The sound of a rushing carriage broke the silence of the night as Agnes covered her head under the purple hood and waited for the drive to arrive. On cue, Jinn used his powers to vanish from the area like smoke.
Agnes stared at the spot he once stood until the carriage came in sight. She raised her hand and signaled the driver to stop.
The driver was an old man with a fat nose and a thick beard. He wore very decent clothes, and the carriage he was piloting looked quite pristine.
The old man was suspicious of the cloaked figure stopping him in the middle of nowhere, but realizing that the figure belonged to a woman and seeing her fair skin under the hood, he unconsciously lowered his guard.
"This is a state carriage, young lady. Please give way, or I might get late in reaching my destination." The old man asked politely, but Agnes did not instantly move away.
"Pardon me, kind sir, but I need to reach Gloria City as soon as Possible. Would you mind accommodating one more person in your ride? I am willing to pay extra for your service."
"What’s happening, Boris?" Suddenly a stern voice called out from inside the carriage, followed by a small head poking out of the window.
The girl jerked her head back the moment her eyes met Agnes’s. But a second later, she peeked again...
Seeing Agnes’s smile, she fell into a trance and let out a smile of her own.
The driver panicked hearing the voice of the passenger and relayed the situation to him.
"Sir, I beg your pardon, but a lady is insisting on a ride." The driver was in a panic; he did not want to upset his customer. "I will ask her to step aside—"
The driver froze when he heard the sound of the carriage door opening.
From inside, a tall man with striking features stepped out, followed by a shy young girl around the age of seven.
The man wore a formal suit under the thick shiny hide of an animal that gave him a powerful yet regal appearance.
His long hair fluttered under the tease of the breeze, revealing the thick scar on his left cheek, a mark of battle.
"I am William Herbert." The man greeted Agnes with grace and respect, placing a hand on his chest. "Is there something I can help you with, Milady?"
"Sorry to disturb your journey, Sir." Agnes pulled her hood back and revealed herself to the man before greeting, "I am Inez Blackwell. I was wondering if I could get a ride to the next city."
"You are pretty." The little girl chimed in shyly from behind the man.
William looked down in surprise and nudged the little girl. "Where are your manners, little lady?"
The girl suddenly made a big "ooh" face with her mouth and stepped forward after some hesitation. Lifting up the edge of her gown, she bowed like a proper lady while introducing herself. "I—I am Tessa Herbert, pleased to meet you."
"Nice to meet you, Tessa." Agnes smiled with her eyes when she saw the cute gesture.
"If you don’t mind me asking, can you tell me where you are heading to?" William asked, his face returning to normal calm.
"I am heading to Gloria city but for now I need to head to the nearest city." Agnes replied calmly. She followed Jinn’s instructions and told as much truth as possible without revealing anything. "Getting a carriage in the city is very difficult."
Even the name was something Jinn picked for her.
"What a coincidence." William looked surprised hearing her destination and said, "We just happen to be heading to the same city as well."
"Can she come with us, daddy?" Tessa tugged at her father’s robes and asked with a pitiful look on her face.
William’s lips twitched as he tried his best to ignore her expression and focus on the mysterious woman before him.
"As you said, the city seems to be in unrest. Almost all the carriages are booked." He nodded, but the tugging continued, so in the end he had to sigh. "If you don’t mind, please join us; you don’t have to pay anything. Tessa would love company on the road."
"I could not trouble you." Agnes looked like trouble. The journey to the Gloria city was almost a day long. "At least allow me to pay."
"It is no trouble at all." William insisted while thinking inwardly. ’If I do not allow you to come with us, this little demon will make this journey the toughest journey of my life.’
"I—if that is really fine." In the end, Agnes accepted his offer.
"Hehe." Tess rushed forward with surprising enthusiasm, forgetting her father, and pulled Agnes towards the carriage. "Come, come. Can you tell me how to be as pretty as you?"
Under William’s resigned gaze, the girl pulled Agnes into the carriage.
"Let’s go, Boris." He sighed at the driver, who had been sitting in silence, waiting for them to reach an argument.
William climbed into the carriage, which seemed wider on the inside. It had cushioned seats on both sides and enough room to stretch legs without colliding with someone.
Tessa sat very closely to Agnes, still holding her hand, and continued to ask questions.
’She is suspicious.’ William sat opposite the two ladies, thinking to himself and showing no emotions on his face. ’But since Tess trusts her, I guess it’s nothing.’
The carriage resumed its journey with a sudden jerk, rolling dust back on the road. Thɪs chapter is updatᴇd by NoveI~Fire.net
Once it disappeared into the distance, Jinn appeared out of nowhere and whispered, "What a perceptive guy."
"Well, I should return back. Better not use any more souls." He turned around and started walking. While moving, his form changed once again.
He took the appearance of a lean young man with short black hair and matching eyes. With his stoic, cold face, he reached the gates of Veloria and stood in line with the people who wanted to enter the city.
Upon the guard’s instruction, he showed him a fake ID made using his illusion powers.
The man pulled at the empty air like he was taking something from Jinn.
But then he narrowed his eyes, and a flicker of suspicion flashed through his gaze. The numbers on the card looked distorted, making his head hurt.
Shaking his head and rubbing his eyes, he looked again, but the letters looked normal this time.
"Is something wrong?" Jinn asked carefully.
"Nothing, just worn out from overwork, it seems." The man replied, shaking his head again.
"Welcome to Veloria City, Mr. Shiba."
And just like that, Jinn passed through the front gates without any problem. But he did not seem happy about it.
’I have overused my powers; my control is slipping.’ Without any delay, he rushed to the location closest to the orphanage and used another token without any care. He did not mind using the souls if there was a chance he could get caught because of his carelessness.