In the serene, tree-lined path, more than a dozen figures darted through the dense leaves swift as the wind, disappearing like teleportation in the span of a few breaths.
"Step lively down there. If we miss the hour and Princess Rose blames us, ten heads won't be enough to keep our necks," the tall figure leading the front of the procession said in a low voice. The rest of the team nodded in unison, their pace visibly quickening. Their speeds were nearly uniform, and though their formation looked casual, it was strictly maintained—clearly by design.
Maintaining this formation, the group wended their way methodically and swiftly through the woods, where the only sounds breaking the quiet were the occasional birdcall and the rustling of leaves.
Chapter 83