CH 44

“There was a small accident up ahead. Everyone’s legs were tangled because the first carriage was broken and the horses were injured. So please wait a little bit.”

The man scratched his head, troubled, and looked at the carriages stationed in one place. Nathan’s gaze also turned towards the scene. The first carriage, densely packed and bulky, consisted of five wagons filled with luggage. The combined number of armed mercenaries and ordinary merchants seemed to be more than thirty, creating a noisy atmosphere. People were busy carrying their luggage back and forth.

“What the hell happened?”

“What can we do? It’s all caused by those infamous goblin guys! They set up a trap on this narrow road! If they wanted to rob, they should have chosen a more open location! Now the horses that were supposed to pull the carriages can’t move, and even the carriage wheel is broken. It’s quite a problem. But don’t worry, it’s only been a short while since I left the village, and the distance is close, so it’s not a big deal. I immediately sought help after the accident happened, so it will be resolved if you wait a little. We’re also quite busy at the moment.”

As if waiting to be asked, the man poured out the details. After complaining for a long time, he started speaking properly while maintaining his breath, and a smile appeared on his face.

“Goblins? Why would they target humans? They’re usually well-behaved kids…”

Amani, who was listening to the story next to them, tilted his head in confusion. His hat was pulled down, concealing his ears, and tightly fastened to prevent it from falling off. Nathan was nervous and kept a close eye on the boy.

“Well, isn’t it obvious?”

Aware of the busy people walking behind them, the man gestured with his thumb and index finger, mimicking the sign for money. A person approached him and whispered, covering his mouth with his hand, as if sharing a secret.

“After all, it’s a wage problem. Centiar is a place where commerce flourishes, so there are many workers of this race. They are stronger than humans, and yet they get paid less than, so many of them are hired by the lords. But when I helped the lords with their chores, I ended up being taken advantage of and not given a fair price! So, aren’t they angry and trying to plunder only the aristocrats? Anyway, there was a problem in a town nearby last week. There are rumors that it’s probably the work of the Goblins who ran away from there.”

“Tonjang!”

As Nathan was about to contribute to the conversation, another voice interrupted them.

“It’s the captain.”

Nathan glanced at the man. He seemed to be the representative of the other mercenaries present. Behind him, a mercenary shouted and waved his hands, calling out, “Wait this way!” Next to him was a person who appeared to be a merchant. “Oh, I see!” The man quickly replied, shaking his head apologetically.

“I’m sorry, but I’ll have to leave for a while. I’ll talk to people and clear the way for you, so please wait a moment!”

“I’d appreciate it if you could do that.”

“Don’t worry, don’t worry!”

As the man walked away with a grand stride, heavy footsteps resounded. Nathan let out a short sigh as he watched the man recede into the distance. With the man gone, Amani, who was next to him, slumped on the horse and sarcastically remarked.

“Humans are always the problem, aren’t they? Why are they causing trouble like this? Every time something like this happens, I can’t help but despise humans.”

“…” Nathan remained silent, choosing not to respond. He simply reached out and gave Amani’s shoulder a light pat. It seemed like Amani was teasing him about being human in this situation, and Nathan didn’t deny it. It was a natural perspective for Amani, a member of a different race, and Nathan himself shared that sentiment.

‘Wherever you go, humans are the problem.’

Whether it’s here or there, such issues persist. Nathan realized that once again. However, it didn’t mean he could solve the problem. Besides, in the near future, the presence of this little boy next to him would greatly influence the situation of their respective races. For a moment, Nathan mulled it over, but now he had no choice but to console himself in that manner.

“Wow.” Nathan exhaled, removed his glasses, and rubbed his tired eyes. He had been busy, but his ankle kept getting caught, leaving him feeling as if he were walking on a tightrope. Furthermore, this was a one-way street with no alternative routes. So for now, all he could do was wait, as the man had suggested.

“Will it take a long time? Why don’t we just go back, Nathan?”

“…Wouldn’t it be a waste to come all this way and turn back?”

In response to Amani’s question, Nathan caressed the horse’s mane with his hand, attempting to calm his mounting anxiety. The waiting time felt long. The second hand of the pocket watch he took out from his pocket to check the time moved slowly. The shorter needle pointed towards the ground. The sky was growing darker, but if it got too late, what should he do?

‘But there should be a wizard among the group. Why is it still taking so long?’

In fact, it had only been about five minutes of waiting, but it felt much longer to Nathan. Additionally, time seemed to stretch as people continued to move their luggage back and forth.

Nathan looked around, searching for the presence of a wizard. He spotted one just as he thought. The person wore a stylish robe, resembling Professor Michael’s attire, indicating that they were likely a wizard. 

Indeed, there was a wizard among the group. However, they were standing far away, engrossed in conversation with people bustling around. Nathan’s head throbbed, and he made various gestures, touching his temple, as if there was a fire burning inside.

‘If they use magic, the problem would be solved faster!’

Magic, the ‘most beautiful and mysterious thing’ in this world, would surely have crossed their minds as a means to move the luggage. Nathan had never witnessed a lazy life of magic tricks like in the academy. Or perhaps the wizard had too much pride and didn’t want to use their magic for such a mundane task. Well, that seemed like a plausible explanation. In that moment, Nathan thought that it might be better for him to use magic.

‘Or maybe I can ask Amani for help.’

He felt a bit guilty about using spirit magic for such a trivial matter, but Amani would be more helpful than Nathan himself. Just as he finished contemplating this, he attempted to ask Amani for assistance.

“Look at this!”

Earlier, the man had shouted to two people from a distance. When Nathan directed his gaze towards them, he saw the man signaling for them to come over. Nathan lifted Amani, who was still lying on the horse, and made his way towards them.

“I cleared the road in a hurry. Watch your step, as the ground might be uneven. It took some time to dismantle the trap set up by the goblins, but it wasn’t as difficult as I anticipated. Come on, you can pass through here.”

There was barely enough space for a horse to pass through. Instead of immediately walking ahead, Nathan, suddenly curious, asked the man a question.

“By the way, what’s the name of this place?”

“The Lord’s name? Why do you ask?”

“I want to express my gratitude for helping us later.”

“Oh, goodness me, what kind of situation is this? That’s it!”

The man waved his hand dismissively. Nathan found the man’s reaction quite peculiar at that moment. Just as Nathan was about to inquire further about the Lord’s name, the door of the stopped carriage swung open, and someone spoke in place of the man.

“It’s Lord Grason.'”

Nathan paused momentarily upon hearing the voice, as it sounded familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere before.

“Miss! Why did you come out? You didn’t have to…”

The man stumbled heavily and hurried towards the carriage.

“I could hear the commotion outside even from inside the carriage, so I want to come out.”

Following the voice, a lady emerged. Escorted by a man, she stepped down from the carriage. She had long indigo hair and light gray eyes, radiating a gentle aura. In that moment, Nathan unconsciously blurted out.

“Berry?”

“Nathan?”

Yes, the voice belonged to Berry Caravan, a magician from the same magic department as Nathan. It was an unexpected encounter, and Berry too seemed surprised to see Nathan, but she quickly broke into a smile.

“Nathan, if you came to Centiar, you should have contacted me.”

“I never expected to find you here.”

“…You didn’t read the letter I sent you properly.” Berry mumbled with her arms crossed, sounding slightly reproachful. Nathan hastily made an excuse.

“It’s not like that! It was a spontaneous decision to come here, so I was caught off guard.”

Actually, Berry’s words weren’t entirely inaccurate. When you receive three similar letters while being busy, anyone would feel overwhelmed. The three of them got along so well, so why were the contents of the letters so similar?

“That’s right! Besides, Nathan was bedridden due to illness. Today is the first time he’s been outside!”

“You didn’t have to say that…”

Nathan interjected, feeling a bit embarrassed by Amani’s words and actions, which exaggerated his condition, in an attempt to improve his image. Even now, there was a hint of sadness in Berry’s expression. Fortunately, the bruises on Nathan’s face had almost faded within ten days, becoming less noticeable. Despite that, the reaction he received was still like this. If the bruises had remained distinct, it would have been even more disheartening.

“Oh, I see… we forgot to consider your illness.”

“My Lady, Do you know him?”

“Yes, he’s my friend from the academy.”

“Huh, what a small world.”

The man who spoke wore a momentary expression of surprise. It seemed that no one else noticed his reaction except Nathan, who stood right across from him. Nathan thought it might have been a fleeting illusion and decided not to dwell on Berry’s voice, instead refocusing his attention on what Berry had to say.