The remaining guards stayed outside the gate, maintaining a cautious perimeter around the truck.

Nobody approached too closely.

Not the guards.

Not the merchants.

Not even the curious civilians gathering farther back. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

The M939 continued idling heavily in the middle of the road, the low diesel rumble echoing against the stone walls of Crentis while people whispered among themselves.

Marcus rested one arm against the open window frame and waited.

He had already dealt with enough insane situations today.

Compared to flesh-eating sky vultures and living forests, suspicious guards were manageable.

Then movement came from inside the city.

The gates opened wider.

A carriage rolled out first, polished black wood reinforced with silver trim along the edges. Two armored riders followed closely behind it while several city guards immediately straightened their posture.

Marcus noticed the change right away.

Respect.

Whoever was inside the carriage mattered.

The vehicle stopped several meters away from the truck.

Then the door opened.

A woman stepped out.

She looked to be in her late twenties, dressed in a dark blue coat layered over expensive clothing with silver embroidery running along the sleeves. Her long black hair was tied neatly behind her while sharp gray eyes immediately scanned the truck from front to back.

Not fearful.

Interested.

Very interested.

Several rings rested on her fingers, and Marcus noticed the guards around her subtly adjusting themselves whenever she moved.

Influential.

Probably Merchant May’s representative.

Or Merchant May herself.

The lead guard immediately approached her and spoke quietly while pointing toward Marcus and the truck.

The woman listened without interrupting.

Then her eyes shifted toward Marcus again.

Directly.

Studying him.

After a few seconds, she walked forward calmly.

The guards around her followed immediately.

Marcus stepped out of the truck.

The moment his boots hit the ground, several guards instinctively tightened their grip on their weapons again.

The woman stopped a few meters away from him.

"You are the adventurer from Berm?" she asked.

Her voice was calm.

Controlled.

Marcus nodded once.

"Marcus."

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

"Merchant Kelly sent you?"

"Yeah."

"And the cargo?"

Marcus pointed toward the rear of the truck.

"Still secured."

The woman remained silent for a second before finally asking:

"...Did Kelly really trust you enough to carry it this far?"

Marcus gave a faint shrug.

"She paid us to deliver it. So we delivered it."

That answer actually made the woman smile slightly.

Small.

Brief.

But real.

Then she looked toward the lead guard.

"The guild identification?"

The guard immediately handed over the Berm adventurer card Marcus had shown earlier.

The woman inspected it carefully.

The Adventurer Guild seal.

The Berm registry mark.

Everything legitimate.

Then she handed it back.

"It’s authentic," she said.

The guards visibly relaxed after hearing that.

Not completely.

But enough.

The woman looked back toward Marcus.

"My name is May."

So it really was her.

Marcus nodded once.

"Good to finally meet the client."

Merchant May’s eyes drifted toward the truck again.

"...That thing outside my gate caused quite a panic."

The co-pilot quietly muttered from near the passenger side.

"Could’ve been worse."

Marcus ignored him.

"It’s just transportation."

May looked unconvinced.

"Your ’transportation’ sounds like a monster."

"That’s just the engine."

"That does not help."

The co-pilot snorted quietly.

Marcus pretended not to hear that too.

May folded her arms lightly before speaking again.

"Regardless, your identity checks out. And Kelly already sent advance notice weeks ago about a special delivery."

Her eyes moved toward the cargo bed again.

"...Though she neglected to mention the delivery would arrive in a moving metal fortress."

Marcus shrugged slightly.

"Details."

That earned another brief smile from her.

Then her expression turned professional again.

"You and your people are cleared to enter Crentis."

The guards nearby visibly relaxed after hearing that order.

Weapons lowered slightly.

Crossbows no longer aimed directly at the truck.

Marcus nodded.

"Appreciated."

May turned toward the city gates.

"I’ll escort you personally."

The lead guard looked surprised.

"My lady, personally?"

"Yes."

Her gaze shifted toward the truck again.

"...Anything important enough for Kelly to risk transporting across continents deserves my attention."

Marcus wisely said nothing about the Forest of No Return.

No need to make this situation worse.

May motioned toward the gates.

"Bring the vehicle through carefully."

The pilot quietly muttered under his breath.

"This is gonna freak out the whole city."

He wasn’t wrong.

The M939 rolled forward slowly.

The massive tires crossed through the gates of Crentis while guards and civilians immediately stepped aside to make room.

And the reaction inside the city was even worse.

People stopped moving entirely.

Merchants froze mid-conversation.

Children pointed openly.

Several horses panicked again the moment the diesel engine echoed through the stone streets.

The truck moved slowly behind May’s carriage while city guards cleared the road ahead.

Marcus looked around as they drove deeper into Crentis.

The kingdom was larger than it first appeared from outside.

Stone roads.

Tall buildings.

Trade stalls lining the streets.

Colored banners hanging between structures.

The city was busy, wealthy, and clearly built around commerce.

But now every single person’s attention was on the truck.

"...We’re definitely becoming rumors after this," the co-pilot muttered.

"Probably already happened outside the gate," Marcus replied.

People whispered constantly as the M939 passed.

Some looked amazed.

Others looked terrified.

One old man literally stopped praying only to start praying again once the truck got closer.

Marcus almost laughed at that.

Almost.

The convoy continued through the city until May’s carriage finally slowed near the center district.

And that was where Marcus saw it.

A massive building rising above the others.

Tall.

Elegant.

Built from white stone reinforced with dark wood framing and enormous glass windows reflecting the afternoon light. The structure easily stood above nearly every surrounding building, almost like a noble estate mixed with a merchant headquarters.

Guards stood outside the entrance wearing the same blue-and-silver uniforms as May’s escorts.

"...That’s hers?" the co-pilot asked quietly.

Marcus nodded slightly.

"Looks like it."

The M939 finally stopped in front of the building.

The diesel engine rumbled heavily one last time before Marcus shut it down.

Silence settled over the street almost immediately.

And somehow—

The sudden silence made the truck feel even larger.

May stepped out from her carriage first.

"Bring the cargo inside," she said.

Marcus and the crew climbed down from the truck while several of May’s workers approached carefully.

Not too carefully though.

Marcus noticed something immediately.

Unlike the guards earlier, these people were more curious than afraid.

Probably because they worked directly for a merchant rich enough to deal with dangerous things regularly.

The rear cargo bed was opened.

The large sealed crate sat exactly where they left it.

May stared at it for several seconds.

"...So this is what Kelly sent."

Marcus walked beside the cargo.

"Still sealed."

May’s eyes shifted toward him immediately.

"Was it opened?"

Marcus shook his head.

"No."

"You never checked the contents?"

"No reason to."

That answer genuinely surprised some of the nearby workers.

One of them looked confused.

"You carried this all the way here without knowing what’s inside?"

Marcus nodded once.

"It’s cargo."

May remained silent for a moment.

Then asked:

"And if it contained something dangerous?"

Marcus leaned lightly against the side of the truck.

"Contract said not to open it."

"That’s all?"

"That’s all."

May stared at him carefully.

Marcus continued calmly.

"The job was delivery. What’s inside doesn’t matter to us."

He glanced toward the crate.

"So long as the cargo arrives intact and we get paid, the contents are the client’s business."

For the first time since meeting him, May looked genuinely impressed.

Not because of the truck.

Not because of the strange technology.

Because of the answer.

"...Kelly chose well," she said quietly.

Marcus simply shrugged.

"We just did the job."