The Book Eating Magician

Chapter 124

Crossing The Wilderness #4

There were no more raids after that day.

They may or may not have been regular soldiers disguised as bandits, but their superiors could probably guess that something unbelievable had happened when they didn’t return. Thanks to Theodore, the horses could move during the day without hesitation and rest at night.

The Sipoto Plains might be bleak, but it wasn’t a bloody place like the Red Plateau.

With a merchant’s intuition, Bear, who had been watching the horizon all day, suddenly cried out, “Oh, I am beginning to see it!”

Theodore turned in the same direction and saw sturdy walls. It was a dark colour, like baked mud. This was different to the white bricks of Meltor. They were the walls of Sipoto City, a border city of Kargas, the trade kingdom.

Theodore confirmed the sight and calmed down his senses. ‘Phew, I’m glad we arrived without any more difficulty. If people, stronger than those who came the last time, came again, I wouldn’t have been able to finish it quietly.’

Truth be told, exposing the living armor wasn’t that wise a move. Living armor artifacts weren’t rare, but they weren’t common either. However, Theodore wasn’t so cruel as to sacrifice people who could be saved, especially when their carriages were taking him to Kargas. He couldn’t let Bear shoulder that burden.

Some might say it was stupid, but it was part of his beliefs.

As they approached the outer wall of Sipoto, the procession gradually slowed down to be checked by the guards at the gate. The name of the Polonell Company could move a few people out of the way, but Bear chose to wait patiently.

However, his lips weren’t good at staying still. “By the way, it was really dangerous! I knew that refugees from the Austen Kingdom had started turning to robbery, but I didn’t think we would be attacked as soon as we got close to the border.”

“Refugees?”

“Yes, I hear they have increased due to the drought. The price of water has risen 10 times higher, while those in power have run away to other countries. So, it is natural for the people to feel impatient. Tsk, tsk. For the time being, I won’t be able to step into the Austen Kingdom.”

Bear clicked his tongue, but Theo was forced to smile bitterly.

It would’ve been better if the people who attacked them had just been refugees. Bear didn’t know that the regular army was the one doing the looting. Did this mean that the Sultan’s Janissaries were commanders of the looting operations? It was safe to say that the kingdom was accepting it.

However, Theodore wasn’t willing to tell the truth.

‘At this point, it is too big to publicize carelessly.’

Additionally, the enemies from the raid didn’t have anything to prove their identities. The warriors used rough shamshirs, and even their turbans were just pieces of shabby cloth.

The Austen Kingdom would have their honor completely tarnished if this were revealed, so the warriors had used every means to get rid of their identity. Even if this wasn’t the case, the scale of the incident wasn’t something that Theodore could get involved in.

“…When you go back, you should increase the number of escorts.” In the end, Theodore kept his mouth shut and changed the topic.

Bear nodded before exchanging a few more words with Theodore. Fortunately, there was no need to continue the unpleasant conversation when the checkpoint guards approached. As a business company, the procedures were completed quickly. The guards’ mood was heavy due to the recent lousy atmosphere, but there were no problems.