Chapter 80: Just what I was hoping for.

Chapter 80: Chapter 80: Just what I was hoping for.

Chapter 80: Just what I was hoping for.

Osborne stepped out of the forest and stood beside the road.

He looked left.

Then right.

Nothing.

For a moment, he wondered whether he had simply reached another empty road.

Then he heard something.

The sound of wheels.

Osborne’s ears twitched beneath his helmet.

He turned his head.

In the distance, an old wagon was slowly making its way down the road.

It wasn’t anything impressive.

The wooden wheels looked worn, the wagon itself had clearly seen better days, and the horse pulling it wasn’t exactly impressive either.

But to Osborne, it might as well have been a royal carriage.

His mood immediately improved.

’Finally.’

He had been hoping for something like this.

Walking was beginning to become a problem.

His enhanced stamina allowed him to continue for much longer than an ordinary person, but that didn’t mean his body couldn’t feel pain.

His feet had been hurting for days.

At this point, even sitting inside a dirty wagon for several hours sounded comfortable.

Osborne stepped back into the trees.

He waited.

The wagon continued approaching.

He watched the driver carefully.

An old man sat at the front, holding the reins while occasionally glancing at the road ahead.

He didn’t appear particularly alert.

More importantly, the distance between the wagon and Osborne was still large enough that the driver wouldn’t notice him if he moved at the right time.

Osborne waited patiently.

The wagon came closer.

Closer.

And closer.

When the wagon finally reached the right distance, Osborne moved.

His body disappeared from the roadside.

The driver didn’t notice anything.

By the time he glanced toward the area where Osborne had been standing, there was nothing there.

The wagon continued forward.

Meanwhile, Osborne had already grabbed onto the back.

He quietly pulled himself up and climbed inside.

The wooden floor creaked slightly beneath his weight.

Osborne immediately froze.

The driver didn’t react.

After waiting a few seconds, Osborne slowly lowered himself.

He was now sitting among several old sacks and wooden crates.

The smell wasn’t pleasant.

There was a strong scent of grain, wood, and something else that Osborne couldn’t quite identify.

But he didn’t care.

For the first time in days, he didn’t have to walk.

Osborne leaned against one of the sacks and released a long breath.

"Finally..."

He closed his eyes.

The wagon continued down the road.

For now, nobody knew where Osborne was.

He had no servants.

No money.

No proper home.

No protection from the Roosevelt Household.

He was travelling through the kingdom with nothing but a rusty blade, his armor, and the strange demonic power growing inside his body.

It was probably the worst position a noble could find himself in.

Yet Osborne couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of freedom.

Since nobody was telling him what he had to do. Nor watching his every move.

Thinking back to the Roosevelt estate, he couldn’t help but smile because now he didn’t have to worry about being suppressed by the likes of them.

It had been quite some time since Osborne had climbed onto the old man’s wagon.

The journey had been surprisingly peaceful.

The old man seemed to be the type who preferred keeping to himself, rarely saying anything as he continued along the road, while Osborne remained hidden among the sacks and crates in the back.

For the most part, Osborne had spent his time resting.

His body was still getting used to the changes brought about by the demonic essence inside him, and although his stamina had improved greatly, that didn’t mean he didn’t appreciate having the chance to sit down after spending days walking through the forest.

The sound of the wagon’s wheels moving across the dirt road had even become somewhat calming.

Osborne had almost fallen asleep when his eyes suddenly opened.

’...’ His expression immediately became serious.

Something was wrong.

Osborne slowly raised his head, remaining completely still as he listened.

The wagon continued moving. The horse’s footsteps remained steady.

The old man’s breathing could occasionally be heard from the front.

Everything appeared normal. Yet something was bothering him.

’Killing intent?’ Osborne narrowed his eyes.

It was faint but still there, lingering in the air.

If he had been in his old body, he probably wouldn’t have noticed it at all.

Osborne closed his eyes and focused.

The sounds around him slowly became clearer.

The horse.

The wheels.

The wind.

Leaves moving somewhere in the distance.

And then...

’There.’

His ears twitched.

Osborne could hear something hidden among the trees.

Several people.

He couldn’t see them yet, but he could feel their presence.

They were trying to hide.

Their breathing was controlled, but not enough.

Their bodies were positioned on both sides of the road.

’ They’re are hiding up ahead.’ he said to himself.

Osborne slowly opened his eyes.

His gaze shifted toward the front of the wagon.

The old man continued driving without a clue about what was waiting for him.

Osborne sighed internally.

’Never thought bandits would be all the way out here.’

He had expected trouble eventually, but he had only just found a way to travel without walking.

If these people ransacked the wagon, there was a good chance they’d take the horse as well.

Which meant Osborne would be back to walking.

He couldn’t have that. He slowly sat up.

However, he suddenly paused.

His expression changed.

’Wait.’ He thought about it for a moment.

Then a faint smile appeared beneath his helmet.

’Perhaps this isn’t exactly bad.’ he thought.

*********

The wagon continued forward. Growing closer and closer, until the old man suddenly noticed something.

"What..." His eyes widened.

Several figures suddenly jumped out from both sides of the road.

"Stop!" One yelled.

The horse panicked.

"Whoa! Whoa!" The old man desperately pulled on the reins, bringing the wagon to a sudden stop.

The horse neighed loudly as it stomped its feet against the ground.

The old man’s heart pounded.

He looked around.

There were men everywhere.

Some carried swords.

Others held crude axes or short blades.