Reincarnated as a Princess's Pet: With Trash Stats, but SSS-Rank Skill-Chapter 48: We Depart for the Devil Kingdom

Max, Sophie, Moonlight, and Elanor were still standing in the hallway.

Then heavy footsteps echoed from the other end of the corridor.

Clank.

Clank.

Clank.

A tall figure covered in armor walked toward them.

Neros.

The knight stopped in front of the group.

"Don is already finishing the preparations for the carriages."

His deep voice echoed from inside the helmet.

"We will depart soon."

Elanor sighed.

"Then I suppose I’ll have to skip my magic classes today."

Max raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure your teacher won’t kill you?"

Elanor smiled slightly.

"For this reason, I think she’ll understand."

She looked at the group.

"I want to say goodbye before you leave."

Neros gave a slight nod.

"I’ll wait outside."

Then he added calmly,

"Take the time you need."

Sophie smiled.

"Thank you very much, brother."

Moon’s eyes widened.

"...Brother?"

She looked at Neros in surprise.

"That guy is your brother?"

Sophie let out a small laugh.

"Yes."

Neros was already turning around to leave.

As he walked down the hallway, something moved behind him.

Moon tilted her head.

"...Is that...?"

A long tail gently swayed from side to side.

It was completely covered in fragments of armor, like an extension of his gear.

Moon’s eyes widened in fascination.

"He has a tail!"

Then she frowned, staring at the helmet.

"Wait..."

She leaned closer to Sophie.

"Does he also have ears under there?"

Sophie laughed.

"Yes."

Then she added casually,

"Though they’re not whole anymore."

Moon blinked.

"...Huh?"

Sophie pointed at Neros’s helmet as he walked away.

"They were cut off in battle."

She said it with a calmness that contrasted with what it meant.

"That’s why he doesn’t mind wearing a helmet all the time."

Max stayed silent for a few seconds.

He didn’t know what to say.

Elanor let out a small laugh.

"Yes... My father has a special talent for choosing personal guards."

Max sighed.

Then he looked at the group.

"Well."

He shrugged.

"If you’re ready, then I’m ready too."

Sophie nodded.

"I already made the preparations for the trip."

Moon raised a hand enthusiastically.

"I’m more than ready!"

Max smiled slightly.

"Then let’s go."

He looked toward the end of the hallway.

"To the carriages."

***

Max, Moonlight, Sophie, and Elanor left the castle.

The main courtyard was full of activity.

Two carriages were waiting near the entrance.

The horses were already harnessed.

A little further ahead, Don was arguing with two short, bearded men.

Two dwarves.

One had a very long red beard braided into several strands.

The other had a thick black beard that almost reached his chest.

"I’m telling you this carriage is perfectly balanced!" growled the red-bearded dwarf.

"Balanced my boots!" the other snapped. "The right axle is half crooked!"

Don rubbed his forehead.

"The axle isn’t crooked! The problem is that you load everything like it’s a mountain!"

Max walked closer when he saw the scene.

A few meters away, Neros was talking with another figure.

A tall elf with light-colored hair.

Max recognized him immediately.

Dorian.

Max raised a hand.

"Sorry to interrupt."

Dorian turned his head.

His eyes lit up when he saw him.

"Max!"

He smiled enthusiastically.

"What a joy to see you again."

Then he added in a tone full of irony,

"And what a pleasure to know I’m going off on another adventure."

Max raised an eyebrow.

"I didn’t know you were coming with us."

Dorian shrugged.

"It was fairly obvious."

He adjusted his belt.

"With the importance of this mission, they would need an experienced healer outside the kingdom."

Neros spoke then.

"Actually, he wasn’t going to come."

Dorian glanced at him from the corner of his eye.

Neros continued with absolute calm.

"But he heard that his dear Lord Max would be part of the mission."

He paused slightly.

"So he said he would come... to remember the old times."

Dorian froze for a second.

Then he coughed awkwardly.

"I told you not to say that."

Neros let out a small laugh.

But suddenly his expression changed.

His posture became rigid.

He looked directly at Max.

"The king ordered me to accompany you."

His voice became serious again.

"I am at your service."

He gave a slight bow of his head.

"Do not hesitate to give me orders whenever you consider it necessary."

Max extended his hand.

Neros shook it.

"Thank you for coming with us."

At that moment, two small figures ran toward them.

"Max!"

"Lord Max!"

Bim and Bam arrived carrying several bags.

Max looked at them in surprise.

"What’s all this?"

Bam smiled.

"Provisions."

Bim nodded enthusiastically.

"From Bertha."

Max raised an eyebrow.

"Bertha didn’t come?"

Bam laughed.

"She said she doesn’t like goodbyes. If she came, she’d cry too much."

Bim laughed too.

"So she sent us instead, with these supplies for the road."

They handed the bags to Max, Sophie, and Moon.

"Take care."

Max smiled.

"Thanks."

Sophie bowed her head slightly.

"Thank you very much."

A little further away, Don finally stopped arguing with the dwarves.

"That’s it!"

He turned toward the group.

"Everything’s ready to go!"

Elanor stepped forward.

Suddenly she hugged Moon and Max at the same time.

"Please take care."

Moon hugged her tightly.

Max couldn’t help but smile.

"Trust me."

He paused briefly.

"We’ll come back."

Then he added,

"All of us. Including Abby."

Elanor stepped back.

She pulled a small pouch from her waist.

She handed it to Max.

The sound of coins clinking could be heard immediately.

"Gold."

Max looked at her in surprise.

"In case you need it."

Max nodded.

"Thanks."

Then he looked toward the carriages.

"Well. It’s time."

The group headed toward them.

Max, Moonlight, and Dorian climbed into the first carriage.

The one driven by the red-bearded dwarf.

Varis.

In the second carriage, the black-bearded dwarf took the reins.

Thog.

Sophie climbed in with Neros.

Moon looked around.

"I thought there would be more of us."

Dorian smiled.

"Don’t worry."

He pointed forward.

"Varis and Thog aren’t just drivers."

He paused.

"They know how to fight too."

The horses began to move, and with them the carriages.

They slowly advanced along the road leading away from the castle.

Max leaned out the window.

In the distance, Elanor, Bim, Bam, and Don were raising their hands to say goodbye.

Max raised his hand.

Moon started waving enthusiastically too.

"Goodbye!"

The carriages kept moving.

And little by little, the castle was left behind.