<h4>Chapter 798- Stealing the Air Engine (2)</h4>


    Inside the tent, the princess stood before arge table, pointing at the map and giving instructions to the adventurers and her fellow subordinates. Emma who was tasked with guarding her was also there silently standing still like a doll.


    "If we take the most travelled route, it would take us more than a month to reach our destination. As this is a raid, we must make haste and strike at our opponents when they least expect us. If we go with the path the people usually use, we will lose the factor of surprise. Which is why, I propose that we march straight making a beeline through the forest" Cynthia spoke, highlighting her ns.


    "Hmm, it''s not a bad idea" ke muttered looking at the map "However, Your Highness you are forgetting one thing. The northern ouw forest is named as such because of the numerous ouws that amass here"


    "A straight path will lead straight to their den and then there are also the monsters we have to look out for. If we factor all that in, the speed of our march regardless of which path we choose, will end up being the same".


    He pointed at a particr region of the map that was still mostly uncharted.


    "About that, you don''t have to worry about the bandits. The town they created, the ck town has been razed to the ground" Expecting the adventurers to bring out the subject of bandits, Cynthia dropped a shocking revtion.


    ck town was razed!! As one would expect, as soon as the adventurers heard that, most of them wore an astonished expression. Those from the kingdom, knew that the Northern Ouw Forest got its infamy because of the numerous cases of arson and stealing that happened around here.


    Nobody knew when but at some unknown point in time, the forest became a ck region that attracted all sorts of criminals and ouws from all around the kingdom. Be it murderers, simple thieves or even rogue adventurers, those who did not get along with the society, found themselves here.


    And the ck town was the town that they established deep inside the northern ouw forest. It has nows and everything from the slightest fight to even the most brutal atrocities wasmon there.


    Essentially, it was a town that was ruled by thews of the jungle. Strong survived while the weak was preyed upon.


    The establishment of such a dangerous ce of course raised some concerns. However, every time the neighbouring dukes tried to take the ouws down, they would either get away by hiding or by bribing off the nobles.


    Thus the reason why the ck town managed to survive so far. That said, only a few people who have actually travelled to the ck town or are privy to some information, would know that the actual reason why the ck town manages to survive every time, is because of some of the powerful ex-adventurers and heinous criminals whose names had once shaken the kingdom, now lost in the annals of history rumoured to be still surviving and hiding inside the ck town.


    ke being one of the people who had once travelled to the ck town, and had seen those ancient legends up close, was the most shocked.


    The names like Godwin, Raven, Benny Beckman or Karina Lowell only came muchter on. Before them, it was the era of people like Adger the axe hand, bloody de Orman and Zackary the unkible, the kingdom''s most powerful adventurers and criminals.


    As long as they were there, there was no way the ck town could be destroyed. Then again, the princess was not among the people to joke about matters of importance like the ck town.


    Which could only mean that the ck town was actually razed to the ground along with all those people. To be able to defeat legends like the Axe hand Adger and Zackary the unkible, it was not like there was no such individual amongst Her Highness'' people who could achieve something like this.


    The two women who always stuck close to Her Highness and that unusual group of demi humans came to mind. If it were those people, then it wasn''t unimaginable.


    After fighting and going through the ordeals in the tower town together, ke hade to realise something. The group of people around Her Highness except for Alvara and the others, were very peculiar.


    This evaluation of his was not just based on their appearance and race but also on their character and strength. Although he had only seen them fight once or twice, he knew that every single one of them was insanely strong.


    And from the few times he tried to interact with them, he came to know about their personality which was very callous, detached and unempathetic. As if everything that was going on around them, had nothing to do with them and they viewed everything from the perspective of a third person.


    In short, it was very different from the way people like them viewed things. It was for this reason that he believed them to be very peculiar.


    Come to think of it, he hasn''t seen the group of demihumans and those two children around for a while. Their unusual disappearance and the news about the ck Town being razed. ke quickly put the two and two together.


    And as if to prove that his hunch was right, Cynthia nced towards the woman named Ate who assured everyone inside the tent to no worry about the bandits of the ck Town.


    "If Her Highness and Miss Ate are saying so then taking a straight path through the forest would be the best option and less time consuming. Assuming that we don''t have to worry about the bandits which makes the monsters the only thing for us to deal with, it would significantly increase our travel speed"


    Wyotmented, adding in his thoughts. It appeared that he too must have realised something.


    Now that their travel route had been decided, the group discussed about the other various things like their formation, teams, switching times, camping grounds and other such things before retiring into their own tents for the day.


    After everyone left, Cynthia and Ate were the only ones left inside the tent.


    "So, what''s going on? Did you receive a report?" Noticing the slight change in Ate''s behaviour Cynthia asked.


    The former nodded her head and reiterated the report she heard from one of her teammates.


    "An air engine has taken off from Duke''s castlest night and is headed for the city of Mountmend. Considering its speed, it must have already entered the forest region. What do you want to do, Your Highness?"…


    Cynthia calmly heard Ate''s report before asking a question "Who is onboard?"…


    "Lucas ckwood, Benny Beckerman and a few other individuals for a total of nine individuals. Given their number and level, I don''t think they have any good intention foring over".


    "Lucas huh" She muttered crossing her arms "It looks like he still hasn''t given up even after I rejected his proposal. If he ising over with someone like Beny Beckerman, then it must mean that he has heard the news of me being alive"


    "However, my brother won''t allow Lucas who is now the sessor of Duke Montford, toe to me on his own. The fact that he used the air engine, the exclusive ship of Lord Montford''s to sneak out at night, I must mean that he is not on orders from my brother". Cynthia only needed a few information to know the motives and ns of the other party.


    "How do you n to take care of it, Your Highness? If you wan''t, I can tell the others to strike down the Air Engine and take care of the people inside" Ate suggested.


    "No, find a way to make them aware that I am here. Once Lucas knows that I am in the Northern Ouw Forest, he will surelynd the Air Engine. Once they are out, we can then take them out".


    Manufacturing an Air Engine costs a fortune and the kingdom of Ellesmere does not have the technology to build them. Instead of destroying the Air Engine, Cynthia nned to use it for herself in the uing raid against the Castledor city.At that time it would no doubt prove extremely useful.


    "I don''t like imposing on you again, but can you please take care of those on board? If I let the forces on our side to engage them, who knows how many losses we will suffer? I cannot let that happen before the raid" She turned towards Ate and requested.


    "Leave it to us, Master specifically asked me to aid you in every way possible. Since you want the Air Engine, then that''s what will happen"


    The maid simply nodded her head and nonchntly epted the task. Her attitude was so casual that it didn''t seem like she had just epted a dangerous and troublesome task but instead something as insignificant as going off to the market to buy some vegetables.


    "Are you certain that you will be able to win? The other party has Lucas, Benny Beckerman and other high level individuals"


    Cynthia asked in concern. Since she hadn''t personally seen Ate and the others fighting, she didn''t know exactly how strong they were. Nevertheless, given that they were ''his'' subordinates, she believed that they were quite strong. But so were Benny Beckerman and Lucas.


    Seeing Cynthia Worry for her, Ate couldn''t help but smile. "Your Highness does not need to worry about me. If I can''t even handle the likes of them, then I would be shaming myself and the title of Valkyrie".