In the middle of the night, Seren met with the two captains who had prepared 30 Paladins in full combat readiness.
"Alright, we won't be there for long, but stay alert. If what I fear is true, we need to prepare for the worst," Seren instructed.
Leading the Paladins on horseback, Seren set out for Sicilian City in Whiteford after sending a letter to Taki.
She explained the mission details and the potential dangers in Sicilian City.
Seren and her troops rode for 12 hours before finally reaching Lagu City.
There, they approached a chapel to submit their travel documents.
Despite bringing a small number of soldiers, Seren still had to go through strict inspections upon reaching Whiteford's borders.
"Whiteford is incredibly strict when it comes to matters like this," one Paladin commented.
"Truly the strongest kingdom," one of the Paladin captains whispered to his subordinate.
"Martyr, are you sure we need to go there?
Even if Sicilian City has minimal defenses, the surrounding areas must be well-guarded.
At a small outpost like this, there are at least 3,000 soldiers stationed," one of the Paladin captains asked.
"The number of Whiteford's troops is indeed impressive, but if the Deep Elves are as strong as the intel suggests, even they will struggle.
On top of that, they're not accustomed to fighting Outer God forces.
Without proper protection, they'll begin to fall under the influence of Outer God magic.
Besides, this is our duty, so there's little reason not to act," Seren replied firmly.
"It would be much easier if we could use our vehicles," one Paladin commented.
"Yes, I agree. But obtaining a permit for military vehicles is incredibly difficult.
Immigration officers aren't quick to issue such travel documents, and requesting assistance from the Spear of Justice Paladins would take even longer.
They'd bombard us with hundreds of questions before issuing the necessary papers," Seren replied.
After completing the inspection, they continued their journey on horseback through Whiteford's territory.
Along the way, they passed by large cities, and from a distance, they could see the walls of Whiteford's capital, The White City—a city that resembled a world-class diamond.
Majestic and luxurious, The White City was surrounded by gleaming white walls adorned with gold ornaments and stood 150 meters tall.
As they rode, the Paladins who had never seen The White City before were mesmerized by its grandeur.
"Behold Whiteford Kingdom's capital, The White City—a city that has stood for over 3,000 years.
It has endured more than 500 attacks without ever being breached.
With walls 150 meters high, it's believed to have been built by the Eldest Sage community over 1,000 years.
Even with modern technology, no one could construct walls like these," Seren explained as they rode.
"Eldest Sage?" one of the Paladins asked.
"They are believed to be a community that founded kingdoms before the Unification.
Only the White family knows the truth, but there are only two places with walls like these:
The White City and White Harbor," Seren said.
Soon, The White City disappeared from view as they moved further along.
Another city came into sight: Sicilian City.
Although bustling and busy, Sicilian City didn't have many military bases or guards, as a few kilometers to its northern outskirts stood Moldova Fortress, Whiteford's largest military stronghold, and Jusaquires Castle.
After traveling for two days, Seren's group finally reached Sicilian City.
There, they headed straight to the Paladin Headquarters.
"Wow, this is so different from Katya," one Paladin said in awe, surprised at the size of the Paladin Headquarters in Sicilian City.
"This is more like the headquarters in Fonta Aria," one of the Paladin captains beside Seren commented.
"You'll be amazed when you see the Hall of Justice in the capital. It's at least three times larger than the Loyalist Sanctum in Fonta Aria," Seren said.
Shortly after, they were greeted by Loyal Swords Paladin Captain from the 209th division, Captain Golsiera—a young orc woman with striking beauty and reddish-brown hair.
"Welcome to the Loyal Swords Hall of Sicilian City, Lady Martyr Seren Eleison. I am Captain Golsiera, Captain of the 209th Division.
First, I must apologize, but Martyr Risman is not here at the moment," Golsiera greeted them.
"Thank you for the warm welcome, Captain. It's alright. My troops and I are just conducting a small investigation into Sicilian City," Seren replied.
"I've received your message. However, if I may ask, why is it that you, personally, have come here? Apologies if this is rude, but isn't a Martyr quite important to a Chapel?" Golsiera asked.
"I understand your curiosity, Captain. However, as per my discussion with the other Martyrs, the Grand Master appointed me to investigate if there are any issues related to the Deep Elves," Seren explained.
"Deep Elves? My apologies for my ignorance, but... what exactly are they?" Golsiera inquired.
Seren then proceeded to explain her experience in Numen Kingdom a few years back.
This took Golsiera by surprise, especially since information about the Deep Elves was highly classified and not publicly shared.
Although fellow Paladins were allowed to share information about them, spreading the knowledge of the Deep Elves to the public was prohibited.
This was due to the difficulty in distinguishing the Deep Elves from other elves, as their physical features were almost identical.
The only exception was that when a Deep Elf used magic, their veins would faintly glow.
"This is quite shocking. My apologies, Lady Martyr.
There are many elf communities in Sicilian City, from merchants and religious leaders to those in the magical technology development community.
How do you plan to begin your investigation?" Golsiera asked.
Seren smiled, "Don't worry, I have intel," she replied confidently.
In the morning, Seren, without her armor, walked around the town hall, trying all the local snacks and visiting a clothing store to buy souvenirs for her family.
"It's not even noon yet," Seren said as she sat on a chair in the town's park.
Suddenly, a goblin sat behind her.
"Sorry I'm late. I've found the trail of your target," the goblin said.
"Thank you. Go ahead and deliver my regards to Grand Master Boltor," Seren replied.
"Alright, be careful. There's no guarantee of what you might find," the goblin said before disappearing.
As Seren walked back to the Paladin headquarters, she noticed a magnificent building.
"Is this the Mage Society's building?" she wondered aloud.
She approached it and saw some students discussing the latest studies on astrology, focusing on reading constellations as a method for divination.
"Did you hear? They're opening a study on the Astronomition Path," one student said.
"Yes, I know. The Society has often delved into things beyond normal, like necromancy, conjuration, and more.
But this study deals with destiny and time. Isn't a topic like that a bit too sensitive?" replied another student.
"How does the Mage Guild and the Paladin Order feel about this?"
"I don't know. I even doubt the Church members will allow something like this without supervision."
Seren continued to listen to the students' conversation until a man approached her.
"Hello, miss. Would you like to join the Mage Society?" the man asked.
"Oh, no, thank you. I'm just here for a stroll since I'm on vacation," Seren answered.
"Oh, I see. But if you're interested in joining the Mage Society, this is the best place.
Did you know, File White, the protector of Whiteford, studied at this branch 1,700 years ago?" the man said.
"I've heard something like that. But I'm sorry, I'm not too interested," Seren replied politely.
"Alright, but if you change your mind, feel free to find me," the man said, handing Seren a business card.
"Astronomition Path... Sometimes I wonder about my own destiny," Seren murmured.
Before she could go further, several of her members, disguised, approached her.
They said they had been contacted by Seren's intel and were ready for their mission.
Seren instructed them to take their positions, but before she could leave, an elderly woman called out to her.
"Hey, young lady, please wait for me," the woman said.
Her body was frail, and she walked with a hunch, but her clothing clearly indicated that she was a professor at the Mage Society.
"Please, let me see your face," the elderly woman said, her wrinkled hands reaching for Seren's face.
"Strange... this is very strange," the woman murmured.
"Is something wrong with my destiny... ma'am?" Seren asked.
"I see danger lurking near you.
Your choices will affect those who admire you, those who love you. But how far you stand firm is what truly matters.
Destiny is painful. It's cruel, merciless, but don't give them the satisfaction of surrendering to them," the elderly woman warned.
"Ah... I don't know what to say," Seren replied.
"I see a small star tied to you.
One day, your child will be someone who shines brightly... amazing!" the elderly woman exclaimed.
"But... that's not what puzzles me. Another descendant of your child... there's something wrong... something strange, as if they exist and don't exist at the same time. I don't understand, I can't comprehend. Is this good, or is this bad?" the elderly woman continued.
Seren was a bit confused by this.
"Uh... ma'am... maybe you're tired. You should rest," Seren suggested.
Soon, the elderly woman's students arrived.
"Professor!! Elder told you not to use the Astronomition Path recklessly. Look at your body, the side effects are severe!" one of the students exclaimed.
"We apologize, miss. Our teacher became obsessed with the Astronomition Path, but the side effects made her like this. She's aged like an old woman due to the use of Astronomition Path magic," another student explained.
"Wait, how old is the professor?" Seren asked.
"She's 29, but using the Astronomition Path has made her look like she's 80," one of the students replied.
"Please, wait. There's something I need to understand! Miss, please, I need a strand of your hair and some of your saliva. That's all I need," the elderly woman requested.
Seren hesitated and was unsure, but to calm the elderly woman, she provided some of her hair and saliva.
The students then helped the elderly woman back to rest.