Summoned with an SSS-Rank Portal Skill

William continued his conversation with Jonas, carefully probing for more information. He learned that it would take approximately fifteen days for Jonas's priest friend to arrive at the designated meeting point.

That gave William a narrow window to help Victoria obtain the blood of the person who had placed the seal on his body. Would fifteen days be enough? He wasn't sure, but he had no choice but to try.

If Jonas and Father Malakai—assuming it was indeed him—met and discussed Victoria, the truth about her being an impostor would come to light. Once that happened, the cult might target her, complicating William's mission even further.

There was another, more drastic option: eliminate Father Malakai before he could meet Jonas.

But William quickly dismissed the idea. He had felt the priest's power during the cult meeting, and it was formidable. Even with Victoria's money, which could hire skilled mercenaries, they stood no chance against someone of his caliber.

'He's likely one of the cult's leaders,' William thought. 'No wonder he's so strong. Taking him on directly would be suicide.'

The only viable option was to move quickly and hope Victoria could secure the blood in time.

"When are we leaving to meet your friend?" William asked Jonas, keeping his tone casual.

"Not for a few days," Jonas replied. "My carriage is enchanted to fly, so we can reach the meeting point quickly. However, my friend has some… obligations to attend to first. Otherwise, we'd fetch him sooner."

"I see," William said, nodding. "Keep me informed, then."

"Of course," Jonas said with a faint smile.

It was strange for William to have such a cordial conversation with Jonas. After the battles William had fought on his behalf, Jonas seemed to genuinely respect him—or at least value his usefulness. Still, William couldn't afford to let his guard down.

*

The next morning, Victoria left the tavern early, determined to make the most of the daylight.

The city was bustling with activity, its streets lined with merchants hawking goods and services. After some searching, she found a vendor selling mounts—both land and flying varieties.

The flying mounts were exorbitantly expensive. Even with Victoria's considerable funds, purchasing one would drain most of her savings, leaving little to hire a skilled mercenary.

"If we buy this mount, we won't have enough money left to hire someone strong," Victoria communicated to William. "But a land mount will take too long. What do we do?"

William knew time was against them. With only fifteen days to spare, a land mount was out of the question. They needed a flying mount—preferably the fastest one available.

"What if we steal it?" William suggested.

"I thought about that," Victoria replied. "But they usually have a magic whistle to control the mount. They'll only give it to us after we pay."

"But we can take it for a test ride, right? The only problem is, they'll call it back with the whistle if we go too far."

"Exactly," Victoria said.

William's mind raced. He wasn't entirely sure his plan would work, but they were running out of options. It was worth a shot.

"Good morning," Victoria greeted the vendor, her tone polite but firm. "What's the fastest flying mount you have?"

The vendor, who had been dozing in his chair, jolted awake. Customers were rare, especially those interested in flying mounts, which were far more expensive. The prospect of a sale brought a wide grin to his face.

"We have several types," he said eagerly, "but I have one in particular that I think you'll love. Come with me."

He led her to the back of the shop, where an open area housed the mounts. The creatures were well cared for—clean, healthy, and clearly pampered. Guards patrolled the area, while caretakers tended to the beasts, feeding them and ensuring their well-being.

"This one arrived recently," the vendor said, pointing to a magnificent creature. "It's the most expensive mount we have—a distant relative of dragons!"

The creature resembled a dragon, though it was smaller and lacked the overwhelming aura of its legendary kin. Still, it was an impressive beast, with shimmering scales and sharp, intelligent eyes.

"What is it, exactly?" Victoria asked, feigning curiosity.

"Well, everyone calls it a dragon, even though it's not," the vendor admitted with a chuckle. "It sounds more impressive, don't you think? But don't let that fool you—it's fast, resilient, strong in combat, and highly intelligent. The price, however, is… substantial."

William listened intently, his interest piqued. A creature with dragon lineage? That was rare and valuable. But when the vendor named the price, both Victoria and William nearly choked.

"The price today is 500,000 gold coins."

Victoria managed to keep her composure, though the number was staggering. She had expected a high price, but this was beyond outrageous. Still, she couldn't let the vendor see her shock. She needed to appear as though she could afford it—or at least convince him she could.

"Is it really worth that much?" Victoria asked, her tone skeptical. "My father would be furious if I spent his money on a bad investment."

William mentally applauded her quick thinking. Playing the role of a wealthy noble's daughter was a smart move. The vendor, already sizing her up, seemed to buy it.
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"Miss, I assure you, your father will be thrilled with this purchase," the vendor said, his voice dripping with persuasion. "In fact, I can offer you a discount—450,000 gold coins. What do you think?"

Victoria placed a hand on her chin, pretending to consider the offer. "450,000 is still a significant amount. With that kind of money, my father could open another mana stone mine. He thinks thirty mines are too few, you see."

The vendor's eyes widened, and he nearly choked on his own saliva. Mana stone mines were incredibly lucrative—and expensive to maintain. If this young woman's family owned thirty of them, she was far wealthier than he had imagined.

"Think of it this way, miss," the vendor said, recovering quickly. "Your father could use this dragon to travel swiftly between his mines. It's an investment in efficiency—not to mention the added protection it would provide for you."

Victoria pretended to weigh his words carefully before nodding. "Alright, I'll consider it. But first, I'd like to take it for a test flight. As I said, this money is my father's, and I don't want to make a mistake."

The vendor hesitated for only a moment before agreeing. After all, he had the magic whistle to control the mount. A test flight was a reasonable request.

"Of course, of course," he said, handing her the reins. "You can take it for a spin. I'll give you about ten minutes."

Victoria climbed onto the dragon's back, her heart racing. As they soared into the sky, she communicated with William. "Okay, we're up here. What's the plan?"

It was time for William to put his scheme into action.