As soon as the carriage arrived, the majestic white gate gave out fleeting blue lights before it parted open with a rumble.

Although the castle outer wall was slightly lower than the city's outer wall, it is obvious that this wall was denser and refined. Furthermore, the glow just now showed that the gate has been enchanted with Magic Formations as well!

When the gate opened, a silhouette of a towering figure could be seen walking out.

'What is that?' Helen pondered as she noticed the figure. Unfortunately, her vision was limited due to the moonless night and dark vicinity.

The figure walked with a heavy, yet steady pace. Each step was followed by a metallic clank and a small earthquake, as if the figure was not a person, but a beast.

Only when the figure was about seven steps away from the carriage did she get to see.

It was a knight covered in full armor set with a gigantic greatsword on his back. But to call it an armed-to-the-teeth knight was still a severe underestimation.

Wearing a platinum armor that even covered the joints, bulking chest plate and spike pauldron, the knight looked like a walking fortress. Coupled with the seamless horned visor, the knight was even taller than the carriage itself, to the point that one might wonder if the knight was of the Goliath race from far North.

When the knight approached, the old butler did a noble salute from his coach seat and greeted, "Good evening, Sir Raymond. It seems that you have returned from your expedition."

The knight took notice of the carriage. He turned his head and returned the greeting, "You are… Franz, if I'm not wrong." Raymond nodded. "Good evening."

"For Sir Raymond to remember this lowly butler's name, such an honor." The old butler smiled.

"Bah, nevermind that, you are from that family after all." Raymond waved a hand dismissively. "Nicholas has sent me an urgent message a while ago, hence my hasty return."

The giant knight let out a raspy sigh. "Your family should already be informed right? Make sure that no one under 5th stage of Mana Affinity are alone outside for the next three days."

The old butler chuckled, then bent his waist forward a bit. "Thank you for your advice, Sir Raymond. Then, we won't disturb you any longer, good luck on catching the criminal.

"Hmn." After that single hum, Raymond continued to walk toward the opposite direction.

Only when the knight was out of their sight did the old butler cracked his whip, moving the carriage once again.

"Who is that?" Helen asked through the vertical slits between the carriage and the coach.

"Ah, miss Helen," Franz replied. "That was one of the Grand Commander of the Imperial Army, Raymond Geshalt, have you heard about him?"

"Oh!" Helen exclaimed at the famous name. "Of course I do! He is that Unstoppable Berserk, right? Erk-" Helen quickly realised her slip-of-tongue and put both hands on her mouth.

"Hahaha," Franz laughed lightly. "Indeed, people do call him that!"

With the thick armor as his special trait, Raymond had made a name for himself during the Monster Uprising long ago. Greatsword in hand, he bulldozed through the battlefield, brute forcing the monster's formations and causing mini earthquakes whenever he went. It was not long before the monsters cowered fear from this living fortress.

It is rumoured that Raymond came from a commoner background and it was Nicholas who noticed his potential at first. Throughout the years, Raymond climbed the ranks using his own abilities, before finally reaching where he was right now.

This was why he was even more popular among commoners than Nicholas.

"Please don't tell him about this," Helen said timidly, she found Raymond scary.

"Don't worry, miss Helen," Franz assured. "Truth to be told, Sir Raymond doesn't care on what others called him, be it swine or god; all he cared about was saving lives, as if that is his only purpose of his life..."

The old butler sighed. "So please don't get scared of him, miss Helen. Sir Raymond is a truly noble person."

"Ah… okay!" Hearing the old butler's words, Helen's impression of this hero had gone up another level.

Not long after, the carriage slowed down for the second time. Franz pulled the reins hard, before saying, "Miss Helen, we have arrived."

"Ha?!" Helen shook at the sudden announcement. She glanced out of the window to notice that fortunately, it was a manor, not the castle itself.

'Wait, that's not the point!' She already felt nervous thinking that Catherine came from a marquess family. However, everyone living inside the kingdom's core wall were either prince or princess!

'But there wasn't a princess with the name of Catherine!' Helen was getting flustered, but before she could get herself together, a maid had already opened the carriage door and extended a hand.

"If you please, miss Helen," the maid said with her head slightly bowed. "Madame and young miss Catherine are waiting."

Those words did not make Helen feel better, rather, the word "madame" just clutched her heart even further. However, she had no choice but to take the hand that the maid offered.

When the maid touched Helen's cold hand, she twitched her shoulder a bit, before chanting a short spell.

Immediately, Helen felt all her worries disappear and fuzzy warmth returned to her limbs. This was a magic that Helen was familiar with, [Purify]. The same magic that her grandma always used to soothe her nightmares.

No longer feeling surprised, Helen just sighed quietly. "Thank you."

The maid showed a warm smile, then said, "My pleasure."

Helen stepped down the carriage gracefully and made a small jump at the last step.

Just as her feet touched the ground, a familiar voice resounded from her left, "Hey, you are here!"

When Helen turned, her sight was suddenly covered in darkness.

"Humfff!" A muffled scream escaped her throat, Helen knew that Catherine had successfully assaulted her again.

"Look at you, this is the first time I saw you wearing such a beautiful dress!" Catherine cuddled her best friend tight. "So, so, so cute!"

"Hmff! Hmff!" Helen struggled with all her might.

"Oh, sorry." Catherine immediately let go after noticing her pain.

Helen coughed a few times, then said, "You meanie, I almost got choked!"

"So sorry, I got too excited…" Catherine sulked.

"Jeez…"

Helen looked at her friend, finally noticing that Catherine did not wear a glamorous dress that she imagined. Rather, she wore a simple white nightgown and a gray capelet over her shoulder.

"Hm? What's wrong?" Catherine noticed her friend's stumped glare.

"Err… that…" Helen hesitated for a second. "No dress?"

"Huh?" It was Catherine's turn to be stumped this time.

Both of them stood still in an awkward silence that lasted a few seconds…

"Pft!" Catherine could not hold back her laughter any longer. "Hahahaha! Did you think that all nobles wore dress all the time? Hahahaha! Oh no, my hips, hahaha!"

"W- well excuse me, I'm not a noble! Humph!" Helen pouted, her face had turned red from embarrassment.

"Hey, hey, don't be mad." Catherine wiped off the tears from the corner of her eyes. "I appreciate you dressing up, but you don't have to be so considerate about this."

After regaining her breath, Catherine reached out for Helen's hand and stride to the manor excitedly.

"Come, come, mother can't wait to meet you!"

"Wai- uwa!" Before Helen could say anything, she was already dragged into the majestic manor.