Summoned with an SSS-Rank Portal Skill

The journey to the abandoned royal palace was to be by horse. They did have a carriage available if needed, but according to Jhen, the terrain wasn't suited for them.

"We'll have to travel through rough terrain to get there, so a carriage will only slow us down. It's best to go just with the horses."

William didn't mind. He actually preferred traveling by horse. Inside a carriage, he felt like he was missing out on the beautiful scenery, just sitting there doing nothing. It was quite boring for him.

At the same time, traveling that way meant they'd have to stop more often to rest. It was tiring to ride a horse for hours non-stop.

Anyway, they left as soon as William returned, carrying large backpacks and riding three different horses, one for each of them. These weren't ordinary horses, though. They were genetically modified, infused with mana, making them much stronger, faster, and with far greater stamina. Such horses were necessary due to the constant attacks from magical beasts in the area.

During the journey to the royal palace—which was on the very far end of the island—they didn't have much to do besides observe their surroundings and talk.

Victoria, who had missed William, wanted to speak with him and ask about what he'd seen in the dungeon. She had wanted to go there herself, but Jhen had stopped her, deeming it too dangerous.

Her curiosity was immense; she wanted to know every detail.

"And how was the dungeon?" she asked.

William, having nothing else to do, just like her, shared the things he'd seen in the dungeon. Victoria was truly captivated by every part of his adventure.

He spoke about the people he encountered, the beasts, and the boss creatures guarding the portal. However, there were some things he kept to himself. One was the magic academy inside the dungeon.

That old man had genuinely scared him, so William didn't want to risk telling anyone about it. The other things he omitted were details about the people who created the dungeon and the mysterious phone he found.

These were things that wouldn't make much sense to Victoria, as she wasn't from Earth, like he was. So, it was simply better to avoid sharing that with her.

Jhen took the opportunity to listen to William's tales as well. She had explored the dungeon before, but never ventured as far as William had. As a member of the army, Jhen had more responsibilities and couldn't simply abandon everything to explore the dungeon thoroughly.

Despite all the talking, the journey still took a long time. Their first stop was a larger city, which they reached after three days.

"This is the last big city before we venture into the wilderness," Jhen explained. "So, we must make good use of this to get supplies and have a proper rest before moving forward."

"Why is the royal palace so far?" William asked. "I mean, wasn't it supposed to be near the capital or something?" That question had been on his mind for a long time. The royal family needed to be close to their people; they were their rulers, after all.

"They had a portal in the palace leading to many different places on the island," Jhen explained. "People from outside could also reach the palace through the portal to speak with the royal family. But after the whole scandal, they destroyed all the portals, so now we can only get there on foot."

According to her, a noble family had attacked the royal family, stripped them of their power, and seized control. The royal family themselves had vanished, and no one knew their exact whereabouts.

The usurping noble family had the backing of other powerful families on the island, leaving the common folk with no way to dislodge them from power. Ultimately, they had to accept the new reality and live under the new regime.

"And how dangerous is this palace?" William asked.

"Really dangerous… It's just a theory, but I think the royal family is being held captive there. I mean, that's the only explanation for the high security that place has."

The palace wasn't truly abandoned despite the lack of portals. Because it was in such a secluded area, the guards protecting it had to live nearby.

So, they had built a small village next to the palace. At least, that's what Jhen had heard.

"And why don't they live inside the palace too?" William asked, curious.

"It has many traps inside. The royal family never deactivated them, so the guards don't want to try their luck by going inside."

"And we're going inside knowing that?"

Jhen laughed. "That's the price if we want you to get stronger. We must explore the deeper parts of the palace, and who knows, we might even find the royal family there."

Jhen had two objectives in mind: find the area in the palace that would allow William's bloodline to grow stronger, and try her luck at finding the royal family. She had no way to confirm if they were alive, but she wanted to at least try to find them within the palace. It would help her sleep better at night.

Upon arriving at the last major city before venturing into the island's wilderness, William immediately noticed how different the place was.

The guards at the front gate were visibly anxious, and the city itself had makeshift barriers erected around it, as if preparing for war.

When they saw William, Jhen, and Victoria approaching, the guards quickly converged to stop them from getting too close to the city.

"The current war is making them tighten security," Jhen said. "But don't worry, they'll recognize me."

"STOP RIGHT THERE!" the guards yelled, preparing their weapons. Some carried swords and bows, but the most dangerous ones were positioned above the city walls with their staves, ready to cast spells from a distance.

Jhen took charge of the conversation. She raised her hands in the air and said, "Relax, calm down. I'm a captain in the army, and I'm here on a special mission."

At first, the guards didn't believe her. They couldn't possibly know the faces of all the captains in the army, especially those working in a different region of the island.

However, all captains carried a special identification token and a letter signed by the island's current rulers. Jhen always had these with her, especially during wartime.

She presented them. The guard examined the token and then apologized. "I'm sorry for the treatment," he said. "It's just procedures, you know."

After that, he gave the other guards a signal, and everyone sheathed their weapons. The guard cleared the entrance for Jhen to pass.

The guard's curiosity got the better of him. "And what is this mission you have?"

Jhen couldn't share the full details, obviously. "Something important and secret that might help us against the invaders."

That was all she could reveal.

It was enough for the guard. "Really? So this must be incredibly important. Don't worry about anything; I'll make sure to get you all a nice place to rest and good food to recover your energy."

The guards treated them well. William was grateful for the hospitality, but he also knew that this first part of the journey was the easiest, and more difficult times lay ahead.

He had to be prepared.