2/5
On a shaded forest path, a caravan that looked like a merchant convoy was slowly moving forward.
The well-equipped mercenaries on both sides had serious expressions, escorting and protecting what seemed to be extremely important goods.
However, in contrast, laughter and joyous voices frequently emanated from the leading noble carriage. If one were to sniff, they could even smell the aroma of barbecued meat wafting from inside.
Indeed, at this moment, the carriage was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.
Many servants were smiling and flattering a spirited young man inside the compartment, constantly complimenting him.
"Young Master Trite, after a short distance ahead, we will reach the city of Stoneheim. Once you take office in the city, Young Master will be an executor above tens of thousands of people!"
"Young Master becoming an executor at such a young age is definitely outstanding in the entire Mage Nation! Your future is limitless!"
"Not just that! This time, Young Master is working for His Highness the Crown Prince. Who knows, you might even gain the Crown Prince's appreciation, which would be a meteoric rise!"
"Do you know how to speak? What do you mean by 'who knows'? With Young Master's talent and potential, even the Crown Prince would have to beg Young Master to join!"
"Yes, yes, yes! Oh! Look at my stupid mouth! Even if it's the Crown Prince, he would have to give way to our Young Master."
Ahem, ahem.
Although Trite enjoyed the flattery from these servants, the latter part was a bit outrageous. Other bootlicking was fine, but regarding the Crown Prince, these words could not be said. If it were to spread, he feared he would lose his head that very night.
His new appointment was a joyous occasion, and Trite did not want it to turn into a funeral.
He coughed, then glared at those servants who were running their mouths, and waved his hand, letting them do something proper and continue roasting meat for him.
Trite himself raised his wine glass, turned his head, and toasted to another man in warrior attire inside the compartment.
"Captain Alban, thank you for your escort along the way."
"Haha, Young Master, you're too kind. It is our Burning Hand Mercenary Group that will have to rely on Young Master Trite's... oh no, Executor Trite's generous care in the future!"
"Of course. To be honest, when I heard that the neighboring Syndicate was in turmoil and many villains were running out, I almost canceled the trip. It was only because your Burning Hand accepted the escort commission that I gained confidence. So, if I can take office as an executor this time, it's definitely thanks to your mercenary group's contribution."
"These thugs from the Syndicate? Hehe, Young Master, don't worry. Even if we encounter them, they'll just be appetizers for our Burning Hand. They're just a bunch of small fry. Young Master Trite doesn't need to take them to heart at all."
As for the mercenary captain Alban, who had just assured Trite of his safety in his last memory, his head was now being kicked like a ball by a little girl beside the carriage.
"Mmph! Mmm! Mmph!!!"
The terrified and whimpering Trite soon saw a young man descend from his original carriage.
Reji, holding an appointment certificate he had looted from the compartment, came up to Trite.
"Trite?"
"Mmph! Mmm!" In order not to be killed by the bandits, Trite was very cooperative with Reji and immediately nodded, indicating that the new executor on the appointment certificate was him.
"What is your caravan for?"
"Mmph, mmm!"
Reji raised his hand, and the sealing spell on Trite's mouth was lifted. Only then could he speak, and he quickly said, "Delivering, delivering supplies! Delivering supplies to the Nox Wall. The items are all in the crates over there!"
The Nox Wall was the psionic wall surrounding the Empire.
However, the crates Trite mentioned had already been opened by the demons under Reji's orders. Although they looked tightly sealed, they actually contained items like pearls and agates.
While they were valuable, they were clearly not what he was looking for.
This caravan was the one from the intelligence provided by the Second Prince, the transportation team that would supply "energy" to the psionic wall. But now, the items in the crates had nothing to do with "energy".
Without Reji saying much, the thorn whip in Eileen's hand had already been summoned, ready to lash at Trite. This completely frightened Trite out of his wits, and he no longer dared to play any tricks.
"My lord! It's here! The real goods are all in my storage ring! But, but this ring was given to me by the Crown Prince's administrative official. It has an absolute curse lock that can only be activated once we reach the city..."
Before Trite could finish his desperate explanation, the sealing spell on this encrypted ring was shattered in an instant by the young man in front of him, as if it were a toy.
Ignoring Trite's shock, Reji explored the storage ring with his consciousness and quickly took out the items that looked like "tokens".
They didn't look like energy at all.
Instead, they looked particularly similar to an item from a system Reji was familiar with.
The Bonding System.