Chapter 58

A New Opportunity and a Merchant Caravan Attack

Henes’s chance to shine came sooner than expected. After cleaning up from breakfast, Jun-sang quickly purified their water supply and resumed their journey at a slightly relaxed pace. He couldn’t sprint immediately after eating, even with his incredible stamina. Soon, new quest information popped up in his vision:

• (Sub) Rescue the Targets: A merchant caravan traversing the wilderness is under attack by monsters. Defeat the monsters and rescue them.
• (Sub) Getro’s Request: Needs conversation.

Upon seeing the quests, Jun-sang immediately told Henes, “We’re running. Hold on tight.” Henes, startled from her leisurely enjoyment of the scenery, gripped the saddle handle. As soon as she was ready, Jun-sang sprinted towards the yellow arrow on his minimap. Henes shrieked in surprise at the sudden burst of speed, then quickly stifled herself. Jun-sang, seeing her reaction, was reminded of the fairies and let out a faint chuckle.

They soon encountered the merchant caravan, which had formed a circular barricade of wagons and was battling large, hyena-like beasts. Confirming both quest markers were within the caravan, Jun-sang instructed Henes, “Go inside and talk to someone named Getro.” Henes’s eyes widened. How did he know the name? Was he already acquainted with someone in the caravan? Though many questions arose, this wasn’t the time. She realized it was her first chance to undertake a request on his behalf.

“Leave it to me!” Henes exclaimed.

“Good. Gentle Breeze, protect her! Go!”

With Jun-sang’s command, Gentle Breeze, which had been acting as a wind shield, shifted to a defensive stance, and the Crimson Wolf immediately began to break through the beasts. The people inside the wagon barricade, initially raising their bows at the sight of the giant, blood-red wolf, hesitated when they saw a girl with long brown hair, her hair flowing like a banner, seated on its back. The Red Wolf seized this moment of confusion to leap over the wagons.

“We’re not enemies! We’re here to help!” Henes quickly dismounted and called out, “Mr. Getro, is Mr. Getro here?”

A middle-aged man emerged from the crowd. “I am Getro. That red wolf is—”

Before he could finish, screams erupted from outside the wagon barricade. It was Jun-sang, a whirlwind of motion, his blue eyes flashing as he stormed through the beasts, knocking them down in an instant. The merchants were mesmerized, forgetting their own peril. Henes, seeing Jun-sang in action, clenched her fists and told Getro, “You can leave the beasts outside to him; don’t worry.”

“W-who on earth are you people?” Getro stammered.

“Our identities aren’t important. Don’t you have a more important and urgent matter, Mr. Getro?”

Getro was momentarily confused, seeing beasts being tossed around like debris in a tornado while this confident girl stood before him. Henes, however, looked at him and said, “Ask us for a favor. Then it will be granted.” Her words, not so different from Jun-sang’s blunt “Ask” when he seized quests, were amplified by her gentle smile, leaving a gospel-like impression on the merchants. Getro nodded and addressed Henes, “Very well. Then I shall ask.”

Henes nodded, smiling brightly, “I’ve been waiting for those words.”

Jun-sang’s Relentless Combat and a New Quest

While Henes spoke with Getro, Jun-sang rapidly dispatched the beasts. As a monster lunged at him with wide jaws, Jun-sang calmly ducked right, using the momentum to deliver a powerful hook to its head. His fist struck the connection between the skull and jawbone, instantly shattering bone and embedding itself. He then stomped and broke the neck of the beast, which had collapsed without a sound. Immediately, he activated Shoulder Charge, ramming into the flank of another beast that had exposed an opening. The beast shrieked and bounced away like a cannonball.

But at that very moment, another beast targeted Jun-sang’s back, now exposed due to his post-Shoulder Charge stance. It was too late to dodge, but Jun-sang calmly turned, snatching the lunging beast’s elongated jaws with both hands. The beast clawed at Jun-sang’s forearms, but he ignored the wounds, gripping its upper and lower jaws and tearing them apart. The beast screamed and thrashed as its jaw detached and mouth ripped, but Jun-sang’s dark combat boot slammed into its belly, sending it flying like a soccer ball to collide with one of the merchants’ wagons. The beast gurgled, spewing bloody foam from its ruptured organs, desperately trying to get up, but ultimately collapsed, its breath gone.

White smoke emanated from Jun-sang’s forearm, the wounds from the beast’s claws already regenerating. Seeing Jun-sang, glowing with shimmering white smoke and flashing blue eyes, the remaining beasts finally realized they were no match for him and tucked their tails, fleeing. Jun-sang considered pursuing them for complete extermination, but then his quest information updated:

• (Sub) Rescue the Targets: A merchant caravan traversing the wilderness is under attack by monsters. Defeat the monsters and rescue them.
• Completed!
• Reward: Some experience, (Gold Coin)
• Would you like to claim your rewards now? (Y/n) _(Caution) Unclaimed rewards will be automatically deleted after 7 days.

Immediately, Henes, who had entered the wagon barricade, rode the Crimson Wolf to Jun-sang. She quickly dismounted and checked his arm wounds. “Are you alr—” But she gasped in shock as she saw the wounds healing at an astonishing speed with white smoke. “M-my goodness…” Jun-sang suppressed a wry smile and spoke to her. “What did you get?”

“Huh? Oh… well, it seems their granddaughter is following with a rearguard, and they’re worried about her safety. They hope we can escort them to rejoin the main group.”

Getro’s Request and a New Journey

As Henes finished speaking, the quest information updated:

• (Sub) Getro’s Request: This plain was not originally a place where monsters or beasts frequented. Getro is greatly worried about his granddaughter, who was left behind due to illness. Locate the rearguard and safely reunite them with the main group.

Jun-sang nodded, and Henes pulled a leather pouch from her pocket, handing it to him. “And this is advance payment for the escort, as a token of gratitude for what just happened.” It was surprisingly heavy in his hand. Advance payment? Jun-sang wondered, looking at Henes questioningly. She put her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest. “Ahem. The Brea family is quite renowned in the Iberia region. Mr. Getro was quite surprised when I told him I was the youngest daughter of the Brea family.”

“Hmph,” Jun-sang hummed. He wondered if he should just take the money and run, but he merely patted Henes’s head as if he didn’t know anything, saying, “You did well.” Henes was flustered by Jun-sang’s large hand on her head. “Oh, no. It was nothing, really… Ah!” But Jun-sang didn’t stop there. He hoisted her up onto the Crimson Wolf’s back and said, “We’re leaving immediately, so hold on tight.”

Henes belatedly realized she was being treated like a child and pouted, but she didn’t want to fall off clumsily, so she gripped the saddle handle tightly. Jun-sang chuckled at her, then quickly determined their direction via his minimap and began to sprint. Of course, his smile was barely perceptible.

The remaining merchants watched in astonishment as the powerful man who had appeared like a storm, swept away the beast horde, and then vanished as quickly as he arrived. They also watched the youngest daughter of the Brea family, oddly dressed and riding a red wolf, disappear from sight with the same fierce speed.

One merchant suddenly asked Getro, “Was that truly the youngest daughter of the Brea family?”

Getro gave a wry smile and nodded. “Probably. Her appearance was a bit unfamiliar, but the crest on the necklace around her neck was undeniably that of the Brea family. And her looks matched the descriptions.”

Another person then spoke up. “But that man, who on earth was he…?” The workers and guards alike rubbed their eyes, still unable to believe what they had just witnessed – a single man, unarmed, destroying and chasing away such a ferocious pack of beasts.

“I don’t know. I thought he might be a guard escorting the young lady, but seeing them interact, it seems unlikely.”

“Anyway, let’s clean up the surroundings first. It would be disastrous if other monsters or beasts came after smelling the blood.”

“Understood.” Hearing Getro’s words, the people quickly scattered, shouting at the still dazed workers and guards. “What are you staring at? Quickly, bury the beast carcasses! Move it!”

Meanwhile, Jun-sang and Henes soon spotted the rearguard, consisting of a single carriage and five or six mounted guards, moving at full speed as if being chased. “Henes,” Jun-sang called.

“Yes!”

“You follow them. I’ll take care of the rear.”

“Yes, leave it to me!” Henes immediately rode the Red Wolf towards the speeding carriage, while Jun-sang surged past them, charging directly towards a beast that was pursuing the procession from behind.