Kaiden was a bundle of nerves as the wagon jolted down the uneven road, the thought of heading to his new unit alone gnawing at him. At least he’d finally get to meet back up with Davick—that small comfort did little to ease his anxiety, though. Just yesterday, he’d been dining with two sisters from the Perennial Petal, a group he now fully grasped was a massive deal. Everyone knew the Perennial Petal by name, but few could claim to have met any of the five Petal sisters—the faces of the organization’s five main branches.

And now here he was, back among "normal" people—or as normal as anyone could be who willingly chose the life of a Dungeoneer. His wagon was part of a convoy of four, each carrying around ten Dungeoneers and heading to different locations, but the same direction for the moment. They would all eventually break off to other cities, but only his was bound for the capital. He’d gotten lucky securing a spot; the next convoy wouldn’t leave for another week, and after spending weeks inside that D-O-D, he wasn’t eager to wait around any longer.

The journey to the capital would take three long weeks. Kaiden wasn’t particularly looking forward to it, but what choice did he have? This world lacked highways, trains, and planes—it was wagons, horses, and patience or nothing at all. For now, though, he decided to sit back and enjoy the scenery while he had the chance.

The other dungeoneers in his wagon were strangers, and the atmosphere wasn’t exactly jovial. Most people kept to themselves, either fiddling with their gear or gazing out at the lush forests and rolling hills that stretched out endlessly on either side of the road. Kaiden followed their example, leaning back against the rough wooden side of the wagon and letting the rhythmic jostling lull him into quiet observation.

Still, his thoughts kept circling back. Some of these people might end up in his unit once they reached the capital. How were the units even organized? By rank? By experience? Was there one unit for each city or multiple? He didn’t know, but it was just another thing he’d have to figure out soon enough.

Despite his nerves, Kaiden was actually looking forward to joining his new unit. Finally, he could start routine dungeon diving in places appropriate for his rank—or, at least, what his rank used to be. After the massive gains he’d made in that Diamond-grade dungeon, Kaiden was sure he couldn’t still be considered E-rank. Most dungeoneers would never experience anything close to what he had in that place. He knew he was strong now, but how strong? That was the real question.

To find out, he’d have to complete a trial dungeon, but Marigold had made it clear he needed to keep his mouth shut about the D-O-D. The official story was that he’d been on an escort mission for the Perennial Petal back in town. It was a convenient narrative, one General Thorne would also want upheld to avoid raising any eyebrows. Kaiden had readily agreed to the cover story, but it meant he’d need to avoid drawing attention to himself—including holding off on any trial dungeons for now. There shouldn’t be any reason for him to not still be an E-rank Dungeoneer.

Time passed uneventfully, and the monotony of travel began to wear on Kaiden. A week into the journey, their wagon had split from the convoy and was traveling alone along a forested road. The sun was dipping below the horizon, casting long shadows across the dirt path. It was time to set up camp for the night.

The highest-ranking member of their group, a stocky corporal named Jenser with a thick mustache and an authoritative presence, gathered everyone around to give orders.

“Now that it’s just us,” Corporal Jenser said, “everyone will stand watch every night, paired up, and each shift will be longer.”

A few groans and mutters of discontent rippled through the group.

One private, a lanky man with a raspy voice, spoke up. “Do we really need a watch? Everyone knows bandits don’t attack military caravans.”

The corporal rolled his eyes. “Of course we do, Private. There are no guarantees. Even if there’re no bandits, there could just as easily be a bear attack in these woods. We need to be prepared for anything. Now listen up as I assign the watch.”

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Kaiden was paired with another private—a short, stocky fellow with a ruddy complexion and arms that looked like they could split wood without much effort. After a modest campfire meal, everyone retired for the night, leaving Kaiden and his partner on the first watch.

The silence stretched as they stood at the edge of the camp, scanning the tree line for any sign of movement. Kaiden, restless, decided to break the quiet.

“Why don’t bandits attack military caravans?” he asked, glancing over at his partner.

The man turned toward him with a deadpan expression. “Because it’s pointless.”

Kaiden nodded, thinking it over. “Yeah, I guess that’s obvious. Why pick a fight with armed men who can fight back, right?”

The private furrowed his brow, shaking his head. “No, that’s not it.”

“Huh?” Kaiden tilted his head in confusion.

The man’s serious demeanor cracked, and a grin spread across his face. “It’s because we’re broke,” he said, his grin widening. “We got no money for them to rob!”

He chuckled to himself, clearly amused by his own answer, and turned his attention back to the darkened forest.

Kaiden let out a small laugh at the man’s response. He wasn’t wrong—most of them likely didn’t have anything of value to steal. Still, Kaiden’s grin turned sly as his fingers brushed against the pocket holding his storage ring.

He was carrying a small fortune and knew it, though he made sure not to wear the ring openly. No need to advertise to anyone that he had something so valuable. Of course, the downside was that he couldn’t access its contents without physically touching the ring—a tradeoff he was willing to live with for the time being. It only contained two shields and a coin sack of gold coins.

The rest of the night passed without incident, the quiet broken only by the occasional hoot of an owl or the rustling of leaves in the gentle night breeze. Kaiden and his partner finished their watch without any signs of danger, and soon enough, it was someone else’s turn to keep an eye on the camp. Kaiden was more than happy to settle into his bedroll and let sleep claim him.

Kaiden spent most of the next morning quietly observing his fellow Dungeoneers. A few of them seemed to have formed small cliques, chatting and joking as they rode. Others, like Kaiden, kept more to themselves. Another boring day, he groaned to himself mentally. They weren’t even at the halfway point.

The wagon rolled to a halt just off the side of the road, and Jenser didn’t need to announce their lunch break; by now, it was routine. Everyone filed out and stretched their stiff limbs, a few heading toward the treeline to relieve themselves. Kaiden leaned back against the side of the wagon, munching on his dry, tasteless rations while watching the others settle into their brief respite.

It wasn’t long before another wagon appeared in the distance, coming from the opposite direction. Its slow, steady approach drew little attention at first, as wagons were a common sight on these well-traveled roads. But something about its pace struck Kaiden as odd. It seemed to slow even further as it passed their group, the two men up front casting long, appraising glances toward the stopped caravan.

Kaiden’s eyes narrowed as he observed them. Bored travelers, he thought at first. Who wouldn’t stare? A military caravan, even a modest one, wasn’t something you saw every day. Still, the covered back of the passing wagon piqued his curiosity. He couldn’t see inside, but the way the men’s hands hovered near their laps made him uneasy.

The wagon continued down the road, disappearing over the next rise. Kaiden shrugged and took another bite of his ration, trying to shake the creeping feeling in his gut.

A few minutes later, another wagon appeared from the same direction Kaiden’s group was heading.

That’s odd, he thought, his chewing slowing as he watched it approach. They hadn’t seen any other wagons in their direction for miles, and yet this one was close enough to have been following behind them by a few minutes

Wait.

Kaiden froze, his heart skipping a beat.

That’s the same wagon.

The realization made his stomach churn. They’d turned around.

Kaiden wasn’t the only one who noticed. The corporal began making his rounds, his voice low but firm as he addressed the group. “Everyone, grab your weapons,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. “Break’s over.”

The dungeoneers, to their credit, moved quickly after seeing the wagon approaching. Kaiden felt the weight of his own shield as he slipped it onto his arm, his pulse quickening.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Jenser muttered under his breath, more to himself than to anyone else.

Kaiden watched as the wagon slowed once more, this time stopping just ahead of their wagon. It angled itself across the road, effectively blocking their path forward.

That was not a good sign.

Then armed men dismounted casually, chuckling to themselves as they seemed to stroll over the military members.

Kaiden gulped, the lump in his throat tightening.

Could it really be bandits?

Really?