"Whoosh--! Boss, fly higher!"
High in the air, Ifrit rode on Gregor's neck, her arms outstretched in excitement.
Gregor steadied her with one hand, his gaze sweeping across the wasteland below.
There was no trace of any Mobile City waterway in sight, not even a decent road.
Was that guy really lying?
Just as Gregor was hesitating whether to turn back and ask for directions again in a more "direct" way...
At the edge of his field of vision, a small moving dot caught his attention.
[That's... a car?]
Gregor's heart leaped; it seemed there was no need to turn back.
[Let me hitch a ride... I can always pay Pure Gold for the fare.]
Having made up his mind, Gregor immediately gave his instructions.
[Ifrit, hold on tight, we're about to land.]
"Don't move." (Ten Percent Off)
Reaching the top of the parabola, their upward momentum was exhausted, and the two plummeted towards the Daichi.
[Energy Shield]
A crimson spherical force field enveloped them, and burning meteors streaked across the wasteland sky.
And below...
"[Kjerag's profanity!] This is what you call a 'safe path'?!"
As Gnosis watched the rapidly falling "shooting star," half of the dizziness he was feeling from motion sickness vanished.
"Life is unpredictable..."
Enciodes frowned and immediately gave the order:
"Courier, avoid the crash site!"
"It's already spinning! But..."
The Courier gripped the steering wheel, cold sweat beading on his forehead, his eyes fixed on the ever-growing fireball in the rearview mirror.
"That thing... is adjusting its direction to follow us?!"
The "meteor," which should have fallen straight down, exploded with a shockwave at its tail, deflecting at an abnormally sharp angle and intercepting the vehicle in front.
To the astonishment of Kjerag trio, the meteor crashed heavily less than fifty meters in front of the vehicle!
Boom--!!!
A roaring sound accompanied by billowing dust swept in, and the Courier the vehicle to drift sideways as if out of control.
There's no escaping it!
Enciodes made a quick decision, pulling Gnosis close and shielding him in his arms.
The Courier in the front seat had already crouched down, ready to meet the impact.
However--
A large hand covered in jet-black arm armor stopped the drifting vehicle.
The out-of-control inertia was easily neutralized, and the vehicle remained completely still.
No one was injured.
Inside the carriage, the three people were panting, looking at the door with suspicion and uncertainty.
The smoke and dust outside the car window had not yet cleared, and only blurry black shadows could be seen.
"Boss... I'll go down and take a look..."
The Courier stood up, his hand already reaching for his weapon.
"No need."
Enciodes stopped him in a deep voice, regaining his composure.
"They're targeting us, their objective is clear... There's no point in running away."
Gnosis pulled away from SilverAsh's embrace and adjusted his slipped glasses:
"It's obvious. It seems your plan has barely begun before you have to deal with an unexpected disaster."
"It may not be a disaster."
Enciodes stood up and straightened his slightly disheveled collar.
"Compared to the goods and cash in the vehicle, I think... the 'value' I myself can offer might be more interesting to them."
"At a time like this, you still want to show off your negotiation skills?" Gnosis couldn't help but sarcastically remark.
"Watch, Gnosis."
Enciodes gripped the car door handle, his eyes gleaming with confidence.
"I will show you firsthand that the bargaining chips in negotiations are never just money... Understanding people's hearts is equally crucial."
He shoved the car door open and strode out.
The smoke and dust had not completely dissipated, but a remarkably tall figure could already be seen standing in front of the vehicle.
Enciodes straightened his back and spoke in a sincere tone:
"What brings you here, sir? Enciodes SilverAsh Clan... perhaps I can help you resolve your troubles."
His eyes were fixed intently on the other person's face. In Victoria, he had diligently practiced micro-expression analysis, and now...
Now is the time to test the results!
A gentle breeze blew in at the right time, sweeping away the cumbersome smoke and dust.
Ten Percent Off: "ᗜ ˰ ᗜ"
Enciodes: "..."
This... this isn't right, is it?
Just as Enciodes's brain briefly went blank, a small head popped out from the strange television.
"Hey! Who are you?"
A clear, childlike voice rang out, and Enciodes quickly snapped back to reality, immediately flashing an impeccably gentle smile:
"Hello, lovely lady. I am Enciodes SilverAsh Clan, a merchant passing through this area..."
Wow! He's a lolicon!
The words he was about to say stuck in his throat, Enciodes felt extremely uncomfortable.
Wait a minute! Why aren't you playing by the rules?
Gregor gently tapped Ifrit's head to signal her to be quiet, then sought help from the group.
[Gregor: Gorth, we've found the caravan, let's get ready to dive for Pure Gold.]
[Gorth: Okay.]
[Vera: It's all settled?]
[Gregor: Not yet... I stopped their car, and I'm trying to figure out how to start the conversation.]
[Vane: It seems we need help... Why don't we ask Lord Vane for help?]
Gregor hesitated as he looked at the message, but then he remembered that Vera had also been helped by Vane... and he remembered that the results were quite good?
[Gregor: Okay, it's up to you now.]
[Vane: Don't worry! Just repeat after me.]
Gregor activated the shared view feature, Vane saw the Feline silver hair and gray eyes standing beside the car.
[Vane: Damn it! Ex-husband! (A nickname players use for SilverAsh)]
Almost simultaneously, Gregor, who was receiving Vane's "guidance," relayed the words verbatim to Ten Percent Off.
When Gregor realized what he had said, the Ten Percent Off % electronic voice, delivered flawlessly, reached everyone's ears:
"I'm blanching, ex-husband."
[Vera:...]
[Gorth:...]
[Vane:... Boss, would you believe me if I said it wasn't on purpose?]
[Vera: The corpse is talking.]
[Gorth: Rest in peace.]
[Gregor: You bastard!]
On the other side of the real world, Enciodes SilverAsh Clan, the future ruler of Kallan, had his smile shattered completely.
"Ex-husband? Looks like your private life is quite eventful."
Gnosis's amused voice came from behind, followed by the Courier:
"When did the boss get married? I had no idea!"
Enciodes's eyes sharpened as he glanced at the Courier suppressing a laugh. The latter felt a chill run down his spine and instantly stood at attention.
Suppressing the turmoil in his mind, SilverAsh prepared to reorganize his thoughts.
However, before he could speak, the armored Giant in front of him spoke first.
Gregor ignored Vane's wails and bluntly stated that he would include repairing a certain Vampire in his itinerary.
"Hitch a ride."
Enciodes was taken aback, clearly not expecting the other party to be so... simple and unpretentious?
"Where would you like to go?"
He cautiously followed; if it was just something that happened to be going that way, perhaps it wasn't a bad thing...
Where are you going?
Gregor countered with a question, and the three quickly exchanged glances.
Gnosis (raises an eyebrow, mouths silently):
'Is it really not because of your past romantic entanglements that's come knocking on your door?'
Enciodes (returned a cold look):
Do I look like that kind of person?
The Courier (glanced at Gregor, swallowed hard):
'Boss, should we change our destination at the last minute?'
Enciodes fell silent, quickly weighing the pros and cons:
The other party's strength and intentions are unclear. Agreeing to this would mean bringing a huge destabilizing factor into your life.
But...
He looked at the crater behind Gregor, then at his unmarked armor.
Risks and opportunities coexist.
Enciodes raised his head and made a decision.
"We are heading to the Grand Knight Territory of Kazimierz. If you don't mind... we would be honored to accompany you."
"Can."
Enciodes nodded, stepped aside, and cleared the way to the carriage.
Seeing this, Gnosis and the Courier silently withdrew without raising any objections.
Why not object?
Gnosis pushed up his glasses; the glare from the lenses obscured his eyes.
The Courier his eyes straight ahead, as if nothing had happened.
Strength is a self-evident truth.
And so, Gregor, carrying Ifrit was still curiously looking around, boarded the not-so-spacious truck.
The space inside the carriage suddenly felt cramped, Enciodes and Gnosis remained expressionless.
The Courier climbed back into the driver's seat and cautiously glanced at the rearview mirror.
The vehicle slowly started moving, Gregor's gaze shifted, eventually settling on the fur cargo in the corner of the carriage.
Enciodes immediately noticed this. Despite his doubts, he outwardly introduced the situation with enthusiasm:
"These are high-quality furs from Kjerag. Thanks to the harsh, frigid climate of their homeland, they offer excellent insulation and will be highly sought after during the winters in Kazimierz."
"I'll take them all."
"???"
All three were taken aback. Enciodes suppressed his surprise and cautiously confirmed:
"All?"
"All."
The Courier's fingers tightened slightly around the steering wheel. Gnosis lowered his head, while Enciodes's formulaic smile remained unchanged.
Looks like I'll have made a wasted trip...
"Since you are interested in these furs, then these are all a gift..."
"How much?"
A calm electronic voice interrupted his attempt to be friendly.
Gregor turned his head and clearly conveyed his request:
"I will only pay with Pure Gold."
A brief silence fell over the carriage; Gregor's frankness actually put Enciodes somewhat at ease.
He didn't care how much Pure Gold the other party could offer; these furs were valuable to their plans, but not irreplaceable.
More importantly, could this transaction itself serve as a catalyst for further dialogue?
Enciodes quoted a figure far below the estimated price...
"Trade during the break."
After the electronic voice finished speaking, Gregor crossed his arms and remained silent, and none of the others questioned him.
Ifrit patted Gregor's "head" (Ten Percent Off), and Gregor took it off and laid it flat.
As the music from Journey to the West began to play, the trio of Kjerag glanced sideways.
So that wasn't a head after all...
After calming down, Gregor replied in the group chat.
[Gregor: It's settled, but what do you need these furs for?]
[Vera: Your reward for the armor materials.]
Kazdel, a golden torrent rushes across the Daichi.
The Berserk Boar herd had just trampled their target and was now heading towards their next destination.
Vera glanced sideways at the mercenaries behind her who were sneezing.
[Gregor:... I thought you bought it with Pure Gold.]
[Vera: We wanted to give it to them, but they refused.]
[Vane: Pear blossoms are falling outside your window~]
[Gregor: Are you coming home for dinner tonight?]
[Vane is offline]
[...]
Gregor closed the Group Chat and rested with his eyes closed.
The Courier glanced at the rearview mirror and silently slowed down.
"May I ask where the road leads?"
As the theme song came to an end, the group embarked on a new journey.
The road is right beneath your feet.
Next stop, Kazimierz.