Chapter 10

"Who goes there? Reveal yourself or face my steel!" The youthful masculine voice broke the morning silence and twittering cheeps resounded through the treetops.

A few dozen faces were forcefully roused from their sleepiness upon hearing the young man's cry.

The guards employed to protect the convoy swiftly drew their swords and held them aloft. Their expressions reflected a fierce determination to fight.

The young man who had alerted the convoy to the intruder continued to stare fixated into the dense trees.

"Reveal yourself coward! I am a knight! Do you wish for your head to be displayed upon my mantle?" He shouted with ardour. The young man's inflamed heart caused spit to spew in all directions.

There was no movement in the area beyond the clearing.

Hushed whispers whistled alongside the breeze and several individuals in the convoy began to express doubt over the so called knight's claim.

A pinkish brush spread rapidly across the young man's face. Having only ever experienced a sheltered and luxuriant life, his ego had not yet been torn down by the cruel reality of the woeld.

Fear of shame and embarasment made the young knight's grasp of his blade grow shaky.

"You bastard! Reveal yourself at once and meet my blade!" Emotions coursed violently through the knight's body. His breaths came harsh and fast and rage began clouding his judgement red.

The forest was still silent.

Then a voice spoke.

"What makes you so angry?"

Konlan stood more than a hundred metres back from the merchant convoy. Under the influence of [ Nature's touch ] and Captain America's knowledge of stealth and forest environments, he could come and go like a ghost.

He had stumbled across the merchant convoy after two days of travel. Throughout the last day he had discovered a strange joy in watching their actions.

Husbands and wives bickering in the light of the campfire, guards practicing their swordsmanship with one another.

He held little desire to interact with these people. The largest impact of these lives would be on the day they were buried in the dirt.

Due to a careless display of his strength, all for the sake of seeing how fast a squirrel could run, he had accidentally exposed himself to this braggart young man.

Replying required thought and effort. He didn't wish to spare either just to appease the ego of a foolish youth who had not seen the vastness of the world.

Unfortunately the crimson cheeks of the young knight were simply too comical to be ignored.

"See! My words are true! A villain lurks in the woods!"

Konlan smiled slightly. The knight's entire being seemed to be devoted to some kind of bizzare performance. While he found this utterly idiotic he could not deny the immense amusement it brought him.

"A villain, you who spout on and on about putting my head upon my mantle? You call me the villain?" He replied in a languid tone.

These composed and pointed words dumped a basin of cold water on the young knight's red-hot anger.

"You-you-reveal yourself!" The knight stuttered.

Sighing, Konlan slowly walked out into the clearing.

Dozens of eyes immediately fell upon him. The added attention brought him neither joy nor displeasure; it was simply another factor to be considered and ignored.

"Traveller, what do you want from our caravan?"

The mature and respectful voice provided sharp contrast to the young man's whining tone.

Konlan looked across to the speaker. A middle aged man stood, noticeably surrounded on all sides by the most heavily armoured guards. The amicable smile on his face and clasped hands told of a shrewd and intellectual mind.

"I want nothing from you. Were it not for the actions of that pompous youth, you would have never known that I had passed by you." Konlan said.

The caravan leader, Matias, dramatically raised his wariness towards the unknown individual.

Almost every person would inevitably become more alert after seeing several armed guards stood in strict formation. For a lone traveller, this threat ought to have been even more intimidating.

Yet Matias saw no trace of fear or uncertainty in the traveller's eyes.

There was only unwavering confidence.

In the face of tens of fierce guards, each bearing sharpened swords and clothed in gleaming chainmail; this traveller had not a drop of fear.

The importance of this stranger in Matias' heart was elevated to the max.

"Where do you seek to go traveller, perhaps our paths may intertwine?" Matias asked. The amicable smile on his face seemed part of his existence.

The question was a cleverly veiled probe from the experienced caravan leader. From Konlan's answer he could gain information to leverage to his advantage.

This probe was easily seen through. It would be an embarrassment to his superhuman to be fooled by such a simple trick.

However Konlan still chose to reply honestly, "I have heard rumours that a monster sleeps in an abandoned royal manor and now King Foltest's sorceress seeks out a Witcher to slay his beast."

Gears turned rapidly in Matias' mind to break down and analyse the stranger's words. This process happened without drawing any attention.

His reply came naturally and seemingly held the recent shock of realisation, "What a coincidence, we too are headed to the capital!"

Konlan smiled, "How lucky."

"It must be lonely on your own amidst all these towering oaks and pines. Perhaps you would like to join us for the remainder of our journey?

Monsters lurk in these woods, without my guards I would not dare venture through! You are truly brave, what name accompanies such a fearless individual?" Matias slapped his knee excitedly as he spoke and his smile widened.

Despite the beaming smile and friendliness in his tone, manipulation oozed from the cracks in his masks.

Human survival originated from being liked and favoured by others. Complimenting Konlan was a clever design to increase his favourbility towards him.

How could he bask in the glory of praise and then lose it all by denying Matias his first request. Relying on intricate knowledge of human nature, the caravan leader effortlessly lead Konlan into a trap.

"Your words flatter me. How could I say no to such a generous offer?" The words were honeyed and sweet. While it might've fooled a lesser mind, Matias was clever enough to realise that his tricks had been seen through.

For their own agendas both parties were pretending to be something opposite to their true nature.

Matias welcomingly spread his arms wide, "Well then traveller! Welcome to our little family!"