engaging in a desultory conversation.

The beastkin were a hospitable and generous race, treating every guest with the utmost warmth and enthusiasm.

This disposition perfectly matched Lance’s own, and so, before long, Lance and the beastkin girl had become as close as sisters who had grown up sharing everything.

“This wine was bought just this morning from the best brewer in the village. What do you think, isn’t the taste superb?”

The girl gulped down her wine with loud ‘glugs,’ heedless of any spills.

“Excellent! This is truly delicious!” Lance exclaimed, mimicking the girl’s enthusiastic gulping and giving her a thumbs-up.

While this inexpensive village wine naturally couldn’t compare to the fine spirits meticulously brewed in the royal palace, crafted with the finest ingredients through exquisite processes to achieve a delicate and palatable taste, for Lance, who had grown up in luxury, indulging in rich foods and spicy delicacies, this fiery, throat-burning sensation was an unexpectedly novel experience.

“I knew it! You truly have excellent taste, guest!” the girl chirped, even more delighted by Lance’s praise. With a few more ‘glugs,’ another cup of wine disappeared down her throat.

“Isn’t this wine quite potent!”

“It is, it is! Every day after coming home from work, one cup of this wine, and I feel like all my worries just disappear!”

“Indeed, indeed! If you have any worries, a single cup of wine makes them instantly vanish!” Lance laughed joyfully. Feeling flushed and overheated from the alcohol, she nonchalantly stripped off her outer garments, her actions completely devoid of any aristocratic decorum.

Back in the imperial palace, Lance’s favorite male consort often remarked, ‘Even if Lady Lance were to walk amongst a crowd in the most opulent attire, no one would ever mistake her for a noble.’

“Oh, right, guest, though this might be a bit impolite, I’m rather curious—where are you planning to go? Perhaps I could offer some advice.”

“Where am I going? That’s an easy one—I’m heading to Jotunheim!” Lance declared, not bothering to hide anything, continuing to drink and eat. Yet, at her words, the girl seemed to jump in surprise.

“Guest, are you joking? Jotunheim is entirely a land of giants! It’s not a place an ordinary person like you should casually visit!”

“No problem at all, no problem!” Lance responded, utterly unfazed, her demeanor exuding an air of complete nonchalance.

“You might not be familiar with it, guest,” the girl said, still visibly worried. “The giants of Jotunheim are not to be trifled with by ordinary folk! I’ve heard that even the weakest giants there can wield intermediate-level magic—a power far beyond what people like us can achieve!”

“Oh, really? That powerful?” Lance exclaimed, genuinely surprised. She had never heard anything about giants, having assumed they were just like the inhabitants of any other kingdom.

“It is, it is. It’s not a good idea for you to go to such a dangerous place, guest.”

“Mmm, mmm, thanks for the warning,” Lance cheerfully replied, the gem on her chest faintly glowing with a fiery red light. “But I still have no choice but to go!”

“No choice but to go? Guest, ordinary folk like us have no reason whatsoever to go to such a place! To tell you the truth, even if you offered me an entire kingdom, I would never go to Jotunheim!” The girl continued to advise Lance, hoping to make her turn back.

“No problem, no problem,” Lance declared, waving a dismissive hand before pouring an entire bottle of wine down her throat. “My destiny demands that I do this!”

“Destiny?” The girl tilted her head, looking at Lance in confusion. “Truthfully, I’ve lived for so long, and while I’ve certainly been guided by fate myself, and heard stories of others being guided, such a clear guidance of destiny as yours is truly rare! You’re not joking, are you?”

“Truly, truly, I wouldn’t lie to you! Even I don’t understand why I have to go to such a place, but if it’s the guidance of destiny, then surely nothing too terrible will happen, right?”

“Ah, well, if that’s the case, then I can only wish you a safe journey, guest,” the girl sighed, clinking her cup against Lance’s. “After all, with destiny, who can truly say? A mere ‘guidance’ without any reason… it truly leaves one scratching their head.”

“Thanks! Don’t worry!” Lance drained her drink, then continued her rambling conversation with the girl, entirely oblivious to the three pairs of eyes watching her through the window from the distant darkness.

“Ah, Captain, we’ve been watching Lady Lance for quite a while now. Surely there won’t be any problems, will there?” In the dense grass, a black-haired girl in a long robe gently poked the stern-faced purple-haired girl beside her.

“No, absolutely not. What if she’s just trying to make Lady Lance lower her guard?” the purple-haired girl replied. “We must continue to watch Lady Lance; Lady Arell’s mission cannot be taken so lightly.” She then poked another black-haired girl, who wore glasses, with her elbow.

“Hey, Lias, don’t fall asleep.”

“Don’t… don’t worry… I… I won’t fall asleep…” The girl, whose name was Lias, forced herself to stay awake, stubbornly fixing her gaze on Lance.

“Lady Arell isn’t even here anyway, don’t worry, Captain, it’ll be fine,” the black-haired girl poked the purple-haired girl again.

“No, as knights, we must hold ourselves to strict standards.”

“Yes… strict… strict… self-discipline… is a must…” Lias stammered, picking up the thread of conversation intermittently. She was truly at her breaking point, and before the purple-haired girl could even offer a word of praise, she toppled over into the grass, falling instantly asleep.