"Achoo!" Merlin suddenly sneezed loudly.

"What's going on? Who's talking about me?" He frowned, glancing around in confusion.

His intuition told him someone had just mentioned him, but he couldn't prove it.

"What's wrong with you?" Lyserra lifted her head, eyeing him curiously.

Merlin shook his head and gently rubbed her head.

"Nothing. By the way, where were we?"

Lyserra felt a flicker of annoyance at his touch, but since it had been unexpectedly pleasant, she reluctantly let it pass and laid her head back down lazily.

"About your next departure—where do you want to go now?"

"Oh, right. We're heading to the capital of Fenrath," he replied with a small smile.

"The capital of Fenrath?" Lyserra's eyebrows lifted slightly. "Is it far?"

"Yes, quite far. If I'm not mistaken, it takes six to seven days to travel from Dralmor," Merlin explained.

Fenrath was the kingdom's capital—the heart of Aldoria and the most prosperous city in the country.

People from all over the kingdom flocked there to try their luck, and merchants from every corner gathered in its bustling markets.

In truth, Merlin had been wanting to visit the capital for over a year.

But due to various obstacles, he kept postponing it.

On top of that, he had no pressing business there, so asking his parents for permission was difficult.

"I see…" Lyserra nodded thoughtfully. "Six to seven days of travel, huh? That's quite a long time. This is definitely going to be the most boring trip ever."

She sighed softly. Now that her strength had fully recovered, she no longer needed long stretches of sleep.

As a result, she wasn't sure how she would keep herself from getting bored.

"Don't worry. We won't be traveling nonstop. I've asked James to stop by a few cities so we can rest or stay overnight," Merlin reassured her.

Not just Lyserra—Merlin himself would be bored out of his mind if they had to travel six or seven days without a break.

That's why he had instructed James to make several stops along the way.

"Glad to hear it. You really are reliable." Lyserra smiled faintly and rested her head against his stomach.

Merlin smiled back, gently stroking her hair.

***

Eight days passed quickly. During that time, Merlin had traveled safely from the city of Dralmor to Fenrath.

However, because of Merlin's previous instructions, James had stopped at several cities along the way, making the journey longer than anticipated.

"Woah! Is that the capital? The scale is incredible!" Merlin exclaimed in awe as he saw an eighty-meter-high wall stretching endlessly into the distance.

The wall was sturdy and perfectly aligned. Compared to this capital, Dralmor seemed small and insignificant.

"We'll be there in fifteen minutes, Young Master," James said from the front.

Merlin lowered his head for a moment before replying, "All right, Uncle James. Thank you for your hard work."

"You're welcome, Young Master," James replied.

Merlin calmly waited, peering out the window on his right. Grasslands and open fields stretched before him, the view both beautiful and soothing to the eyes and the heart.

Soon, they arrived at the city gates. Fifteen guards stood alert, watching every caravan attempting to enter.

Merlin's horse-drawn carriage joined the queue and waited patiently.

Half an hour later, it was their turn.

Unlike the others, Merlin's carriage was allowed to enter immediately after James presented his identity as the Clay family's butler.

Merlin also introduced himself as the Clay family's young master, leaving the guards no reason to delay them further.

Merlin's horse-drawn carriage passed the guard post swiftly, and in an instant, the sprawling view of the capital unfolded beyond the window.

'Is this the capital? Incredible… This city is clearly more advanced than Dralmor or Droswen,' he whispered in awe.

The city's layout was orderly and well-planned. There were dedicated pedestrian paths and two main roads for horse-drawn carriages.

Shops lined both sides of the streets neatly, with bars marking the boundaries of each property.

In terms of organization, Fenrath's capital could easily rival modern cities from his previous world.

Of course, there were no skyscrapers—buildings such as inns or hotels reached only ten to thirty meters in height.

Even so, the city's structure and order made Fenrath feel impressively advanced.

"Young Master, shall we head straight to the royal palace?" James asked.

Merlin paused for a moment before replying, "Let's go now. I feel bad about being a day late to see the king."

Their meeting had been scheduled for yesterday, but James's stops at several cities had delayed them.

"Understood." James nodded slightly, then urged the horses onward toward the royal palace.

***

"Hmmm…"

In a beautiful garden, a thirteen-year-old girl sat on a bench, humming happily.

She was extraordinarily beautiful. Her hair was golden, with a few striking white strands.

It fell long and wavy, crowned with a delicate silver tiara.

She wore a golden-brown gown with a wide skirt, the kind a royal princess would wear.

Tall, slim, and well-proportioned, her eyes were a clear blue, like the midday sky.

After a while, she stopped humming, her gaze drifting blankly to the flowers before her.

"Why hasn't he arrived yet? Did something happen to him?" she murmured anxiously.

It had been more than ten days since she had been waiting for Merlin, yet there was still no news.

"The city of Dralmor is quite far from the capital… I hope he's all right," she whispered with a long sigh.

There was nothing she could do but wait.

Just then, a maid hurried up, stopping in front of her and bowing deeply.

"Greetings, Your Highness," the maid said respectfully.

The girl lifted her head and gave a small nod.

"What is it?"

The maid straightened and replied, "Your Highness, we've just received word from the guards. They say Young Master Merlin of the Clay family has arrived."

At this, the girl's expression froze for a moment—then instantly lit up with joy.

"Is it true? Has Merlin Clay really arrived?" She exclaimed, springing to her feet.

"Yes, Your Highness. The guards confirmed it directly," the maid replied quickly.

For some reason, the princess's sudden shift in mood was a little startling.

"Wonderful! Take me to the palace gates. Merlin Clay must already be here. I want to welcome him myself."

Without waiting for the maid to respond, the girl lifted her skirt and dashed out of the garden.

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