Their so-called "friend" stood before them, laughing and smiling like a fool. Joshua was doing his best to keep his tongue from lashing out, especially as he caught that smug grin creeping under the man's nose... a grin that felt far too self-satisfied.
Now they were facing a real problem.
With this dimensional ring suddenly being pushed on them, they'd be forced to store the bag ... the very one holding the Supreme Elf inside it. That alone would shatter their entire plan.
Doing so would mean they'd have to spend far more money than expected, buying an unknown number of oxygen canisters just to keep him alive in that suffocating space. At this point, Joshua was seriously beginning to consider whether the corpse of a Supreme Elf could fetch the same price as a living one. The creeping weight of failure pressed down on him.... their plan was crumbling before it even had the chance to begin.
When that man sat down again, looking at them with the air of an older brother who knew better than anyone, they both averted their eyes. Without saying a word, they stepped out of the cart and mounted one of the horses instead. Staying inside was no longer an option — not with how things had turned out.
At the very least, they needed to attach the oxygen canister before storing the elf… and doing that inside the crowded cart was definitely out of the question. More than that, they needed a backup plan ..a way to get that ring away from them, one way or another.
As the caravan continued on its path, some travelers had already questioned them about the bag. They'd managed to deflect suspicion for now… but if they didn't store the bag in the dimensional ring, it would only invite more questions ... and that was the last thing they wanted.
Joshua's thoughts drifted as time passed and the caravan kept moving, each second ticking by in the game world... yet their problem still lingered.
When he realized there was no middle ground, he made a decision:
"Let's just run away... just grab some food from the carts and take off. What do you think?"
He said it in a near-whisper, his eyes fixed on Fabian's in-game character beside him.
Fabian's expression shifted slightly as he glanced at his hunger meter at the bottom of his vision.
It was nearly full—just shy of complete satisfaction.
In other words, hunger wasn't an issue for him right now, but still…
"Did you even consider the monsters and bandits? And we'd have to run for two full days to get anywhere on foot… My character's speed is way too slow. The nearest supply point is an hour's walk just to gather food... It's not practical."
"You idiot, did you forget or what?"
Joshua glanced around at the forest that surrounded them on all sides.
"It's obvious...the forest is as silent as the abyss… When this journey started, nothing showed up that could even be considered a real threat in the first place."
Fabian recalled the words of his friend who worked for the Mage's Union, telling him to accept this mission. She'd said it was basically nothing more than a light exploration trip into the in-game forest, and that the Mage's Guild was conducting some kind of intense, almost obsessive research here..like they were searching for something lost.
She had even explained that the Guildmaster herself had personally joined the search, purging the entire region of monsters...and even poisonous insects that normally only caused mild allergic reactions at worst..completely wiping them out from every corner of the forest.
On top of that, there were patrols and search teams actively hunting down anyone they considered suspicious or criminal.
If not for interference from the royal princes, the Mage's Union would have likely tried to cut off all trade routes entirely, preventing any caravans from passing through here at all.
The magical province of Svenka had always fallen under the jurisdiction of the Mage's Union and the Tower of Sorcerers...
It was, in essence, a starting zone for beginners or new accounts at the start of the game... offering excellent protection since it was under the direct administration of the official Mage's Union...
Even though it was a fiercely competitive area, it still provided one of the most important benefits ... safety...
Creating a character was undeniably costly, so players tended to avoid unnecessary risks during the most fragile phase of their journey ... the early game... at least until they had developed some skill or acquired something reliable to lean on in their adventures...
That said, this province ... even without the Mage's Union's direct involvement or the personal oversight of its Guildmaster ... was still under the protection of the local garrison... meaning there were few truly dangerous monsters or bandits around...
Joshua cast a sidelong glance at Fabian, who was staring behind them at the wagons pulled by the sturdy dikimosons... Joshua immediately understood what Fabian was thinking... narrowing his eyes toward the three main carriages at the rear, followed by the cargo wagons further back...
Joshua sighed and said, "The caravan simply doesn't need us for protection... but for showing off."
Fabian turned his gaze back to Joshua and replied, "I understand that."
At this point, you could piece everything together from start to finish. Even if they tried to escape, there was the risk of being targeted by the Mage Union if they were spotted — and once that happened, they'd be exposed and thrown into prison.
That was a very real possibility.
Or, just as likely, they could be tracked down by the stronger mercenaries riding in the carriage with the caravan's owner, who would kill them at the slightest suspicion ...even if it was just a baseless hunch that they had stolen something.
This was exactly why so many guards had been hired: to prevent theft. If you were alone and someone caught you stealing, they could simply report you, have you killed, and collect a reward for turning you in. If you were part of a large group, the stronger mercenaries would just kill you outright.
And once you were dead, no one would hold them accountable for it.
So, even if they somehow managed to escape and shake off the main mercenaries, they still wouldn't be able to avoid the Mage Union patrols in the forest.
They needed to put the elf into the bag, otherwise they would draw suspicion.
Not storing the bag inside a dimensional ring would naturally lead people to one obvious conclusion ... that there was someone hidden inside the spacious bag.
Fabian glanced around for a moment, his eyes narrowing as he studied the three carriages that had been taken from their group and reassigned, apparently to one of the caravan owner's relatives. He carefully peered through the side window of one of them and caught sight of something unusual happening inside.
He immediately tapped Joshua's shoulder.
"Hey, what's going on over there?"
Fabian kept his eyes locked on the carriage. "Shut up and look."
Inside, one of the caravan owner's elite guards stood facing a boy of about six years old. The boy wore a scowling, frustrated expression, waving his arms wildly in all directions, his voice raspy and on the verge of breaking into full sobs.
"…You vile scoundrel… I said I want it… I want it… I want it!"
The guard's hand moved in calming gestures, a nervous smile on his face as beads of sweat rolled down his temples.
"Young master… as I told you… we're in the middle of the forest… just calm down… I promise you, once we arrive, I'll get it for you…"
"No, no, no… that's unacceptable… I don't agree… I want it right now! No excuses!"
The stares gathered, and everyone let out a collective sigh, each thinking to themselves, "Here we go again."
Dalian Bologna ... the youngest and most spoiled son of the entire caravan owner ...had been brought along on the journey by his father's orders to pull him out of the depression he'd fallen into after the tragic death of his mother. She had been killed by goblins after the guards on their small trip were overpowered.
Unfortunately, due to the goblins' lustful nature, both he and his mother had been captured. The goblins had initially mistaken him for a girl because of his long hair and chubby, slightly feminine features. To his misfortune, at a very young age, he had to witness his mother being assaulted in front of him by three different goblin groups, until she finally died from the pain, her face pale in death.
When they were about to do the same to him, a group of knights appeared and rescued him after one of the farmers heard his screams and reported it. By the time he was saved, he was in a state as if all meaning in life had been drained from him. From that point on, any request he made had to be fulfilled without condition or restriction.
Because of this, the guard ... no matter the cost ... had to do anything to defuse the situation before the boy started crying, since that would mean a deduction from his pay.
There was no clear leniency from the guard, not even with the slightest outburst… and even his interactions with the child's sharp, shifting mood between anger and sadness in seconds showed he was trying as much as possible, even if he couldn't fully calm him… it could at least prevent deductions from his salary.
Stories like Dalian's are many in rural areas where goblins build their colonies…
Even though goblins are weak compared to the smallest fighter or one adult male one-on-one… finding a lone goblin is as rare as finding the elixir of immortality…
And even in the game's archives, rules, and laws, goblins are always described as groups, unlike orcs or elves, whom you can find alone due to their independence and ability to defend themselves…
In Golden Age, there are many
stories and missions whose backgrounds are extremely shocking to players, enough to make them curse the company…
Joshua had previously heard a story from a friend, who went on a solo mission from his guild to an abandoned village to kill some evil spirits that were disturbing nearby residents during their sleep…
When his friend went there, he encountered a hidden story of B-rank spirits of a simple farmer, and the mission was to make him retreat peacefully by taking revenge on the village residents…
But his friend was shocked and thought, how… the village is abandoned and clearly all the residents are fighters…
However, when he heard the story of this farmer, his friend was stunned by the shock…
It turned out that on an ordinary day, the farmer's eldest daughter was kidnapped by a group of goblins, and when he found out, he raged and called the neighbors, then went to the village leader to report it…
When the villagers gathered with him with sharp tools and fire, they marched in a line to the goblins' nest…
But upon entering, they found a group of naked girls' bodies brazenly thrown on the path to the nest…
Among them was the corpse of his eldest daughter, his first joy after the death of his wife…
Lying before him, mindless and stuttering, with signs of assault evident all over her body… The man cried completely, lost his mind, and wanted to attack and kill those wretches, to tear them apart…
But the villagers stopped him, saying they must return because the sky had darkened and it could be a trap to provoke them into attacking… but in reality, everyone feared for their women and daughters outside, who might be attacked by goblins…
They returned to the village, and the farmer carried the corpse of his eldest daughter, crying for her loss day and night until his body collapsed… She had killed herself out of shame, her body disfigured and endless pain…
And in the end, she died, and the old man cried even more… When the villagers told him he should go outside to get some sun, he resisted and was struck forcefully, losing consciousness. When the people thought he had fainted, they went inside his house and restrained his youngest second daughter, paralyzed in her legs, covering her mouth with a piece of cloth…
In reality, the farmer was not completely unconscious… He retained a pure will, opened his eyes, and wanted to scream for them to leave his little daughter alone, but he was nearly paralyzed… After many desperate attempts, he managed to lean on the door and stand…
Muttering one word only, "Lara… my daughter… Daddy is coming…"
He staggered behind the place where they were hiding… he knew the exact location… this was the goblins' nest…
He murmured weakly the same word…
As he got closer, the sunset had arrived… and when he looked inside, his eyes widened in shock. Before him, his little daughter was being violated by three goblins. She was screaming, her eyes rolling, her body weak from long ago…
His breath was cut off as he watched lifeless eyes before him… His little daughter, paralyzed, looked at him with her eyes, unable to speak from the pain, but her eyes said everything…
He tried to rush and attack, but his body betrayed him and fell pathetically… letting the goblins hear him and smile…
They tied him up and forced him to watch until his heart exploded from grief… And when the girl realized her father had died, his hair fully white, she bit her tongue and died after him…
But the father's spirit clung to life for one question: why… just why…
Finally, he learned the truth… The villagers had agreed to a peace treaty with the goblins, not to harm their women or themselves in exchange for not reporting to the authorities…
Even with this, to show their good intentions, they would give them his daughter along with the contract…
Indeed, no one from the village was harmed, but after one year, he was shocked by the enormous increase in goblin numbers… They attacked the village, everyone died, and all their women were violated from the youngest to the oldest…
Everyone died and transformed, like the old man, into spirits searching for salvation.
When Joshua recalled this story that his friend had told him, a shiver ran down his spine… he also hated those bastards immensely. The child had every right to be depressed.
Joshua looked at him, and without a word, Fabian moved slowly with poise and approached one of their comrades who was riding a horse like them.
"Hello… do you know what the young master desires?"
The mercenary on the horse looked at him and smiled.
"Man, don't pay attention to that little brat… even if he gets what he wants, he'll still be crying until the next morning."
Fabian didn't care about that at all… he had a clear goal in his mind.
"Come on, friend. Since I heard his story, I really feel pity for a child like him… he went through such a horrific incident. I really want to know what he desires… if I can get him what he wants, at least that would be something good."
The man on the horse sighed as he looked at Fabian beside him.
"I didn't expect there to be such a kind side in you."
"Hahaha… it's nothing, really… if I can help him, why not?"
Fabian's expression stiffened, wiping the smile off his face.
"Alright… it seems you haven't heard of the precious Loicott Ring…"
Fabian's eyebrows furrowed as he looked at the man.
"This ring became famous because the head of the Magical Union and the tower of wizards wore it… it is said to be extraordinarily beautiful, so much so that the second and third princesses wore it after the head of the Magical Union."
Fabian continued listening to the man.
"And that is why it became widely known among noble young girls, and even among children."
Fabian's gaze locked onto the man beside him.
He felt the explanation wasn't enough… though it was natural for the game to follow and merge certain events like this...ones that contained a hint of truth.
In reality, it was obvious the ring was intended for women, and Fabian's plan was to lure Dalian with the ring he had, feeding him the illusion that it was the Loicot Ring. When the boy inevitably tried to forcefully take it from him, Fabian would then have a perfect excuse to stash the bag inside.
But honestly… this was humiliating. Wearing a women's ring on his character would tarnish the imposing image he'd been trying to build for himself.
It wasn't even logical to begin with.