Reincarnated as an Elf Prince-Chapter 85: Road

Thalorin glanced at the three of them, lingering on Cassian and Luneth for a moment longer than necessary.

"…You're actually taking them with you?"

Lindarion crossed his arms. "I was serious yesterday."

Thalorin sighed through his nose but didn't argue.

"Very well," he said. "Then listen carefully."

Lindarion, Cassian, and Luneth straightened as the Headmaster continued.

"House Valciel is not a house that asks for aid lightly. Be mindful of their customs, and more importantly—be wary of what they aren't telling you."

Lindarion frowned. "You think they're hiding something?"

Thalorin gave him a pointed look as he chuckled. "Everyone is hiding something."

Luneth nodded slightly, as if she already agreed. Cassian just sighed. "Great. This is already sounding ominous, Headmaster."

Thalorin ignored him. He reached into his coat and handed Lindarion a small silver insignia.

"This will verify your authority as an Academy representative," he explained. "Use it wisely."

'So we are the representatives, I see.'

Lindarion turned it over in his fingers. The emblem shimmered faintly with mana, its weight heavier than it should have been.

Something about it felt… final.

Thalorin took a step back. "Your destination is Silvermere, follow the road outside of the city. If you ever get lost you can ask fellow travelers for help. That is all. If things go poorly, you can contact me through it."

'Hopefully that won't be necessary.'

Lindarion nodded, tucking the insignia away.

Cassian clapped his hands together. "Alright. Let's get moving before I change my mind."

Luneth tilted her head. "You were given a choice. You wanted to come."

Cassian sighed dramatically. "I like to pretend that I make good decisions."

Lindarion ignored them both.

With their supplies secured and their destination ahead, they stepped through the gates—

And left the Academy behind.

—

The sun had reached its peak, casting golden light over the rolling hills as Lindarion, Luneth, and Cassian walked along the winding road.

Behind them, the towering spires of Eldenholm had long since faded into the horizon, replaced by endless stretches of green and the occasional pocket of woodland.

'Couldn't the old man just teleport us there…?'

The journey to Silvermere—a prominent trade city and the place where they'd meet House Valciel—was a long one, but the road was well-traveled.

On the road merchants, adventurers, and travelers passed by in either direction, some giving friendly nods, others gripping their weapons a little tighter at the sight of three armed strangers.

Cassian let out a theatrical groan. "Are we there yet?"

Lindarion didn't bother looking at him. "We've barely been walking half a day."

"Exactly," Cassian grumbled. "Half a day too long."

Luneth, walking slightly ahead, adjusted the strap of her pack. "You could try shutting up. That might help."

Cassian scoffed. "You wound me."

Lindarion exhaled. "Both of you. Focus."

Cassian muttered something under his breath but didn't push further.

The road stretched on. To their left, a small creek wound its way through the hills, glittering under the sunlight. To their right, the trees grew thicker, their dark canopies casting long shadows over the path.

Lindarion noticed Luneth glancing at the woods more often than usual.

"You sense something?" he asked.

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She hesitated before answering. "Not yet."

Cassian groaned. "Can we just have one normal, uneventful trip?"

"No," Luneth and Lindarion said at the same time.

Cassian sighed. "Figures."

They continued without incident, though the occasional rustle in the underbrush made Luneth's fingers twitch toward her daggers.

By midday, they stopped near the creek to rest. Cassian immediately collapsed onto the grass. "Tell me when we start moving again," he mumbled.

Luneth perched on a rock, scanning the treeline, while Lindarion knelt by the water, letting the cool stream run over his fingers.

Silvermere wasn't far now.

And whatever House Valciel wanted—it wouldn't be simple.

The sound of the creek was the only thing filling the silence.

The water moved lazily over smooth stones, carrying with it a cool breeze that barely touched the growing heat of the day.

'It's good.'

Lindarion kept his hand submerged, watching as the ripples distorted his reflection.

It was almost peaceful.

Almost.

"You ever wonder why people live in the middle of nowhere?" Cassian's voice broke the silence, muffled by the grass he was currently using as a pillow.

'What kind of question is that out of nowhere?'

Lindarion didn't answer immediately. He wasn't sure if the question was rhetorical or if Cassian was just speaking to pass the time.

Luneth, however, had an answer. "Safety. Resources. Isolation."

Cassian groaned. "You make it sound miserable."

'It kind of is miserable.'

Luneth tilted her head, watching a pair of birds flit between the trees. "Maybe it is."

Lindarion finally withdrew his hand from the water, letting the droplets slide off his fingertips. He shook off the excess before standing. "We should move."

Cassian made a dramatic show of getting up, stretching his arms over his head. "You're ruthless, you know that?"

"I do."

Luneth was already adjusting the straps of her pack. "We can reach Silvermere before sundown if we keep moving."

Cassian sighed but didn't argue.

They set off again, the road stretching endlessly before them. The afternoon heat pressed down on their backs, making even the wind feel sluggish. The travelers they'd seen earlier had thinned out, leaving the road emptier, quieter.

Too quiet.

'Something is definitely wrong.'

Lindarion caught the way Luneth's shoulders tensed. She didn't speak, but she didn't have to—he could sense it too.

Something was wrong.

Cassian, oblivious as always, was humming under his breath when Lindarion suddenly raised a hand.

"Stop."

Cassian nearly tripped. "What?"

Luneth had already drawn one of her daggers. Her gaze was sharp, fixed on the road ahead.

Or rather, the lack of a road.

The once well-traveled path had abruptly ended. Where there should have been packed dirt and wagon tracks, there was nothing. Just empty space.

Lindarion's fingers twitched toward his sword. "Illusion magic. But it isn't attacking our minds."

Luneth nodded. "Someone wants us to turn around."

Cassian exhaled slowly. "Great. I love getting cursed before dinner."

Lindarion ignored him, stepping forward cautiously. The moment the tip of his boot touched the 'nothingness,' a ripple spread outward like a stone dropped in a pond. For a brief moment, the road flickered back into existence—only to vanish again.

Cassian whistled. "That's unsettling."

Lindarion turned to Luneth. "Dispel it?"

She frowned. "If I try, whoever used it will know."

Lindarion considered that. A warning, then.

Or a test.

Cassian glanced between them. "So? What's the plan?"

Lindarion exhaled.

They could turn back. Find another route. Pretend they hadn't seen it.

But that wasn't an option, was it?

Lindarion exhaled, rolling his shoulders as if shaking off an invisible weight.

"Just stay close," he said, stepping forward.

Cassian hesitated. "That's it? No dramatic incantation? No—"

'Can he ever shut up for a second?'

Lindarion ignored him and kept walking.

The moment his foot touched the illusion, the air rippled again, distorting like heat rising off stone. But unlike before, the flickering didn't stop. The magic wavered, its edges curling and peeling away like old paint.

Luneth followed immediately. She didn't question it, didn't hesitate.

Cassian, on the other hand, watched them step into what still looked like empty space and made a face. "I hate this already."

Still, he followed.

The shift was immediate.

One moment, they were standing before a chasm of nothingness. The next, the road was beneath their feet again—intact, real, as if it had never disappeared in the first place.

Cassian let out a low whistle. "Okay, that was creepy."

Luneth glanced at Lindarion. "You recognized the skill?"

"I didn't." Lindarion kept his pace steady. "I just have a good resistance against things that try tricking my mind. Whoever placed it wasn't trying to keep people out though—they were testing who could get through."

Cassian frowned. "And you just walked through it like it was nothing."

Lindarion didn't respond immediately. He had felt the magic press against him, almost searching, before unraveling entirely.

Whoever had set the illusion hadn't been expecting someone like him to break it so easily.

Luneth, as always, was already piecing it together. "You've seen this magic before?"

Lindarion shook his head.

Cassian blinked. "Seriously?"

'Seriously dumbass..'

Lindarion didn't answer. Instead, he turned his attention to the road ahead. The spell was broken, but the presence that had cast it was still out there. Watching.

'Testing us huh?'

He could feel it.

And he had no intention of failing.

Luneth's fingers hovered near her belt, where a throwing knife rested. Cassian, sensing the tension, muttered under his breath, "I'm guessing we're not alone?"

Lindarion gave the barest nod. "Keep walking."

Cassian sighed. "Hate that answer."

The road ahead sloped downward, curving into the mist-drenched hills. The closer they got to House Valciel's territory, the thicker the fog became, rolling in slow and deliberate waves. The world felt muted, sound swallowed by the shifting gray.

'Too quiet again.'

Lindarion's ears twitched at the faintest disturbance. Not footsteps. Not rustling leaves. Just… something. A presence lingering at the edges of perception.

Luneth shifted closer. "They're not attacking."

"They're waiting," Lindarion murmured.

Cassian let out a short laugh, though it was more nervous than amused. "Waiting for what?"

Lindarion didn't answer.

Because he wasn't sure yet.