Chapter 8

Half a month later, the first snow began to fall.

On the post road in the southern part of the Snoton Empire, a convoy of carriages was struggling through the snow and ice. The golden double-winged wheel emblem on the side of one of the carriages revealed that this convoy belonged to the "Flying Wheel" Transport Alliance of the Thorim Commercial Federation. This largest transportation group on the continent had extended its reach to every corner of the world, and providing carriage hire services for long-distance travelers was one of its main businesses.

Thanks to the gear and shock-absorbing technology from the gnomes, the carriages continued to move slowly and steadily even in such conditions.

In one of the carriages, a handsome half-elf comfortably rested his feet on the wooden frame, his gray ponytail bouncing with the carriage's movement. He leaned against a bundle of thick, grayish-white leather, deftly counting the copper coins in the burlap money bag in his hands.

"Once we reach Vigen City, we must sell the mirage dragon skin," Illo frowned. "After paying for the carriage, we won't even have enough money to stay at an inn."

"I don't mind. My body is tough; sleeping on the street is no problem," said a rugged-looking man beside the half-elf. He had thick eyebrows, a broad mouth, and a face covered in iron-gray stubble, with a long scar on his square jaw.

"I don't mind either. I like sleeping in trees," the half-elf stretched lazily, looking at the mage in the carriage with a half-smile.

Alegri shakily gave them the middle finger and pulled the old blanket tighter around himself. The mage, already in poor health, had lain on the cold forest ground all night after exhausting his magic, and now he had a cold.

"My dear Illo, can you ask the carriage master for a heater?" he pleaded.

"Heaters don't use charcoal, and charcoal is free, right?" Illo exclaimed dramatically, as taking money from him was more painful than cutting flesh.

"Haha, forget it, don't scare him," the former skeleton, now a burly man, laughed heartily. Dios, who called himself a powerful dark warrior, was in an unusually good mood after regaining his body. "We can always earn more money."

"I bet you're cold too!" the half-elf sneered.

******

The dark carriage became warm, the bright yellow flames having the magical power to dispel all darkness and cold.

The three of them sat around the burning brazier, the thick canvas isolating the cold, allowing the warmth to quickly accumulate inside the carriage. Illo carefully selected smaller charcoal pieces from the pile and added them to the fire, while Dios heated the cold roasted meat over the flames. After a long time of only being able to look at food, his enthusiasm for it had reached a pathological level.

Alegri also perked up, snatching the skewers from Dios and eating heartily, making appreciative sounds.

"My dear Illo, your cooking is truly amazing."

"Is that so?" Illo glanced at him coldly.

"Your excellence is beyond words. If I could, I would live in a sea of roasted meat for the rest of my life. Your—"

"Then give me back my indenture."

"Let's change the topic... Look," Alegri stroked Dios's hand, making appreciative sounds. "Feel this texture, it's just like the real thing."

"It is real," Dios grunted. "After the ceremony, I am now exactly like a real person, no different at all."

"Praise the great creator," Alegri said solemnly. "But you were cuter when you were just a skeleton. Right, Illo?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah," Illo, who had been staring at the money bag, snapped out of his daze, nodded, and then sighed, "You two spendthrifts, we don't even have a single copper coin left, and all we have is this pile of dirty charcoal!"

Alegri snorted, "And you, Illo, you were cuter when you were unconscious."

Dios laughed and rummaged in his clothes, handing something to Illo. "Look at this, does it make you feel better?"

"Damn!" In Dios's broad palm, seven or eight thick gold coins were gleaming. Illo grabbed them, exclaiming, "Brother Dios, I thoroughly checked you, and there was nothing in your skeleton except a few lice. You have to trust an elf's eyesight!"

Dios laughed, not answering, but instructed, "Don't spend it recklessly, Illo. I want to buy some weapons and equipment when we reach Vigen City."

"No problem," Illo smiled, putting the gold coins away. "These are rare Ilandir gold coins, very pure, one can be worth two."

"I'm still curious, where did you hide them?" Alegri looked at Dios curiously.

"Really want to know?" Dios asked, and seeing the two nodding like chickens pecking, he patted his head and laughed, "Think about where I could hide something back then."

"Inside your skull?!" Alegri and Illo couldn't help but sweat.

******

It was already night, and after changing horses at the carriage station, the convoy continued to move forward.

In the quiet of the night, only the snorting of the horses and the creaking of the wheels on the snow and mud could be heard. If one listened closely, even the sound of snowflakes kissing the earth could be heard.

But on such a snowy night, thoughts could not settle, drifting aimlessly, capturing the mysteries that were everywhere in the night.

"Hey, what are your plans?" the half-elf, lying on the leather, asked. "Even though I signed the indenture, I should at least have some right to know, right?"

"Huh?" Alegri, leaning against the carriage wall, snapped out of his daze and mumbled, "What plans? We'll just take it one step at a time."

"That sounds so aimless, really disappointing," Illo complained.

"Speaking of goals, what are your goals, Illo?" Alegri countered.

"Well..." Illo pondered, "I guess I have two, a big one and a small one. What about you, Dios?"

"Same," Dios whispered, his voice clear, though his eyes were closed, he had not fallen asleep.

"Coincidentally, I also have two, one big and one small," Alegri suggested. "Want to share? It could be our next goal."

"The small one is to have a lot of money, and it would be best to raid a dragon's lair," Illo's eyes sparkled, then dimmed. "The big one, I won't say, it's too difficult."

"Is that small? Is there anything harder?" Alegri was surprised. "What about you, Dios?"

"The small one?" Dios confirmed. "The small one is to become a legendary professional. The big one is hard, so I won't say it."

"Damn!" Alegri shuddered, recalling the nightmare knights he had seen. "You two are really not straightforward."

"What about you?" Dios asked, glancing at him. "Tell us."

"I'm not as pretentious as you. I'm straightforward. I'll tell you both, big and small," Alegri sat up, his tone oddly different. "My smaller goal is to go home."

"That doesn't sound hard," Illo teased. "Is your hometown in the Dragon Burial Grounds or the Cathedral of Godya?"

"As for my lifelong pursuit..." Alegri ignored him, looking straight ahead, and with a forceful wave of his right hand, he exuded the grandeur of a hero drawing his sword and commanding the world.

"My journey is the sea of roasted meat!"

(First update, the moon is full)

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