Episode 13
#13. The Golden Chariot of the Demon Lord (2)
There are many monsters in the north. You may wonder where there are no monsters on the outskirts of the empire, but the northern part was especially full of monsters and they were harsh..
Two centuries have passed since the alliance of different races and the monster army that ushered in the era of barbarism disappeared..
An era has come where the majority of humans in Arcadia are more accustomed to fighting with fellow humans rather than monsters..
The North was still at war with barbarism.
In particular, the Demon World, full of ancient dungeons during the Golden Age, was a sacred place for monsters..
Even though the age of barbarism has ended and the silver age has begun,.
Due to the mysterious energy of the ancient dungeon and the abundant magic stones buried in the north, all kinds of rare monsters were naturally born, evolved, and prospered..
On the other hand, being rare also means money..
Also, being expensive means that those monsters are much stronger than regular monsters..
Therefore, even today, adventurers, mercenaries, and treasure hunters from all over the continent (especially the empire) were wandering around the Northern Demonic Land. For quick money.
“Huh... … . Huh... … . Huh... … . Ancestor, please save this descendant.!”
Travis, a C-class adventurer from the north, was staggeringly walking through a vast magical landscape..
“Wow, Travis... … . together, go together!”
Behind him were the adventurers and mercenaries he had formed a party with..
“I'm hungry... I'm hungry... … . I'm so hungry I feel dizzy…….”
“stew… … . I want to eat warm Arad stew... … . What is 2 copper? I'll pay even if it's 1 silver.!”
“Damn, I can't feel my injured forearm! no way… … . You don't have to cut off your arm, do you? Ancestors, please! I will offer a good memorial service in the future.!”
A party of 4 people.
There weren't four people from the beginning.
Originally, the party consisted of a total of 7 people, including the porter..
The life force that the monster exuded was incredible..
In front of the peers of these monsters, a healthy horse is called a special horse, and it is so rare that it is difficult to find to the point where calling it is expensive..
Especially in the North, it was so expensive that only noble knights or wealthy nobles could ride it..
For this reason, most adventurers wandering around the demon world were trodden and were always accompanied by porters made up of low-level adventurers..
This is because an ordinary horse, if it enters the demonic realm just a little bit, foams at the mouth and collapses from all kinds of evil..
“Unfortunately, the stern where the porters were was attacked.…….”
“Damn it!”
But now the porters were nowhere to be seen..
This is because they were all eaten by a monster about a week ago..
What happened in the middle of the Demonic Sutra.
Perhaps the tragedy began then..
Most of the food, water, and medicine that the porters were carrying was lost..
As a result, everyone in the group was in disarray..
I was like a beggar among beggars, unable to eat, receive treatment, or even maintain weapons..
What would you do if you had silver coins jingling in your pocket? What would you do if you had all kinds of rare monster by-products worth gold coins in the backpack you were carrying?.
My stomach is very painful because I haven't had a proper meal for a week..
In particular, the wounds on the body were a problem..
I couldn't even change the bandages properly, so some parts were festering and rotten..
The good news was that I didn't feel thirsty thanks to the snow piled up in the snowy field..
Trudging, trudge, trudge
Travis' party stumbled. From a distance it looked like a horde of zombies walking..
‘I can't fall down here! If only we could sell the by-products we have now... … . It is possible to open a small store in a city like Haven.!’
Travis, the leader of the party, gritted his teeth and walked in silence..
‘It's a limit, it's a limit!’
‘If you encounter a monster or a robber in this state, it will be over.!’
‘Even if I get to Haven, I'll be a god!’
‘I just want to lie down like this and sleep forever.…….’
On the other hand, other colleagues, except Travis, only had the negative thought that this was the end rather than the thought that there was only a little more to go..
“uh……?”
That was right then..
Travis, who was walking first, suddenly stopped walking..
“Ancestors, oh my! Am I at my limit now? under… … . Now I see everything in vain.”
Then he muttered something unintelligible in a weak voice..
Because in the distance, he could see a golden carriage crossing the magic landscape..
Fortunately, the golden carriage crossing the magic landscape was neither a mirage nor nothing..
“They say that carriages travel in the magic world.?”
“My ancestor, this is definitely not a dream.?”
“Was the carriage gilded? How rich a merchant is he??”
However, the fact that this was reality made the viewer feel rather strange..
There weren't enough horses to go around, so the more I looked at the gold-covered carriages, the more I lost sense of reality..
“…….”
“…….”
Travis and the others forgot their hunger and fatigue and watched the golden carriage approaching in a daze..
“It's not gold?”
“It's similar to gold, but the color is different..”
“The two horses pulling the carriage also look ordinary..”
“No, you can drive a regular horse in a horse race.?”
The carriage I finally got to see up close looked amazing..
In the first place, it cannot help but be fascinating to see a carriage in the horse world..
“Hello, how are you??”
At that time, the man driving this amazing golden carriage said hello to Travis Party..
He was a young man with black hair and dark eyes, and he had cool, handsome facial features..
“Hello, hello?”
“if… … . Are you a wizard??”
Travis and other party members treated the young man in front of them with a low attitude..
“Welcome to the golden chariot of Arad, strangers. You are so lucky to meet me in this vast magic world..”
The man who introduced himself as Arad accepted Travis and his group's low-key attitude as if it was natural..
“for a moment… … ? Speaking of Arad... … ? Arad stew?!”
Eventually, the group realized where the name Arad originated from..
They also tasted the famous Arad stew while in Haven..
It was so delicious, and when I returned to Haven safely this time, I planned to eat not only the Arad stew but also a lot of the expensive food at Jack's Inn..
“Is this really Arad, the chef at Jack's Inn??”
Everyone was dumbfounded when they saw the legendary chef in the magic room..
‘After all, he wasn't an ordinary person.!’
‘Is it like a great mage hiding somewhere??’
‘Even his youthful appearance is probably disguised by magic..’
‘Cooking and being a therapist were some of your hobbies..’
I thought it was amazing that the healer could even make such a ridiculous dish, but I guess he must have been a wizard or something..
“You got it right. I am that Arad.”
At this, Arad felt that it had become easier to explain and continued speaking with a sinister smile..
“Guys, it looks like you need supplies? Arad's Golden Carriage provides various services such as food and drinks, medical treatment, and equipment maintenance. … … It's a bit expensive though.”
Apparently, the identity of that golden carriage is a mobile supply depot..
“How expensive is it?……?”
“What kind of food and drinks do you sell??”
The group swallowed their saliva and showed great interest in Arad's proposal..
“First of all, aren’t you thirsty??”
At this, Arad jumped up from the driver's seat and got out of the carriage..
“Showing once is more effective than telling a thousand words..”
Then he opened the back door of the carriage and took something out..
What came out of the carriage was an oak barrel the size of an adult man's torso..
Arad opened the oak barrel and began pouring something into a cup..
“Here's a cool drink.”
Grumble.
Those familiar colors and scents.
Beer came out of an oak barrel.
“mac, beer!”
After seeing this, Travis and the others felt their senses completely disappear for a moment..
“How much, how much??!”
It's been a week since I haven't eaten proper food..
They say water solves the problem by melting the snow in the snowfield, but that's all..
In this situation, a glass of cold beer appeared before my eyes..
Everyone took out money bags from their arms as if under hypnosis..
Perhaps because he was a C-level adventurer, he had not only copper coins but also a lot of silver coins in his pockets..
“30 copper per drink.”
Arad glanced at the adventurers' pockets and decisively spit out the price of a glass of beer..
“to……?”
“……?!”
After hearing the price, Travis and his group stopped for a moment in opening their pockets..
In the village, you can drink beer for 2 to 3 copper per glass..
No matter how much they call it magic, they sell it at 10 times the price..
“If you don't have money, you can exchange it for monster by-products..”
“but… … ! It's too expensive.”
As Travis said that, he carefully looked at the man in front of him..
‘Is there really a need to pay so much in the first place? … me?’
The way you feel when going to the bathroom and the time when you come out is different, and there is a beer right in front of you, so it seems like the deceitfulness of humans is revealed..
‘Should I just kill and steal it??’
Originally, adventurers, especially those from the North, were mostly vagabonds and thieves..
This also applies to party members, including Travis from the North..
‘You're alone?’
‘Even if you are a wizard, if you engage in close combat by surprise,……?’
‘There will be more food and water in that wagon..’
A thought that was perhaps too obvious began to appear in their minds..
“Of course, it's a bit expensive, but it can't be helped..”
Did he understand the intentions of those adventurers??
“Think about it. You are doing business alone in this magic world. It's very cumbersome and requires a lot of effort..”
Arad opened his mouth in a meaningful tone..
Doing business in Magyeong. He even described it as annoying..
This statement contained a lot of information.
“…….”
Travis and the others hesitated at Arad’s words..
Then, suddenly, I noticed that the surroundings were strangely calm and quiet..
‘Even monsters don't come around.!’
Is he so skilled that he can even defeat monsters??
‘Anyway, he is a wizard of great skill.!’
‘Maybe he's an S-class adventurer sponsored by the imperial guild.?’
The more I thought about it, the more cautious my actions became..
‘Let's just pay. Think of it as the price of your life..’
In the end, they quietly decided to pay..
In the first place, didn't you think that you would be willing to pay even 1 silver for a bowl of stew??
Flutter, Flutter
A brilliant and dazzling wave of beer flutters right in front of you..
“I'll pay! In addition, I would like to ask for treatment and food.!”
“Beer, food, therapy... … . It looks like you only suffered minor injuries, so the total is 1 silver and 50 copper..”
“yes? yes……!”
First, Travis took out a silver coin and a cooper and handed them to Arad..
“Good idea. Just wait a little while and the food will be served right away. The injured person has to take off the bandages and wait..”
“I will pay too!”
“Me too, me too!”
“take all my money!”
Starting with Travis, everyone in the party started taking out silver coins..
So after a while.
“heaven… … . It's heaven.”
“Thank you, ancestors.”
“I was seriously injured so I burned 2 silver, but it wasn't a waste at all. As a result, my arm was saved..”
“money? That's more than enough to recover quickly if you sell by-products in the village..”
Travis and the others sat in front of Arad's golden carriage and sipped beer with dazed faces..
“That guy named Arad said his healing skills were no joke, and it was true..”
“Well, since he's a wizard, he must be good at healing skills..”
“That red pill. Can't they live separately? I think it works really well…….”
As they rested while drinking beer, newly wrapped, clean bandages were shining on their arms and legs..
Although they did not know much about healing techniques, they instinctively felt that their wounds were healing..
“Okay, here's the meal..”
At that time, Arad stood in front of Travis' party, holding a tray full of food he had never seen before..
“what smell…….”
“Wow…….”
Although it was my first time seeing this food, the smell and appearance made my mouth water..
“It's worth it to pay the silver coins..”
I expected at most arad stew, but the food that came out was much more than that..
“what kind of food is this?”
Their mouths were dripping and they asked about Arad's new dish..
“Ah, you mean these? They call it hamburgers and fries..”
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