As the sun began to cast its pale yellow light over the mountains, the roads that had run smoothly from both border crossings stretched westward and merged at the blind intersection in the heart of the map—the meeting point.
While the Mayard-logoed passenger wagon waited by the roadside, the six heavy wagons arriving from the southern line pulled up slowly, their horses lathered in sweat from the steep slopes. The rubber strips on the wheels were worn down, and the axles had visibly flexed under the sheer weight of the hidden hydraulic cargo. Right here, under official protection, the two caravans united into a single convoy.
Kaahn opened the wagon window. Dismounting his horse, Beran approached with weary steps and wiped the sweat from his brow, lowering his voice: "We almost left the axles behind. A Palsur patrol cut us off in the southern gorge. One of the guards thrust his dagger straight into the sacks."
Kaahn raised his eyebrows slightly. "Did he find anything?"
A tired smile appeared on Beran's face. "The blade drew nothing but flour. They gave the documents a cursory look and let us go. But the load is truly at its limit; I'm not sure if the wagons will last until Namtab."
"You did an excellent job," Kaahn approved. "Do not worry about the state of the wagons. We will take a short break here. Rest the horses, check the rubber strips. Before entering the challenging Nireskaya pass ahead, the caravan must look flawless."
Akça, sitting on the seat opposite Kaahn, was watching the workers quickly inspect the wagons through the window. After scanning the surroundings with the sharp focus typical of her seventeen years, she turned her head slowly toward Kaahn. The serious expression on her face broke, giving way to a sly, playful smirk.
"Stopping right in the middle of the border to nonchalantly map out plans while carrying tons of contraband hydraulic presses under flour sacks..." she said, her tone completely stripping away any artificial walls of formality. "That is something only you could do."
Kaahn smiled faintly at her remark, leaning back as he shifted his gaze to the mountain range ahead. "We are forced to. Because the real move begins now. We have completed our task of drawing attention; now it is time to seamlessly guide this heavy industry through the massive mountain pass of Nireskaya."
After this tense but vital thirty-minute break, Kaahn's passenger wagon took the lead to guide the caravan. Now backed by the protection of an official auditor, the six heavy wagons moved together toward Nireskaya, the strategic transit route stretching between the two great mountain ridges. The heart of heavy industry was advancing step by step through the shadow of the mountains.