On the dust-filled road, there was a huge object that attracted everyone's attention.
Whether it was traveling alone or in groups, merchants with long caravans, or horsemen on horseback, all of them were paying attention to the existence on the road.
The people who saw that thing were all wondering if it was a carriage or something else.
The road was paved with stones. If one went south, they would reach the Sovereign King's Castle, the largest city at the eastern end of the Eurand Continent. To the east was the vast Sea of Darkness, to the north was the southern part of the Forest of the Dead, and to the west was an endless plain. However, at the end of the plain was a dangerous mountain.
This road could be considered to be bustling with people. There were caravans slowly moving forward, travelers walking on the side, and even horsemen's horses stirring up waves of dust.
Occasionally, whether it was luck or misfortune, one could see the knights of the Crescent Empire riding on tall horses. This was already the territory of the Crescent Empire, so it wasn't strange for the New Moon Knights to appear.
These knights were covered in full body armor and their faces couldn't be seen. Only their shiny grey-black armor and the sharp horns on their helmets could be seen.
The horns were like small spires, making the New Moon Knights stand out from the crowd.
No one would mistake the New Moon Knights for other knights. In the eyes of the Eurand Continent's knights, the New Moon Knights were like heretics, just like the Moon God Sect they believed in.
For those traveling from the Sovereign King's Castle, seeing the New Moon Knights wasn't a lucky thing, nor was it an excellent experience.
It wasn't because these knights would make things difficult for them, but because of their silence.
Now, on the road, there was an existence that was even more eye-catching than the New Moon Knights.
This carriage was like a small fortress. It was definitely not something that could be seen everywhere. It appeared on the main road and took up the entire space. If there was a convoy that met it, they would have to spend some effort to make room for each other to pass.
If there were travelers traveling in the same direction as the carriage, they would have the opportunity to see the carriage move aside to let the caravan pass.
The bard Xue Lun had been paying attention to this conspicuous existence for a long time. This was something he had never seen before in his journey. He had seen the tide of demon beasts in the northern grassland, and he had also seen flying dragons flying in the sky … He had seen a lot of strange things, and this carriage could be regarded as one of the strange things he had seen.
Of course, although it sounded like it was real, Xue Lun had only heard about it from hearsay. Besides, he was not the only one who had seen the Wyvern. As for the so-called Magical Beast Tide, although he had experienced it personally, he had only seen it while hiding behind the city walls, listening to the howls of the beasts outside the city, and shivering in fear with the people in the Sanctuary.
But as a bard, he couldn't tell his listeners these meaningless things.
What his listeners wanted to hear was something romantic and glamorous. It would be best if it was a story with a knight and a princess, and not those true stories about how powerful the villains were and how they forced the humans to hide behind a pile of rocks.
He was already in his thirties, and it had been more than ten years since he left the Academy of Poets. He knew what kind of stories people liked to hear, even if those stories were not true and were made up by him.
Of course, the things described in the stories might not be false, but the fact that Xue Lun was a witness most of the time was false. This was something that smart people would understand, and they could always cooperate with Xue Lun to let him finish the story beautifully.
Now, Xue Lun felt that he could add some new things to his story material.
A huge carriage, with a strange, fortress-like shape, with strange smoke occasionally coming out from the roof of the carriage. It was like a small house with a chimney, moving slowly on the road. The two horses looked pitiful. What an interesting picture. Anyone who witnessed all this could not help but pay attention to this strange carriage, and their eyes would always stay on it.
This was not the most interesting thing that Xue Lun had ever seen, but it was definitely one of the most interesting things that he had ever seen.
Therefore, he had been following this strange carriage for quite a few days. He had also found an opportunity to get to know the owner of this carriage and the children. It could be said that they were familiar with each other.
The driver of the carriage was a middle-aged man named Pasta. He had a big beard, and his hair was tied into a tail. He looked like a foreigner that Xue Lun had seen before.
But Xue Lun was not blind enough to mistake a man from the west of Auland for a foreigner from the far east.
As a bard, if he couldn't even see this, he would be a failure.
A failed bard wouldn't be welcomed and wouldn't live for long.
Xue Lun and Pasta were only half-acquainted with each other. Their relationship wasn't that good, but he could still bring Xue Lun south.
Xue Lun sat beside Pasta. The driver's seat was much more spacious than a normal carriage. Even if three people sat in it, it wouldn't feel crowded, let alone two.
This was probably the most comfortable carriage that Xue Lun had ever sat in. It was very stable, and even if there were occasional potholes on the road, there would not be many bumps.
Xue Lun played the harp in his arms, and the strings made a clear sound. It was not a melody, but the syllables were pleasant enough.
"So, on your way from the north, there was not much trouble."
"You have asked many times, Xue Lun."
Pasta sighed with a bitter smile on his face. "We came by sea from the Sea of Darkness, bypassed the mountains with traces of wyverns, and disembarked at the port at the southern edge of the Forest of the Dead. It was a peaceful journey. If there was anything thrilling, it would be the storm and rain brought by the summer that gave us a fright."
"It's a very safe route," Xue Lun said, "but there are a lot less things to talk about and possibilities."
"Safety is more important than anything," Pasta replied. "Compared to thrills, life is more important."
Xue Lun agreed that it was true.
Pasta was different from him. He was not a bard who pursued adventure and excitement. He was a businessman with two children. For him, safety was more important than anything.
In the carriage, someone poked her head out and squeezed between Xue Lun and Pasta. "Uncle, Mr. Xue Lun, what are you talking about?"
This was a girl who was still a little immature. Her eyes were bright, and she always had a smile on her face. She dressed simply and looked like a child from the village.
For Xue Lun, he had seen many beautiful women — although most of them were only seen from afar — and this girl was not stunning in any way.
But her smile could make people feel happy, which left a deep impression on Xue Lun.
"Lulunaka, your journey seems to be a little too dull."
Xue Lun said to Lulunaka. "For a bard like me, this is a situation where I can lose my job."
"Is it boring?"
Lulunaka's face showed a little nervousness and embarrassment. "But the sea is very beautiful. I have never seen so much water before. I can't even see the land."
This rather childish remark made Xue Lun and Pasta laugh, which made Lulunaka even more embarrassed. She blushed and returned to the carriage. It seemed that she was angry out of embarrassment.
"She is really a cute little girl." Xue Lun smiled at Pasta.
Xue Lun could understand why Lulunaka was so excited when talking about the sea.
When he went on a long journey and saw the sea for the first time, he was no different from Lulunaka.
Pasta just smiled at Xue Lun's words and did not continue the conversation. "So the safety of the children is more important than anything. After all, I didn't walk this far alone. If something happens, it's fine if I suffer, but it's not good if the children suffer with me."
"She is still a smart little girl, isn't she?" Xue Lun smiled.
Pasta nodded. "Yes, for me, she is a cute and smart little niece … and an important guarantee for my business."
Actually, Xue Lun was also very interested in Lulunaka. She was such a young child, yet she was an alchemist with exquisite skills. Moreover, she was the creator of the strange carriage called the Wonderful Idea. This was the most interesting story material that Xue Lun could get recently.
A young alchemist was more attractive than those eccentric old men and arrogant people in the academy.