Shane's hand slowly withdrew from the crystal.
The faint glow around his fingers faded, and the strange light in his eyes dimmed little by little until they returned to normal. For a moment, he simply sat there, quiet and still, as if letting his mind settle back into his own body.
The wagon creaked gently as Molly continued pulling them through the canyon.
Cukuz, who had been sitting comfortably on Molly's back, tilted his tiny head and stared at Shane. The little bat blinked twice, clearly confused by the sudden change in his master's expression.
He flapped his wings once and hopped closer along Molly's broad hide.
"Kii?"
Ulon leaned forward from the driver's bench, squinting at Shane.
"So," he asked loudly, "how was it, boss?"
Shane exhaled slowly.
"Dangerous."
The word made several heads turn.
Kiel shifted on the wagon roof, leaning forward slightly, while Maddy pushed aside the door of the wagon and looked up at Shane.
"What do you mean by dangerous?" she asked.
Shane rested the crystal on his palm, turning it slowly as if studying the dull surface.
"As we already suspected," he began calmly, "there was no battle in that clearing."
He glanced toward the canyon walls passing by them.
"Only backstabbing."
Petra frowned faintly inside the wagon.
"Then… the convoy never fought back?"
Shane shook his head.
"Not really."
His voice lowered slightly.
"The Varkesh merchants ambushed them."
Kiel blinked.
"Wait… merchants?"
Shane nodded.
"They backstabbed Mad Copper's convoy."
Shalotte, who had been carefully balancing himself inside the wagon to avoid another embarrassing fall, raised his hand awkwardly.
"But… why?"
Klaus answered before Shane could speak.
"Greed, perhaps."
He still lay flat on the wagon roof, one arm lazily covering his eyes from the imaginary sun.
"A wealthy man is the simplest target for envy."
Ulon snorted loudly.
"Coming from the man who worships gold itself."
Klaus did not even move.
"I never said I wasn't greedy," he replied calmly.
Shane sighed quietly, cutting off the brewing argument before it could grow.
"No matter the reason," he said, his tone firm now, "this information must remain confidential."
The wagon wheels rolled over scattered gravel as they moved deeper into the canyon.
"No one speaks of this to anyone."
Kiel frowned, "Why?"
He leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees.
"Aren't we supposed to report every detail of the mission to the Alliance?"
Shane gave him a brief look up.
"I'll handle the report."
He paused, thinking for a moment.
"I need to consult someone first. Someone who understands the political weight behind this."
Maddy immediately understood.
"Mayor Gordon?"
Shane nodded once.
Maddy crossed her arms.
"If General Lupon hears that his son was murdered without even putting up a fight," she said, "he'll march the Imperial Guard straight into Varkesh."
Kiel whistled softly, "That bad?"
Maddy gave him a flat look.
"I saw the man once."
She rubbed the back of her neck, remembering.
"And trust me… he has a temper."
Klaus lifted his arm slightly from his eyes.
"So you know the general personally?"
"Not personally," Maddy said quickly. "But seeing him once was enough."
Shane's voice cut through the conversation again.
"No matter what," he said, "keep your mouths shut."
His eyes moved from one member of the group to another.
One by one, they nodded.
Even Ulon raised both hands lazily.
"Alright, alright. My mouth is sealed."
"Good," Shane replied.
The wagon continued rolling forward.
Just as Shane predicted, the canyon remained eerily quiet. No beasts lurked in the shadows of the cliffs, and no tracks crossed the road. Only the steady sound of wheels and Molly's heavy steps echoed between the tall stone walls.
But before they could reach the canyon exit—
Ulon suddenly leaned forward.
"…Boss."
Shane had already seen it.
The road ahead was covered in debris.
Broken wagon frames lay scattered across the wide path. Splintered wood, twisted metal plates, shattered wheels, and torn canvas were strewn everywhere. Pieces of black helmets and armor were mixed with the wreckage.
But there were no bodies.
Only dark blood stains.
Long dried and dark against the stone road.
The wagons slowed as Molly approached the ruined site.
Everyone looked around silently.
Petra's voice came quietly from inside the wagon.
"This is…"
Kiel finished the sentence.
"The Varkesh convoy."
Ulon sneered.
"Karma hits sharper than a sword."
He kicked a broken wheel aside as they passed.
Then something caught Shane's eye.
Half-buried under a pile of broken boards was a wagon door.
Painted on it was a clear insignia—
Two crossed swords over a copper coin.
Shane stared at it for a moment.
Then he muttered quietly,
"So this is what happened."
Klaus finally sat up slightly on the wagon roof.
He looked around the ruined road with calm interest.
"The injured convoy of Mad Copper reached the open field," he said lazily.
His eyes scanned the scattered armor pieces.
"Then they met the Varkesh merchants."
He gave a faint smirk.
"And the rest is history."
Ulon tilted his head.
"You're guessing?"
Klaus shrugged.
"It's obvious."
He gestured toward the wreckage.
"Backstabbing the wounded and taking everything they carried."
He leaned back again.
"A classic bandit strategy."
Ulon looked around at the destroyed wagons.
Then he shook his head.
"Well," he said, "looks like they got what they deserved."
He spat lightly to the side.
"In the end… both sides lost."
Shane watched the wreckage quietly as the wagon continued forward at a slow pace.
"Maybe Mr. Daiope was right," he said after a moment.
His voice carried calmly through the canyon.
"Humans are indeed troublesome creatures."
Ulon leaned his elbows on his knees.
"I can't disagree with him," he said. "The old man lived for centuries. If anyone knows human nature better than humans themselves, it's him."
Behind them, Kiel shifted on the wagon roof. He had been unusually quiet for a while, his eyes drifting between the canyon walls and the wreckage they were passing.
Finally, curiosity got the better of him.
"Hey," he said, leaning forward slightly. "If a great war really happens… do you think the Quartzmen would fight with us?"
Shane did not answer immediately.
Molly stepped over another broken plank, the wagon rocking gently. The canyon walls rose high on both sides now, and the sunlight above had narrowed into a thin strip of pale sky.
Shane looked ahead as he spoke.
"Who knows?"
He paused briefly.
"Maybe they won't."
Kiel frowned.
"Why not?"
Shane's voice remained calm.
"Because wars between humans rarely concern them."
He glanced briefly at the crystal still resting in his hand before slipping it back into his storage ring.
"Unless their existence is threatened as well, the Quartzmen will likely stay out of it."
Inside the wagon, Petra shifted slightly.
"That makes sense," she said softly. "They have already lived longer than most civilizations."
Shalotte nodded carefully beside her, though he was more focused on keeping his balance whenever the wagon rolled over debris.
"Y-yes… it would be strange if they risked themselves for us."
Ulon scratched his chin thoughtfully.
"Still," he said, turning toward Shane, "boss, you appraised that old stone man earlier, right?"
Shane raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Yes."
Ulon grinned.
"So tell me honestly."
He leaned closer with curiosity.
"If we fought him… who would win?"
Shane answered immediately, without even looking at him.
"He would destroy you with one finger."
Ulon blinked.
"…Just me?"
Shane shrugged.
"Anyone here, actually. Maybe Klaus, Petra, and I might handle it longer than you."
For a second, there was silence.
Then Klaus' lazy voice drifted from the wagon roof.
"For you, my dear priest, his middle finger will be fitted."
Ulon slowly turned his head upward.
His face twisted.
"Screw you."
Klaus smiled faintly but did not respond.
Beside him, Zevy gave a small chirp as if amused.
Meanwhile, Cukuz, who had been quietly riding on Molly's back, flapped his wings and squeaked.
"Kii!"
Kiel laughed.
"See? Even Cukuz agrees."
"Shut up," Ulon muttered.
The wagon continued forward, rolling past the last remains of the destroyed convoy.
Soon, the road ahead began to clear again.