A Family Spanning Two Lands

"Thank you!"

"Meeting you two was a huge help."

Shane smiled as he expressed his thanks, thinking to himself that the [Strong Luck] trait truly did not deceive him; when it came to luck, there was simply nothing to complain about.

"People ought to help one another, after all."

Inside the carriage, the merchant uncle nodded at the driver, and the carriage continued to roll forward.

"My name is Lott Norm, and I am the president of the Norm Chamber of Commerce. Our chamber operates inns and restaurants in several nearby towns. Are you two traveling? If you have any needs, you might consider choosing our Norm chain of inns."

Shane couldn't help but marvel; he certainly knew how to do business.

That was why he was the president, after all.

"Norm Chamber of Commerce?" Frieren, sitting to the side, had her attention caught by the name. "Is that the Norm from the Norm Chamber of Commerce on the Northern Plateau?"

"Oh my, it seems you have heard of our Norm Family." The merchant uncle looked rather proud.

"Indeed, it is that very Norm. Our two branches descend from the same family. Our ancestors were once nobles of the Central Continent, but they were exiled due to smuggling crimes. Later, one branch rose to prominence on the Northern Plateau, while the other—the one I belong to—took root in Gostan City."

"I see..." Frieren's gaze flickered slightly as she asked, "Then your ledgers shouldn't be shared between you, right?"

"Hm?"

"It's nothing." Frieren whispered softly.

"Haha, because the two locations are so far apart, we only contact each other once every few years, so naturally, there are no business dealings. But if you travel to the Northern Plateau in the future, I can write you a letter of introduction; you might even get a discount."

"That won't be necessary." Frieren refused immediately.

Hm...

Shane, sitting to the side, looked left and right. His intuition told him that Frieren's behavior was definitely suspicious!

Shared ledgers?

Could it be... that when the Hero Party was subjugating the Demon King, they ran up a tab at the merchant's guild and never paid it back?

Just as he was thinking this, the carriage suddenly shook violently.

The driver in front pulled hard on the reins, struggling to control the horses, but it was to no avail.

The panicked horses neighed and began to bolt wildly.

The merchant uncle, clearly experienced, immediately flattened himself against the floor of the carriage.

Shane gripped the carriage frame tightly and leaned out to observe, discovering that the three carriages in their convoy had been scattered and were fleeing in different directions.

Trailing right behind their carriage were three gray wolves, in hot pursuit.

Seeing this, Frieren raised her staff and fired an offensive spell toward the wolves, striking one of them. The hit wolf let out a howl and went tumbling away, but the other two continued their pursuit unabated.

They didn't seem afraid of magic attacks at all.

Immediately after, the two pursuing wolves began to howl toward the sky as they ran.

Frieren glanced at their behavior and quickly reached a conclusion: "They are the monster's minions."

"Monster's minions? What is that?"

No sooner had Shane asked the question than the entire carriage shook violently, lifted off the ground, and soared into the air.

The driver was thrown into the carriage, and everyone was sent tumbling about.

In the moment of crisis, Shane drew his longsword and thrust it hard into a gap in the floorboards, using the hilt to steady himself, then grabbed Frieren, who was nearly thrown out of the carriage.

The merchant uncle and the driver grabbed onto the carriage frame, clinging to it with all their might, which kept them from being flung out.

Shane looked up toward the front of the carriage and saw the horses being captured by a giant bird, pierced by its sharp talons.

At this moment, the giant bird was ascending rapidly, dragging them, carriage and all, hundreds of meters into the sky.

"Frieren, what do we do now!"

Hanging in the air, bearing the weight of both himself and Frieren, Shane felt as though his arm was about to be dislocated. He urged Frieren to think of a solution.

The entire carriage was tilted at a dangerous angle; they could fall from this height at any moment.

"This is a bird-type monster. It is very cunning and skilled at hiding its mana and driving animals to act as its minions. Those gray wolves from before must have been the minions helping it hunt."

"Now is not the time for a lecture!" Shane gritted his teeth.

"Then let's just finish it off."

Saying this, she raised her staff, ready to act.

Shane was horrified.

"Wait! If you kill it now, what happens to us? We'll fall!"

Hearing this, Frieren pondered for half a second:

"I can take the merchant uncle and land using [Flight Magic], and you can act as a meat shield for the driver."

"Me?? Act as a meat shield?? I'd be a meat patty by the time we hit the ground!" Shane was so angry he nearly threw Frieren out of the carriage. "Think properly, will you!"

"Is that not possible?"

"How is that even possible!!!"

"I see... then we have no choice but to hold on until it lands."

Shane felt like he was going to cough up blood. His brain raced at top speed until he suddenly thought of something, and he immediately spoke to Frieren:

"Kill the monster to make the carriage drop, then use [Flight Magic] to stabilize it before it hits the ground. Can you do that?"

"I'm not certain, but I can try."

"..."

Just as the two were discussing their strategy, the merchant uncle's stamina gave out. He suddenly slid down a significant distance, looking as if he were about to fall out of the carriage.

The situation was dire, and there was no time for further deliberation. Shane immediately swung his arm, violently hurling Frieren toward the front of the carriage.

Frieren understood his intent instantly. Finding the perfect angle, she unleashed an attack that slammed into the giant bird's head.

Before the giant bird could even react, its neck went limp, and the carriage, having lost its tether, began to plummet rapidly.

In an instant, Shane felt as if his soul had left his body.

At the very last moment before impact, Frieren cast [Flight Magic], enveloping the entire carriage.

Boom—

A moment later.

The ground was covered in dust, wood splinters, and the remains of a shattered wheel.

Frieren looked around, reached up to pluck a leaf from her hair, and sighed, "It actually worked."

Unexpectedly, a weak groan came from beneath her: "Frieren, I'm about to die..."

!!!

Frieren hurriedly lifted her bottom and climbed off Shane's back.

"My apologies."

Shane let out a long breath, "Phew, I almost met my great-grandmother..."

Not far away, the merchant uncle and the driver were also unharmed, though both had been terrified by the final impact.

The horses were gone, and the carriage was smashed to pieces.

The group looked at the wreckage, still shaken by the ordeal.

Fortunately, no one was injured.

"In all my years of trading, the worst I've encountered were bears or wolves. I never expected to run into a monster... It's a good thing we were lucky enough to run into you two today."

"Once we get back to Gostan City, you must come to Norm Inn. No matter how long you stay, it's on the house!"

Shane had no time for pleasantries. He raised a hand to stop the merchant, signaling everyone to be quiet. He then walked over to a nearby bush and reached out to touch a leaf.

The bush was stained with viscous blood that hadn't yet fully dried, and the surrounding branches were trampled and broken, as if someone had fought here...

He scanned his surroundings vigilantly.

The sun was already dipping low, and the light in the forest was gradually fading.

Flutter.

A flock of birds suddenly took flight from the woods nearby.

Shane's hand instinctively pressed against the hilt of his sword, "Everyone, stay close. Don't get separated."