50 City of Verdan

"Over here!" As I approached the city gate, I heard a woman's voice. I moved my gaze toward her, intrigued, and there stood the woman. Jessica, whom I had met a few days before in the adventures guild, and adjusting my sight slightly, I noticed the Traven we were tasked with protecting, three carriages covered beneath a series of carefully drawn canvas coverings. The carriages were enigmatic, their contents hidden from view.

"I will inform the merchant that everyone has arrived," Jeremy said, taking command and marching to the front of the Traven to deliver the message.

"You sure took your time," Jessica remarked as I neared the group of adventurers, her hands on her waist and her left foot tapping the ground.

I ignored Jessica's comment and greeted the group's final two members.

"Good morning, Sir Max and Lady Lana," I greeted as I approached the magician Max and the reaper-woman, Lana. They were a couple among the group that chose to keep close to one another.

"Good morning, Neil," they replied in unison, nodding their heads in greeting.

"Hey, I'm talking to you," Jessica said, but I chose to check the weather instead, hoping to ignore the petulant woman next me. Despite her age, her conduct was frequently childlike, and I wasn't in the mood to have Bricker with her.

"We're moving," Jeremy said, breaking through my attempt to ignore Jessica. The merchant guild members gathered around the carriages, preparing to continue the voyage. The horses attached to the carriages started moving, pulling the wagon along with them.

I was positioned on the Traven's left side, directly beside the middle carriage. Jessica was behind me, Jeremy was in front of me, and Lana and Max were in charge of the other side of the Traven. Another group of adventurers formed a protective formation behind the Traven and in front of the carriages for our voyage.

The monotony of the surroundings wore on me as the Traven continued its journey into the forest. I slowed my speed and approached Jessica.

"What are you doing here?" My tone was surprised as I inquired.

"I should be the one asking that," she said, plainly irritated by my approach. But my boredom won out over her displeasure.

"Anyway, since you're here, do you mind telling me what's inside the carriages?" I tried to change the subject, but my gaze remained fixated on the intriguing cargo. This task gave me a bad vibe. Hiring a B-rank adventurer party with at least one Origin Level 7 member for a basic escort task seemed out of the ordinary.

"I'm not sure. Our only responsibility is to guarantee the carriages arrive safely in the city. We don't need to know what's inside," Jessica explained. Surprisingly, she seemed sensible and reasonable for the first time since I met her.

"I tried to open the curtain, but it seems like it's sealed with some kind of magical spell," she added, and I take back my thoughts about her being straightforward and honest.

"The city of Verdan is in quite a tight spot, huh?" I commented, hoping to keep the conversation continuing. Jessica agreed with a nod.

"A civil war within one of the empire's most prestigious families, the empire facing rebellion, and the empire's pressure to bring every kingdom on the continent under their control To top it all off, the Dark Church's members are growing. If you ask me, the entire continent is pretty much fucked up," Jessica responded, offering a bleak picture of the current situation.

"Yeah, the Dark Church is a significant problem," I said, voicing my reservations about the most bothersome faction.

"Pfft... don't worry about the Dark Church; they're just a bunch of cowards who only know how to hide. The main problem is the rebel army; they're the ones causing the most conflict," Jessica asserted confidently, recognizing the rebellion as the empire's key issue.

'Ignorance is bliss,' I thought to myself. At the moment, she was correct. The Dark Church had successfully portrayed themselves as weak, causing others to underestimate them. However, when the time was right, they would hold the advantage.

"How so?" I asked, touching the back of my neck.

"They are the main reason for the empire's turmoil. If it weren't for them, things would be much better. They say the leader of the rebel army is a witch who's so ugly that people die just from seeing her," Jessica replied, expressing her disgust.

"Nobody has seen her face. Who knows, maybe she's  beautiful."I commented casually, not revealing my true knowledge. In reality, I know she is beautiful—beautiful enough to make even Sage desire her. She is one of the main antagonists from the second game, the charismatic leader, a character who was mostly invincible with only one weakness.

"Kree.."

"Kree..kree.."

My train of thought was abruptly interrupted by the familiar faint sound of monsters that I'd been dealing with since my first day as an adventurer.

"Haah..." I sighed and closed my eyes, allowing my mana to flow through me and connect with the mana surrounding me. Mana served as my senses, and I immediately found the source: a horde of kobolds hidden behind a bush.

"Fireball," I mumbled as I conjured a blazing orb in my hand and hurled it at the bushes. As they soared through the air, the flames expanded in size.

"KREE..." As they were devoured by the raging fire, their agonizing screams filled the air. Though individuals were fortunate enough to escape the initial flames,

"Fire manipulation," I muttered quietly, using my newly acquired bloodline ability. The flames surrounding the kobolds seemed to come to life, moving with an eerie intelligence. They closed in on the unfortunate creatures, intensifying their suffering. The wails of the kobolds sent shivers down the spines of those nearby, even unsettling the horses.

"You really do hate kobolds, don't you?" Jessica moved closer to me as she observed. I was still collecting my breath from the mental exertion of employing flame manipulation. "And was it just me, or did the flames appear to move on their own?"

"I hate all reptiles, and that's just your imagination," I said, dismissing the idea that the flames had a mind of their own. As the carriages resumed their journey, I walked alongside them.