Golden Wheat Ear Caravan

Changhe City's east gate was as bustling as ever, though there was less of the Adventurers' Guild's chaos and more of the orderly flow of merchants and travelers.

Xia Lin spotted the Golden Wheat Ear caravan's flag at a glance. Several wagons were covered tightly with thick oilcloth, and the draft horses pulling them were strong and well-fed, their coats sleek and glossy—a testament to the caravan master's means and care.

Beside the wagons stood a middle-aged man in a fine silk vest. He was slightly plump, with a shrewd little mustache, and surveyed the adventurers applying for work with a discerning eye.

This had to be the caravan leader, the shrewd merchant.

Five burly men stood behind him. They all wore matching chain mail and carried standard-issue curved blades at their waists. Their sharp eyes and slightly bulging temples marked them as well-trained professional guards, not some makeshift band of hired hands.

The one at their head was a little older, with a few faint scars on his face. He stood ramrod straight, his gaze steady and keen.

Xia Lin studied his well-maintained gear, which clearly had a military style, and the crisp, efficient gestures he used to direct the other guards. He formed a judgment: this was probably a veteran who had left the army, perhaps even a squad leader.

With a professional like that in charge, the job seemed considerably safer.

A faint aroma of fermenting grain wafted from the wagons. It seemed they were mainly carrying goods like wine and food.

Besides Xia Lin, a dozen or so adventurers milled around, hoping to land the job.

Xia Lin glanced over them. They were a wildly uneven bunch.

The best of them were probably about as capable as he had been before—decently equipped, with a hint of ferocity in their eyes, but clearly lacking enough combat experience.

As for the rest, they were a sorry sight.

After turning away a farmer who had tried to pass off a sickle as a grappling hook, it was finally Xia Lin's turn.

"Next!" The caravan leader lifted his chin, fixing his gaze on Xia Lin.

Xia Lin stepped forward.

The caravan leader, a merchant who introduced himself as Master Borin, swept his sharp eyes over Xia Lin from head to toe.

When he saw Xia Lin's clearly reinforced leather armor, with dark golden scales set into the chest and shoulders, and the finely made longsword at his waist, he nodded in satisfaction.

"Name?"

"Xia Lin · Tolemo."

"Hmm, Tolemo..." The merchant Borin seemed to recognize the surname, but didn't ask about it. He simply nodded. "Good equipment, and you look alert enough. Let me see your weapon."

Xia Lin drew the Stone Fist Fine Work Longsword and handed it over.

The guard captain beside Borin took the sword, tested its weight, then tapped the blade with a finger and listened to its ring. He nodded.

"Good, you're in," the merchant Borin said briskly. "Stand over there and wait."

Xia Lin felt relieved. It seemed his new equipment had earned him quite a few points.

He stepped aside and watched the merchant Borin continue the selection. Before long, several more people passed the inspection and were hired.

Xia Lin sized up these temporary "coworkers."

A human woman with a longbow on her back and her hair tied in a high ponytail stood silently, her fingers habitually plucking at the bowstring as her sharp eyes swept warily over the surroundings. She introduced herself as Shamir.

Beside her was a tall human man named Kyle, carrying a two-handed greatsword to match his height. He merely leaned against a wagon shaft with his arms folded and his eyes closed, seemingly indifferent to everything around him.

A lively-looking female halfling had also been selected. She was small, with two daggers tucked into her belt, and was curiously examining the goods on the wagons. She winked at Xia Lin and said with a smile that her name was Pip. But Xia Lin noticed that as she spoke, her small hand seemed to brush past the purse at a guard's waist. Her movements were so quick they were almost impossible to see.

There was also a male gnome named Fitzwick. He paid no attention to anyone, crouching on the ground and absorbed in tinkering with a heavy crossbow that looked modified. He muttered to himself, occasionally taking small clanking parts from the large toolbox on his back.

The last person selected was the most mysterious of all.

They were wrapped from head to toe in a headscarf and veil, with only their eyes visible. Their build seemed feminine.

She called herself "Sera." Her voice was slightly hoarse, and she refused to discuss her race or background.

She stood quietly in a shadowed corner, her loose robes concealing her entire body and leaving it impossible to tell whether she carried a weapon. She stood steadily, her steps light, as if she could melt into the shadows at any moment.

Including Xia Lin, six adventurers had been hired.

"All right, that's everyone." The merchant Borin clapped his hands to get their attention. "I'm Master Borin, in charge of this caravan. We're heading to the provincial capital, Orlando. If the journey goes smoothly, it should take about two and a half days. The rules are simple: follow orders and protect the cargo and those of us who can't fight. Once we reach our destination, you'll be paid four silver coins. No delays."

He began assigning tasks. "Kyle, Aila, you're responsible for keeping watch at the front. Xia Lin, Fitzwick, you're in the middle, guarding the main wagons. Pip, Sera, you're bringing up the rear. Keep an eye out behind us and stay alert."

Borin paused and gestured toward his five sturdy guards. "My people will be spread throughout the formation to assist you. Understood?"

Everyone nodded or answered in the affirmative.

"Good. Check your gear, and we leave at once!"

At Borin's command, the massive caravan began to roll forward. The wheels rumbled over the stone road, the horses whinnied, and people called back and forth as the caravan joined the stream of travelers leaving the city.

Xia Lin had been assigned to the middle of the caravan, right beside several large wagons loaded with barrels of wine.

The gnome Fitzwick nimbly climbed onto the roof of a wagon and continued tinkering with his crossbow and various odd little gadgets, letting out a few satisfied "heh heh"s now and then.

The caravan moved steadily. Xia Lin watched Changhe City's gray walls gradually recede behind them, and couldn't help feeling a little sentimental.

Two and a half days on the road—there shouldn't be any major trouble, right? Remembering what the route had been like before, he felt a little reassured.

Not long after Xia Lin's caravan disappeared at the end of the main road, at the Adventurers' Guild...

Behind the counter, the expressionless middle-aged man was listlessly sorting through job slips.

A young guild runner in uniform dashed in, panting, and slapped a fresh sheet of parchment down on the counter.

"Emergency! Emergency update to the job posting! The route to the provincial capital!"

The middle-aged man frowned, picked up the parchment, which still seemed warm with fresh ink, and quickly scanned it.

His eyelid twitched, and the hand holding the parchment paused.

"Tsk..." He set the parchment down, rubbed his temples, and looked toward the door as he muttered under his breath,

"That kid can't be that unlucky, can he?"