Puppet Master Chapter 81: Chapter 81: Departure

Read chapter 81 of Puppet Master by PeName on NovelPedia.

Coris: “You should have told us earlier about when you’d be leaving. Now we don’t even have time to hold a proper farewell party.” She spoke with a hint of reproach, her tone slightly sulky. Tris: “Sorry, I’ve been busy these past few days preparing for the trip. Your kindness is enough for me.” Coris: “So you took on a mission to escort the merchant caravan through Aldor?” Tris: “No, I just paid them to let me ride along. Who would hire a child as a bodyguard?” Coris: “Fair point. Ah, before you go… Mira.” Coris turned to call her companion standing nearby. Mira: “This is a farewell gift from all of us.” She handed Tris a bundle. Tris: “What’s this?” Kate: “Inside are a few different things: some books on magic, several bottles of magic potions, and one magical item.” Tris: “A magical item?” Coris: “It’s a bracelet that can be preloaded with spiritual energy, allowing you to fire up to three ‘Fire Balls’ per day.” Though three times may not sound like much, the ability to store energy in advance means you don’t have to expend spiritual energy in the heat of battle. That alone gives a significant advantage. It’s even more valuable for those unable to use magic, granting them a precious means of ranged attack. Such an item could easily serve as a trump card in dire situations. By Tris’s estimate, it might be worth around 200 gold. Tris: “Something like this must be expensive, right? Wouldn’t it be better for Liv or Coris to use it instead of me, since I’m already a Mage?” Liv: “We already have something similar, so don’t worry.” Coris: “Exactly. And thanks to our recent missions, everyone’s doing well financially, so pooling money for this wasn’t a big deal.” Tris: “Alright then, thank you all.” A whistle sounded from not far away. Tris: “It’s time to leave. Goodbye, everyone.” Coris: “Farewell, I hope we’ll meet again someday.” Mira: “Goodbye.” Kate: “Take care of yourself.” Liv: “Stay safe, kid.” Everyone waved with lingering regret, bidding Tris farewell as he walked toward the merchant caravan. Though their time together had been short, they had shared precious memories to be treasured. With gratitude toward Tris, the group silently wished him a smooth journey ahead. * * * * * * * * * * The caravan consisted of four wagons carrying goods and one carriage for passengers. Besides the passengers, drivers, and merchants, the caravan employed a group of fifteen guards—five belonging to the caravan itself and ten adventurers hired from the guild. Such numbers were necessary, as travel between regions was far from safe. Threats could come from bandits or from dangerous wild Magical Beasts. Tris climbed into the passenger carriage. Alongside Rin and the driver, there were three other passengers. Though not spacious, it wasn’t overly cramped either—partly because Rin and Tris didn’t take up much room. In this world, most carriages and wagons were designed with magic to reduce jolts and lighten weight, making travel far more comfortable. Passengers enjoyed smoother rides, while the carriages themselves were less prone to broken wheels or getting stuck in mud. More luxurious carriages even came with additional enchantments like reinforcement or protective wards, though these required many magic crystals to maintain and were usually activated only in emergencies. As soon as they boarded, Rin greeted softly: “Master, you’ve returned.” Tris: “Yes.” The caravan began to roll forward toward its destination. On the road, to avoid wasting time, Tris quietly instructed Rin in using spiritual energy to strengthen the items she carried. Had Rin known this technique earlier, her wooden stick wouldn’t have snapped so easily when fighting the thugs. Mentioning that fight, Rin murmured: “Master, Rin couldn’t control her strength well, so it seems I went a bit overboard then.” She hadn’t intended to strike so hard, but in real combat, unless one side was overwhelmingly stronger, it was difficult to hold back precisely. Tris responded firmly: “It’s n