"Garret, my love, what happened?" Sarah asked, fighting the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes, as she looked at the withered old man in front of her.
Great General Garret let out a deep sigh before answering his wife's question.
"The campaign to conquer the Wanid Kingdom has failed," Great General Garret replied. "The one responsible for our loss is none other than the messenger I asked to talk to you right now.
"His name is Lux Von Kaizer, and I pleaded with him to take you and our daughters away from the Haca Dynasty. Sarah, with the way I am now, I no longer hold any value to the King. It is only a matter of time before those who bear ill will toward me and my family make their move. I'm afraid that if you don't evacuate quickly, it will be too late for all of you."
Sarah carefully listened to her husband's words and didn't interrupt him. She knew that Great General Garret had many enemies, and they only stayed their hand because of the role that he played in the Haca Dynasty.
Now that he was gone, those who had been holding back their grudges would soon set their sights on their family, which was something she was aware of.
Sarah's gaze became sharp as she looked at the Half-Elf holding the mirror in his hand.
The beautiful woman looked gentle on the outside, but she was in fact a C-Ranker who was a veteran on the battlefield.
Her hands opened and closed as she fought the strong urge to break the Half-Elf's neck for what happened to her husband, but after listening to Great General Garret's explanation, she willed herself to not do anything and held her anger at bay.
While Garret was talking to his wife, Draven appeared beside Lux and whispered something in his ear.
'Are you sure?' Lux asked through telepathy.
'Yes, Master,' Draven reported. 'The Shadow Warriors that I assigned near the Teleportation Gate have confirmed the arrival of several High-Rankers. One of them is the Vanguard Commander, Ronan.'
'Where are they headed?'
'In order to avoid being detected, the Shadow Warriors didn't dare to move from their location. All they knew was that there were six of them, and all of them were High-Rankers.'
Lux no longer hesitated and interjected in the conversation between Great General Garret and his wife.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"I'm sorry, but Commander Ronan has just arrived here in the Capital," Lux reported his subordinates' findings. "There are other High-Rankers with him. Lady Sarah, if possible, please gather your daughters. We can't afford to wait."
After hearing Lux's report, Great General Garret's expression became grim.
"Sarah, take the kids with you," Great General Garret said. "Don't bother taking the treasures out of the house. Just prioritize our daughters first. I'm afraid that Ronan still has feelings for you, and now that I can't do anything, he might use this opportunity to make his move. My love, please, hurry. I will wait for you here in the Wanid Kingdom."
As soon as he finished saying his farewell, the connection was cut and the mirror returned to its original state.
"Your name is Lux, right?" Sarah asked as he stared at the Half-Elf with a solemn gaze. "Are you capable of taking us out of the Capital City?"
Lux nodded. "Rest assured. I have already made my preparations."
Sarah took a deep breath before leaving the room in haste.
Her husband was dead in the eyes of his subordinates. Now that they had arrived, it wouldn't take long for his enemies to get wind of the news.
The first place she went to was her eldest daughter's room. She had asked Alexa to look after Leah, while she talked with the Baby Slime in private, who had summoned her Papa to personally talk to her.
"Mother, are you done talking with Eiko?" Leah asked as soon as she saw her mother enter the room. "Can I play with her now?"
"You can play with her later, sweetheart," Sarah replied. "For now, I need you to stay close to me. Alexa, do you know where Emily is?"
Alexa vaguely sensed the anxiety on her mother's face, so she answered her mother truthfully.
"Emily said that she will go to the Marketplace to buy something," Alexa replied. "Why, Mother? Did something happen?"
Sarah's face turned ashen after hearing her daughter's reply. She couldn't possibly leave her daughter behind, so she planned to look for Emily herself.
"Pack some of your clothes," Sarah ordered. "Don't take any fancy dresses. Take clothes that are meant for outdoor travel."
"Mother, are we in danger?"
"Don't ask questions, My Dear. Just do what I say. I will explain it later once I find your sister. Make sure to pack clothes for Leah as well."
Alexa nodded and did as she was told. She didn't fail to notice the red-headed teenager standing by the doorway and had a Baby Slime perched on top of his head.
Sarah approached Lux and asked him to protect her daughters, but the Half-Elf rejected her request.
"Do you have a portrait of your daughter?" Lux asked. "I can find her faster. Just tell me where the Marketplace is."
Great General Garret's wife knew that Lux was as much in a hurry as her, so she didn't hesitate and took out their family painting from her storage ring.
"This is Emily," Sarah pointed at a girl who seemed to be around twelve to fourteen years old. "Please, find her."
"Don't worry," Lux replied. "Draven, go find her. We don't have time, so just kidnap her. If she resists, I permit you to knock her unconscious."
Draven bowed. "Yes, Master."
When Sarah heard Lux and his Shadow Lord discuss using force to kidnap her daughter right in front of her, she almost used her fist to blow the pair's head.
But she understood that the situation called for it, and they couldn't be too picky with their methods.
"I'll go pack my clothes," Sarah said. "But know this. I will not leave behind any of my family members. Do you understand?"
"I understand." Lux nodded. "I'll do my best."
After getting Lux's assurance, Sarah went straight to the Master's Bedroom, where she and her husband slept together.
Although Great General Garret said that she didn't need to pack their treasures, she couldn't possibly leave them behind.
They were their family heirlooms, and it would be a waste to let others have them.
Lux, who had been left in Alexa's room, closed his eyes and leaned on the wall.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmEiko was talking with Leah, while her sister finished packing her belongings. Just like Sarah, Alexa had important items in her possession that she had no intention of leaving behind.
After making sure that everything important was stored in her storage ring, she held Leah's hand and walked out of the room.
Lux followed behind her because their safety was his top priority.
In the Capital City's Marketplace...
"How much is this?" asked a pretty girl with blonde hair and blue eyes to the merchant in front of her.
"You have good eyes, Young Miss," the Merchant replied with a smile. "That necklace came from the Wanid Kingdom and is said to be blessed by the Spirits themselves. It is yours for a very cheap price of 500 gold coins."
"500 Gold Coins?" the pretty girl frowned. "I'll buy it for 100 Gold Coins."
"My Lady, I can't possibly sell it to you for that price. How about 450 gold coins?"
"100 Gold Coins."
"400 Gold Coins."
"100 Gold Coins."
"Hahaha, my lady, you really know how to bargain."
While the Merchant was thinking about how he could negotiate with the pretty girl that was adamant about buying his necklace for 100 Gold Coins, a man who was two meters tall appeared behind Emily.
"Is that you Emily?" the man asked, making the girl look behind her.
"Uncle Ronan?" Emily was surprised to see the kind Uncle who had always given her birthday presents on her birthday appear behind her. "What are you doing here? Did you finish conquering the Wanid Kingdom? Has my father already returned?"
A devilish smile appeared on Ronan's face as he crouched down to pat the pretty girl on the head.
He was on his way to the Royal Palace in order to report to their king what happened on their campaign, but after seeing a familiar face in the Marketplace, he decided to pass the responsibility of reporting to their King to his companions.
This also gave him the perfect excuse to go to the Ousborne Residence in order to see Great General Garret's Wife, whom he was eager to meet after a long time.
Emily's Personal Guards, who were tasked to keep watch on their young lady, followed behind Ronan's Carriage. Since they were familiar with the Vanguard Commander, they allowed Emily to go with him.
If only they knew that the kind Uncle had evil designs for their Master's family, all of them would have risked their lives in order to rescue Emily and take her away from the man who wished to make her mother his woman.