Unholy Player - Chapter 458

Chapter 458: They what?
After leaving the construction site and walking only a short distance, they noticed a large military vehicle approaching, so they instinctively slowed down and turned to watch it.

“What is that?” King Vale asked, genuinely curious. The vehicle looked nothing like the construction machines they had seen so far.

“That’s a vehicle they call a military car,” Vesha explained briefly. “It’s different from the construction machines. Its only purpose is transport.”

They stood and watched while the big hummer rolled closer and closer until it finally came to a halt right in front of them.

“Are they here for us? Did we break some rule without realizing it?” Orven whispered to Vesha, worry clear in his voice now that he knew it was a military vehicle.

Vesha frowned slightly, still unsure. “I don’t think so,” she said, tilting her head a little, confusion written on her face.

A woman in a black STF uniform stepped out of the hummer’s driver-side door and walked straight toward the three of them.

“Hello, King Vale Von Velaris, Lord Orven Draven, and Lady Vesha Draven. I am Team Captain Kara Vance. I hope I’m not interrupting your walk,” she said, bowing her head slightly.

Her tone was calm and friendly, but the way she spoke—measured, controlled, and shaped by the discipline of a professional soldier—did nothing to ease the Velari’s tension.

“Ah, yes, hello,” Vesha answered, tilting her head back to meet the woman’s eyes since she was much taller than her, “of course not, you’re not interrupting anything.”

Up close, even Vesha started to feel a little tense herself. It wasn’t just Kara’s voice that carried that strict, disciplined edge; her whole presence felt that way.

Unlike Velari women, who were usually short and had a naturally soft, feminine appearance, the woman standing in front of them wore a full-body uniform that traced the lines of her muscles. Her hair was cut short, her brown eyes were sharp, and her steady, upright posture made it obvious she was a veteran knight.

“That’s reassuring to hear,” Kara replied, her composed tone never slipping. “I’ve been sent here by my superior to ask if Lady Vesha would be willing to join a meal with our Lord Henry Bates and a few important guests.”

Vesha’s eyes widened slightly at the invitation. She hadn’t been expecting anything like this; her visit here was completely unofficial, nothing more than a curious sightseeing walk.

She knew very well who Henry Bates was, since she had met him before and even shared a few casual conversations with him.

In terms of status, his role was equivalent to that of their king, Vale Von Velaris, ranking just below the Practitioners. But the scale was entirely different. While the Velari kingdom was a small and relatively weak nation, the Metalbenders were giants, standing above the clouds in comparison.

Vesha didn’t answer right away. Since she wasn’t alone, she first turned to her king and translated Kara’s words for them.

After listening, King Vale smiled. “Of course, don’t hesitate. Go. We can take care of ourselves,” he said, clearly not offended that he wasn’t included in the invitation, completely showing his selfless and easygoing character.

Orven Draven also nodded, his expression softening with pride. Seeing his small daughter grow to the point where she was being invited to share a meal with important figures from another kingdom was something any fantasy world father would be proud of.

With their approval, Vesha turned back to Kara. “I would be honored to join.”

She still didn’t know what the occasion was about, who exactly the important guests were, or why only she had been invited instead of her king. Even so, she accepted with her whole heart, feeling the weight of representing her entire race.

“Thank you,” Kara said, bowing her head again. Then she turned toward King Vale and Orven. “I apologize that we are unable to host you properly at this moment, but I will send someone from our side to act as your guide while you tour our city. On behalf of my Lords and superiors, I wish you a pleasant time here.”

Kara waited while Vesha translated her words. After hearing the apology and the offer of a guide, they both responded with thanks and assured her it was no problem.

Once everything was settled, Kara walked ahead and opened the hummer’s door for Vesha, waiting patiently as the girl took a careful step inside. Given that this was her first time entering a human-made vehicle, she made certain she was properly seated before gently closing the door behind her.

After circling around to the driver’s side, she got in, fastened her belt, and started the car. The hummer gave a low, steady rumble as it pulled away from the construction district and began making its way through the expanding streets of the city toward the main building at its center.

Sitting in the front seat, Vesha tried to keep her excitement and curiosity under control. The unfamiliar vehicle hummed softly beneath her as she settled into what was probably the most comfortable seat she had ever sat in, doing her best to maintain the composed demeanor of a lady.

After some time she asked. “May I ask who the guests are that will be joining us for the meal?”

For some reason, she could feel that whoever they were, they might be even more important than Lord Henry Bates himself and that they were the real reason this meal was being held.

Kara kept her eyes on the road and answered with a straight face. “They are our Young Master’s mother and little sister.”

“They what?” Vesha blurted out, her ladylike composure shattering instantly as shock broke through the image she had been carefully holding together.

Adyr was the ruler of this powerful, magical kingdom, which was one thing. But on top of that, he was also an unimaginably powerful Practitioner, and that alone made the idea of him having a family, a living mother, and a younger sister feel completely foreign to her.

In the Velari kingdom, every Practitioner was already ancient, and none still had families alive. Over time, that had shaped the belief among mortals that a Practitioner was someone who existed alone, far above ordinary bonds and anything resembling a household.

Now, hearing that Adyr actually had a family gave her a strange mix of confusion and fear.

Luckily, Kara’s next words softened that fear a little. “Don’t worry. They’re mortals like us.”

Vesha exhaled, feeling some of the pressure ease. She never felt comfortable meeting godlike Practitioners, so knowing they were mortals helped, at least for a moment.

But her calm did not last.

Her anxiety returned in double force as she began to overthink everything, knowing she was about to meet the mother and sister of the man she had recently begun to admire a little too much.