In the dim light of dawn.
As autumn deepened, the wasteland grew increasingly barren. Four wagons raced across it at a brisk pace.
Rattle, rattle.
Despite the poor road conditions, the wagons remained remarkably stable, with minimal shaking. It was clear they were equipped with some sort of basic suspension system—an unusually high-end feature for mere cargo wagons. On their pristine white coverings, the freshly painted name of the merchant group was still visible, the paint not yet fully dry.
—Bertrand & Li
The wagons were traveling along an old trade route that once connected Ortona and Regina, now an abandoned path rarely used by anyone.
It was highly unusual for a merchant group’s wagons to traverse such a deserted area without any guards.
Sure enough, lurking beneath the sparse bushes, a band of bandits lay in wait, poised to ambush the approaching wagons.
“By golly, it’s true! The merchant wagons are really coming this way!”
“Yep. Marquis D’Agnino’s intel was spot on.”
“But, boss, are you sure there won’t be any trouble if we rob them?”
The leader, a burly man with a thick beard, reassured his ragtag crew.
“Don’t worry. I heard…