Yohane's Caravan

At last, the day of departure arrived. Preparations were complete.

Orleans had already sent a letter ahead as advance notice.

I gazed at the procession of wagons gathered before Kassad's walls, feeling slightly sentimental.

To think the day would come when I'd lead this many wagons.

Leading a caravan was a status symbol for merchants.

Calling it a dream might be an exaggeration, but many wanted to do it at least once.

After all, it required tremendous effort and money to make happen, and you had to handle all kinds of problems during travel.

In return, the rewards were substantial. The transport capacity was incomparable to a single wagon.

As long as you didn't choose the wrong goods, you could earn enormous profits.

This time, with demand known and cargo decided, there was no risk of failure.

"Everyone, gather round."

I assembled the merchants accompanying us.

No one was late. Anyone who couldn't be on time wasn't fit to be a merchant.

I explained the caravan's purpose once more.

All purchasing and selling would be handled by us.

We'd load the purchased wheat onto wagons and head for the Imperial city of Ateil.

Upon arrival, the promised transport fee would be paid, and the return journey was up to each individual.

I restated the terms announced during the Merchant Guild recruitment.

I'd debated the return arrangement, but while the outbound trip was set, what to load for the return was each person's decision. Some wanted to head back quickly, others wanted to take their time selecting goods.

I'd decided accordingly.

As for guards, they weren't needed this time.

With Azu and the others, we wouldn't fall behind bandits or plains monsters.

This was a welcome expense reduction.

We used the portal to travel to the Royal Capital, then headed to Luido.

There, we loaded sack after sack of wheat onto the wagons.

With Luido's residents helping, we finished faster than expected.

Here, I recorded the loaded quantities. Payment amounts would be based on these numbers.

We cross-checked everything to ensure no mistakes.

Additionally, stocking up on provisions in Luido meant spending money there, killing two birds with one stone.

Provisions for twenty wagons and their owners amounted to quite a lot.

I parted with the beaming representative after a firm handshake.

What strongly binds people together is profit.

As long as there's profit, trivial problems are insignificant, there's no need for betrayal, and from that, trust is born.

Had they come to trust me a little?

After a break, we determined the marching order and set off.

Our wagon would lead.

We could respond immediately if anything happened, and with Alexia aboard, we could launch preemptive strikes if monsters appeared.

I distributed whistles to all wagons. If any problem arose, they'd blow theirs to signal.

I'd considered assigning one of our members to each wagon, but given the burden of spending long hours with strangers, I decided on this method instead.

From the front, we couldn't see the wagons in the rear, but I'd confirmed the whistle sound would carry.

If we heard a whistle, we'd stop the whole caravan and deal with the situation.

I emphasized stopping especially firmly, multiple times.

If wagons collided, horses could be injured or cargo beds damaged, leaving us stranded.

Among the merchants participating this time, few had caravan experience, veterans included.

Avoiding accidents took priority over travel speed.

Though somewhat awkward at first, we departed Luido and began our journey toward the Empire.

First, we'd head for Aquarius, the city near the border.

A single wagon could get there faster by going directly, but with a large group, you had to take proper roads or supplies couldn't keep up.

Besides, the road to Aquarius was one Alexia had made before, so we could reuse it.

"Come to think of it, I was made to build roads for quite a while… Thanks to that, my earth magic improved, though."

"It's been a while since then, but the road's still holding up."

"Fufu, naturally."

Saying this, Alexia puffed out her chest.

The horses… well, ours was a mule, but they all moved with sure footing.

When traveling over rough terrain, they naturally slowed to avoid losing their footing, so this difference was significant.

The road Alexia had made showed signs of heavy use but had kept its form well.

Proof that her magical skill was solid.

I'd have liked to charge tolls if possible.

Letting others use it for free felt wasteful, but if I thought of it as contributing to Kassad's revitalization, it couldn't be helped.

What surprised me was that simple huts had been built along it.

It seemed to be treated as a caravan route now.

For a while, we progressed without any real trouble.

During meals and camping, we gathered together for efficiency.

That way, we only needed one fire, and management was easier.

"Not having to carry water is a huge help. Even loaded with wheat, the horses are lively."

"Even one water jug adds a lot of weight."

Alexia was generating water for us.

For a single mage to supply a caravan of this scale was impressive.

I'd heard that nobles on the march always brought at least one mage along.

"What do you trade?"

"Usually salt. But it's gotten hard to source from the Solar Union. I need to find a new supplier."

"Yeah, true. We're feeling the effects too."

Rest stops were also a time for information exchange and small talk.

It was a good opportunity to build connections.

We were all merchants, after all. With different specialties, learning about each other at times like this could lead to future business.

Monsters tended to gather where there were many people, but each time, Azu and the others drove them off.

Those who couldn't fight stayed inside Elza's barrier for safety.

Since we were clustered in one spot, defense was easier too.

And each attack meant fresh meat, so the occasional raid wasn't unwelcome.

I also collected the magic stones.

We bore all the risk, so we took all the returns too.