After an hour, Jonan returned to his room and gathered all the supplies he deemed necessary for his upcoming expedition.
He considered informing his mother of his departure but ultimately decided against it. He feared that doing so might shake his resolve, and he felt fortunate to be given such an opportunity.
Despite an unsettling feeling about Rhydian, the man assigned as his guardian and team leader, Jonan took comfort in knowing that someone as powerful and dangerous as him was someone he would work under rather than an enemy. Perhaps, he might even learn a thing or two from him.
He summoned two nearby maids and instructed them to employ porters to carry his luggage. He had prepared three large trunks filled with essentials of his daily needs, and a satchel packed with emergency rations and tools.
His spear was securely wrapped and slung across his back, while two sickles taken from his inventory were strapped to his belt.
Once satisfied with his preparations, Jonan ordered the maids and porters to take his belongings to the front of the castle, where a carriage would be waiting to transport them.
Upon arriving at the castle entrance, Jonan spotted a carriage drawn by seven powerful beasts.
At first, he couldn't identify them, but after a moment of recollection, he realized they were Earth Smashers, a rare breed of warhorses known for their immense stamina and ability to store energy from large meals, allowing them to travel great distances without rest.
Their rarity and cost meant only the great clans could afford to use them without hesitation.
His gaze then shifted to four unfamiliar warriors standing near the carriage. While Jonan wasn't personally acquainted with every member of the Starfall Family, he was confident he could recognize them at a glance, yet these individuals were completely unknown to him.
Among them, one figure stood out the most to him, a female warrior sharpening her arrowheads. She had a lanky build and wore thin but expensive-looking armor, similar to what other members of his family often wore.
What caught Jonan's attention the most was her rare red flaming hair and pale white skin, a combination not usually seen among the Starfall bloodline. A quiver was strapped to her back, and a bow rested by her side.
Seated lethargically on the carriage was an old man with wizened features, messy silver hair, and a conical hat obscuring most of his face. A large cigar pipe dangled from his lips, and unlike the others, no visible weapon could be seen on him.
Beside the old man sat a burly figure in a meditative posture. His impressive mustache, scar-covered body, and ripped physique hinted at his achievements on the battlefield. Two short axes were strapped to his back, his muscles tensed even in stillness.
The final member of the group was a short youth with a medium build. He appeared unarmed and was tending to the Earth Smashers, which led Jonan to assume he was the carriage driver.
The short youth noticed Jonan approaching with his entourage of porters. Without hesitation, he sprinted forward and bowed politely and humbly.
"Young Master, greetings. I will assist with your luggage. In the meantime, please take the opportunity to get familiar with your teammates," he said.
Jonan studied him briefly before responding.
"And what is your name? After all, I need to get familiar with you as well. I assume you'll be accompanying us for the entire journey.
"Young Master, you may call me Garret. If you require anything during our travels, please let me know, and I will assist you."
Bowing once more, Garret moved to help the maids and instructed the porter on where to store Jonan's belongings.
Jonan then approached the red-haired woman, who looked like an archer. As soon as he neared her, displeasure was evident on her face.
He wasn't surprised, he had faced similar treatment within his own family, so it didn't faze him much.
Undeterred, he asked, "Hello, may I know your name? It would be best if we got to know each other so we can cooperate effectively in upcoming battles."
"Hmph. Save your words," the red-haired woman scoffed. "I do not need weaklings as teammates, nor do I have time for them. You'd be better off sitting quietly in the carriage and staying out of our way."
"Ohooo! Such a sharp tongue," a leisurely voice chimed in. The old man, who had been sitting comfortably nearby, chuckled. "If you keep acting like this, girl, you'll never get married in this lifetime."
The red-haired woman's face turned crimson, and she yelled, "What! What did you just say, old man?!!!"
Furious, she pulled her bowstring, arrow aimed at him. But before she could release it, she suddenly felt an invisible force tighten around her throat.
"Tsk, tsk. Youngsters these days lose their temper so easily," the old man sighed, shaking his head. "Anyway, don't go pointing sharp things at me. What if I have a heart attack? Who would take responsibility then, hmm? Would you?"
Gritting her teeth, the woman fumed, but with the invisible grip tightening around her throat, she forced herself to lower her bow. The moment she did, the unseen pressure vanished.
Still seething, she shot a glare at Jonan, blaming him for her predicament, before turning away. Sitting in the opposite direction, she began sharpening her arrowheads, deliberately making loud, grating noises to irritate the group.
"Ahh, there's no use trying to teach that girl anything," the old man sighed.
Turning to Jonan, he added, "Don't mind her, young one. She's just a foolish child who has yet to learn how the world works, you can simply call her Marla. But don't be mistaken, her archery skills are exceptional. You can trust her to cover your back in battle."
Hearing his words, the red-haired woman finally stopped making the irritating sounds, her mood visibly improving.
The old man then gestured toward another member of the group. "That dignified gentleman meditating over there is Edric, our hand-to-hand combat specialist. He may look calm and gentle, but trust me, he can take down any enemy with just his bare hands."
Edric simply smiled, remaining in quiet meditation.
Jonan felt relieved that not everyone in the group was as hostile as Marla. The old man, at least, seemed good-natured and quite powerful.
Turning back to him, Jonan asked, "And what about you, sir?"
The old man grinned. "Ohooo! No need for formalities, you can just call me Elias, I just scout out the enemies for you younglings, I have gotten too old to be fighting."
Listening to the old man, Jonan smiled in return, but deep down, he knew Elias was far from the harmless figure he appeared to be.
What puzzled him more was Elias's weapon, or rather, the lack of any visible one. How had he managed to suppress Marla so effortlessly? Jonan could sense the threat Marla posed, she was someone he had no chance of putting up even a decent fight with her, even in closed-range combat. Yet Elias had subdued her without even lifting a finger.
Jonan had assumed that, since his stepmother had arranged everything, there would be someone from his family, or at least someone of his generation, accompanying him. But these warriors were far beyond his league.
Why was he placed among such powerful and highly skilled fighters?
Not a single one of them was a novice like him. The gap in skill between them was staggering. How was he supposed to contribute in battle when he was so vastly outmatched? And now, after breaking through in intelligence, he could roughly gauge the power levels of those around him. Though he couldn't determine their exact realms, one thing was clear, they were far beyond him.
As he pondered over his teammates, a sudden, chilling sensation crawled up his spine.
It was all too familiar.
Instinctively, Jonan turned around, only to realize that before he could even react, his teammates had already moved. In an instant, they had formed a uniform defensive stance in front of him. And standing before them, cloaked in a murderous, baleful aura, was a masked man.
The figure wore a sleek black suit, his face concealed behind a pale, eerie mask. The oppressive aura radiating from him wasn't just affecting Jonan, his entire team wore serious expressions. Even the ever-jovial Elias, whose face had remained relaxed until now, had turned grave.
The masked man's voice was cold and commanding. "We will begin our journey to The Wailing Shadow shortly. Prepare yourselves and take your seats in the carriage. Once everyone is ready, we depart. Also, as you can see, we have a new member who will be fighting alongside us on the front lines."
"Yes, Leader," Jonan's teammates responded in unison.
Jonan swallowed hard. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't gauge the leader's power. That, in itself, was a testament to Rhydian's might. Even these ferocious warriors who barely acknowledged him stood obediently before this man.
Once everything was settled, Garret approached with his usual warm smile, instructing everyone to board the carriage.
Jonan took one last look at the majestic castle of the Starfall Family, committing the sight to memory. Then, without hesitation, he stepped into the carriage, ready to embark on his new journey.