Chapter 130: Leaving the Ducato

With everything properly in place, Monica, Samira, and Beatrice left the house and found themselves face-to-face with Strax, waiting with Apocalipse and the carriage they had bought.

Returning to the carriage where Carlos awaited impatiently, he eyed Strax with a raised eyebrow. "Everything okay?" As he watched the women approach, Strax nodded, mounting the carriage and taking the reins once again. "Yes, we're ready. Let's go."

Beatrice, approaching, asked him something, "Aren't you coming with us in the carriage?" Strax regretfully shook his head, explaining, "If I don't control her, she might end up harming these two innocent horses. She's a bit... jealous about me using another means of transportation." He explained with a wry smile; it was quite strange for him to talk about a mare like that, but it was the truth.

Whenever Strax got close to others of her kind... well, she would blaze with fury, her eyes turning red, showing only one thing... Danger... A lot of danger...

So Strax wasn't keen on discovering what might happen if he put Apocalipse among those two horses. At first, it might seem like a disadvantage for her to be among two sturdy horses, but... He had the impression that she would kill both at the first chance, so he decided not to risk it.

The girls were curious, but Strax's expression told them all they needed to know, so they accepted it. "I'll join you later. I just need her to calm down a bit... she's quite temperamental. It'll be better this way." He concluded, making them nod as they entered the carriage, disappointed they couldn't initially enjoy the trip with him.

Strax mounted Apocalipse and pulled the reins while holding them to prevent her from charging at the other horses, something he thought would be amusing, but wasn't. He looked at Carlos and nodded, and soon the carriage began to move slowly. It was necessary to go slowly within the Ducato due to clear rules, but outside of it, they could act more freely.

"Do you have any plans for the trip?" Strax asked Carlos, who was acting quite calm while guiding the horses. "I have a few plans. The condition of the roads on this side isn't as good as last year." Carlos said, looking ahead without wasting time, already thinking about the route. Few knew, but Carlos was actually a good coachman; it was his first profession before he became... well, an assassin.

"What do you mean by that?" Strax asked, noticing Carlos was pondering something he didn't quite understand. "The main road might be busier this time of year, especially with the exponential increase in mercenaries. Many factions have been shifting lately; even our guild no longer controls this information." Carlos said as he pulled out a map and handed it to Dante.

As they got closer, they could see Ducato soldiers patrolling the area. The checkpoint was a part of the wall surrounding the city, with a gate similar to the other entrance, and a barrier blocking the road. Two soldiers were positioned in front, watching the approach of the carriage.

When Strax stopped the carriage, one of the soldiers, a burly man with a thick beard, approached. His eyes narrowed upon recognizing Strax. "V-Vorah?!?" He questioned, trembling... It was the same soldier who had passed Strax at the entrance on the other side...

Strax looked at the soldier and immediately recognized him. "It's been a while. Could you open the gate for us?" He asked kindly while maintaining a smile.

The soldier looked around, noticing the others in the carriage. "I need to catalog your departure. Could you provide me with some information? The Grand Duke... hasn't been too keen on leaving things loose." He said, and Strax nodded. "Mission," he simply said, and the soldier's eyes widened, nodding quickly.

Strax dismounted Apocalipse and approached the soldier.

Strax took a step closer, lowering his voice to ensure only the soldier could hear. "I need you to pretend you never saw me here. Report only to the main mansion. We're on an important mission, and discretion is crucial."

"I understand..."

Strax gave a faint smile. "Thank you. Just do what you can to facilitate our passage."

He stepped back, signaling the other soldier, who raised the barrier. "You may proceed. Good luck on your journey, young man."