Chapter 78: From Preparation To Departure - Part 4

At the wide street facing the Eileen Kingdom's southern capital gate, numerous locals had gathered even before daybreak to celebrate the departure of the Annual Caravan. Their cheers and songs of praise echoed through the dimly lit surroundings, illuminated by lantern bearers standing on both sides of the street—guiding and sending off the Annual Caravan while praying to the goddess Isleen for a safe and successful expedition. Lining up in the middle of the lively street, in front of the still-closed southern gate, were two hundred riders—a cavalry of knights, valkyries, and soldiers led by a commander bearing the title of one of the Eileen Kingdom's Heroes. Behind the cavalry were more than five dozen carriages, carrying representatives from the Adventurers' Guild, Merchants' Guild, Crafters' Guild, Church, and Magic Academy. "It isn't just an expedition. The Annual Caravan is one of the symbols of the Eileen Kingdom—the unity of the pillars that form its foundation. Its goal isn't just to inspect the two borders, but also to display the kingdom's strength and power, to bring hope to those beyond the capital walls, and to eliminate the monsters who dare to block the path of this grand tour!" Watching Lynn's usual dramatic flair—which never failed to gather the attention of anyone nearby—a faint, wistful smile flashed on Arezu's face. He, too, couldn't help but feel excited about the Annual Caravan Quest. For the past week, Lynn and Arezu had prepared everything they assumed they would need for the two-month-long quest: gear, equipment, food supplies, clothes which Lynn had forced Arezu to buy, and a large order of puddings and cakes—all stored inside the enchanted storage now attached to their new carriage. Still, the reason behind Lynn's dramatic storytelling wasn't just to enlighten Arezu on the importance of the Annual Caravan. It was also meant to brief their other companions for this quest. Aside from Beatrix, who was a temporary member of their party, Lynn had brought along four more individuals. Not as temporary members—but as part of another quest she had secretly accepted without informing Arezu. "Would it be too much to ask that you get my opinion first before taking another quest?" Arezu said, restraining not only his annoyance and irritation but also his urge to give Lynn another smack on the head. Lynn, on the other hand, just responded with a cheerful smile—as if knowing that Arezu would agree with her no matter what quest she accepted for their party. If it were a quest on the level of the missing adventurers case—the one Lynn secretly took during the orc-hunting quest—Arezu would have definitely protested. Not that he could decline it anyway, since Lynn had already accepted it. The only silver lining this time was that this second quest was a simple one. "It's just a simple escort quest, Mr. Arezu," she said, leaning beside him and whispering gently. "So that rumor is actually true," Beatrix chimed in from the back of the carriage, watching Lynn and Arezu. "Just what exactly is that rumor?" Ignoring Arezu's question, Lynn began explaining the details of the escort quest to both Arezu and Beatrix. "We just have to keep them alive and bring them back. A few cuts, broken bones, and missing limbs will do just fine." Hearing that last part of Lynn's remark, the four subjects of the escort quest couldn't help but look horrified. As for the identity of these said subjects—they were students from the Eileen Kingdom's Magic Academy. Standing in front of their escorts, the mage students each introduced themselves. "I'm Leo, the stand-in leader of our group," said the mage with shoulder-length black hair tied in a ponytail. He stood around the same height as Lynn, at 160 cm, and had a slender build to match his pretty face—a look that sometimes made him mistaken for a girl. "I'm Cliff," said the blond-haired mage who stood as tall as Arezu, at 185 cm. He was the tallest of the group, yet his slender frame and slouching posture gave off the air of a meek person. "I'm Senna," said the girl, also about Lynn's height, with long, flowing, radiant white hair. Her sharp, serious tone reminded Arezu of a certain duke's daughter. But that wasn't his concern, as the mischievous grin of a certain girl was once again making him anxious. "I'm Casey," said the last girl, who had short blonde hair. Though the smallest of the group—around the same height as Beatrix, at 150 cm—she was somehow the most confident of them all. "What a great introduction, everyone. Just what we needed to know—without any unneeded or unnecessary details." Arezu wasn't sure if Lynn was being sarcastic or sincere, but it reminded him of the time she'd asked him and their former party to introduce themselves during their first goblin-slaying quest. At that memory, Arezu suddenly got goosebumps—remembering those strange goblin flashers. Noticing his unease, Lynn offered some encouragement—or at least what she thought was encouragement. "Let's do our best to keep at least half of them alive, Mr. Arezu, so we can get at least half the reward," she said, flashing a wink, giving a thumbs-up, and patting him on the shoulder. "Don't say something like that right in front of them, Lynn." It was the most comforting thing Arezu could manage, as he looked apologetically at the scared-looking group of young mage students. Following Lynn's instructions, the four students loaded their luggage into her magnificent carriage and took their respective seats—the boys on the left with Arezu seated behind them, and the girls on the right with Beatrix seated opposite Arezu. And as usual, Lynn took the driver's seat, holding the reins of her two loyal steeds, Chevaline and Ragwort. With the first light of dawn illuminating the towering southern gate, the loud cheers and praises of the locals echoed through the brightening street—signaling the opening of the massive gate and the departure of the Annual Caravan. The expedition commander raised his voice to signal the cavalry to move forward. But despite his command reaching the back of the caravan, what Arezu and the rest of the party clearly heard was Lynn's voice—a cheer full of confidence, laced with murderous intent: "Let's go hunt our prey and make them pay for their crimes."