Chapter 38 (1/2)

Loren opened his eyes.

The caravan was still shaking, but it wasn’t as disastrous as it was before.

Sunlight was pouring in from a crack in the hood, and Shayna was asleep leaning onto him with an innocent sleeping face.

Still sitting down, he looked around the caravan and saw that nothing had been destroyed.

Before he closed his eyes, Ange was laid down in front of Layla and Roll, but when he looked over to them, Broas was laid down beside her as well, and the two girls were glaring at him.

“You seem so carefree.”

Roll sounded angry as well, but Loren couldn’t understand why they were angry at him, because there was nothing else he could do in that situation and didn’t feel that he needed to stay up until morning.

They could’ve gotten caught by the bone dragon, but in that case it would’ve been either going down fighting or getting killed while asleep. Loren preferred dying in peacefully in his sleep than dying while fighting.

“It looks like we outran it. But what’s wrong with Broas?”

Although Ange was still coughing with the smell of blood coming from inside her mouth, she looked a lot better than the night before. But Broas’ face was pale, his breathing was shallow, and looked like he could die anytime.

Loren looked at Layla if there was an attack from something else than the bone dragon, but the knight just shook her head.

“We have no idea. He became like this after a while. He’s been getting worse ever since.”

“Have you tried healing him?”

“Roll used divine arts after resting for a while but it had no effect.”

Loren pulled away Shayna from his body, being careful not to wake her up, laid her down on the floor, walked over to Broas and looked at his face more carefully.

Broas’ face was noticeably blue and wet with sweat, and his eyes didn’t have any focus.

“I’m not sure if it’s an illness, but…this isn’t good.”

Loren had no medical experience, but he could tell that Broas was in a bad shape just by looking at him.

He easily guessed that a wrong move could cost him his life.

“Ange’s condition is getting worse as well. We’ve used > two times already, but there were too many deep wounds, the best we could do is keep her alive.”

Although Layla told that to him, there was nothing he could do right now.

Loren silently turned away from them and poked his head out to the driver’s seat, thinking that the only thing they could do was pray that they will get better.

“Loren, you’re awake. It’s a pretty good morning.”

Lapis, who must have been holding the reins throughout the whole night, gave him a smile with no trace of fatigue at all.

He looked up, and the sky was a clear blue with the rising sun’s rays shining down on them as if the whole incident from last night didn’t even happen.

Either the horse was a tough one or it was all thanks to Klaus’ power, it managed to gallop at full speed throughout the night, and was still pulling the caravan with ease at a comfortable pace.

On its rear half, Klaus, who had been whipped countless times, was still clinging onto it with his eyes rolled up.

Although it was so that they could run away from the bone dragon, cold sweat ran down his forehead as he imagined how much Klaus had been whipped during the night, and hoped that the experience didn’t open up any new doors.

“How long till we reach Hanza?”

Right now, that was more important than Klaus’ future. Lapis thought for a moment and replied blankly.

“I don’t know. I’m not even sure if we’re going in the right direction.”

Loren was alarmed for a moment at Lapis’ confession, but guessed that it was something that couldn’t be helped.

Even though an ordinary person wouldn’t even have been able to drive the caravan, Lapis had driven it the whole night at an impossible speed.

He couldn’t blame her if she went down a wrong road or two.

“It was a single path, though.”

“In that case I guess it’s fine.”

“It doesn’t look too good back there though.”

Loren shrugged as Lapis turned her head behind her.

“The front doesn’t look good either you know?”

“He’s fine. After a while he starting saying things like ‘Noo’ and ‘More’.”

At those words Loren looked at Lapis like she was a monster.

Lapis looked at his expression and gave him a sly smile.

“I’m joking. But don’t you think getting whipped by a beautiful girl is a reward?”

Loren felt disgusted at the question.

He knew that such preferences existed in the world, and although he didn’t know anyone that would enjoy that kind of thing, if someone asked him if he could get used to it or understand it, the answer would definitely be no.

“I’m not into that sort of thing.”

“I’m relieved. I wouldn’t have known what to do if you had answered yes.”

Loren gave her a troubled face, since he had no idea if she actually meant what she said, but it soon turned into one of confusion as she held out the reins in front of him.

“Loren, can you at least drive it in a straight line?”

“Yeah.”

“Then can I count on you? I’ve been up all night and I’m almost at my limit.”

When he thought about it, while he was sleeping, Lapis had been driving the caravan the whole time they were being chased by the bone dragon.