Summoned with an SSS-Rank Portal Skill

William and Victoria stood there, unsure of what to do. Everything had unfolded so quickly.

"Why do you think she's trying to hide your bloodline?" Victoria asked.

"I don't know," William replied, sitting on the couch. "It's still a secret why the current king doesn't have the royal bloodline. Only time will provide us with the answers we need."

The entire situation on the demon island was a complete mystery to William. There were many things he still needed to learn, but at that moment, all he could do was stay inside Jhen's house and wait.

While William relaxed on the couch, Victoria decided to search the place. She opened every drawer and examined every note, trying to uncover more about Jhen or the situation in the demon kingdom.

"Did you find anything?" William asked.

"No, not at all. Damn it," Victoria cursed.

As she opened a box, she discovered some food—fruits, to be exact. It wasn't exactly what she had hoped for, but it was better than nothing.

She sat down next to William on the couch. "Since when do you have a royal bloodline? Is that why this sword artifact led me to you?"

Victoria had worked hard to find William and rescue him, and now she believed that his royal lineage was the reason for it. However, that wasn't the case; William had only just discovered that he had a royal bloodline.

"No, not at all. I'm just as surprised as you are."

"I see..."

They remained in Jhen's house all day, not stepping outside even once. Jhen insisted that they stay inside to avoid drawing attention to themselves.

Later that night, she returned after handling several matters.

"Finally, it's over," she said as she opened the door. "Now everyone thinks you are a friend of that Kier guy who arrived recently. No one will suspect you have a royal bloodline."

Jhen placed her black armor and sword on the table.

"And why are you hiding this?" William asked.

He wanted to understand what was going on in her mind, and now that they were alone in her house, it was the perfect opportunity to learn more. William didn't want to waste it.

Jhen sighed as she closed all the curtains and quickly checked to ensure that no one was eavesdropping on their conversation.

She began to explain, "An influential noble family has made a power move and stripped the royal lineage of its claim to the throne. They managed to frame the royal family and secured the support of several powerful individuals within the kingdom. Now, they are in charge, and the royal family is missing."

"So that's what's happening," William said. "You want to hide my bloodline to protect me. They would definitely want to kill me if they found out."

"Exactly," Jhen replied. "Although they are in power, the general population dislikes them and wishes for the royal family to return. With you here, we might have a chance to restore things to how they were in the future. But for now, this has to remain a secret. You'll need significant power to challenge them."

William was hesitant to oppose them at that moment; all he truly desired was to grow stronger.

Now, in the demon kingdom, he had the means to uncover more about his bloodline and unlock his true powers. That was his ultimate goal.

"I can help you become stronger," Jhen said. "I can assist with your training and provide you with manuals about your lineage. However, to achieve true power, you'll need to explore the royal palace."

"Can't we just go there now?" William asked.

"It's buried deep underground now, and the noble family I mentioned controls everything around it. No one can enter easily."

It was comforting to have someone to rely on who could help William.

Victoria was listening attentively. "And don't forget about my bloodline. You promised," she reminded him.

Jhen nodded in response. "I know. Relax. We will arrange it."

William felt exhausted. "Are we staying here for the night, then?" he asked.

"You'll be living here for now, at least. Tomorrow, I'll show you around and maybe start your training," Jhen replied.

Jhen also wanted to rest. She had spent the day handling many things that were outside her usual responsibilities, and it had been tiring and stressful for her.

William and Victoria slept on the couch.

The following morning, Jhen woke them up with breakfast: toast and eggs.

"I was thinking," Jhen said as they ate, "we might have to leave."

"What do you mean?" William asked, puzzled. Just the other night, Jhen had told them she wanted them to stay for a while, and now she was saying they needed to leave.

"It's not safe in this city," she explained. "The current king has many eyes and ears here. I might have to request that the army relocate us for a while, and you can come with me."

"Won't that raise suspicion? I mean, you just met them, and then suddenly you want to leave?" William asked.

"You have a valid point, but it's better for them to be suspicious of me from a distance rather than staying here," Jhen replied.

She wasn't seeking their opinions; she had already made up her mind and was simply informing them about the possibility of needing to leave the city.

Honestly, William wasn't angry about it. In fact, he was eager to explore the rest of the demon island, eager to meet new people while growing stronger.

So, perhaps this would be beneficial for him. Regardless, Jhen left again, asking them to stay put. She went to speak with her superior about the potential move.

It didn't take long for her to return. The reason was that they had already decided to relocate Jhen to another, more dangerous region that was facing some issues.

In the past, she had always refused such assignments. However, when she spoke with her superior this time, he agreed quickly and allowed her to go.

She packed up as soon as she got home. William and Victoria didn't own many belongings, so it wasn't a big deal for them.

"I have a carriage waiting for us," she said. "But keep in mind, we're heading to a dangerous area. There are issues with beasts, bandits, and some shady things going on there. No one wants to go to that place."

William, who had been through a lot in his life, simply nodded. "Don't worry. I've faced some tough situations, so this is nothing for me. But will we have access to books there? You know, manuals with spells and things for us to train with?"

"Yes, of course," Jhen replied. "I'm also going to perform a ritual to grant Victoria a bloodline. It's not like we're heading to the end of the world. There are cities in that region, so there's no need to worry."

Victoria wasn't entirely pleased with that plan since it meant she would have to wait to receive her bloodline. As they were traveling, it could take a while to reach their destination, meaning she would remain without a bloodline for some time.

She was eager for it. She had endured a lot to help William. She left the magic academy she had worked hard to get into solely for the promise of getting stronger, a promise that William was willing to keep.

Victoria kept her thoughts to herself, not voicing them aloud.

Jhen packed up in just one hour. It was still morning when they left the city. Waiting outside was a carriage adorned with the army's symbol, pulled by powerful horses imbued with magic.

This was clearly not a typical carriage. William wasn't surprised, as he had seen flying carriages before, so one pulled by sturdy magical horses didn't impress him much.

"How long until we get there?" William asked.

He pictured the island as a small place, not much larger than the areas he was accustomed to. However, when Jhen revealed the duration of their journey, he was taken aback.

"One month, I think. If only we had some flying mounts to get there faster, but that's not something they provide to a captain like me..."

A whole month. That felt like a long time. Jhen noticed the concern on William's face and took out a few books.

"We're going to practice during the journey, which is why it takes us so long. I have a few books for you to read. These contain many demon techniques that could be suitable for your royal bloodline."

William felt a wave of excitement upon hearing that. He eagerly grabbed one of the books, titled "Basic Demonic Manual of Fire."

Though it had "basic" in the title, it was anything but simple. It contained a variety of fire spells that William was eager to learn as quickly as possible.

Victoria stood by, watching them. She felt a pang of disappointment, as she lacked the bloodline to practice any of those techniques.

*

In a distant land, Sarah emerged from the forbidden zone and made her way back to the village she had visited with William.

Once there, she used her magic to communicate with Master Elric.

"Master Elric, I've found the portal to the demon kingdom!" Sarah said, a smile spreading across her face.