When the blinding white light disappeared in an instant, Xiya and others, who had blinked across most of the distance of the Empire back to the Imperial Capital, felt a slight dizziness in their brains.
It was a normal reaction after riding the long-distance Jump Transition Matrix, so none of them were overly alarmed.
The blond young man leading them steadied himself, then realized he was standing on a high platform engraved with a matrix.
Looking down, hundreds of smartly dressed soldiers and their leader, Colonel Hayden, stood below.
The moment they saw Xiya, a flash of joy appeared in everyone's eyes as they saluted in unison.
"Welcome back to Glostin, Captain Xiya, our battle hero!"
Everyone shouted with extraordinary vigor.
Then, ethereal magic fireworks ignited in the midair, intensifying the enthusiastic atmosphere.
After glancing at the crowd below, Xiya's eyes brightened slightly.
He immediately returned a military salute to the crowd and then took the lead to descend from the platform, walking towards a tall woman in a cloak who was at the forefront.
"Your Highness, I have fulfilled my mission honorably."
Xiya knelt on the ground and bowed respectfully.
However, where she couldn't see, a look of longing and admiration swept across his eyes.
This noble and sacred woman before him was the Great Imperial Princess Hillena Laurent Alexini, to whom he had sworn his allegiance.
As the most beautiful lady of the entire Saint Laurent Empire, almost no one could help falling in love with her at first sight.
Xiya was, of course, no exception.
"With a Rank of Fourth, you have slain a Fifth Rank Legend, and although you had the assistance of your team and the Sealed Object, this is still an extremely rare feat," said Princess Hillena as she gently helped him up, her voice tender, "You've done very well. You are indeed a subordinate I take pride in."
"Your wish is my will."
Xiya spoke respectfully, then boldly fixed his gaze on the woman before him.
With this outstanding achievement, Xiya had made Hillena's name resound throughout the Imperial Capital; she would surely reward him generously afterward.
But for Xiya, none of that mattered.
Sensing the fervent gaze upon her, Princess Hillena seemed not to display any disgust, only whispering in a voice so soft only the two of them could hear, chuckling, "What's the matter, enchanted?"
"Your Highness, actually I..."
Xiya instinctively moved to hold her hand.
"Alright, there are many people here. Whatever you have to say can wait until we have gone back."
Saying this, Hillena discreetly stepped back half a step, avoiding his ambiguous gesture.
This was, after all, in public.
As the Great Imperial Princess, was she supposed to disregard the dignity of the Empire and engage in public displays of affection with a subordinate?
Moreover, although she had long been aware of this young man's feelings, their relationship was far from that stage.
Whether she harbored utilitarian intentions or genuine admiration for him, even Hillena was not entirely clear.
Seeing her reaction, a hint of regret flashed through Xiya's eyes, but he quickly suppressed it.
At the same time, the members of his squad also came over.
"Greetings, Your Highness."
They bowed respectfully.
However, Tiya, when her gaze inadvertently crossed with Hillena's, displayed a flash of coldness.
Hillena, astute and sensitive, instantly guessed her thoughts and couldn't help but laugh softly.
Yet, she didn't feel like explaining but instead reassured everyone softly, "In a while, we shall all head to the Imperial Palace District together. His Majesty has already arranged a feast at the Council Hall to entertain everyone, and the award ceremony shall also proceed."
"We shall need to wait a bit longer though," Hillena said, glancing at the Jump Transition Matrix, which had lit up again. "Besides you, another group of transmitters is arriving."
"They are the biggest heroes of tonight's feast."
Xiya was a bit confused.
He had thought the dinner tonight was prepared especially for him, only to realize unexpectedly there were others.
But thinking it over, he came to understand; the dinner was attended by Saint Laurent VI himself, the standards probably beyond imagination.
Therefore, Xiya decided to leave with Tiya and the others temporarily, go freshen up, change clothes, and then regroup with the Princess.
"It's said the second group, led by the Third Imperial Princess Ivyst and her subordinates, all received His Majesty's commendation as the greatest heroes of the recent border unrest..."
As he passed through the crowd, he suddenly heard some soldiers whispering.
Hearing this name made him inexplicably feel a faint distaste.
Perhaps because of her notorious reputation in the Imperial Capital.
Xiya shook his head, dismissing it.
Unexpectedly, just as they were about to leave the Jump Transition Matrix facility, his keen hearing caught another comment.
"...that youngest son of the Bartleion family, Lynn, apparently didn't die in the border chaos; rather, he was extremely fortunate to survive and was favored by the Third Imperial Princess, who also brought him back to Glostin."
"Tsk, tsk, who knows what sort of expressions those nobles will wear upon hearing this news."
When that name flashed across Xiya's mind, an uncontrollable, even intensely irritating hatred surged in his heart.
As if, that guy was someone he must eradicate in this lifetime.