บท 90: CH90
Helag's driver was a temporary hire from the caravan, a slave named Ed. He was a thin man in his thirties with extensive experience driving carriages.
Helag was satisfied with Ed's driving skills, as the journey had been smooth.
Ed was a quiet man, always silently driving the carriage. Unless Helag called for him, he wouldn't speak.
A brand on his face marked him as a slave.
Helag paid the caravan ten silver coins to hire Ed for three months.
Of course, not a single copper would go into Ed's pocket. Slaves were considered property and had no personal wealth.
As night fell, the caravan stopped for the day.
The carriages adjusted their positions to form a defensive perimeter, including Helag's.
The caravan members lit several campfires and began cooking meals for everyone.
The caravan only ate dry rations at noon, with hot meals served in the evening.
Helag also ate the food provided by the caravan, though he had water and provisions stored in his carriage and space ring for emergencies.
Half an hour later, Helag received his dinner: stewed potatoes with smoked meat and half a smoked fish.
This was considered good food. The caravan's meals were divided into different tiers.
Helag, who had paid for his meals, got the best food. The adventurers' meals were slightly inferior.
The slaves like Ed had the worst food, consisting of leftovers from previous days, essentially slop.
Many nobles in the caravan often left food uneaten, which was then collected and fed to the slaves.
After eating, Helag returned to his carriage to continue studying the knowledge stored in Deep Blue.
He was currently reading about magical history, as direct records of ancient magic were scarce. He had to glean information from historical accounts.
Deep Blue had scanned the ancient magic slate and could start analyzing its contents.
However, the analysis required consuming Helag's magic power. During this long journey, he needed to conserve his strength and couldn't afford to deplete his magic.
Both the analysis of the slate and the testing of potion formulas would have to wait until he reached the Kingdom of Doris.
The climate in the Dragonspine Highlands was harsh, with scorching sun during the day and freezing temperatures at night.
Helag used the blanket Lilian had given him, which was suitable for the weather.
Late at night, Helag meditated, focusing on solidifying the seventh star in his mind. He estimated it would take about two more months to complete.
As the night deepened, the surroundings grew particularly quiet.
The Dragonspine Highlands were sparsely populated, with few animals, making the nights eerily silent.
The caravan's area was well-lit, with several campfires burning throughout the night. The night guards huddled by the fires to keep warm.
At dawn, the caravan prepared to set off again, the surroundings becoming lively.
They needed to make the most of the daylight to leave the Dragonspine Highlands.
It was September, and the highlands could enter winter and start snowing at any time.
Snow usually began in October, but unusual weather could bring snow in September, posing a danger.
Fortunately, there were no signs of snow yet.
The caravan had traveled safely through the Dragonspine Highlands for twenty days and was about five days away from exiting the region.
In the thick fog, the caravan moved slowly.
The road was well-marked, and there was only one path through the highlands, so they didn't worry about getting lost in the fog. They just needed to follow the road.
Helag lay in his carriage, resting with his eyes closed, when he suddenly opened them.
Deep Blue's environmental scan showed no anomalies, but Helag heard unusual sounds.
Having traveled through the highlands for days, Helag was familiar with the usual sounds.
But now, he heard distant hoofbeats, and there were many of them.
The caravan continued as usual, unaware of the approaching danger.
A moment later, the hoofbeats grew louder, and a voice from the front shouted, "Enemy attack!"
It was Karim, the leader of the Putis Adventurer Group, the one with the fully armored members.
He commanded all the caravan guards, who were supposed to follow his orders.
Of course, adventurers were notorious for not following commands and acting on their own.
Karim was nearly at the level of a great knight, just a step away from reaching it.
He was said to come from a noble family but preferred adventuring over enjoying life on his estate.
He treated his adventurer group well, providing far better conditions than usual, as evidenced by their full armor.
With money and strength, Karim's reputation grew, and he often received large contracts, like escorting this caravan.
Karim was the first to hear the distant hoofbeats and immediately ordered the caravan to form defensive positions.
He divided the adventurers into teams, each led by a member of his group.
After issuing the warning, the adventurer group members quickly directed the other adventurers to line up the carriages defensively.
The defensive formation was quickly set up, with guards gathering by the carriages, weapons ready, eyes fixed on the direction of the hoofbeats.
The non-combatants, including the elderly, sick, and nobles, were placed at the rear.
Helag and Ed were at the back, lying on a slope. Helag was chewing on a piece of smoked fish, seemingly unconcerned.
He had no intention of fighting. He had paid for this service, even if it was with Miro's money.
As a paying customer, he didn't see why he should personally engage in battle.
A few minutes later, despite the fog obscuring their vision, everyone heard the dense hoofbeats.
The sound was like war drums, pounding on everyone's hearts, making their faces pale.
The scale of the hoofbeats suggested the attackers were likely a military force.
Only an army could afford so many horses. In this area, no bandit group could muster such strength.
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