Summoned with an SSS-Rank Portal Skill-Chapter 368: Straight to the Capital

The kingdom's attire was simple: a hooded poncho, boots capable of handling mud, and the acceptance that you'd never be completely dry.

William let Lucas be his stylist. He'd lived in the kingdom before, so he knew the best colors to avoid drawing attention, the best fabrics for rain protection, and so on.

"This one," Lucas said, draping a dark poncho over William's head, "matches that mysterious vibe of yours quite well."

William pulled the poncho, adjusting it on his body, taking a look in the mirror.

"I'll get a hat too. Won't wear it much, but it seems cool..."

Lucas was already picking out hats before William even finished speaking. He put a few on his head to try them out.

"Try this one. Good to have a hat to hide your face when necessary."

It took them an hour to get clothes for William, Thompson, and Lucas himself.

The finishing touch was three leather backpacks.

"Why?" William asked. "We have magic bags, and the system to store some items."

"For drinks, food. Besides that, not everyone has these things. We need to look like normal people, not heroes with magic bags containing spatial magic."

William accepted the backpack. "Makes sense..."

He just didn't love the idea of carrying extra weight, but it wasn't something that would affect his life that much.

The three men who walked into that shop came out completely different. They were practically new men.

William felt much better walking through the rain with his hood and poncho that reached below his knees.

The boots were excellent too—essential against the thick, sucking mud that tried to steal your boots with every step

"Much better than before," William said, shaking his head. "So what's our next step?"

"Buy some food and water supplies, so we need to stop less during the journey. The sooner we reach the capital, the better," Lucas said.

There were several places selling food that would last well during travel.

There were even nearly-ready soups that just needed hot water. It reminded him a lot of things found on Earth.

"Soup is the most consumed food here," Lucas explained.

It made sense. The constant rain made the place extremely cold and damp—nothing better than soup to go with it.

Of course, they bought other food to bring along, and plenty of drinking water too.

When they finished buying everything and headed toward the city exit, they noticed something peculiar.

A group of adventurers—who obviously weren't from that kingdom—were trying to start trouble with residents of Rainy Kingdom.

William's hand moved toward his sword on instinct. He didn't even think—just felt the pull to step in and shut that nonsense down.

But Lucas was faster.

No weapon. No warning. Just brutal efficiency. His fist sank into the closest adventurer's stomach—the man folded, air leaving him in a wet gasp. Another tried to swing back, but Lucas's kick caught him mid-step, sending him sliding through the mud.

It was over in seconds. Lucas hadn't even broken a sweat. He'd held back—clearly—but the message was delivered.

The adventurers scrambled away, clutching themselves and muttering threats no one believed.

The locals stared. Then, slowly, they moved closer.

"Thank you," an old man said, voice rough. "They were going to take everything. We don't have much, but it's all we've got."

Others nodded, murmuring agreement. Lucas had gone from stranger to protector in less than a minute.

After briefly accepting the locals' thanks, the three returned to their original plan—quickening their pace toward the city exit.

Rain hammered against William's hood, the constant drumming becoming somewhat annoying.

Wind slashed at their faces like a sharp razor.

"I don't even want to imagine what the wind will be like up there when we're flying on Bob," William said.

Lucas gave a light laugh. "Definitely going to be rough. Better prepare yourself—we'll be out of the city soon."

Once they left the city and could use Bob to fly without running into trouble with the authorities, they did exactly that.

Lucas had bought an updated map from one of the shops before they departed. The three sat on Bob's back, waiting for Lucas to check the route.

"I thought you knew this kingdom like the back of your hand," William teased.

Speaking low so the others wouldn't hear, Lucas said, "It's been a few years since I was here. Things might have changed. Plus, I entered through a different border city this time. Don't judge me."

"I know, I was just messing with you. I'm going to sit and meditate during the trip, if that's not a problem. Won't be talking much because of it."

William also wanted to find a good place to fight monsters and get stronger. That would be essential for him. In the end, they decided to think about that after contacting Master Xanyi and getting a base established.

Lucas checked the route to the capital. Confident, he took off, commanding Bob while William and Thompson rested.

"And here we go! Off to the capital of Rainy Kingdom!" Lucas shouted, his voice echoing from the sky.

The wind really was intense up in the sky. The hood kept slipping, and William's face begged for mercy—each gust felt like a thousand needles piercing his skin.

Lucas and Thompson weren't skilled in creating magical formations. So it was impossible for them to craft something to shield against the wind with their current abilities.

William was in the same boat. They had to endure the wind using just their bodies and whatever protection their clothes offered.

That was the price for superior travel speed. But since everyone there had already been through far worse, it was nothing.

The journey to the capital was mostly uneventful. According to Lucas, it would take roughly four days to get there—a short time, all things considered.

It took that long because the capital sat at the very "back" of the kingdom, far from where they'd entered. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

The first two days were peaceful. Nothing dangerous happened. It was hard for anything to occur while they were flying so high.

Some flying magical beasts tried to approach, but Bob's powerful aura was enough to drive most creatures away.

The ones that didn't flee—and were bold enough to get close—were swallowed whole by Bob. All he needed was one bite to destroy most of the magical beasts in that region.

The real problem came on the third day.

A group of people riding flying beasts approached them. Lucas knew that group well. He reached a conclusion after analyzing the clothes they were wearing.

"They're part of an organization that controls quite a bit here in the kingdom," Lucas whispered. "Powerful, I'd say, but not extreme. I think we can talk to them."

As soon as they drew close, Lucas took over the conversation. William was technically the leader, but Lucas knew more about the place and the people who lived there, so he was the best candidate to take charge in that situation.

"Any problem?" Lucas said, forcing a smile. "I don't think we did anything wrong."

A tall, muscular man mounted on some kind of eagle took the lead for the other group, speaking for all of them.

"Actually, you flew over an area controlled by us. I assume you had no idea, right? We have several hidden bases—adventurers end up doing this sometimes."

"Really? A thousand apologies. It wasn't our intention. Can we forget this and each go our separate ways?" Lucas suggested.

The leader of that group seemed to have something else in mind.

"Of course," the man said, "but it would be rude not to invite you to dinner. What do you think?"

William analyzed the other side. They were individually weaker, but the number of soldiers was quite high.

Lucas was doing the same thing. He knew that by fighting them, he'd basically become an enemy of that organization—not a good idea.

The best thing to do in that situation was accept the dinner invitation, even if it could be dangerous.

"That would be great," Lucas said, smiling again. "Lead the way."