Emperor's Reckoning

The group made it out of Garuda City without the bustle and strolled out of the main road across a wide meadow.

"So, why are we on foot again?" asked Lyon with his hands behind his back.

"Because we don't want to attract unnecessary attention," answered Cecile who was at the frontmost of the pack.

"But we could get there faster," Lyon sighed.

"It won't fit."

"I can carry you, hehe," Lyon smirked.

"That won't happen, Lyon," Cecile smiled. "She would cut the horses before you could let me go."

Lyon whistled coldly as his brows reached the ceiling. His lips turned twitching as he said, "Y-Y-You know, m-maybe this is a bad idea after all."

"What's this, I thought 'the Lyon' would face a great adversary, especially if it's regarding a beautiful woman," Lumina sneered.

"I uh... hmm..." Lyon stroked his chin as he kept the pace. He was pondering with his eyes looking above at the night sky. ( That's actually a good question, why am I scared of her exactly ). When she came and greeted him at Nostria out of cracked space that rumbled the whole continent, he was not afraid. However, as days have gone by and the stories of her antics in the past reached his ears before he officially met her, he couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed.

Lyon shook his head. ( Whatever comes, let it comes, heh ) he smirked. 

"By the way," Lyon asked, "Where is this Dark Continent, anyway?"

"I've heard that there are terrible and terrible monsters lurking there," said Luna.

"Well, the monsters or beasts, some may call it, is not the most horrible one I ever saw," Assid shook his head.

"Yeah, they are nothing," Kesya smiled. "Don't worry, traversing the Dark Continent is hardly a problem."

"The problem is Lyon's woman," Lumina sighed. "She is deadly with a blade."

"Alright, I've heard it enough time to dream about it," Lyon rolled his eyes. "How many days in estimation should we arrive there?"

"Not that long," said Kesya. "There should be a carriage that we can steal."

"Steal?" Luna raised her brows. "Why not buy them?"

"We don't need to steal Kesya," Cecile smiled. "If you want to steal, save it when we arrived at Dark Continent."

"Ah yes, lawless part of the Mortal World, how could I forget," Kesya grinned.

"You seem to be excited," added Lyon before he noticed the arrival of dawn. "Woah, it's already dawn."

Cecile squinted her eyes a bit before noticing a carriage being driven by an old man with simple clothing. "Look's like we have our luck too."

"This is all thanks to the Emperor's most impressive destiny," said Assid without hesitation.

"Not even a pause eh?" Lyon shook his head with a smile as he heard how Assid hyperbole whatever about him.

"Oh ya?" the old man blinked a little before noticing a group of cloaked people standing at the side of the road. His eyes suddenly turned sharp before his hands trembled and he made a harsh swallow. However, the acts to pacify his nervousness ultimately failed. "I-I only have a pouch left, it won't be able to satisfy them, I'm sure!"

The old man knew he couldn't make his horse gallop. He had nothing but to trust fate to be lenient.

"G-Good morning, is, you, I mean," the old man gulped. "Do you want my money?"

"What? Do we look like bandits to you?" said Lyon.

"N-N-No! Absolutely not!" the old man put all of his strength in his neck to deny his own belief.

"Well, because we do, haha!" Lyon laughed.

"Oh no..." the old man let out a sigh. "Please sir, I want to feed my family back at home. I just sold my crops in Garuda City, without this money, they would starve. Please be lenient, I-I know, I would give you something in my next harvesting, but just this once, I promise that we would eat something good today. It's my youngest son, he had returned home after a long hunt, and I, I."

"Don't listen to his blabber," said Lumina.

"Eh?" the old man raised his brows.

"I'm sorry, he is kind of a jester," Luna bowed with an audible sigh under her breath.

"Old man, bring us to the Dark Continent, and your family will have a feast, sounds good?" asked Cecile.

"D-Dark Continent?! I-I..."

"Assid," Cecile cued.

"Understood, Young Miss," Assid stepped forward.

( Young Miss? ) the old man was startled. However, his hand was pulled by Assid before he put a little pouch on top of his creased palm. He immediately felt the heaviness on the pouch. "Y-Young Miss, this...."

"Take a peek inside," Cecile smiled.

"A-Alright..... Ngh?!" His eyes snapped open in disbelief before he darted back at the group and gulped. "This much?!"

"That's the down payment," Cecile nodded. 

"Down payment?!" the old man was startled beyond his belief. "B-But, this is so much!"

"Equal pay for equal risk, won't you say?" Cecile smiled.

"I-I..." the old man gulped. ( how many crops should I pluck and plants to have a sum like this, not even until my last breath could I govern this much money ).

"This is still an offer, you can reject it if you want, but I have no time to spare, you have to make the decision now," said Cecile before she darted at the dawning sun. "The day is about to begin."

"With this much money, the trajectory of your family will change," added Kesya. "and this is just the down payment, imaging the full stash of cash!"

( These two, if they were on earth, Cecile is obviously a CEO in a big corporate, heck, she owned the damn thing, and Kesya would be her assistant ) thought Lyon with a gulp.

"I-I'll take it!"

"Good answer," Cecile smiled before all of them except Graham and Assid, got up to the carriage from the back. The smells of fresh fruits and vegetables immediately danced around their nose hairs before they found themselves some space between the empty boxes.

The old man gulped as he was in between Graham and Assid.