The officer shoved his subordinates aside and strode toward the front of the road. He weaved through the ranks until he reached the very front of the formation.
When he saw the scene ahead, he froze.
The road leading to the teleportation magic array city was completely blocked by massive boulders. Sitting atop the pile was a strikingly young black-haired girl, looking down at them with cool detachment.
“I trust you’ve brought the person I want?”
The officer blinked, caught off guard. What did she mean by “the person I want”?
“The army’s path? Who are you? Why are you blocking the Saint Luo Empire’s way?”
“Are you asking me?”
“Yes. Answer immediately!”
“I suppose you could say I’m a friend of Stella’s.”
“The Ninth Princess?”
He didn’t recall Stella having any connections outside the Favi family. The officer studied the girl. According to their intelligence, she wasn’t one of them. Most likely an Avalon Academy student—perhaps someone Stella had met there.
A contemptuous smile tugged at his lips.
“If you know what’s good for you, get down right now. His Majesty has ordered that anyone who dares obstruct the Ninth Princess’s return to the capital will be executed on the spot!”
“Oh? So you really did bring Stella along. That makes this much simpler.”
“Prepare to fire!”
The officer raised his arm. Soldiers lifted their guns and cannons, aiming at the girl on the rocks.
“These firearms… interesting.”
Via noted that they weren’t ordinary weapons. Nearly all were magical artifacts, similar to the mana bombs she once made—tools that didn’t require much personal strength yet could unleash considerable power. With enough of them, even ordinary soldiers could suppress magical beasts.
She had seen weapons like these during the last war, though back then they were still in limited trial use. Now they had already reached regular troops.
“This is your final warning,” the officer said coldly. “I don’t care who you are. If you don’t want to die, do as I say.”
He lowered his arm.
“What if I say no?”
Triggers clicked in unison. Cannon fire thundered, shaking the air. Magic bullets of various attributes rained toward Via like a sudden storm.
In the officer’s eyes, this arrogant roadblocker would be riddled with holes in two seconds.
“Magic Shield.”
A faint shimmer enveloped Via. An invisible force field formed around her. The bullets struck it and scattered into ripples. The entire barrage was deflected.
The boulders beneath her feet shattered under the ricocheting fire, yet she stood untouched, like someone walking through a downpour with an umbrella. Not even a speck of dust touched her clothes.
“This… How is this possible?!”
The officer’s eyes widened. He took an involuntary step back. This was no longer a situation he could resolve easily.
“Where is Stella?” Via asked.
“Damn it!”
Soren had given his subordinates a death order: bring every imperial family member back to the capital, or return with their own heads. If he failed to deliver Stella, his fate would be sealed.
“Form ranks! Block her path!”
After a split second of thought, Soren decided to use the soldiers as a shield. He would stall her with numbers and escape with Stella another way.
He sprinted toward the carriage in the rear.
“Charge!!!”
The imperial army surged forward as one.
“This is getting troublesome.”
Via watched the dense wave of soldiers rushing at her. She understood Soren’s plan—use these grunts to buy time while he fled with Stella.
But she hadn’t come alone.
“Albion!”
Albion, who had been dozing nearby, snapped awake at Via’s voice. She let out a thunderous roar and transformed into her colossal dragon form. The shadow of her massive body fell over the army, freezing the soldiers in terror.
“A dragon?!”
Fear spread across their faces. For most, dragons existed only in legends and old stories. This was the first time they had seen one in the flesh.
“Albion, drive these grunts back!”
Via leapt onto the dragon’s back.
“ROOOAAAR——!”
Albion beat her wings and rose into the sky. Her roar crashed down like a physical wave, blasting a wide path through the soldiers.
“Not good!!”
Soren’s face went white as the dragon closed in from behind.
“Hm? That must be it.”
Via spotted the carriage Soren was running toward. It was clearly special—surrounded by heavy protection. Whoever was inside had to be important.
“Albion, take that carriage.”
Albion understood. She flapped her wings, whipping up a violent gale that scattered the guards. Her claws clamped onto the carriage and lifted it swiftly into the clouds, vanishing from sight.
“Mm… What just happened?”
Stella’s mind was still hazy as she pushed open the carriage door. Moments ago she had thought she was hallucinating—watching the carriage rise into the sky, fly far away, and finally land in a mountainous area.
Stepping out, she saw a gigantic dragon standing nearby. The imperial army was gone.
Had this dragon carried her here?
The Abyss Dragon lowered its head and leaned in curiously, snout twitching as if sniffing for food.
Stella’s heart skipped a beat. She was certain it was about to eat her.
Then she heard a familiar voice.
“Albion, this isn’t food. Don’t eat her.”
“Huh?”
Stella spun around. The fear on her face melted into pure joy.
Who was this? Even though she looked a little different, Stella recognized her right away.