Sorry for the long wait, here you go, one more chapter. Thank you to cpt. ratchet, Mek and Avenue for proofreading this chapter.

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At the entrance of the ‘BloodBrothers’ hideout, there was goblin Kai busily preparing his master’s wagon for the upcoming long journey.

The crowd of the ‘BloodBrothers’ members encircling the wagon to say the final farewell to their only beloved fellow brother, Chrono.

“MASTER, EVERYTHING IS FULLY PREPARED.”

At goblin Kai’s remark, Chrono looked again at the hideout for the last time. Sitka and Aramis were gone since they needed to gather the material for the future guardian’s ceremony. They immediately departed after Chrono divided the loot.

Because the clan’s guardian played a big part in clan’s safety, Chrono understood their urgency. In the middle of the ‘BloodBrothers’ Crowd Jurek came forward as Chrono was about to leave.

“Be careful, as we all know, the merchant class upgrade quest is the hardest to complete.”

“Heh, you said that like it’s none of your business, we both know it was the hardest class upgrade quest not because of the quest itself. But because of cruel chaotic users like YOU GUYS.”

At Chrono’s remark, some of the ‘BloodBrothers’ members chuckled while the other members leave their own remark.

“Said the guy who just robbed a world class bank.”

“Half of us never had blood red eyes color like YOU!”

“Boooo!!!”

While the clan members leaving their remarks one after another, Jurek looked at Chrono while smiling.

“Good luck.”

As he heard Jurek’s words, Chrono smiled while replying.

“Thank you.”

As Chrono entered his wagon, he took out the ‘Mafoso returned scroll’ and used it. A red light covered the whole wagon, flashed out to the sky and finally disappeared with the wagon.

While the other ‘BloodBrothers’ members disperse, Jurek and his three henchmen kept on looking at the forest entrance where Chrono’s wagon disappeared.

“Great guy, do you think he will come back? ‘BloodBrothers’ seems too small for him.”

“Nah, I’m sure he will come back.”

“How did you know?”

“Instinct.”

“ I guess I can believe you since your instinct always were…...wait who are you again?”

“Your clan leader, Jurek.”

“No, I guess what he meant was, were you Ryan Smith the husband or Resha Smith the wife?

“Ryan Smith, the husband.”

“If it was Ryan instinct I guess we can trust it.”

“And please stop with the account sharing, others thought you had dual personality.”

*******

On the outskirt of the city of merchants, Mafoso, Chrono and his wagon appeared. For the first time after a long time, he did not wear a mask before entering the city.

“Ruuurrr!!”

With Thorin pulling the wagon, they finally arrived at the city gate. Chrono clambered out from the wagon to enter the city while goblin Kai took the wagon to park outside of the city.

“Park at the designated place where the merchant’s caravan group is about to take place- it is outside the city. I need to meet the merchant group inside of the city.”

“YES, MASTER.”

Once he entered the city, Chrono went straight to the business district. According to Fizz, the merchants group recruiting members for the caravan reside in the ‘Bless Tavern’, the tavern where merchant hanged out.

“( I used to hang out here a lot before I restarted my level. I wonder if they remember me since it’s been a long time.)”

As one of thousands street vendors in Mafoso, Chrono used to hang out in the tavern once in awhile.

He used to be a regular and the tavern owner, a merchant user named Somnia recognized his face. Chrono enter the tavern with his normal merchant cloth, his own face and normal eye color. No one look at him as he enter the tavern since his presence was nothing special and he just of many users that enter the tavern.

“Mister Somnia, it’s been a long time.”

“Ah, Chrono! Where have you been?”

“ I was traveling outside of Mafoso, hmm...here and there.”

“Traveling outside eh? I thought you would never do that. I bet you had a hard time.”

“Yes, these few months were the hardest for me. But it was worth it.”

“Heh, sure it is, any merchant daring to go outside always have a rewarding time, too bad I’m too old for those magnificent adventures. So, What have you been up to?”

“I want to join the class upgrade expedition, I heard the caravan leader was here for the recruiting.”

“Hah! Going to up your game, eh? There, use that stairs and go up to the third floor. Enter the third private room on your right. But I heard it was hard to enter the caravan, you need to be at least level 300 merchant and have A rank in merchant’s guild.”

“Thank you mister Somnia, see you later.”

“Good luck!”

“( The requirement was higher than I thought! I will try talking to them first before I decide anything)”

Chrono went to the designated room on the third floor. The room door was closed, since it was a private room. Chrono knock on the door to ask the permission to enter the room.

*knock* *knock*

“Who's there?”

“My name is Chrono, I want to join the caravan for the merchant class upgrade quest.”

“.......You may enter the room.”

Chrono politely opened the door before he entering the private room. As he entered the room, his eyes widened as he saw the luxury room matching the prominent merchant inside it. Instead of a room, Chrono thought it was a mini tavern since the room was big and completed with everything the regular tavern had.

The room was occupied by twenty users where half of them was in merchant class and Chrono suspected the other half were the mercenaries hired as the caravan’s guards.

“Chrono, right? Have a seat first.”

“Yes, okay.”

“My name is Gilbert, nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“ I need to interview you a bit before I can let you enter the caravan. I know you are fully aware that the merchant class upgrade quest was the most dangerous class upgrade quest around. I hope there is no hard feeling in case you are not accepted.”

“Yes, sure.”

“Your level?”

“ A hundred and ten.”

*sigh*

Hearing Chrono’s answer, Gilbert and the other users can’t help but sighing. They wonder if the information about the level requirement to join the caravan aren’t properly came across.

“Listen here, unfortunately we only accept merchant level three hundred or above. This quest require us to go through a dangerous journey, having low level merchant is like having an extra baggage since inexperience users make more mistakes.”

“....But.....”

“THIS is the third time I challenged the class upgrade quest. The reason I failed in my other two attempted was because of inexperienced merchant foolishly reveal our caravan route and that information reach the bandits and pirates. I lost half of my fortune because of that.”

Gilbert slit his eyes while talking to Chrono in a serious tone. He understand Gilbert reason and he saw Gilbert determination to complete the quest. Doing merchant class upgrade quest take up quite a fortune, if Gilbert fails this time, he may as well give up the quest.

Maintaining his composure, Chrono calmly took out a letter and put it on the desk in front of him. He smiled to Gilbert before leaving his remark.

“I understand your concern. I prepared this recommendation letter in advanced in case I did not meet the requirement to join your caravan. Please read it.”

Gilbert remained sceptical as he saw the recommendation letter. He already decide to deny Chrono from joining his caravan and no normal recommendation letter can budge his decision. Gilbert take the recommendation to read it just to satisfy Chrono desire.

To, Mister Gilbert, the caravan leader.

I hereby recommend the man carrying this recommendation letter, Chrono to join your caravan. In the name of the Grand Fort, I assure you this man will not hurt your caravan in any way, whether on purpose or by mistakes.

His capabilities as a merchant is unquestionable since he is one of the man responsible in the infamous ‘Dawn Raid’ incident. I owe him a lot as he played a big part in my current leap of success.

If, in the future he proves to be useless and incapable, bring this letter to my castle in Mafoso and I shall compensate you and your caravan greatly.

Regards,

The Lord of Mafoso, Fizz

As Gilbert read the recommendation letter, his eyes widened. Fizz, the lord of Mafoso was famous for his neutrality, there were no known person receiving recommendation from him.

The fact Fizz went out of his way by writing a recommendation and gave his assurance, only means Chrono was someone with great capabilities.

Beside, the ‘Dawn Raid’ incident where Fizz and Sitka joined forced persuading merchants and underworld leaders selling their stocks was a legendary incident in the merchant world.

Since that incident, Fizz was looked up to as one of the greatest merchant in the world while ‘The Smiling Merchant’ who orchestrated the attack behind the scene remained mysterious.

“Are you….the smiling merc...no, forget it. It was impossible.”

Gilbert quickly shove away the possibilities of Chrono was the smiling merchant. He felt there was no way the legendary merchant was a low level merchant that just about to challenge the class upgrade quest.

‘Maybe he just someone who tagged along in the incident’, Gilbert thought. But the fact the man in front of him participated in the historical moment already made him felt jealous. As Gilbert finished reading the recommendation letter, he looked at Chrono again before he spoke again.

“To honor you as one of the participant in the ‘Dawn Raid’ incident, I hereby welcome you in my caravan with open arms.”

“Thank you.”

Gilbert and Chrono stand up together before they shakes hand. Later on, Gilbert registered Chrono as one of his caravan member and they formed a contract together. Once they agreed on the term and condition, the contract were signed and Chrono officially became the caravan member.

******

“(Plenty of time before the departure, I should stroll around the city at the time being.)”

As Chrono walked down the stairs and reached the tavern ground floor, he saw Somnia, the tavern owner chatting with a fine looking man.

If Chrono didn't know better,things such as this would not arouse his suspicion. But as a member of a bandit clan, he knew how the bandits obtained their information.

Merchants always travel between cities in a big group completed with the best mercenary guards and maximum preparation. Usually, the group leader planned their routes as they need to avoid places with high level monsters and chaotic users.

Bandits usually does not stray from their usual raiding spot, unless they gained an information about a big merchant group travelling elsewhere.

In ‘BloodBrothers’, they got their information from the ‘information dealers’. Although named as dealer, these ‘dealers’ were not from a merchant class.

Usually, these dealer choose an appearance of a fine looking man and often have a good manner.Their presence may seems normal, but to the keen eyes, they had a walking habits of a crook and they always aware of their surrounding especially when they collected information in the city.

Chrono have saw these ‘dealer’ a few times in Daisy selling their information. Since then, Chrono could recognize these ‘information dealer’ with just one look.

“( Did that dealer trick Somnia to spill the information, or…..was he involved?)”

Merchants betraying each other for money was not a strange thing. But by betraying his fellow merchant, Somnia risked his own business and his life as a users.

If Somnia was discovered, he would have plenty of assassins sent for his life and his business would be attacked from all sides. Merchant class may not have combat prowess, but they can easily bring down a tavern business to bankruptcy.

Chrono was sure that Somnia, as an experienced tavern owner would not spill the beans accidently. Which means Somnia may had betrayed them for money. After the ‘dealer’ left, Chrono walked towards Somnia to test to him.

“(I have no evidence, but let me do some pressuring first)”

“Ah, mister Chrono, how the interview?”

“I was accepted.”

“Hmm...Strange, I’m sorry but I thought you would not get accepted.”

“I had a recommendation letter from this city lord, Fizz.”

“The infamous Fizz? How did you get…”

“Because I used to join force with him and ‘BloodBrothers’ in the ‘Dawn Raid’.”

“I see, how enviable, I too……”

“Which means, I used to deal with the chaotic users and I know exactly how the information dealer look like.”

“..............”

Chrono interrupted every time Somnia spoke making it awkward for Somnia .He felt Chrono was not as friendly as he was before. And when Chrono left his last remark, Somnia was left speechless and he start to break a sweat.

From Somnia expression, Chrono knew his suspicion was not a groundless one. What he need right now was a good threatening words to make Somnia confess.

“M-Mister Chrono, I had no idea what you were talking about.”

“You can deny it all you want, I can message the lord of this city, Fizz this instance and ask him to order the guards to search this tavern. As someone who practically live in this tavern, I’m sure the evidence is here.Of course, if you were not guilty, you had nothing to be afraid of.”

“..................”

Somnia’s face changed to a serious one, his eyes looking around him to make sure no one heard Chrono. Lowering his voice, Somnia start to speak.

“W-What do you want?”

“A peaceful journey, here take this, tell me what you told him.”

Chrono reached his pocket and put a coin on the desk in front of Somnia. As Somnia saw the coin, his body shaked while he grit his teeth. ‘A copper coin!’ Somnia mind shouting, but he tried to kept his composure in front of Chrono.

Somnia may have betrayed his own kin, but he still practiced the merchant etiquette, bursting in anger would break those etiquette.

“Mister Chrono, it seems you are new in this kind of business, information is expensive and a copper coin cannot buy a safe journey.”

“I’m not just offering a copper coin, Somnia. As far as revealing an information was expensive, keeping information has the same value.”

“W-What do you mean!.”

“I believe your tavern and your life are invaluable. And these thing will be safe as long as I keep my mouth shut. I am kind enough to give you an extra copper coin.”

“RIDICULOUS!”

bang!

As Somnia shouted, he bashed his fist to the desk in front of him. The loud tavern fell quiet and users in the tavern bars looked at him with eyes of disbelieved.

Somnia realized he was overreacting. He takes a breath in before regaining his composure and spoke to Chrono again in a low tone.

“Listen, I guess you don’t understand. My life was over soon after you found me out. If I disclose the information about the bandit ambushes, the chaotic users will not leave me alone. You need to at least give me enough money to disappear for a while.”

As Chrono heard Somnia plead, he just smiled wryly. If Somnia at least show some remorse, he may pity him. But instead of showing remorse, Somnia acted like he want to run away. Chrono move his head to Somnia right ear before he whisper in a resolute voices.

“And listen, I guess you are the one who don’t understand. YOU the one making this mess, by selling our caravan information to the bandit. I don’t really care how you deal with them in the future, but CURRENTLY if I told everyone about you…...I think you know what will happen.”

Somnia was sweating like buckets as soon as he had heard Chrono’s threat. He knew exactly what would had happened since he started the information selling business, he saw plenty of merchants quit the game after they got caught betraying their peers.

“Mister Somnia, forget the future and just think about saving your ass now. At least you are safe from the chaotic users inside the city wall.”

*sigh*

“I-I understand, follow me.”

Somnia lead Chrono to the isolated room at the back of the tavern. Inside of the small room there was a large world’s map that have plenty of scribbled on a big desk. There was a screen on one of the room wall and a headphone.

“(What the...this room Is filled with spying material!)”

The screen was divided to various small screen where it captured every part of the ‘private room’ nook and cranny. And the headphone was obviously to hear the conversation in the private room.

The room that supposed to be private and the place to discuss things in secret was actually filled with spying material.

And from the look of it, the spying was not only in a single private room where the caravan leader discuss their secret meeting.Instead, every part of the tavern was equipped with the spying material.

“A famous tavern that supposed to be safe for having secret meeting actually filled with the spying material. Why did you start this, I thought you were an honest merchant.”

“Since I need real money. Money in Emperor Saga was a limited resource, I can gained quite a lot if I exchange in game money with the real money. Here, have seat.”

Chrono obediently sat on one of the chairs while looking at Somnia taking a bunch of paperwork and small maps.

“This is all the information I gave to the information dealer. The actual report only have ten pages, but these is the raw notes I jotted when I spy on the caravan group.”

Chrono studied all the notes and maps Somnia gave him, to his surprise the information leak was quite large and the caravan may need revise their plan from the start.

“The caravan route, the mercenary guards formations, resting spot in the field, the designated tavern the caravan will stay and the ships the caravan supposed to board. Basically you leak the caravan information completely.”

“Y-Yes.”

“Hmm….Now I have a different idea..”

“What?! Did you want to give me away now?”

“No, I just want you to sign a contract. In return, I will help you dealing with the chaotic player.”

“A contract! I hope it was not a one sided one!”

“You know you have no choice.”

“Pfftt!”

Somnia signed the contract Chrono prepared without looking at it. As an experienced merchant, he supposed to read the contract first before he signed it. But Somnia quickly signed the contract as he was sure that particular contract was a one sided contract that only benefit Chrono.

“Now, how would you help me dealing with the chaotic player?”

“As you already know, I have connections.”

**********

“Everyone, we will depart exactly one hour from now. Please do your final preparation!”

The caravan members gathered outside of Mafoso city walls. This time, the group was three times larger than the expedition Chrono joined before.

To avoid any form of betrayal from unknown users, Gilbert decided to choose every caravan members through a background check. Even the mercenaries were hand pick by Gilbert himself so he can avoid the merchants brought an unknown guards that may bring harm to them.

“(He’d do everything in his power to make this journey a success. Sadly all the information about the caravan was leaked.)”

The mercenaries were split into three groups, the caravan scout, the caravan guards and the caravan members guards. The caravan scout was a group of ten elites guards specializing in scouting the area and preventing and ambushes from chaotic users and monsters.

The caravan guards duty was to protect the caravan as a whole. They were placed at the outer layer of the caravan so they can defend the caravan accordingly in case of attacks.

These guards moved like a trained soldiers since they had their own division and commander. According to Somnia’s information, these guards have various unique formations that were hard to break.

Finally, the caravan members guards were assigned to every merchants to become their personal guards. These guards job was to protect the designated caravan members as a last means of defense.

The caravan member guards were also obligated to follow the caravan members they were assigned to in case the caravan was split due to various circumstance.

In the final hours of the preparation, the merchants were busy finding their own personal guards and forming contracts with them. Chrono, on the other hand does not care who would become his future guard.

Instead, he studied the information Somnia had given him. Chrono did not tell Gilbert about the information leak since it might have delay the caravan departure and cause the mercenaries to defect as they need to wait longer for the job.

“The caravan member guards! I need at least three people protecting my wagon! I promise a good pay!”

“(Hmmm….If the caravan uses this route…. We are supposed to pass this area by going through a bumpy road. But with the information leak, the bandit clan call ‘NorthWind’ may raid us here near the waterfall)”

“Finally, two guards! Welcome, aboard!”

“(I can’t just ask them to change the route, maybe I should sneak out and annihilate the clan in advance?)”

“What?! Both of you have a bad records…….I don’t really care about low level, however bad records are a no, no! Please find another merchants.”

As Chrono was in deep thought, two guards approached him from behind. They were selected as the caravan members guards, but their bad records made it hard for them to get hired as guards.

Chrono never bothered looking for guards, as he could protect himself. But because of that, he ended up being the only merchant without guards, and had to be left with quite the bad ones.

“P-Please to meet you, I know we have bad records but we are the only guards left to protect you. I am looking forward in working with you, my name is James.”

“P-Please to meet you too, I also looking forward in working with you. And my name is Jason.”

The familiar voices and a familiar names. As Chrono turned around towards the guards , he saw familiar faces. Chrono knew that he was going to be left with bad guards, but he never thought they’d be this bad.

““...........””

They were in silence, Chrono already prepared for the worse. But Jason and James quickly spoke as if nothing happen.

“Let us form a contract then.”

“.....Sure.”

They signed the contract while looking at each other. Chrono used to wear the mask and his real face was unknown to normal users. Naturally Chrono didn’t need to worry about anyone to discovering his secret identity as long as he wears the ‘One Ring’.

As they finished signing the contract, Chrono enter his wagon as goblin Kai prepare for the departure.Once Chrono enter the wagon, Jason spoke to James.

“James, did you notice?”

“Yes, how can I forget his face? It was him!”

Jason and James was the first bounty hunter looking for Chrono. They would never forget the disgrace they felt when they were tricked to fight a wolf pack in the ‘Forest of Beast’. The Chrono they used to hunt may wear the mask and changed his nicknamed later, but they would never forget Chrono’s face.

In the wagon, Chrono stopped studying Somnia’s information. Jason and James cannot disappear from his mind.

“(Huh! Interesting.)”

Chrono smiled in the darkness of his wagon seats. He knew Jason and James were too smart to forget his bare face. And he can guess that his future journey may not be as safe as he thought.

*********

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