The midday wind blowing across the main road occasionally swept dry dust into the air. In the caravan area that had pulled over, the members of the Black Axe party remained in their positions, maintaining a defensive formation while waiting for the return of the two adventurers who had entered the forest.
Atop the roof of the rearmost wagon, Alfred, who was crouching with a bow in his hand, suddenly narrowed his eyes, catching a movement at the edge of the forest. Upon seeing who emerged from behind the lush trees, Alfred felt relieved.
"The two of them have returned!" the elf called out with a loud voice, breaking the silence around the caravan.
Hearing the warning shout from the elf, Eralio and all the other members of the Black Axe party instantly turned their heads toward the edge of the forest.
From a distance, they saw the silhouettes of Wolvin and Calian walking at the very front. However, what made their breath hitch was not the return of the two youths, but rather the dozens of people in a shabby and exhausted condition walking behind them.
Eralio stepped forward, widening his eyes at the unexpected group. Various races, ranging from humans and beastfolk to elves, were seen limping along with faces full of gratitude.
It turns out that youth's instinct was correct! Eralio thought, his chest fluttering with a realization that slapped his sense of humanity. He fully acknowledged and felt ashamed of his doubts regarding Calian's sudden decision to delay the journey in order to find the bandit base.
As a merchant, Eralio's mind had previously been filled only with profit-and-loss calculations and the risk of his commodities rotting. But now, seeing dozens of lives successfully saved from suffering, Eralio felt incredibly grateful that he had chosen to comply.
If only we had forced ourselves to leave this place, those people would surely have rotted to death in the forest without anyone knowing. the middle-aged man continued in his mind, his gaze never leaving Calian's calmly walking figure. He truly possesses an extraordinary vision. I am certain that in the future, he will become a very great emperor loved by his people.
Calian and Wolvin continued to guide the group until they arrived near the row of caravan carriages. The exhausted people immediately dropped themselves onto the grass by the side of the road, resting their legs.
Calian walked straight up to the caravan leader.
"Mr. Eralio, do you mind if one of your wagons is used to transport these people?" Calian asked in a polite yet firm tone.
Hearing the request, Eralio smiled awkwardly.
"Of course, I don't mind at all, Calian." Eralio answered without the slightest hesitation. He truly wanted to help. "But the problem is... all the wagons are already filled with wooden crates containing my merchandise. There is no space left in there."
"Relax, leave that matter to me!" Wolvin suddenly chimed in. He smiled broadly while raising his right hand, holding a necklace with a black gem pendant circling his neck. "I will move all of your merchandise into my dimensional necklace."
Hearing that instant solution, Eralio immediately slapped his own forehead. He had completely forgotten about the existence of the magic tool Wolvin possessed.
"Hahaha." The middle-aged man let out a crisp laugh, realizing his oversight. "I completely forgot that you have that dimensional storage necklace."
Then, Eralio nodded firmly and pointed to one of the largest carriages. "Please use the wagon in the middle to carry all of them. We must also hurry and continue our journey to Gias City."
After getting permission from the caravan owner, Wolvin immediately walked toward the designated wagon. Deftly, he opened the wagon's canvas cover and began touching the large wooden crates inside. In the blink of an eye, one by one, the crates containing the merchandise disappeared, sucked into his dimensional storage necklace.
On the other side of the caravan, the members of the Black Axe party witnessing the whole series of events could not hide their amazement. They highly acknowledged the instinct and decisiveness of Calian, who had unhesitatingly asked Eralio to delay the journey.
Must a true Rank A adventurer possess instincts and wisdom like the two of them? Nora thought in awe, her eyes continuously following Calian's movements. That youth is truly amazing. If he had not stopped this journey, those people would surely have died in a despair I dare not imagine.
A short time later, the wagon that was previously packed full was now completely empty. Wolvin had moved all of Eralio's merchandise into his dimensional storage necklace.
"Please, aboard!" the Night Wolf youth said with a gentle voice, reaching out his hand to help a middle-aged woman climb onto the carriage board. "You all can rest inside. We will soon resume our journey to Gias City."
One by one, the hostages who had been freed from their nightmare began to board the empty wagon. A sense of safety finally enveloped their hearts completely as they sat leaning against the wooden walls of the carriage.
While the evacuation process was underway, Calian walked casually over to Eralio, who was giving departure instructions to his coachmen.
"Mr. Eralio." Calian called out softly.
The merchant immediately turned around and gave his full attention. "Yes, Calian? Is there anything else I can help you with?"
"No. I just want to express my gratitude because you were willing to follow my selfish request to delay the journey and rest here." Calian said sincerely, looking into the eyes of the man in front of him.
Hearing words of gratitude from a figure who held a status far above his own, Eralio actually felt flustered.
"N-No, I should be the one thanking you!" Eralio replied, slightly startled, lowering his voice so it sounded more respectful. "If you had not forcefully requested that earlier... and those people ended up dying in there, I would definitely feel so guilty that I wouldn't be able to sleep soundly, constantly blaming myself for my carelessness and selfishness as a merchant."
Calian fell silent for a moment. His usually flat gaze now stared at Eralio with deep assessment. Without warning, the purple-haired youth closed the distance between them. He leaned his body forward and brought his face closer.
"If one day I become an emperor..." Calian whispered right near the merchant's ear, his voice extremely soft yet thrilling, "would you be willing to become one of my trusted confidants in the palace?"
Hearing that highly unexpected direct offer, Eralio's eyes widened perfectly. His heart beat twice as fast. An offer to become a trusted confidant of a future emperor was something utterly impossible and something a merchant like him would never dare to dream of. Moreover, he was merely a businessman who did not know much about imperial politics.
"To be honest, Mr. Eralio..." Calian continued, still whispering, noticing the hesitation in the man's eyes. "...I need the blessing you possess, the power that can evaluate objects and living beings, to assist me."
Eralio's throat felt dry. He swallowed hard with difficulty.
"B-But... are you absolutely sure about this, Your Highness?" Eralio whispered with a trembling voice, still unable to believe what had just been offered to him.
"You had better just agree, Mr. Eralio!"
A casual voice suddenly chimed in from the side, cutting through the tension between them.
Eralio turned his head stiffly and found Wolvin walking casually toward the two of them. The merchant's shock intensified even more. He absolutely did not expect that the Night Wolf youth, who was several meters away, could hear their secret conversation that was whispered at such an incredibly low volume.
Seeing the man's shocked expression, Wolvin only smiled faintly. He continued stepping until he stood side by side with his husband.
"My ears are very sharp." Wolvin said, deliberately lowering his voice so it could only be heard by the three of them. "No matter how small the sound is, I can hear it very clearly even from a distance."
How terrifying! Eralio thought in awe, yet at the same time feeling horrified until his goosebumps rose. Are people who possess the [True Assassin] blessing truly equipped with an absurd sense of hearing like Wolvin?
"Well, Mr. Eralio, rather than you continuing to daydream and break out in a cold sweat like that, we had better depart immediately!" Wolvin reminded him with a cheerful tone, pointing toward the line of carriages. "Everyone has boarded and is ready to continue the journey."
The middle-aged man was instantly jolted from his reverie. He turned and looked toward his row of wagons. And it was true, everyone had already boarded the wagons. Only the three of them were still standing outside.
"Ah... yes, you're right! Let's depart immediately!" Eralio decided, slightly stammering. Then, the middle-aged man turned toward Calian with a much more serious and respectful gaze. "And regarding what you offered me earlier... let us discuss it again more privately after we arrive in Gias City."
Calian smiled faintly, a smile implying a small victory. He nodded in understanding. "Yes, let's discuss it later. For now, let's depart immediately!"
Then, Wolvin and Calian turned around, walking side by side toward the wagon in the middle row, and hopped onto its empty rear section. So did Eralio; the merchant hurried into his carriage located at the very front.
Not long after, the journey to Gias City was finally resumed. But this time, the caravan group did not just carry trade commodities, but also carried dozens of people who had been saved from the bandits' captivity.