Arthur waved at the Duke of Contracts, who was glaring at him from his mansion's window.
They didn't stay at the mansion because the duke wouldn't let them after yesterday's events, so they had to meet the convoy at the mansion's gates instead.
"Why did sleeping in the inn feel better than the duke's house?" Gala walked over to stand beside him with a yawn.
"Maybe he placed a curse on us." Arthur shrugged.
"To curse a witch? He should be wiser." Dia smiled and shook her head.
The Knight of Courage walked over to them wearing her blue armor. The way she looked at Arthur changed after he took hold of ten Blessed Spirits. This time, she knew that he had the power to benefit the kingdom.
"We'll be departing toward the capital immediately." The Knight of Courage said with a smile. "The people are gathering in the streets to send you off."
"I hope no rocks will be involved." Arthur raised his brows.
"Not this time, no. Since you are the safe keeper of those artifacts, you are the one responsible for feeding them. We'll also use the Knight's Barrier to avoid such a thing."
"I'm relieved then. Protect me well, Knight of Courage."
The Knight looked at him with a complex gaze before turning to leave. They were led to their carriage, and their trip toward the capital began.
The wheels rolled on the cobblestoned roads, leaving Contracts City. As Courage said, the people cheered on the streets as Arthur's carriage passed by them.
"Lorius yesterday, a Seika today." Dia looked at the people with a complex gaze.
"Everyone seeks a better life. Maybe tomorrow I'll be Lorius again."
"So, you plan to enjoy being a Seika until then?" Gala smiled, but Arthur shook his head.
"The only reason I tried appeasing the people is to make the king agree to build the tenth city," Arthur said while looking out of the windows.
"Are you after wealth?" Dia asked, trying to probe his intentions.
"No, I'm after the change. I want to change this kingdom as much as I can for the better." Arthur said with a smile.
'This way, if Solomon truly cares about his people, then he will save the past me even if I send him into the trial.'
It was a twisted way of thinking, but Arthur believed it was alright as long as everyone wins. Well, everyone except Solomon, because he'll be dying.
Arthur and Solomon were like day and night. They might meet, but one's survival means the other's death. If there were a way to save both of them, then Arthur would try doing it.
Soon, the carriages of Hidden Gems joined them. Gruen boarded their carriage, sitting next to Arthur. The three of them looked at the dwarf with expectations.
"Man, why is your face as blank as ever?" Arthur sighed and lightly nudged him. "Tell us, what happened?"
"Hm? Seika, when did I get here?" Gruen snapped out of his daze and said with surprise. The three looked at each other and snickered.
"I guess you hired a new staff today." Gala grinned and hugged the dwarf. "Congrats, Gruen!"
"Ah, thank you, Lady Gala." Gruen blushed and thanked them with tears in his eyes. "If not for you all, I would have never been able to be with her."
"The duke will know that she ran away with you as soon as he notices her disappearance. You'll need to work hard to strip him of his wealth." Arthur smiled. "And not to mention, we need to awaken your affinity so that you would create items for me."
"Yes, Seika." Gruen grinned. "I'll follow you forever."
'Forever, huh?' Arthur smiled and didn't reply. 'My time here is nearing its end.' He never thought about what would happen to Gala or Dia once he leaves. Maybe, he simply ignored thinking about it.
***
Unlike what they expected, there was no attack on their convoy or an assassination attempt. The Knight of Nobility and the Knight of Honesty, who joined them later, didn't even try provoking them.
Their trip was uneventful, but Arthur enjoyed it immensely. He got to see farms that stretched forever, tried the local delicacies of villages, and saw bizarre creatures that were of the True Rank.
He got to see the strength of the Knights as well firsthand. Thus, Arthur got to get a better measure of the world's strength.
The Titled Knights were all at the early stages of the Deme-Rank. This level of power was less than he expected because these were the elites of the kingdom.
It was as he suspected; the power levels of this world were less than Earth. He had a couple of theories to explain why: they were in the past, or the existence of the Calamity Gates prevented them from getting the resources they needed.
'Dungeons should be beyond the Calamity Gates, in the lands with powerful monsters. That's where the concentration of mana was the highest.'
This explains why Jizo wanted Arthur to prevent dungeon exploration. Going beyond the gates would only make it easier for the Calamities to descend to earth in the future.
If he prevented exploration of Alka, would the Calamity Gates get breached by the Calamities?
This question was crucial because that meant he would have to choose between Alka and Earth. At that time, Jizo's will might not agree with his choice.
***
Livia was in the center of Freda, surrounded by two rivers, allowing the land between them to thrive. Since Contracts City was the closest to Livia, the two enjoyed a thriving trade between them.
When their carriage caught sight of the rivers, Arthur and co were amazed by how grand they were. Gruen was the only native of Freda, so he became their guide.
"The river on the south of Livia is called Lo, and the one north is called Ho," Gruen explained. "They originate from the snowy mountains in the east of Freda."
"Hm? East? Doesn't that mean they originate from Alva's northern parts?" Arthur was surprised.
"Yes, but luckily, the people there have a tradition of never interfering with nature." Gruen nodded.
"Is that true?" Arthur turned to Dia, who seemed to be absent-minded.
"Yes." She answered, her eyes glued to the river. "When I lived there with my mother, the people there worshiped the snowy mountains and its blessings."
"I see," Arthur nodded. "Why did you move to Freya then?"
"Because I had no one in that place after my mother was murdered," Dia said it lightly, but the content of her words made everyone's mood dampen.
"I'm sorry for that," Arthur said, and Dia turned to stare at him silently. She nodded in the end and resumed her staring at the rivers.
Their carriage arrived at the outer walls of Livia, where they passed another barrier to protect the city. As they were allowed entry, Arthur saw the farmlands that the rivers fed. They were rich but small.
The inner walls of Livia were closer than he thought, and they were allowed entry. Unlike Shades City, their arrival was through a private road for the Knights, heading straight to the Royal Court.
In a matter of an hour, Arthur was already leaving his carriage in front of the Royal Palace. Knights lined each side of the carpet that led to the palace's doors.
"Welcome to the Royal Palace of Livia, Seika." The Knight of Courage stood in front of him with a smile. "Believe me. You'll regret coming here in a matter of days."
"Don't worry, I regret it already." Arthur shrugged. "This place doesn't feel welcoming at all."
"It was built by the previous king, a testimony of grandiose or whatever." The Knight of Courage shrugged. "I wasn't here at that time, so,"
"What about the other Knights?" Arthur asked as he strode into the palace with the rest following after him.
"There are two generations of Knights at the moment:" The Knight of Courage explained as she led them inside. "Knights that King Solomon chose, and Knights who remained from the previous king."
"The Knight of Nobility?"
"Oh, that position is a bit special." The Knight of Courage smiled. "That title is the only one that is inherited from one Knight to the next. As you suspect, they're all from noble families. It's their way to retrain some power in the ranks of Knights."
"What about you?"
"King Solomon chose me." The Knight's voice held a bit of nostalgia. "He gave me a purpose to live."
"What did you do before that?" Gala asked with curiosity. The Knight of Courage gave a bashful smile as she scratched her nose.
"I led a group of bandits."
The four of them, even Gruen, were speechless. No one would associate this person with bandits, because as far as they could tell, she was the kindest and hardworking of the knights.
"Enough of that," The Knight changed the topic. "It's time that you meet his Majesty."