CHAPTER 271: ANOTHER INVITATION

Daliah stepped forward. "Are you going to leave right away?" she asked, looking at Logan.

"Yes," Logan replied. "I should. Even though the other kingdoms have agreed to stop raiding dungeons for now, I don’t know how long they’ll keep their word. And even if they do, this is only a temporary solution. We need to fix the problem at its roots, and for that, I need to grow stronger."

Daliah frowned slightly. "Why do you have to take all the burden on yourself? Can’t we go with you? I mean all other strong hunters, like Mr. Arkman."

"You can enter," Logan said calmly, "but it won’t help. The moment you step inside, your magic will become useless. As I told you before, that dungeon doesn’t contain the artificial mana we rely on, nor does it allow mana to flow in from outside. The only way to clear it is by increasing my cultivation level and mastering the ability to channel internal energy into magic at full capacity. If I wait for everyone else to reach that level... then I’ll be waiting forever."

His tone wasn’t arrogant, it was simply honest. He explained why the burden had to fall on him alone.

Daliah and Rowan exchanged a look, both silent for a moment. They understood his reasoning, but that didn’t make it any easier to accept.

Finally, Rowan sighed. "Alright. We won’t stop you. But at the very least," he said, "I hoped we both could train or more specifically cultivate alongside you. We want to grow strong as well."

"What about the others? Could you teach them the basics?" Logan asked.

"Yes," Rowan replied with a small smile. "And surprisingly, Mr. Arkman turned out to be quite a fast learner."

"That’s good to hear," Logan said. "Then you should all come to my place. We can train together, if you don’t mind staying at my house, of course."

"Really?!" Daliah’s eyes lit up instantly, her voice filled with excitement.

"Yes," Logan said with a faint smile. "I don’t see why not."

"Alright then," Rowan replied with a small nod. "Daliah and I will have to trouble you, then. I hope you don’t mind."

"Mind? What are you even saying?" Logan chuckled. "Everyone will be happy... honored, even. After all, it’s not every day that people from the royal palace come to visit us, let alone stay under the same roof."

"Then it’s settled," Rowan said firmly.

"Alright then, I’ll head back home now. You two can come over whenever you have time," Logan said with a smile.

"Okay," Rowan and Daliah replied in unison.

After that, Logan met with the King and Queen to bid them farewell, then left the palace along with Rudeous and Alice. Rowan and Daliah accompanied them to see them off.

Everyone else, Ali Arkman, John William, and the representatives from the other kingdoms, all had already departed. But when Logan stepped outside with his parents and the royal siblings, he noticed the Starwind couple and their daughter still waiting nearby.

Seeing Logan approach, Noah Starwind greeted him with a bright smile. "Logan! I know you have a lot to do, but how about taking a short detour and visiting my home first? After all the help you’ve given us, I never got the chance to properly thank you."

"Visit your home?" Logan asked, a bit surprised by the sudden invitation. "Is that really necessary?"

"It’s not necessary," Noah said with a warm tone, "but I would truly appreciate it if you did."

"Umm..." Logan hesitated, unsure how to respond. If it weren’t absolutely necessary to convince everyone, he wouldn’t have even come to the royal palace in the first place. Every passing second mattered now. The longer he delayed, the greater the risk that the dungeon boss in Solmyr would cause more chaos.

If it had been any other time, he would have gladly accepted Noah’s invitation but now simply wasn’t the right moment.

Sensing his hesitation, Alice gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "You should go, honey," she said softly. "It won’t take much of your time. And after everything they’ve done for you, it wouldn’t feel right to turn them down."

What Alice said was true. In truth, both sides owed each other favors. Noah and Emily had helped Logan on multiple occasions, like Emily had healed him during the Young Elite Tournament, and Noah had given him a spatial ring. Likewise, Logan had repaid them in kind, like when he helped Noah during the dungeon break after the wyvern attack.

After a brief moment of thought, Logan finally nodded. "Alright," he said quietly.

Lilith’s eyes lit up for an instant, but she quickly forced the expression away, not wanting anyone to notice.

Noah smiled warmly. "Thanks."

Emily then walked up to Alice and gestured toward a carriage waiting near the gate. "Mrs. Smith, this way, please."

"Thank you," Alice replied with a gentle smile as she followed alongside her.

Logan turned to Rowan and gave a slight nod. "See you soon, then."

Rowan returned the gesture. "Yes. See you soon."

With that, Logan walked ahead with the others, and they all boarded the carriage. Once everyone was seated, Noah signaled the coachman to move.

The coachman flicked the reins, and the horses began trotting forward, the rhythmic clop-clop of hooves echoing through the courtyard.

After standing there for a while, Rowan glanced at Daliah and said, "Let’s head back. Since Logan went to Mr. Starwind’s residence, we’ll visit him the day after tomorrow and then we can begin training together."

Daliah nodded in agreement, and the two made their way back toward the palace.

But neither of them realized that someone was watching.

From the window of his room, Elias stood silently, his eyes narrowed. "So... they’re going to train with him," he muttered under his breath.

Meanwhile the atmosphere inside the carriage was neither too lively nor too quiet. Alice and Emily sat side by side, chatting and laughing from time to time, while Lilith sat quietly between them.

Logan watched them with a faint smile. Seeing his mother happy brought him peace. This was what he had always wished for. Now that Lady Mirena was out of the picture, Alice had finally begun to open up, her laughter no longer forced but genuine.

Across from them, Noah and Rudeous who were seated on both sides of Logan, exchanged a few words occasionally, their conversation light but friendly.

Lilith, however, remained silent, her gaze fixed on her feet. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to speak, she simply didn’t know what to say. Though she had been the one who suggested inviting Logan to their home, she now couldn’t stop questioning herself.

"What was I even thinking? I really hope Father doesn’t mention that I was the one who suggested it. That would be so embarrassing..." she groaned inwardly, burying her face slightly as she sighed.

Time passed quietly, and before long, everyone inside the carriage had drifted off to sleep. The journey from Solvane to Noah’s residence was far from short, it took nearly eight hours before they finally arrived.

When the carriage came to a stop, the coachman climbed down, opened the door, and gently called out to inform them of their arrival, since all of them were still asleep.

One by one, they woke up, rubbing their eyes as they stepped out into the cool night air. Noah smiled warmly and gestured toward the entrance. "Welcome to our home," he said, leading Logan and his family inside.

As soon as they entered, Logan couldn’t help but be impressed. Though the Starwind couple weren’t nobles, let alone royalty, their home was tastefully decorated, elegant without being ostentatious. Every piece of furniture and decor reflected refinement and warmth rather than extravagance.

"Please, take some time to freshen up," Noah said with a courteous tone. "We’ll have dinner afterward."

"Alright," everyone agreed with a nod. Rudeous and Alice were then shown to one guest room, while Logan was guided to another.

Once inside, Logan stepped into the washroom and looked at himself in the mirror. His reflection stared back.. calm, but determined. "I really need to get back home soon," he muttered quietly. "After this, I won’t stop until I reach the Martial Emperor Realm."

A few moments later, everyone had finished freshening up and stepped out of their rooms.

Emily was already waiting in the corridor, ready to guide them. Lilith, meanwhile, walked ahead to lead Logan toward the dining hall. For some reason, though, she couldn’t bring herself to look directly at him.

Once they reached the dining hall, everyone took their seats and the dinner began. The atmosphere was warm and lively, filled with light chatter and laughter.

In the middle of the meal, Noah turned toward Logan with a curious smile. "So, Logan, I assume you’ll start cultivating again as soon as you return home, right?"

"Yes," Logan replied. "In fact, Rowan and Daliah will be coming to train with me as well."

"What?!" Lilith suddenly blurted out, her eyes widening in surprise.