239 Encounter 1 (1/2)
Chapter 239: Encounter 1
Amidst the sea of dark green trees, there was a thin, pale green roadway. It crawled through the forest like a slow earthworm, wider in some places and narrower in others, twisting and turning unpredictably.
A carriage drove slowly along that road, followed by a team of horseriding bodyguards in black.
The sky was beginning to dim. The setting sun was obscured by layers of thick clouds, only the slightest bit of red light seeping through.
The carriage soon stopped at the end of the road. The old driver steadied it, and turned around to yell,
”This is as far as we can go, the carriage can’t go any further.”
”Got it, you can go back now, Old Peter. Come back here to fetch us in two days.” The door opened and a young man in tight black clothes jumped out as he spoke loudly.
”Yes, Young Master.”
A few more young people dressed luxuriously jumped out of the carriage, two male and two female in total. They were all wearing black clothes that seemed to be for hunting. Their pants legs were stuffed into long breeches, and there were sharp short knives tied to their belts.
”Prynne, where did you guys decide to meet?” the other boy asked casually. He had blonde hair and a handsome face, with a studious air. It was Garen, who had come along with his companions.
”Right over there, we need to walk another distance. Let’s go over there first, I’ll tell a guard to go pick up Aquarius and the others. Do you wanna go along, Cia?” Prynne glanced at Garen.
”It’s fine, I’ll stay with you guys.” Garen shook his head. Right now, he was carefully observing his surroundings. ”The plants here look pretty old, it does looks like people don’t usually come here.”
”Indeed.” Prynne looked slightly proud of himself. ”I even purposely asked travelling merchants who go out a lot, and finally came up with a place they don’t go. Of course there wouldn’t be anyone here.”
”It won’t be dangerous, will it?” Marin was combing her her long maroon hair, and asked worriedly.
”Relax, even if there is something dangerous, we have so many guards here. There’s nothing to be afraid of!” Prynne shrugged, pointing at the team of guards riding behind them. ”The people I brought this time are my family’s elite fighters, they’re definitely capable, so you don’t have to worry about safety!”
Prynne walked up to a tall and strong-looking man, with a broad back and thick waist, and patted the man’s chest.
”This is Hanson, he once tore a forest grizzly up alive! He’s the strongest of men! And he’s also the defense captain in charge of our safety this time!”
Hanson was an entire head taller than Prynne, with limbs as thick as an elephant’s. The muscles on his body were about to explode out of his skin-tight armor, keeping anyone who looked at him on edge.
”Leave it to me, Hanson! No problem!” Hanson patted his chest, and flexed his muscles like a bodybuilder. It instantly garnered some laughs from the girls.
Whoa!!
”Hanson!!” ”Hanson!!” ”Hanson!!”
The guards behind him drew their scimitars at the same time, raising them above their heads as they cheered for their captain.
”Our safety is in your hands, Big Brother Prynne.” Andel giggles as she got closer to Prynne.
”Speak for yourself, I still think Cia’s side is more reliable…” On the other hand, Marin walked up to Garen. ”Big Brother Cia, you gotta protect me~~” she purposely said flirtily.
”Cia is head over heels trying to get Aquarius, he won’t have time for you.” Andel didn’t hold back with her words.
Garen shrugged exasperatedly. ”I’ll protect you, relax.” He turned around to glance at the middle-aged man standing behind him.
This man was wearing a long-sleeved dark green shirt and similar long pants. He said little to nothing, and wore a metallic black armguard on his forearm. He looked to be in his thirties.
His name was Ulun, the bodyguard his father Vanderman had sent to protect him.
Garen lowered his voice helplessly.
”You guys know it too, Prynne had always been in charge of our safety, and we were too lazy to bother with it ourselves. It’s just that there was a huge explosion in my family’s territory this time, so my father specifically sent someone to protect me.
”So you’re saying this guy is really good?” Marin stuck out her tongue.
Garen nodded.
Ulun was indeed very strong. Even in the previous world of secret martial arts, he wouldn’t be your regular Joe. Judging from the way he walked, his reactions, as well as the killing intect on him and his gaze, he was definitely an elite fighter with several dozen lives on his hands. Only people like these would have that vague sense of disregard and contempt whenever they looked at everyone else.
But Garen never saw Ulun in a fight himself, so he couldn’t quite assess his total abilities. One thing was sure, Ulun might not look like much, but his abilities were definitely no lower than the guard captain Hanson.
Seeing that Garen and Marin were talking about him, Ulun put his right hand on his chest, and bent his head with a smile.
Having more or less introduced the servants, all four of them knew who was who. Hanson took the lead, and the team of guards protected the four of them on both flanks. Only then did the procession continue walking to the edge of the forest.
Axes continuously broke through the bramble, cutting open a path. Snakes, rabbits, and forest mice that darted out occasionally were also cause for the two girls to scream dramatically.
Marin always preferred to stick to Garen, whereas Andel stayed with Prynne.
As the group went further into the forest, the four of them quickly decided on a relatively flat piece of land. The guards started to chop up the bushes and trees nearby, setting up an activity spot.