Return of the General's Daughter
Chapter 141: She Left

Chapter 141: She Left

After breakfast, Lara met Odin in the mayor’s study. Lara handed the prescription to General Odin, her fingers lingering briefly on the parchment before stepping back. She met the general’s gaze one last time and bid him farewell, her voice steady but quiet. "The time for me to return to the Norse Family has not yet come."

Odin and his sons exchanged solemn glances. She was right. Whoever had orchestrated her abduction two years ago would surely be alerted once they learned Lara had escaped — and worse, that she hadn’t been sold. Her return now would only stir the people hiding in the dark.

That same morning, Lara slipped out of Carles under a pale sky, the air cool and sharp. The rocky slopes of Mount Roca loomed ahead, jagged and unwelcoming. She picked her way across the uneven ground with practiced ease, each step calculated. The mountain’s silence pressed down on her, but soon she felt it — a prickling at the back of her neck. Someone was following her.

Her grip tightened around the hilt of her knife. Quickening her pace, she darted behind a big tree, pressing her back against its rough bark. She pretended to rest, her eyes scanning the terrain, searching for the unseen presence. The mountain wind whispered through the pines, rustling leaves, and stirring shadows. Lara held her breath, listening intently.

Silence. There was only the soft rustle of the leaves being blown by a gentle breeze.

She frowned, her instincts screaming that she wasn’t alone. Still, no sound betrayed a pursuer, no movement flickered in the undergrowth.

Lara did not intend to follow the longer path. Wasting no more time, she reached for the rope coiled around her waist and fitted it with a four-pronged grappling hook. Her eyes flicked upward to the steep, craggy slope towering two stories high. She swung the rope in a fluid arc, the hook catching solidly on the rock face. Testing its hold, she hoisted herself upward, muscles straining but movements graceful, almost effortless.

She was about to pull up the rope when a hurried voice called from below.

"Kane, wait! Don’t pull it up. I want to climb using that too."

Lara stiffened. Aramis. So he’d been the one tailing her? But why? And what was he doing here when Alaric was supposed to be in Carles?

However, when she peered down, her breath caught. It wasn’t just Aramis. Agilus stood beside him, along with Redon — Prince Alaric’s other secret guard — and the rest of the soldiers who had traveled with them to Carles. Yet Alaric himself was nowhere to be seen. Lara’s brows knitted together. Why were all his men here while Alaric and Angus were missing?

A soft rustle behind her snapped her attention back to the present. In one swift motion, she unsheathed her thigh-knife and whirled around, blade glinting in the light as she thrust it to the intruder.

The man caught her arm with the knife.

"It’s me."

Alaric released her hand, a smirk tugging at his lips. His eyes glimmered with admiration. Even Aramis might struggle to match Lara’s speed.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded, sheathing her knife but not relaxing. "Aren’t you staying in Carles?"

"My business there is done," he replied, voice cool. "The two princes arrive today — I made space for them." His tone was laced with quiet mockery. Lara could sense the tension in his words.

Was his relationship with the other princes that bad?

"And besides, some of my soldiers were still recuperating in Galeya’s Throne," he added.

Lara only hummed in response. While they spoke, more grappling hooks flew over the ledge. One by one, Alaric’s soldiers climbed to join them, their faces shadowed with exertion. The group still had another ten-meter ascent ahead, followed by a treacherous two-hundred-meter traverse along Roca’s jagged peaks before reaching the other side.

Agilus groaned loudly as they climbed. "My goodness, Ari, why are we taking this cursed path when we could’ve just gone around Mount Hainai? One wrong step, and we’ll be feeding the vultures!" He stumbled over a loose stone and yelped, glaring down at his once-fine shoes. The thick soles were now riddled with holes. "Damn it... these cost me a fortune!"

No one paid him any mind. As the path grew more dangerous, even Agilus fell silent, eyes locked on each foothold, knowing a single misstep could mean death.

The path they took was treacherous, but they were elite soldiers and seasoned mountaineers. After two hours of grueling climbing later, they finally reached the hidden entrance to the secret passage that led beneath the mountain, toward the waterfalls at Jethru’s haven. Twilight painted the sky in shades of orange and violet as they neared the plateau.

Felix, who was lazing beside the plunge pool, was alarmed when he heard noise coming from behind the waterfalls. He called the other soldiers, and with swords drawn, they guarded the side of the falls where the secret entrance was.

The six soldiers strained their ears but could not hear the sound of approaching footsteps because the roaring of the waterfalls swallowed it, but they sensed movements.

"Intruders!" Felix hissed, tightening his grip on his sword. The other guards followed suit, blades flashing as they flanked the secret entrance.

Agilus stumbled out first, arms spread wide and face split in a triumphant grin. "I beat you, Aramis, Kane! I win!" He raised his hands in victory — only to find several swords pointed at his throat.

"What the hell? It’s me!" Agilus bellowed, his voice echoing off the rocky walls. "Lower your swords, you fools!"

The soldiers hastily obeyed, eyes wide with embarrassment. "Apologies, Sir Agilus," one stammered. "We thought you were an intruder."

Agilus glared at them, nostrils flaring. "Hmph. At least you’re not completely useless."

Alaric stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over the six soldiers left behind. "Looks like you’re all recovering well," he said. "Good." Then his eyes shifted to Lara, softening slightly. "You should rest. It’s been a long day."

Felix scrambled to attention. "I’ll clean up the room! In the meantime, you can rest under the mango tree. Yando built a lovely bench around its trunk just a few days ago." He gestured toward a young soldier, who turned crimson at the unexpected praise.

Lara shifted uneasily. She only wanted a bath right now — no matter how cold the water. But with so many men around, she wouldn’t dare. Tomorrow, she promised herself. Tomorrow, she’d slip to her secret pool and enjoy a long bath.

For now, she endured.