Coris: "You should have told us earlier about when you'd be leaving. Now we don't even have time to hold a proper farewell party."
She spoke with a hint of reproach, her tone slightly sulky.
Tris: "Sorry, I've been busy these past few days preparing for the trip. Your kindness is enough for me."
Coris: "So you took on a mission to escort the merchant caravan through Aldor?"
Tris: "No, I just paid them to let me ride along. Who would hire a child as a bodyguard?"
Coris: "Fair point. Ah, before you go… Mira."
Coris turned to call her companion standing nearby.
Mira: "This is a farewell gift from all of us."
She handed Tris a bundle.
Tris: "What's this?"
Kate: "Inside are a few different things: some books on magic, several bottles of magic potions, and one magical item."
Tris: "A magical item?"
Coris: "It's a bracelet that can be preloaded with spiritual energy, allowing you to fire up to three 'Fire Balls' per day."
Though three times may not sound like much, the ability to store energy in advance means you don't have to expend spiritual energy in the heat of battle. That alone gives a significant advantage.
It's even more valuable for those unable to use magic, granting them a precious means of ranged attack.
Such an item could easily serve as a trump card in dire situations. By Tris's estimate, it might be worth around 200 gold.
Tris: "Something like this must be expensive, right? Wouldn't it be better for Liv or Coris to use it instead of me, since I'm already a Mage?"
Liv: "We already have something similar, so don't worry."
Coris: "Exactly. And thanks to our recent missions, everyone's doing well financially, so pooling money for this wasn't a big deal."
Tris: "Alright then, thank you all."
A whistle sounded from not far away.
Tris: "It's time to leave. Goodbye, everyone."
Coris: "Farewell, I hope we'll meet again someday."
Mira: "Goodbye."
Kate: "Take care of yourself."
Liv: "Stay safe, kid."
Everyone waved with lingering regret, bidding Tris farewell as he walked toward the merchant caravan. Though their time together had been short, they had shared precious memories to be treasured.
With gratitude toward Tris, the group silently wished him a smooth journey ahead.
* * * * * * * * * *
The caravan consisted of four wagons carrying goods and one carriage for passengers.
Besides the passengers, drivers, and merchants, the caravan employed a group of fifteen guards—five belonging to the caravan itself and ten adventurers hired from the guild.
Such numbers were necessary, as travel between regions was far from safe.
Threats could come from bandits or from dangerous wild Magical Beasts.
Tris climbed into the passenger carriage. Alongside Rin and the driver, there were three other passengers.
Though not spacious, it wasn't overly cramped either—partly because Rin and Tris didn't take up much room.
In this world, most carriages and wagons were designed with magic to reduce jolts and lighten weight, making travel far more comfortable.
Passengers enjoyed smoother rides, while the carriages themselves were less prone to broken wheels or getting stuck in mud.
More luxurious carriages even came with additional enchantments like reinforcement or protective wards, though these required many magic crystals to maintain and were usually activated only in emergencies.
As soon as they boarded, Rin greeted softly:
"Master, you've returned."
Tris: "Yes."
The caravan began to roll forward toward its destination.
On the road, to avoid wasting time, Tris quietly instructed Rin in using spiritual energy to strengthen the items she carried.
Had Rin known this technique earlier, her wooden stick wouldn't have snapped so easily when fighting the thugs.
Mentioning that fight, Rin murmured:
"Master, Rin couldn't control her strength well, so it seems I went a bit overboard then."
She hadn't intended to strike so hard, but in real combat, unless one side was overwhelmingly stronger, it was difficult to hold back precisely.
Tris responded firmly:
"It's not a problem. Against enemies, there's no such thing as overboard. Trying to go easy only puts yourself at risk. As for not controlling your strength yet, that's normal—you've only been learning for a short time. Keep training, and you'll improve."
Rin nodded, reassured.
After finishing his explanation, Tris gave her an exercise:
"While sitting here, try practicing with your leather jacket or the metal-tipped shoes you're wearing. Strengthen and protect them by wrapping them with your spiritual energy."
Rin: "Rin understands."
She began practicing quietly, while Tris opened the books he had been gifted and started reading.
Inside the carriage, the other passengers looked on curiously.
Ordinary children would be gazing out the window, chatting endlessly, or perhaps growing restless from the long journey.
Yet these two were different: one sat with eyes closed, lost in thought, while the other focused intently on reading. The aura they gave off was unlike that of normal children.
And they maintained this state for hours, until the caravan finally stopped for rest and meals.
When the caravan halted, Tris and Rin slipped into the nearby forest.
On long journeys, one of the greatest inconveniences was simply attending to personal needs.
One always had to be wary of poisonous insects or sudden attacks from Magical Beasts.
For someone like Tris, strong and versatile in magic, it was manageable. But for Rin and most others, it was troublesome.
After returning, they were invited to share a meal with the group. A large pot simmered with beans, vegetables, and meat, making a thick stew.
Tris politely declined, explaining they had prepared their own food.
Before the trip, he had stocked plenty of provisions in his spatial ring.
There was no need to risk eating from a communal pot—who knew if it might be poisoned, whether by malice or simply by accident, like someone tossing in a toxic plant or mushroom.
Pretending to take food from his backpack but actually retrieving it from the spatial ring, Tris and Rin enjoyed hot meat sandwiches, still warm as if freshly bought.
After finishing their meal quickly, the two took a short nap to rest.
In the wilderness, it was difficult to sleep long at night due to guard duties and unexpected dangers. Short daytime naps were invaluable.
Of course, Tris and Rin could rest more easily since they didn't have to take on guard duties like the hired adventurers.
This was one reason Tris had paid so much to travel with the caravan: With drivers and guards provided, he and Rin could save precious time and travel in comfort.
For most ordinary people, the fee of twenty gold per person is indeed very expensive, but for Tris, it is money well spent.