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Path to Prosperity - B3 Chapter 11
🕑 Added 2024-10-26 10:00:09 +0000 UTCThe day of departure arrived earlier than expected, but Percy was excited. He tiptoed around, ready to leave the capital for the first time in months and to travel through the Wilderness again. Something in the back of his mind told him that he was forgetting something and that he re-check everything once more, even though Percy had done that thrice already.
“We checked everything multiple times. You didn’t forget anything,” The Queen reminded her son with a chuckle, “Even if you forgot something, we can take care of it. Stop worrying and focus on your task ahead. Don’t get injured and stay with the others if you don’t want to get lost in the Beastlands.”
His grandmother, Emilia Dark, was also present. Percy hadn’t seen her for a while – not after asking her to teach the alchemist apprentices he’d hired – but she was still as lively as always. She studied her daughter with a light in her eyes and snickered.
“I don’t think you should tell anyone to stop worrying if you’re asking like this, honey,” She said, earning a deadly glare from the Queen.
“I will be fine,” Percy reassured her while finishing the final adjustments to his new piece of armor.
After [Dragonblood] altered Percy’s physique, he couldn’t wear the old leather armor any longer. The King and the Queen took advantage of that and requested new armor from the Grandmaster Blacksmith. The dwarf was already deep in work but liked the crown prince and what he was doing with the Dragon Nest. Thus, he put his other work aside and finished Percy’s new armor.
The armor was unenchanted, but it was also made from rare materials. It was the same azure-silverish metal used in the King’s armor. The Grandmaster Blacksmith worked on the armor for days to remove the purity within the metals and to create the crown’s alloy. Once the alloy was completed, the Grandmaster Blacksmith forged countless small metal plates and riveted them to a leather backing in several layers.
The leather backing kept his body warm and protected his body from the worst impact of heavy attacks, whereas the small metal plates looked like they were the jagged scales of a dragon youngling. The Grandmaster Blacksmith didn’t fail to smoothen the metal plates’ surface. On the contrary, he put in the utmost effort to transform the metal into perfectly sized replicas before riveting them to the leather in layers.
“My small friend told me to apologize to you. He was informed too late to complete the pants and boots. If he’d known about your departure a week or two earlier, he would have completed it,” The Old King said while approaching Percy to tighten the last two leather straps on the back.
“That’s totally fine. I purchased good boots and found a simple metal armor that fit the chestplate’s style. The material is not as rare or expensive, but I made sure to purchase boots and leggings of Perfect Quality. They will be easier to enchant than the dragonscale armor,” Percy waved dismissively.
From its looks, it will cost millions to engrave enchantments on Dragonscale. That’s probably the only downside of owning equipment made from the highest material, created by the best of the best. It is a good combination if you have enough coins or Prosperity since the enchantments are amazing, but it will be a nightmare for me. I am dirt poor!
Percy didn’t think he would revert to this state, but he didn’t have many coins left. Of course, the crown prince was far from poor at this point, but it surely felt like that after spending a mountain of gold coins. He was left with less than 100 gold coins out of a massive pile containing tens of thousands of gold coins.
“That’s good.” The Old King mumbled and Percy nodded, “You are ready.”
“I am ready…” He repeated, taking a deep breath. “It’s time to leave.”
***
To think Sophia would cling to me like that.
Percy snickered inwardly. His sister didn’t take his departure well. She rushed out of the palace with Sabrina’s help – they became best friends and stirred enough trouble to be known as the palace’s troublemaker duo – and found Percy to keep him from going away. The King and the Queen searched for Sophia and nearly put the capital in lockdown when they couldn’t find their daughter.
It was a good thing they arrived in time. If they’d arrived a minute later, she would have forced me to return to the palace or allow her to join the envoy.
He was glad he didn’t have to make a decision like that. His parents found Sophia, removed her from Percy, and forced her to apologize and say her goodbyes again. The princess cried for a long time, which hurt a lot more to see than Percy was willing to acknowledge, but he had to leave.
He mounted the Silverback horse, which his grandfather had prepared for him, and joined the envoy outside the capital.
Fortunately, our departure has no big function. Meeting in secret is the best…for me, at least.
Percy was certain the other members of the envoy didn’t think like that – some of them loved to be the center of attention – but Percy was the opposite. He was glad they left the capital with the sun's rise, avoiding crowds and attention.
Some residents had to rise early to start work, yet Percy ensured to use [Silent Reaper], shrouding the noises he and the horse made in silence. He was already past most residents before they took note of his presence.
Leaving the capital was simple. He didn’t even have to show his Royal Stigmata to the guards to verify who he was. The guards at the northern gates were sleepy from staying up all night, but all exhaustion was blown apart, torn into bits and pieces when their attention fell upon the silent rider approaching him. The azure-silverish armor attracted them at first, but their focus pulled to the young rider’s eyes only a moment later.
The guards stiffened for a second before bowing deeply. One of them opened his trembling lips, but no word came out of his mouth. Instead of saying something, the guards opened the gate and bowed once more when Percy rode past them.
“Thank you for your hard work,” Percy ushered to the guards, who smiled beamingly as they closed the gate behind Percy.
Percy’s horse trotted slowly across the cobbled street. The mount didn’t seem to have any worries in life. It was incredibly calm even as they approached the caravan of expensive carriages.
You cannot sense their tension? Even the horses are uncomfortable.
Percy was impressed. But not by everyone bringing their runic carriage pulled four or more horses but by the tension hanging in the air. Percy’s eyes landed on a small group of a dozen nobles and a handful of Imperials, and he sighed deeply.
Even the Imperials are angsty. Is it because this is one of their first missions outside the kingdom?
He shrugged and studied the small group a little bit more intently.
Three sons of nobles who are known for their trading business rather than their strength, twins from a house of prodigious archers, heirs to declining families who’re trying to earn a favor from the crown, four Imperials at the Master Tier to protect those who cannot protect themselves…and young enough to gain respect as the combatants in the Beastlands. And Melissa with a friend I haven’t seen before.
Melissa hadn’t changed much in the last few months. He didn’t see her often but was always glad when he saw her. Melissa Reeze was probably the only person who didn’t change after the shocking truth of his birth and background were revealed. Percy understood the importance of a hierarchy when it came to the ruling class, but that didn’t mean he had to like it.
“Good morning,” Percy greeted everyone with a kind smile once he was close enough to be heard.
One of the merchant heirs was about to say something, probably to ask him who he was, but he didn’t say anything when he saw his azure eyes. There was only one young man with azure eyes in the envoy.
The men and women jumped up, bowed deeply, and shouted “Your Highness!” and “Your Excellency!” in unison.
Even Melissa and her friend ushered in a similar greeting, but Percy couldn’t pay much attention to them as goosebumps covered his body.
The noble heirs, excluding Melissa and her friends, looked up after the greeting…their eyes filled with a particular – a very familiar – gaze.
It was greed.
I can already tell that this is going to be a very annoying trip.
