Chapter 195: The Tiny Gears

Although shocked nearly to death, thanks to some powerful individuals acting swiftly, Xavier and his companions, who were relatively far from the Saint Bergon Mountain Range, were spared from any serious harm.

While the merchant caravan members, along with many locals, buzzed with speculation about the crimson sky and the white dragon that appeared in the air, they also wondered if the grand golden miracle was indeed the power of the Goddess.

However, only Xavier, as the overwhelming light washed over him, felt a moment of divine power that healed every negative aspect of his being, including hidden ailments and fatigue…

In his heart, a certain petite figure dressed in a pure white robe with black hair and blue eyes flickered to mind out of nowhere, leaving him dazed until Sasha called out to him from the side, snapping him back to reality.

If she were here… she definitely wouldn’t just stand by and do nothing.

He couldn’t help but think that.

Because Xavier knew well that the noble and mysterious girl named Miss Vilyric was the type who would pucker her lips in annoyance at trouble, yet still reach out to help those in need, quietly leaving after her good deed was done.

Just like the first time Xavier met those two girls and the situation that unfolded later in Barvo.

After a brief rest and reorganization, Xavier’s merchant caravan proceeded to follow the Expeditionary Army’s support unit as they safely passed through the once-battleground of the Saint Bergon Mountain Range, entering the eastern part of the Holy Nation.

The destination of this caravan’s transport was a location at the border of the Province of Fran, where it was said that the Cecelia Family had established a hidden stronghold.

Although Xavier wasn’t completely sure what the situation was like over there, the cargo being transported was primarily food, medicine, and some daily necessities – nothing too extraordinary. It was naturally a transaction that required his utmost effort to complete.

But what Xavier never expected was that the winds and clouds within the Holy Empire had grown so urgent.

Not to mention the mysteriously destroyed official roads and their dramatic escape from the Saint Bergon Mountain Range, the real headache was only just beginning to surface.

At the border, neighboring the Province of Fran, the demons in the Province of Sanos were likely up to something again.

Though the Holy Nation hadn’t yet issued a clear notification, the frequent movement of temple knights and the significantly heightened alert level in the cities he passed through over the last couple of days made the keen senses of the merchant man pick up on some clues.

And now, this morning, his caravan, speeding toward their destination in the Province of Fran, encountered the first batch of refugees fleeing from the front lines.

From them, Xavier confirmed the grim truth he had sensed in his heart.

The Holy City, the border fortress of the Province of Fran known as the impenetrable military stronghold, had been breached.

The demon army stormed through the city walls, flooding into the Holy City, which housed over three million residents, engaging in fierce street battles with the defending temple knights. This group of refugees was merely those who fled in panic under the church’s guidance.

Although several days had passed since that battle, when they escaped through the west gate, there were still tens of thousands of temple knights fiercely resisting, but since both the walls and magical barriers had been breached, it seemed…

Hearing this news, Xavier couldn’t help but feel a tightening in his chest.

Because the endpoint of their caravan, a small town just dozens of kilometers from the Holy City, likely had already become a demon-occupied territory.

Just after returning to the carriage from questioning the refugees about the situation, Captain of the Guards Sasha couldn’t help but start to complain.

“What’s going on, boss? This isn’t a joke!”

Usually, this lively girl, who used to be an adventurer and, despite her youth, had passed the Ink Steel level examination and for some reason now participated in guard recruitment, always called Xavier “President” or “Uncle.”

Whenever she earnestly called him “boss,” it meant that Sasha recognized the importance of the upcoming decision and was no longer speaking as an individual but as the Captain of the Guards of Xavier’s merchant association.

In fact, even though she still seemed a bit playful, with the understanding Xavier had gained from his interactions with her over the years, she was now quite serious.

Gently rubbing the only jade ring on her finger, Xavier pondered for a moment but merely shook his head at Sasha’s meaningful gaze.

“We’re going.”

“…Hah.”

Letting out a soft sigh, Sasha seemed unsurprised as she turned her gaze to the merchant man sitting opposite her in the carriage.

“Are you serious, Uncle? Those are demons we’re talking about—heartless demons! Even if we’re not followers of the Church of the Goddess, the allure they hold over others isn’t negligible. If we run into trouble on the way, it could turn into a fight!”

“Ordinary rogue demons might be manageable, but if we encounter really powerful high-tier demons or a demon army, our guard team of just a few dozen… wouldn’t even amount to a mouthful for them.”

Xavier sighed again, nodding in agreement.

“Yeah, I think so too, so we can only be as careful as possible and act based on the situation. I’ve heard that demons rarely engage in large-scale massacres in occupied areas and primarily focus on corruption and control. If we view them as warlords opposed to the Holy Nation, then as a neutral merchant team, we might still be able to withdraw safely.”

“Neutral my foot! We’re delivering supplies to the goddess-blessed Cecelia! Honestly, President, you’re usually so timid, but why are you suddenly so bold this time?”

“…No choice, as a merchant, reputation is everything. Delaying a bit isn’t a huge deal, but if we fail to deliver the cargo itself, how can our association continue to work with the Cecelia Family in the future? They are our main financial backers, after all!”

“Eh…?”

Without a doubt, this was a lie.

Sasha, who knew her boss extremely well, saw right through it.

Perhaps what Xavier said was indeed one valid reason, but there had to be something else that drove him to risk the entire caravan’s survival to keep going—a more crucial reason.

After all, the Cecelia Family wasn’t an unreasonable hardliner. In the current situation, even if the caravan canceled the contract, they could easily explain themselves. At worst, they would simply pay a breach of contract fee, and there would certainly be future opportunities for collaboration.

For argument’s sake, even if they really offended those deity-blessed lords, Xavier’s association had already rebounded, with other domestic partners; suffering some losses was far better than having everyone devoured by demons, right?

Such a simple weighing of pros and cons was something President could not possibly overlook, so he certainly had other considerations.

But it seemed he wasn’t planning to voice them.

However, it didn’t matter, because anyway, Sasha had long wanted to see what the so-called demons, which the people of the Holy Nation dreaded, were really like.

The teacher had personally taught her that experiencing true life-and-death situations often leads to the greatest potential being unlocked, resulting in transformative progress!

“By the way, the refugees we met earlier seemed to be coughing a lot. Is it due to the recent drastic changes in weather causing colds?”

“Who knows, maybe?”

   

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