The next day, the caravan began to assemble in the square.

Colin sat silently in a carriage, waiting for Bob to come and drive.

Things weren’t exactly peaceful in Thousand Masts City, so every Adventurer wanted to save up a bit more money for a rainy day. No one wanted to waste time in Silverpine Village.

He hadn’t been seriously injured himself, so there was no need for him to recuperate.

Also worth mentioning was Kase’s chest wound. After applying some ointment, it had scabbed over by the next day. He claimed it didn’t hurt and wouldn’t affect his movements. Whether that was true or not, who knew? In any case, he just brushed it off.

Since he had nothing better to do, Colin took a moment to look at his quest interface.

-----------------

[Quest: Escort the Carriage] 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

[Rating: 6 (Local Hero)]

[Reward: 200 Skill Level points, Tier One Magic: "Shield"]

[You have performed a heroic deed, saving the region.]

[Bonus Reward: Power +1, Constitution +1]

-----------------

Two hundred Skill Level points, two attribute points, and a Tier One spell.

This was the best quest reward he’d received so far. After all, by this world’s standards, they had pretty much fought a small-scale war.

As for that Druid at the end, the guy definitely hadn’t used his full strength.

He hadn’t even cast a single effective spell and had died with two un-drunk potions on him. Colin had completely caught him off guard.

Seeing the guy’s fate, Colin suddenly felt fortunate about the choice he had made.

When you didn’t have powerful defensive Magic, Armor was still the most reliable thing. If that Druid had been wearing a suit of Fine Leather Armor when he charged, things might have turned out very differently.

Of course, as a follower of Lady Rime, he probably wouldn’t have any complaints.

After all, they believed that might makes right.

Colin glanced at the "Shield" spell among his rewards. He seemed to recall seeing the word in Donkexes’s Spellbook. Judging by the name, it was obviously a defensive spell.

’It’ll be another way to stay alive. Most of the spells I know so far are offensive.’

Against opponents who could use Magic, and against instantaneous attacks, Blade Ward wasn’t very effective.

As he was lost in thought, the caravan finished its preparations and set off.

The villagers cheered from both sides of the road, seeing the Adventurers off.

If not for this group, they would likely have become sacrificial offerings soon.

Colin could vaguely make out the girl from yesterday, standing in a corner and watching him from afar.

Of course, he didn’t respond. The most he could do was to place the item she had given him in the same spot as the toy the child had brought.

The carriage swayed back and forth.

Compared to the tense atmosphere on the way here, some of the carriage’s occupants were now laughing and chatting, while others remained silent, mourning their fallen comrades.

In any case, this would probably be the last time this field team fought side-by-side. After all, no one knew when this winter disaster would pass, or how many more monsters were waiting for them.

To put it bluntly, no one here knew if they would even survive the year.

Having confirmed there were no more monsters nearby, the caravan found a campsite to rest for a while.

A group of Adventurers skillfully gathered firewood from the surroundings and lit several bonfires.

Before they left, the tavern owner in Silverpine Village had intended to treat the Adventurers to free drinks for a few days, but since everyone was in a hurry to leave, he had simply shoved a few barrels of beer into the caravan.

Now, the group unloaded the alcohol and began to eat and drink, pairing it with the dried meat given to them by the villagers.

Colin held a waterskin full of beer and some dried meat, making small talk with Kase and Bob.

They ate, drank, and caroused for quite a while.

Yawning, Colin sat down on a log, his mind hazy.

’Uh... what was I gonna do again?’

’I think I was watching those people dancing over there. I forget.’

A slightly drunk Bob sat down next to him, let out a loud sigh, and said, "Hah, little brother Colin, you were unconscious so you don’t know, but when Kase came back, he was..."

"Hey, I’m tellin’ ya, if you’ve got nothin’ better to do, go to sleep," Kase hollered, sitting down next to them.

The three of them put their arms around each other’s shoulders and caterwauled for a while before finally falling asleep.

The next day, the group started heading back, clutching their heads and moving slowly. Everyone was anxious to earn more money, but at the same time, they didn’t want to immediately jump into the next quest. Given the current situation, encountering monsters while on a job had become the norm.

Finally, at noon the following day, the caravan returned to the slums outside Thousand Masts City.

Colin, sitting at the back of the carriage, jumped down with the others.

He turned and called out, "I’m heading out, Bob."

"Oh, I still have to go back to the guild. Let’s meet at the Black Heart Tavern later, little brother Colin."

"If we’re not there, it means we went to Horn Castle, so don’t get impatient waiting," Colin said. He grabbed his pack from the carriage, waved, and started walking toward Horn Castle with Kase.

They hadn’t gone far when Kase spoke up. "You go on your own this time. As for the reward, just collect it for me. You can give it to me next time we meet. I’m gonna go to the tavern for a drink, then get ready to leave by boat."

"In such a hurry?"

"Doing one last quest with you was my limit, little brother Colin."

Kase continued to ramble, "Those Dwarves seem pretty reliable. Most of the intel they gave us was true, at least the parts about the creatures in the north.

After this, why don’t you see about finding a new team in the City Watchers? With your skills, I think you’ll be in high demand. That way, you shouldn’t have to worry about food and drink anymore, right?"

"Oh," Colin replied absently.

A question he had mulled over countless times recently surfaced in his mind again.

’Once Kase goes back this time, the chances of him returning alive are incredibly slim.’

’The north is abnormally cold right now, monsters are spreading to the south, and refugees who’ve lost their homes and food are everywhere. Even the most optimistic outcome would be freezing to death in the bitter cold. At least that wouldn’t be too painful.’

But Colin couldn’t bring himself to say things like trying to persuade him not to go back.

Or rather, no one had any right to stop a Warrior from returning to protect his people when his homeland was suffering.

Even after collecting the reward, he still couldn’t afford a boat ticket.

If he wanted to go along, his only option would be to sell his gear and challenge the coldest place in the world with Kase, equipped with nothing but scraps. No matter how he looked at it, that was the worst possible plan.

Colin scratched the back of his head.

To be honest, he did have an idea, but he had no way of knowing if it would actually succeed.

"I’ve been happy, getting to know you all this time."

"Is that so?"

Sniffing the familiar stench in the air, Colin glanced at the filthy, familiar streets.

Colin suddenly blurted out, "This is probably the last time we’ll walk this road together."

The Half-Orc didn’t reply.

The two of them walked in silence to the crossroads in the distance.

"Are you out of your damn mind, saying crap like that?" Kase said, laughing as he clapped Colin’s shoulder. "See you around, little brother Colin."

"See you, little brother Kase," Colin said with a final instruction. "Oh, and remember to wait for me at the tavern for one last drink. If you’re lucky, you might not have to rush back."

"Alright."

Kase smiled, not paying any mind to what Colin had said.

Watching the tall figure disappear around the street corner, Colin glanced back at the walls of Thousand Masts City in the distance.

He smacked his lips. His mouth was filled with a half-sweet, half-salty taste.