“Where are you heading, if I may ask?” Velar asked them.

“The boss wants to collect some roots,” said one of the warriors.

“Roots?” Velar was puzzled. “For what?”

“Hey, boss, what’s the roots for?”

“Spices,” answered the driver.

“Spices for food?” I asked.

“Yeah.”

“A lot of people must be buying from you then.” Thinking about the food here, I could imagine people going crazy for some spices. I mean, looking back on the history of Earth, people went far and wide just for those.

“Oh that they are. When I started, I was sold out for like more than a day. From then on, well, I had to pump up the price, demand was piling up.”

“Not many sell spices?”

“There are plenty. But the demand is just so much.”

Damn, if demand was incredibly high, the price for it might be more than I could ever afford — kidding. I’m rich! Kind of… I sort of took my wealth from someone that didn’t need it anymore.. Was that theft? Not exactly…? Especially if that was from the guy that did bad to me so… And he’s dead!

Anyway, this guy must be getting the big bucks, he was rich, I tell you.

“I take it that where you’re going is dangerous?” Velar asked, looking at the three warriors.

“Some just take it themselves,” said a warrior. “But the boss isn’t especially strong when it comes to fighting. So he sets up a job to guard him.”

“That’s right,” said the driver. “One time I went out on my own, I got robbed by bandits! Those fucking scums. And some other time, I almost died from a monster. Good thing I got away.”

“This is our third job from him,” said the warrior leader. “So far, everything’s gone smoothly.”

Velar nodded. “Is it easy?”

“So far, nothing too dangerous has popped up. But if there’s gonna be a monster way stronger than the three of us, well, we better run away. But with three of us, we can handle most of the monsters we come across.”

“Do monsters just walk down the road around here?” I asked.

“Of course. They’re everywhere. You’ll never know when one would pop out of nowhere. Best to be on guard. If your luck is good, it’ll be small fries. Else, well, you have to handle it somehow.”

“What’s the strongest you’ve faced?” Velar asked.

The warrior leader had an uncomfortable smile on his face. “It was a very bad one. A Striding Husk. A foul incarnation of monstrosity. If you ever face it, don’t bother trying to fight.”

Velar and I looked at each other.

“You know of it?” I asked my knight.

He shook his head. “Never heard of it. It would seem there are monsters unique here.”

Which I’d imagine was way too monstrous. This land was already giving off some grim, horror vibe. I hated it! Why can’t we have rainbows and butterflies vibes?! Where I’d get to play dress-up and play with cute animals — the latter I wouldn’t really like much, but it beats the alternative!

“What kind of monster is it?” I asked the warrior.

“If you ever hear a ‘tik, tik, tik’ sound, it means that thing is somewhere nearby. And even if you hear it, it is difficult to tell where it’s coming from… It’s like you’re hearing it in both ears.”

“Fucking creepy stuff,” one warrior commented.

“Since it’s pretty confusing, you could end up encountering the shitty thing. That’s exactly what happened to us in the past.”

“Really? How’d it go?” Velar asked as he leaned forward with clear intrigue.

I also, of course, listened closely. I was a bit curious about it as well. What kind of monstrosity did this land possess?

The warrior leader also leaned forward, forming a stern expression as he recalled the terrible experience.

“We were just walking into the forest, about to come back to town after a hunting trip… But then, we heard it — tik, tik, tik… We were familiar with it, of course. So, we started running the hell out. But…” He let out a sigh. “We just have to run into it.” He shook his head.

“It was a humanoid monster,” he continued. “Almost like a thin, tall man weakly and mindlessly wandering.” He stared at us with a sharp gaze. “Gray skin, skin clung too close to the bones. Its face was like a human’s, but its eyes were a glowing black abyss. Long fingers, no nails. It was the most eerie shit I’ve seen in my life. Of course, as we were in its presence, it instantly noticed us. It immediately began its attack. Terrifying monster, savage, relentless. We stood no chance. It was so fast and so strong.”

“... How did you escape?” Velar asked.

“There were four of us. Two of my friends sacrificed themselves just for us to get away.” He looked at the warrior beside him. The latter nodded with a grim expression.

He must be the one with him at the time.

“We lost good friends that day,” said the leader in a low voice. “It was an absolutely bad and unlucky day.”

Yeah, an extremely unlucky day.

“Is it a rare monster?” I asked.

“It’s among the rarest. It was a one in a thousand chance. Fucked up, isn’t it?” He shook his head as he caressed his chin.

“But it can be killed, right?” I wanted to know if it was even possible to kill such a strange creature. You know, just in case we encounter one. I had to know if running was the only option.

“Dunno. I only heard rumors of some people killing one. But it’s only rumors. If you run into one, better run away like critters.”

I leaned back and nodded. Better listen to the advice of an experienced warrior.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

“Well, just know that thing’s the least of your problems,” the leader said with a short sigh. “Here on the road, you have bandits. If you can’t even fight back, it’ll be better not to resist and just give up.”

“I see. Do they attack even if you’re with an armed party like this?”

“Normally no. A benefit of having armed guards is to prevent bandits from attacking you. Like us, for example. The bandits could be watching in the woods.” He pointed at the forest. “If they see an armed group, they’d rather avoid it.”

It was less costly to just target less guarded carriages or anything. Especially if it was just one guarded carriage, not worth the trouble and end up losing some members. If they were to dare attack those with armed personnel, it would be better to attack those that certainly give better rewards.

“So you’re saying the way to invite the bandits from attacking you is to look vulnerable?” I asked.

The warrior leader raised an eyebrow. “Hey, hey, you’re serious about going after them? I don’t know how it is in where you’re from, but bandits here are as strong as the warriors back in the city. Some of them could only go into small groups, but some go big.”

“I need to find their base.”

“They won’t spill it that easily.”

“... I have my ways.”

He groaned. “It’d especially be bad for a girl like you. You know what they do to women they capture?”

“I can imagine. Sold as slaves, or turned into their playthings.”

“So you know it’s incredibly risky.”

“I’ll measure the risks, and turn back if it’s too much.”

Don’t worry, I have the Cursed Children with me! Undying monsters, baby!

The warrior leader let out a resigning sigh. “Do what you want. But yeah, if you look vulnerable, and it’s just the two of you, and you’re a woman, your chances of attracting bandits are good.”

“Splendid.”

“You’re really determined to get that money?”

I smiled. “It’s not always about the money.” It’s about sending a message — kidding! It’s not that.

“Oh?” He grinned. “You’re something else, lady. Keep it up.”

Our trip was peaceful for some time. However, suddenly, we heard multiple howlings coming nearby. The warriors in front of us immediately got up on alert, putting a hand on their weapons. The warrior sharply looked towards the woods where the howls came from.

I turned to look in the same direction, when at the same time a couple of dozen creatures emerged from the woods. They were wolf-like creatures, but a little bit bigger than normal wolves — so they were still too big for my liking. Their fur was in the shade of pure black onyx, eyes gleamed in crimson. Fangs protruded out of their mouths, sharp claws on their feet.

“Black Hounds!” shouted the warrior leader.

“That’s a lot of them.”

The carriage suddenly came to a stop when a couple of black hounds came up front. The drakolisk hissed at the monster before it.

The warrior leader turned to their third member. “Keep close with the boss.”

“Got it.”

He then turned toward us. “Alright you two, time to see what you’re made of.” He jumped off the carriage with his ally, drawing their swords.

I turned to Velar and nodded my head. He jumped down and unsheathed his greatsword. The warrior leader whistled as he glanced at his enormous, glimmering weapon.

“An expensive sword you got there.”

I noticed their blades were normal weapons, unlike Velar’s. It would seem weapons like those were too expensive for even the warriors here.

“Are these powerful monsters?” Velar asked.

“Average. I’m sure you’ll do alright. But this number is something we can handle pretty easily.”

I stood up on the carriage and lightly jumped to the wooden edge, overlooking the battlefield. I looked around, studying the area, the corners, the size, the number of hostiles, the type of enemies.

Type of hostiles: Beasts.

Behavior, almost unpredictable. Abilities unknown. Had to assume they move like any canine creature. Level of danger: high. Considering their number and unknown capabilities, they must be considered high-level threats.

I glanced at the driver, he should be fine with that warrior beside him.

The warriors charged towards the growling and gnashing black hounds. Their blades shone as they attacked. Velar remained where he stood, and he swung his blade in the air, sending a large slash of magic. He hit one, but the other wolves in the way swiftly evaded. It would seem these creatures were smart enough to evade.

“Velar,” I called. “Go charge in. I’ll call for you if I need you.”

“Understood.”

He charged towards the beasts. His sword clashed with a wolf’s claw as another wolf came up from his side. He moved aside and subsequently swung down his sword on the hound’s body. Blood spurted out as the monster let out a small, pained cry.

A second after that, a wolf opened its mouth and a ball of fire shot out from it, swiftly moving towards Velar. My knight was particularly surprised as he conjured a Palm Shield to protect himself. The ball of fire crashed against his shield, causing a small burst of wind scattering dust from the ground. Still, Velar was completely fine.

The fuck? Was that magic? Or just a natural thing for them?

I didn’t expect that wolf would just cast magic like that. And it wasn’t weak either.

I observed the others, some of the wolves were sending fireballs at everyone as well. However, the warriors were handling them pretty well. Almost like they were used to facing them, unlike Velar who needed a moment to adjust, but he was still studying his opponents.

I noticed a couple of wolves approaching the carriage. The warrior with the driver grew wary, watching the wolves closely.

“I’ll handle them,” I said to the two before moving to the side facing the wolves.

I have to conserve energy when fighting.

So I shouldn’t overdo it. I pulled out a dagger in each hand. I poured magic into them as I used a bit of Physical Enhancement. The moment the wolves rushed towards us, I instantly threw my dagger at each of them, a magical thread connected them to my hand. Given the strength I poured into the throw, and the close distance of the wolves, my daggers swiftly pierced through the air and struck each of the monsters deeply.

I triggered the magic cast unto them, and small magical slashes erupted around the blade, shredding the wolves’ flesh, killing them instantly.

“Woah.” The warrior near me muttered.

I retracted the thread, immediately returning the small daggers into my hands.

Hm, this will work.

“Let’s finish this quickly,” I said.

As long as the wolves were distracted, I should be able to kill them pretty easily.

This will be a good practice session for my new set of daggers.

I pulled out another set of daggers, three in each hand pinched between fingers. Jumping off the carriage, I took a deep breath as I observed and familiarized the position of my allies and enemies. My eyes then focused on Velar’s position.

There were multiple wolves coming at him. Once I got the clear shot, I threw three of my daggers in a sweeping motion, letting them go at precise timing. Each dagger swiftly struck the wolves and exploded into numerous magical slashes. Velar looked at me in surprise as he struck down one monster.

I noticed a couple of wolves coming at me. Retracting the extended daggers, I twirled around as the daggers I held in my other hand extended just multiple meters, and sent wide slashes of light in their motion. The slashes swiftly hit the wolves. They didn’t dig deep into the flesh as I was conserving both mana and stamina, but it was enough to kill. The new daggers truly helped with conserving my mana.

I moved to the other side, to the warriors. I mildly ran to an area where I could cleanly strike from. Once it was clear, I threw my daggers at the enemies, the moment they hit, I triggered the magical slashes. Blood spurted out like fountains. Following that, I swung the threads towards the other wolves, cutting them from a distance. As the daggers were coated with magic, they easily cut through their skin.

“The heck?” the warrior leader watched in astonishment as I shredded the monsters. Not a sweat on my brow.

The area was filled with the hounds’ whimpers and cries. One limped and crawled, but I swiftly struck it down. And a moment later, once all monsters had been dealt with, the place was silent once more. Pools of red monster blood colored the ground.

I let out a sigh. I managed to conserve stamina and spent a negligible amount of mana. I shouldn’t get sleepy any time soon. I retracted my daggers, which were stained by blood. So before I touched them, I forcefully flicked them off by the thread to remove the blood. And once they were clean, I completely retracted them back into my hands.

“You aren’t hurt anywhere, are you, Lady Estelia?” Velar asked as he approached.

“Nope. They didn’t get to touch me,” I said with a smile.

The warrior leader whistled as he stared at the daggers. “That was awesome. Great job. You made it look easy.”

“I couldn’t have done it without you distracting them.”

“Heh, still you surprised me. You’re pretty good with those.”

I nodded and returned my daggers to their sheaths. “Are those all the wolves?”

“Yup,” said the warrior leader. “They normally flee when they sustain heavy casualties. But you killed them all before they could.”

“Oh…” Hehehe, oops. Sorry doggies. I didn’t mean to kill you all… Okay, I did mean it. “Now that’s done, let’s resume our travel?”

“Hold up,” the warrior held out his hand. “We can’t waste the good meat, can we?”

“What?”

He pointed at the dead wolves.

Oh, don’t tell me…

I couldn’t help but wince when I realized what they were planning on doing. It was just something too much for the Pure Princess… Oh yeah, I had not acted like that in a while… To be honest, I missed doing that… I missed home…