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nSylvia didn't have to look too far and she soon spotted a group of carriages in a corner of the border market.

nThere were several people standing around them, loading and unloading cardboard packages.

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"Traveling merchants? Hmmm…

" Sylvia hesitated a bit before quickly continuing to dash towards them.

nShe was slightly concerned because the merchants association had a bad reputation in her town.

nSome of them dealt with underhanded things including human trafficking.

nLuckily, she didn't have to encounter them earlier while she was being sold as a slave.

nShe had been auctioned off in record time for a record price without having to be held as a prisoner in their camps.

nOtherwise, she shuddered to think what her plight might have been.

nSylvia clutched her dress tightly as she hastened her steps, walking quickly towards the merchants.

nShe did so because, besides their bad reputation, they were also known for smoothly finishing tasks when provided enough compensation.

nThey might be jackals in human clothing, but they were still her best bet.

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"Hello Mister, is there a carriage leaving now?

" Sylvia asked politely, approaching a long-nosed man who was overseeing the grooming of the horses.

nShe tried her best to look calm and steady, and not anxious and out of breath like an escaped convict.

nThe violet dress she had donned was also a high-end one, and that coupled with her natural beauty and elegance effortlessly gave her the look of a young noblewoman in a hurry.

nWell actually if the long-nosed merchant had bothered to look at the bottom frills of Sylvia's dress, he would have seen the small tears and the rough edges, but her eyes were more than captivating enough to hold the man's gaze, not allowing him to see anywhere else.

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"Yes, my lady. We indeed have a carriage departing soon. However, unfortunately, that's only meant for merchandise.

"

nSylvia's face immediately brightened, only to fall after completely hearing the man's reply.

nBut she had come so far and there was no way that she was going to admit defeat now.

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"Mister, I am sure you have heard about the Quilin beast in the woods. I am actually in a big hurry right now for a matter related to that.

"

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"So could you please kindly allow me to travel along with the merchandise?

"

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"I can pay you a handsome fee and I don't occupy that much space. Aha Ha Ha.

" Sylvia awkwardly smiled, hoping that the man bought her spontaneously made-up story.

nTo further entice him more, she raised her right hand, loosening her grip on the dress.

nShe then opened her palm in front of him revealing a dozen glittering gems, albeit broken and cracked.

nThey shone with a splendid luster and were clearly extremely valuable materials since they had mana affinity.

nOf course, they didn't belong to Sylvia. Someone weak and powerless like her could never possess something so valuable and rare.

nThese were rather the gems Mikel and Theodore had used to set up the defensive barrier which had temporarily saved them from the Quilin beast.

nWhen the barrier shattered from the beast's multiple attacks, Sylvia had luckily managed to get her hands on a few gems that had broken and scattered in her direction.

nThis was in fact the main crux of her plan which she hoped would come in handy and help her escape her terrible fate.

nThe long-nosed man's gaze finally shifted from Sylvia's mesmerizing face as he looked at the gems on her hand with visible interest.

nThe man couldn't help but let out a small gasp as he recognized some of the gems.

nSuch high-quality materials!!!

nHe couldn't believe his eyes.

nEven though they were partly damaged and broken, these gems were still extremely valuable. They were very expensive items that typically cost thousands of gold.

nAnd to top it all, their availability was also rare which made one unable to purchase them even if they had the required number of gold coins.

nThe long-nosed man immediately started sweating seeing such high-grade materials up close.

nHe was after all just a manager of this set of carriages. He had never come across so much wealth in his life.

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"My lady, these…

" He nervously gulped and asked Sylvia again, to make sure that she was really offering these gems to him.

nBut Sylvia was not dumb enough to not notice the situation in front of her.

nShe quickly folded her palm back up and took out one gem alone and passed it onto him.

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"Here. Take this. It would be best if you start the carriage immediately. I am in a big hurry.

" She also made sure to enunciate her words with a commanding tone to match her story.

nThe long-nosed man nodded gratefully and quickly accepted her payment.

"Please head this way, my lady.

"

nHe brought Sylvia over to one of the carriages which were already fully prepared.

nThe goods had been loaded, the horses had been tethered and Sylvia even noticed magical gems lining the carriage, which meant that its speed would be enhanced.

nPerfect! She beamed inwardly. Everything was proceeding smoothly and things couldn't have gone any better.

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"I apologize for the poor condition of the carriage, my lady.

" The long-nosed man bowed.

nNobles typically tended to travel in luxurious extravagant carriages and this was not one.

nBut Sylvia couldn't care less about that right now.

nEven if she had to stand atop a carriage and ride it continuously for days, she would have still agreed.

nSuch was the situation she was in!

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"That's quite alright. Shall we start?

" She calmly asked, only barely hiding the excitement and anxiety in her voice.

nHer heart was drumming so loudly in her chest that she was finding it very difficult to keep up appearances.

nEven one slip up could cost her everything because no merchant in their right mind would help a slave escape her Master irrespective of the payment offered, especially when the said Master was a royal prince!

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