Chapter 192: [192] The Route To The Guild House

Rodolph seemed to have upgraded his carriage since the last time they patronised him. In the past, he would sit outside the carriage, on a little chair that was attached to it, while he steered the horses.

The interior of the cabin had not been bad, but it was pretty much basic.

But now, things were different. The hard wooden seats had been replaced with soft, lush leather chairs. The leather was also sewn into the walls around them, and a small gemstone hung at the rear of the cabin, illuminating the interior.

There were large windows on either side of the carriage, and Ark watched as the rain struck the glass panes before sliding down to the floor.

Ark felt more like he was in a car than a carriage. It even had a driver’s compartment and windshield, meaning he could control the carriage from inside it.

The driver’s side was slightly elevated so that he could see above his mounts, and it had mirrors on either side of the carriage to allow him to see the back and sides as well.

Rodolph, as a native... how was he able to afford a carriage that was this expensive?

"Hmmm..." Ark bore a hole in the back of Rodolph’s head with his stare, and it was so intense that he turned around with a scowl on his face.

"What?"

"Did you win a lottery or something?" Ark stroked the leather seats. "How did you buy this?"

"As if—" Rodolph hissed and then turned his attention back to the stone road. They had gotten to the city gates. Outside them, players were not under the protection of the safe zone effect.

"I used the entirety of my life savings to buy this carriage. Some say it was a foolish decision..." He lowered his voice in contemplation. "But we have to do the things that make us happy, right?"

"No. It was a foolish decision," Olivia said bluntly. She was sitting right next to Ark, cradling a cup of hot chocolate between her fingers.

"Hey, have a heart. Don’t just say it to my face without remorse—" Rodolph was shouting when the person next to him, Mountain, shifted, causing him to grow silent.

Olivia stared at the road in front of them, her eyes stopping at the beasts as they trod through the rain.

Her features softened a bit. "Are you sure they will be alright? The beasts, I mean."

Rodolph waved his hand, dismissing her worries. "These bad boys can stay in constant rain for a week without growing tired. I inherited them from my father... you won’t find beasts like these everywhere."

Olivia nodded and gulped down all that was left in the cup before placing it down and picking up another one.

"If you say so..."

"By the way." Rodolph scratched his head as he glanced back at Ark. "Where are we going?"

Ark could see the worry in his dark eyes. He was probably praying it was somewhere safe, a soft, easy job that he could complete without much stress.

"We are going to Watzink..."

The rider’s eyes widened slightly, just before he grinned with joy. Ark was sure if he was not restricted by the roof of the carriage, he would be jumping up and down.

Rodolph could not believe his ears. For the first time ever, these two were actually going to a normal destination? How did he manage to get so lucky?

He leaned back on his chair, the tension disappearing from his shoulders. He even gave Mountain a wide, goofy grin.

"That is great. I heard Watzink has quite a wonderful view. It is definitely something outstanding players like you will enjoy!"

’Outstanding?’ Ark was confused by his sudden merry attitude. ’Why is he so happy?’

"There is only one problem, though. Watzink is four days away from the city. Did you guys pack enough rations—"

"Actually, we aren’t following the normal route. We need to get there in nothing more than twenty-four hours."

Rodolph froze, his fingers twitching on the reins.

The smile on his face mellowed down a bit, and sweat began to form like dotted beads on his forehead.

"Even if we drive faster and take no breaks, we will get there in three days maximum—"

"Not if we use that route," Ark said in a calm, easygoing voice, and Rodolph felt his heart drop down to hell.

"ARE YOU MAD?!"

He should have known it was too good to be true. His luck had always been shitty. Why the hell did he think things had suddenly turned around for the better?

The only other route to Watzink, the one that was much shorter, was the road through the Dark Forest!

It was a region teeming with deadly monsters, most of which were gargantuan in size. Most riders avoided this path like the plague, even though it could reduce their travel time by a lot.

Why? Because only a madman would risk his life going there. And yet, here Ark was, demanding the impossible from him.

Ark got up and placed a hand on his shoulder. His hands were cold, like death. Perhaps it was a sign that he would not live past this day...

"Don’t worry about it, my friend. We will be alright..." Ark spoke with a certainty that almost made him believe in his madness. Almost. Perhaps insanity was truly contagious.

"Miss Olivia!" Rodolph called.

Olivia looked up from her cup of hot chocolate.

"Please, be reasonable. Most greedy merchants that have tried that path end up dead or missing. Do you really think it is wise to go there just to save extra time?!"

Rodolph already knew there was no point in trying to convince Ark. But at least, surely a girl as young and beautiful as her would have more to live for than a dilapidated skeleton.

She had to be the reasonable one among them!

Olivia blinked, then frowned. "What are you talking about? If Ark says it’s alright, then it’s alright."

Rodolph stared at her for a moment longer, then slowly turned back to face his windshield.

It was a good thing he had spent all his money on this carriage. Today was the day he died...

After travelling for about twenty hours, nonstop, the Dark Forest loomed in the distance, its very presence strong enough to fill the air with dread.

Just as they got right to the edge, they heard a loud scream, like that of a woman being tortured.

Rodolph jolted, feeling his heart nearly leap out of his chest. He glanced at Ark.

Ark waved his hand forward. "What are you waiting for? Let’s go."

And so they rode right into the forest, into a darkness that felt so heavy, it seemed to cling to the carriage, weighing them down...