After the caravan regrouped and said goodbye to the refugees, it continued toward its destination.
As evening fell, Flint Village finally appeared up the road.
From a distance, they could see the wooden walls encircling the village and a tower set in their center. Banners fluttered atop the walls, and they could occasionally spot Guards pacing back and forth.
Only then did everyone finally start to relax.
No matter how vicious the Wolf Pack was, they wouldn't dare cause trouble so close to a human village.
"Is Kase alright?" Bob whispered to Colin, glancing back. "He looks like he just ate a mouthful of hot shit."
Colin shrugged. "He's just throwing a tantrum."
"I can hear you!" Kase's disgruntled voice came from behind them. "You humans are ridiculous!"
Bob chuckled and remarked, "Honestly, this trip was damn dangerous. It was just as bad as the time I was surrounded by a hundred goblins!"
Now that they were relatively safe, Colin took a moment to reflect on the battle.
During the Wolf Pack attack, several of the caravan's horses had sustained minor injuries. Of the twenty-five survivors, nearly everyone was wounded. All the drivers except for Bob had been banged up.
Seven Adventurers had paid with their lives, three of whom died from the White Wolf's breath attack.
The Wolf Pack, in turn, had left behind more than a dozen dead Wild Wolves.
As thanks to the refugees who had played a crucial role, the wolf meat was left for them, while the skinned hides were loaded onto the carriages.
This way, everyone could make a little extra on the side.
Colin glanced at his Panel.
[Task: Caravan Escort]
[Rating: 3 (Mortal)]
[Reward: +150 Skill Level]
'That much Skill Level is worth more than a month of training.'
Additionally, between the last few days of training and the recent battle, his Casting Ability Skill Level had reached 497 points.
He was just one point of Skill Level away from leveling up.
'I don't know what will happen after it levels up, but it should be something good. Still, I can only claim those one hundred and fifty points of Skill Level once I'm back in Thousand Masts City and the task is officially complete. The caravan escort task is a round trip, after all.'
As he was lost in thought, the caravan slowly approached the village gate.
A group of Guards was inspecting the passing carriages and collecting taxes.
"What happened here?" a Guard demanded as he approached.
"We were attacked by a Wolf Pack, sir."
"There are no Wolf Packs here."
"But..."
"You know when there's a Wolf Pack?" the Guard said, his face expressionless. "It's when a bounty notice, personally stamped by the Village Chief, is posted on the tavern's bulletin board. Got it, out-of-towner?"
"Got it, got it..." Bob deftly slipped a few coppers into the man's hand, and only then was the caravan allowed through the gate.
Seeing this, whatever lingering dissatisfaction Colin felt toward Bob vanished completely.
After all, Bob had sworn before they set out that they wouldn't run into any major trouble, yet he and Kase had nearly been killed.
'It seemed the village chief was the one to blame now.'
The village's main road was bustling with people, many of them refugees who had fled from the north, as well as local farmers.
The place looked a bit more prosperous than Silverpine Village, which they had visited earlier, but not by much.
The caravan eventually stopped in front of a tavern on the edge of the village market.
"We'll stay the night. Just like last time, the Carriage Guild is covering our stay at the tavern," Bob said before hopping down from his carriage and heading inside.
After securing the carriages, the rest of the men trickled into the tavern one by one.
The tavern was busiest at dusk, and they could see plenty of drivers and guards from other caravans inside. It wasn't surprising, since this village was on a trade route.
Bob had claimed a table in the corner.
It was already laden with food and drink.
The Adventurers each found a seat, planning to have a feast to celebrate their narrow escape from death.
"Innkeeper! What's good to eat here?" Kase yelled as soon as he sat down.
Colin pulled out a chair and sat down. The movement pulled at the bruises on his body, making him wince in pain.
He said to the Half-Orc, "Rent's going up soon. We should save our money."
Kase clapped him on the shoulder. "Look at you, look at you! Your body's screaming, my friend. Let me tell ya, when you're hurt, you gotta eat good food to get better. Otherwise, these wounds will never scar over properly!"
Bob said, "I have to say, I agree with Mr. Kase on this one. I'll treat you two to a meal."
Just then, the innkeeper walked over.
"Bob, my friend. Looks like you had a rough trip," the innkeeper said, his eyes falling on the bandages wrapped around Colin and Kase. He continued, "Flint Village is famous for its Treasure Stew—a mix of seafood, wild greens, and cream, all cooked up with our local hill sausage. It's a panacea for healing wounds. Even a Nourishing Potion from the best Alchemist can't compare!"
After hearing the innkeeper's description, Bob said, "Three servings, then?"
Any thought of politely declining was instantly washed away by the saliva flooding his mouth. Colin simply nodded.
"That'll be two Silver Coins each."
"Put it on my tab," Bob said, holding out his hand. "And lend me two Gold Coins."
"Get lost, Bob," the innkeeper cursed, but still pulled two Gold Coins from behind the counter and tossed them over.
Bob caught them, then placed them on the table in front of Colin and Kase.
'This guy is surprisingly well-liked,' Colin thought.
As he thought this, Colin said, "There's no need for the money. We haven't even gotten the caravan back to Thousand Masts City yet."
"You saved my life again, Colin, my friend," Bob said. "I know you might think this is all just part of the task, but I don't mix the two."
'Well, since he put it that way...' Colin reached out, took the coin, and tucked it into his money pouch.
He also glanced at his Task Log.
The task still wasn't marked as complete. 'The reward probably won't be paid out until the caravan gets back to Thousand Masts City,' he figured.
As they were talking, three plates of Treasure Stew were brought to the table.
The cream-based stew was a milky white, with visible pieces of shrimp, sausage, and some unidentifiable vegetables.
Colin eagerly scooped up a spoonful and put it in his mouth.
The rich, creamy texture hit his palate first, quickly followed by the fresh flavors of shrimp and clams. The occasional bite of a vegetable helped cut through the richness in his mouth.
'In all the time since he'd crossed over, this was the first time Colin felt like he was eating real food.'
The other two had no time for conversation either. After devouring the stew, they used pieces of bread to wipe their plates clean.
"What are you two planning to do while we're here?" Bob asked, letting out a satisfied burp.
"Time is precious. Kase and I plan to go out and gather herbs first thing in the morning."
"What if you're not back in three days?"
"If that happens, you should head back to Thousand Masts City without us. We'll figure out another way," Colin said.
"You'll need some provisions, right? We've got some to spare now that our numbers are down," Bob said. "I'll get them together for you tomorrow."
"Thank you," Colin said with an awkward smile.
'Honestly, he still hadn't shaken his modern mindset. He couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed when people helped him so much.'
"Don't say 'thank you' so much. It gives me a headache just thinking about having to thank you over and over when I ask for your help down the line."
Bob laughed. "We're not some high-and-mighty nobles from Thousand Masts City. They can afford to ignore everyone. Poor folks like us have to help each other to get by. You know that, right?"
"Next time you have a job, we'll help," Kase said.
Bob clapped Kase on the shoulder and laughed loudly. "Sometimes, I feel like you're more of a true native of Thousand Masts City than Colin is, my friend."
'You're a better judge of character than you know,' Colin grumbled inwardly.
After they finished eating and chatted for a while longer, the caravan crew went to a room filled with a row of straw beds to sleep.
"You ran into wolves just getting here, and you're sure you still want to go out tomorrow?" Bob asked unexpectedly from his bed.
Kase said, "If the wolves come, that's perfect. We can make some extra money."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Half-Orc's snores began to reverberate through the room. It was a mystery how he could fall asleep so fast.
"Can't be helped. A man's gotta earn a living," Colin replied.
"Yeah, it's about the same in my line of work. The more dangerous the place, the more you make," Bob replied. "Taxes to pay every day, rent..."
"How much are the taxes, if you're in the Inner City District?"
"That depends on the situation. When the city hires Adventurers to solve problems, they pay for it by taking the money from us, you get it? In any case, it's definitely a lot lately," Bob sighed.
"That much?"
"My son, the damn fool, went and had four kids, so I had to come back out here to work." Although he was cursing, his tone carried a hint of a brag.
He continued, "Alright, I'm getting a little fuzzy myself..."
Bob's voice grew fainter and fainter, and soon another set of snores joined the first.
Colin stared blankly at the moonlit window.
'It seems the cost of living in the Inner City District is even higher than I imagined. So when will I ever be able to move in?'
After worrying for a while, Colin also closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep before he knew it.