The gale ceased only a few seconds after it had begun. Plumes of smoke covered the area where the massive dragon had once been. The shock was palpable, as Claire and her guards blinked, seemingly unsure if the dragon had simply been a hallucination.

“I apologize for the commotion and the late introduction,” A powerful voice boomed, and a silhouette began to form amidst the smoke. The person walked closer, and wind blew away the haze, bringing the man’s form into clear view, “My name is Astaroth, servant of the great Mason.”

Huh?!?, Mason thought, cringing as he heard ‘great’ before his name. Astaroth’s really something else. Mason forced his palm from instinctively slapping his forehead. However, a different reaction seemed to stir amidst the others.

So that dragon is Mason’s servant, Claire thought, her jaw hung, her eyes wide, only the greatest and most powerful dragons can transform into humans. Her eyes returned to Mason, Just who is this guy?

“I will join you on the carriage,” Astaroth said, stopping just behind Mason. With others around, one could truly appreciate the size of Astaroth. He stood over a head taller than Jonah, and his arms seemed thicker than Claire’s entire body. He looked down at the four with an intense gaze.

“As long as we’re here you won’t have to worry about any threat,” he declared, hand motioning for everyone to enter the wagon. Speechless, Claire, Blair, and Lucas followed Astaroth’s words, stepping into the wagon as Mason stayed, waiting for them to sit comfortably.

Mason noticed Jonah climbing onto the front, grabbing hold of the leather reins, and moving them in such a way as to calm the skittish horses. Mason looked into the carriage once more before leaning close to Astaroth,

“Sit on the front with Jonah,” Mason whispered, sure his summon would struggle to fit within the carriage, “If you sense any intelligent creatures approaching the carriage as threats, make sure to leave one alive. Kill the rest.” Astaroth nodded, his massive stride allowing him to reach the driver’s seat in only two steps. Turning back to the carriage door, Mason stepped up, the space left for him the closest to the right. Claire and Blaire sat on the left couch, which had enough room to fit at least three people. Lucas sat on the right couch, pressed against the carriage windows opposite the door, giving Mason more than enough room out of respect or fear. Lucas’ straight expression left no room for answers.

Mason sat, his body sinking into the couch's softness. A pleasant, flowery smell entered his nostrils. It was a relaxing scent, clearly artificial yet it didn’t have the same intensity as the perfume he was familiar with on Earth. Blair swiftly reached for a handle, pulling the door closed. Immediately, they began to move.

Minutes went by, and not a single word was said. Claire, Lucas, and Blair seemed lost in thought, still speechless from the mysterious entities they were lucky to meet. Their minds were still processing the encounter and paid no heed to starting a conversation.

Mason stared at the terrain outside, watching as the barren landscape disappeared, and the scenery returned to a lush forest. Somehow, he noticed small animals scurrying within the bushes lining the road and heard the faint calls of birds from afar. He figured his body and senses were enhanced, and wondered if the body he stole already had those features, or if one of the skills he upgraded was the cause. Part of him expected a blue screen to unfold before his eyes, but no explanation came. He decided to leave those thoughts be and figured something else was more important.

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Was meeting the princess truly a coincidence? He thought, understanding the near impossibility of such an encounter being random. I appeared in an injured body too. I can’t think of a good reason for that, except for this body being close to a princess in the middle of an assassination attempt. Mason’s eyes instinctively looked toward the sky, knowing that whoever or whatever sent him here was certainly close to, if not, an actual god in this world. Just what plans do you have?

Someone finally interrupted the quiet,

“So, where were you originally going?” Claire said, knocking the other two within the carriage out of deep thought, and causing Mason to turn his head, “I hope we aren’t interrupting your journey.” Her facial expression was calm, yet Mason noticed more complexity within it. He was reminded of the experience he had acquired putting on false personas and hiding feelings deep within. Jumping to conclusions would only cause issues, but this girl seemed more complicated than he initially suspected.

“We were just wandering, looking for opportunities to make money,” Mason replied, turning his eyes back to the forest flanking the wide dirt path the carriage rode on, “We decided to head to the nearest village or city anyway, and you’re actually helping us a lot.” Mason made sure to leave his answers vague, fearing something he made up might accidentally cause animosity between him and the princess. Even a minuscule detail or phrase could be considered taboo. This was a different world after all.

“That’s good to hear,” Claire replied with a light smile, “We’re sojourning at Lirak, the city we’re going to now, to restock and rest. It’s one of the closest to the Empire’s southern border. I’m going to some neighboring kingdoms to garner support for my ascension to the throne. But…I doubt that’s enough,” She gave an awkward chuckle, hiding some sadness beneath her smile.

“Shouldn’t you be focused on getting support from the people within the empire?” Mason asked, confused as to why she brought that up.

“Well, I’m the youngest of my eight siblings. Most of the noble houses and other groups had already decided to support one of my brothers or sisters before I was born. Only one house sided with me, but they’re among the weakest and least influential.” She said with a sigh as if memories she wanted to forget pushed their way to the forefront of her mind.

Oh, I see now. Mason believed he understood Claire's purpose in her speech, but he decided to ask anyway.

“Why are you telling me this?” Mason asked with a tone of genuine curiosity, not an ounce of animosity was present.

“Oh, well…the assassins were probably hired by one of my older siblings. They know I’m smart, and fear my looks might somehow convince a neighboring kingdom. I guess they just want to remove any possible threat, no matter how unlikely. And, uh…never mind.” Her eyes became noticeably less bright, and she turned to the window, staring up at the vibrant sea of blue.

Mason’s stomach churned. People will do anything for power, even in this world, he thought, but still not convinced she spoke of her political situation to explain why assassins were after her life. Mason decided to ask plainly.

“Did you bring that up because you want me to help you?” Mason said with a flat tone, turning, his eyes meeting Claire. Quiet shock and nervousness permeated the carriage, and although Claire was skilled in hiding it, the emotion from Blair and Lucas was obvious. Their eyes shot open, and their hearts began beating so fast Mason could’ve heard the thumping. Claire was quiet, deep thought visible beneath her blue eyes. The awkwardness in the air was palpable until she finally spoke,

“Well, having help from you would be great,” Claire said, speaking slowly, giving herself more time to think, “I’ll be honest. I was going to ask, but only when you were planning to depart from us. You have only just met me, asking something like that immediately would simply be idiotic. Although, I must say, the wealth to be gained would be immense…but I doubt you’d ever have trouble making a vast amount of money.” This time, her tone and facial expression seemed genuine. She looked defeated, on the edge of falling into a pit of despair. From everything she said, and her current mood, Mason figured he and Astaroth were her only chances left. He understood the unlikeliness of someone with practically zero chance of ascending to the throne, convincing anyone to support her. However, something touched Mason's heart. Be it the disgusting actions of her siblings, or simply the tenacity she has. The will to try even when the odds of success were as close to impossible as could be. She reminded Mason of someone he tried to forget. Not because he didn't care for that person, but because remembering him would bring back atrocious memories,

“I’ll think about it,” he said, turning to the window.