“You struggled more than you should have.” A voice drifted into the two’s ears. This startling sound came right as the two confirmed the polar bear was dead.

Saleh, maybe because he had become used to it, didn’t seem too startled. He simply turned around to see who had spoken.

While Jessica, on the other hand, literally jumped as she felt as if her heart was in her throat. She turned around in a ready stance.

“Uncle Mercury!” Cassie screamed from the carriage, she had opened the door and was currently waving her arm as if she was worried Everblood wouldn’t see or hear her.

Turning slightly to face Jessica in her battle ready state, “You were a bit too hesitant, you seem to have problems dealing with animals that don’t react in the same manner that intelligent prey do. However, in this case, you could be considered to have reacted well. Considering you’re currently on an escort job.”

Nodding at the waving Cassie, Everblood turned to Saleh, “You, on the other hand, did very poorly. Not only did you immediately try to act aggressive against a creature of massive size. Being on an escort request, without Jessica. Your target would very likely have died.”

By this time, Cassie had been able to tread through the two feet of snow, “Wow! You guys killed this massive thing?”

“It was a weak polar bear. Being forced to wander the land for food. It had no mana, outside its massive size, there were no other impressive features.” Correcting Cassie, who nodded with a strained expression.

Everblood turned back to Saleh, “Since you have never faced such a large creature as they usually only live near the ocean, it could be said to be my fault for not teaching you how to deal with such circumstance. That being said, mass dictates force. Less mass, the lower the force created, and vice versa.”

“Jessica, did a better job at realizing this, you needed to use attacks with a penetrating nature. The best course of action would have been to distract it while the other circles around. Enabling you to use a pincer movement, finding an opening for Saleh to use magic to weaken its defense. At the same time, Jessica could easily find holes in its defense and use those weapons to their full advantage.”

Clear reprimanding tone, “You have weapons made by Beast. Even if they aren’t made of the best quality, this creature had no mana. Instead of using your weight and risk getting countered. Counterattacking yourself was the best option for an agility geared person like yourself.”

Sighing lightly, “You were on the right track, and even though you lack optimization against creatures that don’t react like a person. It is clear, you need to think less. Simple isn’t always best, yet you often overcomplicate things. You could handle its speed, that much is clear. The best course of action was counterattacking, instead of going on full force assault. In the process, putting yourself at unnecessary risk.”

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Pausing for a slight moment, his gaze shifted away from Jessica, “Regardless, you two pulled through. And if you hadn’t, the person to blame was clearly Saleh.”

Giving them time to think about what he said, he moved over to polar bear. Without using any tools, he brought his hand up and chopped down lightly. Cassie watched with great interest. His hand cut through the tough skin that both of them had difficulty cutting through.

Strangely, there was no blood. As if the mid-section he cut was bloodless. Waving his arm a few more times, a large chunk of meat was cut out, he handed the raw meat that didn’t bleed to Cassie.

Jessica watched with a great amount of envy as she took the meat as it quickly disappeared. She could feel mana swirling around her finger that held onto the meat. On her index finger was a ring. Having seen it a lot while they were traveling.

The two, had spacial bags. These were physical bags that were made with special materials that allowed them to store items of a much larger standard than their physical constraints would allow. These were expensive items of their own.

Only the material and size of every bag was a large question. Only those who used the bag would know. At best, seeing it being used could tell the observer a bit, though these were only educated guesses.

What Cassie had was an inventory ring. These were extraordinarily more special. Let alone vastly more expensive. An inventory ring didn’t require mana, though if using mana it had a far larger amount of options.

As someone without mana, it was clear this ring was set up to allow Cassie to use some item inside the ring to activate it, likely through her blood. Even if someone stole the ring, because the setup was done by Helga, very few people would be able to break into it. Though that required them not getting hunted down, likely having a tracker on it.

A spacial bag required its user to use mana to open. An item would have to be put in or pulled out, manually. That meant Jessica had to either put her hand in or use mana to pull an item out. Each time she did, mana was used. Allowing anyone with strong enough sensitivity to know. Items would come and go through the opening of the bag.

While, inventory rings allowed a larger array of activity. Not only could one set it up so that someone without mana, like Cassie, could use it. It was possible to hide any mana signatures. That meant, a special technique or ability would be required to sense it being used. Either that or they had to be stronger than the one that set up its mechanisms.

Not only were inventory rings far larger, items didn’t have a set entrance or exit. The wearer was the gateway. So long as they were in contact with the ring, they could pull or place any item inside that was also in contact with them.

Meaning it was much harder to detect and combat items going through an inventory ring. Still, Jessica wasn’t delusional enough to think Cassie didn’t have any life-saving treasures inside the ring. Likely set to automatically engage themselves.

Trying not to think about it, Jessica had no doubt that on this trip. Their purpose was to ensure Cassie didn’t draw too much attention. It was very likely she had enough items to protect herself, only doing so would be broadcasting to the world her wealth.

This in itself had its own pros and cons.

Everblood had finished talking to Saleh, promptly disappearing thereafter. It was only then that the long forgotten snow wolf came out whining like a scared pup. A creature so large and vicious looking was pretending to act all cute, rubbing itself against Cassie.