Volume 2 Chapter 47: Only Magic Can Defeat Magic!
Terra was vast.
From Bolívar in the west to Yan in the east, from Sami in the north to Iberia in the south—even the most skilled couriers would need months to cross such distances.
Outside the mobile cities, the wilderness lacked any roads. Raging Catastrophes and roaming beasts deterred most lone travelers. With no clear landmarks, only mobile cities could confirm one's exact location.
After traveling for a night and a morning, Garde had completely lost track of where he was. He only knew that he was heading toward Iberia.
But now, it seemed like he could even see the golden sands of Sargon.
"Same species… killing… each other?"
The young girl on Garde's shoulder sat high, allowing her to see far. With a single glance, she spotted what was happening in the distance—a group of wilderness bandits was raiding a passing caravan.
Garde didn't know how to explain the scene to the girl on his shoulder.
Perhaps there was no need to explain—this was simply reality.
Seaborn willingly offered their own flesh and blood for their kin.
Yet, the people of Terra were constantly killing each other.
"Some people are just broken."
Hearing himself say this, Garde found it hard to admit—but this was simply human nature. Whether before or after his reincarnation, people had always been this way.
He wasn't a savior.
But small matters like this—he could still intervene.
What had only been a night's journey for Garde would have taken an ordinary courier at least a week.
Yes, after nearly twelve hours of travel, Garde had temporarily left Columbia's borders and entered Minos.
This was a nation caught in the tight space between Sargon, Columbia, and Victoria. Historically, it had suffered large-scale colonization and expansion from Sargon's warlords. Though the colonizers were eventually driven out, the border regions still occasionally faced raids by Sargon's people.
Garde had originally intended to step in and help the besieged caravan.
But to his speechless surprise—the leader of the bandits was someone he actually knew.
An Adakrys who had once walked out of the rainforest.
"Quick, take down those mercenaries! If we get this haul, we'll live comfortably for at least half a month!"
"Drop your weapons, all of you! If you surrender now, I, Sicily, might just let you live!"
"Boss, why don't we just kill them? If they report us to the city guards, won't we be in trouble?"
"Idiot. The wasteland is vast—those city guards wouldn't bother chasing us all the way out here. If we let them go, they'll pass through this road again. Then we'll rob them again. That's called... sustainable development!"
"Boss, you're so smart!"
"Heh, I used to study with Garde back in the rainforest. Once we get big enough, I'll go back, recruit Garde, and then we won't have to fear anyone ever again!"
Sicily's calculations were meticulous. He felt nostalgic about the days he spent in the rainforest, learning to read and write under Garde's guidance.
Unfortunately, after Garde's mother fell ill and he ventured into the Hotland, he no longer had time to teach them.
Later, Sicily left the rainforest to make his own way in the world. It had been years since he last returned.
"I wonder how Garde is doing now?" Sicily muttered to himself.
"The fact that you still remember me is quite touching."
Suddenly, a voice rang out behind Sicily.
"But I definitely never taught you to rob people!"
"Brother Garde!!!"
Hearing this familiar voice, Sicily turned around excitedly—only to be sent flying by a punch.
"Boss Sicily!"
"Boss, are you okay?"
"You bastard! How dare you ambush our boss?!"
Seeing Garde suddenly appear behind them, the group of bandits instantly raised their weapons. But before they could attack, a loud roar stopped them.
"All of you, stand down!!"
"Boss Sicily?"
"If you don't want to die, put your weapons down!"
Panting, Sicily struggled up from the ground and looked at Garde.
In front of all his subordinates, he lowered his head.
"I'm sorry, Brother Garde. I was wrong."
"And what exactly were you wrong about?"
"I shouldn't have been robbing people on the road!"
"No, you misunderstood the concept of sustainable development!"
Garde stated expressionlessly.
"If you rob merchants of everything, they'll have nothing left—how the hell are they supposed to make more money? Without money, they can't restock their goods, and if they can't restock, how are they supposed to keep traveling? And if they stop traveling, how the hell are you supposed to rob them again next time?"
Trade routes in the wilderness were mostly fixed. There was a general understanding of where it was dangerous and where it was safe.
If bandits set up ambushes along the main paths, merchants would be forced to spend extra money hiring mercenaries for protection.
After all, if a caravan had enough armed guards, bandits would think twice before attempting a raid.
Sicily, the Adakrys, widened his eyes, listening intently as if Garde were giving a lecture. As he continued speaking, Garde suddenly felt guilty and glanced at the young Seaborn girl sitting on his shoulder.
He had started off acting righteous, but the moment he realized the bandit leader was someone he knew, he had turned the whole situation around.
Then again, this was because Sicily hadn't killed anyone in the caravan. Otherwise, Garde wouldn't even know how to face his fellow tribesman from the same village.
This was also why Garde never considered using his abilities to do more.
At the end of the day, he wasn't that selfless.
"Sicily, when you have time, go back and visit Uncle Totem and Aunt Gina. They miss you a lot."
Garde patted Sicily on the shoulder. He hadn't expected to run into someone from his tribe even in this desolate wilderness.
Once the Tiacauh people left Acahualla, they rarely returned home.
For one, the outside world was far more exciting than the rainforest.
For another, leaving Acahualla didn't mean you could return whenever you wanted.
"I'll help you talk to the merchants. Even bandits need to follow rules—if you rob them, you have to escort them safely to their destination."
"But… wouldn't that make us no different from mercenaries?"
"They can hire mercenaries, but they won't hire you."
Garde pointed at the blackened growth on Sicily's arm.
"Remember to go back home. You know the tribe doesn't care about this kind of thing."
Sometimes, ignorance was a blessing.
To the outside world, Oripathy was a terrifying disease. But to the people of Acahualla, it was nothing more than a common illness.
If given a choice, who would willingly become a bandit in the wilderness?
While the wastelands of Terra weren't as harsh as the Hotland, they were still brutal for most people.
Looking at Garde, Sicily couldn't hold back any longer.
"Brother Garde, are you still with the tribe? Lead us! If you're with us, we can crush all those other bastards around here!"
Garde waved his hand dismissively, not answering.
Right now, he has no time to think about such things.
Never mind the distant future—he had more immediate problems to deal with.
Like the Seaborn.
If he could bring Laurentina back from the depths of the ocean, then he would start considering what more he could do.
In Garde's heart, the most important thing was always to protect the people closest to him.
His hands could only reach what his eyes could see—but once he saw it, he couldn't just ignore it.
Now, it was time to deal with the caravan's problem.
Sicily's crew had launched their ambush from a steep slope overlooking the caravan. From Garde's vantage point, he could see dozens of Sargonian raiders attacking the merchants.
Compared to the sheer number of Sargonians, the Minoan caravan's hired mercenaries were far fewer in number.
"Hold the line! Don't believe their lies! If we surrender to these bandits out here in the wild, we're as good as dead!"
"Damn it! You cowards! We paid you mercenaries to protect this caravan, not to hide and watch from the back!"
"Show some courage! You are warriors of Minos! These Sargonian savages won't dare throw their lives away against us!"
Using the caravan's vehicles as cover, the mercenaries barely managed to hold back the raiders' assault. Time and time again, they thought of throwing down their weapons, but the fear of being slaughtered like sheep kept them clinging to their blades.
Among them, a young Minoan girl wielded a massive blade taller than she was, single-handedly keeping their crumbling defenses from collapsing entirely.
"Look at you cowards! You can't even fight as well as a little girl! Girl—yeah, your codename is Sideroca, right? If you can drive off these damned Sargonians, I'll pay you double!"
The caravan leader shouted at the top of his lungs.
But driving off a bandit force of over a hundred men was an impossible task for a rookie Forte girl.
Even so, Garde could tell that her strength was remarkable—she would've been more than qualified to work as a security officer for Blacksteel International.
Yet, no amount of skill could make up for such a vast difference in numbers.
On the verge of collapse, Sideroca grit her teeth—this was her first job. How could she let it end in failure?
But then, something unexpected happened.
The attacking raiders… began to retreat.
Even though, just a moment ago, it was clear that the defenders were the ones on the verge of breaking.
Confused, Sideroca turned her gaze to the figure now approaching them.
A tall crocodile man—strongly built and strikingly handsome—walked toward them without carrying a single weapon. On his shoulder sat a white-haired, red-eyed child whose race was impossible to discern.
The Sargonian raiders, upon seeing him, parted to make way.
Noticing her stare, the Adakrys smiled at her before shifting his gaze toward the others in the caravan.
"Minoans, I have a proposition for you."
Meanwhile, on Garde's shoulder, a shift in awareness occurred.
The Seaborn's god paid no attention to whatever Garde was saying. Instead, it focused on the glance he had just given.
She shifted the young girl's body under her control and looked toward the panting mercenary in the caravan.
The girl's chest rose and fell violently with her heavy breathing.
Earlier, the Seaborn's god noticed something.
For just a brief moment, Garde's eyes had lingered there.
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