When we left the monster zone and entered a place with a blue sky and cleaner air, I thought we would finally get to see the Empire of Dredprism, but no...
We arrived at the bandits' hideout outside the monster zone. All the other accomplices of the bandits we had captured were there.
“Guys, don’t make any sudden moves; these people are very strong. If we challenge them, they will kill us.”
“They told us that if we help them cross into Dredprism, they will let us live,” said one of the three bandits we had captured.
A dark-skinned man with dark hair and covered in tattoos seemed to be their leader and said:
“Wow, you must have been very strong to defeat my cousins. Under other circumstances, I would have killed those three idiots myself for getting us into this mess, but my dear aunt would be upset if something happened to them, so out of respect for her, I’ll save their asses… You, the girl with that helmet, you must be the leader of your group, disregarding that slave and the two little kids you have with you.”
Yes, Raiza, even at this point, still wears that helmet to hide her identity…
“Don’t worry, we won’t harm your cousins. We just want to get to Dredprism,” responded the elf.
The bandit leader said: “I’d love to help you, but crossing Dredprism’s borders is very complicated… Listen up, foreigners. The Empire of Dredprism is an economic and military powerhouse. Many people from other countries seek to emigrate there to work, especially from the agricultural country of Khisphe, which is, by the way, where you are now.”
I’m just realizing this; I’ve never been to this country before. It wasn’t in my old team’s plans to pass through here, nor did we think about passing through Dredprism to get to the war zone… I think my master knew how difficult it would be to enter the country.
Raiza says: “There must be a way to enter the country, right?”
The bandit takes out a cigarette and says:
“There are several ways. First, obtain citizenship by applying for it or forming a family with a Dredprism resident. The second is to get a trade contract for buying and selling products between countries. And the last is illegal smuggling, whether of illegal goods, drugs, or people, but even then, it won’t be easy; the country’s borders are heavily guarded, and if you try to force your way in, you’d better be prepared to get your hands bloody.”
I interrupt their conversation, saying:
“Couldn't we look for a job with a company that has commercial ties with Dredprism and cross the border as their employees?”
“Not a bad idea, kid, but you’d need connections or to make a name for yourself in the country for them to want to hire you. If you plan to take that route, there are three companies that fit the bill… First, Abraham Company, which exports medicinal herbs. Second, Yansai S.A., which often exports food. And lastly, the national mercenary company of Khisphe, which exports mercenaries. Though in theory, these three companies often work together, so you only need to infiltrate one and you’ll be able to cross the border comfortably. But if you get tired, for a small commission, I could put you in touch with human traffickers.”
That bandit gave us some very good information. The man lights his cigarette and says while blowing smoke from his mouth:
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“By the way, Miss Helmet, what is your name?”
Throughout that exchange, the bandit was only interested in Raiza; the rest of us were practically invisible.
“Call me Victoria,” said Raiza in a calm voice.
“Victoria, nice name. My name is Miguel Ángel. I have several nicknames, but you can call me by my name. Just be careful when you mention it, as I have some enemies scattered across the country.”
Miguel Ángel snapped his fingers, calling one of his henchmen and giving him an order.
“You, the one with the dog face, prepare the carriage and take Victoria and her friends to the outskirts of the border town of Cuencas. Be careful not to be followed back to the hideout. Miss Victoria, I hope we meet again very soon,” said Miguel Ángel with a sly smile on his face.
Without saying more, we got into the bandits’ carriage and headed towards the border town with Dredprism.
image [https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/078/635/785/large/duval-saul-imagen1433443243.jpg?1722639252]
…
The journey to the town of Cuencas was curious, to say the least… We passed through small villages that didn’t seem to want to look at our carriage for fear of getting into trouble. We also crossed bridges hidden among the undergrowth; it wasn’t the most conventional way to travel, though it was obvious they used these paths to transport drugs or other illegal things. I tried not to think about it…
I lay down in the cart and enjoyed the trip. Chizze rested her head on my lap and also lay down, while Karla stayed close to Raiza… I wonder if Karla likes women…
…
After what seemed like five hours of travel, the carriage driver stopped and said:
“All right, kids, this is where my love ends. Get off now,” said Miguel Ángel’s employee. He got off the cart and I saw that we were still a great distance from the city visible on the horizon.
I suppose, for his own safety, the driver cannot go any further. My companions and I got off the carriage, thanked the driver, and started walking towards the city of Cuencas…
As we walked, my stomach began to growl. So many things had happened that I forgot I was hungry.
“Raiza, when we get to the city, let’s stop by a restaurant to get something to eat.”
Raiza had a nervous look on her face. “Heee... I hadn’t found the moment to say it, but we don’t have any money.”
The four of us fell silent.
“We should still have over 100 silver coins left after the expenses of the party at the castle. Don’t tell me you left it at the inn,” I said as Raiza looked away…
I didn’t even have the energy to argue and just lay on the ground under the strong sun. Chizze carried me on her back, as I didn’t feel like doing anything, and as she carried me, she said:
“Don’t worry, master. Chizze still has the jewels we bought for the dress Chizze wore at the party. We could sell them and buy something to eat.”
Chizze was trying to cheer me up when Kharla interrupted her.
“Miss Raiza, don’t worry about the money. I have my personal savings with me.”
Kharla took out a decent-sized bag of coins and handed it to Raiza.
“How strange, I’ve never seen coins of this color. I think they’re silver coins,” said Raiza as she opened the bag of coins.
“Hey, Raiza, can I see those coins?” Raiza handed me the bag, and I was shocked by what I saw…
“Raiza, these aren’t silver coins; they’re platinum coins. Each of these coins is worth 300 gold coins. It’s too much cash. I don’t know if we’ll be able to get change for such a large amount; we could literally buy a house with just one of these coins and get change, and there are 14 coins in the bag… How did you get so much money, Kharla?”
Kharla put on her usual smug face and said:
“I’ve always been good at saving. How lucky this team is to have me; just treat me well, hahaha…”
Kharla didn’t say it, but the real reason she had so much money was because she could never freely leave the palace, and on training missions, she never needed to spend money. So the allowance she received by her father’s orders, she just saved in that coin bag she always carried with her…
“Buying a house isn’t a bad idea. We’ll do that so we can get change for a platinum coin without attracting too much attention,” said Raiza as she took the platinum coins from my hands.
So, with renewed motivation, we headed towards the city of Cuencas.
image [https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/078/636/039/large/duval-saul-eweewewweqq.jpg?1722639883]