The shadow guards began to move when they received the signal from their leader. They moved so fast that they were able to catch up with Zenia's carriage, but they still kept their distance. They knew that the burly man could easily detect their presence.
They panicked when they lost track of Zenia earlier. Knowing Crown Prince, everyone accepted that they wouldn't be able to keep their heads once their master learned their ineptness. They should protect their Crown Princess at all costs. Every one of them already knew Zenia's ways, and they learned a valuable lesson last time when Zenia slipped from them. No matter what disguise Zenia would wear, they could still tell that it was her.
The shadow guards who were tailing Zenia were also the ones who guarded her in Ishelon. It was the same group that failed to see that something was amiss when 'Zenia' returned from the cave. They asked Vaughn for another chance to atone for their sins and negligence. They vowed to protect Zenia at the expense of their own lives and give her the same amount of dedication and loyalty that they had for Vaughn.
"Boss, where are we? Is this still Lunaria? How come it's so bright in here? Isn't Lunaria a shadowland?" Zenia bombarded the burly leader with these questions.
The leader felt like he was hit by a ton of bricks with Zenia's incessant questioning. He never met someone like her before. He wished so hard that he would never meet another one again in this lifetime or the next and the next one after that.
"We are in the outskirts of Lunaria. It can still be considered as part of Lunaria. This place is called Lusor, and only a few people know that there is a place like this in Lunaria. This is a special place for me, and it took years before it completely turned into something similar to paradise." Zenia could sense that the burly leader was so proud of the place as if he was the one who turned it into such a remarkable existence.
Zenia looked at the burly leader who seemed to be reminiscing something.
"Boss, could it be that you're the one responsible for turning Lusor into a thing of beauty? I mean, just look at this," Zenia opened the curtain even more, and she looked out the window.
The burly leader looked out as well and felt a sense of accomplishment.
"Yes, it was hard work. I never thought that I would be able to turn a gloomy and desperate place into something full of hope. This is just the start, but I never get to finish the project." The burly leader suddenly fell silent.
Zenia could not even guess what made him like that. She was itching to ask but felt that it was inappropriate. She decided to wait and would just pop the question when she could no longer hold it in.
"Originally, I'm in construction and landscaping business. You should have known already that people of Venetia are amazing artisans, even though I grew up in Tissuria. I do a lot of work that requires brawny muscles that's why I look like this." The burly leader continued his story, which Zenia found fascinating.
The burly leader's name was Gustof Zorba. He had been in Tissuria since he was still a little kid, but he could not forget Venetia. His mother was born and raised in Venetia, but he was not certain about his father's roots. His parents met in Venetia, and they never once visited the relative of his father.
In Venetia, Gustof learned how to create a picturesque garden even though he was still a child. He would help out a landscaping service from time to time, and soon he was able to create his very own masterpiece. He was reluctant to leave Venetia, but his mother told him that his father had an important task to perform.
It was only when he was in his teen years that he learned the truth about his father's line of work. His father was a mercenary who worked for the Left Minister. He had no idea exactly when Luna Inn became the haven for mercenaries who were looking for some quick money. But, it only happened not long ago. Perhaps, it was two or three years ago when it gained its notorious reputation.
Zenia was shocked at the truth that she just learned and tried to compose herself. It was not every day that she would stumble upon such a valuable piece of information.
Gustof met the masked man when he visited Venetia when he was only 21. He was hoping to meet his teacher and asked for some advice. The masked man told him that he had relatives in Venetia, but his home was in Tissuria. His mother was born and raised in Ishelon. Gustof and the masked man felt that they had a sort of affinity with each other.
The masked man volunteered to teach him how to fight, and he welcomed the idea. He trained under the masked man guidance for almost a year while trying to find innovative ways to enhance his skill as an artisan. The training increased his strength and helped him accomplish his work in lesser time than usual.
When he returned to Tissuria, he was commissioned to do something about Lusor, but he had no idea who his employer was at the time. He met the masked man again after two weeks from the commencement of the project. He asked the masked man if he was the employer of the Lusor project. The masked man told him that he was not.
Halfway through the project, he met the Ninth Prince when he visited the newly established Luna Inn. He thought that it was just an ordinary inn that served alcoholic drinks. The Ninth Prince spotted him and thought that he was a mercenary looking for work.
The Ninth Prince's men attacked Gustof, and he was able to defend himself well. Damien did not let him go and even threatened to hurt his family should he refused. He had no other choice. He told everything to the masked man who just advised him to join the Ninth Prince's group.
"Do you know why I'm telling you all of these things, Von?" Gustof looked at Zenia with gentle eyes, and he smiled warmly. Zenia told him a while back that her name was Von and nothing else.
"Why, boss?" Zenia was really confused. For a minute there she thought that Gustof was just a blabbermouth.
"I want you to be my right-hand man. I feel like I can entrust my life to you. I can't explain it, but I feel like we are going to be a formidable team in the future."
Zenia felt a little guilty. Gustof trusted her so much, even though he only met her twice. Would he feel betrayed the moment he learned Zenia's true identity?
"Boss, I told you I have no plan to stay here for long. I just need to earn some money so I can return."
"What other secrets do you hold? Surely, you're not there to return only to get married."
Zenia looked straight into the Gustof's eyes. They were full of warmth. She had guessed that Gustof just wanted to be the finest craftsman in the whole Maecaea, and the Ninth Prince just took advantage of his other skills.
Zenia had a hunch that the masked man and the Ninth Prince may have enmity with each other. Fate had staged an incredulous play for all of them. In the end, they chose cooperation to use each other and achieve their purpose. Only fate could tell if their purpose should cross or not.
"My other purpose, can I not tell you?"
"Will you tell me in the future?"
Zenia looked at Gustof and nodded her head. If fate would allow, they would meet again as a formidable team. At the moment, Zenia had no confidence that they would be able to be each other's ally.
Neither of them spoke a word as they continued their journey. When it got dark, they decided to take a rest. They were out of Lusor and almost near the North Gate. The whole surrounding was eerily dark.
Zenia felt the presence of the shadow guards along with another group. Gustof felt it too, but he was confident that neither party would do something to them. They were nothing more than mere spectators waiting for something to happen before they would make their move.