"Thank you!"
"eting you really helped us out."
Shane smiled as he expressed his gratitude, thinking to himself that the [Great Luck (Purple/Epic)] attribute truly lived up to its na—his luck was undeniable.
"People should help each other, after all."
Inside the carriage, the rchant uncle nodded to the driver, and the wagon continued forward.
"My na is Lott Norm. I'm the chairman of the Norm rchant Association. Our Association operates inns and restaurants across several nearby towns. Are you two traveling? If you need anything, you might consider staying at one of our Norm chain inns."
Shane couldn't help but sigh in admiration. What a businessman.
No wonder he was the chairman.
"The Norm rchant Association?" Frieren's attention was caught by the na. "Is it the sa Norm from the Northern Plateau?"
"Oh? It seems you've heard of our family." The rchant uncle looked a little proud.
"That's right, that Norm. Both of our branches co from the sa family. Our ancestors were once nobles of the Central Lands, but were exiled due to smuggling. Later, one branch rose to prominence in the Northern Plateau, while the other—my branch—settled here in Gostan City."
"I see…" Frieren's gaze shifted slightly as she asked, "Your account books don't connect between the two branches, right?"
"Hm?"
"It's nothing," Frieren muttered quietly.
"Haha, since the two places are so far apart, we only stay in touch every few years. Naturally, there's no shared business. But if you ever travel to the Northern Plateau, I can write you a letter of introduction—maybe you'll even get a discount."
"No need," Frieren refused imdiately.
Hmm…
Beside her, Shane glanced left and right. His instincts told him sothing was definitely off about her reaction.
Shared account books?
Could it be… that during the Hero's party's campaign against the Demon King, they ran up a tab with the rchant association and never paid it back?
Just as the thought crossed his mind, the carriage suddenly shook violently.
The driver at the front tightened his grip on the reins, struggling to control the horses—but it was useless.
The frightened horses neighed wildly and began to bolt in panic.
The rchant uncle, clearly experienced, imdiately dropped flat onto the carriage floor.
Shane grabbed tightly onto the carriage fra and leaned out to observe. He quickly realized that the three wagons in their convoy had already been scattered, each fleeing in a different direction.
Behind their wagon, three gray wolves were chasing relentlessly.
Seeing this, Frieren raised her staff and fired an attack spell toward the wolves. The spell struck one of them, sending it flying with a yelp, but the remaining two continued the pursuit without hesitation.
They didn't seem afraid of magic at all.
The two wolves howled toward the sky as they ran.
Frieren glanced at them and quickly made her judgnt. "They're familiars of a monster."
"Familiars? What does that—"
Before Shane could finish his question, the entire carriage lurched violently, lifting straight off the ground into the air.
The driver was flung into the carriage, and everyone tumbled wildly.
In the critical mont, Shane drew his longsword and drove it forcefully into a gap in the wooden floorboards. Using the hilt to stabilize himself, he reached out and grabbed Frieren just as she was about to be thrown out.
The rchant uncle and the driver clung tightly to the carriage fra, wrapping their limbs around it to avoid being flung away.
Shane looked toward the front of the carriage.
The horses pulling it had been seized by a massive bird, impaled through its talons.
The giant bird was rapidly ascending, dragging the entire carriage and its passengers hundreds of ters into the sky.
"Frieren, what do we do now?!"
Dangling in midair while supporting both his and Frieren's weight, Shane felt his arms on the verge of being torn from their sockets.
"The monster is a bird-type beast. Very cunning. It's good at concealing its mana and controlling animals as its servants. Those gray wolves were likely assisting it in hunting."
"Now's not the ti for a lecture!" Shane gritted his teeth.
"Then we'll just kill it."
She raised her staff, calmly preparing to attack.
Shane's eyes widened.
"Wait! If you kill it now, what happens to us? We'll fall!"
Frieren paused for half a second to think.
"I can use [Flight Magic] to land safely with the rchant uncle. You can act as a at shield for the driver."
"?! A at shield?! More like a at pancake!" Shane nearly threw her off in frustration. "Think this through properly!"
"Can't you do it?"
"Of course I can't!!!"
"I see… Then we'll have to endure until it lands."
Shane almost coughed up blood. His mind raced, and suddenly an idea struck him.
"Kill the monster and let the carriage fall. Right before it hits the ground, use [Flight Magic] to stabilize it. Can you do that?"
"No guarantee, but I can try."
"…"
While they were still discussing, the rchant uncle began to lose his grip. His body suddenly slipped downward, almost falling out of the carriage.
There was no ti left.
Shane imdiately swung his arm, forcefully throwing Frieren toward the front of the carriage.
Understanding his intent instantly, she adjusted her angle midair and fired a spell directly at the giant bird's head.
The bird didn't even have ti to react before its neck was gone.
The carriage lost its support and began to plumt.
In that instant, Shane felt his soul leave his body.
Just before crashing into the ground, Frieren activated [Flight Magic], enveloping the entire carriage.
Boom—
…
A mont later.
Dust filled the air. Broken wood and shattered wheels were scattered everywhere.
Frieren looked around, plucked a leaf from her hair, and remarked, "It actually worked."
Then a weak groan ca from beneath her.
"Frieren… I think I'm dying…"
!!!
She quickly lifted herself off Shane's back.
"Sorry."
Shane let out a long breath. "Phew… I almost saw the light at the end of the tunnel…"
Not far away, the rchant uncle and the driver were both unhard, though the final impact had terrified them.
The horses were gone. The carriage was wrecked.
Looking at the ss, everyone still felt lingering fear.
Fortunately, no one was injured.
"Usually, the worst we encounter during trade runs are bears or wolves. I never expected to run into a monster this ti… We were lucky to et you today."
"When we get back to Gostan City, you must co to the Norm Inn! No matter how long you stay, it'll be free!"
Shane had no ti for pleasantries. He raised a hand to stop the rchant uncle and signaled everyone to be quiet.
Then he walked over to a nearby bush and reached out to touch one of its leaves.
The bush was stained with thick blood that hadn't completely dried yet. Around it, branches were snapped and trampled, as if a fight had taken place here…
He scanned the surroundings cautiously.
The sun had begun to set, and the forest was growing dim.
Flap, flap—
A flock of birds suddenly burst into the air from the nearby woods.
Shane's hand instinctively rested on the hilt of his sword.
"Stay close. Don't get separated."
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