Chapter 641

Test Ride of the Parfe Wagon for Regional Expeditions
After several days of fine-tuning and preparation, Lady Kiri, Lord Riku, and the rest of the Isles of the Eight Gods group returned.
They also brought back around two hundred Kiblinki Saltas.
The remaining hundred will be brought later when they escort the Parfes back.
… Naturally, three hundred of them couldn't fit at once.

As for me, I was currently riding the newly completed Parfe wagon designed for regional expeditions, heading toward Catastie.

“Hm. As expected of the Parfe wagon—it hardly shakes at all.”

“We struggled with the design, I’ll admit. But I believe the finished result is quite satisfactory.”

Sitting beside me was the branch manager of the Lumite Company.
He was accompanying us on this test run to Catastie.
There might be improvements only a vehicle specialist would notice—things I could easily overlook.
Best leave technical matters to the experts.

“Still, I’m amazed these two can pull such a heavy vehicle. When we tested it at Lumite, we used a high-horsepower off-road truck to tow it.”

“The Parfe are strong.”

“Goo-goo! (This much is nothing!)”

“Gugugoo! (Even heavier is fine!)”

“What did they say?”

“They say they can handle even more weight. Since we plan to load salt for the return trip anyway, let’s treat that as a test to see how much weight the wagon can endure.”

“That seems wise.”

The Parfe walked cheerfully along the highway, each carrying one Kiblinki Saltas on its back—clearly enjoying the unfamiliar scenery.
Our formation consisted of one Kiblinki Saltas on each Parfe, plus one on the wagon roof, making three total.
Then came the human escorts.
This time, my escort Plam, the Deep-Green Sprout team, and Ula and her group were with us.
Ula’s group probably had plenty of escorting experience already, but I wanted them to grow more accustomed to it, so I brought them along.
Also, since Lady Elsa was with us, several Rock Wolves had joined the convoy as well.
It was quite a large party.
While heading to Catastie, we also planned to look for good materials for Ula’s group’s equipment.
And honestly, I was excited—I hadn’t done any shopping outside the Trade Guild in a while.

“Lady Lily, there’s a wagon stalled ahead.”

Lana reported from atop the roof, where she was keeping watch alongside the Kiblinki Saltas.
She carried a farsight magi-tech device, making her ideal for lookout duty in open areas.
In places with poor visibility, Juna took over that role.

“Should we be cautious?”

“Hard to say. With Master Talat among us, I doubt they pose any threat. But in the interest of caution, we should at least call out to them.”

“Understood. Fanny, please take Miss Elsa and a few Rock Wolves and check on them. If they need help and we can assist, let’s do so.”

“Got it.”

According to the two who went to scout, the wagon’s axle had broken.
The road between Vardmoi and Catastie had been paved after I began using it for fish transport, but wagon axles still break from time to time.
If anything, that’s on the owners for using poorly maintained wagons.

“Lady Lily, I asked about their axle type. We have the same kind among our spares in the Parfe wagon. What should we do?”

Because the Parfe wagon is extremely heavy and entirely made of Talat boards, its wheels and axle are specialized.
A normal axle would snap instantly.
Still, we carried a few standard axles specifically for situations like this.
Looks like one will work.

“If they agree to buy it within the normal price range, sell it. If not, ignore them.”

“Alright. I’ll ask.”

“W-wait. That wagon belongs to a noble. There was a crest on the side.”

“So what?”

“Huh?”

“Lily is a Platinum-rank merchant. She outranks most nobles. If we offer a fair market price and they try to use their status to force us, we’ll just drive them off.”

“I—I see…”

“Elsa, remember our position when you’re working under Lady Lily.”

“R-right. I just… hope this goes well…”

Lady Elsa seemed worried, but negotiations went smoothly.
The other party was apparently in a hurry and was grateful to acquire the axle at market price.
Since neither side loses anything, we might as well sell it.
Their guards could handle the replacement, so we didn’t need to help.
They would probably pass us again later, but for now, we continued onward ahead of them.

What do you think about this chapter?