-Third Person POV-
Dawn had just begun to break as Rainer and Marcel departed from the capital, setting off toward the Lawrence territory.
This was no ordinary journey.
Arkan was racing against time—and more than that, he was trying to delay something that could not be stopped so easily: war.
The Empire's plans had long been anticipated, and what Arkan needed was not a swift victory, but time.
Time to stall the conflict until the right moment arrived.
That was why Rainer moved quickly.
They had to reach Lawrence before too many eyes turned their way.
By midday, the carriage traveled at a steady pace, its wheels creaking softly whenever they rolled over the uneven dirt path.
Through the window, the landscape stretched into rolling green hills beneath a clear blue sky.
The wind slipped through the small gaps, carrying the fresh scent of damp earth and wild grass swaying with the breeze.
Inside the carriage, the atmosphere remained fairly quiet—
