‘You’re too cruel. Were you going to toss me out like an animal?”

Riftan ignored the mage’s protests and growled, “You’d better get yourself another wagon or horse when we reach the next village. You’re free to go wherever you please, but don’t even think about coming with me.”

Ruth scowled. “Must you be so cold?”

Not bothering with a reply, Riftan fell back onto the straw bale. For a long while, the only sound was the wagon wheels plowing through the snow-covered road. Ruth spent the time nervously eyeing Riftan.

‘Would my presence not be to your advantage?” Ruth whined, finally breaking the peace. “You could demand higher compensation by having a mage with you, and it’s safer than traveling alone.”

“Safer for whom?”

Ruth flinched at the retort and admitted, “I don’t want to be in this place on my own! You know the people here do not take kindly to mages. My nerves are frayed from worrying about when they’ll drag me off to the Holy Tribunal, and I doubt anyone in the company would lift a finger to stop them.”

Riftan clenched his jaw. How many times did he have to repeat himself until the runt understood? He had no intention of protecting him.

“I don’t see how that concerns me.”

Ruth’s face flushed at the blunt reply. “1t would be impossible for me to cross the border by myself. I could be ambushed by bandits, abducted by traffickers to become a perverted noble’s plaything, or end up as monster excrement! Are you truly going to leave me to such a terrible fate? Do you think that’s an honorable thing to do to someone who has saved your life on mul tiple occasions?

At the end of his tether, Riftan covered his ears while Ruth clung to his trousers and continued squawking.

“1 am a highly competent mage! One even the Mage Tower has acknowledged!

And here I am telling you I will happily serve you. Why are you so against it? What is it about me you dislike so much?”

“Let— Let go!”

‘You’ll have to kill me first! Frankly speaking, I can’t trust anyone here! If I hadn’t bluffed that you were on my side, none of them would have given me my fair share. You always do the damndest things no one in their right mind would attempt, but you’ve never cheated me.”

Shoving the mage’s head down, Riftan cursed under his breath. It was true the runt had proved useful in many ways. Now that he had experience, he showed resourcefulness in critical situations and was highly proficient in both healing and defense magic.

Even so, Riftan did not think he could put up with this exasperating individual any longer.

“Look here,” he said, prying the mage off him. “As I’ve told you countless times, I move alone. If it’s a guard you need, look elsewhere. You won’t have a hard time finding a place to settle with those skills of yours. You don’t need me. Tell them you’re a high mage, and any noble will welcome you with open arms.”

“AII things I cannot do!” Ruth wailed, yanking his disheveled hair. “1’m a wandering rogue who abandoned the Mage Tower. No liege would risk the wrath of the other mages to keep me in their service.”

This was a new revelation about Ruth’s background. Though Riftan had always assumed the mage had his own complicated circumstances, he would never have guessed a betrayal of Nornui’s Mage Tower. He could not even begin to imagine what the runt must have done.

He pressed his thumb to his throbbing temple. Ruth looked up at him beseechingly, putting on his best pitiful face. There was no doubt about it the runt was bent on following him. There would be no dissuading him unless it came in the form of a beating.

Sighing resignedly, Riftan said, “Fine. You can come. But there are conditions.”

“Conditions?”

Riftan nodded. “Don’t talk to me unless absolutely necessary.”

When Ruth pursed his lips, Riftan narrowed his eyes and continued laying out his demands.

“Don’t ask stupid questions.” He put emphasis on each word. “Don’t do anything to bother or annoy me. Essentially, act like you aren’t there. If you can do that

“0r you could simply glue my mouth shut,” the mage said sardonically.

‘You can get out of this wagon if my stipulations aren’t to your liking!” Riftan hissed through his teeth.

‘Who said they weren’t to my liking?” Ruth yelped. “AII right, all right! I’ll be as quiet as a mouse. You won’t even know I’m here!”

If the mage were a hound, his tail would be tucked between his legs. Riftan eyed him skeptically.

“1’m getting rid of you the moment you get in my hair,” he spat.

Ruth’s lips curled into a small smile at Riftan’s reluctant consent, and he hummed as he wrapped himself in a blanket.

There was no doubt in Riftan’s mind that this was going to be an infuriating journey. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes.

Contrary to his expectations, the mage did not turn out to be the worst travel companion. He spent most of his time serenely taking naps swathed in his blanket. When he was awake, he made himself useful by lighting a fire or preparing their meals.

Although he sometimes got on Riftan’s nerves with his mutterings, one menacing glare was all it took to shut him up. In short, he was not completely unbearable.

They traveled in the wagon for a whole day before stopping to rest at a small village. There, they were able to join a group of merchants heading south. Though the merchant leading the party was reluctant to hire them, he was strapped for choices as most of the mercenaries had left in anticipation of the war.

Riftan received six silver coins as payment in return for escorting them to Osiriya. It was a ridiculously meager amount, but he made no attempt to haggle. Money was not the reason he had taken the job. Moreover, finding a merchant in this northern kingdom willing to hire him would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

“Here, take this. It’s your down payment,” he said, handing Ruth three silver coins.

The mage snatched the coins from him with a dissatisfied expression. “This is what they’re paying for such a long journey?”

“1f you’re not happywith it, you can go back to the company. Without an intermediary, these are the kinds of jobs we’ll be getting from now on,” Riftan answered brusquely before securing his bag to his mount.

Since their current commission involved escorting a party of merchants and their wagons, they had been forced to buy horses for themselves. Riftan ran a critical eye over his steed, which looked too feeble to carry his weight, before surveying the merchants busily preparing for departure.

Their party was made up of twelve mercenaries and four merchants. Although the merchants also had heavy builds typical of northerners, it was uncertain how helpful they would be in the event of an ambush by monsters or bandits.

After gauging the competencies of the other mercenaries, Riftan took his place in the middle of the escort party. Once everything was ready, they left the village and made their way south.

The journey was surprisingly uneventful. Though they had to ride through the occasional blizzard or two, the miserable weather lessened the likelihood of an ambush. In fact, it allowed them to leave the frozen soil behind and arrive at a small city in the southern part of Balto in a timely manner. They took a day’s reprieve in the city before setting out for the border.

It was the first time Riftan had seen lush meadows in half a year. Coming into Aquarias, the Osiriyan plains were a vast sea of green, and a herd of deer drank from a lively stream. The party stopped near the water and let the horses loose to graze.

“At this rate, we’ll be at the capital in a week,” said the merchant perched on the driver’s seat, looking at his map. He turned abruptly to Riftan. ‘What are your plans there?”

Riftan regarded the man quizzically, immediately wary. This same merchant had not been subtle in expressing contempt for Riftan previously.

Chewing on a piece of jerky, Riftan replied flatly, “To rest for a few days before looking for a new commission.”

The merchant’s face brightened. “We intend to stay in Osiriya for about ten days to purchase goods, then return to Balto. Would you like to serve as our escort for the return journey too? I’ll pay double.”

Riftan’s lips twisted. There had been two werewolf encounters while crossing the border, both creatures that had recently awoken from hibernation. The man must have been impressed by how swiftly Riftan had dealt with the monsters.

He shoved the jerky in his mouth and dusted off his hands. “Thanks for the offer, but the answer’s no. I plan on remaining in Osiriya for a while.”

A hint of disappointment flashed over the merchant’s face. “Are you thinking of joining the basilica’s sword tournament?”

“Sword tournament?”

‘You’ve never heard of it? It’s a grand event where swordsmen showcase their skills in competition. Nobles and royalty from every kingdom come to watch, so it’s the perfect opportunity for a wandering strongarm like you to get his name out there.’

‘Aren’t tournaments like that usually restricted to knights?”

“Not at all. For jousting, perhaps, but anyone who pays the two denar entry fee can enter this one.”

Riftan’s lips pulled into a cynical smile. Two denars was a sum most commoners never saw in their lifetimes. The tournament clearly existed to profit off people’s foolish ambitions of elevating their status. Riftan pulled out his flask.

He downed a few gulps before saying coldly, “I’m not interested.”

‘Why? With your skills, I’m sure you’d make quite the impression on the nobility..’