The following days after the war, Georgo Road was busy. Warriors who were still able to fight were sent in groups to hunt down the remaining wolves wandering the forest.

There have been reports of these wolves trying to breed and recreate an army, but with Icarius's help and their leader gone, this was nigh impossible to achieve.

Meanwhile, they dedicated a day to honor the dead and bury them. After that, it was back to rebuilding what they lost.

Samael and Ajax took this time for themselves. The saint rested for the week, making sure his recovery was fast and swift. So far, he's been able to finally train and slowly regain his lost vitality.

Meanwhile, Samael continuously trained himself. His main priority was to get used to his newfound power as soon as he could.

His sudden surge in his overall stats was truly an overwhelming leap. Even Ajax was surprised by how strong he became in the span of a week or two.

The revelation that Samael was only gone for such a short time also gave him complicated emotions. For him, months passed by, and yet he was barely gone for them.

On the other hand, trials were indeed a great way to gain strength in such short amounts of time. If you could ignore the threat of monsters devouring you whole,.

A gamble, but one Samael excelled in.

Wiping his sweat, Samael could feel the presence of a soldier approaching him from dozens of meters away.

He can feel the way his boot struck the ground, the shifting of the wind, and even faintly sense his heartbeat.

It was truly an odd feeling.

As the soldier approached Samael, he halted his steps as he saw the destruction around the field. Countless craters littered the ground, and multiple deep gashes were etched in the earth.

Boulders were shattered, some pulverized, and scattered around, adding further chaos.

Staring at Samael, the soldier could not help but gulp as he slowly approached closer, making sure to clear his throat to avoid startling the Grim hound and ending up killing himself.

Then again, Samael was not even a full-fledged adult, but he's already capable of causing so much destruction on his own. Was he even human?

Noticing the fear in the man, Samael slowly shot a glance over his shoulder. But that didn't seem to help, as the soldier stuttered.

"S-Sir, the g-guild master is calling for y-you," he delivered.

Samael gave a brief nod before taking off, not even listening to the rest of the message.

As he approached the camp, he swiftly located Icarius's presence near the training field.

Upon arrival, Samael saw Ajax going against the guild master. Each strike they delivered caused a shockwave that swept throughout the stage. However, they had a precise sense of control so as not to destroy the place.

The two exchanged blows in the form of hand-to-hand combat; their strikes were hardly something a mundane human could follow.

Eventually, their bout ended as Icarius managed to corner the saint. Without shame, Ajax admitted his defeat as he rose up.

Icarius wiped off his sweat as he shifted his gaze at Samael.

"Ah, there you are," Icarius said.

"Come, take a walk with me," he resumed.

Ajax and Samael exchanged glances before following the man.

"The reason I called for the two of you is to confirm a few things," Icarius said.

"Ask away," Samael said.

"First, how are your conditions?" he asked.

"Fine," Ajax said.

"Good," Samael answered.

A soft chuckle escaped Icarius's lips as he proceeded to the next question.

"Good, you say? If I were to ask you, can you travel now? Can you?" Icarius asked.

"Yes? Wait— what's all this?" Samael asked, his brows furrowed.

"Good, then get in," Icarius said as an elegantly designed wagon catered with gold and jewelry came to a halt before them.

"What?" Before Samael could even say a word, Icarius pushed him in along with Ajax.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

"Hey!" However, before Samael could protest, the carriage took off.

On their way out, Samael and Ajax saw countless warriors cheer as they bid their farewells.

Even Timeus stood among the crowd as he gave the two a salute.

"They will sing songs of your bravery," Icarius said as he leaned back with a shrug.

"But we never did it to be praised," Samael said.

"Just get used to it. As you save more people, events like this will naturally follow suit," Icarius said.

"You two are very symbols of hope now. Your journeys and adventures have soared far and wide, even the mention of your name can boost other people's morales," Icarius mentioned.

Samael stared at the wide smiles on each of the warriors faces as he sighed, leaning back and relaxing.

"How long will it take to reach Tera?" Samael asked.

"We'll be there when the morning comes," Ajax said. Somehow, his voice felt a lot more emotionally detached.

Noticing this, Icarius steered the conversation in another direction. "So, thinking about it, this is your first time visiting another sanctuary, right?"

"Yes," Samael said as he glanced at the decaying trees.

"What is Tera like?" he asked.

"Tera, it's a beautiful place. Its houses are clean, its residents are kind, and everything feels perfect," Icarius said.

"If you only look at the depths, that is," he resumed.

"Care to explain?" Samael asked.

"Like any other sanctuaries, Tera has some bad parts. If we compare every single sanctuary, Tera would have the worst slum among all of them," Icarius said.

"Poverty, huh," Samael said.

"Yes, poverty. Tera. It's a place unlike the others," Icarius said, his face furrowing.

"It is a place infested with nobles, and they hold that place in the throat," Ajax interjected.

Samael shifted his gaze at the man.

"Unlike the rest, which are greatly influenced by the guild and the ministry of light, Tera is the city of nobles. They have their own government, and their knights are their warriors," Ajax explained.

"Nobles have quite the amount of treasures. At first, it used to be gold. Then, as the times changed, it became dunamis cores and remnants," Ajax resumed.

Joining in the conversation, Icarius spoke. "Nobles measure their power through ranks. Namely, the order of status lowest in the pyramid is Sigir, followed by Vishir, then Kishpa, Danir, and the highest is Thaesir."

"They live a complicated life," Samael said.

"I cannot agree more," Ajax added.

"Currently, there are four Thaesir families ruling Tera. They are factions that hold significant parts of the sanctuary. They call these places marked territories," Icarius explained.

"Currently, all of them are at a ceasefire. However, everyone and their grandmother knows they would slit each other's throats if given a chance," Icarius said.

"For people called 'nobles', they sure are barbaric," Samael said.

"Nobles are greedy. They will take anything that is of worth to them," Ajax said.

"Well, that's how factions thrive. Even the guild has its own dirty secrets," Icarius said.

The conversation halted there as time seemed to pass by in a breeze. Samael attempted to meditate a couple times, but to no avail.

Thinking about Tera, Samael asked. "Can't you really just reveal who I am protecting?"

"Unfortunately, no," Icarius said.

"I don't understand, why?" Samael asked.

"The identity and status of the person you're going to protect is... troublesome," Icarius said.

"Does knowing who that person is enough to put me in danger?" Samael asked.

"Yes," Icarius answered.

Samael's brows furrowed. There was no hint of humor in his tone. What he said, he meant.

"If that person is of such high status, why me?" Samael asked. There were plenty enough to handle such a VIP. So why him?

"The person who asked me this favor specifically made sure I only put the people I trust the most in charge of her safety," Icarius answered.

"I didn't know you looked at us so highly," Samael remarked.

"Well, things happen." Icarius shrugged it off.

"Can you at least tell what will happen once this person's identity is revealed?" Samael asked.

Icarius fell silent for a moment before he answered.

"First, you will be hunted. I mean, hunted. They won't stop until they get you," he said.

"Second, it will be burdensome for me. Revealing her identity without permission may cause me and her to fight," Icarius said.

"Fight?" Ajax asked.

"Yes, fight. That person's guardian is someone of the same rank as me. Not only that, but she possesses far more experience than I do," Icarius said.

"If the two of you were to indeed fight, who would win?" Ajax asked.

"I don't know," Icarius truthfully answered, which shut down the conversation fast.

"Can I at least know the details? How am I even going to be sure the person I'll meet is the right person I'm supposed to protect?" Samael asked.

"Well, for starters, the one who asked me the favor said she'd inform me," Icarius said.

"That's all you have?" Samael asked in disbelief.

"Well..." Icarius scratched his head as he laughed wryly.

Leaning back, Samael sighed. It was going to be another troublesome commission. But what can he do?

"That reminds me; I do know a specific detail," Icarius remarked.

Samael shifted his attention to the man.

"You will be meeting that person at the Serenity Ball, the biggest event and gathering held in Tera once every year," Icarius said.

"It's an event filled with aristocrats of high status. Not only that, but all four Thaesir heirs will be present there to represent their families," Icarius recalled.

"A ball?" Samael asked, his brows furrowed.

"Yes, you will have to learn to dance and know some etiquette. In fact, I have already arranged a teacher for you," Icarius said.

"No," Samael swiftly said.

"Oh, come on, not everyone gets the chance to join such a grand event!" Icarius said.

"I'm not 'everyone'; I would rather sit in a corner and watch from afar," Samael said.

"But that will make you stand out, no?" Icarius said.

"Not if I hide my presence," Samael fired back.

"Don't be like that! You don't know when you might be able to use such skills!" Icarius said.

"Skills? What? Am I supposed to dance with monsters now?" Samael asked.

Icarius just gave up as he leaned back; there was no convincing the kid. He was like his mentor—too focused on things.

"You should learn to be laid back sometimes," Icarius said.

"And end up like you? Yeah, no thanks, I'll pass on that," Samael said.

Icarius grasped his chest as though he were stabbed in the heart. But Samael just chose to ignore the man as he closed his eyes.

Samael's family was of noble origin. Although he does not know exactly what his family's house is, but does it really matter? Whatever remained would have gone by now if what Ajax and Icarius said was true.

Not to mention, his family has always been cautious, even back then. They would often distance themselves from others and keep to themselves. But they were not cold. In fact, they were the sweetest and kindest people Samael has met.

There was no point in trying to dwell on it. When the time is right, he will go and make the people who ruined his family pay the price.

For now, he will focus on the present and his future.

As the seconds piled up, the carriage slowly got closer and closer to the city of agriculture. So close, they can see the towering walls in the distance.

With a glance ahead, Samael readied himself.