Chapter 73: ...As If

Just as she said, the next few hours passed without particular disturbance. The wagons stopped at intervals, but there was no real danger.

After a while, my stomach groaned with hunger, and I just couldn’t handle not eating anymore. I had to settle for cheese — even though I absolutely hated cheese.

I managed either way. Emma woke up at some point, calling my name. I responded and assured her I was with her, which made her crawl toward me and sleep on my thighs.

I hadn’t been particularly close to her. We’d crossed paths a few times, and she’d begged me every time to see Kassie. What I knew and felt for her came mostly from Victoria.

We’d spoken here and there, and one thing I’d learned through our conversations was how deeply Victoria cared for her sister — and how talented the young girl was.

Victoria had been working hard in the hopes of sending Emma to school. She was an E-rank summoner with a beast called Ferin, a small bird that looked like a sparrow. It made for a good messenger but didn’t offer much combat boost, so she had no hopes of becoming an adventurer.

But she still couldn’t give up. She wanted to give Emma the life of excellence she’d never had.

And we’d all been so certain that with Victoria, Emma was going to turn out fine. Everyone in the mercenary guild had that hope.

Emma was their hope.

But now, that hope was helpless. No hands left to lift it up.

Victoria was dead. Everyone was... dead.

I exhaled heavily and silenced my thoughts, resting in the darkness of the wagon.

A couple minutes later, the wagon’s rhythm changed. This wasn’t a sudden jolt—it was subtler. The horses slowed without command, their distant neighing carrying through the night air.

’An obstacle?’

The lady with us — Nisha — her breathing changed. It was noticeable because for the past few hours I’d been awake, it had stayed soft and flowing. Except now. It went shallow and controlled, like she was getting ready for something.

I whispered to her.

"Is something wrong?"

She shut me up silently.

"Shush."

We could hear distant mutters that grew into a disagreement. A loud hit. A groan. Then someone yelling.

"Take all their goods! This is our damn turf!"

Nisha let out a soft, almost disappointed sigh.

"Ah. These idiots again."

I caught the slightly relieved tone in her voice, mixed with actual disappointment. Her voice came again.

"You stay here with your sister. This won’t take long."

I couldn’t see her as she moved, but I could feel her. She opened the cover cloth of the wagon, and through the pale light from the darkness outside, I caught a glimpse of her brown skin just before she stepped out.

Silence for a moment.

Then sound.

I first heard what sounded like a beast growling. Then the sharp sound of movement — bone meeting flesh with a muffled, wet crunch.

It was followed by groans of pain, terrible screams, and people crashing onto the ground. The wagon itself shook. My guess? Someone’s body smashed against it.

The sounds continued for a few minutes, with me earnestly wishing Emma somehow didn’t wake up. The poor girl had probably been traumatized enough already.

The squash and smash continued.

Then it stopped.

There was silence again.

I was already at the ready, dagger summoned. My intuition told me Nisha had most likely won. But my intuition had also told me I was definitely going to meet everyone in the mercenary guild soon enough.

She entered the wagon, the whole thing shaking as she sighed and sat down.

"Oh well. That went well. For the most part, at least."

I observed her breathing — not tired, but still worked.

"Who were they?"

She answered immediately. "Bandits. Which is unusual, given that I calculated this route before taking it. We shouldn’t have had disturbances like this."

I said nothing, but somehow intensified my gaze on the dark outline of her figure, trying to make out her face.

Pointless. It was night outside, and the darkness seemed even thicker.

"Hey, Cade." Her voice carried subtle tension.

"Yes..."

"I think we need to abandon this wagon. We might have a rat."

I frowned immediately. It almost didn’t make sense.

"I thought this wagon belonged to the company? Your company."

"So?" Her voice sounded indifferent. "It’s a criminal’s world. People betray each other all the time. It’s no biggie."

She sighed and seemed to start packing.

"Do I need to explain why we can’t continue with the caravan anymore? The bandits — they’re certainly small fries. Whoever got the intel is trying to wear us down with the cockroaches before the mantis strikes."

She shifted across from me and fully pulled the cover cloth of the wagon up, letting the moon’s pale light pour into the darkness. I blocked my eyes for a moment, catching a glimpse of her amber eyes as she turned to me.

"Bring her. You’ll need all your strength."

I handed Emma to Nisha, waking her in the process, then climbed down myself. Nisha held Emma to her shoulder, looking ahead.

As I climbed out of the wagon, the smell of metal hit me. I glanced around and counted nine bodies.

’She single-handedly dealt with them all...’

Nisha walked forward to meet the rider clutching his side in front — toward the horses.

"Helck, keep driving ahead. You deliver the goods as planned. If you make it and see the boss, tell him we diverted."

He nodded and climbed onto the wagon, beating the horses with a loud, "Hyapp!"

They neighed and lunged forward. Nisha came back to where I was standing, and something occurred to me.

"Hey... I have a question."

She looked at me with interest. Her face was beautifully carved, her brown skin and amber eyes almost glowing in the pale moonlight. She had long black hair in locks.

"Sure. Go ahead."

"I hate to be right, and I believe I have one of the shittiest instincts. But what if whoever got the intel and sent the bandits expected us to send a decoy while continuing on foot?"

She shrugged.

"Then we’ll just beat their ass."

I turned to look at her, unbelieving.

’Yeah... sure. That’s a great plan. No notes.’