Yuval and rein couldn’t move easily and had to retreat, and Rowan was no exception. They’d struggled to pull the cart, but hiding ca first. The village youths they’d captured must’ve inford the village about it.
’Going deeper is the better option.’
It would be tough and ti-consuming, but that was the only way. After retreating deeper into the forest for an hour, the three discussed the situation.
"They seem to be moving pretty quietly. We’re away from the road too. Looks like they expect us to fail."
They’d already anticipated the rcenary group losing to the orcs.
"Maybe so youths went into the mountains to kill the orc and never ca back..."
rein offered a plausible theory, her voice thoughtful despite her exhaustion. She was good at reading situations, at understanding human motivations. The village youths must’ve tangled with the orc at least once, probably lost friends or family mbers to those tusked monsters. Otherwise, the villagers wouldn’t be so openly searching for them with such determination and numbers.
"Still, good thing we weren’t spotted."
Thanks to Rowan’s forest experience—eyes accustod to spotting prey hidden in brush. It was quite a distance, and the wild forest was noisy, so the villagers couldn’t find them.
One thing was clear: they couldn’t get on the road as things stood.
"We’ll have to adjust our route."
At Yuval’s words, Rowan asked.
"Going back?"
"Those guys we caught definitely know about the cart. We’ll have to take a big detour even if it takes ti."
Yuval answered imdiately. He was skilled, like he’d experienced this before.
"Nothing’s as persistent as humans. They’ll definitely send people looking for us even pretty far out."
Rowan acknowledged human persistence too. He didn’t contradict rein.
They took turns at the front of the cart. It was the hardest role.
Informant rein was no exception. If she avoided hard work because she was a woman, she would’ve been kicked out of the Skull rcenary Group long ago, or she would’ve had to do other work at night.
Getting a pass in one area ant doing more in another.
This was a world where people sold their beloved children for money when tis got tough. Slavery was forbidden, but there was no police system to enforce it. Law enforcent was the military’s job.
rein had to strain so hard the veins bulged in her neck. She even rocked her upper body back and forth for montum. Watching this, Rowan felt like he was seeing the toll that ca from rein’s life as a rcenary.
’That’ll leave bruises on her body.’
Humans struggle to exert even twice their body weight. Her arm strength was decent, and she used a rapier similar in weight to a longsword but longer, so even with a woman’s body she could pull the cart smoothly.
Because of that toughness, Rowan sohow put in more effort too. A fire lit in his chest. It was only natural for Rowan to pull the cart.
While enduring this hardship together, if he was the only one who slacked off, it would hurt Yuval and rein’s feelings.
If that led to an argunt, Rowan would win, but it would end ssily. Creating a ssy argunt wasn’t good for Rowan.
’There’s a lot I need to get from the rcenaries.’
If it beca clear at Torch Fortress that he knew nothing, everyone would swarm in and skin him alive. Nobody feared emptying a greenhorn’s pockets. Just being with the rcenaries would let Rowan safely pass through all the dangers at Torch Fortress.
Humans co on strong and cruel against the weak.
Just for being weak and new, he could end up like a deer torn apart by hyenas. Rowan’s distrust of law enforcent might’ve been excessive given that soldiers handled it, but one thing was certain—he always thought about his safety.
’In this world, death is always lurking around.’
The hunting competition had shown that, and the bandit invasion had shown that. Rowan was in the sa boat as the rcenaries and didn’t want to clash emotionally over pulling a cart. Instead, he voluntarily joined the cart-pulling rotation.
"Thanks."
Yuval said it because Rowan had volunteered for work he didn’t have to do. It showed he knew how to navigate social situations, which ant he had promise. Earning goodwill through physical labor.
"It’d be weird if I was the only one not pulling."
rein nodded slightly at Rowan’s good deed. She was too tired to talk. Rowan didn’t bristle at rein’s subdued response.
’Why are there so many? Did the whole village co out?’
They could see villagers everywhere. Groups ranging from four to ten people, even won, wandering around with torches, clubs, or farming tools looking for them.
’Whoa.’
They got close enough to hear soone saying there might be injured people. They’d gotten too close without noticing a villager resting against a tree trunk. That ti, his heart nearly dropped.
He’d been separated from his companions, so he hadn’t noticed.
Other than that heart-stopping mont, nothing much happened during their careful withdrawal. Even when the villagers found traces, footprints in soft earth or disturbed vegetation, they didn’t recognize them as cart tracks. Instead of leaving tracks as-is, they’d trampled and rubbed them with their feet, creating confusion. The villagers mistook them for beast tracks or other villagers’ footprints, never suspecting a cart had passed through.
Completely erasing traces would’ve been exhausting, so this makeshift confusion was effective because nobody skilled at tracking was around. Not all hunters were good at tracking.
Yuval said it would take a good two days to backtrack and get on the distant road to Torch Fortress, moving at their slow pace with the cart. He predicted it would probably take six days from today to reach Torch Fortress, assuming no more complications or delays.
"We’ll spend the night here. At least we can light a fire."
Before pitch-black darkness arrived, they found a natural cave with the glow of sunset coming in. Rather than good luck, walking off the road just made it more likely they’d spot one.
"Phew."
Unlike Rowan, who sipped water sparingly trying not to consu more than necessary, Yuval and rein gulped water down freely.
rein massaged her hands. Even sitting still, her hands trembled. She’d used too much strength.
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