Sixteen bronze-colored alchemical carriages rolled across the rain-slicked trade route, the steam pistons on both sides of the axles rhythmically puffing out white mist.
These transport vehicles, manufactured by the Lothern Federation, did not require animal labor to pull them. Instead, they were powered by miniature furnace engines embedded in the center of the chassis, which were currently glowing dark red through the radiator grilles.
Nicks sat in the lead carriage, resting his head on the Tiefling sorceress's plump, rounded thighs, looking quite leisurely.
"Maggie, these new cargo carriages of ours are quite comfortable to sit in, aren't they?"
Nicks said, pinching the soft flesh between his fingers.
"You rogue, don't get ahead of yourself."
The Tiefling sorceress glared with her sharp green eyes and slapped away Nicks's mischievous hand, speaking irritably, though the tenderness in her eyes was too thick to hide.
In the eyes of outsiders, Nicks was a sharp-tongued, unreliable merchant.
But in Maggie's eyes, he was a lover who didn't show the slightest distaste for her devil Bloodline and appearance, making her feel comfortable in his presence.
Similarly.
To Nicks, the Tiefling—who others saw as evil and dark—was the perfect companion: straightforward, without many schemes, and pure.
He had gone through a failed marriage that had left him with nothing.
He had become completely disillusioned with humans, yet he found solace with this Tiefling.
Six years ago.
On the outskirts of Gilbert City, Nicks and the Tiefling invited no more than five close friends to hold a rather informal private wedding, becoming husband and wife in name.
The reason it was called "in name."
Was because the Lothern Federation where they resided did not support unions between humans and Tieflings, citing that it would spread the Tiefling's devil Bloodline and pose a potential risk to the social stability of the Lothern Federation.
However, neither Nicks nor the Tiefling cared much for a marriage contract.
They cared more about each other and weren't bothered by it.
Within the comfortable, vibration-free space of the carriage, the sorceress gazed at the curtain of rain outside and suddenly changed the subject, whispering, "Nicks, the hidden lord who can integrate all the monsters of the Scale-Earth Rift Road is no ordinary figure. We shouldn't get in any deeper."
"With our current wealth, the poison and curses on you aren't impossible to resolve if we're willing to pay a price."
"I know some Advanced sorcerers and casters who can cleanse your poison and curses."
Nicks's smile slowly faded.
He looked directly into his lover's gem-like, mesmerizing green eyes and said, "Merchants chase profit; it's my nature. I'm passionate about trading, and I enjoy the profit and the thrill I get from a deal."
He paused.
He continued, "Most importantly, I like dealing with these monsters."
"They are straightforward with clear goals. They aren't like our own kind—deceitful, insatiable, talking business with a smile while thinking of how to bleed you dry and suck the marrow from your bones."
He fell silent for two seconds, then sighed, saying with some emotion, "Maggie, maybe it's because I'm getting older, but I dislike those intrigues more and more."
The deep binding with the Molten Iron Clan.
There was the threat of the curse from the sorcerer, but the most crucial factor was Nicks's own thoughts.
He was no longer young. Dealing with those greedier and hungrier young merchants had become a struggle, leaving him deeply exhausted. He decided to simply focus all his time and energy on trading with the Molten Iron Clan.
The sorceress looked down at her partner.
Nicks was forty-two years old this year. As a pure human, he had entered middle age. Although he maintained himself well, many wrinkles were still visible on his face, and his temples were touched with gray.
Time had left obvious marks on him.
The sorceress, on the other hand.
As a Tiefling with a trace of devil Bloodline, her normal lifespan was around one hundred and twenty years, and she would only begin to show signs of aging after sixty.
Thirty-six-year-old Maggie still looked like a human girl not even twenty years old.
Her features were exquisite, without wrinkles, and her skin was smooth and delicate.
"Being deeply bound to the Molten Iron Clan isn't a bad thing either."
The sorceress said softly, "Nicks, that lord behind the scenes might be able to let you live longer."
Nicks nodded and said, "Not just me. I hope we can live a long life together."
Although they had never seen the true form of the lord behind the scenes nor dealt with them directly.
Through these years of deep cooperation, the two of them had some faint suspicions.
"We've reached the meeting point."
A few minutes later, Nicks leaned out of the observation window, his goggles fogging up from the moisture of the gloomy rainy season.
Over the years.
The Molten Iron Clan's trades with the caravan were always conducted directly on the trade route rather than bringing them into the clan's territory.
On the road directly ahead of the caravan.
Looking through the fine curtain of rain, one could see the werewolf tribe's sorcerer, Frostfang, waiting by the roadside with three Giant Wolf Knights. A temporary rain tent was pitched nearby.
Looking past these werewolves.
One could vaguely see some tall, sturdy figures in the shadows around them. They were indistinct and hard to see clearly, but just by standing there motionless, they exuded an invisible sense of pressure.
The numerous guards of the caravan did not act rashly.
They had all been repeatedly warned by Nicks that when they encountered werewolves in the Scale-Earth Rift Road, they must never draw their weapons or show any hostility.
"Unload the goods! Handle with care, no throwing!"
A young man about twenty-eight years old, wearing a simple raincoat, got out of a carriage to direct the troll slaves in moving the cargo.
Cole had once been Nicks's apprentice. After ten years of growth, he could now handle things on his own and was one of the key members of Nicks Caravan.
Nicks also got out of the carriage.
Although he had small items that could protect him from the rain, seeing that the werewolves were all standing directly in the rain with their fur soaking wet, Nicks stepped out into the rain with a smile on his face.
"A total of twelve wagons of black oil.
"The others are strong liquor, spices, dried fruits, and sweet wine. There are also forging molds with built-in constant-temperature runes, and crucible sets embedded with fire-attribute gems."
He pointed to the cargo carriages that looked like giant beasts in the rain and said.
black oil was a necessity that remained constant every time.
The strong liquor, spices, forging molds, and crucible sets were what Samantha wanted, while the dried fruits and sweet wine were at the request of Iron Dragon Sorog. This Iron Dragon was unexpectedly fond of sweets.
These sixteen wagons of goods.
Were all meant to satisfy the needs or enjoyments of several dragons.
As for the monsters of the Molten Iron Clan, the things their various tribes wanted were mainly traded through other caravans traveling the trade route. The specific items Nicks Caravan brought each time according to requirements belonged to the Dragonkin.
Shortly after.
The goods were all unloaded and counted by the werewolves, then carried box by box into the shadows where eyes couldn't see clearly, shouldered by those tall figures.
"Come with me, let's talk about the things needed for next time."
Frostfang beckoned Nicks, and they went into the temporary tent together.
"The black oil and those small items remain the same."
Frostfang said, "In addition, we need an Alchemical Item that can strengthen gravity, Alchemy knowledge manuals for all Ranks, and complete alchemical blueprints." It paused and added, "It would be best to have blueprints for an Alchemy Golem."
Alchemy manuals and blueprints.
These were not Samantha's requirements, but were instead proposed by Iron Dragon Sorog.
Samantha proudly believed that the knowledge within her Legacy was already sufficient and was the best in all aspects.
But the Iron Dragon felt that Alchemy was developing too quickly. The knowledge within the Dragonkin Legacy was likely outdated and not comprehensive enough. Therefore, they needed the latest Alchemy manuals and blueprints.
And they weren't just for Samantha to study.
Those standardized Alchemy manuals could train more Alchemists for the Molten Iron Clan.
Constructing large-scale alchemical tools and Alchemy Golems often required the cooperation of multiple Alchemists.
Relying on only a few Alchemists to complete large-scale creations would take too long, and they might not even finish before working themselves to death. Even for a dragon Alchemist, completing a large-scale alchemical creation alone was not an easy task. This was also the reason why Garros was unwilling to learn Alchemy himself.