“Mm.” Samuel Cooper replied solemnly, immediately imagining a group of masked men coming to snatch the bride, with himself wielding a short sword to protect his sister.

Logan Cooper led the two children out of the manor through the back door. The road was quiet, not a soul in sight. Outside, three people were already waiting: Miss Grace Cooper, her personal maid Hazel, and the old servant Henry Clark.

Henry Clark was both teacher, friend, and servant to Logan Cooper. Samuel Cooper had followed him for several years to learn the basics, so he called him “Master Clark”.

Logan Cooper lifted his youngest son onto the horse. In the shadowy moonlight, his face looked even more gaunt, resembling a strict schoolteacher more than ever.

The little page Ethan mounted his horse by himself, swaying unsteadily. He was still half asleep and very unhappy about this unexpected escort mission. He would rather stay cooped up in the manor than venture into the desert again.

There were only five horses for five people. Sister Grace was wrapped head to toe in a cloak, carrying nothing else. Of her four personal maids, only one came along, and they brought little luggage.

“Where are eldest and second brother? Where’s mother? Isn’t father coming with us?” Samuel Cooper asked wide-eyed, now fully awake. The group’s appearance looked less like an escort for a bride and more like refugees fleeing disaster.

“You all go ahead, we’ll catch up later.” Logan Cooper answered casually, patting the horse’s rump to urge everyone on their way.

Samuel Cooper gently pulled the reins, wanting to ask more, but Henry Clark passed by him and said gruffly:

“Go.”

Samuel Cooper’s horse was slapped by Henry Clark and galloped forward. When he finally reined in and looked back, his father was already gone, not even saying a word of farewell to his daughter who was about to be married.

The night was deep, the moon hung in the western sky—it was midnight. Samuel Cooper felt uneasy; this was nothing like the wedding scene he had imagined for his sister.

Chapter 0002: Pursuers

The old servant Henry Clark led the way. The five of them, taking advantage of the night, first crossed a meadow, then climbed a small hill, and turned onto the only dirt road near the manor. The lush grass vanished, and with a single step, they entered a completely different world—nothing but hard earth and gravel. The little page Ethan whimpered in fear.

Samuel Cooper was half-awake, half-dreaming the whole way. Traveling in the dark, his sister’s wedding, the short sword at his waist—everything felt unreal. It wasn’t until the sky began to lighten that he fully woke up, surprised to find the sunlight coming from behind.

“Huh, are we heading west?” Grace’s husband’s family was from the Central Plains, and the marriage had been arranged since childhood. The bridal escort should be heading east.

Henry Clark mumbled an indistinct reply, as if the young master’s question wasn’t worth answering. After a while, he finally said, “We’re going to Shule City first. There, government soldiers will escort us.”

“Shule City?” Samuel Cooper exclaimed in delight. The Kingdom of Shule was the largest in the Western Regions. Strictly speaking, the The Cooper Family manor was within its borders. Its capital was vast and densely populated, one of the most prosperous places in the West. Samuel Cooper had long heard of it, but after living here for over two years, he had never seen it with his own eyes.

Logan Cooper had once held high office in the Central Plains, so Samuel Cooper didn’t find it strange that Shule would send soldiers to escort them. He only felt that their own entourage was too small.

Miss Grace sat upright on her horse the whole time, seemingly unbothered by the arrangement. Samuel Cooper regained his energy, rode side by side with his sister, chattering about all the interesting things he hoped to see in Shule City. He even drew his short sword and waved it about in a showy manner. Grace spoke little, and when she did, it was only to caution her brother to be careful.

Though only three years older, Grace watched over her mischievous brother like a mother.

Because there were two young women, the group traveled slowly. The midday sun was scorching, but Henry Clark showed no intention of stopping to rest. Grace and the maid were already swaying in their saddles, but both endured in silence. Samuel Cooper felt sorry for his sister and was himself struggling to bear the relentless heat, loudly complaining for water and food.

Just then, the sound of urgent hoofbeats came faintly from behind.

Henry Clark jumped off his horse and listened carefully for a moment. He unfastened his usual spear from the right side of the horse and planted it in the middle of the dirt road. His white hair fluttered, and he looked imposing.

The others instinctively retreated to the roadside. Only Samuel Cooper’s eyes lit up—he too jumped off his horse, drew his short sword, and stood shoulder to shoulder with Henry Clark.

“Sis, don’t be afraid, I’ll fight the bandits!”

“Don’t get in my way.” Henry Clark raised his spear horizontally and used the shaft to push the young master behind him. In the The Cooper Family, he held a high status. Other than the master Logan Cooper, he was blunt with everyone, especially since Samuel Cooper was nominally his apprentice.

Samuel Cooper shook his short sword in protest, still hoping for a chance to fight. At that moment, a cloud of dust rose in the distance—the pursuers had arrived.

There were three of them, all dressed in black. About twenty paces away, they reined in their horses and drew their sabers.

“The Cooper Family people should return to the The Cooper Family.” The man in the middle said, his voice as cold and harsh as rusted iron.

“Nobodies like you should crawl back to where you came from.” Henry Clark leveled his spear.

The The Cooper Family family prided itself on mastery of both saber and spear—first learning the saber, then the spear. Henry Clark was especially skilled with the spear. Though outnumbered three to one, he showed no fear.

The man on the left spurred his horse and charged, saber raised.