Traveling with nearly three hundred villagers was no simple feat.
"Dried meat, hardtack, pickled beans... good, the quantities match. Then there's the Golden Rowa wine, medicine, spare leather boots, dried Rowa fruit for fodder... Wait, why did we prepare rope ladders? And pickaxes? What are these for?" Raven asked, puzzled.
"Commander, the road to Volcano Manor is treacherous," an experienced mercenary explained. "Volcanic activity there is constant, earthquakes are frequent, and the roads are often blocked for various reasons. We'll likely need to detour over mountains or follow narrow paths formed by solidified lava. That's when the ladders and pickaxes will be essential."
"Such a hassle. Has Volcano Manor not found a way to resolve the road issues?" Raven frowned, looking back at the villagers gathered in the temporary camp on the outskirts of the Capital.
They were mostly the elderly, the weak, women, and children—likely the reason why even the Frenzied Flame had seen fit to deny them its power. The Golden Dynasty seemed to have prioritized the execution of the frailest villagers, perhaps to prevent them from dying in the dungeons before their scheduled time. Even so, the condition of most of the survivors was poor.
The old mercenary shook his head.
"In years past, Praetor Rykard used ancient Gelmir Sorceries to pacify the magma and suppress the volcanic activity. Volcano Manor built the Bridge of Iniquity and cleared a great road for transporting sinners, even establishing several rest stops along the way.
"But unfortunately, starting a few years ago, the volcanic activity grew more violent. Even Lord Rykard could no longer suppress it, and the roads fell into ruin. Rumor has it that this Volcano Festival is being held specifically to resolve this issue once and for all."
Hearing this, Raven sighed. "Well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Master Hughes, I leave the affairs of the fief to you."
"Lord Raven, forgive my overstepping," the steward, Hughes, said as he rode over with a wry smile. "You have only just been enfeoffed. To not prioritize managing your territory and instead get entangled in this business for the sake of some villagers... it is truly not a wise move."
"The territory isn't going anywhere. If I go back now and chop off the heads of a few defiant vassals, it wouldn't mean much," Raven replied. "Master Hughes, let the unruly vassals have their fun. When I return, I'll deal with them all at once."
Raven had only recently learned that his fief had originally belonged to the Draconic Tree Sentinel, Hector. His widow was reportedly still residing in the castle, refusing to leave. Of his dozens of vassal knights, many had already fallen in Caria, and those who remained likely held no love for Raven.
Managing this territory would not be accomplished overnight. Though Steward Hughes was quite capable, Raven knew he couldn't count on the earldom for support during this trek to the volcano.
Seeing that Hughes wanted to say more, Raven offered a small smile. "Rykard is hosting a festival at Volcano Manor. Half the warriors in the Lands Between are heading that way. This is the best opportunity to recruit talent for my knightly order. I can't afford to miss it."
"I see. Since you have already considered this, My Lord, I shall say no more," Hughes bowed and rode away.
Raven turned his horse. His reason for going to the volcano, of course, involved other considerations as well.
"Praetor Rykard—are you truly as loyal to the Golden Order as you appear to be?" he murmured to himself.
With over thirty members of the knightly order, twenty-odd temporarily hired grooms, and nearly three hundred Windmill Village residents, this was the full roster for the journey. The daily consumption of food and supplies was a staggering figure. Fortunately, the two trolls possessed immense strength, greatly reducing the need for packhorses; otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to set out so quickly.
"Bone-Skull, Stone-Knee, can you handle the weight of this great wagon?" Raven asked, circling his horse around the trolls' feet and looking up.
"No problem. Usually... we pull heavier," Bone-Skull said.
"It's just... hands slip. Center of gravity... not used to it," added Stone-Knee, who was usually the quiet one.
The two trolls carried iron stakes across their shoulders, with chains at the ends pulling a massive freight wagon. The entire chassis of the wagon was forged from metal; otherwise, it would have long since collapsed under the mountain of goods.
The trolls were quite satisfied with this arrangement. Not once did they complain about why they were still pulling wagons after joining a knightly order. It seemed that simply not being impaled through the chest by the iron stakes was enough for them to feel they were truly no longer slaves.
Stone-Knee shifted the stake on his shoulder, twisting this way and that, looking extremely uncomfortable. He gestured with the stake toward the hollow cavity in his back, attempting to slide the iron through, but failed.
"Bone-Skull, help me. Stake... drive it in."
"Only slaves... drive stakes. We are not slaves," Bone-Skull refused.
"I... when resting... pull it out. So, not a slave," Stone-Knee argued.
"Hmm—" Bone-Skull seemed to think hard. "Seems... to make sense. But, driving stakes... hurts."
"There is no need to drive stakes into your bodies. If the shoulders are uncomfortable, I'll buy you two wool blankets to use as padding when we reach the next town," Raven said, overhearing their debate.
"Good. Pay... now has a way to be spent," Bone-Skull said happily.
"No, you don't need to pay for that out of your wages," Raven said helplessly.
Following the standards for Edict Knights, he had negotiated a monthly salary for the two trolls. But when the trolls lived on the Mountaintops of the Giants, they had no concept of currency, and after becoming slaves, they certainly hadn't learned. Raven had spent a significant amount of effort just explaining what money could be used for.
Despite this, the trolls could not speak the human tongue, and no merchant would dare do business with them. Their wages were merely numbers recorded in Raven's ledger—though there wasn't even a physical ledger; it was all kept in Raven's memory. They likely wouldn't notice even if he accidentally left off a zero.
"Once we return from this trip, your Troll Knight's Swords should have arrived from Caria," Raven said with a dry cough, feeling a bit like he was taking advantage of them.
"Swords! Good things!" the trolls cheered, and the wagon seemed to move a bit faster.
"Don't move your heads so much!" Lansang shouted from atop Bone-Skull's head. She had set up a sunshade on the troll's crown and was currently sprawled out in a hammock, soaking up the sun.
The troll jumped in surprise, stiffening its neck and walking on its tiptoes with every step.
"Lansang, don't scare them," Raven said irritably. For some reason, the two trolls were exceptionally afraid of Lansang, letting her boss them around as she pleased. They seemed to hold her in even higher awe than their own Commander.
The strange procession marched along the Great Road. Along the way, they encountered several small merchant caravans. Raven personally spoke with the caravan leaders. Upon learning that the leader of this group was a demigod, the merchants were more than happy to travel together, sharing a wealth of information about the volcanic region.
On the ground, vegetation grew increasingly sparse. As of yesterday, not a single Golden Sunflower could be seen. In their place, the occasional bright red Fire Blossom peeked out from the cracks in the rocks.
When a faint scent of sulfur began to permeate the air, Raven knew they were finally approaching the volcanic region.
"That peak over there is classic volcanic terrain," a caravan leader said. "We'll follow the Seethewater River inward. If we're lucky, we can go straight to Fort Laiedd, where the Fire Monks are stationed, and then take the mountain pass to Volcano Manor. However, the road is usually blocked halfway by lava, which is when we'll have to—Runebear!"
Given the sudden appearance of a Runebear—one of the most notoriously dangerous predators in the Lands Between—how would you like Raven to handle the immediate threat to his caravan?
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Elden Ring: The Unborn One's Journey Through Elden Ring(114 Chapter - Ongoing)
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