At first, it would only be Isaac but to think Valen, who volunteered, and Klein, who was assigned by Verl while being hesitant, would come.
Valen immediately agreed on the day Verl talked to both of them but Klein wasn't the same.
I wouldn't mind Klein being an addition since he will be a great help. Only yesterday when I informed him that there are guards protecting, which he knew already but not to whole image of it, he then agreed.
Thankfully, he didn't do anything rash this time on finding out who they were since he received an answer from me that I made a deal with The Justice to protect them.
Of course, I didn't deal with them that I was interrogated but was paid instead. Well, it is more like a mutual interest payment to each other.
I felt a bit guilty, lying about this mere fact though.
"Is this one of your future visions?"
Suddenly, Isaac walked passed as he whispered which I shivered.
'Hearing someone say that makes me cringe...'
With that in mind, I nodded, "Yeah, sort of,"
"Sort of?" Isaac thought before retracing back his steps and began rechecking the luggage that he brought with him.
"Are your things ready?" Verl said as he signaled the servant and maids and saw that everything is about to finish.
He slowly moved beside me and continued, "If there's any trouble, ask Klein for guidance. He's quite capable."
'Oh, duke. I know that and I know more about him so you don't need to worry about me.' Keeping my thoughts inside, I replied with a different answer, "I see. Butler Klein is really that reliable, huh. I'll keep your advice in mind."
Seeing my positive response, Verl smiled lightly before he moved to the servants, and began ordering them tasks not related to our preparation.
After about an hour of full preparation, everything on our side was done. There were rations, equipment, and necessities for our travel. The estimated time we would go to the Eleyah kingdom is two weeks. All of the travel expenses and such are already included in the calculations.
"See you guys,"
Lori, Drake, and Verl bid farewell as they waved their hands. Since we didn't include a driver in our carriage, there's a rotation of who will be driving. And I will be the first one.
'Thankfully, after countless talks with the duke, he didn't press further about acquiring bodyguards or guild and companies like he did last time. I wouldn't want to sneak out again…'
With a sigh from my mouth, I waved my hand back before focusing my attention on the ride.
…
"It's my time now, Noelle."
That voice belonged to Valen as she knocks the wall over the driver's side which is where am I seated.
It's been an hour already since I've driven the carriage and to be honest, I'm quite glad at my skills when driving a carriage. It's not bad or good either.
Well, I also did a lot in my spare time such as riding a horse and driving a carriage which is what I was doing currently.
"You can rest more, ma'am. I'm still good to go. You can take my shift later. Being here outside is not bad at all,"
"Okay…"
With that brief conversation coming to an end, I spend another hour driving the carriage and here I thought they wouldn't notice something amiss, but Valen was the one who talked first.
"Noelle, do you know exactly where you are going?"
"I am, all right…"
Klein was next after Valen went silent.
"This is the opposite direction of where we are supposed to be, young master."
"…"
I didn't answer this time and he was about to press even further when Isaac was the one who spoke this time with a bit of threat along his words.
"Stop the carriage now or I'll punch you right in the face that you wish you had followed me. Duke said we're allowed to do anything as long as you are being out of yourself and seeing what you are doing, makes me want to do it."
Tap—!
That long and threatening threat brought chills right down my spine, instantly stopping the carriage involuntarily, afraid that Isaac would jump right outside to run at me.
Well, it was partly the plan to tell them the reason for not going in the right direction.
Walking outside the carriage, the three line themselves in my front as they looked at me, wanting to know the explanation even though a map was already given by the duke, hence it wouldn't make sense that the trip would go adrift for some reason.
"What is the meaning of this? Where were you taking us?" Valen asked, not in a suspicious tone, as she believes there was a reason why we didn't follow the route towards Eleyah kingdom.
For the first half hour, we were going to the right place but since I knew the way to that place, I decided to take a detour at that point so that the duke wouldn't get suspicious that the course I was taking wasn't the right one.
If he did, I wouldn't be continuing on this trip otherwise.
With their eyes looking at me, I answered truthfully, "We're not actually going directly to the Eleyah continent. We're just going to one of its islands which are owned by them. It's a neutral place where both people and elves normally communicate. It's a free island to be exact which you guys know.
"That didn't change but the only difference is that we were going to some place before we ventured towards the island. It wouldn't take long, really. We just have to excavate that place, making that ours.
"We can share about the treasure, of course. Then, we'll go straight to the island with bright smiles on our faces."
The faces of the three contorted, unsure of what to wear upon hearing what seemed to be a proposal that they were not aware of.
With a heavy sigh from her mouth, Valen face-palm herself and looked at me, "Where are we going exactly? At least tell us this."
Nodding my head once, I replied without any more time to think, "We're going to Fordent Shore. There's a place I wanted to see there and with your help, I'm sure it will go smoothly."
…
When Noelle announced that they were going somewhere that they didn't plan about, Klein, Isaac, and Valen started talking to each other while not letting Noelle hear anything.
They were afraid that something was up hence avoiding Noelle from becoming agitated with them.
It's been almost three days now and with the help of Isaac's noise-cancellation barrier, the three are free to talk to themselves.
"What do you think? Does the rumor of him being posses by a demon true?" Valen, who can't help but bring her thoughts down, stated her side of things while looking at the two.
"There's no reason for it to happen. I would've noticed it otherwise," Klein stated, validating that nothing kind of possession is happening to Noelle before continuing, "What I wanted to ask is that, why would he suddenly want to go to that shore."
He paused, "Besides that, I couldn't be too sure that place is swarming with monsters from the Dark Continent, Carovil."
"For real?" Valen face's filled with shock as she looked at Isaac, "You've been very quiet, kid. What's your opinion about this?"
A slight frown appeared on his face before continuing, "As far as I knew and I've been interacting with Noelle, I can vouch that he wasn't possessed, nor he was setting a trap for us. I think… he just—no, he had to go in there. For what reasons, we could only wait."
"I see…" Klein and Valen both muttered under their breath before Isaac saw this as a chance to calm the perturbed duo.
"Besides, if there are monsters from the dark continent, we would've been able to sense them. We could protect Noelle, at the same time, protect ourselves."
"You are absolutely right," Klein replied with a sigh, and at the same time, Valen agreed, giving Isaac a thumbs up.
'I can only be sure since the system is here helping me… besides that, what is this feeling? I felt like we'd landed on our destination from earlier yet Noelle wasn't saying anything… This feeling is very overwhelming… It's like we're stepping something very big…'
Isaac's thoughts wandered before he and the others soon prepared when they heard Noelle speaking from the driver's seat.
"Guys, you can go down now."
The three prepared themselves out of habit even though they couldn't sense or hear anything wrong. They just did it as an occupational hazard.
With their weapons ready, they got down on the carriage, shifted their gaze at the view, and can't help but be in awe at the surroundings.
"It's my first time coming here but… it's not as bad as I thought." Valen smiled and the two on her side agreed with a slight nod before the three looked at where Noelle was walking.
He was walking like a mummy they saw in the books, trying to grasp something out of nowhere on the shore.
Rumble!
Valen was on the point of laughing by watching him when suddenly, the ground below shook. Thankfully, their carriage is far from the quake hence any damage by it is nothing.
Rumble!
In that instant, something opened from the underground, and what seemed to be a staircase that lead to nowhere, viewed their front.
"This is some information I've gathered from a Ruiner's unofficial gathering."
Bullshiting his reasons again, Noelle continued. "They said something was beneath the shore and didn't dare to believe it at first, but I've become confident since there's something that could support the claim."
'Well, I was that support,' Noelle's mouth twitched as he continued his thoughts inwardly before smiling at the group, "This ruin is just not any other ruin because it is a proficient-grade ruin!
"...!"
Calming down a few seconds, Noelle stretched his hand forward, "Let's not waste more time here, shall we? Let's explore this place that is filled with treasures! This is the very reason why it is called The Hidden Treasure Of Eve in the first place!"
Noelle felt excitement as he clenched his fists.