In a canyon so dense with trees and foliage that the sky was obscured, a man tripped over a rock moss and fell. His fall triggered a domino effect, with the people following him tumbling down as well.

Boom!

“Ah!”

“Be careful!”

“Really, watch where you’re going!”

“Good grief, tsk tsk. Hey, are you alright?”

The caravan, made up of diverse individuals, stretched so long that neither end was in sight. Most were members of the caravan, but there were also many who had paid to join them for safe passage to another region.

“Can you get up?”

“Yes, thank you.”

A man helped a fallen woman to her feet. She was dressed in the typical attire of a Hawan Kingdom woman, her head covered with a scarf.

The caravan’s second-in-command shouted to reorganize the disordered line.

“Keep moving! The traffic gets worse towards the back!”

“Yes, yes. On our way. When will we get out of here?”

“We just entered. It’ll take at least a week.”

“Something’s stuck in the wheel! Push from behind!”

It wasn’t just people moving. Boxes not loaded onto carts had to be dragged by ropes, while caged rare animals, foreign furniture, and heavy ores added significant weight to the procession.

The woman dusted off her hands, grumbling to herself.

‘Ha. I’m such an idiot for getting excited over meat.’

She resolved never to eat meat offered by Kakantir again. Soo clenched the pouch of Gulla powder she had prepared. It was her second day since departing from the Hawan Kingdom. She was getting a feel for how the caravan operated.

‘Three meals a day. Every evening, they cook a stew with leftovers.’

She had brought Gulla powder, known to cause food poisoning, and yellow scorpion poison. Her goal was to keep the caravan tied up in the canyon. It would be a bonus if they decided to turn back.

“The sun is already setting.”

In this remote area, darkness fell quickly after sunset. The second-in-command checked his watch and clicked his tongue. At this rate, they might not get out within a week.

“Stop here! We’ll rest for tonight. Prepare dinner. Don’t stray too far, and get ready for bed.”

“Oh, man, I’m dead. I’m dying.”

“Who in the world ordered this? Damn it!”

“Who else? Some nameless noble, probably.”

As the rest order came, everyone dropped their loads, groaning in exhaustion. Soo, having paid for passage, didn’t have a carrier, but the others were burdened with items as large as themselves.

“Um…”

Approaching the cooking area, Soo cautiously started a conversation. A big pot was being filled with the day’s leftovers.

“Can I help with anything? I know I paid, but everyone looks so tired…”

She wanted to scream at the thought of eating such food, but Soo was as gently helpful as possible. This was precisely why Kakantir had chosen her.

‘Kakantir knows you are responsible. It will be cold and hard. The other warriors are too hot-tempered to endure, but you’re different.’

‘And most importantly, you’re the fastest runner in Cheonrye. Since it’s a solo mission, if something goes wrong, you must escape. I can’t think of anyone but you.’

She must have been crazy to fall for Ian’s sweet talk and end up like this. Going to the Hawan Kingdom was one thing, but moving with the caravan was the ultimate hardship.

“Help out? Hmm.”

“Don’t bother yourself too much.”

“Then, could you hold this for a moment?”

A caravan member glanced at Soo with suspicion, but perhaps due to fatigue, he accepted her offer of help. After all, she seemed more useful than the men over there scratching their groins.

“Isn’t it heavy?”

“Not at all… I mean, it’s a bit heavy, but I’m fine.”

“Wait here.”

Soo awkwardly smiled while holding the pot. The cooking team briefly glanced at her but quickly returned to their busy preparations for dinner.

Slyly, Soo slipped her hand into her pocket and found the Gulla powder. She discreetly sprinkled it into the pot.

A caravan member, carrying spices, looked at her curiously.

“You can put it down. Have you been holding it all this time?”

“Oh my.”

‘Damn it… you told me to hold it.’

Soo forced a smile while inwardly suppressing her frustration. The man, impressed by her strength, casually stirred the contents of the pot with a ladle, unknowingly mixing in the Gulla powder.

“Let’s start serving! Who’s on duty today?”

“I don’t know. Maybe you can do it again.”

“That brat, I starved last night!”

“I’ll do it. I’m not very hungry anyway.”

“What? You?”

As Soo volunteered to help, the caravan member, although surprised, readily passed her the ladle. The server could only eat after everyone else had been served, so there was no reason to refuse her offer.

Bang, bang, bang!

“Come on, everyone, line up!”

“Who is she?”

“A traveler who joined us from Hawan.”

Soo greeted people warmly as she stirred the pot. If she noticed lumps of undissolved Gulla powder, she carefully crushed them with the ladle.

“Hey, it’s a bit bland.”

“Is it? Could you try this?”

To those requesting more seasoning, she cleverly added Gulla powder. One man, after tasting it, widened his eyes in surprise.

“…This is!”

‘Oh no, did he notice?’

“…What’s wrong?”

“The seasoning is just right. Thank you.”

He walked away, thumb up in approval. Soo sighed in exasperation, continuously stirring with the ladle. Everyone would have to suffer stomach pains for her to return to the desert…

“Ha ha! The food tastes like heaven today!”

“Can I have another bowl? Burp.”

Unaware of Soo’s intent, the caravan members’ laughter shook the forest. In the distance, a wolf’s howl seemed to echo.

* * *

Inside the Merellof estate.

“Mom, I’m hungry.”

“Here, suck on this. Don’t chew. Dinner will be ready soon.”

Annoyed by her child’s whining, the mother handed him a long strip of dried meat. The child, who initially sucked on it, couldn’t resist the taste and started chewing.

“You really, I told you not to chew!”

“Waaah!”

The child burst into tears at his mother’s stern scolding.

It wasn’t just this household facing hardship; the neighboring houses, the ones in front and behind, were all in the same situation. The aftermath of a catastrophic poor harvest was this severe. Though the estate’s main economy was foreign trade, this was still a disaster.

“We’re doomed.”

“Seriously, I’ve never seen anything like this in my life.”

“Didn’t we have the same problem last year?”

“Not this bad. Everything went to hell when blood mixed into the river. Shouldn’t we demand compensation from Bratz?”

“Forget it. Didn’t you hear? Someone from the Merellof estate tried to kill Ian. That’s why relations are strained.”

This was an unprecedented poor harvest. The food stored for famine from last year was nearly depleted. They couldn’t even ask Count Merellof for mercy, as it might lead to increased taxes.

“People in Bratz say Gulla tastes good…”

“Want to become a beast? I’ll cook it for you. Ha-ha!”

“No, seriously. A counselor from the palace is there, and he eats it often. We’re just out of the loop here in the frontier. Even the royals and nobles up north are eating Gulla.”

“You believe that?”

“They’ve even offered money for Gulla.”

“Really…”

They wanted to argue but couldn’t find a suitable response. They had heard of collecting weeds for money and planting Gulla extensively. Isolated from the outside, it seemed like a wild rumor.

“I just wish the caravan would arrive soon. At this rate, we’ll end up sucking on our fingers.”

Everyone nodded in deep agreement. The arrival of the caravan meant they could provide lodging and facilities for money and food. Not to mention, they could buy food from the caravan with that money.

As was their annual practice, they looked towards the north with the coming of the cold winds, in the direction of the Hawan Kingdom.

Clatter, clatter!

Then, a horse galloped down the main street of the village. Its rider, judging by his clothing and banner, was clearly a foreigner. He stopped to ask the villagers.

“Which way to the manor?”

“Turn left and keep going up. Are you from the caravan coming from the Hawan Kingdom?”

“That’s right.”

His expression was grim. The villagers, eager to help, detained him.

“What’s wrong?”

“The caravan’s stuck in the canyon. Everyone’s down with food poisoning, and the doctors are overwhelmed. I had to come ahead for help. Move aside, please.”

The man rushed towards the manor for assistance. The villagers watched his retreating figure, one thought lingering in their minds.

“Stuck in the canyon?”

What did this mean? When would they arrive, or would they arrive at all? They looked up at the Merellof manor, bewildered.

Meanwhile.

“What? What did you just say?”

Count Merellof couldn’t believe it and kept asking for confirmation. A caravan of over a hundred people, all incapacitated with food poisoning?

“It seems dinner was the problem. At first, only a few showed symptoms, but it worsened over time… More than half are incapacitated now.”

It must have been a sight to behold – so many people collapsed in the dense forest. Count Merellof stroked his beard, trying to calm his shock.

“Tsk, tsk. That’s what happens when you cook everything together like a pig’s slop!”

How could the Count understand the difficulties of a caravan traveling over seas and lands? While food poisoning was not uncommon in marching caravans, such a severe outbreak affecting almost everyone was almost unheard of. Usually, it would be a case of mild stomach upset.

“Anyway, dispatch a doctor. The medicine we had prepared was used up in a day.”

“How will the treatment costs be covered?”

“The caravan members will be covered by their caravan, and the outsiders will pay individually.”

“Where exactly is the location?”

“About here.”

“That’s quite a distance. Charge double for the call-out fee.”

Count Merellof greedily added this upon seeing the location indicated by the man on the map. The location was just beyond the entrance of the mountain range.

“The caravan master said to do as you see fit. Surviving is the priority. But we’ve also sent for help from the Hawan Kingdom, so it would be best to hurry.”

“Alright. Wait a moment. Hey! Butler!”

“Yes, my lord.”

“Call all the doctors in the estate, except for those too old to travel.”

Soon, the butler returned with news that the physicians had been gathered. Count Merellof assigned soldiers to escort them.

The horses carrying the doctors left the estate in a single file. The villagers, with uneasy hearts, watched their shadows disappear.