A carriage rolled slowly along the broad road.
Inside sat two men and a woman. One of the men wore fitted warrior's garb, with a greatsword strapped to his back. He was powerfully built, and a faintly oppressive aura surrounded him.
The other wore a loose robe. Thin and seemingly very young, with black hair and blue eyes, he was none other than Merlin, who had left Pujias City.
Merlin had left Pujias City alone and followed the direction marked on the map toward the Kurd Mountains. Along the way, he happened to encounter this pair of siblings.
The burly man was called Capes, his hair tied in a short ponytail. The tall girl was called Katherine. The two were brother and sister, and when they met Merlin along the way, Katherine invited him into their carriage.
"Mr. Merlin, where are you headed?"
Ever since Merlin boarded the carriage, Katherine had chatted with him enthusiastically. She was clearly lively, but sorely lacking in worldly experience, without the caution one ought to show toward strangers.
Katherine's brother, Capes, on the other hand, was highly vigilant. Yet he could not refuse Katherine, so he could only agree to let Merlin into the carriage.
Hearing Katherine's question, Merlin pondered for a moment. He did not deliberately conceal anything and merely said, "I'm going to the Kurd Mountains."
The Kurd Mountains were vast, and rare beasts often appeared there. Their pelts were highly sought after by the upper nobility, so adventurers frequently entered the mountains to hunt those rare beasts in exchange for large amounts of gold.
Katherine scrutinized Merlin from head to toe suspiciously, then asked in confusion, "You're going to the Kurd Mountains too? But you don't look like an adventurer."
Indeed, dressed in a loose robe, with a build that was