**Chapter 4: Caravan④**
“There’s no doubt about it. This isn’t the work of mere humans… it’s the hand of the Dark King. Up until now, merchants have been attacked, but to think such a large caravan would be targeted as well—”
The leader of the caravan, a middle-aged man, spoke with a grave expression. Around the roaring campfire, which blazed brightly to ward off beasts, the main members of the caravan had gathered.
Nearby, men were digging a large hole to bury the dismembered bodies. They had neither the time nor the means to cremate them or bring them back. Those who traveled long distances outside the city were not afforded proper burial rites. The members of the Guster Trading Company must have understood this, but even so, they felt a pang of sorrow.
“The caravan is one of our supply lines. While Nobleburg is fortified, it’s also a harsh land. We can’t continue fighting without supplies like food. They’re likely targeting that weakness.”
The name of the Dark King was Lainel, a name that Nobleburg had been holding back. He seemed to lead countless magical beasts.
That woman had appeared human. Her scent was human as well, but if I were to say that, even Albatross had a human scent in her human form. If she had single-handedly caused that massacre before anyone could scream, she must possess considerable power.
The leaders of each trading company and the leaders of the mercenary parties were engaged in serious discussions. I lay quietly by the campfire, listening intently to their conversation.
“It will take at least a week to reach Nobleburg, even if we hurry. If their goal is to cut off our supply line, they will undoubtedly strike again.”
“…We have no choice but to confront them.”
That woman seemed to belong to no trading company. However, this caravan had a considerable number of people. Even if an unfamiliar human was mixed in, it was only natural to assume they belonged to another company. Moreover, forming a large caravan meant securing a degree of safety, but it also meant slowing down. Even if we abandoned our cargo, I doubted we could reach Nobleburg alive.
“It’s hard to believe that professional mercenaries, accustomed to guarding, couldn’t raise a single voice against the ambush. They were likely… caught off guard.”
Senri spoke as the End Knight, an expert in combating monsters. Everyone listened closely to Senri’s words, who had fought alongside a woman and saved the lives of two mercenaries.
I could probably wipe out the Guster Trading Company myself. However, if we engaged them in a frontal assault, we would at least give them time to signal their allies. The Guster Trading Company had five mercenaries with them. Depending on their strength, we might hold them off for five minutes at best.
The guards hired by the caravan were certainly not weak. They were merely human. Because they were human, their physical abilities were significantly inferior, making them prone to collapse when ambushed. Perhaps they had let their guard down because the attacker appeared as a woman.
Now that I thought about it, if the attackers were indeed the Dark King’s forces, it was unlikely there was only one of them. It was foolish to attack a massive caravan alone. I wasn’t used to reading information from situations like this, but there was logic in Senri’s words.
And it was also clear that they were not numerous. The Dark King’s forces were fewer in number compared to humans, and if they could mobilize a large army, there would be no need for ambush tactics.
“Can we repel them… Senri?”
The caravan leader looked at Senri. Senri glanced down at me, and I let out a small whine. We should cooperate. After being pampered so much, it was the least I could do. With my nose, I could detect ambushes from afar.
Senri gently patted my head and said seriously, “With Barlow’s nose, we can detect ambushes. It was this child who realized that the woman was an enemy.”
“…If that’s true, then that’s an incredibly talented dog. Far more useful than any hunting dog… where did you get it?”
“…When I fed it, it became attached and followed me.”
I eagerly licked the finger Senri offered. It was praise indeed. As I wagged my tail proudly, Senri looked down at me with an exasperated expression. That cold gaze seemed to question my dignity as a person.
Senri continued, “Moreover, I can use magic to sense the surroundings. Combined with Barlow, we should be able to prevent an ambush.”
At those words, the mercenaries’ eyes widened. The mage’s expression turned skeptical. Senri’s swordsmanship was already well-known. Just being able to use healing magic was impressive, but if she could also use detection magic, she would be more useful than any mediocre mage.
The leader hesitated slightly before voicing everyone’s doubts. “Um… Senri, what exactly are you? You’ve saved us multiple times, and if it’s too difficult to say, you don’t have to, but… your abilities don’t seem like those of an ordinary mercenary.”
A moment of hesitation crossed Senri’s face. We were being hunted. It was best to keep our origins hidden, but our names were already known. The identification card given to me by my father was the only one I had.
All eyes were on her. She had already drawn attention. Senri straightened her back and spoke plainly.
In that stance, there was no hint of self-deprecation.
“I was… once a member of the Order of the Final Knights. Now, due to certain circumstances, I travel with one person and one dog. I ask that you keep this a secret.”
At those words, the leader’s eyes widened to their limits. An End Knight was a rare sight indeed. If a mere mercenary had boasted about such a thing, they would have been reprimanded, but Senri possessed an otherworldly aura.
From that day on, we became known as “the enigmatic goddess of victory and her dog, the former End Knight.” It seemed that the impact of being a former End Knight outweighed that of a dog capable of detecting ambushes.
—
From that day on, the caravan’s formation changed. It was an emergency; we could no longer afford to worry about the relationships between trading companies or secrets.
The formations we set up during the night’s rest became more compact, sacrificing comfort for safety, gathering non-combatants in the center, with mercenaries guarding around them.
The tense atmosphere had even quieted the children. I too remained silent.
Ambushes occurred every night. The woman did not appear as she had before, but clearly non-wild beasts attacked the camp, injuring several.
Looking back, that woman might have been a decoy to infiltrate the caravan. If they had managed to break us from within, this sizable group would have crumbled in no time.
Senri was a whirlwind of activity in healing, scouting, and combat. Her detection abilities utilized the energy of the world. She altered the nature of that energy, using delicate, web-like threads of power to detect moving objects.
While my detection relied on scent, Senri’s did not require it. Though she couldn’t sense as far as I could, her abilities were clearly superior. I felt outclassed. Additionally, every time she used her detection magic, my body would feel a slight itch, which was another concern.
The scent of the woman lingered at a distance, yet it was ever-present. It was proof that she was still targeting us. Did she sense something and was tracking the caravan? Perhaps she was using scent just like I did.
On the fifth night, as we neared Nobleburg, the leader called everyone together and said, “It’s time to strike back. We must annihilate them. If we continue to be ambushed, we’ll be in dire straits. For now, we’ve managed to hold on, but we are not without losses.”
His words mixed truth with lies. We were not without losses, but for now, the level of exhaustion was manageable. If we prioritized safety, we should not take the offensive. Yet, the leader was likely considering what would come after.
This caravan was quite large. That was why we could recover even after the first ambush. If it had been just the Guster Trading Company, they would have been annihilated, and everything would have been buried in darkness. Furthermore, this caravan was not the only one transporting goods to Nobleburg.
“We should eliminate the magical being in human form while it’s still nearby. If we let it run free, it will undoubtedly disrupt our supply lines.”
“…That one is quite formidable.”
“But if it’s Senri, we can defeat it. Right?”
At Senri’s words, the leader, who had become quite the fan of Senri over the past few days, smiled.
It certainly seemed like a good plan. The magical beings that had been attacking us daily could be repelled through effective coordination among the mercenaries.
Even though the Guster Trading Company had been wiped out, many guards still remained with the caravan.
The woman was not nearby. To defeat her, we would need to take the initiative, but even if we sent out Senri and others, we still had enough numbers to protect the caravan. By gathering the wagons in one place, we had gained a bit of leeway.
The leader asserted with a serious expression, “There are few humanoid magical beings. That woman is likely the key to these ambushes.”
“…What do you think, Barlow?”
“Kyuuun.”
If we could defeat her… then we should. Of course, there were anxieties, but if we kept thinking like that, we would gain nothing.
I couldn’t discern what the enemy was plotting with these relentless attacks. However, the captain’s assertion that waiting would lead to our demise seemed entirely reasonable.
To obtain the necessary resources, we had to take action. Just as I had once used every means at my disposal to seize my freedom.
Senri closed her eyes and fell into silence for a moment, but eventually opened them to meet the captain’s gaze with her pale lavender eyes. We had been hired as guards, so this task lay outside our official duties. Yet, knowing Senri’s character, it was inconceivable for her not to lend her assistance. Of course, I would cooperate as well.
“…Understood. I will help.”
“Thank you, Senri-dono.”
And thus, our plan of action commenced.