The caravan was small, with only four or five plainly built carriages moving slowly.
No guards surrounded the ordinary travel wagons. Only a few young drivers occasionally shouted out, chatting and laughing as they went.
Inhaling the earthy fragrance, they basked in the bright afternoon sun. The rhythmic tunes of mountain folk songs added a touch of liveliness to the dull journey.
"Hey there, where are you folks from?" one young driver called out, flicking his whip and glancing back at the couple lounging on a hay bale behind him. He’d picked them up as hitchhikers earlier—they were heading the same way. But something felt off. Their looks and bearing were far too refined for country commoners.
"Rushing from some godforsaken wilderness," Mu Yi replied, lifting the cowboy hat off his face. "Just a passing Kamen Rider."
"Ka? Ka what??" The driver frowned, utterly confused by the strange words. He couldn’t make heads or tails of it.
"Think of it as your average nobody," Mu Yi said, sitting up and stretching with a yawn. He brushed stray hay from his hands and squinted at the endless dirt road ahead. This was going to be a long trip.
"You’re quite the joker—I like that," the driver laughed, winking playfully. "I’m from Barbes Village, heading to the Imperial Capital to make my fortune. I’ve heard they’ve got amazing food and beautiful women there." He grinned openly, sharing his dreams without shame. Once in the city, he’d find an inn to rest, then hunt for a good job.
"Huh. So you’re going to the capital to earn cash or chase girls?" Mu Yi propped his chin on his hand, chatting idly. Talking to locals gathered useful scraps of info. At least he now knew he was in the Yersas Empire, traveling toward its heart: the Imperial Capital—Kaya.
"Haha! Gotta earn money, sure. But if a man loses interest in girls, he might as well be dead!" The driver beamed, his white teeth flashing against his sun-darkened skin. His honest joy was infectious—even Mu Yi’s lips twitched upward. "Besides, who knows? I might meet the right girl there. A man’s gotta dream of good things, right?" He scratched his head, suddenly shy about his far-fetched hopes. But the Imperial Capital was called the City of Miracles... maybe anything could happen.
"I’ll pray for you," Mu Yi said, brushing hay off his clothes and leaning over the wagon edge. The rest of the caravan had pulled far ahead. The Imperial Capital sounded like a bustling metropolis from his old world—fascinating. "So, my friend, could you speed up a bit? We’re falling behind."
"Oops! Got carried away chatting," the driver chuckled awkwardly. He snapped his whip against the horse’s rump, urging the wagon forward.
"Master, trouble ahead," Aiva murmured, rising silently from the hay. Streams of data flickered in her aquamarine eyes as the distant scene zoomed into view. "Bandits. A group’s hiding in the wheat fields on both sides of the road." About a dozen thugs lurked just ahead.
"Shall I eliminate them?" She tugged Mu Yi’s sleeve, her voice a soft whisper. These insignificant ants weren’t even worth his gun.
"No need. We’ll just be good spectators," Mu Yi said, pulling her into a gentle hug and patting her head. They had no reason to meddle. After all, someone else in this caravan was already itching to act...
