Chapter 970

The merchant family who was willing to share one of the covered carts they had rented with Anton consisted of a middle-aged man named Rodrin, his wife, Stella, and their two children: Romin, a twelve-year-old boy, and Sienna, an eight-year-old girl.

Rodrin and his family rented three carts in total. Two of them were filled with the goods they planned to sell once the caravan reached the port kingdom of Nermuna. His brother and brother-in-law also accompanied them.

Anton was allowed to rent half of Rodrin’s third cart, which was also where Rodrin and his family would be living during the journey to Nermuna.

The best part about the living arrangement was that the cart was large enough that staying inside it for a few weeks wouldn’t be too uncomfortable. Not only that, the covered cart could be separated by a divider, giving Anton and Rodrin’s family some privacy.

Each section also had its own small door and window, which meant that the two parties wouldn’t have to bother each other if they didn’t want to.

Rodrin’s brother and brother-in-law would be staying in the other two carts they had rented.

Rodrin told Anton that he was glad Anton had arrived because having him rent half of the third cart would save him a considerable amount of money. Not only that, the fact that Anton was alone meant that, even though he was a stranger, sharing the cart with him wouldn’t be too bothersome.

After Anton had settled the payment for renting half of Rodrin’s cart, he stayed and continued talking with the merchant.

Since the journey would be a long one, Anton thought it would be better to get to know the people he would be traveling with.

Rodrin’s family was carrying different types of fabrics made by the desert people. Once they sold their goods, they planned to purchase products from Nermuna and sell them in Homura.

When Rodrin asked Anton about his reason for joining the caravan, Anton didn’t hide his mission. He told the merchant that he was looking for Red Salt, which could supposedly be purchased from the towns and villages they would pass through on their way to Nermuna.

Anton wasn’t too surprised that the merchant recognized the item he was looking for. Rodrin knew about Red Salt, and his expression changed when he realized what Anton was searching for.

Red Salt was an incredibly expensive spice worth its weight in gold. According to Rodrin, only the very wealthy could afford such a spice, and only the richest merchants could afford to trade in it.

It was obvious that Anton wasn’t a merchant, so he told Rodrin that he had been tasked by his family to buy some Red Salt for private use.

Because of the spice’s high price, it was also obvious that Anton was carrying enough money to purchase it.

“Aren’t you afraid to travel alone while carrying such a huge amount of coins?” Rodrin asked Anton.

Anton simply smiled and admitted that he was a very powerful wizard. He even told the merchant that, because of his achievements as a wizard, he had been able to participate in the war against the Undead Coalition.

It was obvious to Anton that Rodrin thought he was merely boasting. It didn’t really matter whether the merchant believed him, but the conversation eventually turned toward the dangers they might encounter on the road.

“The journey to Nermuna is fairly safe, and the caravan has hired enough guards to make sure that it remains that way. That was the main reason we joined this caravan. It has already proven its ability to travel between Homura and Nermuna with minimal problems,” Rodrin told Anton when he asked about the journey.

Of course, it was inevitable that caravans would encounter trouble on the road, such as bandit attacks or attacks by wild monsters. However, since the guards this particular caravan had hired were experienced, it was safe to say that the danger would be minimal.

Since the caravan would be leaving early the next morning, a couple of days earlier than what had been stated in the mission log, Anton decided to stay in the cart he had rented instead of looking for an inn.

He didn’t mind that the mission log had been incorrect because, in truth, it wasn’t actually wrong. There were many caravans traveling to Nermuna, and the merchant caravan he had joined, which was the largest one, simply happened to be the earliest one leaving. If Anton arrived a day or two late, he would still have been able to join one of the other caravans.

It really didn’t matter which caravan Anton joined. However, the one he had chosen would be passing through the greatest number of towns and villages on the way to Nermuna. He needed those stops because he figured they would be where he had the best chance of finding the resource he was looking for.

Aside from that, the caravan he had joined had the largest number of guards. Anton didn’t want to help defend the caravan. He simply wanted to relax during the journey and let the others deal with any bandits or monsters they encountered. That was also the reason he had paid the high price to join this particular caravan.

He was glad that Rodrin and his family were agreeable to the arrangement. The merchant had already put up the divider separating their sides of the cart.

Anton didn’t even mind that his side was smaller than Rodrin’s. It was understandable because, technically, Rodrin’s side had to accommodate four people: himself, his wife, and their two children.

Anton asked Rodrin why he had brought his two young children with him despite the possible dangers the caravan might encounter on the road.

“I just want my family with me while I’m trading. Besides, I’m sure my children will become merchants as well, so it would be best for them to learn about the dangers of the road from an early age,” Rodrin told Anton.

Anton cleaned his side of the cart with his Cleaning spell and retrieved the items he would be using to make sure his living space for the next few weeks would be as comfortable as possible.

He set up his Firebolt Lantern, which would provide the lighting he needed inside instead of an ordinary lantern. He also set up the Frozen Orb air conditioner, which would cool the inside of the cart during the day, and the Firewall Stove, which would heat it when the cold desert air arrived at night.

As for hygiene, he could always take a shower whenever he wanted since he had the ability to conjure water. More than likely, however, he would simply depend on the Cleaning spell to keep himself clean.

He was glad that he wasn’t responsible for taking care of the animals that would be pulling the carts. Anton would basically be like a salted fish throughout the journey, barely moving and only taking action whenever they stopped at a village or town to look for Red Salt.

Still, he did plan to explore the desert a little during the journey. He also planned to mingle with the people in the caravan to broaden his horizons.

When the sun began to set, Anton was surprised to see that, just like him, Rodrin and his family also planned to stay in the cart instead of returning home.

Even though the caravan was supposedly safe, the journey had not technically started yet, so Rodrin and his family still needed to make sure that none of their belongings were stolen.

Anton watched as Rodrin and his family set up camp beside the cart. Stella, Rodrin’s wife, was busy cooking their dinner while their two children played nearby.

He was surprised to see Rodrin’s children running around the caravan without any worries. When he asked Rodrin about it, the merchant told him that since they were still inside the city, it was safe for them to play outside.