A Casual Stroll

Once Kris arrived and everyone had a chance to eat breakfast, Aelius led the group to a staging area near the city's southern exit. There, seventeen carriages of various sizes, shapes, and construction were arranged in neat rows, their cargo loaded and thoroughly weatherproofed by a mix of burly laborers and markedly thinner but still healthy-looking slaves.

'This is something I'll never get used to...' thought Will, his expression a relaxed smile but his eyes exuding fatigue as he observed the two dozen or so collared men moving like machines as they readied the carriages for departure. There were women as well, but roughly half were merchandise, while the rest assisted the convoy by going around with long-necked jugs of water or performing less labor-intensive tasks. Their inordinately scant attire, however, made it clear that wasn't their sole duty...

"I understand your feelings, Aiden, but that's just the way things are here in Deisceart..." whispered Allyson, placing a comforting hand on Will's left shoulder.

"I'm fine..." replied Will, closing his eyes, smiling, and exhaling a faint sigh. He knew slavery was a choice for most of those present, so as long as he didn't witness anyone who was born into it being mistreated, he wouldn't make a scene. At least not publically...

Seeing Will and company approach, Angil ceased speaking to the person he was talking to and raised his right hand, saying, "Hey, guys. You're just in time. Let me introduce you to the Raksha in charge of this convoy, Rasa Khundahar."

"So, you're the group Angil conned me out of three million Astra to hire...?" asked the Raksha, a slender and athletic-looking woman with bronze skin, long and curly brown hair, neatly manicured eyebrows, and reddish-brown eyes. Raksha was the title given to Grade-Three Merchants who operated within Deisceart, so while she didn't exude conventional power, Rasa gave off a commanding aura, especially with her fashionable white robes, black harem pants, gold-trimmed sash, ringed earrings, jeweled accessories, and the strange lamp-like artifact in her right hand, the latter containing a remarkable amount of dormant Mana.

Acting as the group's defacto head, Aelius placed his right hand over his heart and lowered his head, emulating a Noble's bow as he said, "A-Rank Party, Silver Cat, at your service."

"A-Rank...?" repeated Rasa, her inflection, tone, and bemused expression making it clear she intended her words as a question.

"That's thanks to our new friend here," explained Angil, gesturing to Will as he introduced, "This is Aiden Ward, a bonafide B-Rank Adventurer and the fifth member of our merry little band. And, as you know, a party of five or more B-Ranks meets at least the basic condition to refer to themselves as A-Rank."

"Hmmm...well, so long as you do your jobs and don't try to negotiate for more compensation, I don't care what your rank is," said Rasa, shrugging. However, as Will was very clearly an outsider, she took a moment to size him up, asking, "But are you certain your friend here is B-Rank? He cuts a striking figure, but he seems a bit young and underprepared for the perils of Deisceart."

Fearing a repeat of what happened at the Guild Hall, Aelius interjected to propose, "You're welcome to test him, but are you willing to increase our pay if he meets or exceeds your expectations?"

Exhaling a scoffing chuckle, Rasa replied, "Not a chance," before shifting her gaze to Will and adding, "Just behave while we're on the road and try not to wander off or create trouble. Your job is to protect my people and goods. Understood?"

"Of course," responded Will, maintaining a relaxed smile and nodding in affirmation. Rasa's words irked him quite a bit, but as he had yet to prove himself, he couldn't blame her for having suspicions. Even more so given her status as a Merchant and the leader of a convoy.

"Excellent," said Rasa, supplying a nod of her own before explaining, "Your party will be charged with the safety of carriage nine, but you're expected to assist carriages eight and eleven while en route. Food and water will be provided, but it will primarily be jerky and travel rations unless you secure additional foodstuffs via hunting or foraging. Questions?"

"Just one," responded Aelius, explaining, "We might be able to buy time if a Disaster Class appears, but we'll be fleeing in advance if a Calamy Class appears. Is that okay with you?"

"In that situation, we'd be fortunate to get away with our lives, much less our cargo," answered Rasa, shaking her head. "I don't care if you run from a hopeless situation, but if I survive, don't blame me for cursing you."

"As long as we're on the same page," mused Aelius, adopting what looked like a friendly smile, but to someone as perceptive as Rasa, she could see it didn't quite reach his eyes. However, as the desire to protect one's party members was perfectly natural, Rasa didn't think lesser of him for seeking clarification and making it clear where he stood. After all, if push came to shove, she wouldn't hesitate to throw every one of their escorts under the proverbial wagon if it meant protecting her people and cargo...

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[Five Hours Later]

'Are you seriously planning to walk the entire time you're on duty...?' asked Ohta, lurking within Will's shadow as he walked alongside a five-by-three-meter wide, six-wheeled carriage transporting rolls of fabric, carpets, and high-end clothing.

"The alternative is sitting on my ass for six to eight hours and then trying to sleep in a moving carriage," responded Will, scanning the colossal trees and jungle flora lining the well-traversed route the convoy was taking for the first leg of its journey. Khufu was situated in the northern section of a giant rainforest, but while the path had been worn down through time and use, there was a very clearly marked highway cutting through it, spanning upwards of twenty meters at some points.

'I get that sitting all day would be dull, but isn't it better to conserve your energy?' asked Ohta. 'You're sweating up a storm.'

"That's kind of the point," mused Will, smiling as he explained, "I won't be able to train like I usually do while traveling, so I need to do something to preserve my figure."

'...'

Feeling Ohta's silence like static, Will raised his brows and was about to ask what was wrong when the former remarked, 'You could stand to gain a few kilos. You don't have to look like your body was carved from marble or stone...'

"You're not wrong," affirmed Will, nodding sagely. Then, sporting a wolfish grin, he added, "But I choose to be fit. It makes fighting easier and gives me a distinct...advantage when interacting with most people..."

'Most people? I think you meant to say girls...' supplanted Ohta, his voice layered with venom.

"No need to bite my head off," muttered Will, rolling his eyes as he argued, "It's not my fault being nice or polite is misinterpreted as flirting. If I were ugly or overweight, my words and actions would evoke disgust..."

'And that's my point,' contended Ohta. 'If you didn't try so hard to ensure you look good, we'd both have fewer problems...'

"That's life..." replied Will, his voice trailing off as he raised his gaze to a group of ape-like creatures roughly half the height of an average human. At first glance, they looked like mandrills, but instead of fur, their bodies were covered in emerald green plumage with accents of blue, orange, and bright red. Along with beak-like snouts, these features made them appear more bird than mammal.

'I should probably pick up a book on local flora and fauna when we reach the next town...' thought Will, feeling intrigued but also a little uneasy not knowing what the bird-like mandrills were capable of. He had resistance against most magical attacks and curses, but if he inhaled a pathogen or was caught off guard by a venomous creature capable of masking its Mana and Aura, things might escalate quickly.

Interrupting Will's thoughts, Allyson, sitting in the driver's box, remarked, "If you make eye contact, make sure not to look away or act scared. The odds of them approaching with our numbers are slim, but they'll follow us to the edge of their territory and might try to pick you off if they perceive you as weak."

"What are they called?" asked Will, narrowing his eyes as he met the gaze of the largest monster in the seventy-strong pack. To Allyson's surprise, it was the monster who looked away, followed by a prompt dispersion of its pack.

"Uh...they're called Khonga..." responded Allyson, her mouth slightly ajar and her expression one of moderate disbelief as she had only witnessed Khonga scattering when faced with their natural predator.

"They have good instincts," mused Will, a faint glow disappearing from his eyes as he turned, looked up at Allyson, and said, "You should be resting. There's still a little more than two and a half hours before we're supposed to swap."

"That may be, but we'll probably stop soon," said Allyson, explaining, "We won't make camp until nightfall, but it's normal to break every four to five hours to avoid exhausting the Ahleed. I usually help Kris prepare the food for our group. Can't do that while sleeping."

"Kris cooks...?" asked Will, raising his right brow.

"He actually enjoys it more than fighting, but the diner his family used to operate was run into the ground by a local gang," revealed Allyson. "Ever since then, he's been determined to become a Master and eradicate the criminal organizations in his hometown. After that, he wants to reopen his family's diner as a haven for those orphaned under similar circumstances."

"A noble aspiration..." muttered Will, disregarding the customary ding and holographic display that accompanied the emergence of a Main or S-Rank Quest. Exploring a ruin was one thing, but helping Kris reach the Grade of Master from his current level would take years.

"And where do you see yourself in five to ten years?" asked Allyson. "Are you and your fiancee considering children?"

"It's certainly a matter for consideration..." responded Will, exhaling a dry chuckle. "But, assuming I don't die on this journey, I can say with relative certainty I'll be residing somewhere in Axial. As for what I'll be doing...I'm a pretty simple guy. I just do what I can at any given moment..."

"Axial..." repeated Allyson, sitting up straight before leaning back to stare at the sky listlessly as she revealed, "You know, I actually attended Axial's Royal Academy when I was younger. I even received a scholarship...albeit only because of my brother. He was a pretty famous Archeologist. Enough that even the Royal Family recognized his abilities..."

'That would explain why her brother's disappearance is related to a Main Quest...' thought Will, previously finding it odd that a ruin that had existed for millennia and been explored exhaustively still had relevance in modern times. If it turned out Allyson's brother had been on an expedition backed by the Royal Family, the treasures hidden within Arkaidos could genuinely be beyond compare...

Noticing Will was staring off into space, seemingly not paying attention to her, Allyson tilted her head slightly before asking, "Did my speaking about the Royal Capital make you think of home? None of us would criticize you if you decided to turn back. It might be embarrassing for a time, but if the people you left behind truly care for you, they'll welcome your return with open arms and relieved smiles..."

"I'm looking forward to it..." replied Will, closing his eyes and smiling. This was enough to get Allyson to leave him be, at least for a short while. And, since his senses were even sharper while his eyes were closed, he had no trouble navigating or discerning his surroundings, even beyond the line of trees, bushes, and oversized plants...

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