The aforementioned caravan, if viewed with Mana Sense it would look a lot like a certain steam engined vehicle from Arthur's previous world. Well more like horse driven since there were four horses similar to the ones that pulled Scarlet's carriage previously. The caravan consisted of five medieval high class carriages, but anyone could tell the carriage in the middle was the most high class of them all. Four carriages were being occupied, the second and fourth carriages had sleeping men in light leather armor strewn around on the floor asleep, despite it being morning. The first carriage was empty with their occupants encircling the caravan as if to protect it from any enemies. As for the carriage in the middle, within were two short statured blonde haired, brown eyed men talking amongst themselves over tea. One of them was quite a bit older with wrinkles, a mustache, and even a potbelly, the other was quite young and slim only nine years of age.
"Father, have the previous trades with the Dragon Empire always been this…frustrating?"
"Son, I know what you truly want to ask and no this was the first time." He said as he massaged his forehead. His son had asked similar questions over the past day with similar noncommittal answers being returned back to him. His son was still too young to know.
As the only Heartfilia Royal family endorsed merchant he had quite a high status. Despite that, he never once flaunted his authority. Being part of a merchant family he was taught from a young age by his father that a merchant's trust and reputation are everything, His trust and reputation among the common folk and nobility of the Vampire Kingdom had always been excellent and that was why fifteen years ago the royal family reached out in support, allowing him to take on much bigger continent wide jobs. During those fifteen years, he experienced many life threatening and life changing moments. He built connections he would have never dreamt of and equally powerful enemies. A few of which were due to him refusing to ally with them against his own kingdom. Yet he has proudly stayed clean. The point being, after dealing with nobility and royalty for fifteen years he learned to understand a person's true nature behind some of their fake facades. He can almost guarantee that someone in the Dragon Empire is definitely scheming. He was sure that the royal family wa-
Hmmm? Why is the carriage coming to a stop? We should still be a ways away.
"Father, has something happened?" Despite it being his first time leaving the Vampire Kingdom he still knew based on how long it took his father during his trips that they should still have much longer to go.
"I'm not sure, let us wait for the soldiers."
But even after a minute passed no one came to inform him.
Could something have happened?
Opening the curtains to the windows, he could not see any soldiers who should have been guarding the caravan.
To get a better understanding of what transpired, he was about to open the carriage door when from the window he saw…
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"Good morning, Uncle Thomas, and to you too little Ezekiel!" Scarlet greeted the now astonished merchant and his son.
Waking up from his stupor, he calmly replied "Good Morning to you too, Young Miss Scarlet."
"Good morning big sis Scarlet!"
With pleasantries done Scarlet decided to get down to business despite being the Grand Duke's daughter she has never once used her authority and even today she will not.
Bowing low, Scarlet said with a dignified, yet apologetic expression "Uncle Thomas, would you mind if I were to make a rude request of you?"
"Y-y-young miss p-please do not bow your head. Any request from you will never be rude so please raise your head and ask away." Thomas replied hastily while thumping his chest in assurance.
After looking around, and spotting the ever increasing number of soldiers, Scarlet decided to change places since the fewer people that know about her assassination attempt the better.
"Young miss, how about we converse over a cup of tea?" Thomas had realized from the way Young Miss Scarlet was looking around; that her request would need to be done in secrecy or at least with less prying ears. The best place to ensure that would be his carriage as he made an inviting gesture with his hands for her to go first.
Scarlet in turn nodded in appreciation, but before she took a step she turned her around and spoke "Arthur, you should come along as well."
"Ehh, me?" Arthur replied as he pointed at himself for not understanding why he was being called. He was previously standing a bit further away with Yuki in his arms and his companions next to him.
[You big dummy, who else would Scarlet invite?]
Under the expectant gaze of Scarlet and the gnawing of his flesh, he followed Scarlet into the carriage trying to ignore the curious gazes directed at him from the soldiers.