"Why am I the one pulling this damn carriage?"
Above him, Edrew lounged lazily on the carriage roof, eyes closed against the afternoon sun.
"Just do it. You're my employee now—I pay your wages," he said, waving a hand dismissively.
He gritted his teeth. "Argh, it's been ages since I've had to work like this..."
"Hey, bro—what's your name anyway? Should know my employee's name," Edrew called down, still not opening his eyes.
The man shook his head. "Call me Noki. And you should learn to respect your elders, brat. Just because I work for you doesn't mean you can talk like we're old friends."
"Hmmmm~ I like it better this way." Edrew finally cracked one eye open. "You smoke? Got an extra cigar here."
He tossed it down. Noki caught it midair, lit it, and took a long drag.
"Why's a kid like you even smoking? This is a middle-aged man's vice," Noki grumbled.
Edrew's face lit up. "Why~why~why~?" he sing-songed, grinning. "Do I look mature now? Huh? Do I?"
Noki side-eyed him, then thwacked him on the head with the cigar still between his fingers. "You're still a brat. Stop pretending to be grown."
Rubbing his head, Edrew flopped back onto the roof with an exaggerated pout. "You're no fun, bro."
For a while, they fell silent—one pulling the carriage, the other sprawled atop it, both gazing at the same endless sky.
Two Hours Earlier
"What the hell are you planning to do with all these corpses? Why collect them?" Noki demanded, eyeing the shrouded bodies in the carriage.
Edrew clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Their families paid me to retrieve them. This is my job—and trust me, they pay well."
As he secured the carriage tarp, he added, "I need to get moving. This is where we part ways. And hey... if you think I'm trash, think again."
He climbed onto the driver's seat, but just as he was about to leave—Noki grabbed his wrist.
"Do you need a worker?"
Edrew fought back a smirk. Oh? Now he's biting. Playing coy, he shrugged. *"But I can't pay you. And can you even handle being around corpses all day?"
Noki's grip tightened. "Just give me a roof and meals. You need a swordsman, don't you?" A flash of pride hardened his voice. "I'm strong enough to handle anything short of a high-rank knight or commander."
Edrew seized both of Noki's hands, locking eyes with him—sharp and assessing.
"Deal!"
His grin stretched ear to ear. Yes! A skilled bodyguard I don't have to pay through the nose for... hehehe, he crowed inwardly.
Before long, they arrived at a wide, grassy clearing where a crystal-clear mountain stream cut through the land.
"We'll rest here first," Edrew announced, hopping down from the carriage. *"It's still a long way to go. You can wash up if you want—I'll start dinner."
Noki gave a silent nod and headed toward the babbling water.
Meanwhile, Edrew pulled back the carriage tarp to check on the corpses. The ice preserving them had begun to melt. With a low chant, the air around the bodies shimmered, and a fresh layer of frost spread over them, sealing the flesh once more. Satisfied, he closed the tarp.
By the time Noki returned, Edrew had already lit a campfire—seemingly with magic—and was stirring a pot over the flames.
"Here," he said, handing Noki a plate of meat and a cup of water. "Eat your fill. We'll sleep soon and head straight to our destination tomorrow."
Noki eyed the meat suspiciously, poking at it as if searching for something.
"It's not human meat, relax," Edrew snorted. "I'm not insane enough to serve that. Just eat."
After their meal, both men drifted into an uneasy sleep—Noki slumped against a tree, sword in hand and head bowed, while Edrew lay sprawled on the grass, arms behind his head as he gazed at the moonlight.
But peace was short-lived.
A sound jolted Noki awake—*thud. Thud. THUD.*
The carriage shuddered, its wooden frame groaning as something inside hammered against the walls, clawing like it meant to splinter the planks apart.
"What the hell...?"
Noki's eyes snapped to Edrew, who somehow still slept soundly. The pounding grew louder, more frantic. Swallowing his dread, Noki rose, sword gripped tight, and crept toward the carriage.
Each step made his pulse spike. As he reached for the tarp, fingers trembling—
"HUAARGHH!"
A voice roared behind him.
Noki whirled around, heart in his throat. "FUCK! Don't scare me like that, you bastard!"
Edrew doubled over laughing. "Pfft—haahaha! Better not open that. And next time you hear something... ignore it." He wiped a tear, smirk sharp. "You're not ready for what's inside."
Though curiosity burned, Noki backed down—partly from Edrew's warning, partly from the eerie scritch-scratch still leaking from the carriage. He returned to his seat, but sleep never came again.
Despite his fear, curiosity gnawed at Noki. He lit the cigar Edrew had tossed him and took a shaky drag.
"What was that noise? Do you hear it every night?"
Edrew exhaled a smoke ring, nodding. "The ice preserves their bodies... but their souls still feel the pain. Trapped. Agonized. I don't like doing it, but it's necessary."
A chill crawled up Noki's spine. He puffed harder, as if the smoke could steady his nerves.
Edrew burst out laughing. "Hahaha! A killer like you, scared of ghosts? Relax—nothing's gonna happen."He smirked. " Though if you wanna quit, now's your chance. No shame in it."
Noki's pride flared. "You think I'm scared of this bullshit?" He stomped toward the carriage, cigar clenched between his teeth, and yanked the tarp open—
—and froze.
His pupils dilated. His body locked rigid. Then, like a felled tree, he collapsed face-first into the dirt.
Edrew sighed from afar. "Dumb old man. Told you not to look."
Strolling over, he peered into the carriage. Headless specters, severed torsos, and limbless shadows stared back—one even winked a hollow eye socket.
"Ha! Knock it off," Edrew scolded. "I'll deliver you to your families soon. Quit terrorizing the newbie."
The carriage erupted in ghostly laughter—"Hahahaha!"—as the spirits retreated, amused they'd pranked Noki into oblivion.