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Chapter 99

Having this is better than nothing.

Closing the window, Ian took in the darkness beyond. The assailants of the caravan were a pack of snowy wolves. They usually traveled in groups of no more than about ten, and deeper in, much stronger monsters abounded, making these mere local threats.

"Everyone, don\'t stray far from the horses!"

"Damn it, what are you doing standing there stupidly! Fire the crossbow!"

The wolves circling the caravan now seemed to number at least thirty.

It doesn\'t seem to be led by a werewolf. Perhaps they naturally grouped together out of hunger.

Thinking this, Ian watched the caravan dealing with the wolves. There were three cargo wagons. The guards, including the porters, were just over twenty. It was a small group, but they proved their preparedness for the snowy region by maintaining a good formation. Most were armed with crossbows and spears, and a few looked quite strong, especially a Northern bodyguard wielding a spear that appeared to be a magical weapon.

They might be able to fend off the attackers by themselves. But there would be some losses.

Thinking this, Ian noticed the wolves at the rear and launched himself toward them.

Crack! Screech!

Ian had cleaved a wolf in half with a single stroke. By now, this was something he could manage without the aid of magic or blessings. Rolling on the ground, Ian charged toward another wolf. Suddenly, the Wind Blade began to whirl around his body.

Scrape!

A wolf charging at Ian split in half from the middle of its gaping mouth. The halved wolf spewed blood like a fountain as it fell to the ground. The hungry eyes of the remaining beasts glowed red.

"Hold the reins, you pointy ears!" Charlotte, too, launched herself following Ian.

Crack! Scrape!

Ian and Charlotte outpaced the snowy wolves with ease. Most didn\'t require a second strike. These were merely beasts tainted with corrupted magic, no match for the two mercenaries who had fought even giants. Certainly, the fact that they were not the primary target of the encirclement also made the fight easier.

Crack!

"What, what is this?!"

"Reinforcements? Are they reinforcements?"

The guards, noticing the presence of reinforcements, looked bewildered. The snowy wolves still ran rampant around them, and the actions of Ian and Charlotte, battling in the dark, were barely visible to them.

"Great warriors indeed."

Between the guards, a Northern bodyguard wielding a long spear skillfully dealt with the wolves. His gaze accurately captured Ian and Charlotte in the darkness. Soon he turned to the other guards and shouted.

"Everyone, close ranks and focus only on those charging at us! Don\'t use the crossbows!"

Is that guy the lead bodyguard?

Hearing the shout, Ian slightly curled the corners of his lips. Amidst it all, he cleaved a wolf\'s waist in two and stabbed his sword into the gaping mouth of another wolf leaping over it.

I\'m covered in blood again. Damn it...

Despite grumbling inwardly, he diligently reduced the number of wolves. The battle ended shortly. Only four or five wolves remained, and they finally fled, overcome by fear rather than hunger.

"Phew...."

Ian shook the thick blood off his sword and caught his breath. Charlotte, also covered in blood, walked toward him. After checking on the merchants, who were managing the casualties, she spoke while strapping her battle ax to her back again.

"I\'ll go to the coachman\'s seat."

Ian nodded and walked toward the caravan. From the other side, torch-bearing figures approached, including the Northern bodyguard who had been shouting orders and a man in thick fur clothes, seemingly a merchant.

"He doesn\'t seem Northern, but he\'s quite skilled."

"Weren\'t there two of them? I don\'t see the other."

"One was a beastfolk. They’re headed to the cart behind us. Those two could kill us all if they wanted."

"If that was their intention, they would have done it by now. Besides, they\'re our saviors. What rude things to say! Anyway."

"It\'s never bad to be cautious."

Though they whispered, Ian heard every word.

Yeah, being cautious never hurts. Amid his chuckle, the man in fur clothes stopped. He was a bearded man in his mid-thirties from the Empire.

"Thank you for your help. I am Fael, a merchant from the Imperial Ark Caravan," he politely greeted.

Ian retrieved his sword and replied. "A mercenary, Ian. Those behind me are my subordinates."

"Ah. You\'re a mercenary...!" Fael\'s voice brightened.

He approached Ian.

"I\'ve clearly seen your skills. They are impressive. So I\'d like to ask, where are you headed?"

"To Travelga. First, we need to cross the gateway."

"That\'s fortunate. We are also headed to the Northern Barrier Gate." Smiling, he met Ian\'s eyes and pointed toward his carriage.

"Shall we go back and talk? I\'d like to offer you some fine wine and cheese. I also have gourmet jerky seasoned with spices."

Along with the quest completion screen, a linked quest followed.

[Caravan escort.]

A nice little quest. Ian smiled.

"If you\'ll offer the same to my subordinates as well."

***

"You guys are not an ordinary mercenary group." Having observed the group, Fael was impressed.

A blood-covered beastfolk and a blind, silver-haired elf. It was an uncommon combination at first glance.

"Of course, those who travel these routes aren’t just any mercenaries. Are you returning from a job?"

"Well, something like that," Ian replied, wiping the blood off his face with a cloth Fael had handed him.

Bor, a Northern bodyguard directly under Fael, sat beside him. Others had lit several campfires around the carriage and gathered in groups.

Some were skinning the dead snowy wolves, glancing occasionally at Ian\'s party. The actions of Ian and Charlotte, who had darted through the dark like ghosts, had been witnessed, albeit faintly, by everyone.

"Not to pry, but which way did you come from?"

Clearly curious.

Ian chuckled yet responded freely. The fact that Fael\'s wine and cheese were quite delicious made him more generous.

"We had business near the mountains. After finishing that, we stopped by a barbarian village."

"A barbarian village? Do you know the name of it?"

"Black Forest Hill Village."

"Huh..." Fael looked surprised.

Exchanging glances with Bor, he said, "That village is home to particularly staunch barbarians from the North, notoriously unwelcoming to outsiders. It’s impressive that you even entered there. It\'s also surprising that the village is still there."

"You seem quite knowledgeable about the North."

Fael nodded. "Not all of our caravan is, but I am. Every winter, I bring food and money over the barrier. We trade for furs as we travel through barbarian villages."

He sipped his wine and mused. "It’s been a routine for the past five years. The trade has been quite profitable."

"Why would someone as well-informed as you cross the barrier with just this number of people? The bodyguards are skilled, but the snowy region is full of monsters."

"Until last year, it wasn’t like this. You just had to be careful of the snow-covered areas. Who could have predicted it would become this dangerous in just one year?"

"Weren\'t you warned at the gate?"

"They say the same thing every year. I never imagined it would be this severe. Our caravan isn’t very large, so news travels pretty slowly. Besides, there aren\'t many who know about this area. Anyway, if it weren’t for you all, we might have lost many of our precious people."

"Being from the Ark Caravan, which is quite far, you’d receive news even later." Charlotte casually remarked.

She was contentedly sipping the wine Fael had brought.

Fael paused and turned to her. "Do you know our caravan?"

"Well. Until recently, I worked for the Libra Trading Company."

"Oh...! I heard there was an incredibly skilled beastfolk bodyguard at the Libra Trading Company. Could it be...?"

Charlotte shrugged her shoulders instead of an answer.

"Did you quit the caravan business?" Fael asked with a look of interest.

Charlotte nodded calmly. "Yeah. I quit."

"How come?"

"My employer died."

"...Ah." The intensity in Fael\'s eyes quickly faded.

Seemingly instinctively realizing that he should not inquire further, he curled his lips and turned away.

"And the fairy, is there nothing to your taste?"

"There\'s nothing here for me to eat." Thesaya, crouching low, replied.

The drool at the corners of her mouth was due to the scent of wolf blood, not food. She was steadfastly suppressing her fangs from protruding as she held her position.

"As you can see, they\'re quite unique. It\'s probably best not to converse too much with them." Ian added softly.

Fael quickly nodded.

He\'s met his fair share of mercenaries.

Ian, biting into a piece of cheese, gestured with his chin.

"It seems most of the cargo is still in the carts. Looks like this expedition has failed for you."

"I knew something was wrong the moment I saw the snow-covered ground."

Fael sighed as if the ground beneath him was sinking, and took a sip of his drink.

"Two days northeast from here, there\'s a barbarian village. When I entered, everyone was preparing to migrate. It seems that coming beyond the barrier for trade no longer makes sense."

"That must be a substantial loss."

"I can\'t return empty-handed. Whatever\'s left, I\'ll take to Travelga to sell. I might as well trade it for furs. I won\'t make much profit, but at least I won\'t be penniless."

Well, no worries about food for a while.

While Ian was inwardly smiling, Bor, who had been quietly listening, spoke up. "I\'m opposed to that idea."

"Here we go again. You know, if we paid attention to every little thing, we\'d never get anything done, right?" Fael shook his head disapprovingly.

Ian turned to Bor. "Do you have a reason for opposing?"

"I heard rumors from the barbarian warriors in the village. They were ominous."

"I\'d like to hear more about that," Ian said, holding up his drink.

Bor took a swig straight from the bottle and continued.

"Monsters are entering the mountain range and others coming out."

"Monsters going in and coming out...?"

"Warriors have seen creatures like harpies and ogres fleeing as if escaping. Haven’t you seen them?" Ian shook his head.

In truth, there had been no occasion to see them. The monsters they had encountered on their path had all attacked them and been killed.

"On the other hand, there have been sightings of monsters walking into the mountain range. Resurrected corpses. Ghosts of an ancient kingdom."

"...!" Ian paused with his drink at his lips.

"They looked as if they were being drawn into the mountains. Everyone knows what lies dormant there, right?"

"Giants?" Thesaya blurted out.

Bor nodded.

Thesaya\'s head tilted. "But if it were giants, we would have—"

Thesaya was abruptly silenced by Charlotte, who slapped her mouth shut, and then turned to Ian. "Perhaps the presence I felt that wasn\'t attacking us could have been those spirits. They were indeed walking northward, as this man said."

"...During our journey here, how many undead have we killed?" Ian asked after taking another sip of his drink.

Charlotte pondered for a moment, then shook her head. "Not a single one."

"Hmm...." Ian muttered softly.

Fael, watching him, cautiously asked after a while. "Do you have any idea what might be happening?"

Ian looked at him for a moment, then finally said. "It’s better you don’t know."

"...."

"And perhaps, it might be wise to listen to your bodyguard."

"....!"