"Why did you stop? Make haste, vice-captain, we have to rendezvous with the other nobles soon."
A voice resounded as a lavish carriage came to a stop at the outskirts of Cadun village. The occupants of the carriage were already desperate, taking a dangerous shortcut to cut their way through the hills.
"That, my lady, it seems some people are tied up ahead."
"Tied up?" the lady tilted her head.
"Sister, you should wait here. I'll go check it out."
"I'll come along."
The two lords and the knight stepped out of the carriage. Not far away tied up with a waning string were a boy with shark-like teeth and a handsome man half asleep.
The two scions of the Hall Marquis had encountered a pair of gold-ranked adventurers on their way to the Imperial Capital.
***
"D-dawn..."
"Oh? How surprising, so you remember me?" Dawn took a step closer. Instinctively, I backed away.
"H-how can I ever forget—"