Chapter 16: The Merchant Caravan’s Lady (2)

All thirty of the bandits Zion had confronted were subdued without a single casualty.  

The corps commander was twice as surprised by that fact.

The first surprise, of course, was Zion’s appearance—he looked like he couldn’t even kill a chick.  

“Thank you for your assistance. Thanks to you, we were able to minimize the damage.”  

While the mercenaries cleaned up the battlefield, the commander approached Zion to express his gratitude on behalf of the group.

Zion quietly admired the fact that a mercenary, especially one who looked well over twenty, spoke so politely to him.  

Despite the grimy, bloodstained appearance of the bandits, Zion’s bowing gesture—hand on chest and a brief, practiced nod—was completely natural.

This was no ordinary mercenary.

The carriages under their escort were likely no ordinary merchant caravans either.  

[Perfect timing. Let’s cash in on this favor while we’re at it,] Frey said gleefully, catching Zion’s thought.  

‘That’s not why I helped.’  

[Think carefully, you fool. You’re an illegal immigrant with no status. If your counterpart has some degree of power and position, they’d at least show proof of their identity, wouldn’t they?]  

Zion was reluctant at first, but the following explanation convinced him.  

[That doesn’t mean you just blurt out a request, though. That looks way too suspicious. For now… just say your food ran out, and you’re in a bind. Suggest traveling together. After spending a few days with them, once they seem to trust you a bit, then bring up your real intentions… gah.] 

Arcs, who had been quietly observing Frey nearby, suddenly looped an arm around his neck.  

[Earlier you told me not to fool innocent kids, and now you’re teaching him this stuff? Huh?] 

[Because you smell like a spinster, back off, woman. I’m just teaching him some social skills, so he don’t get stabbed in the back while spacing out.] 

Watching the two bicker, Zion pondered briefly, but his reason had already reached a conclusion.

He nodded slightly.  

‘Uncle is right. I can’t afford to be picky. I have to take whatever I can get.’  

After exchanging brief introductions, Zion carefully broached the topic.  

“Actually, I was wandering when my food supplies ran out… and I was in trouble.”  

“That’s serious!”  

Before the commander could respond, Yuria, who had been anxiously pacing nearby, interrupted.  

“You need food, right? How much do you need? Oh, if it’s okay with you, would you like to travel with us? Our destination is Kornika, and it’s not too far out of the way…”  

“Miss, just a moment…”  

The commander blocked Yuria, whose eyes glimmered strangely as she rushed her words.

He took her aside a little and whispered in a low voice, back turned.  

“He’s a suspicious boy, unknown identity and purpose. It’s strange he managed to subdue thirty bandits all by himself. This might even be a trap…”  

“If he really wanted to, no one here could stand against him all together.”  

Startled by the certainty, the commander fell silent.

Of everyone except the workers hiding in the carriage, only Yuria had observed the boy’s actions closely.  

“Is he really that strong?”  

“At least among the people I know, he’s the strongest.”  

Though she couldn’t fight herself, her keen eyes were trusted even by the battle-hardened mercenary.

The commander groaned and rubbed his chin.

Either way, whether they traveled together or cast him out, it was a dilemma.  

“Better for us to offer a favor first, then.”  

“Right. No point in causing conflict. We’d be the ones who get hurt.”  

“Understood. As long as he behaves himself, we have nothing to lose.”  

The two quickly finished their quiet discussion and approached again.

Zion smiled awkwardly.

Though they had tried to be discreet, their senses sharpened by constant MP Absorption had captured every word of their conversation.  

[She’s a smart woman. The mercenaries’ way of thinking is more flexible than their looks suggest.]  

It was a relief for Zion that they could travel together without major friction.  

“I spoke with the commander. Luckily, we have enough supplies, so having one extra person is fine.”  

“Thank you. I was actually heading to Kornika as well. I’ll work hard to repay your kindness.”  

“We’ve already been helped once, so we can’t let you do that. We’ll treat you as a guest, so relax and make yourself at home. There’s space left in the second carriage—feel free to stay there.”  

“Thank you so much. Oh, I’m sixteen, so please feel free to speak casually with me.”  

“Sixteen.”  The commander repeated the number in disbelief.

He looked young, but to think someone so young had subdued over thirty bandits without a scratch?

Unbelievable.  

Cleanup was nearly finished.

Anything of value was collected, bodies were buried and burned, and the surviving bandits were tightly bound for transport.

Capturing bandits to hand over to the authorities usually earned a decent reward.

Fifty bandits would be enough to fund a night’s drinking party for at least thirty mercenaries.  

“All set, Miss.”  

“Good. Then let’s move.”  

The caravan, with fifty bound bandits in tow, finally set off at a slow pace.  

“I’ll introduce myself again. I’m Yuria Alzred. I’m the person responsible for this caravan and the young lady of the Alzred Caravan, which is headquartered in Kornika. My father is the chairman.”  

“I’m Zion. I’m traveling for personal reasons. Sorry, I was a bit surprised.”  

For some reason, Zion wasn’t in the second carriage, but instead sat in the first carriage with Yuria.  

“Is the Alzred Caravan that prestigious?”  

“I’m not sure to what extent. But since they have a mercenary corps contracted exclusively, it’s probably not small. And calling herself a young lady so naturally…”  

The Republic of Wecos had a political system quite alien to the continent as a whole, and Zion, born in Illium and only neighboring Wecos, didn’t know much.

He knew that the country was run by several elected representatives, and that merchants and craftsmen could hold considerable power under this system.  

“I saw you fight earlier. It was really something. You appeared suddenly, then just as suddenly disappeared. Then I heard the bandits screaming in the forest one after another…”  

Yuria’s eyes sparkled as she chatted eagerly, and Zion smiled awkwardly while watching her.

She looked like a child hearing a heroic tale.  

“I was lucky. The bandits only planned to ambush, not be ambushed themselves. They were completely unprepared.”  

“But there were more than thirty, right? Surely the bandits caught on quickly. And you didn’t have a weapon?”  

“The forest has many places to hide. There are plenty of things you can use as weapons. Even thin branches can be effective to subdue people.”  

“Oh! Like, snap! Whack! You hit the back of the neck? I read that in a novel too.”  

“Ha ha…”  

It wasn’t exactly the back of the neck, but Zion did focus on vital points like the solar plexus and the area between the eyes to bring them down in a single strike.

It had been a burden at first, but since she enjoyed hearing it, that was a relief.  

“Ha… I’m so jealous.”  

Leaning on the window frame with her elbow, Yuria gazed blankly outside and muttered softly.

This was a different expression from the joyful childlike face she’d had moments ago.  

“Suddenly? What’s wrong?”  

“Huh…? Did I say something?”  

“You just said ‘I’m so jealous’…”  

“Huh? That’s weird. Why would I say that? Maybe I’m still half asleep? Heh heh heh…”  

Yuria blinked wide-eyed, laughing awkwardly and waving her hands as if trying to deny something.

It was clear she was hiding something, but Zion decided not to pry.  

In the end, Zion rode with Yuria until the sun began to set on their first day of traveling together.

She was especially interested in Zion’s strength, and most of their conversation revolved around it.

Following Frey and Arcs’s advice, Zion carefully revealed some things while skirting around others.  

As night deepened, the caravan veered slightly off the main road and prepared to camp.

Zion wanted to help somehow, but Yuria forced him to rest.

He ended up sitting idly while the preparations finished.  

Most mercenaries and workers, including the commander, spread blankets outside to sleep.

Zion was allowed to lie comfortably in the leftover space inside the carriage, though he honestly felt like he was sitting on a bed of thorns.

Most mercenaries, except for Yuria and the commander, seemed distrustful of his skills.  

[Would be nice if some bandits showed up again right now. Then he could show off his skills with everyone watching.]

‘Uncle, please don’t say such ominous things.’  

[Zion, he’s just upset you’re being ignored.]

[What? You senile or something?]

It had been a strangely exhausting day mentally.

Hearing the two adults bicker like unruly kids was Zion’s lullaby, and he quickly fell asleep.  

“Good night…”  

***

Late at night.  

Zion, sleeping lightly, suddenly sat upright, waking with a start.  

He leaned out from the wagon and scanned the surroundings.

Then, glaring fiercely, he spoke with a hint of resentment.  

“Uncle, please…”  

[What? Me? What did I do wrong?]

“It’s because you said strange things before going to bed that this happened.”  

The smell of a monster.  

Far weaker than a Cocatrice, but much stronger than a Goblin—there was a monster approaching.  

If Zion were alone, he might not know, but waking the entire caravan to flee was impossible given how close it was.

Zion got down and approached the mercenaries on watch.  

“What’s going on?”  

Noticing Zion, the mercenaries gripped their swords and spoke sharply.

But now that danger was imminent, their distrust didn’t matter.

Zion calmly pressed down their hands reaching for weapons and said quietly,  “A monster is coming.”  

“What did you say?”  

“I’ll handle the monster. Wake the others, just in case. But keep it quiet so panic doesn’t spread.”  

“Wait—”  

Zion passed the panicked mercenaries and took his place on the camp’s edge, facing the monster’s direction.

Soon the camp became restless, and the hastily dressed commander and Yuria rushed to him.  

“A monster? What do you mean all of a sudden?”  

“Shh. Don’t speak so loudly. If the workers hear, there could be chaos. Then I can’t protect everyone.”  

At the warning, they both sealed their lips as if by unspoken agreement.

After a brief look at each other, the commander frowned and asked,  “Are you sure it’s a monster? How can you tell?”  

“Magic, of sorts.”  

Though the truth was different, there was no way to explain it otherwise.  

The commander muttered,  “A mage, huh…”  

“I can use magic and blades, and a bit of this and that. Fortunately, there’s only one monster. I’m not sure exactly what it is, but compared to Goblins, it’s pretty strong…”  

“Probably an Orc.”  

“Looks like an Orc.”  

Their serious expressions sharpened.

Yuria spoke rapidly with a grave look.  

“Commander, wake everyone up. We have to run.”  

“But, Miss, the boy’s words have no proof. He might be joking.”  

“If it’s a lie, that’s better. Then we’ll just lose a few hours of sleep. But if there really is an Orc coming this way…”  

“It’s already quite close. If we panic and make noise preparing to run, it might excite the monster even more.”  

Faced with the realistic point, Yuria bit her lip.

As the caravan’s leader and chairman’s daughter, she had a duty to see the trade succeed without losing a single member.

She tried to calm her nerves and quickly scanned the camp.  

‘No. There’s a way.’  

Her gaze fixed on a corner of the camp.  

“We’ll use bait.”  

“Huh?”  

“Use the bandits as bait. There are fifty of them. That should buy us enough time to escape.”  

Startled by the unexpected plan, Zion gaped.

Frey and Arcs brightened with excitement.  

[Ruthless and rational! A conclusion made after thorough cost-benefit analysis.]  

[Being able to calculate human lives numerically is a kind of talent too. This kid is definitely special.]  

It was cruel, but understandable.

And definitely not a choice Zion would have made.  

“Could I borrow a weapon?”  

“What?”  

“Anything will do. If you don’t trust me, just give me a dagger.”  

“Zion? You don’t mean…”  

“I’ll deal with the monster. Lives aren’t numbers.”  

Yuria looked completely stunned.

When Zion held out his hand, she unconsciously pulled out the dagger she always carried for self-defense.

The commander was about to stop her, but she pushed him away and handed it directly to Zion.  

“Sorry, I’m confused right now. I don’t know what I’m doing. But, uh… I don’t know why, but I feel like you can do it.”  

“You have sharp eyes.”  Zion smiled lightly and swung the dagger once through the air.

After gauging its length, balance, and weight, he looked toward the monster’s direction again.  

“Thud.” 

Zion lightly stamped his foot.

To the naked eye, that was all, but to Zion’s senses, MP spread from his toes, flowing across the ground like a fountain, radiating in all directions.  

Aggro management level two: Provocation—the technique that forces the monster to recognize you as the most dangerous enemy.  

“- Grrrrrrrrrr! ” 

The monster’s roar sounded nearby.  

Zion stretched his body and dashed forward, pushing off the ground.