Carriage Fortifications
The black-haired hired sword drew his blade and hacked into the tree.
"Master, what are you doing?"
"I'm making protective equipment to cover the carriages."
"Protective equipment?"
The idea for the carriage protection gear hadn't come from me. It was the repairwoman, Benma. She had devised countermeasures against attackers in the form of these carriage defenses. All I had to do was build them. If she hadn't fallen for Steiny's manipulation, every carriage would surely have been fitted with the equipment. But she had betrayed Isabella, setting her sights on a grander future among the nobility. So I decided to carry on the production of the protective gear that the repairwoman had abandoned.
"If we have something like that, couldn't we have made it back in Cashew Village?"
"There are too many eyes in the village. I believe it's better to craft them here, where it's only our group."
"I see... If protective gear suddenly appeared on the merchant group's carriages, rumors would spread like wildfire."
Paula nodded in agreement, her expression stern. The two traitors remained bound inside one of the carriages. There was no telling whether they might be communicating with someone through some strange method.
"Making protective equipment for every carriage from number 18 onward is going to take quite a while."
"That's more than enough time."
If I started production now, I estimated I could finish most of them by the end of the next major rest period.
"I'll assist you."
"No. I must craft the protective equipment myself. I'll call for you when I need your help later."
"Understood."
Benma's carriage modification techniques were known only to me and the repairwoman. Her skills were that intricate. The joints and tiny components interlocked like clockwork, making it nearly impossible to modify the carriages without her specialized knowledge. If anyone else helped and made even a small mistake, we would have to start over from scratch. That was why I had to handle the carriage equipment alone this time.
"But... will that protective equipment be able to block a mage's attacks?"
"Blocking everything would be difficult. However, even if the carriage itself is destroyed, the contents inside should remain safe."
"I see."
Most of Benma's manufacturing techniques relied on wood. That meant that even if a wheel broke or the body collapsed during travel, repairs could be made immediately as long as wood was available. Materials could be gathered easily from the surroundings. The way she had made both production and repair so complicated was both her greatest strength and her weakness. It was a skill that explained why Isabella still listened to the repairwoman even after being betrayed by her.
Swish... Rattle... Scrape... Scrape... Scratch...
Everyone watched me work on the protective equipment for a while before gradually drifting away from the campfire at carriage sixteen.
"Master."
Eos called out to me.
"I heard the enemy mage uses flame magic."
"That's right. It's extremely dangerous. The entire merchant caravan could turn into a sea of fire in an instant."
"In that case, I will attempt to enchant the equipment using magic stones."
"Enchanting..."
I had heard of it. The process involved imbuing weapons and armor with magic to draw out greater performance. I'd only encountered the rumors, but I understood that mages capable of performing actual enchantments were found only in the royal capital.
"If I imbue each piece of protective equipment with spells using magic stones infused with my mana, they should gain a degree of resistance to fire."
"That's an excellent idea, Eos."
"Thank you."
I had thought of the protective equipment as nothing more than disposable shields. But if she enchanted them to resist flame magic, they might withstand three or even four casts.
"You are as meticulous with crafting as you are with swordsmanship."
Eos observed me as I continued working on the protective equipment. Finding it interesting, she stayed at my side for several hours.
"Kang Seo-ja, it looks like we'll be departing soon."
"Good. From here on, I can continue while walking."
The major rest ended and the carriages began moving once more. The magic stone in Eos's hand glowed again as she walked, causing the monsters to turn away. I continued my work beside her.
"Hold on..."
Something suddenly flashed through my mind.
When I was selling herbs at the general store, wasn't there an herb used to make fire resistance potions?
"I'm certain it was called flame path grass..."
"I know that one."
Syucali quickly sniffed the air and answered from beside me.
"It's required when crafting fire resistance potions."
"Syucali, can you make them?"
"Yes. It's surprisingly simple."
"Then if I spot any flame path grass while we're moving, I'll pass it to you. Try making the resistance potions."
"Okay~ Oh, right. What should we do with these virility potions?"
She pulled three vials from her bosom.
"It would be good to sell them, but... if a major battle breaks out we might lose them. Better to drink them all now."
"Should I drink them all?"
"...One at a time."
Virility has increased by 23.
The previous virility potions had only raised the stat by twenty. The additional three points demonstrated Syucali's genuine talent for potion-making.
Clatter... Clatter...
As time passed, the protective equipment for carriages one, two, three... was completed one after another. The gear was placed over the top of each carriage and draped down like a curtain, protecting even the wheels.
"I will perform the enchantment now."
On top of that, Eos added her water magic enchantment as a countermeasure against flame magic. The finished carriage protection gear glowed with a soft blue light, like droplets of water.
"Did the enchantment succeed?"
"Yes, Master."
I held up a torch and kept it near the protective equipment for several minutes. The fire refused to catch. There was only the faintest scorch mark. It looked like fresh lumber pulled from a heavy rainstorm.
"Not bad for something thrown together."
"Thrown together...? I consider it excellent work, Master."
Eos seemed to think I was joking. That was understandable. Even on the finished protective equipment, the flow of mana was clearly visible, much like the mana that radiated from my cooking.
"Syucali, you watched me attach the protective equipment, correct?"
"Yes, Kang Seo-ja."
The sharp-eyed thief Syucali would have memorized exactly how I fitted the gear.
"Go to carriage one, inform Isabella, and attach it on your way back."
"Understood~"
Syucali vanished, leaving only her cheerful reply behind. The mage was powerful, but Syucali's stats had risen considerably as well. I wondered if she might be able to defeat the enemy instead of simply buying time. That would make things much easier... yet when I remembered Margaret burning the entire campsite to the ground, the task seemed daunting. It wasn't just the attack itself; her mana shield was always active.
We continued forward along the road that might decide the carriages' fate.
Dawn broke on the second day. The merchant caravan had camped earlier than the predicted ambush point to prepare for the attack. Perhaps because of that precaution, no assailants came during the night. We filled our stomachs with hearty meat soup in the morning and the carriages rolled forward. They moved for hours, and kept moving.
"Not much farther until the major rest! Everyone, keep your strength up!"
The predicted ambush point was right now, immediately before the major rest.
"All right, major rest!"
Paula's voice rang out from carriage one. Yet instead of stopping, the merchant group's carriages suddenly accelerated. Paula had explained in the morning that on the second day there would be no major rest, only frequent short breaks. In exchange, they would increase speed during what should have been the major rest period.
"They're planning to rush through the dangerous section."
"Correct. We need to introduce variables they won't anticipate."
"I agree completely."
Recalling the morning discussion, all the hired hands broke into a run.
"Watch your surroundings! Stay focused!"
"Assume they'll come even if we don't see them yet!"
"Presence on the left! Prepare for combat!"
As expected, at the major rest point a large group of black-masked figures appeared.
"Ignore them as much as possible and eliminate anyone who tries to latch on!"
"Don't stop running! Fall behind and you'll be isolated!"
The merchant caravan's wheels spun furiously.
Whoooosh... BOOM!!
At that moment, a massive pillar of flame erupted from carriage ten ahead.
"It's a mage! A mage has appeared!"
At the mage's entrance, I tossed my backpack onto the nearest carriage and looked at Eos and Syucali.
"Everyone, head for carriage ten."
"All right... let's do this."
"Yes, Master."
Shortly after the guards protecting carriage sixteen left, members of Furiko and the female warrior Damo's party moved in to fill the gap.
Clang! Slash!
"Pin! Damn it...!"
"These bastards are strong!"
"Get the injured onto the carriages! Leave them on the ground and they'll die!"
The masked attackers possessed considerable skill. Even Isabella's carefully chosen talents were struggling.
Noble Swordsmanship
Slash!
I ran toward carriage ten, supporting the carriages that were being pushed back.
"Black-hair!"
"Tend to your wounds."
"The mage is the priority! Don't worry about us!"
"Yeah! Do what you need to do!"
The hired hands shoved me forward even with blood streaming from one arm and one eye swollen shut.
"The protective equipment will shield you. I'll stay beside you until you're ready."
"Huuu... you fool."
The hired hands grimaced but said nothing more.
Screech... Slash!!
I severed the head of a charging black-masked attacker. Another enemy's blade thrust toward me from the side. I stared directly at the tip as it approached my eye and raised my sword.
Deflection
Clang!!
The deflected sword sent my body tilting off balance. The masked attacker glared at me with amusement before an arrow from the side pierced his throat.
"Black-hair, I'll repay the life I owe you someday."
The wounded hired hands sprayed potions on their injuries and drank the rest. Their eyes opened again and their arms began to move.
"Then I'll be going."
"Let's survive this and meet again!"
After checking on the struggling carriages, I reached carriage ten.
Swoosh... BOOM!!
Another explosion erupted the moment I arrived.
"It's coming from the forest side."