Chapter 880: 73. Prissy Caravan
On the waters known as the Barren Lands, towns scattered like islands.
The relentless storms brought danger to this sea, only caravans akin to sea ships could traverse the perilous seas and reach the islands.
Most of them had fixed routes, navigating along confird safe courses, laden with goods and passengers, keeping them from becoming isolated isles.
The Prissy Caravan was one such fleet.
Unlike other caravans that usually had more than two routes, the Prissy Caravan only had one: from Midnight City to Storm Corner, passing through only a few villages and towns.
Professor Wayne’s recomndation was reasonable, as the Prissy Caravan was the fastest route to Storm Corner and also safe.
Like the attacked caravan they had once taken, the Prissy Caravan also had caravans emanating a mysterious aura, but unlike the attacked caravans which only had caravans, they were unable to fend off the disguised and attacking anomalies.
The Prissy Caravan had combat personnel to do so.
…
Stretching nearly a mile long, the lengthy convoy of over a hundred carriages traveled at the edge of the Dark Wilderness.
“You sll nice, Miss Katerina.” Puxiu couldn’t help but say while lying in the carriage.
Katerina’s perfu was a tornt for Puxiu’s sensitive nose, causing him to constantly have a runny nose.
“I washed the leather armor.” Katerina gently rubbed the old, peeling leather armor: “I didn’t know how dirty it was until I washed it.”
Apart from the excessive spraying of perfu, Katerina now looked much more refreshed and clean, no longer covered in a layer of dust as before.
“Are you also trying to beco a companion of heroes in legendary stories?” Puxiu asked.
“Legendary stories…what?”
After an explanation, Katerina understood what Puxiu ant and lightly shook her head: “Maybe… I just didn’t know what to do, so I impulsively followed Lu Li.”
Katerina lied; the washed, faded leather armor indicated her return was not due to impulse.
As they moved away from the range of Midnight City, Big Sis who no longer concealed herself, climbed onto Lu Li’s shoulder and snuggled into the hood, as if nestling into a recliner.
Lu Li gazed out at the black land outside the carriage window. The vast land stretched seemingly endlessly; if the visibility were better, they could see the distant Spine of the World Mountains.
The Prissy Caravan’s first stop was Shelter Village—half a day’s journey from Midnight City, a village without a divinity.
Rather than a village, it should be called a branch—the main part of Shelter Village was the old underground sewer branch.
On the surface, there was only an open space surrounded by a low wall, with an underground passage leading to the old sewer in the middle of the clearing.
Hence, Shelter Village didn’t need divine protection, and villages like this only existed around Midnight City.
The Prissy Caravan would stop here for thirty minutes to sell and buy supplies and to take on new passengers.
Puxiu eagerly ran into the distant wilderness to answer the call of nature, while Lu Li and Katerina followed suit to leave the stuffy carriage.
“Mr. Luli, we are almost out of the Dark Wilderness!”
The returning Puxiu lowered his voice in excitent: “When I was digging a pit, I saw the yellow soil beneath.”
The na Dark Wilderness originated from the pitch-black, mud-like soil of this land, whereas, beyond the wilderness, the soil returned to its normal color.
This also made the Dark Wilderness more oppressive and somber than other places, almost as if even the wind was silent.
“Beru? Beru… are you here.”
A hoarse voice suddenly sounded from behind, as a withered hand grasped Lu Li’s black robe.
Lu Li turned his head, looking at the elderly woman who had mistaken him for soone else. Her eyes were covered with a black cloth.
“I am not Beru.” Lu Li said.
The elderly woman released her grasp, realizing her mistake: “I’m sorry, I’m looking for my niece…”
Using a cane, the elderly woman clumsily turned to leave.
“Does she have any distinct features?” Lu Li suddenly asked.
“Beru doesn’t speak…” described the elderly woman simply outlining a braided girl’s image.
They were residents of Shelter Village and had purchased tickets to Storm Corner.
“Beru said she was going to buy water, but I’ve been waiting for a long ti and she hasn’t returned…” the elderly woman said worriedly.
“If we see her, we will tell you.” Lu Li said.
“Thank you…”
Under Lu Li and the others’ gaze, the elderly woman stumbled away, continuing to search for her niece amidst the convoy.
“That girl nad Beru wouldn’t abandon her elder and go far.” Puxiu looked up and asked Lu Li: “Mr. Luli, should we go and help find her?”
“Yes.”
The convoy still had more than ten minutes before resuming its journey.
“Wait.” Katerina stopped them. “Aren’t you worried it’s a conspiracy? Rember what happened in Midnight City.”
“We won’t leave the convoy.” Lu Li said.
Leaving the carriage, they began toward the center of the convoy near the Shelter Village walls.
As they approached the wall, faint noises beca audible.
“I just ca out from the convoy… Please, at least let bring the kettle inside.” a woman pleaded.
“Sorry, without a ticket you can’t go inside.”
The people of the Prissy Caravan kept her outside.
“Are you Beru?”
A calm voice sounded, the pleading woman paused shortly and subconsciously replied: “I am! I am Beru.”
The woman looked puzzled at Lu Li, cloaked in a cape, and Katerina dressed as a Hunter, not rembering where she had seen them: “…Do you know ?”
“An elderly lady asked us to find her niece.” Lu Li answered.
“That’s !” The woman pointed at herself, letting out a long sigh as she handed the heavy kettle to Lu Li: “Help give this kettle to Aunty Carolina!”
Lu Li’s dark eyes fell on the kettle the woman held: “You’re not coming in with us?”
The woman showed a mont of panic: “…I don’t have a ticket.”
Lu Li calmly stared at the woman claiming to be Beru.
Her head lowered in avoidance of his still and pond-like dark eyes, confessing the truth: “Actually, I am not Beru…”
Katerina pressed her palm against her eyes, the other eye staring unwaveringly at the woman.
“A girl nad Beru asked to do this…”
The seemingly complex story wasn’t complicated. It began with Carolina and her niece Beru, who depended on each other, wanting to go to the land of dreams, Vena Ice-Free Port.
But they didn’t have enough money, so Beru thought of a good idea—selling herself, using this money to buy Aunty Carolina a ticket, a ship ticket.
With the remaining money, she hired the woman, asking her to impersonate herself today, to send Aunty Carolina into the caravan.
Aunty Carolina, due to pollution, couldn’t stay lucid for most of the day. Coupled with her eye disease, she couldn’t tell her niece had been replaced by soone else.
After silently listening to the story, when Lu Li asked the woman where she could find Beru, the woman said it was too late.
The real Beru had probably already died sowhere in the wilderness.
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