I Became a Dark Fantasy Villain

The knight’s full plate armor was studded with magic stones, and at the center of his breastplate was a golden circle—the symbol of Lu Solar. It wasn’t hard to guess he was one of the paladins, said to serve the Western Duke.

"Looks like word reached the duke that I’ve been traveling with you," Thesaya said, her gaze still fixed on the approaching carriage and paladin. "Still, I didn’t expect them to come to us first. Not like meeting us here would change much."

"They must have another reason."

Ian nodded slightly. His gaze moved past the knight to the blond youth beside him, likely a squire doubling as the coachman, then to the carriage itself. It was large and solid, rivaling even the princess’s carriage.

Thesaya glanced at him. "Got any guesses?"

Ian shrugged. "A few. But I’ll know for sure once we hear them out."

Thesaya narrowed her eyes. "Should we just slip away? We can just make them waste time. They might not even recognize us."

Ian shook his head faintly. "No. If they’ve come this far, avoiding them won’t change anything. Might just make things more troublesome."

Besides, unless they were here to test his reputation firsthand, there was little chance of things turning bloody.