Two days after the attack on the bandit camp, we were back on the road. Repairs, breaking down the bandit tents, and making space on carts for our prisoners took up the bulk of the time, though Prin and Darius spent some time interrogating the raiders. In total, we captured five, their leader included, with the rest dying of their injuries.

Unfortunately, though their leader had direct contact with their benefactor, he had no idea of their identity. They wore a hooded cloak and mask, enchanted to disguise their voice, and left behind nothing identifiable. Darius checked over the main tent but found no clues and had to admit defeat in the end.

Regardless, Prin and Darius seemed satisfied. The bombs were valuable enough, but the sword even more so. Crafting a blade that retained incredible durability while remaining lightweight was challenging, likely costing quite a bit of gold. Ironically, reselling it might make turn the entire affair into a net gain.

Of course, Prin would not sell it until his connections could take a look. The blade was unique enough that tracking who crafted it might lead to the perpetrator, though I doubted it would prove so easy. If I was his advisor, I would recommend finding what other traders have been attacked. There had to be someone benefitting, and determining who had the most to gain might solve the mystery.

However, it was a problem I had no interest in solving. I helped the caravan more than enough, and getting involved in some squabble or trade conspiracy was out of the question. Eyes were already on me, and assisting more would only raise more suspicions, something I could not afford.

Although Darius had kept my involvement mostly hidden, secrets had a way of getting out. Within a few days, the rest of the caravan knew that I was the one to catch Torem and reveal his treachery. Though logically, they knew it was his fault, not mine, I was the newcomer while Torem was the old friend who spent years among them. It did not take a genius to figure out what way their opinions would lean.

All the smiles and greetings vanished, and the other guards stopped inviting me to train with them. When I tried to join, I had spotted the grimaces and glares directed my way. Mumbled excuses were made, the circle was broken up, and I was left alone. Only Julia remained welcoming, though even she took a few days to warm back up to me.

Though it stung, I welcomed the privacy it allowed. My development had slowed, safety taking precedent over speed, but that did not stop me from feeling restless. Any time spent talking or sparring became filled with honing my staff forms, training my body, or improving various skills. Fortuna often helped, providing rudimentary telepathic exercises, which I used to improve my mental control.

After a week of traveling, Darius came by one night after dinner. I sensed his approach, releasing the gravity field weighing me down and relaxed. When he came within sight, I flashed him a smile, still sitting on the ground.

"Good evening, Darius. How can I help you?" I half-shouted, sweat running down my forehead. A few hundred push-ups, while four times as dense as usual, took a toll, but I had to improve wherever possible.

"We should be hitting the border by tomorrow evening. There is an outpost nearby that Prin wants to spend the night nearby to hand these prisoners over. The soldiers there will be glad to take them off our hands."

"Excellent. Do you need me to escort the prisoners?" I asked, tilting my head to one side."

"No, though I appreciate your offer. My uncle would like you to come with him when he speaks to the fortress commander. Without your help, we might not have caught them, and he wants you to get the recognition you deserve."

I paused, mulling over the unwelcome news. A border outpost usually had at least one mage present. If the crown was looking for me, that would go up to at least two or three. Down with the others, hiding my magic was risky but possible. My powers had grown, but I was still weak enough to slip past as long as I was careful. But in close quarters, I had far less confidence in my skills.

"While I am honored, I would prefer to decline. Though I might have helped, I did the same thing anyone else in my position would do. Special commendation is for going above and beyond, not fulfilling my duty." I replied after a minute, bowing my head.

I caught a brief glimpse of surprise as his eyebrows raised before he replied, "Are you sure? A guard like us can rarely get such recognition, and my uncle is friends with the commander of the fortress. I thought a noble like you would-"

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I held up my hand, interrupting him, and responded, "I am not a noble, my lord. Though Julia might suspect otherwise, I am an ordinary person who was lucky enough to meet the right people, learned to handle a weapon, and prefer to keep myself in shape. More than that, glory has never appealed to me."

Snorting, he gave me a skeptical look before saying, "Somehow, I doubt you are ordinary, but if you insist. I'll let my uncle know as much."

He turned, leaving me alone, and I watched him go before standing and walking farther from the camp. We had left any sort of forests behind, moving into hilly grasslands, and there was precious little cover and privacy to be had. Still, I was able to wander a quarter-mile away, far enough that no one would see.

Reaching into my belt pouch, I slipped out my third runestone, feeling the now-familiar pins and needles of mana surging into me. Taking aim, I threw it as far as possible, watching it sail hundreds of feet through the air. Though it only drew in a small amount of energy, it was enough. The rest of my things were too valuable, and I would have to hope they would remain hidden in my spatial pouch, at the bottom of a crate.

The border town was small, barely more than a handful of buildings. Several houses, a shop, and an inn, all behind stone walls ringed with wooden spikes. At one end of the town, furthest from the two gates, was a stone fortress, standing forty feet high. Julia sat next to me, practically talking my ear off as we entered.

"That's Fort Resilience, one of a few outposts along the southern border. They function more as resupply locations and safe havens than actually military defenses against the Tinkerers. It's been centuries since they launched an attack on us, but they still keep a mage or two stationed here, just in case. Plenty of magic beasts wander by, and they can cause destruction like you wouldn't believe!"

"Oh? Are they that common?" I asked, playing dumb.

She shot me a shocked look, replying, "Of course! Darius says that there are eagles as big as a horse or bears that could swallow you whole, armor and all! You can't see them from here, but on top of the walls are mounted ballista for the guards to use. Oh, and the Fort in back is big enough to house a few hundred people, in case the outer walls are breached."

"How do you know all of this?" I asked, turning to face her. She blushed, glancing around before leaning in closer.

"Darius told me before we left. They always planned to swing by here before entering dunes to the south, and I was curious. I don't think he was exactly supposed to tell me quite as much as he did, but..."

"But you have half the camp wrapped around your finger." I finished for her, flashing a grin.

She shrugged, responding, "Not my fault. Most of the caravan are relatives, and long trips on the road get boring and repetitive. If you ask, they're likely to answer."

We fell silent as the cart rumbled to a halt inside the town walls, and I hopped off the back. Taking a moment to quadruple-check my shroud, I confirmed none of my mana was leaking before stretching out my senses. Inside the fortress, I sensed two other mages. One was strong, but not overwhelmingly so, likely just reaching Drop.

But the second stood head and shoulders above the first. Their energy lay over the entire town like a blanket, almost suffocating. In truth, I could not determine precisely what rank they sat at, the gap in our power too great to perceive. The only thing perceivable was that they were a metal mage, but that did nothing to assuage my concerns.

Checking my shroud a fifth time couldn't hurt, I decided.

"You okay, Lucas?" a voice asked, and I noticed Julia staring at me, eyes narrowed in concern.

"Of course. Just excited to be back on the road. Now that the border is so close, my patience is wearing thin." I said, rubbing my neck while keeping my senses locked on the two mystery mages.

Nervous?

The mental touch of Fortuna brushed against me, and I glanced back at the cart where he was curled up. The first thing he taught me was how to establish a telepathic connection with a willing participant. In hindsight, I should have developed the skill sooner, but other things had felt more important.

"How are you not?" I responded in my mind, feeling a surge of amusement from him in return.

Not much point, now is there? Either we are discovered, or we aren't. If we are, we can adapt and overcome.

"And if we cannot?"

Then you will be caught, and your challenge will be that much greater to overcome.

"Only a cat could be so...indifferent." I shot back, folding my arms and leaning back against the boxes.

And only a human could worry about something they can't change. You've done all you can. Now you have to leave it to luck.

Despite his words, which carried some logic to them, I did not sleep the entire night. My mana shroud would remain in place without conscious effort, but leaving it to chance still felt wrong somehow. Hours passed at a snails-pace, and I found myself staring out at the town's wall. More than once, the temptation to sneak out and move for the border struck me, though logic overwhelmed fear.

When light peeked over the horizon, I practically jumped from the ground, more than eager to get back on the road. The two mages had not moved as far as I could tell, but the more distance between us, the better. We might have a treaty with the Tinkerers, but I doubted mages would come hunting me as far down as their cities. It carried far too much of a risk of reigniting hostilities.

The grasslands began to even out, turning from green to brown, and a strange dryness filled the air. In truth, I did not notice the changes at first, preoccupied rechecking my shroud and watching for pursuers. It was only after the ground turned from dirt to sand that I became sure.

I had escaped Ferris.