The caravan travel (part 1)

A merchant caravan was traveling through the wilds.

It wasn't as if they were pioneering a new route though, in fact, they were already quite used to the path they followed, it's just that the rest of the civilization couldn't catch up to their destination.

Funnily enough, while on one side, their route might have been more dangerous because of the monsters roaming around unchecked, but on the other, the surroundings were so wild that there were little to no bandits.

At least, that was the case until recently…

"Halt!"

One of the hired bodyguards raised his hand, and the whole caravan stopped.

"Roy and Bern, go check out that rubble. Be careful. I saw movement."

The same man who stopped the caravan spoke up and waved his hand to the right where the wild plants seemed to be the thinnest and a pair he called out ventured forth with their weapons at the ready.

"Everyone, stay alert."

The man in charge of the bodyguards commanded while the merchants began to talk amongst each other.

After a few tense minutes, the scouts returned with rather odd expressions.

"Bandits. They attacked a wagon, killed the people, and stole everything, including whatever creatures were pulling the thing."

"There seems to be one survivor. A roughed-up-looking guy. He's finishing burying the corpses and seems completely out of it."

Roy and Bern reported.

"Could it be a trap?"

"We checked the surroundings and didn't notice anything suspicious.

"If it is, then that guy is the best actor I ever seen. He seems genuinely depressed."

The leader of the bodyguard inquired, and the two scouts shared their thoughts.

"...what do you want to do about him, boss?"

The bodyguard in charge breathed out and asked, turning back towards a captivating woman with wavy green hair and a thick fringe that completely obstructed her eyes, wearing protective traveling gear.

"As odd as it may sound, I have a good feeling about that guy. Let's meet him organically and call out to him while passing him with the whole caravan. We'll decide what's next based on his reaction."

The green-haired woman declared, leaning back in the driver's seat and lightly shaking the reins to make the horse-sized four-eyed goat start pulling her wagon.

"You've heard the boss! Onwards!"

The leader of the bodyguards declared and his men moved hastily as to not get overtaken by their clients who followed the green-haired woman's cart without any regards to their protectors.

As they moved, the vegetation on their right was getting thinner and thinner leading to a massive opening where a wagon must have strayed off the path.

Said wagon, now nothing more than a pile of rubble of wood and cloth, was only a dozen or so feet further, and beside it, under a particularly large tree, a platinum-haired man with an unkempt beard was half sitting half kneeling by fresh graves marked with small stone piles with his back to the caravan.

"..."

The green-haired woman straightened her back, and although her eyes couldn't be properly seen, it was obvious that she was keenly observing the stranger.

The next moment, she beckoned one of the merchants and passed him the reins while agility jumping off the driver's seat.

By the time she approached the grieving man, the green-haired woman was already accompanied by three bodyguards, one on each side and one watching her back.

"Greetings, fellow traveler. Is it okay for me to pay my respect to the departed?"

She called out from a distance she deemed respectable and awaited the response.

"..."

The platinum-haired man reacted for the first time, glancing over his shoulder at the woman, her bodyguards, and the caravan behind them.

"Hello. Feel free. The dead will surely be more happy with prayers from someone besides me."

The man answered, inching away without getting up as if making pace for the green-haired woman.

"Don't say that. The sole survivors often blame themselves for not doing more, but you have to move forward."

"They weren't my comrades."

"...!"

The green-haired woman spoke up without getting any closer and the moment the platinum-haired man pointed out, the two bodyguards stepped in front of their client with their weapons drawn towards the stranger expecting an attack.

"..,?"

But when the man didn't make any moves, and no one jumped out to ambush them, all the caravan bodyguards started looking around in confusion.

"You seem awfully bothered by their deaths for someone who denies being comrades."

The green-haired woman who didn't even flinch before pointed out in a kind voice.

"...I"m just a vagrant exploring the area. I'm mapping the monster spawning grounds and culling their population to make it bearable. I accidentally met the family traveling on this wagon the other day. A husband, wife, and a little daughter. There were good people. I warned them about the monsters that might spawn, including the variables, and since I already explored that part, I assured them there were no bandits. I was wrong. They were worried regardless of my words; they offered to take me to the closest settlement, but I refused, wanting to hunt some more. If I went with them, they would still be alive."

"..."

The bodyguards didn't let their guards down, but the green-haired woman tilted her head as if considering something.

"I have a good feeling about him."

"..."

The green-haired woman straightened her back and announced, to which the bodyguards in front of her stepped back, freeing the way for her to approach the suspicious stranger.

Which she did, kneeling next to him and lowering her head, offering a silent prayer for the dead.

"Everything was stolen. Even their guild cards, if they had them, that is."

"Three graves. It means that everyone was killed..."

After the woman raised her head, the platinum-haired man spoke up, but she focused on something completely different.

"..."

At her words, the platinum-haired man furrowed his brows…

"...!"

…only to flinch and turn wide-eyed in realization.

"Wait, you're right…! Around these parts, slavery is outlawed but not uprooted! Based on the tracks, the bandits grossly outnumbered those three. There is no way that those travelers could put up such a fight that it would be required to kill everyone instead of capturing them to sell off later!"

"..."

He gasped in shock, making the green-haired woman face him in silence although it was impossible to tell what kind of look she had in her eyes covered by lush fringe.

"Is it safe to say that you have a tracking ability?"

She asked, once again steering the conversation in whatever direction she wanted.

"Not an ability. Skills. Footprint recognition and tracking, as well as tracking by scent. Although the latter one would require a strong, distinct smell to work properly."

The platinum-haired man answered casually as if he didn't take any pride in the feat of acquiring skills outside his inborn ability.