Chapter 108 30: The Long Road - The Meeting
Chapter 108 Chapter 30: The Long Road - The Meeting
Once the group departed, it was a smooth journey as the silver carriages sparkled with a strange ethereal magic light and the lovely birds matching their wooden cargo chirped with their wonderful silver and white feathers dancing through the air.
There was no murky forest this time but a great outstretching plain of wonderful greenery and cute critters and livestock.
This place wasn\'t used for anything due to an agreement between the kind and the agricultural sector who claimed this land should be kept as it is in case of crisis as the soil was the highest quality in the world.
Meanwhile, Lucifer was sitting on the back of the carriage.
He was throwing bread and birdfeed to the carriage behind all of the little blue eyes staring at him with intense love as he had been doing this for nearly five hours every few minutes, and tossing it to the hardest working bird with a strange smile on his face.
Ah... it\'s like being back in the other world and feeding the cute ducks at the pond.
He was completely in old-man mode...!
"Darling, are you trying to make me jealous of these female birds?"
"Mmm? They were women!? I was calling them Dave and Bobby in my head..."
"Kweh..."
Sitting beside him was Gwendolyn with her gentle smile.
She didn\'t care where they were as long as he was there. This moment reminded her of the days she could only watch him sitting alone, speaking to the ducks and telling her about his days...
"Ah... you\'re so stupid... but why do I love how cute you are?" She couldn\'t help but hug him tightly and kiss his cheek.
Lucifer didn\'t mind and enjoyed it when his wives saw his silly side in action before asking genuinely about their destination to distract from the angry-looking priest sitting in the driver seat covered in the bird\'s excrement.
"So, do you know where our first stop is?"
Gwendolyn gently replied while lying along his arm and chest while glancing upward at the passing grey clouds. "Our destination is a city known as Blatolia. Its fame surpasses the others tenfold since this was once the castle of King Aeneas, who founded this Kingdom where we reside today—according to ancient texts."
"Hooo.... Aeneas...."
Looking at Gwendolyn curiously, she noticed Lucifer had turned quiet with a serious face—she poked his firm abs lightly, causing him to glance down with a sweet smile, making Gwen melt from his handsome looks in such attractive travel clothes—black leather trousers combined with a silver cotton shirt tucked inside matched perfectly while covering his neck was a white silk cloth loosely hanging to maintain freshness with the autumn sun beaming.
"Why do you react strangely? Is Aeneas somewhere you dislike?"
"Hmmm... that isn\'t entirely true; there is nothing wrong, Gwendolyn—I was merely intrigued," Lucifer grinned mysteriously as his answer made her wonder whether there was some history regarding his response from knowing weird facts as usual.
How do I tell her it\'s the area where, in the game lore, she vanished forever... Is this a coincidence, or should I raise my guard?
Lucifer pondered before noticing Gwendolyn snuggling his arm affectionately, thinking while nibbling the shoulder with soft pecks—removing attention quickly with a passionate kiss...
***
An hour later, the carriages began to slow down to take a break. The lovely birds had been running for six hours nonstop—pulling everyone outside for rest beneath the shade of trees.
Lucifer sensed something suspicious after realising the sky turned cloudier by the moment while Gwendolyn pulled him along a patch of beautiful flowers—Lephalia and Irina were sitting down waiting for him with bright smiles, while Estella and Serena were standing and looking towards the north with stern faces.
Suddenly, he heard thunderous steps crushing the earth as a huge number of horses racing towards the convoy in the distance—clods of dirt rose into the air when he tried to speak up to alert others but realised Gwendolyn was glaring seriously without recognising Lucifer.
W-what\'s happening... Could it really be those bastards? Why is it happening here?
Gripping his weapon tightly to prepare, he walked close and checked everyone was on high alert as Irina and Lephalia held their weapons, a sharp spear and deadly mace in hand before Serena gave an order.
"All priests protect the divine birds. Should these knights be enemy troops, instantly deploy the Celestial barrier in full power."
Seeing hundreds of soldiers in shining armour rush rapidly with their mounts, Lucifer examined closely and felt shocked seeing a crest on the left side with a black dagger surrounded by gold diamonds representing House Hargreave—why are they attacking... Dalton Hargreave, you are a fucking dog for that slut queen!?
There are only about twenty real knights, and the others are mere soldiers... or mercenaries.
The knights surrounded the group, blocking all exits—looking towards Lucifer, walking forward calmly as Serena stood and blocked Estella near the carriage without a word...
Suddenly, Lucifer saw a rider force a way past and point a weapon covered in fire magic.
"Royal Priest Serena, we demand all clerics accompany us to Blatolia—the church has a decree from Queen Caroline declaring you follow our orders."
How do they know!?
Lucifer was stunned for a moment, and so were many of the priests and templars who looked around, trying to see who they were talking about. Slowly, Serena sighed, knowing something was wrong as the knight only looked at her from the start, and that flame was likely something that broke her illusion.
"Damn demi-god slut." Serena whispered with a strange voice, her eyes shimmering between the normal colour and golden, as her gaze looked at Lucifer with a helpless smile.
"Oh, my? If it isn\'t the heir to the fallen Hargreave family... Dalton, tell me, who does that woman think she is to order the servant of the Goddess?"
His face didn\'t change as the flaming sword began to flicker and grow, his lips moving slowly, "the only god the kingdom acknowledges is Celestina."
Serena narrowed her gaze menacingly, revealing the truth... this person, Dalton Hargreave, was not sincere to anyone but his monarch.
"No faithful who kneels to the church will stand beside such scum. A fake slut who is merely a demi-goddess."
Inhaling slowly, Dalton suddenly released flames at the birds resting as Lucifer\'s black spear merely cut through the air and doused the flames into steaming mist and black smoke.
Before Lucifer did anything else, Gwendolyn embraced him affectionately while shaking... feeling worried about something, realising Serena approached while smiling faintly and told Estella to guard Irina and Lephalia carefully...
"Come with us now, priest Serena—stand aside, demon!" Dalton cried out, annoyed when someone threatened his authority.
The other priests were stunned to find out that the bishop was travelling with them wearing black templar armour. It was shocking as they began to speak to each other.
Lucifer showed a dark expression seeing these fake knights attempting to threaten his family while holding Gwendolyn softly and waited for Serena\'s reply as she walked fearlessly, staring into Dalton Hargreave\'s hateful glare as if he wished to kill the annoying cleric blocking his orders.
"Have some dignity, you foolish child—you come to insult me—we don\'t require your petty demands. Do you think that little girl is a true goddess? Hahahahah." Serena\'s eyes glowed golden as the entire army of knights vanished with a strange sound and pop.
"Hurry, they have only been sent five miles in the opposite direction."
Lucifer couldn\'t believe his eyes as all the Knights vanished instantly—wasn\'t this teleportation magic!? What power did Serena possess, and what kind of cleric could do this... isn\'t mass teleportation a legendary skill only usable by that demi-god and above??
Gwendolyn held Lucifer tightly, telling others quickly to begin preparing again as Serena told Estella to take command while she staggered and headed to her carriage, shaken as they knew who she was and that was with this group, not the second one.
"Wait!" Lucifer called as Serena didn\'t mind and smiled while heading into the carriage—He followed her as Gwen helped the priests and other knights arrange themselves.
Opening the carriage, he found Serena panting profusely as Estella rushed in with bandages and healing ointment.
Their flesh of Serena began to ooze with blood, and her body collapsed to the sofa—Serena smiled weakly at him while holding her abdomen with gritted teeth, clearly strained from the overuse of powerful magic beyond her human frame... from the shadows, Marina came with her thread that seemed to have been soaked in something strange...
"It\'s the silk of an arachne dipped in a top-tier healing ointment... you helped my master, so please use it."
Holding Serena\'s trembling hand, Lucifer listened to Marina\'s explanation as she helped wrap around the slender waist before realising it shrunk smoothly into the bloodsoaked area using mana like a bandage... the priest relaxed immediately as she lay against Lucifer—She seemed to sniff him again... but Lucifer decided to ignore it and let her use him.
"Why did you use something like that using the body of Serena, Celestia?" Lucifer\'s words caused both Estella and Marina to turn pale and look shocked.
The fact that the Goddess used her body and nobody realised it was quite shocking for them, but the person in question just began to stroke Lucifer\'s arms, "Oh... my hero... you know me so well? Will you save me~"
"Celestia...." Estella wanted to get angry while seeing Serena\'s body smile, seemingly teasing Lucifer playfully as he sighed helplessly... "For someone like you, why the need for drama with those knights? You could wipe them easily, or so I would imagine, just by flexing a pinkie, Goddess."
"I cannot... this is your little wife\'s pivotal event... you know what happens when you forcefully change things... that\'s why you are a hero and lord."