Hamridge Camp III

There was a dedicated area for travellers to camp, but everyone was free to place their tents where they wished as long as they weren't invading someone else's space. Carolyn didn't believe she would be able to sleep well given her disturbing experience while waiting for her travel pass, but she didn't think that made it safe for her to select a camping spot carelessly. There was no need to worry about bandits or wild animals since the soldiers regularly patrolled the vicinity; however, as the majority of travellers were men, Carolyn had some reservations about sleeping in their midst. As a result, she selected a spot that was at the outskirts of the camping area and gave her a clear view of the fort and the main road that led to Vernum City. If anything happened, she was ready to escape in the most suitable direction.

Carolyn wondered if she was being too paranoid, but her fear wouldn't vanish so easily. After equipping the black cloak, Carolyn hadn't experienced the same lustful gazes, but that didn't mean she was ready to let her guard down. Once she set up her tent, Carolyn went inside and laid down a blanket. A sleeping bag would take up too much space in her luggage, so she didn't bring one, and while she could afford to buy one, in this case it didn't seem like a necessary purchase. She then placed her bag down, removed her cloak, and sat down.

"Whew~"

Although she hadn't done much movement since arriving at the camp, Carolyn could feel the tension and fatigue leave her muscles as she took the opportunity to rest. The mental fatigue she had built up was considerable, but the impact it had on her body was greater than expected.

"I'm sure Mr. Teri would scold me for not being aware of my condition."

A smile appeared on her face as she thought back to her lessons with Teri, but that smile quickly faded as she recalled the incident inside the administrative tent. She was fortunate to encounter the Middly villagers, but the incident reminded her that the world would not always be kind. She had been surrounded by good people while growing up, but by losing her parents, she learnt that not all people were good. And if she wanted to uncover the truth, then she would likely face even more disturbing cases highlighting the malice that people were capable of. However, she couldn't allow that to stop her. She had made an oath to the dead, and she had no intention of abandoning that oath while she was alive.

Still, Carolyn squeezed the necklace under her shirt.

'Mom...'

After regaining her composure, Carolyn took out her mother's book and began reviewing it. She didn't see this as a better alternative to sleep, but she hadn't mastered the art of sleeping with one eye open, so it was better than leaving herself vulnerable in a group of strangers.

Fortunately, she was able to pass the night in her tent. There were some loud noises at night, but nothing that interfered with her peace. At the crack of dawn, while most were asleep, Carolyn packed up her tent and went to find the tent merchant with her cloak equipped. She wouldn't have found it odd if his store was closed, but she managed to spot him in the process of opening it.

"Oh? You're up early, missy. Planning on leaving already?"

"That's right. I came to return the tent."

"It was indeed a loan for a night, but I think this is the first time anyone has been so punctual. Just give me a few minutes, and I'll be right with you."

"Okay."

Carolyn told herself to be wary of merchants, but the tent merchant's sincere attitude made it hard to hate him. As he said, she didn't have to wait long before she could return the tent and receive the one silver that she was owed from her deposit.

"I look forward to doing business with you again."

After leaving the tent, Carolyn wore one of the white masks she had bought and lowered the hood of her cloak. Her vision narrowed as a result, but it wouldn't be an impediment to her walking normally. There was no wall or guards blocking the exit, so she left the camp without any hassle and made her way for Vernum City. She found walking by herself to be more relaxing than staying in the camp, but she reminded herself not to be careless. Until she reached near the city, there was nothing but grass that went as far as the eye could see, so there was nowhere to hide for better or worse. As she had grown up in forests, this was a fresh sight for her, but the unknown environment made her wary of whatever might pop out.

For the next hour, Carolyn's journey was uneventful. The gates would have closed if she had tried to leave the camp right after getting the travel pass, but even with one break scheduled, she was confident in reaching the city before noon. Unfortunately, she soon realised that this journey wouldn't be as peaceful as she hoped.

Thanks to the clear view and quiet environment, Carolyn had an easy time checking for presences around her. Perhaps she might miss something that burrowed in the ground or avoided the stalks of grass as it moved, but as long as it possessed enough mass, she could likely detect its approach, whether by sight or sound. Needless to say, humans were high on the list of entities she could detect.

'Two, no, three. They're moving quickly through the grass. As much as I hope I'm wrong, I'm likely their target.'

She didn't know where these people came from or why they were targeting her, but at her current pace she would be within their reach in the next ten minutes. She considered running, but the city was still quite a distance away, and while her stamina wasn't bad, it wouldn't be enough if she wanted to run at top speed for the rest of the journey. Therefore, her mind came down to two choices: negotiate or fight.

Attempting to run would waste her stamina, and pretending not to notice them could result in a sneak attack, so Carolyn stopped in place and turned around.

"I know you're there. Show yourselves!"

Three pursuers stopped, and an ominous wind blew across the landscape. As Carolyn reached into her bag and touched her bow, the three following her rose from the grass. They were unfamiliar men without armour or any large weaponry. They didn't appear to be assassins, but once they had a clear view of each other, Carolyn could confirm the greed in their eyes.

"How did you find us?" one of the men asked solemnly.

The three were skilled thieves capable of concealing their presences, so they couldn't believe that some random girl was able to catch them.

Carolyn didn't answer. Both due to nervousness and caution, she didn't want anything to distract her from tracking these three.

"Tch, ignoring me, huh? Whatever. Empty your luggage and give us your valuables if you don't wanna get hurt."

The three began to approach, each with a knife in hand. Instinctively, Carolyn was about to take a step back, but she squeezed her bow and stopped herself.

'No! Remember your oath. Remember your training. If I back down now, then I might as well have never left the village.'

After a deep breath, Carolyn revealed her bow and took out a wooden arrow to nock on it.

"Wow, look at her boys! She thinks she can scare us off with her little bow."

"Haha! What a dump brood."

Confident in themselves, the three leisurely continued their approach.