When the Queen's messenger left, Lance quickly interrogated Count Amorez on what is happening.
"Why the queen all of the sudden?"
Count Amorez took a step back, feeling intimidated at the bright green eyes of Lance that's staring directly at him as if looking past his physical body.
"You better tell me the truth Count Amorez, what did you tell the Queen?" Lance asked him again in a cold voice that's more of a threat than a question for the count. "What did you say to her that made her summon me?"
The counz t broke the eye staring contest with Lance. If he did not do it, he thinks he might fall in the hypnotism of the Dragon Master just like what the legends say about them.
How can he handle it alone if a simple stare from Lance can make a simple human like him freeze from his overwhelming presence. He has no choice but to inform the queen about the existence of Lance, the young dragon master.
"Young dra--"
"Call me Lance," Lance cut on the count's words to avoid hearing the same cringing title that he's using when addressing him.
"Sir Lance," the count said, correcting his way like Lance wishes. "I just told everything that I know to the queen."
"And that is?"
"That you, Sir Lance, is the representative of the dragons. You came from the land of dragons, Eludia, and is here for a certain purpose. Although I feel sorry for the death of the Dorothy Paige's group, our side believes that they deserve what punishment befall them. And we are not in position to question the judgement of someone as magnanimous as you."
Lance paused for a moment. Where did that come from? He only received that dragon item almost as a freebie. Why is this count making a scene out of it?
"If you--"
"Fine, I'll go," Lance declared before the count spout another nonsense.
The next day approached easily and Count Amorez and Lance are now ready to follow the queen's messenger to the palace. Lance, who's wearing a blue coat decorated with silver linings and jewelry looked, too regal despite his protests inside. In his small bag is the dragon artifact that he presented earlier to Count Amorez and Nital.
"We're departing in two hours. Do you already have all the items that you need?" Count Amorez asked him.
Lance looked at the bag again where the scaled dragon artifact-- the gauntlet-- is being kept. Although the design of the gauntlet is sick with some parts of it made of gold, Lance feels awkward to wear the flashy gauntlet in front of people.
"No, I'm fine," he murmured.
The count who heard this just nodded his head. If that's all, then, they can leave as soon as all the supplies are loaded inside the carriages following them.
On their way, Count Amorez keeps glancing at Lance who did not say any more word to him after their brief conversation before they departed.
He is sitting right in front of Lance but the dragon master's mind seems like it's floating somewhere
During the several days that he's staying in his place, the count tried so hard to uncover the truth about the man who suddenly popped out of nowhere and with a dragon artifact in his possessions.
But dragons are considered things of the past. There are still some rumors about them but those are not verified at all, and everything is just pointless theories.
The best theory he can accept is dragons sealing themselves away from humans. But if that is what happened, then a person such as dragon master should not exist at all. Well, for the last days, before he met Lance, dragon-masters don't exist in the Count's world. But now, it does. And it's shaking his common sense.
Then there's the issue about Lance's origins.
Who is he?
Why is he inside the Darkhound Mansion?
Even the possibility that he is the one who annihilated the Snake Eye Gang is still inside the count's head.
And what about the other incidents within his territory.
Every single thing running in his head is just creating a new mess and Lance is tainting all of it like spilled ink that's running freely to darken everything.
While in the middle of contemplation, Lance spoke out of the blue.
"How long is the travel?"
Count looked at his side, to the clear window of carriage and then without looking at Lance, he answered the question.
"At this rate, we'll arrive there in 10 days," Count Amorez answered. Judging from the wideness of the grain plantation on their side it looks like they haven't set foot out of the countryside yet.
"If there are no troubles, that's it," he added.
Well, events and fate are unpredictable. There are times where you face death in the most unlikely situation.
But just like what Count Amorez anticipated, their travel isn't an easy one.
After four days of peaceful travelling, their group is now encircled by people wearing a scarf over their faces. Some are holding a sword; others are pointing an arrowhead to them while keeping a minimum distance that isn't too far nor too near from the group. It's the usual mountain bandits who targets travelers like them.
"Sir Lance," Count Amorez whispered to the man standing beside him and is currently staring at the bandits casually. "I implore you to leave this matter to us."
It is not out of respect for Lance that he requested that but rather out of fear that his questions will be answered the way that he did not want to. Furthermore, Lance, as of now, is treated like a guest of their house and of the royal family.
What if his speculations are all wrong and Lance, who just happened to have the dragon artifact, will be helpless in front of these assassins?
But such worries are only about 10% of what he's thinking right now.
Count Amorez, at the moment, is more concerned on what will happen to the bandits if Lance ever raises his finger.