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Gideon stared at the teenager, while Yue snapped her jade fan open and blinked in sheer disbelief.

"Unlike Yue who grew up in the Martial World, and you who serves a traditional monarchy," Solomon defended himself quickly, "I come from the modern world. We do not use horses for daily travel. We use buses and trains."

Gideon let out a deep, rumbling laugh. "Why are you speaking as if we do not live in the same era? The Lumiere Dynasty possesses motorized cars, modern appliances, and advanced transit vehicles. We simply utilize spirit beasts and horses for military expeditions."

Yue nodded in agreement. "I also lived in the modern world until a few years ago. I took private equestrian lessons during my summers."

[Foodball: bro thought he was the only modern guy here.]

[Zoomtech: the excuses are crumbling!]

[M00N: Solo Man exposed as uncultured.]

[Brerell: everyone else took lessons except him.]

Solomon shifted his weight and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I never got the option or the chance to take fancy riding lessons."

It was a harsh truth. He had spent his entire youth dodging debt collectors and surviving in the muddy trenches of low-tier mercenary work, fighting for table scraps while trying to comprehend a dormant SSS-rank talent. Riding lessons were a luxury reserved for the wealthy.

Gideon pondered the logistical issue for a few seconds. "This will be difficult. We cannot take a carriage, and walking will waste precious days." The paladin turned to Yue. "Pavilion Master, would you be comfortable riding on the same horse as him?"

The translucent blue interface hovering near the bronze owl immediately spiraled into absolute chaos.

[1Fizzy: HOLD UP!]

[GoonLord: THE DOUBLE SADDLE!]

[Fatal_Beauty: the romance tropes never stop coming!]

[MattMickyD: Elizabeth is punching the air right now.]

[James_hayes: Solo Man securing the VIP ride.]

[IceWaterKat: bro is going to hold her waist the whole trip.]

Yue glanced at Solomon, her expression remaining perfectly calm. She closed her jade fan with a soft click. "I agree to the arrangement. There is no other viable option to maintain our speed."

Solomon ignored the wild chat and focused on the mission details. "How many people are going on this expedition? Is it just the three of us?"

"I will be bringing one of my most trusted officers with me to assist with navigation and logistics," Gideon replied. "Including you and Pavilion Master Yue, our party will consist of exactly four people."

Just as Gideon finished speaking, a heavily armored knight strode into the courtyard. He carried a rolled leather map tube strapped to his chest plate.

"Sir Gideon," the knight announced, offering a crisp salute. "I have prepared the overland navigation charts."

Kulbro unrolled the thick parchment across a nearby wooden supply crate. He pointed a gauntleted finger at the intricate ink drawings.

"According to standard protocol, we will be taking the established trade routes. We will pass through three allied territories and two major border towns. Assuming optimal riding conditions, it will take us exactly one week to reach the borders of the Ruined Azure Kingdom. That timeframe does not account for potential weather delays or hostile encounters along the road."

Gideon leaned over the map and studied the winding ink lines. He shook his head slowly. "That is far too much time wasted on the road. The King has been missing for over a month."

The paladin shifted his finger across the parchment, pointing directly at a massive, sprawling expanse of green ink that covered the majority of the distance between their current location and the ruined kingdom.

"What about this route?" Gideon asked. "Can we not simply cut directly through this uncharted forest?"

Kulbro widened his eyes and hastily shook his head. "Sir Gideon, that would be incredibly dangerous. That path runs straight through the Whispering Wilds. The forest has been left entirely unexplored for the last three centuries. It currently serves as a massive, unchecked nest for mutated wild beasts and territorial monsters."

The knight traced the edges of the green ink with a trembling finger. "There is disturbing local folklore surrounding those woods. Entire merchant caravans and seasoned adventurer parties have vanished within the tree line without a single trace."

"Furthermore," he continued, "The noble houses originally responsible for maintaining the logging roads abandoned their outposts decades ago after suffering catastrophic, unexplained losses. Furthermore, recent scouting reports suggest unstable, unmapped dungeons have begun manifesting deep within the canopy."

[Frendscham: uncharted dungeon territory!]

[M00N: that sounds like a death trap.]

[PandoraLifeweaver: bro is suggesting the cursed forest route.]

1

[Zoomtech: guaranteed boss encounters in there.]

Gideon stood perfectly upright, entirely unbothered by the dire warnings. "What exactly is the problem then?"

The question hung in the air. Given that Gideon was a transcendent paladin capable of leveling cities, and Yue was a Pavilion Master of the Azure Dragon Sect, a few mutated beasts and unstable dungeons posed absolutely zero threat to their party.

Kulbro swallowed hard, trying to justify his logistical concerns. "The primary issue is resources, Sir. The local natives and regional guides refuse to step foot inside that forest. If we take that route, we will lose our designated pathfinders. We will also forfeit the fresh supplies and reserve horses we were scheduled to acquire at the established border towns."

Gideon reached for a piece of charcoal resting near the map. He drew a straight, bold black line directly through the center of the green ink.

"If we take the established trade routes, the journey spans nearly five hundred miles of winding roads," Gideon stated, dropping the charcoal onto the crate. "If we cut directly through the Whispering Wilds and bypass the mountains, the total distance decreases to less than one hundred and fifty miles. The forest itself only covers roughly a hundred miles of that span. The time saved is incalculable."

Gideon’s words carried the absolute authority of a paladin. Sir Kulbro immediately bowed his head in submission. "Understood, Sir. We will brave the forest."

Gideon turned his attention to Yue and Solomon. "Do either of you have any objections to this route?"

Yue simply opened her jade fan, her expression entirely neutral. Solomon cracked his knuckles, a wide, eager grin stretching across his face. He had spent the last few days playing teacher.

The prospect of diving headfirst into an uncharted, monster-infested death trap sounded exactly like the vacation he desperately needed.

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