"It seems pretty popular," added Hiryu, glancing around at the crowds walking through the town. Quite a few girls were walking around with that particular model teddy bear, although Hiryu didn't mention that specifically. He didn't know how to respond to the part about it looking cute and so chose to ignore it. He also didn't want to have any more conversations about how cute and pretty things were and decided to push the envelope. "Right there; there's our merchant." he mentioned, pointing to a shop front. Outside of it was a cart, being loaded with goods by an adult, middle-aged man. Hiryu walked up to the man to introduce himself. "You ask for escorts?"

"Oh, you responded to my job request? You read the whole thing right? I'll pay you up front and a bonus when we arrive." replied the merchant in a matter of fact way. "If you make it." Hiryu narrowed his eyes at the comments. It was strange to him that the marchant be so foreboding. The merchant seemed convinced that he would run into trouble, trouble that would require the help of mages to escape successfully. It was suspicious for the merchant to be so convinced such a level of danger would be coming for him. Enough for Hiryu to potentially break the cardinal rule of transporting, the rule with got him expelled from his clan in the first place.

"You never said what we would be transporting," Hiryu teased to the merchant, now with an interest to fish for clues. 

"Oh, it's nothing. Just some trade goods from the festival over to the next town," replied the merchant as he was putting the finishing touches on. Hiryu glance at one of the crates the merchant was dropping on, and also at his shop front. Everything was so nondescript, blank. Hiryu genuinely couldn't get a read on what kind of merchant this man was or any clue of what was inside those boxes.

[quote=@Cuccoruler]"I know you're fast, but I could certainly make you faster if you wanna start scouting now."[/quote]

"W-w-well now, I'm sure that you guys could manage whatever comes, you don't want to stray too far away from me, I'm paying you to protect me after all, haha..." quickly rebutted the merchant. Hiryu paused on the merchant for a second, potentially a second too long as the merchant's disposition changed to a nervous and self conscious bemusement. 

"It's a good call," replied Hiryu to Feon. "I know the trail you're trying to take. I'm familiar enough with it. It passes by the train bridge over the Acacia river. Should be routine enough," Hiryu scanned the earnestness on the merchant's face, who seemed to be trying to grab Hiryu with a glare to hold him from going. It lasted less than an instant - a freudian slip of sorts, too quick for Hiryu to sus out what his deal is. Hiryu moved to stand in front of Feon. "So... do I need to do anything or..." he asked with a shrug in regards to her enchantment.