Lina and August arrived at the scene almost at the same time.
The first thing they saw was blood.
The ground was no longer gray; it had turned into a dark color mixed with the smell of iron and death. The bodies of the barbarians were scattered, some fallen on top of each other, some with twisted shapes like the moment of their death was still frozen in them.
But Lina's eyes locked on something else.
Reinh.
He was standing among the bodies; his clothes torn, his body covered with open wounds and blood. A broken sword was lying near his foot, and his breathing was slow but heavy.
For a moment, Lina's heart dropped. She ran forward without thinking and hugged him tightly.
"…I'm sorry." Her voice was shaking.
"I'm sorry for leaving you alone."
A heavy feeling of regret took over her immediately. She should not have left her young master. No matter what, she should not have done that. Her duty was to protect him, not to chase barbarians.
She was stupid to think that the group that escaped were the only remaining barbarians.
A few seconds passed. Then she suddenly came back to her senses, pulled herself away quickly, and lowered her head.
"I apologize, that was rude of me." She was so worried that she completely forgot the manners she had toward her young master.
"It's fine." Reinh only nodded. Even though he did not like such things, he could allow some exceptions for Lina.
His eyes moved away from Lina and stopped on August.
"When did you arrive?"
"On the way, I saw Lina fighting a group of barbarians. I understood what happened right away." August said quietly while looking at the corpses.
It was clear he realized the truth with only one look. He had gone to crush a group of barbarians who moved past the borders, following the orders of the officials. But it seemed they had been tricked, and their real goal was simply to separate him from the young master as soon as possible.
Reinh nodded without speaking. Then his eyes moved to the bodies of the mercenary knights.
"Burn their bodies. Then we leave."
Lina said nothing. August also bowed his head without any objection.
In the tradition of the Vorhelm Clan, burning the bodies of knights was a holy act; returning the soul to the fire so they would not suffer the shame of being captured or mutilated.
Reinh did not stop and returned to the carriage.
Lina did not follow him. She stood next to August and started preparing the fire. When the flames rose, the orange light reflected on the silver armor.
"This was an ambush, Mister August. Someone clearly wanted to kill the young master." Lina sighed.
August stayed silent. He also had a guess, a very clear guess.
But it was not something he had the right to tell a normal caretaker, and even saying it out loud could be considered blasphemy.
"The young master is no longer in the Tyrant Palace. The protection he had is gone." he said simply.
His eyes stayed fixed on the flames.
"He should get used to these things from now on."
And they continued their work.
Inside the carriage, Reinh leaned back. The blood on his fingers had already dried.
"What are you going to do with that woman? Because she is starting to piss me off too." Arceus, in his miniature form, appeared above Reinh's shoulder with a frown.
As a dragon, he never thought a human could make him angry like this, but that woman had truly managed to annoy even him.
"Dealing with her directly is not simple. I can't do anything for now." Reinh answered without looking at him.
After all, that woman was one of the patriarch's wives in the Vorhelm Clan, and maybe the one with the most influence and power among them.
With his current status and power, he could not do anything to her.
"So you are going to let her go?" Arceus narrowed his eyes.
"Let her go?" Reinh gave a cold, emotionless smirk.
He turned his head slightly.
"I can't hurt her directly, but there are many ways I can make her life miserable."
"Good. Anyone who dares to harm the holder of the Star of Eternal Ruins must learn a lesson." Arceus smiled in a demonic way. He was starting to become more and more satisfied with the current holder of the star.
Moments later, the carriage moved again.
This time Lina did not return to the cabin. She drove another carriage and kept some distance.
And during that time, Reinh's wounds healed thanks to the body structure of an Ancestral Dragon, which gave him a high-level self-healing ability. He also changed his clothes.
Time passed quietly.
And then, in the northern horizon, the Garden of Crowns appeared.
Huge white and silver domes shining under the cold sky. Towers decorated with ancient lines, and walls that looked like a holy fortress holding the history of the Vorhelm Clan inside them.
When they reached the entrance, the carriages stopped. Reinh stepped down.
Around him, there were many people. Young men and women with different faces but sharing some of his features, and of course, sharing the same blood. All the young generation of the north, the ones who carried even a small trace of Vorhelm blood, were slowly gathering here.
After all, the trial would soon begin, and this trial would decide if the young generation of Vorhelm would be officially recognized or not.
Reinh walked with Lina and August toward one of the entrances, where knights in bright white armor were guarding the gate.
Before entering, identity registration was required.
The guard asked for their names.
When he heard Lina's name, he wrote it without any reaction.
But when August's name was spoken, the guards' eyes widened. Respect appeared in their movements immediately, and they bowed at once.
After all, August was a very popular and well-known figure in the whole continent, especially in the north. For simple guards like them, August was a hero and a role model.
A man who was once only a simple servant but became the right hand and one of the most respected subordinates of the patriarch himself.
"No need for that. Do not make noise." August said calmly.
The guards obeyed. Then it was Reinh's turn, and his name was spoken.
And at that moment, not only the guards but most of the people around turned their gaze toward him without even thinking.