After getting a nod from Edwin, Colin and Kase immediately headed outside, their bags full of supplies.

A dozen or so carriages now stood in the castle courtyard.

The Adventurers boarded the carriages by squad, ready to set out.

"Colin! Kase! Over here, get on my wagon!"

The moment the two of them showed their faces, Bob’s voice called out from below.

The old man, whose leg was now completely healed, was standing on his wagon and waving.

It was good to see a familiar face, so Colin and Kase climbed onto the back of the wagon and settled in.

Bob turned back and asked eagerly, "So, we’re off to Silverpine Village, right? What in the world happened? The guild seems awfully anxious this time."

"We’re going to deal with the Frostland Druids around Silverpine Village," Colin replied. "The Gray Squad is leading us."

"Ah, the Gray Squad." Bob instantly relaxed. "Then there’s nothing to worry about. After all this fuss, it turns out to be no more dangerous than a cargo run."

Kase asked, "You’re that relieved?"

"Let me tell you, Kase my friend, ten of you probably couldn’t take down a single member of the Gray Squad. They’re the absolute elite among Adventurers, and every one of them has at least one or two pieces of Magic Equipment on them!"

"We’ll finally be able to make some money safely this time," Bob said with a chuckle.

Colin gave a slight cough and silently tucked his [Winter Wolf Necklace] further into his clothes.

Although Bob had a point, hearing the word "safely" from him somehow felt like a bad omen.

The Adventurers were quick, and soon most of them were settled in the wagons.

"We’re running out of space in the wagons," a Spear Guard said as he walked over. "Mind if these three squeeze in with you?"

Three men followed behind the Guard.

Two of them were dressed in Leather Armor and carried ordinary Armed Swords.

The last one, however, was clad in a suit of Long Chain Armor. Much like Colin, he had Chain Armor on his arms and legs, and a Hand Half Sword hung at his waist.

You would almost never see such equipment on a low-level Adventurer.

’This one’s probably reliable,’ Colin thought.

Bob shrugged. "Well, climb aboard. Kase, move up to the front and make some room for them."

Once they had rearranged themselves, Bob checked on the rest of the convoy and yelled for the other wagons to move out.

As the first horse’s hoof fell outside the gates of Horn Castle, the massive encirclement campaign officially began.

The convoy departed from Thousand Masts City and entered the forest.

The forest path was the same as last time, with the vegetation still abnormally lush.

Unlike the poorly guarded convoy from before, this time several professional Adventurers patrolled around the wagons. The Adventurers in the back were armed to the teeth, each clutching a weapon, ready for combat at a moment’s notice.

Any would-be attacker with half a brain would have to think twice before tangling with a formation like this.

The wagon rolled on for a while.

Unable to stand the quiet, Bob spoke up. "You guys hear the latest rumors? That whole business at Dragon’s Fang Castle... two people facing down a pack of Jackal Wolfmen? Sounds like a load of crap, no matter how you slice it. Right, Colin?"

"Uh, right, right..."

As one of the protagonists of that "load of crap," Colin couldn’t say much, so he just played along.

The man in Chain Armor looked at Colin and suddenly interjected, "Are you and that Orc in the same squad? Just the two of you?"

"Yes."

"A two-man squad. Splitting the money must be simple." The man glanced at Colin’s gear. "May I ask, do you have a surname?"

"No," Colin answered honestly.

Around Thousand Masts City, having a surname didn’t automatically make you a noble, but lacking one certainly marked you as poor.

"Then allow me to introduce myself. I am Victor Stone."

The man offered a confident smile.

He tapped his chest, producing a metallic rasp. "As you can see, I am a true knight’s son. I’ll allow you to join my squad. Rest assured, with my leadership, your safety will be significantly improved."

"Perhaps," Colin said, forcing a laugh.

The guy’s condescending tone was irritating; Colin didn’t think he’d make a reliable teammate.

"As for loot distribution, I’ll take forty percent. After all, I’ll be taking on the most risk and responsibility, not to mention carrying a ’Half-Orc’. You two can split the rest. What do you say? Perfectly fair, wouldn’t you agree?"

Colin let the words go in one ear and out the other.

’Even when I was a complete rookie, Kase and I split things fifty-fifty. Now this weirdo comes out of nowhere demanding the largest cut? I’d have to be a fool to agree to that.’

"What about your squad?" Colin asked, changing the subject. "Being down to three people must be tough."

The man in Leather Armor sitting beside him spoke up. "There were five of us originally, but our last mission... was a failure."

Colin nodded, tactfully choosing not to press for details.

It was normal to see a few incomplete squads on a job like this.

’As for that obnoxious knight’s son, his family’s lands must have run into some trouble. Otherwise, it’s hard to imagine someone like him becoming an Adventurer.’

"So, have you considered my offer?" Victor pressed. "And don’t worry about that failure. The ones who died were just fools who wouldn’t listen to my commands."

His two companions sighed.

It seemed the truth of the matter might be a bit different.

"That won’t be necessary. My adventuring career has been perfectly pleasant so far."

"You simply haven’t realized how ’unpleasant’ your situation is. To be blunt, a true noble is nothing like you lot. While you were still grubbing in the dirt for scraps, I was already wielding a true Long Sword..."

"While you were pissing your pants holding a Long Sword, we were already fighting Wolf Packs to the death in the wilderness," Kase interjected icily.

"What did you say?!" Victor shrieked, his voice rising in pitch.

He then launched into a tirade about "the origins of the Stone Family," "damned Orcs," and how "nobles and mud-legs are a different breed of person."

Not wanting to cause any trouble, Colin and Kase simply ignored him.

Only his two companions looked mortified, as if they found his behavior deeply embarrassing.

When his tirade was met with silence, the knight’s son fell quiet and simply sat there, staring daggers at Colin.

The evening drew on, and a bleak autumn wind swept through the forest.

Colin felt he should have been chilled.

But when the wind hit his face, it felt no different from a mild breeze—not cold, not warm, but just right.

However, judging by the figures huddled across from him, the autumn wind was indeed quite cold.

Colin felt the wolf’s tooth on his chest.

’Looks like the Magic Equipment is working. There’s no special sensation, though. It just feels... normal.’

He also had a vague sense that he could activate the once-a-day immunity to cold Damage at will. The feeling was subtle, however, and difficult to describe—something to be understood intuitively rather than explained in words.

’It’s like how the best desserts aren’t overly sweet. I guess high-end items like this aim for that kind of understated, natural feeling.’

’That’s not bad. Saves me the trouble of having to get used to it.’

By evening, the convoy had finally reached its destination.