Inside an ordinary carriage, a young man in blue sat calmly, reading an ancient text. This young man was Al Casendra. His creased his brow and released it slowly and exhaled.
He raised his head and looked outside the carriage. He saw a plane of grass land and only the sound of the horses hove and slight sound of the carriage, reverberated throughout the serene environment.
Outside, the carriage were six other carriages with 10 guards. Furthermore, out of the ten guards, five were different from the others. They were well build, and a big weapon laid at their back.
They rode their horses with their back straight and their gazed firmed. Three people who were not guards rode their horses together, whispering some indistinct words to each other.
"How do you feel about this?" A young man in his early thirties asked the other two. His name was Raymond.
"Excited." A woman asked, smiling, showing her missing teeth. She was Meyla. A woman in her late thirties.
"Of course, we are all excited." Donald added, grinning, showing his handsome face.
"Are you not scared about his highness following us." Raymond asked.
For a couple of seconds, no one reply before Meyla responded. "I'm a bit scared, but that's all. As long, we do our job perfectly, and he won't have anything to say."
"You're right. But we need to be extremely careful when we reach the other town. Nobody must know he's the prince of Long-Fall Pass." Donald said with seriousness.
"Of course, we know that. Long-Fall Pass is just recovering from its losses all these years. We need to lie low for the time. Tsk!" Raymond nodded. "But when we recover—" A haughty smile appeared on his face.
"Is that not the Buttercliff forest." Meyla asked, her gazed fixed on the cliff ahead.
"Indeed. I heard bandit sometimes hide there when they were chased by the mages and soldiers." Donald creased his brow.
"Yes. But that was a long time ago. Who would stay in this desolated forest where no one journey for months.
Since the continuous fall of Long-Fall Pass. This route was long forgotten." Raymond announced calmly. "So, we have nothing to fear about. Besides, the first merchant didn't encounter any problem on this route."
"Indeed. There is no cause for alarm." Meyla supported.
The caravan journey peacefully while the three continued their chatter. Suddenly, a whistling sound came from the sky.
At once, the soldiers among the guards raised their head for a moment and slapped their horses. They rushed quickly to the front of the caravan and looked at their surrounding.
"Be prepared. Enemies are in the surrounding." A stoic middle-aged man said.
At once, the five took their weapon from their back and looked Buttercliff with a squinted brow. Meanwhile, the three merchant shivered slightly. The highest cultivation between the three was rank 4 novice mage.
The other guards didn't join the five. They surround the carriage with their spell ready. Inside the carriage, Al Casendra didn't worry about the incoming danger. He believes his men could handle. Besides, this would be a test for them.
"Hahaha… Our luck is fantastic." A hoarse voice came from the Buttercliff forest. A group of men walked out of the forest with a menacing gaze.
Their eyes brightened seeing the caravan. "Boss, If I don't tell us to wait one more day. We won't have found this fat sheep." A crook young man announced proudly, touching his broken nose.
The boss nodded. "I know you're wiser than you look." He grinned evilly, rubbing his long over grown beard. "I will take 80% while you the others can share the remaining."
He clapped his hand and step forward with confidence.
"You don't need to fear. Submit all your good to us, and we won't harm you. And if what I find in the carriage pleases me. I may not kill, but choose to sell you in the slave market." The boss opened his hand wildly and gave a benevolent smile.
"Am I not being merciful enough."
"Of course you are merciful to them. The last caravan we loot, we kill every one of them. Though they beg us to spare them. Our boss didn't listen. And that's why we were chased to this damned forest."
"Shut up! Bosho." The boss snapped. "Why must you run your mouth every time. I won't forget to break your mouth this time around."
"Oh boss. I told the fat sheep how awesome and merciful you are to them." Bosho said, rubbing the back of his neck, and grinned. "See, those people didn't try to fight us."
"How could they fight us?" Highblower snorted in disdain. "The highest mage among them is rank 8 novice mage. How can they compare to us. Even our boss is a rank 3 beginner mage. Tsk"
He folded his arm on his chest and looked at the people in front of him with disdain. 'I've something delicious to eat in the past couple of days. With them in our hand, I can finally satiate my hunger. Perhaps, they may have some young ladies…' He fantasied, drooling on the spot.
"Will you hand yourself and the goods over to us, or do you want us to come over?" The boss asked calmly, and a wild smile appeared on his face, reaching his ears.
A middle-aged man walked out of the caravan without any expression on his face and asked.
"Is this all of you?"
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