HMWD 08

Chapter 8 

The Arrival of the White-Mounted Novice

“George Tiony?”

Ente raised her upper body and looked out of the carriage.

George Tiony stood among the guard members with a polite demeanor.

Spotting him, Ente narrowed her eyes in irritation.

She had no desire to see him. Meeting him would undoubtedly yield nothing of value, and she certainly had no time to waste on such nonsense.

However, with many eyes watching, dismissing him outright would be awkward.

Everyone knew that George Tiony maintained a close association with the Tiony household.

If she suddenly refused an audience with George now, it would inevitably arouse suspicion.He probably anticipated this exact reaction and waited here for us.

The real Melissa would never do anything that might fuel rumors of a rift within the Tiony family.

Ente chewed on her lower lip.

Noticing that she was struggling with whether to refuse George’s visit, Anna asked cautiously,

“What should we do, my lady?”

“We don’t have time to stop, so if he’s content talking through the carriage window, tell him he can approach.”

Relaying her words from the guard captain, George quickly walked up to the side of the carriage.

Ente leaned back against the carriage wall, half-concealing her face behind the curtain as she greeted him.

“What is it?”

“Lisa, I heard you’re heading to Castium?”

Word travels fast. Though the Marquis had strictly forbidden anyone from talking, deploying ten capital guards made leaks inevitable.

Side-eyeing George through the window, Ente replied bluntly,

“Yes. So I’m rather busy.”

Her tone was meant to convey don’t get in my way and piss off, but he didn’t seem to catch the hint.

Ente closely inspected George’s appearance, noting he looked even more unkempt than before.

His attire was significantly shabbier than when he had visited the estate.

Wondering where he had managed to blow his money this time, she frowned.

“Lisa, I’m sorry, but could you do me a favor?”

“What favor?”

Anxious that only her voice could be heard, George pressed his face right against the window and thrust forward a letter.

“Deliver this letter to Lord Randleton in Castium. He’s a rookie knight of the Repello Order.” “I’m afraid not. My schedule is tight, so I doubt I’ll have the time.”

When she answered unenthusiastically, the voice outside grew even more desperate.

“If you’re busy, you don’t even have to look for him yourself; just hand it to the gatekeeper at Castium. It’s a terribly important matter for me. Please, I’m begging you.”

Judging by his pleading expression and eager tone, if she refused, he looked ready to cling to the carriage until she gave in.

Considering what George Tiony had done to Melissa, seeing him grovel at the front of the carriage might have been entertaining.

Everyone’s waiting on us, so it can’t be helped. I’ll just say I delivered it and be done with it.

“All right. Hand it over.”

Ente motioned to Anna to take the letter thrust through the carriage crack.

“Thank you, Melissa. Have a safe trip.”

Having handed over the letter, George left the carriage without hesitation, as if his business was concluded. Receiving the letter from Anna, Ente casually tossed the plain white envelope, stamped only with a simple seal, to the back of the carriage.

“Oh, my lady?”

“Never mind that, let’s get moving.”

Urged by Ente, the carriage began to roll forward once more.

Castium was about a five-day journey away.

If they rode horses and took shortcuts, three days would suffice, but a carriage had its limitations.

The Marquis had carefully plotted the route to Castium to ensure the safest possible path.

Consequently, the itinerary involved passing through secure towns by day and staying at luxurious inns by night.

While comfortable, the party’s pace was far slower than anticipated.

At this rate, we’re going to be late.

Ente peered out the window with dissatisfaction. Days had passed, yet the scenery outside hadn’t changed at all. Vibrant cities and bustling crowds.

For Ente, who had lived locked away in the Wizard’s Tower, it was a pleasant sight, but the problem was that her schedule wasn’t leisurely enough to spend time sightseeing.

Are they doing this on purpose to make me miss the exam?

Ente pushed open the middle window of the carriage and spoke in a sharp tone.

“We’re going to be late at this rate. Speed up a bit.”

The coachman cracked his whip. The carriage picked up speed.

A cool breeze blew through the gap in the window. After a moment, the air grew thick with the scent of soil and grass.

Pulling back the curtain, she saw that the city landscape had vanished, replaced by a well-paved footpath.

They said Castium is just past this road.

Though it would take a full day of travel to arrive, she likely wouldn’t be late for the entrance exam. Just as she was enjoying the breeze with a soft smile, a chilling sensation suddenly swept down her spine.

“Look out!”

Bang! Bang! Bang! A series of explosions erupted from behind the carriage.

The carriage jolted violently. Spooked by the deafening blasts, the horses reared and bolted, flinging the carriage door open.

“Aah!”

“Anna!”

Ente barely managed to grab Anna as she tumbled toward the open door.

Unable to withstand the violent momentum, her body slammed hard against the carriage wall. Ente gritted her teeth against the sharp pain.

Only after the coachman managed to calm the panicked horses did the shaking finally subside.

“My lady! Are you alright?”

The guards, belatedly grasping the situation, ran over looking pale with fright.

Not particularly, no. Groaning softly, Ente stepped down from the ruined carriage. Her fine dress was peppered with burn marks and ruined.

The guards stared at her disheveled state in shock.

“Are you injured anywhere?”

“I’m fine. The carriage is the real problem, though.”

Brushing off the soot from her dress as if nothing had happened, contrary to everyone else’s panic, Ente replied.

Her back ached where she had slammed against the carriage, but it wasn’t unbearable.

The real disaster was the carriage. Ente clicked her tongue as she inspected the wrecked vehicle. The rear wheel was completely shattered.

She had thought the explosion was mostly noise rather than destructive force, but seeing the wrecked carriage, it was a miracle no one had died.

Did my protective magic trigger without me noticing?

Ente’s gaze drifted toward the weeping Anna. “Are you alright, Anna?”

“I’m fine. Are you okay, my lady? We need to find a doctor immediately—”

“No, that won’t be necessary. It’s just my clothes.”

Reassured that Melissa’s body was safe, Ente shifted her train of thought.

Why did an explosion happen out of nowhere?

They hadn’t carried any open flames or flammable cargo. Crucially, the manner of the explosion was profoundly strange.

There had been no initial spark—just a sudden deafening roar followed by a blast. There was only one way to trigger a phenomenon like that.

“What do you suppose we do? The letter Lord George gave us has completely burned up.”

…Magic. It was undoubtedly a trap set with explosive magic.

Ente dashed to the back of the carriage. The rear seats caught in the blast were completely obliterated. She picked up a shattered fragment of the letter from the carriage floor and examined it closely. The paper bore no soot, nor did it carry the distinct odor of burnt paper.

Damn it, that was it.

It was undoubtedly malicious black magic.

A crude trap designed to detonate upon opening, or automatically after a set amount of time if left unopened.

Had he genuinely intended to kill Melissa?

This wasn’t meant merely to scare her. It was a spell cast with lethal intent fully accounted for.

Ente clenched her fists.

If I see you again, I’m going to kill you, George Tiony.

“Well?” To Ente’s question, the coachman inspecting the broken carriage replied with an apologetic look.

“The rear wheels are completely smashed. The axle is snapped as well.”

“How long will repairs take?”

“At least ten days.”

Ten days… Ente frowned and asked,

“That long? Can’t it be patched up temporarily?”

“Impossible. We need replacement wheels, but the carriage is too large to find suitable parts in a nearby village.”

The coachman bowed his head repeatedly, as if it were entirely his fault.

Interrogating the coachman wouldn’t solve anything, so Ente kept quiet.

While it wasn’t anyone present’s fault, being stranded right here was the real problem.

“Can’t we ride the baggage wagon?” “The baggage wagon has no seats, so it’s not fit to ride in. Plus, it’s packed to the brim.”

“Then what about riding horses?”

“My lady, you don’t know how to ride a horse, do you?”

“What if I ride double with a guard…”

“Are you out of your mind! If anyone saw that, it would cause a scandal.”

Anna panicked, insisting that an unmarried noble lady riding a horse with a man was something beyond imagination.

Furthermore, if that someone happened to be Melissa Tiony, becoming the subject of gossip would only be a matter of time.

If only I could ride a horse on my own…

Living for over three hundred years without ever learning how to ride a horse brought a sudden wave of regret.

Back then, she had used warp portals everywhere, so there was never any need to learn.

“I’ll go find a carriage to rent in the nearby village.”

The guard captain leading the procession headed toward the village with the coachman. The two mounted figures vanished into the distance in an instant. Feeling abandoned in the middle of the road, Ente depressedly sat down on the handkerchief Anna had laid out for her.

Anna pulled out a small handbag that had been stowed in the back of the ruined carriage.

The bag itself was damaged beyond recognition.

The handkerchief and vanity tools inside were thoroughly pulverized.

Watching Anna rummage through the bag, Ente snapped to her senses as if struck by lightning and snatched it from her hands.

The entry permit!

The Castium entry permit issued by the Marquis was inside that bag!

Fearing she might misplace it, she hadn’t put it in the baggage wagon but kept it with her—and now it was half-burnt, making the text completely illegible.

“Talk about terrible luck.”

Damn you, George Tiony. Ente firmly renewed her vow to kill George once she returned.

The coachman who had gone to the village to secure a carriage was taking an unusually long time.

Anxious that she might miss her chance to reach Castium altogether, Ente nervously bit her fingernail.

As Anna tidied her disheveled hair, she spoke carefully.

“My lady, why don’t we just head back?”

“What?”

Disregarding the fact that her hair was still caught in Anna’s grip, Ente whipped her head around.

Startled, Anna let go of the strands she was clutching. A few pulled-out hairs remained caught on her fingertips.

“I’m sorry, my lady. Are you alright?” “I’m fine. What kind of nonsense are you spouting?”

Ente smoothed her hair down with her hand, replying in an irritated tone.

Her displeasure showed clearly on her face. Shrinking back, Anna nervously resumed fussing with her hair.

After watching her cautiously for a moment, Anna seized the opening and spoke up again.

“The carriage is ruined, and the Castium entry permit is burned to a crisp, so even if we go, won’t you miss the exam?”

“We have to go anyway. Once we get there, I’ll plead or threaten my way in and take the exam somehow.”

No mere adversity was going to stop her, she retorted.

Oh, our young lady’s devotion is so profound and heartbreaking!

Wiping away a gathering tear, Anna stared at Ente.

Her soot-stained face filled with grim determination made it all the more heartbreaking. “I know how you feel, my lady, but there’s simply no way. If the Marquis finds out about this, he’ll be furious. So please…”

There she goes again.

“I’ll handle it. If you’re going to keep nagging, you can head back.”

Ente snapped with open displeasure.

Mumbling to herself as she tried to form an excuse, Anna went and squatted down miserably a short distance away.

Daring to lecture me. Not even the emperor dared lecture me.

As her irritated gaze drifted toward Anna, the wrecked carriage came into view.

It was a good thing I left Vivi behind.

If she had brought the bird along, it could have been seriously injured or killed.

For Vivi’s sake as well, she needed to get to Castium quickly.

Ente rested her chin in her hand, lost in thought. The carriage was a problem, but the burned entry permit was an even bigger headache.

What if they refused to let her into Castium without an entry permit? If she knew anyone there, she could at least march up and declare herself Magnus.

She belatedly regretted not making acquaintance with even a single mage working in Castium, let alone having a disciple there.

The high-ranking mages might recognize her, but…

Ente abruptly recalled the fact that all the individuals referred to as high-ranking mages had perished right alongside her.

Just as she was letting out a bitter sigh, unable to think of a clever solution, the squatting Anna bolted upright.

What is she doing now?

Gasping like a stranded fish, Anna pointed a trembling finger down the road and shrieked,

“M-m-my lady! What do we do, what do we do! Oh, goodness…”

What do you mean, what do we do?

Unaware of the situation, Ente turned her gaze to where Anna was pointing and spotted a novice in immaculate equestrian gear riding a white horse at a full gallop toward them. He was moving at an incredible speed. Since the terrain was flat with nothing to obstruct the view, the distance closed in a flash.

The flying horse gradually slowed its pace.

With a face drained of all color, Anna stammered,

“Oh, heavens, what is this! M-my lady! Would you like to get inside the carriage? No, wait, that won’t work. Your handkerchief—cover your face with your handkerchief! Quickly!”

Why is she suddenly acting like this?

While staring at the frantic Anna in bewilderment, the man reined his horse right up in front of them.

“Lady Tiony?”