The Queen of Scrolls never admits defeat

Chapter 471: Convoy Attacked
The convoy slowly drove off the trade route and began heading towards the Colorado Mountains.

Inside the lead magic carriage, the atmosphere of learning was vibrant.

Inside the carriage behind, the monks were filled with apprehension.

It was getting dark!

The lead vehicle, however, showed no intention of setting up camp; instead, it headed directly towards the Colorado Mountains.

The further you go in that direction, the more dangerous it becomes!
It's better to camp overnight along the trade route than to spend the night at the foot of the Colorado Mountains, right?
Gobert has been traumatized by Moran's actions, and now he's inadvertently overthinking things.

"She wouldn't want us all to perish in the Colorado Mountains and then inherit our wealth, would she?"

Although he doesn't have much money left, his magic carriage is still valuable!
Gobert was really uneasy, so he sent the captain of the guard on horseback to the carriage ahead to inquire.

"Master, that gentleman said we're in a hurry. Before it gets dark, let's walk a little further, past that grove of trees, to a meadow and a stream. We'll camp there tonight," the guard captain said.

"The woods ahead?" Gobert pulled out a map and looked at it.

The map in his hand was newly bought in Greenwood Town. Although it wasn't very detailed, it still showed that the woods ahead were not even at the foot of the Colorado Mountains.

In the middle, there was a meadow.

Looking at it this way, it seems that the fraudulent monk had actually taken the trip seriously and made arrangements.

Gobert felt a little relieved.

He's in a bind now, unable to back down even if he feels at ease.

Fortunately, it seems that the arrangement is not a big problem so far.

As the carriage entered the forest, it occasionally encountered some wild beasts or low-level magical beasts, but these were not major problems. Moran and her companions didn't even need to lift a finger; the valiant guards handled them all.

Gobert felt more at ease; the forest was still quite safe, with no powerful magical beasts around.

The car continued until it left the woods and arrived at the meadow Moran had mentioned.

However, for some reason, the grass was not very lush, with some soil turned up.

But the land is clearly quite fertile.

"Master, all the horses are showing signs of being startled!" the guard captain said. Just then, the grass and soil around them bulged up, and something seemed to be moving towards them from underground: "Enemy attack!"

Gobert's heart leaped into his throat as he looked out the window at the approaching unknown creatures.

Oh no, oh no! Although I don't know what it is, the forest looks like a huge group of trees!
He gripped his staff, ready for battle, but dared not step out of the carriage.

The carriage was much more durable than his physical body.

The novice mages and mage apprentices in the other two carriages immediately had their guards surround their carriages and began preparing their spells.

Tiny golden needles, soft water pellets... better than nothing, having no effect whatsoever on the approaching unknown creatures.

Just then, a figure in black robes appeared on the roof of the magic carriage ahead.

She was casting spells with a staff inlaid with a wood elemental gem.

Soon, the surrounding wood elemental energy converged towards her.

The enormous poisonous vine that I had glimpsed once in the government center appeared in front of the carriage.

The vines burrowed deep into the ground, pulling out anything that was rapidly approaching and embedding it in the poisonous thorns.

At that moment, Gobert finally saw what it was: "An iron beetle!"

Eighteen iron beetles, ten of them beginner level and eight of intermediate level. Each one is the size of a calf, with a carapace as hard as iron. Ordinary elemental magic cannot harm them at all; only their heads are their weak points, and only hitting that spot can kill them.

It is an extremely troublesome social monster.

Gobert is now filled with lingering fear.

Thankfully, he hired that sorcerer.

Otherwise... we'd be eaten by these beetles before we even reached the Colorado Mountains.

Moran piled the paralyzing beetles together, then killed them one by one with other magic. He then looked at the convoy behind him and said, "It's safe now. Let's set up camp!"

The guards looked at her with eyes full of reverence: "Yes!"

Good heavens! The monsters hadn't even gotten close before the mage rushed ahead and dealt with them.

They...were completely unharmed!
This is what a powerful and noble mage should be like!
Those hiding in the carriage behind them... let's not even mention them! It was a dangerous job anyway, they were prepared for it, and the payment had already been sent home.

However... they were not mentally prepared for such a monk.

Forgetting to ask its owner for permission, it instinctively started disassembling the luggage.

Their masters didn't notice anything amiss with the guards either; they themselves were stunned.

Right now, only one thought is on my mind: "Is this what a high-level mage is like?"

It's not that they don't want to unleash their power and take down the monsters with a single spell when they come!
Doesn't preparing magic take time? Besides, their magical effects are on a completely different level.

Moran didn't care how shocked or envious they were. This was the spot she had arranged to show off her skills, and also the spot to get the ingredients for tonight's dinner.

They originally flew from the Colorado Mountains to Greenwood Town, and are now simply returning by land.

When she came before, she scouted out the monsters along the planned route to make the return journey easier.

Before setting off today, she used the divination technique to re-divine the location and situation of the monsters along her route, used the fortune-telling technique to predict her luck for the day, and even used the prophecy technique to slightly foresee the scene of the battle today.

It's fair to say that she already knew the locations, times, and ultimate outcomes of the monster attacks she might encounter along the way.

That's why she was able to focus so intently on studying her alchemy blueprints without worrying about the safety of the caravan.

This was originally her preparation for going to Lance City in advance to play the role of a mage. They originally planned to act all the way to Lance City to get used to the roles in advance.

Now there are just a few more bystanders.

But it's good that there are bystanders; their identities are more authentic.

And there are several mages too!

They're all potential members of the Dawn Society!

The only inconvenience is that these iron beetles are difficult to deal with right now.

Her character is that of a very frugal mage; how could she waste magical materials?

But spatial magic items are not something a wild mage like her could possess.

Even with so many iron beetle magic wagons, it's impossible to fit them all.

Moran's gaze lingered on the guards' horses and the mage's carriage for a moment, then he had an idea:

"Do you want the beetle's carapace?"

This is a high-quality material for making armor. It's lightweight yet highly defensive, and it even has some resistance to elemental magic. We're about to enter the Colorado Mountains. Even if there's no blacksmith around right now, you can tie it to a horse, a carriage, or yourself. It could save your life in a critical moment!
Low-grade carapace costs 50 gold coins per piece, and high-grade carapace costs 100 gold coins per piece. Materials are limited, first come, first served!