"My father was the Prince Farid of Great Persia... his reputation was known throughout the entire realm! But after Uncle Khosrow died, there hasn't been anyone surpassing his stature in all of Great Persia. The unease of the Emperor Ishtari and the envy of the current Chancellor, Arman, have forced our family to flee to Roman!" Her eyes suddenly became intense. "... Help me escape, find my father and the others. As long as we reach Roman, given my father's reputation, the Roman Emperor will surely treat our family as it deserves! Whatever rich and honored life you desire, I can provide. And you have the ability! You've seen thousands of people chasing after a single woman—you know how crucial our family is in the entire realm!"
The girl spoke earnestly, her blue eyes filled with determination. The rise and fall of her passionate words made her face glow with an unusual and captivating charm. Despite her serious tone, the delicate expression on her face, coupled with her excited words, gave her an angelic countenance with a devilish figure. She seemed to forget that Lucas, too, had his own troubles.
With a sly smile, Lucas reached out to touch her face, saying, "Is the wound hurting again? You look quite pale..."
With a sudden smack, Lucas received a slap on his face. Stumbling back a bit, the girl covered her chest, looking at him with resentment. Her refined face now displayed a stern and untouchable demeanor.
Lucas still holding his face, mumbled, "...Promise that I can be rich and honored? Alright, deal. Damn it, that hurt!"
He had thought it through. Whether he wanted to provoke this trouble or not, they were now tied together like two grasshoppers on the same string. Saving her was saving himself. If her family background was as good as she claimed, he might have found a place to survive in this era. Then he could figure out what to do in this time period. What else could he do? This was the only way!
Standing up, his face still stinging, Lucas advised, "I'll scout around. You get some rest. I'm not familiar with this place, and we'll discuss which way the hell we're running later. Achieving your rich and honored life won't be easy."
Two officers clad in silver armor, their helmets adorned with white feather markings, were escorted over by several guards, kneeling before the commanding general of Great Persia, Cyrus, who wore a silver face mask. The two officers dared not lift their heads, seemingly afraid to witness the furious visage on Cyrus' masked face. The air was filled with a solemn and tense atmosphere.
With daylight breaking, they had tracked into a small grove last night, discovering the bodies of the knights killed by Lucas and the tent. The road diverged, and Cyrus immediately directed the troops to split into two groups, searching to the east and west. Everyone widened their eyes to search for horse tracks on the ground, and with little effort, they found traces leading to the east, towards to the mountains. The information was reported to Cyrus, who was contemplating around the tent. He was about to order an eastward pursuit when news arrived from the western forces. They had witnessed Princess Ariana, swiftly galloping to the west! The commander leading the pursuit was one of his most trusted subordinates, possessing rich battlefield experience. Given their report, Cyrus chose to believe it immediately. It was highly likely that the princess had chosen to attract their attention to the east, while Ariana went westward, following her father. She was trying to catch up with them!
The commander of the Persia Army, Cyrus, immediately issued the order to pursue to the west. The entire army was to catch up with their Saintess princess. Whether dead or alive, they could not let her escape to the Roman! Oh, Prince Farid, I thought you were a man. I even provided you with convenience in secret when ordering the pursuit, considering you're the invincible commander I personally nurtured. Who would have thought that you would let our Persian Saintess princess, carrying our precious sacred treasure, escape to Roman with you!
Chasing through the night, the report came in as dawn broke, and the figure of Princess Ariana had evaporated into the air like dew. There were no horse tracks or sounds ahead. On this night, the hair fluttering before the pursuing vanguard troops seemed like a sudden and ephemeral dream.
"Where is Princess Ariana? Hm?" Mounted on his horse, General Cyrus asked in a deep voice. The air trembled with his words. Everyone knew that when General Cyrus was angry, an army could be reorganized at his will. Persia had taken the initiative to use the hunting troops to pursue Princess Ariana, not wanting any mishaps. Yet, they had lost track of their target!
The two officers dared not raise their heads. Though they tried to maintain composure, their voices were trembling uncontrollably: "General Cyrus! Our forward scouts, hundreds of our brethren, all vividly saw Princess Ariana riding ahead! Everyone exerted themselves to chase her, but the distance could not be shortened. We shot countless arrows, but not one hit its mark. She only ran faster! Everyone gritted their teeth in pursuit. When we passed through a grove, there was a dry creek ahead. By then, the sky had started to brighten. We all watched as Princess Ariana suddenly disappeared! The forward scouts, a few hundred brethren, can all testify. One moment she was distinct, the next, like dissipating mist, she vanished!"
Cyrus remained silent, still as a mountain. He turned to look westward, and the armor emitted a soft rustle. After a while, he spoke coldly, "Release the hunting falcon! Search to the east! Forward troops continue searching to the west. The main force follows me to the east pursuit! Exhaust the horses, and don't stop until people are dead tired! The Princess... Ariana, she can't escape. There is no prey that the Great Persia hunting troops can't catch!"
He waved his hand, and thousands of silver-armored knights thunderously turned around. After a day and night of pursuit, they rallied their spirits once again, preparing to continue their journey. The two officers remained kneeling there. Cyrus glanced back, waving his hand coldly, "Behead them! Under my command, you know military law, there's nothing to complain about. I'll take care of your families; you don't need to worry."
The massive army continued rolling westward, and no one dared to look back at the two bodies that had just become corpses. A commander with golden feathers approached Cyrus on horseback and whispered, "Commander, could it be that the Saintess possesses some mystic arts, allowing her to conceal her tracks or lead us astray? Pursuing her to the east and back has already cost us a day. Should we send urgent messages to the garrisons in west, urging them to conduct a thorough search?"
It seemed that this officer held a high rank to speak so freely to Cyrus. Cyrus turned his face, the furious golden visage on his mask coldly staring at his subordinate. The officer was frightened, and on horseback, he lowered his head.
"Even if she was once the Saintess of Great Persia, no matter if she possesses extraordinary abilities or not, she cannot escape the pursuit of my thousands of hunting troops ! As long as I'm here, no one can escape from my grasp!" His voice was resolute, akin to golden iron, penetrating the hearts of those who heard it. Suddenly, a few eagle cries rang out, and several falcons were released from the hands of the falconers, soaring into the sky!