The Great Wish - Chapter 10.3

Vol.2 Chapter 10 Part 3 

Sienna's warning to Joseph must have been effective. After that incident, the Palace did not send anyone else. 

However, the passengers acted differently than before. They didn't even approach the first-class cabins. They were all tense. Although no one ordered them to do so, they all spoke in low voices. 

Because the liner carried a large number of passengers crammed into a limited space, big and small accidents were bound to occur. However, there was not so much as a squabble on board. In the past, people would grab each other's collar and fight. However, now they merely glared at each other in silence. 

A portion of the noble passengers snooped around, trying to introduce themselves to the Princess. However, this wasn't anything too troubling. 

Ten days passed by peacefully. The ship lowered its anchors at a pier. It was a small pier that merely impersonated a large dock. Barely anyone got on and off the ship here. However, Sienna and her party stepped on land for the first time in ten days. This was as far as the ship could take them. 

Unlike the day she boarded the ship, Sienna was dressed in something more comfortable today. She was wearing a light outfit made of dried leather and had her hair tied up. 

"Our luggage is waiting for us at the pier warehouse." 

Levan announced to the group. They all traveled light when they departed from the capital. Their meals and sleeping arrangements were prepared by the ship, so they barely had any luggage on them. Levan took care of all the travel preparations. 

The large, old warehouse was guarded by two men. Levan approached them and said a few words before obtaining the key. The warehouse keeper must have been busy because he was nowhere to be seen. 

Levan used the key to unlock the padlock and opened the doors of the warehouse. Sienna and the knights followed behind Levan and entered the building. Inside, there were two carriages and a skinny, middle-aged man waiting for them. 

Levan introduced the middle-aged man to them. 

"This man is our guide." 

The man calmly lowered his head. 

"This man has been a street peddler in the southern provinces, so he knows these roads very well." 

Gilbert looked at Levan in surprise. The knights of the Palace were in their own privileged class like the nobles. Therefore, most of them were born and raised in the capital. However, unlike the vast majority of these knights, Gilbert was self-made. Therefore, he realized that Levan's abilities were quite extraordinary. 

While those who had never left the capital were unaware of this, the provinces and the capital were very different. Imperial influence didn't reach as far as the Palace thought it did. 

Finding a guide who was well versed in traveling with large amounts of luggage in these parts of the Empire was hard to find. One couldn't find someone like this just by 'royal decree'. One needed money and the right connections. This would normally be above and beyond the skills of an aide. 

'Is he actually from an very influential family?' 

Gilbert began to become suspicious of Levan's background. 

Sienna looked around the incredibly wide warehouse. 

"Is it always this empty?" 

"This area is known for their medicinal herbs. These herbs are usually harvested between late autumn and early spring, so there is rarely any trade happening at this pier outside of those seasons." 

Levan answered. 

"It seems that you know a lot about this place." 

"I researched this place extensively before we came here." 

Levan confidently displayed his skills. This person might become the mistress of his clan, so he wanted to make a good impression. 

Two carriages exited the warehouse. The warehouse keeper slowly walked out of the dark corner of the building and pushed open a hidden door in the back. It was a temporary stable. There was a burly, dark brown horse standing inside, chewing on some hay. It merely raised its eyes and continue to enjoy its meal. 

Martin chuckled as he approached it. 

"You look quite sturdy." 

Martin stroked the horse's neck with satisfaction. A small horse would tire very easily if it had to carry Martin on its back. 

He got up on the horse and led it out of the warehouse. He began to follow the two carriages and slowly increased his speed. 

* * * 

There weren't any lords that ruled these lands because the territory itself belonged to the Emperor. Instead, a high-ranking official would watch over these territories and periodically go back to the capital to give his report. 

Sienna didn't head straight to the official when she arrived. Instead, she took four days to roam around the territory and observe the land. In the capital, there were people everywhere you looked. However, over here, the carriage traveled through the hills for many hours, but they never came across one human being.  

Sienna crouched down and grabbed a fistful of dirt. The dry dirt crumbled between her fingers and trickled out like dust. 

"So you're telling me that all this land cannot be cultivated?" 

Sienna's eyes swept over the vast wasteland. 

"Yes. There is a rock salt mine not far from here, so the ground is high in salt concentrations. It seems that plants are unable to grow here." 

The guide answered. 

'This land cannot be farmed, and the rock salt only fills the bellies of a small portion of the people living here. Their lives must be very difficult.' 

While traveling through the territory, they came across small villages that only held about a dozen families each. The living conditions of these villages were even worse than the slums of the capital. 

The poor living in the capital never starved to death. However, the indigenous people living in these lands were worried about their next meal every single day. 

'The mines belong to the imperial family. They aren't something I can touch just yet.' 

All she could do at this time was observe and listen to what was going on and identify the problems. If she wanted to bring about change to these territories, she would need to do extensive research and find a solution. 

"Your Highness, we need to get moving before the sun sets." 

Levan urged. With the help of the guide, Sienna and her party always found a village in which to spend the night. 

Sienna nodded. She began to walk over to the carriage when she suddenly stopped and turned her head. 

"Tomorrow morning, we will begin to head back to the capital." 

"Do you plan on skipping your meeting with the official?" 

"I don't think there's anything I need to hear from him. Either way, he will be coming to the capital in a couple of months to give his report, so I'll listen to what he has to say then." 

"Yes, Your Highness." 

After Sienna got into the carriage, Gilbert let out a sigh of relief. They were finally returning. Ever since they had gotten off the ship, he hadn't been able to relax. All the muscles of his body were tense. 

'She's a lot tougher than I thought.' 

Levan admired Sienna's tenacity. 

He had wondered how long a princess born and raised in the Palace would last out here. The rough and bumpy roads caused the carriage to shake for many hours. Even men would get tired of a trip like this. 

While they didn't sleep out in the open air, it was still a difficult trip. However, for the past four days, the Princess didn't complain once. It wasn't that she was clenching her teeth and enduring it. It actually looked like she didn't think it was much of a bother. 

In reality, Sienna thought, 'It's difficult, but it's not too bad.' The superior bodies of the members of the imperial family weren't limited to its beautiful looks. It was also fairly sturdy. 

The more Levan learned about the Princess, the more he liked her. 

'If she were someone who would shatter at at the slightest touch, we wouldn't be able to put the future of the clan in her hands. Of course not.' 

After carefully taking note of his observations, Levan wanted to shake Kuhn and tell him to never let her go. 

The glass reflected the people getting inside the carriages before the two carriages raced down the road. 

'Eleven. It definitely doesn't look like there is anyone else in their party.' 

A man hung on the branch of a tree. His whole body was covered in leaves. If one looked closer, they'd realize that he wasn't actually a part of the tree. The man put the telescope back on his belt. He easily got down from the tree. 

He turned his head to check his surroundings one last time when... 

"Ugh!" 

Something was squeezing his neck. A powerful force lifted him into the air before throwing him back down. His black slammed against the ground. 

"What kind of rat bastard are you?" 

Martin growled. His foot pressed down on the man's abdomen while one of his hands wrapped around his neck. 

The man coughed as he looked around before his whole body went limp. Foam began to drip out of his mouth. 

Shocked, Martin began to shake the man. He pressed his fingers on his neck and realized that there was no pulse. 

"Ha, this bastard." 

Martin snarled as he laughed dejectedly. This man hadn't hesitated to poison himself. This meant that the man wasn't acting alone. There was someone else. 

'It looks like some troublesome people are on their tail.' 

Martin began to feel anxious. He needed to warn Levan. He began to race over to the area where he had tied his horse.