Ludger was not fully convinced the world was kind enough for that.
Still, the thought lingered there as Elaine finally let him go and looked him over one last time, making a small adjustment to his collar with the calm precision of someone refusing to waste even the last few seconds available.
He let her. Then stepped back.
The runic carriage was ready. The road ahead was waiting. The capital, with all its polished poison, stood somewhere at the end of it.
Viola, Luna, and Torvares would already be expecting him. So Ludger looked once at his family, at the wolves in the yard, at the house behind them, and gave a small nod.
Then he turned and started walking toward the road that would take him to the emperor’s party.
Ludger drove the runic carriage toward Meronia City in rare, welcome silence.
The steady hum of the runes beneath the frame mixed with the muted rhythm of the wheels against the road, creating a low, even sound that was almost soothing. Cold air moved past him in slow currents, sharp enough to keep his head clear without becoming unpleasant.
For once, there was nothing immediate pressing on him. No urgent report. No contract. No enemy to chase down. No labyrinth demanding attention. He was not on a mission. That alone made the trip feel strangely light.
Ludger kept one hand on the reins and let his gaze rest on the road ahead, enjoying the quiet while it lasted. Since there was no need to rush, he didn’t. The carriage moved at a controlled pace, fast enough to be efficient, slow enough that the journey didn’t feel like another task being forced down his throat.
It was… nice. Suspiciously nice. Which was exactly why Ludger didn’t trust it.
Because the peace was temporary. Short-lived. A fragile little lie that would fall apart the moment the other three joined him. Viola alone was enough to kill silence on principle.
Add Luna’s calm interference and Lord Torvares’ dry amusement, and whatever peace remained would be picked apart in record time.
Ludger exhaled through his nose. At least the road before that was his. For now.
His thoughts drifted toward the practical side of the trip. He wondered whether they would be bringing guards along as well. Torvares, especially, was not the sort of person who moved carelessly, and traveling toward the capital for the emperor’s birthday was exactly the kind of situation where appearances, security, and caution all needed to overlap cleanly.
Still… Ludger had a feeling the guards had already been sent ahead. It would be the most sensible option if Torvares wanted privacy for the actual carriage ride. Fewer ears. Fewer eyes. More room for conversation that wasn’t meant to spread.
That suspicion was confirmed the moment he reached the area in front of the Torvares manor. A small group was already gathered there.
The luggage had been brought out and neatly arranged in front of the gates. Several guards were present too, but not in the way that suggested they were preparing to ride together. Instead, they looked like men who had already received the important instructions and were either about to depart separately or remain behind.
Lord Torvares stood near the front, giving a few final minor orders to the guards who would stay at the manor. His tone was casual, almost lazy on the surface, but Ludger could tell from the way the men listened that none of them were mistaking that for softness.
Then there was Viola. She stood with her arms crossed, already dressed for travel in a way that still somehow managed to look more deliberate than practical, like even a road journey had to acknowledge her existence properly. The moment she saw Ludger bring the carriage up, she narrowed her eyes and said,
“You’re late.”
Ludger looked at her. Then he shrugged. That only seemed to irritate her more. Which improved the trip immediately. Most of the luggage obviously belonged to Viola. That was clear at a glance.
There were too many trunks, too many cases, and too many carefully packed bundles for reality to support any other conclusion. Ludger did not even need to ask. No one traveling with normal intentions brought that much unless they were either moving house or were Viola.
Luna, however, had more luggage than usual too. That caught his eye for a moment. Normally, she traveled light. Very light. The sort of light that made most people look wasteful by comparison. Usually she only carried a small bag over her shoulder and acted as though that was more than enough for any reasonable situation.
Now? She had a few extra things packed as well. Not nearly as much as Viola, of course. That would have required commitment to absurdity on a scale Luna rarely bothered with. Still, it was enough to stand out.
Ludger noticed it.
Thought about it for half a second. Then forgot about it completely when Lord Torvares approached.
The old man walked over with his usual broad, steady presence and placed a big hand on Ludger’s shoulder like he was greeting a fellow soldier rather than a fifteen-year-old not yet technically fifteen.
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“You’re almost fifteen, Ludger,” Torvares said. “You already look taller than your father.”
Ludger wanted to frown. Mostly because the man saying that was still taller than him by a full head.
Torvares had the size and frame of someone the world had built first and then forgotten to make smaller for everyone else afterward. Standing next to him always made height-related comments feel slightly insulting no matter how they were meant.
And it was not as if Ludger was short.
At this point, he was already brushing close to the height of an average northerner, which was ridiculous enough on its own considering his age. Yet Torvares still managed to loom over him like a wall that had decided to start giving fatherly observations.
Ludger remained silent. Torvares noticed that immediately, because of course he did.
The old man’s mouth curved faintly as he asked, “Not looking forward to becoming an adult?”
Ludger glanced at him, then answered in the same flat tone he used when stating something obvious.
“It’s just another day.”
Torvares stayed quiet.
Ludger added, “I’ve considered myself one for quite a while.”
That made the old man’s expression shift slightly, not amusement, exactly, but recognition. Because, yes. That made sense.
It would have sounded arrogant from someone else. Forced, maybe. A child trying too hard to sound older than he was. But from Ludger, it was simply true. He had been carrying responsibilities, decisions, burdens, and consequences that would have broken many grown men long before reaching the age this world chose to call adulthood.
So Torvares didn’t argue. Didn’t offer some tired speech about age and maturity and lines drawn by custom. He just gave a small grunt that sounded close enough to agreement and removed his hand from Ludger’s shoulder.
Then the moment passed.
Ludger moved on without another word and began helping with the luggage, lifting trunks and cases into place while already preparing himself mentally for the long ride ahead and the inevitable collapse of peace once the others got into the carriage. Once everything was packed and secured, Ludger climbed into position and got the runic carriage ready to depart.
The frame gave off its usual low hum as the enchantments settled into place, stable and responsive beneath his hands. Behind him, the last of the luggage was fixed down properly, which was more important than usual considering how much of it clearly belonged to Viola and therefore probably contained things that would somehow become everyone else’s problem if they shifted too hard.
Ludger glanced back briefly, then looked ahead and asked, “How has your training been going?”
Luna, who had moved up to sit beside him in the front, answered first.
“We’ve made a lot of progress.”
Her tone was calm as always, but there was a faint note of satisfaction under it.
“It’s been interesting,” she continued, “seeing such clear progress every day for quite a while.”
Ludger gave a small nod. “I see…”
Then he turned his head slightly and looked at her from the corner of his eye.
“Why are you sitting in the front?”
Luna didn’t look offended by the question. She rarely did.
“I wanted to keep an eye on the path ahead,” she said.
That made Ludger’s expression sharpen slightly.
Luna went on in the same steady tone. “We received information that a lot of famous individuals are arriving in the capital.”
Ludger’s fingers stayed loose on the controls, but his attention settled more fully on her words.
“What kind of individuals?”
“That’s the problem,” Luna said. “We don’t know enough.”
Now that got his interest. She looked ahead at the road as the carriage finally began moving again, the runes humming a little stronger as they pulled out from the manor.
“They look to be warriors from abroad,” she said. “At least, that’s the guess. We didn’t receive proper information on most of them.”
Ludger frowned faintly.
“Really?”
He thought about it for a moment, then added, “Velis doesn’t have warriors like that.”
Luna nodded once.
“So they should be from farther away,” Ludger finished.
His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at the road stretching ahead. That was interesting. And a little annoying. He had expected the emperor’s party to gather important figures, of course. Nobles, military officers, political opportunists, wealthy leeches, and the usual polished predators that fed on power. But unknown foreign warriors? Enough of them to be worth notice?
That suggested a wider net than he had expected.
Ludger clicked his tongue softly. “I didn’t think the emperor at five had that many connections already.”
From behind them, Torvares answered before anyone else could.
“It’s probably thanks to the regent.”
Ludger glanced back slightly.
The old man was seated comfortably, as if this were just another trip and not the beginning of what would almost certainly become an irritating political mess.
Torvares’ expression remained thoughtful as he continued, “He must be trying to invite a lot of strong people into his camp.”
That made sense. Too much sense, really. Ludger looked forward again. A child emperor would not be building that kind of reach on his own. Not yet. Not with that kind of speed, and certainly not with figures arriving from far enough away that even Velis could be ruled out so easily.
No, that smelled like the regent. Expanding influence. Gathering useful people. Creating obligations. Building a circle of strength around the throne while making sure the throne itself remained dependent. Ludger’s expression cooled by a fraction.
“Convenient,” he said.
Torvares let out a quiet hum behind him. “For him, yes.”
Luna’s gaze remained on the road ahead. “It also means we should stay alert. The capital won’t just be crowded. It’ll be crowded with unknown variables.”
Ludger nodded once. That was a cleaner way to put it. Unknown variables. Which usually meant trouble wearing expensive clothes or carrying polished weapons.
Viola, from farther back, sounded thoroughly unimpressed. “As if the capital wasn’t already unbearable enough without mysterious famous warriors showing up.”
Ludger did not bother turning around for that one.
“She’s right,” he said.
Viola immediately sounded more pleased. “Of course I am.”
Ludger ignored that and kept driving, but his thoughts had already shifted. The trip had just become a little more interesting. And a little more dangerous.
Which, knowing his luck, probably meant the ride there would be the calmest part of the whole experience.
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