Expected Attack

At the same time, on the outskirts of the forest, a caravan loaded with goods was heading deeper in. Among their convoy were a carriage, ten cargo wagons, and two combat vehicles, accompanied by over twenty heavily armed guards—a clear sign of how much they valued the cargo within.

This caravan was none other than the Xiyun Merchant Guild, here specifically to transact with Serea.

As they approached the edge of the jungle, ken, riding at the front, raised his hand to signal the main force to halt.

He then took out a map and a magic compass. After confirming his position, he muttered to himself, “This is the place.”

Saying that, he pulled out a signal flare and fired it into the sky. The orange light soared upward, glowing brightly. Before the first signal had extinguished, another flare of the same color shot up from the distant woods.

Seeing this, a hint of relaxation appeared on Ken’s otherwise stern face.

“Everyone, stay alert where you are.”

At his command, the guards spread out around the caravan. While protecting the goods, particular attention was paid to the ornate carriage—its luxurious appearance making it obvious that a person of wealth or status was inside.

But not far from there, within the jungle, a group of people was left dumbfounded.

“Boss, why did those guys stop instead of coming further in?” asked a one-eyed man with an eyepatch. The “boss” he addressed was a man with a scar on his face. Alongside them, nearly fifty others lay hidden on the hillside.

Traps were already set up below, awaiting the caravan’s arrival. Unexpectedly, the caravan had stopped moving forward.

“Could they have discovered us?”

The scar-faced man remained silent, but the one-eyed man voiced his suspicion.

“No. If they had, they wouldn’t be reacting this way. My guess is they’ve arrived at their transaction site and are waiting for their contact,” the scar-faced man replied. Upon hearing this, the one-eyed man grew anxious.

“Then let’s act fast! If their contact arrives, it’ll be even harder to snatch these goods,” he urged, inadvertently revealing their identity.

The Corrupted Jungle wasn’t just home to monsters and other races. Outlaws, seeking to escape pursuit from various nations, also hid here—this group was a band of thieves!

The scar-faced man found the suggestion reasonable and gave his command.

“Alright, once we pull this off, brothers, we won’t have to worry about food or clothes this winter. Let’s go!”

Thieves spoke with their actions, not words. The group advanced stealthily toward the caravan, using their knowledge of the terrain and the cover of the jungle to prepare for an ambush.

They were full of confidence, but they’d targeted the wrong people…

Ken stood vigil outside the ornate carriage, when suddenly a woman’s voice came from inside.

“There are enemies—fifty-three of them—on our southeast side. Don’t let them near the goods.”

“Yes, madam!”

At her command, ken reacted instantly. With a sharp whistle, the ballista on the combat vehicles swung open; shield soldiers and heavy warriors quickly positioned themselves on that side of the caravan.

The thieves froze, stunned by such a swift response.

“Friends in the woods need not hide; if you have something to discuss, come out and talk,”

Ken called out. He knew well enough their eyes were on the cargo, but in his line of business, you never offended anyone unless you had no choice—especially not local bandits.

Realizing they’d been discovered, the scar-faced leader knew hiding was pointless and emerged with his men openly.

“So, you spotted us after all,” he said, looking at Ken without any shift in expression, despite leading over fifty men.

“New faces?”

Ken asked.

“We’re the newly arrived ‘Shaka Adventurer Group.’ I’m the captain—Shaka,” the scar-faced man introduced himself. The so-called “adventurer group” was just a pleasant-sounding title; everyone present knew they were thieves.

“What brings you here, then?”

Ken asked.

“Heh, since you’ve caught us, I won’t hide it: you know the rules of the road. You have to leave us a third of your cargo,”

Shaka said arrogantly.

A woman’s voice from within the carriage rang out again.

“We have more important tasks now, so try not to cause conflict. Give them money, but they mustn’t touch the goods.”

With her order, ken exchanged a glance with a guard, who nodded and carried a heavy sack of silver coins forward.

The sack was tossed.

Clatter—

Silver coins spilled everywhere. Shaka’s eyes widened at the sight of such a large sum.

“Steady profits make for lasting business. Five thousand universally accepted silver coins—that’s equal to a third of the cargo’s value. So do us a favor and let us pass,”

Ken said.

Shaka was stunned; though he expected compromise, he hadn’t thought they’d be so accommodating.

To hand over five thousand silver coins just like that—why, that was equivalent to fifty thousand copper coins!

For a moment, shaka regretted not asking for more…

No, something was wrong!

Would a merchant truly hand over so much money this easily?

Impossible—there could only be one explanation: compared to these coins, the cargo was even more valuable.

And indeed, the goods on the wagons were crucial—they were food and weapons for Serea. Though not worth an enormous sum, establishing a business relationship with the Elves would bring Xiyun Merchant Guild huge profits.

But Shaka could not know their true commercial purpose…

“Hmph. You don’t get to decide if this is a third. I need to check your goods myself!”

Shaka pushed his luck. Ken refused without hesitation.

“To remain responsible to our clients, I cannot let you inspect the goods. Now take the silver and leave; that’s good for all of us,”

Ken replied. Despite the other party’s numbers, he was unafraid—they were just a rabble.

Hearing this, shaka turned to the one-eyed man.

“Was your information accurate?”

“This… Of course! I risked ten silver coins to buy this news from a ‘Shorty’ info broker. I don’t know who their contact is, but those wagons are full of luxury goods,” the one-eyed man replied.

“Oh, so that’s why they’re so ‘generous,'”

Shaka remarked, greed flickering in his eyes.

If the information was right, pulling this off would mean not just surviving the winter—they could retire in wealth!

To hell with it!

“If you won’t let us inspect the goods, then there’s nothing we can do. Brothers need to eat, too. So we’re taking both the money and the cargo!”

Shaka declared haughtily. Though poorly equipped, they were confident in their strength.

They could win!

Or so Shaka thought—until a new voice rang out.

“Are you the merchant guild here for the transaction?”

Turning to the sound, ken saw four figures in black robes.

Seeing those familiar silhouettes, ken smiled. With them here, nothing would be a problem. His answer was clear—

“That’s right. We’re the Xiyun Merchant Guild, here to do business.”

(To be continued…)

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep