"Is this what a carriage is like... It feels a bit slow, not as fast as I can run."

The carriage Ogre was in originally belonged to Kakafil.

Logically, such a private carriage should be more luxurious, but the interior of Kakafil's carriage wasn't much different from others.

Ogre thought maybe Kakafil wasn't doing well...

That's why he moved from the inland to the borderlands.

In a place like the borderlands, apart from some ostracized merchants and those who value money over life (black market merchants), who would willingly come here to do business?

"I wonder if Foucault and the others have left the city yet..."

...

"We've arrived, Miss Geling."

Macal lifted the curtain of the carriage and reported the journey to Ogre.

Then, as Ogre was about to get off, he extended a helping hand.

The journey wasn't as bad as expected.

Perhaps because they had encountered enough troubles before, this journey was unusually smooth, without encountering any marauders.

"At least the goal was achieved..." Macal comforted himself inwardly.

"Mm..."

Ogre responded, then, with Macal's helping hand, got off the carriage.

Although it seemed there was still some distance to the town, walking there wasn't a hassle—this was the distance Ogre specifically requested Macal to leave.

This way, he could conveniently remove his disguise.

"Goodbye, you two. Here's a saying from the east for you—'Mountains and rivers meet, and the future is full of possibilities.'" Kakafil waved to Macal and Ogre before leaving with the convoy.

"Better not meet again..." Macal muttered inwardly as he watched Kakafil leave.

He felt his purpose for this trip had changed—to avoid Eve.

"Miss Geling, let's go to the Church of Truth's bookstore. Their bookstores like to be behind restaurants... I wonder what it's like on your side."

Macal removed his disguise mask and slung a large bag over his shoulder.

As he walked toward the town, he introduced the town's facilities to Ogre.

He originally planned to buy books and then take Ogre to the Dandelion Restaurant to book a room and have a lunch for two.

But after all the troubles along the way, he lost the mood—even unsure if he should pursue Geling...

Rationality told him his chances weren't great.

Moreover, there was Eve, who seemed to like him—doing so might please neither side.

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But his body's impulses told him he still liked the beautiful ones...

And he really couldn't see Eve as a lover.

It felt too out of place.

In this dilemma, Macal's awareness and vigilance of the environment decreased.

Until Ogre tugged at his sleeve.

"Wait..."

Ogre tugged at Macal's sleeve, pulling the knight who seemed out of it back to reality.

"What's wrong, Miss Geling?"

Macal stopped in confusion—regardless, Ogre was his mission target to protect.

It had nothing to do with liking or disliking.

"Look..." Ogre quickly wrote on a notepad—'Don't you think the defenses outside this town are particularly sparse...?'

As soon as Ogre got off the carriage, he began observing with his super vision.

After a while of observation.

Ogre indeed noticed something off about this town.

In broad daylight, there wasn't even a scout outside—not even as strong as a village's defenses.

"Could it be another troublesome situation...?"

Ogre felt his luck had been a bit off lately, encountering more and more issues...

When he used his real name, he hadn't encountered such chaotic situations in a short time.

"It seems so."

Macal put aside his idle thoughts, his spirit re-energized, instantly entering a pre-battle state.

Although he didn't have Ogre's super vision, as a Professional Knight, his vision wasn't bad either.

A knight who completed the Circle of Life had no obvious weaknesses in any aspect.

"Miss Geling... we should switch towns or return the way we came..." Macal looked into the distance, starting to feel this place was becoming strange.

If it were a normal time, as a Paladin, he would at least investigate, but now he had to protect Miss Geling...

So avoiding it was best.

Reporting back to the church might be the most correct decision.

"Mm..." Ogre nodded, not wanting to expose his strength to Macal too quickly.

"I'll have to trouble you... Miss Geling, but fortunately, the other town isn't too far. We can report to the church there... or return to the village." Macal looked at the nearby town, his gaze showing a hint of seriousness.

Now wasn't the time for him to play hero.

Luckily, they got off the carriage on a side road, so they were some distance from the town.

Leaving Rock Town directly was a good choice.

...

"They didn't come in after all..."

A Demon Swamp Crocodile poked its head out of the river outside the town, its eyes glowing with a strange blue light.

"Seems something went wrong..."

A human guard walked out from the town, his eyes also emitting the same blue light as the Demon Swamp Crocodile.

"Never mind, it doesn't matter."

As the blue-eyed human guard muttered to himself, all the humans in the town, regardless of age or gender, raised their heads.

Without exception, their eyes had a faint blue glow, their expressions uniformly the same.

...

"Miss Geling, how did you discover the problem with Crow Town..." After walking some distance with Ogre, Macal suddenly asked the question that puzzled him.

Ogre hesitated for a moment, then wrote on the notepad—'I have a natural sense for danger...'

This answer could also explain how he escaped from the dangerous Demon Beast Forest.

Although, upon closer examination, there were many loopholes.

But Ogre felt these loopholes weren't something Macal's intelligence could uncover...

"Innate ability, I see..." Macal responded, not giving it much thought.

'Why has my luck been so bad lately?' Macal was already having second thoughts.

He wanted to drop the bag and carry Miss Geling away from this place quickly.

But carrying someone would be troublesome if they encountered danger—it wasn't conducive to protection.

"However, it's my fault for not noticing the problem while on the carriage." Macal had no other thoughts now; he just hoped the journey would be safe.

'Things are getting more chaotic...'

Ogre's thoughts also became a bit complicated, noticing the increasing chaos in the borderlands recently.

There seemed to be a large hand manipulating everything.

"Who!" Macal suddenly dropped the bag and clenched his fists.

"Don't be nervous, my friend..." A few people emerged from the side of the path, raising their hands.

Showing they were not a threat.

"Who are you?" Macal didn't lower his guard, shielding Ogre behind him.

"We are residents of Crow Town," said the leading man.

'Crow Town!' Ogre and Macal both heightened their alertness.

Macal asked sternly, "Why come out now?"

"We couldn't catch up with your carriage..."

The leading man's words left Macal and Ogre speechless.

They then realized that the people coming from the side path seemed to be mere villagers.

The speed of the horned horse wasn't particularly fast, but that was for Professionals.

Normally, the speed of a horned horse pulling a carriage wasn't something an Apprentice-level Professional could catch up with.

"What happened in Crow Town, and why are you in the forest outside the village?" Macal asked.

"Crow Town indeed had a problem... We were lucky villagers who escaped..." The short man beside the leader began to explain...

It turned out they were hunters from Crow Town.

Yesterday, while returning from hunting, their captain noticed something unusual about the town and stopped them.

'Something's off in town... At this time, Cardoka should be lighting a fire outside. How about this—I'll go check the town, you wait here. If we don't return by morning, leave quickly! Report everything to the Church of Dawn!'

The meticulous captain sensed the abnormal atmosphere in Crow Town but still chose to go.

"We observed from the forest all night... We were just about to leave for nearby villages or towns, but seeing you didn't enter Rock Town, we changed plans and decided to show up..." explained the leading hunter.

Macal was about to ask more when Ogre nudged him.

Handing him the notepad.

Macal took the notepad, glanced at it, then questioned the five hunters before him, "How did you observe?"

"With this... It was made by the Truth wizards in our town." The short hunter pulled a telescopic tube from his bag: "They call it a telescope, made not long ago—there are only two in the whole town, one on the watchtower; the other is this."

"Throw it over." Macal usually wasn't interested in the Truth Church's gadgets, but now he had to verify.

After catching the telescopic tube, Macal handed it to Ogre—worried about being ambushed.

"Pull it open and look through the small end," the hunter instructed.

Ogre took the tube and used it as instructed.

Finding it indeed had a telescopic effect—as the hunter said, it even enhanced his super vision.

Though it was a bit shaky for closer views.

'A magical tool that simply enhances vision... Why isn't it in the city?'

Suppressing his curiosity, Ogre put the telescope away, then nodded to Macal.

"Alright, it seems you're telling the truth..." Macal sighed in relief, then asked the hunters the last question Ogre wrote on the notepad: "Why do you trust us?"

"Because you're with Mr. Kakafil's convoy..."

The leading hunter gave an unexpected answer.