Chapter 23: Prelude to the Journey to the Akarios Island
When they left the royal castle, Vincent couldn't help but grin at the prospect of having their own base, and what's more it's off the main continent. Meaning, no one would see him using his system and summoning military hardware and troops.
It was the best reward that he could have ever wished for and he was glad that the Demon King General Telus attacked the kingdom because if he didn't they would live off the land, and settle on something that is not as secure as the Akarios as they have no legal rights to that place. With Akarios Island, they had a legitimate base of operations.
Alpha 1 noticed Vincent's expression and smirked. "Looks like we hit the jackpot, huh, boss?" Vincent nodded. "Absolutely. This island is the perfect place for us to establish our operations without any prying eyes. We can summon, train, build, and prepare without interference."
Alpha 2 chimed in, "And the fact that it's overrun with monsters means we'll have plenty of opportunities to test out the system's abilities right?"
"You couldn't be more right," Vincent agreed with a grin.
Then as they were about to make their way towards the carriage that took them to the royal castle, Vincent noticed two people standing there as if waiting for someone. He recognized those two, it was Luminova, and Elinalese Claes.
"Oh look who it is," Vincent smiled as he approached the two women. "Good morning to you two."
"Good morning Sir Vincent!" Elinalese greeted, her eyes shining brightly.
"Good morning, Sir Vincent," Luminova said in a composed demeanor.
"What brings you here?" Vincent asked.
"I was told by my father that you'd be a guest for a short while, and I wanted to see you off and wish you luck on your new endeavor," Elinalese replied, her enthusiasm evident.
"And that the Lady has something to give you as well," Luminova added with a hint of a smile.
Elinalese blushed slightly but stepped forward, holding out a small, neatly wrapped package. "I baked some cookies for you and your team. I thought you might enjoy a little taste of home on your journey."
Vincent took the package, a warm smile spreading across his face. "Thank you, Elinalese. That's very kind of you. I'm sure my team will appreciate it."
Elinalese's eyes lit up with happiness. "I hope you like them. They're my special recipe."
"This was a wonderful day," Vincent said, turning to Elinalese and Luminova. "Thank you for showing us around and introducing us to these fantastic dishes."
"It was our pleasure," Elinalese replied, her eyes shining. "We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did."
"We did," Vincent confirmed. "We'll always remember this experience. And we promise to keep in touch and share news of our progress on Akarios Island."
"Akarios Island? So that's where you are going," Elinalese said. "I am familiar with that island. I thought it was infested with monsters."
"Yeah they do...but we'll clean them up," Vincent continued with a confident smile. "We have the means to handle the monsters. Akarios Island will soon be a safe and secure place." Elinalese looked impressed. "That sounds like quite a challenge, but if anyone can do it, it's you and your team."
Luminova nodded in agreement. "We wish you the best of luck, Sir Vincent. Please be careful out there."
"Thank you, Luminova," Vincent replied. "We'll make sure to keep our guard up."
With their farewells exchanged, Vincent and his team finally made their way back to the carriage. As they climbed in, Vincent took one last look at the City Square, feeling a deep sense
of gratitude for the hospitality they had received.
They went back to the Golden Stag where Captain Vandar was there waiting.
"So...are you ready for your journey towards Akarios Island tomorrow?" Vandar asked.
"Yes," Vincent answered simply.
***
Moments later, in their room, Alpha 4 asked an important question.
"What are we to do with the vehicles that we left?"
"Simple, we can't bring it with us. We will have to destroy it."