Chapter 678 Approach
The carriage drove silently along the winding road, while Kaizen and Xisrith continued their ordinary conversation. The sun had already set and the moon was beginning to take shape in the sky. As the two friends laughed at a joke, Xisrith noticed something strange ahead. A faint, wavering glow that stood still in the middle of the dark road. She frowned and squinted to see better.
"Kaizen, look ahead," she muttered, pointing with her head in the direction of the glow.
Kaizen followed her gaze and frowned. "Torches in the middle of the road?" he asked, gently pulling on the carriage's reins to slow it down. "Stay alert."
As the carriage approached the torches, their glow became more defined. They soon realized that they were actually several torches, all held in the hands of a group of men. The men were positioned in the middle of the road, partially blocking the way to Mibothen.
"Soldiers," murmured Xisrith, observing the men's gleaming armor. "It looks like they're setting up a barrier."
Kaizen nodded and stopped the carriage at a safe distance from the soldiers. He didn't want to appear hostile or defiant.
The soldiers approached as the carriage began to stop, and their leader, a man with an ornate helmet, walked towards the carriage. He raised a hand, signaling for Kaizen to get down.
Kaizen sighed and climbed down from the carriage. The soldiers quickly surrounded the carriage, keeping a respectful but clearly vigilant distance.
The leader of the soldiers looked at Kaizen with an inquisitive look. "Who are you and what is the purpose of your journey?" he asked, his voice authoritative.
Kaizen kept his expression calm and respectful. "We are travelers on our way to Mibothen. My name is Kaizen, and this is my friend Xisrith."
The soldier leader's eyes narrowed slightly, as if he was trying to remember something. "Kaizen... Kaizen... your name is not unfamiliar to me. Are you a famous adventurer?"
Kaizen smiled humbly. "Well, maybe you've heard of me. I've been doing a few things around."
One of the soldiers approached and whispered something in the leader's right ear, so the eyes of the man who looked to be just over thirty lit up with recognition and a little fear.
"A-ah, yes! You're the one who saved the King... Honestly, I'm sorry to interrupt you, Mr. Kaizen. We didn't expect to find you here on a night like this."
Kaizen nodded in understanding. "No problem. We're just passing through. But why the roadblock? As long as I know, Mibothen needs help, not more obstacles."
The leader of the soldiers looked reluctant, but then sighed. "It's a delicate situation, Mr. Kaizen. Not all types of people are prepared to face what has happened in Mibothen, and there are many merchants trying to travel in large caravans to the region to try to profit from the suffering of others, we're just here to find out.
Xisrith intervened: "We understand the concern, but we are well-prepared to deal with any threat that may arise, as you can imagine. If you allow, we would like to continue our journey."
"I'm sure you will, but we have an obligation to check the carriage to make sure you have enough supplies to face the devastation ahead." The man said, motioning with his hands. "Mr. Kaizen, there are other people inside the carriage, I imagine. Can you ask them to come down?"
Kaizen nodded, tapped the body of the carriage twice and said:
"Everyone, get out. The soldiers want to search you."
As Andrew, Jayaa and Alina got out of the carriage, the soldiers maintained a rigid and attentive posture.
Andrew looked at Kaizen with a questioning expression, and Jayaa and Alina exchanged confused glances.
The leader of the soldiers approached Kaizen again after ordering the soldiers to start investigating and extended his hand in greeting to thank him.
"Mr. Kaizen, my name is Captain Aric. Thank you for your cooperation. I'm sure you understand the security procedures, especially for extraordinary situations like this."
Kaizen shook Captain Aric's hand and nodded. "We understand completely, Captain. We're all worried about the situation in Mibothen, and we know it's important to make sure everyone is safe."
At the same time, the other soldiers began to inspect the carriage. They used oil lamps to illuminate the interior and began to rummage through the carefully stacked supplies and luggage.
Andrew approached Kaizen, keeping his voice low. "What's going on, Kaizen? Why are they searching our carriage?"
Kaizen quickly explained the situation to Andrew, Jayaa and Alina. He mentioned the soldiers' concern about the arrival of many adventurers and merchants in the disaster-hit city and the need to ensure that everyone was prepared to avoid more casualties than necessary.
They thoroughly checked the supplies, making sure there was enough food, water and survival items. They also examined the travelers' personal belongings, albeit with respect and discretion.
Alina approached one of the soldiers who was examining her luggage. "Can I help you with anything?" She used the opportunity to touch the boy's shoulder.
The soldier looked at her, surprised by her offer of help. "Don't worry, pretty lady. We're just doing our job. If you have any questions, you can ask Captain Aric."
Alina then approached Kaizen and before she could say anything, Kaizen was the one to say it:
"I know..."
For Kaizen, the whole situation had been very suspicious from the start, especially since the Kingdom of Tretidian doesn't have an army, at least not officially, and so having 'soldiers' checking in the middle of a road at night was even stranger. Obviously, Kaizen would rather have been wrong about his feelings, but the fact that his friends had also sensed him showed that his instincts weren't faulty.
Captain Aric, after a thorough inspection, approached Kaizen again. "Everything is in order, Mr. Kaizen. I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but as I mentioned before, we need to be careful. I wish you a safe journey to Mibothen."
Kaizen thanked Captain Aric and, with a gesture, invited Andrew, Jayaa and Alina to climb back into the carriage. When everyone was settled again, Kaizen poked his head inside and saw that everyone was ready, so he smiled, for at that moment he knew he was with the right group.
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