Early morning, on the grand avenue of the royal capital.
All kinds of merchants called out to advertise their goods. The roads stretching in every direction displayed the prosperity of the capital.
Before long, sunlight poured down over the city, bringing a trace of warmth to the previously chilly air.
Rumble!
Just as the sunlight touched the ground, a rapidly approaching dragon carriage thundered forward, the vibrations drawing the attention of nearby residents.
However, upon seeing such a luxurious dragon carriage, they were no longer surprised. Over this past period, three equally lavish carriages had already appeared before their eyes.
The emergence of such scenes was naturally extraordinary, signaling that the time of the Royal Selection was drawing ever closer.
Perhaps because the internal and external situation was not particularly stable, the necessary welcoming ceremony had been omitted.
If foreign assassins were to launch an attack on the royal candidates, the losses would be too great to bear.
According to the Divine Dragon's prophecy, there were five candidates for the throne. Four had already appeared, and only one remained temporarily unaccounted for.
Yet many people knew this situation would not last long.
After all, the family faction behind Reinhard had yet to step in. Any decision made by the world's strongest "Sword Saint" was certainly not to be underestimated.
Soon, the dragon carriage stopped near the inn. Shendu stepped down together with the four people accompanying her.
"Alright, Emilia, it's time for us to part. Let's separate here."
After getting off the carriage, Shendu looked at Emilia, whose face was full of reluctance, and voiced her decision.
"Wait... when will you come back? Without you by my side, I don't feel very confident."
Emilia hesitated slightly before gazing at Shendu, clearly unwilling to let her go.
In front of the inn, nearby pedestrians saw their silver hair and instinctively avoided the area where they stood.
It seemed that some had already regarded them as incarnations of the Witch of Envy, their disdain deepening.
"Don't worry. I'll stay within the royal capital. I won't go anywhere. You've already given me the address, so I won't get lost."
Shendu's expression remained cool, yet she rarely revealed a faint smile to Emilia.
"Alright... then goodbye, Sister Shendu."
Emilia waved reluctantly. Knowing she could not stop Shendu's decision, she could only hope Shendu would return soon.
"Goodbye, Emilia."
Shendu waved in farewell, then turned and left. Before long, her figure vanished into the crowd.
"Hehe, Master, where are we going next?"
Elsa wrapped her arm around Shendu's and asked affectionately.
"No rush. Let's visit the local food street first. We didn't fully enjoy ourselves last time."
Shendu smiled as she looked at the people beside her.
"Yes! A rare gourmet adventure!"
Still at an age fond of food, Felt and Meili immediately perked up at the mention of eating.
"Then let's go."
With a wave of her hand, Shendu began their culinary excursion.
...
What Shendu did not notice was that shortly after they entered the royal capital's boundaries, a knight dressed in white robes had already discovered their whereabouts.
After learning that the renowned Reinhard wished to find Shendu and her group, the knight immediately accelerated with magic and rushed toward the Royal Guard.
At that moment, the red-haired, blue-eyed handsome man Reinhard was still reviewing his daily paperwork. Before he could finish, the door was pushed open.
A golden-haired knight in white robes knelt on one knee before Reinhard and said respectfully, "Lord Reinhard, the person you were looking for has appeared. She is currently within the food street area. Should we summon them here for questioning?"
"Oh? Is that so? I will personally go and invite her."
Hearing the report, Reinhard set down his quill, stood up, and spoke with evident interest.
Meanwhile, in the food street district, Shendu sampled various snacks, finding them all quite delicious.
Perhaps a gourmet from another world had once transmigrated here, causing the local recipes to evolve.
In any case, the flavors suited them well. After making a full round, they had practically swept through every stall.
Before long, exclamations spread through the market, drawing Shendu's attention.
"Heavens! Is that the famous Lord Reinhard?"
"Yes! Has he come to taste the food and demonstrate knightly virtue?"
"Wonderful! With Lord Reinhard here, the nearby thugs won't dare cause trouble."
The vendors chatted excitedly, astonished and delighted by Reinhard's appearance. His name alone seemed to symbolize safety and stability.
"Hehe, Master, he's comparable to the Witch of Envy who devoured half the world. Making an enemy of him would be very troublesome."
With her assassin's intuition, Elsa could sense the strength of an opponent and hoped Shendu would avoid fighting him.
"Then we won't use force. We'll use our minds instead. Humans are imperfect. Even the most flawless knight has weaknesses."
Shendu shook her head lightly and smiled.
Soon, the strongest "Sword Saint" of the current era, Reinhard, appeared before Shendu. Placing one hand over his abdomen, he gave a respectful knight's salute.
"Miss Shendu, I have a small matter I wish to discuss with you. Might you spare some time?"
Reinhard spoke directly, his gaze fixed on Shendu. He also glanced at Felt beside her, his eyes growing even more resolute.
"Hmph. Who do you think you are, inviting Lady Shendu so rudely?"
Natsuki Subaru, standing at Shendu's side, felt particularly displeased. Seeing Reinhard's handsome features and noble bearing only made him more irritated.
However, Reinhard did not even spare him a glance. His eyes remained solely on Shendu.
It seemed Shendu could neither easily avoid nor refuse this invitation.
"I have time. Let's find a place to talk now."
Shendu's crimson eyes met Reinhard's as she spoke unhurriedly.
"Very well. Then please come to the Royal Guard. I will see that you are properly received."
Reinhard spoke gently, without the slightest arrogance of a knight or pride of a noble.
Such composure—combined with the powerful aura radiating from him—was enough to put people at ease.
Under Reinhard's guidance, they soon arrived at the entrance of the Royal Guard's headquarters. On both sides of the gate stood knights in white robes, one hand placed over their hearts in salute.
This high-level reception caused Shendu to develop a trace of goodwill toward Reinhard, the child of the world.