Two days passed since Ezra left the castle, and thankfully was largely eventful except for the vassal staring at every building passed, because like Ezra, they hadn't seen the outside world in a while.
They slept for six hours to give allow the horses recuperation, and continued at dawn.
Unlike his vassals, Ezra concentrated on understanding the changes in his body by doing miscellaneous things.
He arm-wrestled with the vassals without using mana, and easily defeated everyone.
Then, he took stones along the road and concentrated mana into them to crumble it.
As expected, it crumbled easily.
He deducted. 'My body capabilities exceed those of a normal Expert by a large amount'
Of course, considering his cultivation method, that was expected.
He held his head, 'But…isn't this a bit too much'
When arm-wrestling with the siblings, he barely felt any resistance-which shouldn't be.
So, he hypothesized. 'Did I advance straight to mid Expert rank? Or is it late Expert rank?'
That was the only logical explanation.
Why else would his element orbs dissolve? And the crystal Bard gave him wouldn't have broken so easily.
It was an all-round headache. After tossing and turning thoughts, he threw it at the back of his mind.
Thinking too much would only bring more problems.
So, he distracted with other things.
Sight-seeing for example.
But the first building to come into view had him frowning.
It was one seemingly larger than life, rising above all others while casting an enormous shadow.
Ezra gaze glue to the skyscraper.
It was coloured black with silver stripes running through it, stripes made of melted metal.
Ezra nodded, 'It's even better than the one in my past life'
He realized. 'But the skyscraper is built in Traxford'
"Stop the carriage"
All gazes came on Ezra as the coach stopped.
"Your highness-
A guard thought to speak, but a raised palm shut him up.
"Coach, why are we at Traxford?" he questioned.
"Hahaha…" the coach laughed awkwardly, being the old man that he was. "The horses can only run so fast, they need-
"That's not the question" Ezra interjected. "We're heading to Guavedra, why are you we taking this route?"
"Cough*cough* The man burst into a fit of coughs, alarming everyone.
While inwardly, 'Dammit, he knows. But Bolton told me he's never been outside Kingsmere'
He was a friend of Bolton's, and Bolton had directed him to take Ezra through a long route to make sure they didn't make it to the academy in time, convincing him with a reward of five hundred gold!
That was more than the man's yearly wages, so of course he was doing it! Especially when all he had to do was trick a child.
After coughing for an entire minute, he straightens. "Sorry my prince, I thought would like to see Niton's best buildings" he said with a smile.
Ezra popped a vein. Grabbing the man by the collar, "Did I not tell you that we're short on time?"
The man's gaze shook staring at Ezra's eyes.
'How can child have such eyes!'
"I'm sorry!" he shouted.
Ezra snorted, but let go his collar. "Of course, you are, now get us on track"
While forgiveness wasn't his forte, it'd be a bit too much to beat a defenseless old man.
The siblings sighed, while the guards acted like they hadn't seen it.
Well, not all the guards.
'Arrogant brat' rather than the one Ezra shut up, it was the one beside him that had a vein popping, 'Let's see how long you can keep that attitude'
His eyes shone with the light of cruelty. He'd always hated nobles. Soon, he'd be able to shove his sword in the neck of royalty.
He exhaled in excitement; it was a dream come true.
The carriage took turns and three hours later arrived on the shortest route to Guavedra.
But few hours later, night came, and they soon had to stop to rest the horses-much to Ezra's annoyance.
With the guards taking turns on night watch, Ezra and the siblings slept soundly.
Until, an hour after midnight that is.
A time when the guard harboring ill intent was on night watch.
He rapidly blinked, seemingly forcing his eyes open while occasionally dozing off, and then his head dangled to the side.
Suddenly, Theron raised his head, rubbing dirt out his ears.
He turned his head to the side, looking in the surrounding forest, and then turned to someone at his side
"Why aren't you saying anything?" he said, seemingly to nobody.
'He has good senses' Ezra smiled, "Go back to sleep"
"Hmm?" Theron raised a brow, visibly confused.
He wanted to mouth a few words, but decided against it and went back to sleep.
The guard dozing off had his eyes open wide, looking in the same direction Theron did, 'Could he-
He shook his head, chuckling even 'That's impossible, even I can't do that'
And the notion that a child was stronger than him was even more preposterous.
'If he was, I'd know about him'
He knew the names and description of all known rising stars by heart, and Theron was not in that list.
That confirmed it for him, that the boy must have woken up for some other reason.
Twenty minutes later…
"Hey, hey" someone whispered.
Someone tapped the head of the guard, who had truly fallen asleep this time.
"Wha-
A hand covered his mouth.
Alarmed at first, once he saw the figure, he calmed. Only then did the hand blocking his mouth pull away.
Rather speaking, the figure-wrapped from head to toe in black-made hand signs, to which the guards nodded.
His previous act of having his head fall to the side was to signal them-his associates.
Having being commissioned far before Ezra set off, the assassins trailed them since they left Kingsmere.
Now, they were to do their job.
A few hand signs later, two other figures revealed themselves, wrapped in black clothes as well, leaving only their eyes.
With slow steps, the three advanced, the guards lay on his side, posing like he had fainted.
They kept sounds to a minimum, moving ever so slowly.
Surprise was key in such operations.
Things took a turn, when, six feet from their targets, the ground quivered without warning, throwing the three of balance and waking the guards.
"Huh?"
"Hmm?"
"What happened?"
All those sleeping awoke, including the guards. If they hadn't, then their identity as royal guards were fabricated.
To prove their training, they didn't panic, nor were they groggy after abruptly waking up and scanned the surroundings.
Realizing their cover was bound to be blown, the three leaped towards the unprepared knights with dagger in hand.
Too bad… "Ambush!"
The royal knights acted accordingly, raising alarm and then quickly rolled away as the assassins landed.
They slept with armour as insurance of such situations.
Quickly standing, they unsheathed their swords in one go, clashing with the assassins. *Clang*
"Tsk" the assassin with biggest body clicked his tongue. "We have done things cleanly…but anyway, you'll all die, since we came prepared"
The knight clashing with him was apprehensive, "What does that-
"NO!"
A knight cried out, seeing another knight having his arms severed, and subsequently beheaded.
The knights froze a few seconds when one screamed "LUKE!"
'How?!' thought the other. Luke was the strongest of the three, and they were all Experts.
To kill an Expert that easily, there was only one answer.
The knights shook as he mouthed the words, "A Master"
The coach looked at the Ezra and the vassals. "Run! All you run away now!"
He was already old, but he didn't want to see children killed. He had a daughter around their age.
Ezra cut the ropes holding the horses to a tree, and jumps into the coach space.
"Jump in" he says, the siblings jump in at once, rocking the carriage, but didn't crack-proving it's quality.
With a flap of the harnesses, the horses pick up the pace, and the carriage disappeared from in a minute.
"Annoying" mouthed one of the assassin's.
Subsequently…*Chuk!*
The knight was stabbed in side, looking in that direction, he sees his colleague-the knight on night watch grinning at him.
"Weiss…?" he muttered, blood flowing from his mouth like a tap. "But…Why…?"
He never got an answer before being beheaded.
Weiss had a smile on his face looking at the corpse of his colleague. 'Thankfully I chose right' he thought, breathing heavily.
He didn't know a master was hired. And was thinking of switching sides and backstabbing the assassin's if things went wrong.
But the unfolding of a master rank, it was as clear that everyone was as good as dead.
Which was why he promptly joined in to kill his friend, else they might kill him as well.
The last knight was promptly killed.
As the four advanced, the coach stood in their way.
"Move aside old man. We came for the kids"
The man shook his head "I'm sorry. I can't do that"
The biggest one-the master-slaps his lips together in distaste, "Tsk, tsk, That's too bad"
The old man couldn't comprehend their movements before his head flew off.
*Pam* his body fell to the floor.
Licking his blade, the master looked to the forest.
"Let's go" he opened his masked and scratched his beard. "Let's have this done in the next hour"
"Aye" They took off, running into forest, trailing after the carriage.
"Wait for me" the knight said, running after them.
The assassin's but spared him a glance before moving even faster.
Meanwhile, Ezra coached the carriage like a boss, shocking the siblings as they horses ran through the forest.
"Is there anything you can't do?" asked Theron, humour in his tone.
Considering his former life's work as a knight, it was impossible that he didn't know how to ride such things.
"Save your breath" he said. Looking upwards at the surrounding trees. "They're almost here"
"What?!" Roxanne was alarmed.
Immediately, Ezra pulled the horses to a stop.
"WHY WOULD YOU-
Ashton was confounded.
Ezra was having none of it. "Get off"
His eyes shone blue, "They're here"
And on point, a figure revealed itself, with two more joining after jumping down from trees.
A man's voice resounded. "I commend your bravery"
It was the Master rank. Having stretched his face cover, his face is revealed.
A scar ran diagonally through his left eye, with his teeth yellow, a few gold ones here and there, completed with a partly white, partly black beard hosted on a jaw that seemed to be slacking.
The reason he didn't want to kill the old man was evident, he was old as well.
"Now then, let's make this easy and have you die quickly" he snickered, his henchmen bursting into laughter.
"Hahaha, good one boss"
"Right right, let's get this over with"
The master licked his blade, "I promise, it'll be pain-less!"
The siblings watched with fearful while standing behind Ezra, whose gait seemed impenetrable.
Ezra watched calmed and then sighed. "Do you now see why I push you so hard in training?"
They gulped, looked at one another and then nodded.
He turned to them, and spoke to them "Don't worry too much. Apart from the big guy, the other two are just posers, weaklings. Anyone of you can take them on"
Those words instilled the much confidence the siblings needed.
"Girls, you take the one of the right"
They nodded.
"Johan, Ashton, take the one of the left"
They nodded.
"Theron, you're with me. We'll handle the big guy"
"Hey!" The master shouted. "We ain't got all day, which one of you's coming to die first?"
One snorted, "Boss, isn't this taking too long? Let's just kill them. They might be thinking of running away"
"Hmm" The master touched his chin.
They would catch them no matter how they sought to run.
But extending and operation that should already be done was…'Troublesome'
As he thought of just killing them just as his subordinate suggested, a silouhuette called his attention.
"Huh?"
His subordinates were also stunned.
"What?"
"Is he crazy?"
He raised his head to see one of them actually coming towards them.
"Wow" he exclaimed. Snapping his bones in place "I thought you'd run"
Then, he waved away the blood on his large Saber.
"Now, let's have you die"
Ezra took a stance, "Who said anything about dying?"
