A week into their journey, it became clear that reaching Rinland within three weeks would be a stretch, especially considering the frequent pauses needed for the elderly and sick among them.
"Bob, it looks like three weeks won't be enough to reach Rinland," Michael remarked to the elderly man.
Bob sighed. "Unfortunately, it looks like it'll take us a month and a bit more to reach Rinland," he replied.
Bob glanced at Amanda (the little girl), who was sleeping peacefully with her head resting on Michael's lap.
Bob chuckled softly. "Although she acts like she hates you for what you did, she truly admires you."
Michael gazed at Amanda, a blurry memory surfacing in his mind. He couldn't grasp its meaning yet, but he was determined to uncover the truth as soon as possible.
"Isn't it unusual for a young girl to possess such intelligence? She demonstrates a strong sense of justice and compassion for strangers," Michael pondered aloud, reflecting on Amanda's exceptional qualities.
Bob raised a brow, "You don't know?" He said.
"Know what?" Michael asked, intrigued by Bob's response.
"She's actually the princess of Veridia, the human kingdom. That's why everyone here treats her with such respect, despite her being so young," Bob explained, clearly surprised that Michael wasn't aware of this widely known fact.
Bob anticipated Michael's reaction to be one of surprise, but Michael's response was unexpected. "I thought it was going to be something more extraordinary than that..." Michael remarked.
Bob chuckled, slightly taken aback by Michael's response. It was typical of Michael to react with such nonchalance, considering he was a six-year-old quad-mage.
During this week of travel, Michael revealed his powers, and they allowed him to handle all the hunting.
He noticed that this world also had monsters like Hell did, but these creatures looked quite different and were considerably weaker.
And whenever they stopped to prepare for sleep, Michael would create domes made from earth for people to rest in, similar to the one they were using right now. Though not particularly comfortable, it provided better shelter than lying out in the open.
"Wait, why didn't she tell me she was a princess? Also, how did she get captured? I'm certain that as a princess, she is heavily guarded at all times," Michael asked.
"For your first question, I think she believed you knew," Bob replied.
Michael shook his head. "I could tell that she knew I didn't know."
Bob considered it for a moment. "Then she must not have wanted you to know. As a princess, she's more mature than kids her age, and that's just one of her many challenges. Many kids try to use her, or their parents do, which makes it hard for her to befriend others due to hidden motives. I'm sure you can imagine how she felt when she met someone her age who knew nothing of her identity and treated her like a normal child," he explained.
Michael was surprised. Since arriving here, he'd struggled to relate to anyone or anything, feeling entirely out of place. But hearing Amanda's story, he found someone he could relate to, even though her suffering wasn't even a fraction as severe as his own.
"As for your second question, I was thinking the same thing. I don't know for certain, but I think she may have been betrayed by someone close," Bob said, considering the circumstances.
Michael considered Bob's words and found them plausible. The only way a weak bandit group could successfully kidnap a princess who would normally be heavily guarded is if she was betrayed by someone close to her.
Bob wished Michael goodnight and went to sleep while Michael stayed up as a guard. Since he was the only one capable of fighting, he didn't have the luxury to sleep. Luckily, his enhanced endurance helped him stay awake longer than the average person.
It had been a month since they began their journey to the City of Rinland, and they were now just a few hours away from their destination.
The mood was jubilant as they approached their long awaited destination.
"Michael and Your Royal Highness, we would like to express our deepest gratitude once again. We know we can never fully repay you for saving our lives, but if the time ever comes when you need our assistance, please do not hesitate to call upon us," the man said, prompting the rest of the group to bow in unison.
"I don't think they should be thanking the little girl who slept, ate, and laughed the whole trip," Michael whispered to Amanda.
"Hmph! If I wanted to, I could beat you up with the moves my mentor taught me. And who are you calling a little kid! We're the same age!" she said, punching Michael in the stomach.
The group laughed as they witnessed their princess genuinely enjoying herself.
"You should also be thanking me. Not only did I save you, but I even became your first ever friend," Michael said with a smug look.
"I-I have friends..." she whispered, her face flushed with embarrassment.
"Michael, stop teasing her. With the way you've been at it during our trip, I wouldn't be surprised if she wants to beat you up when she gets older," Bob said, chuckling.
"There's always something fun about annoying people younger than you," Michael said.
Amanda stomped away, clearly on the brink of exploding with rage. She didn't want her people to witness such a display of emotion.
A few hours later, a sprawling city came into view, dominated by a colossal palace that overlooked the entire area.
Excitement swept through the group as they approached the city gates, causing a commotion that overwhelmed the guards stationed there, who quickly called for reinforcements.
Shortly after, guards clad in shimmering golden armor emerged from the palace, their imposing presence commanding the attention of the crowd.
"Halt! State your identities and place of origin, or we will detain you for questioning," the leader of the guards commanded sternly.
"Sir Bernard, I have returned, and these people are with me," Amanda announced confidently as she stepped forward.
Bernard's eyes welled with tears as he saw the Princess whom he had vowed to protect reappear after such a long time.
"Your Royal Highness, forgive me, for I failed to protect you!" Bernard shouted as he knelt before her, bowing deeply.
Amanda placed a hand on his shoulder. "It wasn't your fault, Sir Bernard. No one would have expected bandits to be inside my room."
Bernard still harbored guilt, having trained most of his life to protect the Princess, only for her to be kidnapped while he was on guard.
"Your Royal Highness, how did you manage to escape?" Bernard inquired.