My name was Joro.
I was a traveling merchant.
When I say I was a traveling merchant, I don’t mean I worked alone. I led a caravan of considerable scale, boasting seven large horse-drawn wagons and ten smaller ones. My subordinates numbered over sixty. To any onlooker, I appeared to be a merchant of significant talent and experience.
...Forgive me. I lied.
In truth, I was leading a caravan of a scale that didn't match my actual abilities in the slightest. With my genuine skills, I would have struggled to manage a single small wagon, even if I gave it my absolute all. As for subordinates, I would have been lucky to have two assistants, and they likely would have been relatives. I was painfully aware of this discrepancy.
There was a reason a man like me was in charge of such a massive operation. It began with a request from a certain country. Or rather, it wasn’t so much a request as it was a threat.
"We wish to send an investigation unit into the Demon Kingdom. The unit consists of sixty people. How do you suggest we have this many men infiltrate their borders without raising suspicion?"
One evening, while I was wandering through a town looking for an inn, I was dragged into a dark room and asked that very question. To be honest, I didn't remember exactly how I answered. I simply assumed I was about to be killed, so I only remembered desperately babbling about anything that came to mind.
As a result, I received an advance payment larger than anything I could earn in fifty years of honest labor. I ended up heading toward the Demon Kingdom as the leader of a military unit disguised as a merchant caravan.
In all honesty, I wanted to run away, but I had already succumbed to the allure of that mountain of gold. With that kind of money, I could eventually establish my own real caravan, even if it started small. I had no choice but to see this through.
Our ultimate destination was the Royal Capital. However, our itinerary included a stop to investigate Shashato City along the way. While the sea route was the fastest way to reach Shashato City from our starting point, ships coming from the Human Kingdom faced incredibly strict inspections. The checks at Shashato City’s port were particularly notorious for their rigor.
Therefore, we decided to take a massive detour to a different port town and approach Shashato City by land. I had worried that the inspections would be just as strict at the other port, but apparently, arrangements had been made to bypass them. It sounded dangerous, so I didn't ask for the details.
The journey itself was peaceful. To maintain our cover, we conducted business as usual. Buying and selling goods in quantities I had never handled before was actually quite enjoyable.
"Captain, I've gathered some intelligence from the locals," one of my men reported. "It’s a two-day journey to the next village, but word is we might not be able to buy food there. Apparently, the nearest town where we can reliably restock our supplies is five days away."
"Understood," I replied.
To prepare for emergencies, I gave orders to secure ten days' worth of food and water. My "subordinates" followed my instructions without a word of complaint. While they were likely just playing their parts to avoid exposing our cover, it was still a relief.
From their bearing and conduct, it was clear that the men in this caravan were well-educated. There were probably several among them with noble blood. I was the captain in name only; in terms of actual power, they were far above me. I was the low man on the totem pole. I had worried they wouldn't listen to a word I said, but...
They were remarkably well-disciplined. Or perhaps the mission was simply so vital that they couldn't afford to let their pride create a slip-up.
No, I had to stop thinking like that. I was a traveling merchant. I was the captain of this caravan. What I needed to care about wasn't the true identities or the secret mission of these men. I needed to focus on what goods would sell, what goods I could buy, and what the weather would be like today and tomorrow.
Hmm. It looked like it might rain at dawn tomorrow, so I needed to be careful about where we set up camp for the night.
Our overland journey continued for about a year. Little by little, we drew closer to Shashato City. Naturally, all sorts of rumors about the city reached my ears.
"Isn't that the city that's developed at lightning speed lately? Though, you won't have much luck selling lumber there. If you're bringing trade goods, you're better off with seasonings and the like."
"The Demon Kingdom considers it a vital hub, so the place is crawling with guards. Because of that, the public order is excellent."
"The Goroun Company holds a lot of power in that city, but they aren't exclusive. As long as you follow proper etiquette, they'll trade with you."
"There's a restaurant there that serves such incredible food that people say once you eat there, you'll never want to leave for another city."
"I hear a ball game called 'baseball' is all the rage. Supposedly, even the highest officials in the country join in."
"Even if you don't have bulk, the Goroun Company will buy unique items. I've heard they can be quite terrifying if you try to overcharge them, though."
"I heard there's a facility where you can use magic to travel to distant towns and villages instantly. I wonder if it’s actually true?"
"Word is that city is ruled by a young maid. No, really. I’m serious! Apparently, this young maid has a higher standing than the official Magistrate."
And so on and so forth. Some of it was likely nonsense, but I made sure to commit it all to memory. You never knew what might lead to a business opportunity. Though, I was certain the story about a young maid ruling the city was a blatant lie.
However...
"Captain, I keep hearing talk of a place called Village Five here as well," one of the men disguised as a subordinate remarked. "They say its cityscape is as large as Shashato’s."
After a year together, we had reached the point where we engaged in casual conversation.
"The story I heard called it City Five, not Village Five," I noted.
"Did a village develop so much that it became a city?"
"Or perhaps Village Five and City Five are two separate places?"
In truth, most of the stories I heard made me doubt their very existence. There were tales of dragons flying overhead on a regular basis, a Giant Tiger buying up all the sake, and the presence of a Snake Shrine Maiden...
Village Five—or City Five—was supposedly near Shashato City, but I didn't know how much of the talk was true. It occurred to me that these might be rumors deliberately spread to hide the reality of what was happening in Shashato City.
Well, I supposed I would find out the truth once we reached the city. Even if I didn't, my "subordinates" would likely investigate and uncover everything. I just hoped they wouldn't do anything too dangerous. While I worried for my own safety, after a year of traveling together, I had developed a bit of concern for them as well. Not that they would listen to me if I spoke up.
I let out a soft sigh and kept the caravan moving toward our first major objective: Shashato City. If nothing went wrong, we would arrive in about ten days.
If nothing went wrong. I just wanted to reach our destination before autumn set in.