Lyra's POV:
The dusty road eventually widened as more travelers began appearing.
Merchants with carts.
Farmers returning from the fields.
A few guards patrolled the outer roads.
Lyra knew what that meant.
They were close.
After another fifteen minutes of walking, the massive stone walls finally appeared in the distance.
Tall.
Gray.
Old but well-maintained.
The city gate stood beneath a large stone arch carved with ancient runes.
Above the gate, a name was engraved into the stone.
Lunaris.
The border city of the Arcanis Kingdom.
Lyra slowed her steps slightly as she approached.
So this was the place.
A decent city. Not too large, not too small.
Perfect for disappearing into normal life.
Just as she reached the gate arch, two armored guards stepped forward and blocked her path.
"Halt."
One of them looked her up and down.
His gaze briefly lingered on her face before moving to the bundle in her arms.
"Entry fee."
Lyra raised an eyebrow.
"Entry fee?"
The second guard crossed his arms.
"Two silver coins."
Lyra frowned slightly.
"That seems a bit high for a simple city entry."
The first guard shrugged lazily.
"Fixed rate."
Lyra looked at them silently for a moment.
She knew exactly what this was.
Petty corruption.
Very common in human cities.
Still, arguing further would only draw attention.
And attention was the last thing she wanted.
With a quiet sigh, she reached into her pouch and handed over the coins.
The guard quickly snatched them.
"Welcome to Lunaris."
His tone had suddenly become much friendlier.
Lyra resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
Just before walking past them, she asked calmly,
"Where can I buy a house in this city?"
The guards exchanged a glance.
Then the second one pointed down the main road.
"Follow the central street. You'll find the property office near the merchant district."
Lyra nodded once.
"Thank you."
Then she walked through the gate.
The moment she entered the city, the noise of civilization surrounded her.
People talking.
Blacksmith hammers ringing.
Merchants shouting prices.
Children running through the streets.
It had been a long time since she had walked among humans like this.
But while her expression remained calm, something else quietly spread outward from her.
Her soul sense.
An invisible wave of perception expanded from her body.
Through it, Lyra could feel everything around her.
The movement of people.
The flow of qi in the air.
The strength of nearby individuals.
Within seconds, her awareness covered several streets.
Weak.
All of them.
Most people in this city barely had any spiritual presence at all.
Even the guards near the gate were insignificant.
None of them could detect her soul sense.
The power gap was simply too great.
To them, she was nothing more than a normal woman carrying a child.
Lyra allowed herself a small, amused smile.
Good.
That meant her plan would work perfectly.
She continued walking through the busy streets, following the direction the guards had given her.
Soon, she would secure a house.
And once that was done—
She could begin preparing the life that her prince deserved.
Lyra looked down at the sleeping Evan in her arms.
Her expression softened.
"Don't worry, my prince," she murmured.
"This world may be cruel…"
"But I will make sure you grow strong enough to conquer it."
Then she continued walking toward the merchant district of Lunaris.
Evan's POV:
Lyra continued walking through the streets of Lunaris, her steps calm and steady.
"Don't worry, my prince," she murmured softly.
"This world may be cruel…"
"But I will make sure you grow strong enough to conquer it."
Evan remained still in her arms.
His breathing was slow.
His eyes closed.
He looked like a sleeping infant.
But inside—
His mind was fully awake.
Strong enough to conquer it…
Evan quietly repeated her words in his mind.
From everything he had seen so far, one thing was already clear.
Lyra was far from ordinary.
The way she killed those bandits…
The way she burned their bodies without even looking…
The way she walked through the city showed not the slightest hint of concern.
She's strong.
Very strong.
Evan slowly opened his mind and focused inward.
If the system could show my status…
Then perhaps—
Can I see hers?
He silently activated the same function he had used earlier.
Status.
For a brief moment, nothing happened.
Then—
A faint system response appeared in his mind.
!~Ding~!
A new interface unfolded before his consciousness.
────────────────────
Name: Lyra Valen
Race: Unknown
Age: 253
Realm: Mortal Plane (Heavenly Restricted)
────────────────────
[Cultivation State]
Body: Peak Perfect Mortal Body
Soul: Peak Sovereign Soul
Essence: Peak Perfect Essence
────────────────────
{ Target's original existence has been sealed by higher laws.
Current power is forcibly restricted to the peak stage of Mortal cultivation.
Full analysis unavailable. }
────────────────────
[Notes]
Extremely loyal to Her Majesty Elara Veyndral.
Likes Prince Evan.
────────────────────
Evan's mind froze for a moment.
'A 250-year-old war veteran 'likes' me? Is that a 'puppy' like or a 'loyal knight' like? The documentation on this System is terrible.'
Just who exactly are you, Lyra?
His first reaction wasn't fear.
It was confusion.
Lyra looked like she was in her twenties.
Maybe mid-twenties at most.
Yet the system clearly stated her age.
Two hundred and fifty-three years old.
His mind quickly processed the other information.
Mortal Plane… Heavenly Restricted…
Which meant…
She wasn't originally supposed to be here.
And her power—
Had been sealed.
Evan reread the cultivation lines again.
Peak Perfect Mortal Body.
Peak Sovereign Soul.
Peak Perfect Essence.
Even though he didn't fully understand what those titles meant yet…
One thing was obvious.
She was currently at the very peak of this world's mortal power.
And that was only her restricted state.
Which meant her real strength…
Was probably far beyond this.
Evan remained silent in her arms, pretending to sleep.
But his thoughts were racing.
Then his eyes moved to the final section.
[Notes]
He read the lines carefully.
Extremely loyal to Her Majesty Elara Veyndral.
That part made sense.
Lyra had mentioned "Her Majesty" several times already.
But the next line made him pause.
Likes Prince Evan.
Evan blinked internally.
"…Likes?"
That was a surprisingly simple description.
After everything she had done for him—
Leaving her world.
Protecting him.
Calling him my prince every few minutes.
The system simply summarized it as…
Likes.
Evan almost laughed.
If he could move his face properly, he probably would have smiled.
Instead, he remained still.
Quietly lying in Lyra's arms.
But inside—
His thoughts were calmer now.
Stronger.
More certain.
This world was dangerous.
Cruel.
But he wasn't alone.
Lyra Valen.
A woman who had lived for more than two centuries.
A woman whose power had been sealed by heaven itself.
And yet—
She had followed him here.
To protect him.
Evan slowly closed the system window.
Good.
If someone like her was on his side…
Then, surviving in this world suddenly didn't feel impossible anymore.
For now—
He would grow.
Slowly.
Carefully.
And one day…
He would become strong enough that even someone like Lyra wouldn't need to protect him anymore. Instead, I will repay her by protecting her.
He smiled inwardly.
Until that day came—
Evan continued pretending to sleep peacefully in her arms as they walked deeper into the city of Lunaris.
But inside his mind…
The gears of a new life had already begun turning.