Chapter Five: The Aritostosto Trading Company!

On each subsequent night, Sorinus would summon Iya to "sneak" outside for a stroll.

Sorinus was cultivating Iya's combat awareness. Life in the Dragon Pasture space was too comfortable, and Sorinus didn't want Iya to become a "useless dragon". In the future, Iya would undoubtedly become an important combat partner for Sorinus.

Sorinus also continued planting dragon scale fruit without pause. Each field could only plant up to five dragon scale fruits, with each dragon scale fruit seed costing one hundred gold coins. The daily income limit from Iya's output of gold coins just balanced Sorinus's expenses. Sorinus had considered upgrading the small dragon nest to intermediate, which would increase the daily income to five thousand gold coins, but the ten thousand gold coin cost required for the upgrade forced Sorinus to shelve that idea.

During the journey, Sorinus and Iya finally encountered a magical beast. It was a python that could spew wind blades, with a strength around the second rank. However, under Iya's dragon might, the magical snake had no desire to fight at all. After enjoying a meal of roasted magical beast meat, Sorinus roughly understood Iya's strength. Below the third rank, it was invincible.

"Sorinus, we'll reach the imperial capital in another three days!" After ten days of rough travel, Jack's young face had become somewhat weathered, but he seemed excited. He knew Sorinus was about to become a noble and great wizard. Being assigned as Sorinus's servant filled him with supreme honor.

Sorinus stuck his head out of the carriage. The scenery along the way had become much more beautiful recently, no longer as desolate as before, so his mood was quite good. Sorinus suddenly gaze sharpened as he saw what seemed to be a caravan parked on the side of the road not far ahead.

"What's going on?!" As Sorinus's carriage approached, three or four guards clad in leather armor, with swords at their waists, stepped forward. Their faces were wary, prepared to attack at any moment. Jack was startled by the situation and quickly shouted, "I'm the butler of Baron Sapiens. Don't attack, I'm a good guy..." The guards looked puzzled. Who knew who Baron Sapiens was?

An overweight, luxuriously dressed middle-aged man walked up quickly and asked what had happened. The guards explained the situation to him. After a few words with Sorinus, the middle-aged man's attitude toward Sorinus changed drastically.

"Our caravan happens to be heading to the imperial capital too. Why don't you join us, Sorinus? We can look out for each other on the way..." The middle-aged man warmly invited Sorinus to join their caravan. Sorinus readily agreed. The journey was long and boring, so having more people to talk to would be good.

Through conversation, Sorinus learned that the man named Cedric was in charge of the caravan, which belonged to the "famous" Arelitosso Merchants' Guild in the imperial capital. Sorinus had never been to the imperial capital and didn't know how famous the Arelitosso Merchants' Guild was, but he still made astonished expressions in cooperation.

Cedric was keen to befriend Sorinus, the future wizard, and specially allocated a carriage for Sorinus. The caravan's carriage was much better than the Sapiens Baron's broken carriage, and there were even some snacks inside.

Sorinus followed the caravan for two days, and Cedric would invite Sorinus to dine with him every day and take the initiative to chat with him. "Sorinus, beyond the hills ahead, after another day's journey, we'll reach the imperial capital..." Cedric rode on his horse, pointing ahead and saying to Sorinus. Sorinus nodded, feeling a little joyful. The days of traveling were too dull and inconvenient. Sorinus just wanted to take a good bath and sleep comfortably.

"Cedric Mr..." Sorinus suddenly pointed to the last few carriages of the caravan, asking curiously, "What are they carrying?" This question had been on Sorinus's mind for a long time.

Most of the Arelitosso caravan's carriages were loaded with magical beast fur and magic crystal ore from the far west. However, the last few carriages were covered with thick black cloth, which looked rather strange. Cedric's eyes flickered, and he chuckled, "Just a few low-level live magical beasts. The noble ladies in the imperial capital like to keep one as a pet." Sorinus nodded and didn't ask further.

Low-level magical beasts? Sorinus had seen people delivering meals to carriages before. Did magical beasts also use knives and forks? But since Cedric didn't want to say more, Sorinus didn't ask again.

The caravan traveled a bit further, passing through a dense thicket of bushes. "Whoosh..." The sound of something breaking through the air rang out. Several guards walking at the front of the caravan fell to the ground like logs, covered in arrows.

"Enemies ahead!" The caravan immediately erupted into chaos. The guards drew their swords one after another, forming a defensive formation to protect the entire caravan in the middle.

Cedric's expression became somewhat tense, and Sorinus heard him mutter, "Damn, this is trouble..."

It's a robbery!

Dozens of burly men dashed out from the bushes.

Most of them were ragged, but their expressions were extremely fierce.

The leader was tall and well-proportioned, with a sinister face and eyes narrowed with cold and ferocious glints.

"Damn it, do you know who we are?"

Cedric strode forward and shouted, "You dare to rob goods from the Aritostosto Trading Company..."

"Swoosh..."

An arrow shot out, knocking Cedric's hat off.

If Cedric hadn't ducked quickly, the arrow would have hit him squarely in the forehead.

Cedric's face turned pale, and he scrambled to hide behind a carriage, no longer daring to show his head.

Next was the battle between the guards and the robbers.

The two groups clashed together.

The robbers were obviously stronger.

However, the guards of the Aritostosto caravan had received professional training and were well-equipped, so they could barely hold their own against the robbers.

But when the leader of the robbers joined the fight.

The fragile balance was immediately broken.

"It's a knight!"

Someone exclaimed.

They saw the leader of the robbers, tall and wearing leather armor, draw a large knight's sword from his waist.

With one swing of the sword, a faint white light flashed across the pitch-black blade.

A guard raised his sword, intending to confront him.

But he was cut in half, sword and all.

"Oh..."

The robbers cheered.

A cruel smile spread across the leader's face.

With the sword imbued with white light, cutting people was as easy as cutting vegetables, and no one could withstand his gentle strike.

"Qi! Only knights of third rank or higher can possess Qi..."

Someone cried out in despair.

The leader's face was splattered with blood, his expression ferocious, and his killing intent palpable.

The guards quickly collapsed, and people kept falling.

The situation suddenly became chaotic, and the people of the caravan scattered and fled, only to be ruthlessly killed by the robbers.

Cedric tremblingly rolled off the carriage, his body shaking like a sieve.

"It's over... it's all over..."

Cedric's face was ashen.

The loss of the goods in the convoy was one thing, but the key was that their lives were in danger.

"Young master, young master..."

Little Jack hid under the carriage, calling out anxiously and fearfully as he searched for Sorinus's figure.

Just as the leader of the robbers was getting carried away, a bright red streak suddenly streaked across the sky.

The leader's expression changed drastically, and he instinctively raised his sword to defend himself.

It was a fireball!

The fireball hit the sword and was shattered by the white light on the blade.

Before the leader could heave a sigh of relief, another fireball appeared in front of him.

His Qi had not yet recovered.

Without the support of his Qi, the sword was instantly melted into molten iron by the high temperature of the fireball.

"Ah!"

The leader screamed in agony.

The molten iron fell on his face, scalding him and causing him to scream in pain.

But he finally found an opportunity, rolling agilely to avoid the third fireball.

This scene happened in the blink of an eye, leaving everyone stunned and frozen in place.

"A mage..."

A hoarse voice slowly sounded.

The leader struggled to get up from the ground, his face blistered and festering, resembling a demon.

Even one of his eyes was blinded, and the remaining one was filled with deep resentment... and fear.

"Too bad..."

A figure walked out slowly from the shadow of the carriage.

Everyone looked at him, their eyes widening instantly.

It was a handsome young man, with a calm and elegant expression that was indescribably composed and graceful.

"Young master!"

"Lord Sorinus!"

Both Little Jack and Cedric called out, their faces filled with excitement and joy.

"I never thought... that there would be a mage hiding in the small Aritostosto Trading Company..."

The leader gritted his teeth and said.

Sorinus looked at him indifferently, raising his right hand, where another fist-sized fireball floated, emitting a faintly hot breath.

The leader's face changed drastically.

Without hesitation, he turned and fled.

Fear filled the faces of the robbers.

"A mage! It's actually a mage..."

"Damn it, run!"

"Ah!"

With a short scream, one of the robbers fell to the ground, a large hole in his chest emitting a burnt smell.

It was obvious that he was the unlucky one hit by the fireball.

This only intensified the fear of the other robbers.

All the robbers fled in panic.

"What are you waiting for? Chase them!"

Sorinus snorted coldly, and the guards of the caravan, as if awakening from a dream, immediately counterattacked.

Their morale soared.

The situation immediately turned around, becoming completely one-sided.

Sorinus also quickly caught up.

Cutting grass and rooting out the source!

That leader, who was at least a third-rank knight, couldn't be allowed to escape.

On the way, he casually killed two fleeing robbers.

Sorinus felt the exhilarating feeling of holding others' lives in his hands, the power of life and death, which was simply wonderful.

The fireballs danced on his fingertips, each one easily taking a life.

The power of magic was too powerful, and ordinary people couldn't resist it.

Only that leader...

He actually dodged his three fireballs, which was incredible.

In a place where no one was around, Sorinus summoned Iya and mounted its back.

He ordered it to fly close to the ground in the jungle, and soon, he saw the figure of the leader fleeing frantically.

His speed was fast, jumping through the jungle like a deer, almost making it impossible for people to see his figure.

However, no matter how fast he ran, he couldn't match Iya's flying speed.

"Damn it, encountering a mage... Instant fireball, is that brat a monster... fkfkfk!"

The leader cursed under his breath as he ran low.

He felt the sky above his head suddenly darken.

Instinctively, he turned his head.

The leader's expression froze, and he stared blankly.

A shadow covered the sky, filling his eyes with ferocity.

"What is this..."

"Crack!"

Iya bit off most of the leader's body in one bite.

Chewing a few times, it seemed to find the taste unpleasant and spat it out with a "ptui".

A lump of minced meat mixed with Iya's saliva fell beside two lonely severed legs.

Sorinus felt nauseous watching.

"Fool, don't make it so disgusting next time..."

Sorinus scolded as he patted Iya's head twice.

Iya whimpered, nodding its head in grievance.