After a brief midday rest, the caravan continued its journey.
By now, the passengers in the carriage had grown more familiar with each other and began chatting to stave off boredom during the long ride.
Tris and Rin, however, remained focused on their own tasks just as they had in the morning.
The books on magic that Tris had just received contained a wide range of Water and Wind spells, along with numerous notes and insights written by Mira herself.
Through these, Tris not only found it easier to learn the spells mentioned, but also gained a valuable perspective into the thought process of another Mage.
For that reason, the books were highly valuable for study.
While Tris was reading, the two were suddenly addressed:
"You're still so young, traveling on your own like this. Aren't you afraid of danger?"
The speaker was an elderly man with silver hair and glasses, giving him the appearance of a scholar.
Tris: "You're old and seem not someone who can fight, yet you're traveling far as well, aren't you?"
Old man: "Haha, at my age, life isn't worth much anymore—I don't have many years left. That's why I think children should be the ones who need more care about danger."
Tris: "You're right. It's precisely because of that concern that we're traveling with the merchant caravan. Isn't that so?"
Old man: "Oh, in truth, I was simply curious. You both seem so calm despite traveling far."
Tris simply nodded and returned to his book, signaling the end of the conversation.
Seeing the boy's reaction, the old man quietly understood that the child seemed uninterested in conversation or sharing about himself, so he refrained from asking further to avoid disturbing them.
Though not a warrior or mage himself, the old man's life experience gave him keen observation.
He noted that the two children didn't seem defenseless: their neat, practical clothing, daggers at their belts, protective boots, and gloves—all in the style of adventurers.
And it wasn't just for show.
He wasn't sure he had ever seen such an aura in children before. It was the distinct aura of those who had truly faced battle, where death loomed close.
The journey continued peacefully. The entire first day passed without incident.
By evening, as the sun set, the group lit fires and set up camp to rest and eat.
Because they were children, Tris and Rin were given the cramped space inside the carriage to sleep, sparing them the effort of pitching a tent.
Around midnight, the distant howls of wolves stirred the camp's vigilance.
Rin: "Master?"
She woke and whispered to Tris, who lay beside her with eyes closed.
Tris: "Sleep. Don't worry about it."
Hearing his calm reply, Rin settled back down, reassured.
She guessed that her master had already prepared hidden measures to protect them both.
* * * * * * * * * *
He was Liam, one of the ten adventurers hired to guard the caravan. As the only C-rank adventurer among nine D-ranks, he naturally became the leader.
The day's travel had gone smoothly, but by midnight, danger crept close.
The guards, even those asleep, were roused and took positions around the camp.
Soon, a pack of wolves attacked. Every beast was massive—on all fours, they stood nearly level with a full-grown man.
They were D-rank Magical Beasts—dangerous due to their pack hunting and cunning intelligence.
Chaos erupted. In the flickering firelight, wolf howls mingled with shouts, shattering the night's calm.
Liam: "Pair up in twos, support each other!"
Liam: "Don't push too far forward, or you'll be surrounded!"
Liam: "Archers and Mages, focus on the second line—don't let them reinforce the front!"
Thanks to their experience, the initial chaos quickly stabilized.
'It looks like this is just a small pack, fewer than ten. Manageable.'
Assessing the situation around him, Liam quietly eased the tension he had felt at the start.
However, with his extensive experience, he did not let his guard down, remaining cautious against any unexpected situations that might arise.
Thanks to that vigilance and his keen eyes, Liam noticed a wolf with slightly different-colored fur among the pack.
Because they had to observe in the flickering firelight of the night, the nearby guards had yet to notice the distinction.
Liam: "Watch that wolf—it's the leader!"
He shouted urgently, moving closer.
The wolf in question suddenly lunged at one of the caravan guards. Its forelegs moved with unusual speed, striking directly into the man's chest.
His chest was simply pierced through, leading to instant death.
An adventurer close by deftly drove his spear at the throat of the wolf that had slain a man.
But the beast, sensing the strike from its flank, twisted sharply, the weapon slicing only air. In the next breath, the wolf surged forward, its forelegs crashing down upon the foe who dared assail it.
Aware of the wolf's danger, the adventurer stepped back while raising his spear to shield himself. Yet the blow was far stronger than he had anticipated—the spear snapped, and he was hurled backward, his fate uncertain.
Before the wolf could strike again, Liam intercepted it.
From its strength and speed, he judged it to be a mutated Magical Beast of C-rank. That meant even he couldn't be certain of victory in single combat.
Both he and the wolf stared at each other with sharp vigilance.
This would be a perilous battle, where a single misstep could cost one's life.
The truth of that applied equally to Liam and to the wolf itself.