The story begins when Aldwin grabs the royal guard's arm. Yory asked Joe, "Is this sort of thing normal around here?"

Joe responds, "It's normal everywhere. Royal guards often think they're special, but they're really just bandits with authority and golden armour."

Aldwin released his grip on the royal guard, and Akibrus sneered, "You didn’t help anyone. Words spread faster than a JOVEGA bird in its first season. The Cryptid village froze from the grass outside to the deepest dungeon, everything devoured by ice."

Avilyn adds, "You didn't help anyone, so move it, or we'll summon the real royal guards, lad."

The royal guard, his face flushed with anger, yelled, "You brought this on yourself!" He swiftly punched Aldwin in the stomach, making him double over in pain before collapsing to the ground.

Akibrus leapt from his cart and rushed to Aldwin's side as the royal guard grinned, saying, "Time for you to learn some respect, you rusty hag!"

As the royal guard prepares to kick Aldwin with all his might, someone grabs his shoulder, stopping him. When he turns around, Akibrus punches him in the face, but the guard retaliates with a swift kick to Akibrus’s knee, bringing him down. As the guard readies his sword, Joe steps in, and Yory quickly throws him an iron helmet, saying, "Here, use this."

As the guard prepared to strike Akibrus, Aldwin seized the guard's sword and delivered a powerful punch. Startled by the blow, the guard turned around only to find Joe striking him in the face with the iron helmet, causing him to collapse to the ground, blood spurting from his head.

Aldwin helps Akibrus to his feet, and Joe looks at the fallen guard, saying, "Not the first royal arse who bothered us, and not the last fool we're going to knock out." The merchants erupted in cheers at their victory. Joe thanks Yory for the helmet, but he explains it's not his and was given by a some merchant hoping to punish the guard.

Suddenly, the royal guard rises, furious, and draws his sword, approaching Joe for revenge. Yory reassures Joe, saying, "Don't worry; this will stop him."

A sudden kick to the royal guard's knee sends him tumbling to the ground. He shouts, "WHO DARES TO TOUCH ME, YOU SCUMBAG!" but falls silent when he sees his captain, who calmly says, "Continue what you were about to say; I'm listening."

The guard raises his hands and says with fear, "I’d never disrespect you, Captain Rhothomir."

Captain Rhothomir approached and delivered a sharp slap that sent the guard sprawling to the ground. He then shouts, "WE ARE THE ROYAL GUARDS! WE FIGHT FOR THEM WITH OUR LIVES! WE DIE FOR THEM WITHOUT HESITATION! AND WE NEVER DRAW OUR WEAPONS ON THE INNOCENT! UNDERSTOOD!?"

The guard hung his head low and uttered, "My apologies, Captain Rhothomir, I promise..."

Captain Rhothomir swiftly interrupted him, commanding, "To my office, Jorah, NOW!"

The captain respectfully bowed to Estel, Aldwin, and Akibrus, stating, "I deeply apologize for this accident, and I hope the strong relationship between the knights and the people remains unshaken." His show of respect left everyone in shock. Then, he removed his helmet, revealing a tall man with orange hair and a face adorned with three scars, one of which stood out, resembling a sword cut that started from his right eyebrow and extended to the middle of his right cheek. He had a strong, muscular build and wielded a golden sword, a true warrior of the kingdom.

Joe commented to Yory, "So, that's Rhothomir. I've heard about him."

Yory asked, "Some kind of champion or something?"

Joe replied, "I've never seen him in person, but they say he's a level 4 knight. I've heard plenty of stories about him, even from the mouths of drunken braggarts. He's a level 4, but knights of level 5 and even level 6 don't dare question him. So, this is the famous one."

Afterwards, the captain walked, with the guard named Jorah following him, his face showing clear anger as he glanced at Joe. Joe didn't notice this hostility, but Yory did from his cart. Then Joe teased Yory, saying, "Did you hear that piece of shit? He didn't mean a word of it."

Avilyn chuckled and added, "He apologized to his captain, not to us. Truly a shining example of a loyal guardian of our kingdom, hahaha."

Estel bowed to Akibrus, Aldwin, and Joe, expressing her gratitude. She said, "Thank you for your help. You're truly comrades to be proud of."

Everyone smiled at Estel's heartfelt words. Aldwin responded, "You're our friend, Estel, and you can't really call yourself a merchant until you've been harassed by a guard or some fancy knight."

Yory joked, "I've been harassed by one. Does that make me a merchant?"

Akibrus replied, "No, no, two more annoying guards, and then we can talk about it, hahahaha."

Laughter filled the market as everyone enjoyed the moment, and the merchants continued working until the day's end.

The next morning, Yory, Joe, and the other merchants began their journey toward Undvik City. As they left Quinn village, Yory mentioned, "Joe, I'll have to part ways with you for a while. I have some business to attend to."

Joe expressed his confusion, saying, "You're leaving me with your cart? Yory, where are you going? And why leave the cart with me? I might just steal it, who knows?"

Yory chuckled at his words and replied, "You won't steal it, and my business is my business, just as your business is yours, right?"

Joe smiled and said, "See you in Undvik city, my friend. Stay safe."

Yory nodded, left his cart, and disappeared into the woods. Aldwin asked, "Should we wait for him?"

Joe waved his hand dismissively, saying, "No, keep moving. He'll take care of himself. Let's go, everyone."

The group continued on their way, except for Estel, who looked back and wished Yory well, saying, "I hope you stay safe, Yory."

Moments after Yory entered the woods, he sensed something but continued on his path. After a short walk, Yory paused and pulled the Godfer crystal from his pocket. He chanted some demonic incantations, causing the crystal to glow and reveal his sister, Kunvy, who was urgently pleading, "Yoranios, it's too much work! Please come back now!"

Yory replied with irritation, "So you called me for this? Are you being an idiot, Kunvy? Don't call me..." Sensing something else, he paused and added, "We’ll discuss this later."

Back in Quinn village, Captain Rhothomir was furious as he demanded from a royal guard, "You’re telling me you didn’t find Jorah?"

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Another guard interrupted the conversation and reported with a military stance, "CAPTAIN! Some merchants saw him leaving the village on foot, and the gate guards confirmed the information."

Captain Rhothomir nodded and ordered, "Good, I’ll take it from here. KNIGHTS, HOLD YOUR POSITIONS!"

Half an hour later, Captain Rhothomir stood at the edge of the woods and remarked, "The tracking spell allows me to locate all my knights. It's led me to this forest. I hope Jorah hasn't done something foolish."

In the woods, the royal guard Jorah panted heavily, his sword stained with blood from a magical wolf he had just slain. Jorah muttered, "Damned creature."

After a moment, Yory emerged to find the wolf's lifeless body. Jorah, with irritation in his voice, growled, "I was searching for you, you filthy weasel."

Yory responded with a nonchalant expression, "Just you? Ah, I thought there might be something here."

Jorah's face contorted with fury as he yelled, "Yes, just me! You've cost me everything, you exalted bastard!" He unsheathed his iron sword and continued shouting at Yory, "See this? Because of your friends, I lost my rank. I was a level three, but Captain Rhothomir stripped it from me! Years of hard work wasted! You..."

Yory interrupted him, dismissively saying, "Level 3 knight? You? Please, not even level 2, my lad. You're one of those typical noble brats who cheated their way up the ranks, playing the role of a strong royal guard. But in wars and battles, we never see you participate. So, please, I have work to do."

The guard's sword began to glow with fire magic. Jorah threatened, "Where are your merchant friends going? I might spare your life."

Yory, maintaining a calm demeanour, replied, "They're headed to Undvik City. You know cities mean more money, right?"

Jorah burst into laughter, then menacingly said, "I will kill your friends, and I was about to spare..."

Yory interrupted again, stating firmly, "We both know that won't happen. You harassed some merchants, so you lost your rank. But threatening people is a grave violation of the knight's code and rules, not to mention killing people, which is one of the biggest three forbidden acts in your code."

Jorah gripped his sword, which was enveloped in fiery magic, and declared, "No one will know. After I leave this forest, Undvik City is my next destination."

Yory calmly responded, "You won't leave this woods. If you attack me, I'll end your short life, lad. Lower your sword and step aside."

Jorah chanted, "Fire magic: Can yeyən atəş." His sword was surrounded by dark flames as he pointed it at Yory and said, "See you in hell, bastard."

Yory raised his right hand and said, "I have no desire to go there; you can head there yourself."

Jorah began to walk towards Yory, but as he did, Yory raised his right hand and snapped his fingers. Suddenly, the flames on Jorah's sword extinguished. Jorah was shocked, his eyes widened, his mouth agape, but no words came out. Yory looked at him with a hint of pity and remarked, "What's wrong with your fire spell? Try it again. Maybe you got the incantation wrong, or your magic capacity is lacking. Who knows? You were quite the formidable warrior a moment ago."

Jorah remained silent, analyzing the situation. Yory continued, "Now you're in deep trouble here. If you let me go, I'll report you to your superiors. If you want to continue fighting, it won't end well for you. Even if you were to kill me, there would be injuries, and your captain would discover it if you sought healing from a nun. There would be a connection between you and the murder, and you know how strict your knight's code is, which brings us back to our current predicament."

Jorah discreetly drew his hidden dagger with slow, sneaky movements while talking to Yory. He asked, "So why are you telling me this? Aren't you in a position to, I don't know, swear never to talk or something like normal people do in this dangerous situation or ask..."

Yory interrupted him abruptly, saying, "No need for that. You're in a bad situation regardless. But I can assure you of one thing: you will never leave these woods, not today, or to be precise, not ever."

Suddenly, Jorah gripped his dagger and hurled it toward Yory's face while charging at him. To Jorah's astonishment, Yory deftly caught the flying dagger with his right hand and swiftly evaded Jorah's attack. Yory then drove the dagger into Jorah's stomach, causing him to scream in pain and collapse to his knees, clutching his bleeding wound. Jorah attempted to cast a spell, shouting, "Wind magic: kəsici külək!" but nothing happened, much to his surprise.

Yory remarked, "Didn't you remember that your fire spell on your sword earlier went off, or perhaps you forgot?"

Jorah, still clutching his injury, struggled to speak due to the pain. Yory continued, "It was a spell I created, I called it Ölümcül Boşluq, though it's not the best name. This magic serves to nullify the powers of magic in my vicinity. It's a devastating spell for weaker individuals like you. Someone on my level can easily overpower it."

Jorah attempted to utter something but couldn't due to the pain. Yory explained, "Allow me to introduce you to another spell, your last one. Your mistakes and misdeeds have brought you to this point of no return. Unfortunately, people rarely comprehend the impending doom rushing toward them at full speed. Demonic magic: Şeytan Məbədi."

Suddenly, a small, well-crafted shrine appeared in front of Jorah, who was in shock, unable to believe that his life would end with all his untapped potential and youth. In a cruel twist of fate, reality hit him like a mountain. After a brief moment, blood splattered across the nearby trees. Jorah's chest and neck were grotesquely open, and his eyes still held the shocked expression of someone who couldn't fathom their own demise. After a short but blood-filled interlude, Jorah's lifeless body fell to the ground.

Yory, unaffected, calmly stated as he walked toward the path leading to the forest exit, "Good, now it's time to return to my cart and continue my journey. But now..."

Yory stopped in his tracks when he saw Captain Rhothomir staring at him in disbelief, his gaze shifting between Yory and Jorah’s lifeless body. Rhothomir, his anger evident, questioned, "Did you kill him?"

Yory responded plainly, "Yes, he left me no choice. It was either him or me."

Captain Rhothomir wiped his face with his hands, struggling to accept what he had just witnessed. After a moment, he uttered, "Hand over your weapon."

Yory asked, "Why?"

Rhothomir replied, "I will take responsibility for Jorah's death. You're innocent. Many people saw Jorah following you and your merchant friends. I was rushing to stop him from doing something foolish, but I was too late."

Yory kept walking and said, "That’s fine by me, Captain. I’ve got no time to waste on Trials. So, good day to you." As he passed by the captain and headed out of the forest, he added, "I didn’t even need a weapon."

Rhothomir, stunned, turned to watch Yory walk away before looking back at Jorah’s lifeless body. Questions swirled in his mind, but he decided to keep them to himself.

After Yory left, Captain Rhothomir looked down at Jorah’s body and muttered, "What will your family think of you, Jorah? You've disappointed and tarnished your legacy."

But then, the captain noticed something strange about the scene. There was a strange shape on the ground in front of Jorah's corpse, resembling a fallen box or barrel. What made it even more unusual was that the earth around this shape appeared black, tainted by some form of dark magic.

Captain Rhothomir was taken aback when his magical senses picked up traces of dark magic in the soil. He glanced in the direction Yory had gone and murmured to himself, "Is he some sort of dark wizard or... a devil?"

In the aftermath of this grim discovery, Rhothomir reported the crime and confessed to the murder. In his defence, Jorah's sword bore traces of flame, and the bloody dagger that had killed him, along with the location of the murder, supported the captain's story. He claimed that Jorah had attempted to kill him as retaliation for Rhothomir's punishment for mistreating some merchants. The trial concluded with Captain Rhothomir being cleared of any wrongdoing, his actions deemed self-defence against his rogue knight.

Meanwhile, on the road, halfway to reaching Undvik City, Yory walked until he mentioned, "This seems like a good place to stop. It's getting dark..." However, he stopped speaking when he spotted a nearby camp.

Approaching the camp, Yory couldn't help but smile as he recognized Joe and the other merchants who had set up the camp. Yory greeted them, "Good evening, lads."

The merchants turned in surprise upon hearing his voice. Akibrus exclaimed, "Merlin's baby devil! We were so worried about you."

Aldwin and Akibrus warmly embraced Yory, and then Joe shook his hand with a strong grip, jokingly saying, "You're back, you rascal, hahaha."

Estel and Avilyn waved to Yory, who nodded in response. Yory found a tree trunk to sit on and rest after his long walk. He inquired, "You were supposed to reach Undvik City. What happened?"

Aldwin chuckled and said, "Estel was worried about you, and I have to admit, so was I. So, we waited. But knowing how tough you are, we shouldn’t have bothered."

Yory smiled and said, "What did my poor soul do to deserve such a fine gentleman and lovely woman like you? Cheers!"

The group cheered and began sharing stories, laughing, and enjoying themselves after the challenging days they had faced.

There was a man whose name I don't know, but he was an honest fellow who spoke words that have since become a famous quote used by traders everywhere. He said, "The life of a merchant is tough, fraught with danger and unexpected events. But that's what makes for a good story when you don't know the ending, right?"