The caravan travel (part 4)

After some more time passed, the bodyguard, who had a better opinion of Norn initially, stood up, making the other one motion at him with interest.

"I figured out a reason why a thief would just out himself by revealing Pocket Storage. He might not actually be after any merchandise but after Lady Boss. The Adonis family's eldest daughter is worth a hell of a lot more than the rest of the caravan combined. I'll go tip the commander about the possibility."

"Good thinking."

The one who stood up whispered, and the other one perked up and nodded, encouraging him in a hushed voice,

During the change of watch, the commander of the bodyguards approached the wagon in the middle of the caravan and discretely knocked on the door.

He didn't have to wait long for a small hatch at the top of the door to open, and a reflection of a keen yellow eye flashed in the mirror that was pushed outside.

Only after the man clearly showed his face and even turned around a few times proving he was unarmed. The door opened - only to reveal a second door, this one made out of a fine iron net, allowing the outsider to peek into the brightly lit carriage without actually being able to enter it.

Behind the iron net stood a green-haired woman with fringe covering her eyes.

Her outfit changed from the one she was wearing during the day, but it didn't get lighter.

In fact, Doyen was clad from head to toe in defensive gear, including a half-mask device of unknown properties covering her mouth and nose, despite resting in the center of the heavily guarded campsite.

"We have a suspicion about that Norn guy. We'll be increasing your protection accordingly, Young Lady."

The man acted completely different than during the day too, lowering his head and pressing his right hand to his chest while speaking to the green-haired woman.

"I'm hesitant."

"Young Lady…?"

Doyen spoke up, with her voice muffled by the half-mask, making the bodyguard commander inquire.

"My ability is telling me he isn't a danger. Even more, it tells me he is trustworthy. But still, my brain is screaming at the ridiculous amount of coincidences that would have to happen consecutively for someone like him to just show up."

The woman sighed, combing through her wavy hair with one hand.

"We checked him for magic disguise, but our artifacts didn't show the right reaction. He doesn't seem to be concealing his looks, at least."

"That doesn't change the fact that his story and looks don't fit any of the nobles we have information on. Keep up the good work."

The man added, making the woman shrug her shoulders and pull on the almost invisible thread, shutting the door to the carriage right in front of the bodyguard leader without giving him a chance to respond.

The next day, after a quick breakfast, the caravan moved on. This time, instead of traveling in the driver's seat of Doyen's wagon, Norn was swept away by his new acquaintances under the pretext of checking the perimeter in search of the bandits' tracks that might still be lurking somewhere close.

Keeping him away from the caravan for the additional safety reasons was the main objective of that, there was a secondary one too, though.

Besides the obvious making sure that the bandits weren't preparing an ambush, the bodyguards wanted to organically learn of Norn's stats and his capabilities.

All to be prepared in case of the worst but also quite probable option of the platinum-haired man being either a thief, bandit, or a kidnapper.

They only properly reunited with the rest during the evening when the others already set up camp for the night.

Needless to say, when Norn pulled out a pair of deer monsters and began to carve them up skillfully, all the onlookers were… cautious.

Even more so when the platinum-haired man declared that he will be cooking a stew for everyone as thanks, either not wanting or being unable to see how suspicious he was for the group.

Even so, he wasn't stopped and as it turned out, Norn was a skilled chef, or at least a good cook.

"...and are you sure he didn't pick up anything even remotely poisonous…?"

After taking a whiff of a smell so delicious that he began to salivate, the commander of the bodyguards asked for the fifth time, glancing at one of the two bodyguards who accompanied the platinum-haired man the whole day.

"As far as I could tell. However, I can't be too sure since his herbalist skills are way better than the one I have. I'm not sure if it's a synergy with the tracking skill or something, but he can pinpoint a plant he wants from behind a bush that's behind another bush that's behind a tree thirty feet away from him."

The bodyguard shrugged his shoulders before answering, leaning to the side to peek at the lightly seared cubes of seasoned meat disappearing into the massive pot.

"Sweet Perseverance. Next, you're going to tell me that he also has apothecary or alchemist skills and will start brewing potions!"

The commander let out a tired groan, leaning back and rubbing his tired eyes.

"...about that…"

"You're kidding me."

The man's subordinate mumbled awkwardly, making his superior freeze before slowly glaring at him with intense expression.

"...he already bought the bottles, see? The ones behind him? They're drying after he sterilized them."

"Who. The fuck. Is he?!"

The bodyguard pointed out at the dozen of small glass flasks placed on a clean handkerchief, making his commander slouch down and hid his face in his hands before exclaiming, close to despair.

"He's not going to tell us. He does, though, like to share his life stories. If a quarter of them is true, then his father is a piece of shit."

The bodyguard answered the question the best he could, although it was a rhetorical one, while watching Norn put the lid on the pot full of ingredients and start casting a few basic spells for the sake of something he called -pressure cooking-.

"Hmm?"

"I mean, it sounds like his family is filthy rich and could afford some of the best artisans with royal-type abilities to work for them. Because of that, according to Norn, at least, most of the skills he learned were labeled useless and a waste of effort."

The commander lifted his head and let out a curious sound, prompting his subordinate to elaborate, which he did.