I No Clown

A Grueling Path

"No one knows!"

Ryvel frowned. "Why? Shouldn't everyone in this world know who the Emperor really is?"

"Be careful with your curiosity, son!"

The father's piercing gaze silenced the son.

Without even being told, Ryvel realized that this was a very sensitive issue.

And that meant he was forbidden to bring it up anywhere, especially on Svarnabhumi grounds.

Someone shouted outside, followed by shouts from others as well.

Edwar Blackwood realized that their ship would soon be docking at the Eastern Main Harbor.

"Mark my words, son," he told Ryvel. "This is for our future."

The son took a deep breath and left his father's room.

The sun had shifted from its zenith to the west, in its last third, when six large ships tried to dock in one large harbor. One of them was the largest.

"Father..." Cindy Zircon leaned closer to her father. "This large harbor is not what I imagined."

Demian Zircon smiled as he kept his pace down the ship.

"What did you expect, sweetheart?" her father replied. "All due to the Demon Army's attack. However, they were only able to attack on the coast. One way or another, the people here kept the demons from entering the central region."

Without the destruction here and there, Cindy was sure that this harbor must be as beautiful as she had often heard from people.

Although the visible damage was not that great, however, it detracted from the beauty and aesthetics of the harbor itself.

One by one, all the passengers on the six ships that had just docked disembarked and gathered at the large dock.

Hundreds of Imperial Soldiers and warriors of all arts stood guard, scattered at several points. Hundreds of people were at work repairing damaged areas.

Dozens of other Imperial Warriors welcomed and escorted the arrival of the nobles and dignitaries of the Land of Purbha.

"Please, nobles from the Eastern lands," said one of the soldiers and then pointed at a group of horse-drawn carriages parked neatly in one spot. "Those carriages will take you to the Main City."

Without saying much, Edwar Blackwood and his entourage immediately approached the dozens of horse-drawn carriages that had been prepared for them.

An instant later, the carriages left the Eastern Main Harbor.

"What tiring days!"

Edwar glanced at his son who was in the same carriage.

There were only the two of them in there. Ryvel had long lost his mother to a chronic illness. And since then, his father had never remarried.

The young man shrugged in response to his father's gaze.

"They even used a normal carriage like this to pick us up," he snorted. "Not even a servant. Pathetic!"

"Looks like you didn't listen very well to what I told you," Edwar said as he removed the first layer of his clothing. "Oh, God... I really want to be refreshed. Bathing in a tub of cool water must be refreshing."

Ryvel chuckled softly at his father.

"I won't embarrass you, Dad," he replied in a lowered voice. "But, if things are like this, then how are we different from the lower castes?"

"Let me tell you one thing, son," Edwar said. "Patience is the best weapon for you to fulfill our wishes from now on. Do you understand?"

Ryvel let out a deep breath, then sank back onto the couch covered with a thin mattress, and covered in a thick rug.

The carriage was actually larger than those used by commoners. However, Ryvel, who was used to having all the luxuries, felt that he was the same as an ordinary person at this point.

One horse-drawn carriage for a noble family or high-ranking officials.

As for those with lower status such as warlords, they get the same size carriage. But, with more passengers in the carriage, it felt hotter and more sultry.

Demian looked at his daughter who sat dreamily holding a handkerchief.

He smiled and said, "What are you thinking about, honey?"

Cindy lifted her face and smiled at her father.

It was only from her daughter's breathing, which sounded heavy in his ears, that he could tell she was thinking about her mother.

"Are you thinking about your mom being here with us?"

The girl gave a small nod. "Mom told me once," she said, "she really wanted to visit the Middle Empire. Yeah, I just..."

Demian moved over and sat next to his daughter. Like the Blackwood family, the Zircon family was also without a mother.

"I understand how you feel," Demian said and kissed his daughter's head. "Come here!"

Cindy rested her head on her father's thigh while he rubbed her shoulder lovingly.

"I hate them so much, father, so much!"

"I know," Demian sighed deeply. "I hate them too. But, Tygon is different from Shitar, sweetheart. I think, even though they're husband and wife, it's just..."

Cindy glanced at her father's face which looked as if his heart and mind were fighting each other.

She then got up and sat down.

"I did everything you ever told me to do," she said. "Unfortunately, he and his sister had bad luck in that last Demon Army attack."

Demian smiled wryly as he looked at his daughter's face.

"I know. You are a dutiful daughter."

Cindy leaned her head against her father's shoulder and her father put one arm around her body.

"How long will it take us to reach the Main City?"

"Three days."

"Oh, God..." Cindy let out a long sigh. "I'm definitely going to be sore and tired by the time we get there."

Demian chuckled, kissed his daughter's head again, and said, "Get plenty of rest. I'm here to take care of you."

Cindy smiled as she looked at her father. "You're the best father in the world!"

Demian laughed almost silently, but he liked that, his daughter's compliment to him.

Then the girl found a slightly strange smile on her father's face. Their gazes met for a long time.

"What?" asked Demian, holding back his laughter.

"What are you thinking, father?"

Her father shrugged. "That young man died in the last battle, and so did his sister. This is truly unfortunate."

"Father!" Cindy sulked, moving slightly away from Demian. "You don't really want me to marry him, do you?"

"Tygon's a good man, honey. We owe him a favor and I respect that very much."

"I hate you!" Cindy sulked even more.

Demian chuckled with a shake of his head.

"But fate said otherwise," he said. "And now... Hey," he put his arm around his daughter gently. "Tell me, have you really decided to take Lord Blackwood's son as your husband?"

There was a slight smile at the corner of the girl's lips.

"Hmm?" Demian frowned.

"Don't ask the obvious, father," the girl replied. "You're teasing me, I hate it!"

"Come here!" Demian kissed his daughter's head again. Rubbing her back, he said, "Whatever you choose, I just want to see you happy, sweetheart. That's all!"

Cindy rested her head back on her father's shoulder.

***