Farid gave a slight nod as he saw Ren in the grand throne hall. "So, you're really leaving?"
"Yeah. It's been almost half a month since the chaos happened," Ren replied without hesitation as he walked across the marble hall of the palace.
Farid shifted his gaze toward the aides standing in line, then straightened his posture. "Do you need me to send someone with you?"
Ren shot him a confident glance. "No need. I know the path to the Penal Plains."
Farid narrowed his eyes, looking at Ren with seriousness. "Everyone knows the way. The issue is… you'll have to pass through the beastmen of the Eks…"
The moment he said "Eks," Diana—Farid's mother—tensed up, as if the weight of her bloodline's past bore down on her shoulders too.
Ren turned, glancing between Diana and Farid. "Yeah, that's exactly why I'm going the proper route instead of sneaking in… I'm not walking into that lizard's mouth again."
