Chapter 353 - 340: Reunion

The moment the voice rang out, Roland recognized who it was.

He looked toward the sound.

Sure enough, it was Avril.

The Elf Maiden’s slender figure danced gracefully between the trees. In just a few bounds, she landed before Roland as silently as a soft breeze.

"So, Roland..."

Avril’s eyes twinkled as she tilted her head playfully and asked,

"Did you miss me?"

Gazing at the Elf Maiden’s radiant smile, Roland let out a soft chuckle and nodded.

"I did, actually."

He said it frankly, and he meant it.

But it wasn’t just the Elf Maiden before him that he missed.

Even more, he missed the carefree days back in the River Domain, when he could focus entirely on improving his power.

’Who could have known that a simple study tour would throw his peaceful life into such turmoil?’

At this thought, Roland shook his head and let out a soft sigh.

Of course, Avril had no idea what he was thinking.

Hearing his candid reply, the playful jab she’d prepared died in her throat. She was momentarily flustered, and a faint blush crept up the tips of her slender ears.

A moment later, she cleared her throat, feigning composure as she spoke.

"I just... heard you guys say you’re going after that man, Anno? Something that interesting..."

As she spoke, she nodded in greeting to Teresa and Galvis, who stood beside Roland.

"You can’t possibly leave me out, can you?"

As she finished speaking, it was as if the four of them instantly rediscovered some of the old camaraderie from their days of teaming up for quests and hunting Demons.

The mood was easy and familiar.

Everything would have been perfect, if not for Galvis looking a little uncomfortable off to the side.

"But..."

Roland’s brow furrowed slightly.

"Avril, aren’t you a member of the River Domain’s Shadow Veil? A matter like this..."

"It’s fine, Roland."

The Elf Maiden waved a dismissive hand, her tone light yet firm.

"I’ve already decided to leave the River Domain. The whole place reeks of corrupt power now. I couldn’t stand to stay there any longer..."

"Sir Roland..."

Just as the two were talking, a clear voice suddenly rang out.

Looking toward the sound, they saw Gloria approaching at a measured pace, escorted by several soldiers.

Even bathed in the darkness of night, her golden hair seemed to flow with a faint glimmer, and her sapphire eyes sparkled like stars.

Her sharply-tailored battle dress clung to her form. Far from diminishing her regal grace as a Princess, it added a rare, martial air to her presence.

"Duke Anno... has he escaped?"

Roland first gave a slight nod to the soldiers, whose eyes were filled with respect. He then lowered his gaze to meet the Princess’s delicate and earnest face and answered frankly.

"Yes."

He paused for a moment before continuing in a low voice.

"Her Highness Princess Gloria, you witnessed the Power Duke Anno wielded earlier. Though he is gravely wounded, if we allow him to escape, he will surely become an even greater threat. Therefore, I suggest..."

Roland paused in thought, then clearly stated his plan.

While the two conversed, Avril studied Gloria’s lovely face with a slight frown. She then glanced over at the silent Teresa and gave her a meaningful look.

Thanks to their long-standing rapport, Teresa seemed to understand Avril’s meaning without a word being spoken.

After a moment’s surprise, she shook her head hesitantly.

Upon seeing this, Avril’s lips curved into a satisfied smile.

Meanwhile, Roland had finished laying out his entire strategy and reasoning.

"Therefore, I suggest we take advantage of Duke Anno’s retreat. His armies in his domain have yet to receive new orders, and their defenses are weak. We should dispatch troops immediately to secure the region."

"Duke Anno’s forces may be vast, but as long as we prevent him from rallying his remaining troops, he alone will be powerless to stop our advance."

"You’re right, Sir Roland."

Unlike before, when she would have needed to deliberate, Gloria now agreed with his plan almost without hesitation. She had personally witnessed Roland’s power and his meticulous strategy against Duke Anno.

She gave a quiet order to a nearby soldier to have the small battlefield cleared quickly, then spoke softly.

"I will go and negotiate with the Duke myself. I’m sure he..."

Before she could finish, a powerful voice like a clap of thunder shattered the silent night, echoing long into the darkness.

"There’s no need to come looking for me, Her Highness Princess Gloria..."

As the voice faded, the thunder of hooves grew louder, drawing closer from a distance.

Before long, the Duke’s burly figure appeared in the torchlight, riding toward them.

His armor was splattered with blood and caked with dust, clear evidence of a vicious battle.

But what made Roland’s eyes narrow was another burly figure, also on a fine horse, riding beside the Duke.

It was Graham.

Graham had clearly noticed Roland and his party as well, but he didn’t speak immediately. He simply gave Roland a slight nod from a distance, a gesture that said it all.

Seeing this, Gloria stepped forward to speak with the Duke.

She first made a polite inquiry about Graham’s identity. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, she got straight to the point, stating clearly that the war against the River Domain was entirely Duke Anno’s personal undertaking and had nothing to do with the will of the Golden Valley Kingdom.

She then solemnly promised to return all occupied territories and guaranteed that no further attacks of any kind would be launched against the River Domain.

Hearing Gloria’s promise, Graham heaved a long sigh of relief.

After the two sides briefly discussed some specific matters, Graham excused himself, rode his mount over, and came to a steady halt in front of Roland.

"Good kid..."

Graham swung himself off his horse and clapped Roland hard on the shoulder, a look of guilt appearing on his solemn face.

"I’m sorry, Roland. Derek... ah..."

His voice was heavy.

"I meant to send people to find you, but the war broke out so suddenly. Everything... it all happened too fast..."

"There’s no need to apologize, Dean Graham."

Roland shook his head. His tone was calm, and his lips even held a faint, understanding smile.

"I understand the position you were in."

Graham was visibly taken aback by his words.

He studied Roland’s face, and after confirming there was not a hint of mockery in the young man’s eyes—only pure sincerity—his tense expression instantly softened.

His lips worked for a moment, and finally...

"HA... HAHAHAHA!"

A booming laugh, loud as a great bell, suddenly erupted from him, seeming to dispel the gloom that had weighed on his heart for days.

He threw a brawny arm around Roland, pulling him close just as he used to on the training grounds, and boomed,

"And where’s that old coot Reggie? Don’t tell me he fell into the hands of that bastard Anno?"

He had hardly finished speaking when Reggie arrived, leading a dozen or so exchange students from the River Domain.

The moment the students saw Graham, they flocked to him like lost chicks to a mother hen, all talking at once as they recounted the recent dangers and hardships they had endured.

Graham listened to them, his heart aching for the lives that had been lost. Still, he maintained a calm facade, comforting them with clumsy but sincere words and even attempting to dispel the pervasive sadness with a few awkward jokes.

To Roland’s slight surprise, Graham was able to call each and every student by name.

After calming the students, Graham turned to Reggie and asked for more details in a low voice.

When he heard that Roland had single-handedly defeated both Leonard and an Abyss-transformed Anno, a complex look of shock mixed with understanding flashed across his eyes. However, he didn’t press Roland for more details.

Graham then decided to lead the shaken students and Reggie back to the River Domain at once.

He turned to Roland and asked about his plans.

Before Roland could give a clear answer, Graham spoke first, his tone heavy as he advised,

"Roland, perhaps... you shouldn’t go back to the River Domain."

His words were subtle, but they clearly hinted at the political turmoil and dangerous undercurrents now plaguing the River Domain.

As he was about to leave, he clapped Roland on the arm and said frankly,

"A hero like you shouldn’t be confined to a stage as small as the River Domain."

Hearing the word "hero," Roland was taken aback for a moment, then shook his head in resignation.

"Dean, please don’t joke with me."

But Graham just winked, shooting a meaningful glance at the Minstrel, Galvis—who had been trying to make himself scarce ever since Avril’s arrival—and smiled.

"You’ll find out soon enough if it’s a joke. The tales this companion of yours has been spinning are already spreading through every tavern and alley in the River Domain."

With that, he said no more and turned to lead Reggie and the students on their journey home.

Watching Graham’s party recede into the distance, Roland couldn’t help but feel a pang of melancholy.

However, before that feeling could settle, Gloria was at his side once more, informing him softly,

"Sir Roland, the Duke has agreed to the plan to pursue Duke Anno. When do we set out?"

Hearing this, Roland took a deep breath of the cool, pre-dawn air and cast his gaze to the horizon.

There, the inky night sky was being silently torn apart by a sliver of faint dawn light.

"Now."

he replied, his voice calm yet firm.