"I was joking! I was really joking!"
Sitting by the campfire, Lann wore an expression of absolute sincerity as he spoke to Edd.
Edd sat by the fire as well, with Jorri at his side re-bandaging his wounds.
When the people saw the Duke and his patrol returning from scouting ahead, each of them stained with blood and with fewer men, they were instantly on high alert.
It was only after Edd briefly explained the situation that they relaxed.
"I know that’s not what you meant, Lann. But a promise..."
Edd was full of conflict.
For a Knight known for being rather strict, when he made a promise, he even mentioned the name of the [Stark], essentially swearing by his family.
For him to break such a vow would be worse than death!
On the other hand... wasn’t this akin to selling his daughter!?
"Edd, forget about this promise."
Lann looked serious, spreading his hands across his chest as if playing an accordion.
"To be honest, I’m just a wanderer who loves adventures. If Alia is bound by your promise to me, you’d probably never see each other again in this lifetime. And I don’t want to take a kid on my journeys. So let’s leave it as a joke."
Alia sat beside Lann, looking quite composed.
She already knew that Lann was about to return to his original world, and in this other world, she too wished to return home by her own will.
So, although she enjoyed the thrill of adventuring with Lann, she could rationally accept his reluctance.
But when Lann called her a "kid," the young girl discreetly stepped on Lann’s boot and ground her foot twice.
"If you genuinely feel this harms family honor, then as the one who made this promise, I declare that I relinquish any claim over Miss Alia, and the compensation shall convert to silver equivalent to her weight."
Edd looked at his youngest daughter, then at Lann with his earnest expression, and nodded with pursed lips.
He indeed valued family honor, but he was also a father who loved his daughter.
If this matter could conclude this way, it would be for the best.
After Gregor Clegane’s body was brazenly displayed on the King’s Road, the journey back to the Northern Territory was indeed as Edd anticipated. It became much easier.
It seemed Tywin Lannister had already learned that among the Duke of the North’s returning group was a Wizard capable of suppressing "Demon Mountain" and burning him alive.
Though unsure if they believed it, at least from that day onward, Lann and his group no longer encountered any intercepting forces intending a frontal assault.
Only sporadic roadblock measures impeded their progress on the King’s Road.
But the few infiltrators couldn’t significantly damage the King’s Road, and it was more like hitting three poles with two empty ones.
During several days of forced marches, Alia shared a horse with the Knight who had lost half his hand, the young girl holding the reins while Nymelia followed behind.
Edd was curious about when his youngest daughter had learned this, as he hadn’t taught Alia riding skills at Winterfell or while in King’s Landing.
The young girl answered thusly.
"I’ve known for a while; it’s not hard. I can sense a horse’s mood quite well. I’ve even ridden horses taller than this war horse!"
Lann knew she was referring to Bopai.
But for her to ride Bopai in just a few days and even grasp basic riding skills, Alia’s aptitude for training or communicating with animals impressed Lann.
After leaving the edge of the Royal Territory, Edd and his guards relaxed significantly.
They understood the local situation better than Lann, a person from another world, or Alia, a young girl.
The Riverlands, though small, had many nobles and numerous castles.
These castles pledged allegiance to Edd’s father-in-law, the Tully Clan.
So when the group arrived in the Riverlands, they didn’t even have to camp outdoors and were warmly received by the castles along the way.
They were even hosted for a banquet when passing through the Tully Clan stronghold.
Though Tywin Lannister used his family’s gold to influence many families across Westeros, the situation of this war couldn’t simply be measured in terms of money.
King Robert had already ordered the gathering of vassals from House Baratheon Territory—Storm’s End, the Royal Territory, and the fiefs of the king’s second brother—Dragonstone Island.
Given that the Northern and Riverlands had familial ties, they were naturally aligned with the King.
The former prime minister, Jon Arryn’s family, who led the Vale, also rallied to avenge their lord’s untimely death, seeking justice and revenge.
With the general trend favoring them, the families who took Tywin’s benefits were now eager to bury their gold to avoid trouble.
Lann moved through the group with an air of leisure, as the days went by, drawing ever closer to Jingze, the entrance to the Northern Territory.
Most of Edd and the guards grew more relaxed, but Lann sensed Alia was becoming somewhat downcast.
Jingze was the place they entered this world and where Lann would depart.
"I thought you were prepared for this, Alia."
Riding beside Alia, the guard who lost half his hand stayed behind in the Riverlands to recover with the Tully Clan.
"I told you, we’re friends, but friends do part ways."
"Yes, you did... but I just can’t bear to leave your world. Magic, monsters, female warlocks... they’re all so fascinating!"
The young girl spoke listlessly, her head hanging.
"Your world is also interesting. It has dragons, continents that communicate, ancient civilizations... I’ve only stayed here a few months, and these things have entered my ears."
"You’re still young, but when you grow up and master what I’ve taught you, you’ll be able to experience these intriguing things yourself."
"Of course I will! Not only that, I’ll become a Knight like you! A Female Knight who helps the weak and swings a sword at formidable evil!"
"Me? Ha, I’m no Knight; I’m just a humble Demon Hunter..." After a laugh, Lann looked gently at the young girl.
"But if you do become such a person, I’ll feel our time together has helped you, even if just a little."
"Now, it’s time to bid farewell to friends and reunite with family, Alia."
Lann solemnly extended his hand, and Alia looked down, hesitated, and then firmly grasped it.
On the evening the group entered Jingze, Lann took his leave from Edd.
He mentioned that the batch of ’silver equivalent to Alia’s weight’ would be collected later.
Saying this, he removed Balerion’s jawbone from the cart, mounted it on his horse, and turned to enter the dense swamp forest.
The Roaring Bear Head Necklace around his neck clattered.
Others thought it was just the horse’s gait, but Alia knew it was the Demon Hunter’s emblem reacting to Chaos Magic Power.
The silver-haired young man on horseback waved with a smile, slowly disappearing into the misty swamp as the necklace’s sound gradually deepened.
Until finally, silence.