"Damn! Why are your eyes so dark?!"
Upon seeing Lynn who arrived late, Glaya couldn't help but exclaim in astonishment.
After a three-day and three-night train journey, everyone finally arrived at Troy City and, with a personal letter from Duke Tierus, successfully reached the front of the Military Department's Magic Jump Matrix.
"It's nothing, just that the night before last I was up all night, drained by a beautiful Sister."
Lynn said indifferently, uttering words that others might envy.
"I don't believe you for a second," Glaya smirked coldly, "Knowing you, that's probably a load of nonsense."
"Besides, the only one here who you could call a 'beautiful sister' is the Prin...cough, cough, do you think I'd believe that?"
"Alright." Lynn sighed upon hearing this. "I did lie to you."
"Actually, it wasn't the night before last, it was last night."
Glaya wanted to say something more, but then he suddenly caught sight of the imposing Princess, escorted by a cluster of soldiers, arriving in front of the jump transition matrix.
The matrix was established on a high platform, with intricate patterns carved on the ground and hundreds of nodes embedded with various magic stones and extraordinary materials.
"What are you talking about?"
Bright red eyes glanced over, making Glaya freeze like a startled cicada.
Unexpectedly, Lynn, usually ready with cheeky remarks, instead seemed somewhat guilty and shifted his gaze away.
Hey, hey, hey, don't mess around!
His expression made it look as if something really had happened between him and the Princess!
Glaya felt like he had stumbled upon some secret, excited to the point of almost crying... or rather, from fright.
However, what shocked him wasn't over yet.
Seeing that both remained silent, the Princess frowned and then walked over in her high-heeled boots, disregarding the shocked looks of her subordinates, and straightened Lynn's somewhat disheveled collar.
"We are about to return to the Imperial Capital, and here you are with this unkempt appearance. Do you want our enemies to mock you?"
Ivyst casually said after fixing his collar.
A subtly intoxicating scent drifted from the tip of his nose.
"Enemies? Princess, isn't that a bit too alarmist...?"
Lynn awkwardly tried to make conversation.
Upon hearing this, Ivyst's expression suddenly turned serious: "Do you think I'm being alarmist?"
Seeing this, Ivyst took a deep breath, her beautiful eyes flashing fiercely: "You haven't forgotten the promises you made to me, have you?"
"...No." After a moment of silence, Lynn's expression also turned solemn, looking back at Ivyst, "This return to the Imperial Capital is to let those who once mocked us, those who brought us suffering and calamity, fall into an abyss of no return."
"Anyone who dares to stand before the Princess is our enemy."
"And in the face of an enemy, there is only... death."
The atmosphere grew tense.
The accompanying soldiers' expressions changed, sensing a hint of impending bloodshed from Lynn's words.
Seeing this, Ivyst nodded in satisfaction.
"Very well," her expression filled with reassurance, "then we can set off."
"Destination, Glostin!"
The next second, with the overwhelming power of a Sixth Rank Demigod descending from the sky, the previously dull jump transition matrix instantly burst into a dazzling white brilliance, engulfing everyone!
Southern Border, Saint Faros Fortress.
"Captain Xi Ya, how long do you plan to take leave this time?"
"I really miss the days when we executed decapitation missions together on the front with the Demon Clan, enduring the elements yet shooting up in military honors at a speed I've scarcely seen!"
"This time your return to Glostin has been personally approved by the Commander, and he even activated the jump transition matrix for you; it looks like he has high hopes for you."
"This return, you will probably end up being promoted to Major, won't you?"
In front of the transition matrix, a group of rough men in military uniforms were chatting around a young man with golden hair, their eyes filled with unstoppable admiration.
Clearly, this young man held a high reputation in the military, hence so many had come to send him off.
His respect was earned through strength.
To them, he wasn't just a battle hero in the eyes of the populace but also a rising star in the Military Department and a comrade on whom they could entrust their lives on the battlefield, many of whom had been rescued from desperate situations by his squad.
Hearing his comrades' chattering, the young man named Xi Ya flashed a moment of irritation.
But he still maintained a warm smile out of necessity.
"I won't be back for long," Xi Ya scratched his head, "mainly because Princess Hillena urgently summoned me back. As for becoming a Major... I'll go with the flow."
While he said this, the highly competitive young man was certainly interested in breaking the record for the fastest promotion held by the second son of the Bartleion family.
Moreover, this time, with the assistance of his teammates, he had successfully slain a Fifth Rank Legend.
Even though the enemy was not in the best condition and he had the advantage of the Sealed Object, a win was still a win.
How to reward this enormous achievement was up to the Empire's administrative department and the Holy Oak Organization.
According to his understanding, Princess Hillena's summons might also be due to this reason.
The impact of killing the Fifth Rank Legend seemed far beyond Xi Ya's expectations, and hence, the Holy Oak Organization awarded him a massive thousand points.