âWhat kind of woman is she?â
As I hid in the cargo area of the lead carriage, I pondered why this mysterious masked woman was doing all of this.
No clear answer came to mind. Injuring mercenaries and mages to the brink of death but not killing them, leaving the caravan members untouched, destroying the carriages yet not stealing any of the goodsânone of it made sense according to what I knew.
âIs she trying to avoid escalating the situation?â
If the caravan were seriously looted or if dozens of merchants were killed, it would no longer be a matter for mercenaries, but knights would be dispatched instead. Maybe sheâs trying to avoid such a situation.@@novelbin@@
She might want to harm Diana's caravan, but not to the point where it escalates beyond her control, so sheâs content with just destroying the carriages and disrupting the journey.
âSo, who stands to gain from such orders?â
Diana said she had already investigated all the other caravans that might benefit from this incident, but came up empty. Most didnât even have the financial capability to hire a mercenary of that caliber for several weeks.
Moreover, those caravans were also struggling because they couldnât receive their goods on time, making it clear they were far from benefiting from the situation.
"Itâs likely the attack will happen soon. You should start preparing, young master."
"Got it."
A cautious voice came from outside the carriage. I pulled my hood down low and put on a mask. It was to hide my identity, just like the woman. It wouldnât be advantageous to reveal who I was just yet.
"Youâve explained the plan to everyone, right?"
"Yes, everyone involved has been briefed."
I decided to use this caravan as bait to observe the woman's behavior firsthand. It was the largest in size but carried the least valuable goods.
Though bait usually involves risking lives, those who had been attacked for the past few weeks had gotten used to it, knowing they wouldnât be killed. They accepted the role without complaint.