After we properly rest at the village we head off with everybody behind waving their hands.

There were absoloutely no new carriages to get since the damn bandits used them as materials for fire.

A few kilometers away from the village I hand over the reins to Silan who was sitting next to me and decide to look behind the carriage.

Why?

Oh I don't know... Because there is a huge power source called a Dragon just flying towards us in stealth mode.

Nobody else has noticed it yet but... It might have an ability to hide itself.

I mean it does look like some sort of Shadow Dragon or something with dark gray and black scales.

You might think that the Dragon isn't a big deal since Silan and Viv and Memui are also dragons but...

They are halflings. I checked properly after I became OP.

It clearly stated each and every one of them were a 'Half-Dragon'.

Dragonoids basically. After living long enough they COULD become actual dragons, weaker than the true-born dragons though, said the nice people over at the Sanctuary.

But that over there... That's an actual true-born Dragon and a pretty old one by the looks of things.

I'm basing the age off the sheer size of the dragon.

If it landed on a mountain tip and wasn't in it's hiding mode it would become a black beacon.

And it's just sneaking up to us, when we stop it stops. When we move, it moves with us.

I won't act against it yet but... I'll keep my eye on it.

We move forward as I keep my eye on the dragon and the surrounding as there might as well be bandits knowing my luck.

We still have a few days of travelling until we reach the next small town on the map.

We ride for an hour until we stumble upon... An overturned cart and about 20 bandits!

I knew it! I told you!

"I'll handle this." (Colin)

I jump off the cart and walk into the middle of the bandits.

"Give us your money or your head. Either one will do." (Bandit)

"[Special Earth-Fire Magic: Dynamite]" (Colin)

I place some 'dynamite' if you could call it into the middle of them, walked back to the cart and cast a barrier before exploding the dynamite.

Now, in place of the bandits, there is a massive crater.

"[Earth Magic: Soil Prison]" (Colin)

I fill up the hole with soil.

The actual usage of the magic is to use it as a prison if it wasn't obvious enough based on it's name.

I jump back on the cart and we head off again.

Silan doesn't even bother questioning what happened and only the others in the cart started asking what that explosion was.

I just answered with Bandits.

And we head off again.

We reached the town with nothing else but the big ass dragon just stalking us happening.

The town is fortified with a stone wall this time and it actually has guards!

We reach the gates of the town.

"Halt! State your name, how many passengers or cargo you have, what group you are affiliated with and what your business is in Stritinum!" (Guard)

They actually are quite strict...

"I am Colin Tyccus, we have 13 passengers in the back plus us two. No cargo yet. We are affiliated with no group except my own trading company which has no name yet. It is quite new. Our business in Stritinum is to get cargo, goods, information and other things while on the path towards L'Aminne to potentially create our Headquarters there.

Is that good enough?" (Colin)

The guard writes it down.

"Thanks. Not many people answer truthfully and that makes our jobs as gatekeepers harder... You're welcome to enter, Colin. I hope you find some good deals in Stritinum." (Guard)

The gates open after the Guard gives the OK sign to the guards at the top and we head in.

Once we are inside we see clearly which section is for staying residents and which is for adventurers and merchants.

I mean it's literally written on this wooden sign.

To the right towards the merchant section we go.

After 15 minutes we reach an inn which allows us to put our carriage and our horses inside it's stables.

It's still mid-day and the girls went shopping, the men went to the blacksmiths and other stores to get new weapons or repair old ones.

My guild members asked me for permission first though.

I was left with handling the money stuff and housing in the inn.

"Thank you for staying at our inn, Colin Tyccus. It seems your associates already left to handle their own personal businesses but would you like a tour guide? She would show you where the other trading companies have made their bases are and where to get cargo." (Innkeeper)

"If you wouldn't mind then, yes. I would like a tour guide." (Colin Tyccus)

"Please wait a moment as she prepeares herself." (Inkeeper)

The innkeeper, a nice old lady, went into the staff's quarters.