The caravan took a path inside Evergreen forest.
Noah was jumping from tree to tree following it at quite some distance, he was waiting for the moment the Gray Shadows appeared.
He was quite bored, all he could do was wait for something to happen or to enter his range of perception, a big contrast with his usual days spent on training until he had to sleep to recover.
Meanwhile, on the caravan.
Quinn was a merchant that took on his family's job at the age of 16.
He was talented in the art of trade and managed to raise his position till being the preferred merchant of the Merger family, a middle-size noble family under the domain of the Shosti family.
Right now, he was doing a trip back to Merger mansion, situated on the other side of the forest not far from its perimeter.
He had successfully sold the goods given to him by the noble family in the market of Mossgrove city and made quite a sum.
Since the business trip went well, his mood was joyous as he took the shorter road back to mansion uncaring of the dangers of the forest, after all, he had in his defense the soldiers of a noble family!
'Haha, if my ancestors were to see me now! I singlehandedly raised my family status so much that a noble family actually protects me during my travels!'
These were his thoughts.
Of course, he knew that the soldiers' mission was to protect the goods and not him but his mood was unaffected since his trip this time was really profitable.
'After I complete the trade and give back the accounted goods, I will have enough to retire and build a small mansion. Who knows, in a few generations my family might become a noble one!'
His gaze involuntarily shifted to the young girl next to him.
She was his only remaining family since his wife passed away, yet, this daughter of his inherited his talent as a dealer.
Quinn taught her all his knowledge and experience but never thought that one day he would be near setting his own mansion.
'I wanted her to marry someone from a small-size family but if I wait a bit she could actually strive to be the first wife in a middle-size one! After all, her relationship with the young master of the Merger family is not too bad.'
Quinn was lost in his thoughts while the caravan kept going. He would just plan things and sort the inventory during the uneventful travel.
However, one week after his entrance in Evergreen forest, something unexpected happened.
An arrow, shot from behind the trees, hit the horse carrying the carriage in the front.
The horse fell dead on the ground immediately as three figures came out from their hidings.
The soldiers got enraged and jumped off the carriage yelling at them.
"How do you dare to assault the carriage of the Merger family! You must be tired of living!"
The three figures had gray hooded cloaks that completely covered their faces and large sleeves that hid their hands.
One of them started laughing when the soldier threatened them.
"Haha, did you hear him second shadow, third shadow? He actually thinks that we are scared of them!"
Another one answered,
"First shadow, don't you worry, they will soon understand."
Like it was some sort of signal, the three hooded men directly attacked the soldiers, throwing knives and unsheathing short swords from their sleeves.
The soldiers blocked their attacks and started to encircle them.
There were, after all, five soldiers against the three of them, the advantage in numbers was showing itself.
At that moment though, another arrow shot from behind the trees and hit one of the soldiers' legs and two more hooded men came out from their hidings.
With the injured soldier the thieves were having the advantage, yet they didn't seem too focused on killing their enemies.
Quinn was hiding with his daughter inside the carriage since the assault started, he knew that the goods were the soldier's core mission so he smartly chose to hide between them.
He was quite relaxed in the whole process since he had complete confidence in the power of a middle-size family.
"Don't you worry, simple thieves won't dare to kill anyone wearing the emblem of a noble family, even if they resorted to a life of crimes they still fear the power behind nobles."
He was consoling his daughter when a voice interrupted him.
"He's right cutie, we are too scared of the powerful cultivators protecting them. However, that doesn't mean that we will simply run away when we see their emblem."
Quinn was startled, a hooded figure was at the end of the carriage looking at the goods.
He did a hand gesture and all the inventory was sucked inside his sleeve.
"Many thanks!"
The thief lightly bowed and then hurried outside the carriage, in a few instants he had disappeared between the trees.
Quinn lost all his strength at this sight and released a weak statement.
"I'm ruined."
Turning back time a bit, Noah was still following the caravan.
It had been seven days but there was still no sign of the Gray Shadows.
'This is so boring! Don't tell me that it was the wrong decision to follow this caravan and that they went after the poorer ones.'
Noah was hiding at the top of a tree but doubts were starting to accumulate in his mind.
He got ready to kill some time by looking at the rune when he sensed something getting near the position of the caravan.
He completely switched his state of mind to total concentration and stared at the unfolding of the events on the ground.
He saw a hooded man shooting an arrow to kill the horse in the front carriage and then three men engaging a fight with the soldiers.
He saw the soldiers slowly going into a passive position when the other two men appeared, but he waited.
He had to know how they were going to steal the goods and where they would put them.
As for the fate of the caravan, he couldn't care less.
At that point, a fast figure went inside the rear carriage and came out after a few instants. Some seconds later, the merchant came out of the carriage crawling on the ground and pointing in the direction of where the figure went.
The merchant's skin was pale and he seemed devoid of any life.
Quinn's condition made Noah understand the situation.
'The goods have been stolen!'
Once the realization lightened up his mind, he wasted no more time and jumped directly in pursuit of the figure in the forest.
If someone looked from above the forest, he would see a black dot running at high speed on the top of the trees.
