"This beauty has been with me for a good few years now," he said, patting the reinforced wooden frame affectionately.
"She's seen her fair share of long-distance roads, and I can personally assure you she'll get you exactly where you need to go."
"Hmm, the conditions look pretty good," I muttered, inspecting the iron axles. "How much are you selling this carriage and the horse for?"
Gideon smiled, pointing toward the beast hitched to the front. "This horse here is quite old, I'll admit, but it's still incredibly strong and dependable. And if you take this particular set today, I can give you a very special price—just 6 gold coins for the whole package."
Hearing the old man's words, my eyes narrowed. Because I know, even though I don't fully understand how money works in this world, a whole set of carriage must not be higher than three gold coins.
So how the hell does this old man here have the courage to ask me with that price?
Even though my physical stats now were mostly at Rank-D, I still possessed the sharp aura of someone who has been through countless battles.
Moving with practiced, intimidating precision, I reached out and immediately grabbed the merchant tightly by his leather collar, pulling him close.
"This horse is at least 15 years old, its prime long gone," I growled, letting a sliver of my cold pressure bleed into my voice. "Do you take me for some naive kid you can easily swindle, old man?"
"Ah! No! That's not it at all! You've got it all wrong, sir!" the old merchant stammered instantly, his face turning pale as he frantically raised his hands.
"I'm incredibly sorry if I offended you, sir! But the prices of livestock and lumber are rising astronomically these days—especially over the last few weeks since His Majesty Hendrix forcefully took over the crown and is waging war with neighboring countries!"
The old man was thoroughly frightened by my military stance and aggressive, unyielding gaze.
"I wouldn't dream of trying to cheat a warrior with an aura like yours, sir!" he pleaded, his voice trembling. "At times like this, a set is normally worth 7 to 8 gold coins right now on the open market!"
Listening to the old man's desperate, logical explanation, I finally released my tight grip on his clothes, smoothing down his collar.
"6 gold coins are still entirely unreasonable for a horse this age," I stated flatly, already counting the heavy coins in my palm. "If you drop the price to 5 gold coins, I'll take it off your hands right now."
The old man hesitated, rubbing his neck as he calculated his margins, before finally nodding in defeated agreement.
"Alright, sir... I'll take the 5 coins. I'll just think of this transaction as a quick sales boost for my shop today. Sales are really hard to do nowadays anyway."
Now, our money is down to only 7 gold coins, a few silver coins, and a hundred chopper coins left; it's not much for a noble, but not little either for us, and it's enough.
For a normal commoner family, it's already a high sum of fortune.
With the deal finalized, we took possession of the horse and carriage, loaded our newly purchased gear into the back, and immediately started moving toward the outer gates.
This entire kingdom is going to plunge into a prolonged era of absolute despair now that Hendrix has successfully stolen the crown.
I thought grimly as the heavy city gates receded behind us. It is a very good thing that we are leaving this place behind right now, before it's too late.
Gideon, visibly relieved that the encounter hadn't turned violent, quickly finalized the paperwork, counted the five shiny gold coins I handed over, and ensured the carriage storage box was stocked with standard travel supplies.
Before we pulled away, he handed me a small, heavy leather pouch. "Here are a few extra maintenance tools and spare iron parts."
He said softly. "Just in case you run into some trouble on your journey ahead."
Lilia, who had been quietly observing the aggressive exchange from beneath her deep hood, gracefully stepped forward.
"Thank you very much, sir," she said to the elderly man, her voice naturally carrying the pristine grace, innate politeness, and dignity of her royal upbringing. "We truly appreciate your honesty, the discount, and your kind assistance."
The elderly man smiled warmly at Lilia, a knowing, gentle twinkle appearing in his tired eyes. "Ah, with pleasure, Young Lady. You two must be careful on your journey, alright? The roads in the borderlands can be very dangerous, especially lately."
Then he tells us seriously. "Bandits are said to be frequently roaming about and waylaying traveling merchants; facing just one might not be an issue, but it would be best to flee if you encounter them."
With a final nod, Lilia and I climbed onto the front bench of the carriage.
I took hold of the leather reins, and with a sharp click of my tongue, the old horse snorted, pulling us forward onto the long road ahead.
As our long journey officially began, Lilia sat silently beside me, her melancholic blue eyes locked onto the receding stone skyline of the city we were leaving behind.
"I know this is entirely not my right to say, given my current position," she whispered, her voice heavy with emotion.
"But I truly hope that someday... someday I can come back here, take down that bastard Hendrix, and help those innocent people to get their normal life again."
I remained completely silent in response to her idealistic words.