The caravan was still shaking, but it wasnât as disastrous as it was before.
Sunlight was pouring in from a crack in the hood, and Shayna was asleep leaning onto him with an innocent sleeping face.
Still sitting down, he looked around the caravan and saw that nothing had been destroyed.
Before he closed his eyes, Ange was laid down in front of Layla and Roll, but when he looked over to them, Broas was laid down beside her as well, and the two girls were glaring at him.
âYou seem so carefree.â
Roll sounded angry as well, but Loren couldnât understand why they were angry at him, because there was nothing else he could do in that situation and didnât feel that he needed to stay up until morning.
They couldâve gotten caught by the bone dragon, but in that case it wouldâve been either going down fighting or getting killed while asleep. Loren preferred dying in peacefully in his sleep than dying while fighting.
âIt looks like we outran it. But whatâs wrong with Broas?â
Although Ange was still coughing with the smell of blood coming from inside her mouth, she looked a lot better than the night before. But Broasâ face was pale, his breathing was shallow, and looked like he could die anytime.
Loren looked at Layla if there was an attack from something else than the bone dragon, but the knight just shook her head.
âWe have no idea. He became like this after a while. Heâs been getting worse ever since.â
âHave you tried healing him?â
âRoll used divine arts after resting for a while but it had no effect.â
Loren pulled away Shayna from his body, being careful not to wake her up, laid her down on the floor, walked over to Broas and looked at his face more carefully.
Broasâ face was noticeably blue and wet with sweat, and his eyes didnât have any focus.
âIâm not sure if itâs an illness, butâŠthis isnât good.â
Loren had no medical experience, but he could tell that Broas was in a bad shape just by looking at him.
He easily guessed that a wrong move could cost him his life.
âAngeâs condition is getting worse as well. Weâve used > two times already, but there were too many deep wounds, the best we could do is keep her alive.â
Although Layla told that to him, there was nothing he could do right now.
Loren silently turned away from them and poked his head out to the driverâs seat, thinking that the only thing they could do was pray that they will get better.
âLoren, youâre awake. Itâs a pretty good morning.â
Lapis, who must have been holding the reins throughout the whole night, gave him a smile with no trace of fatigue at all.
He looked up, and the sky was a clear blue with the rising sunâs rays shining down on them as if the whole incident from last night didnât even happen.
Either the horse was a tough one or it was all thanks to Klausâ power, it managed to gallop at full speed throughout the night, and was still pulling the caravan with ease at a comfortable pace.
On its rear half, Klaus, who had been whipped countless times, was still clinging onto it with his eyes rolled up.
Although it was so that they could run away from the bone dragon, cold sweat ran down his forehead as he imagined how much Klaus had been whipped during the night, and hoped that the experience didnât open up any new doors.
âHow long till we reach Hanza?â
Right now, that was more important than Klausâ future. Lapis thought for a moment and replied blankly.
âI donât know. Iâm not even sure if weâre going in the right direction.â
Loren was alarmed for a moment at Lapisâ confession, but guessed that it was something that couldnât be helped.
Even though an ordinary person wouldnât even have been able to drive the caravan, Lapis had driven it the whole night at an impossible speed.
He couldnât blame her if she went down a wrong road or two.
âIt was a single path, though.â
âIn that case I guess itâs fine.â
âIt doesnât look too good back there though.â
Loren shrugged as Lapis turned her head behind her.
âThe front doesnât look good either you know?â
âHeâs fine. After a while he starting saying things like âNooâ and âMoreâ.â
At those words Loren looked at Lapis like she was a monster.
Lapis looked at his expression and gave him a sly smile.
âIâm joking. But donât you think getting whipped by a beautiful girl is a reward?â
Loren felt disgusted at the question.
He knew that such preferences existed in the world, and although he didnât know anyone that would enjoy that kind of thing, if someone asked him if he could get used to it or understand it, the answer would definitely be no.
âIâm not into that sort of thing.â
âIâm relieved. I wouldnât have known what to do if you had answered yes.â
Loren gave her a troubled face, since he had no idea if she actually meant what she said, but it soon turned into one of confusion as she held out the reins in front of him.
âLoren, can you at least drive it in a straight line?â
âYeah.â
âThen can I count on you? Iâve been up all night and Iâm almost at my limit.â
When he thought about it, while he was sleeping, Lapis had been driving the caravan the whole time they were being chased by the bone dragon.
Since he knew nothing good came out of sleep deprivation, he was fine with driving the caravan for a while, so he sat on the driverâs seat and took the reins from Lapis.
âIf youâre going to sleep you should go inside.â
Loren didnât think the driverâs seat was well suited for sleeping.
Although there was one that was injured and another that was sick, Loren thought that laying on the floor would be better, but Lapis shook her head and declined.
âNo no, just lend me your shoulder. I like this better.â
Lapis didnât even wait for Loren to respond as she rested her head on his shoulder and fell asleep almost immediately.
Loren was surprised at how quickly she fell asleep, but guessed that running away all night brought a lot of anxiousness and fatigue, and focused on keeping the caravan on the road, being careful not to move his body as much as he could.
âIt would be really helpful if I knew where we areâŠâ
He guessed that they were heading towards Hanza, but since he wasnât certain that they were going the right way, it made him worry.
As he thought how nice it would be to know they were going the right way, something tugged at his back.
When he looked back, he saw Shayna pulling at the cloth that was wrapped around his great sword to get his attention. He turned back as far as he could without losing control of the reins.
âWhatâs wrong?â
âOnii-sanâŠeveryone else in the backâŠâ
At Shaynaâs worried tone, Loren looked past her and saw Layla and Roll collapsed on the floor.
He wondered why bad things kept getting worse, but even if he were to stop the caravan, there was no way for him to know what was going on.
âWhatâs happeningâŠare we getting cursed or something?â
âWhat should we do Onii-san?â
âDonât call me Onii-san, call me Loren. Thereâs nothing we can do right now. Thereâs no way for us to treat them right now. Weâre going to have to get to a city first.â
âI think weâre getting close to Hanza, Loren Onii-san.â
âAre you sure?â
Shayna nodded and pointed at the forest and plains around them.
âIâve walked around outside of Hanza a lot for my fatherâs job. I remember this view so I think we should see the city in a little bit.â
âThatâs the best news Iâve heard in a while. Is our luck turning back?â
Since Shayna was from the area, what she said was very reliable.
If they could reach Hanza, there would be medical supplies as well as doctors, and there would be a higher chance saving the four in the back.
Loren saw the walls of the city shortly after Shayna told him that they were getting close.
Since it was the center of the city-state Hanza, the walls surrounding the city were tall and thick.
On one of the sides was a large gate, and whoever wanted to get into the city had to pa.s.s through there.
He was worried that the guards wouldnât let them in since they were carrying one wounded and three unconscious members, but they should be able to call a doctor for them, and if he told them they brought the presidentâs daughter, they shouldnât be able to treat them roughly. As he was thinking that, Lapis, who had been asleep leaning onto his shoulder, woke up and gave him a warning.
âBe careful Loren. Something isnât right.â
âWhat do you mean?â
Loren couldnât understand what she was talking about.
As they got closer to the gate, where usually there would be a line of people trying to get in, he couldnât see anyone there.
But if there were lots of undead roaming around, of course people wouldnât want to travel, so it didnât seem like an unnatural sight to him.
But then he realized that there were no guards at the gate either.
Even if the number of people coming to the city decreased, it was hard to imagine that they had abandoned post.
As Loren realized that this was what Lapis was talking about, she softly took the reins from Lorenâs hands.
âPlease be ready to fight whenever.â
âAlright. ButâŠthe whole city?â
âIâm not sure. If the gates were closed I wouldâve guessed they barricaded themselves inside, but the gates are wide open.â
It was unnatural that the gates were left open even though no one was there.
It pretty much told them that something had happened.
âWhat do we do?â
âNothing other than going in. Even if no oneâs inside there might still be supplies, or they might have moved the barricade inside the city.â
Either way, their goal was to take Shayna back to Hanza, so they had no choice but to go inside.
Plus, Ange had to be treated as soon as she could or she could die, and they couldnât ignore the chance that Broas, Layla, and Roll, who had collapsed for an unknown reason, could become like the female adventurers that died the first day.
âI guess luck isnât on our side after all.â
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Even so, they didnât have the option of turning back.
With their luck, Loren had the feeling that even if they did, they would again encounter the bone dragon that they tried so hard to run away from.
âItâll work out somehow. Okay, letâs go.â
In contrast to Lorenâs heavy thoughts, Lapis didnât seem to think of the situation heavy at all, and sped up the horse slightly and started heading towards the entrance.
Loren had no way of stopping her, and could only watch as the entrance grew larger and larger.