"Then, Tia thanks you, Master." She bowed once more.

Kenley nodded. At the very least, walking alongside such a beautiful and elegant young woman was quite pleasant.

He helped her remove the shackles and glanced at the slave collar before saying,"Unfortunately, I can't take this off for you. It serves as an identity marker. With it, you won't be met with hostility in the imperial city. After all, the undead aren't exactly welcomed there."

Tia immediately responded,"I will follow your arrangements."

Indeed, the undead were considered part of the evil faction. Without the slave collar, if she were sent on an errand and encountered a paladin from the Church of Light or an inquisitor from the Tribunal, they would likely burn her as a heretic on sight.

Kenley kept one clean carriage while releasing the horses from the others. Then, he set the remaining prison carts and corpses ablaze, ensuring complete destruction. Now, no one would know he was responsible.

After all, slave caravans typically operated under an alliance. If the Slave Trade Guild found out, they might track the incident back to him. Leaving no evidence was the best course of action.

Watching Kenley's practiced movements, Tia's eyes filled with curiosity."Master, was this your first time killing someone?"

Kenley froze for a moment."How did you know?"

Since she was already his servant, he saw no reason to hide it from her.

Tia continued,"I'm quite curious. Master, this is clearly your first time taking a life, yet both your movements and composure resemble those of a seasoned warrior. The contradiction is too stark."

Kenley chuckled inwardly. You wouldn't understand—beyond this world, there exist beings called‘players'.

Of course, he wouldn't say that out loud. Instead, he simply replied,"I've practiced some swordsmanship before."

Tia's eyes were filled with doubt."Just some practice?"

Kenley nodded."Yes, just a little."

Tia's crimson eyes remained locked on Kenley, as if trying to see through him. She was deeply intrigued. Everything about him—his attire, his appearance—marked him as a native of Laupa Town. How could someone like him possess such skill and ability, yet be experiencing his first kill? The contradiction was simply too great, too illogical.

But Kenley had no intention of lingering on the matter. He stood up, dusted off his hands, and turned to Tia with a perfectly executed knight's bow.

"Noble Princess, shall we set off together?" With one hand resting behind his back, he extended the other toward Tia, his posture slightly inclined.

Tia unexpectedly smiled.

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Kenley looked puzzled. "Why are you smiling?"

Tia gently covered her small cherry lips with the back of her hand, but the smile on her face was unmistakable. After a brief pause, she finally spoke. "Esteemed Master, your knightly salute is... rather far from standard."

As she spoke, she couldn't help but laugh again. It was clear that Kenley's gesture had been quite amusing.

Kenley had played a Level 99 knight before, so he certainly knew how to perform a knightly salute. However, as a player, he had always been rather casual about it.

He hadn't expected his attempt to look utterly ridiculous in the eyes of this princess. Feeling a little awkward, he found himself in an embarrassing dilemma—whether to withdraw his outstretched hand or leave it hanging.

Just as Kenley was hesitating, Tia stopped teasing him. Instead, she gently extended a delicate finger and lightly touched his palm.

"Thank you, gallant knight," she said, her tone laced with amusement.

Kenley's face flushed red. He coughed lightly to cover his embarrassment before finally taking her hand.

Perhaps because of her undead nature, Tia's hand was ice-cold, entirely devoid of a living person's warmth. However, her skin was not stiff or dry; instead, it was smooth and supple, almost like polished jade.

Just that brief touch sent a rush of heat through Kenley. Though he had held a girl's hand before in the real world, this was the hand of a girl from another world—it felt completely different.

Especially given Tia's unique aura, Kenley couldn't help but feel a ripple in his heart. His mind started to wander, filled with countless fantasies, but he quickly suppressed them, forcing himself to remain focused.

Leading Tia to the carriage, he watched as she carefully lifted the hem of her dress and stepped onto the driver's seat one step at a time.

"You're not sitting inside?" Kenley asked in surprise.

Tia looked at him with mild astonishment. "You are my master. Driving the carriage should be the servant's duty."

Kenley thought for a moment and didn't argue. Instead, with a swift motion, he climbed onto the driver's seat as well, choosing not to sit inside either.

"I'm a bit different. But this is fine—let's drive the carriage together. We can chat along the way."

With that, Kenley sat beside Tia, shoulder to shoulder.

What an interesting master, Tia thought as she cast a curious glance at him. However, she did not object. Whatever her master wished to do was entirely his choice.

With a flick of the reins and a command, the carriage began to move forward, the rhythmic clopping of hooves echoing through the air as they made their way toward Maren Imperial City.

As they left the dense forest, the sky suddenly opened up before them. Rounding a bend, the carriage's front turned northeast, and Kenley caught sight of a magnificent Sky Tower.

At the sight of that tower, something stirred deep within him. A memory resurfaced, and he suddenly recalled—if he could obtain the Golden Forbidden Fruit again and unlock reincarnation, could he return to the real world?

The thought sent a wave of emotions surging through him, and even his breathing grew slightly erratic.

Tia noticed the shift in his demeanor. "Master, what's wrong?"

Her voice snapped Kenley back to reality. He quickly emptied his mind.

"It's nothing… I just… miss home," he said, deftly steering the conversation away.

"Home?" Tia repeated softly, her voice tinged with contemplation.

"Yes, home." Kenley started to say more, then paused and glanced at Tia. He suddenly realized he knew very little about this young princess. After a brief hesitation, he asked, "Tia, do you still remember your family?"

At his question, Tia fell silent. She did not answer, merely lowering her gaze as if lost in thought.

Seeing her reluctance to respond, Kenley didn't press further. Instead, he quietly focused on driving the carriage.

They passed through forests, crossed streams, and rode past a breathtaking sea of flowers. Along the way, they saw countless butterflies in brilliant colors fluttering through the air.

Kenley closed his eyes for a moment, quietly savoring this rare moment of tranquility.

Compared to his original world, this one was far, far better.

Perhaps… staying here wouldn't be so bad.

The thought crept into Kenley's mind before he could stop it. But then, he thought of Irene—and his heart filled with regret.