Path to Transcendence

Chapter 684: Goldmere

Julius found himself enjoying the ride more than expected. As anticipated, the carriage was extremely comfortable. There weren't any bumps or the like. Whatever enchantments they used for the carriage worked immaculately. He tried to study them as best he could. Sadly, they were so complicated that he could himself become more confused than anything.The roads were actually very well built, too, which probably helped matters. It wasn’t quite like the standards of the towns near the capital of the Empire, but they were pretty darn close. Clean and well-paved roads stretched for miles, allowing for easy travel. It also meant there were many other traveling merchants and caravans.

From what he could understand, long-range teleportation in Corvus was highly regulated and extremely expensive. So much so that it was almost never worth using, even for wealthy people.

The caravan made several stops at various towns along the way to Goldmere. These stops lasted anywhere from a couple of hours to staying overnight. But Julius didn’t mind; he could see Corvus for the first time.

He was able to see for himself how the people lived and how they acted in their day-to-day lives. It was quite refreshing to see the similarities to that of the Empire. The biggest difference, though, was the sheer number of sects. He’d already seen many people wearing uniforms of the sect they belonged to. He didn’t know how people kept up with all of these sects. It seemed impossible to understand which was which and who was important.

However, Walter and Arlen did. They seemed to know the sects who were in charge or towards the top of the food chain and were able to navigate with grace and experience.

When they were about two days out from Goldmere, they finally ran across their problem. On the side of the road, he spotted a massive line of people coming out of the woods. These people looked like they had seen better days. Many of them sported various injuries and were covered in blood. Tears and snot rolled down their faces as they struggled to stand.

Children were draped over the tired adult’s shoulders. It was a sorry sight.

The caravan pulled to a stop, and Julius used his senses, extending them far beyond the carriage. He spotted Walter coming out of a carriage up ahead, approaching this line of people.

“What’s going on? Why are we stopping?” the older gentleman asked loudly.

Other passengers were also talking amongst themselves, wondering what was going on. None of them could tell what was happening outside.

“It’s okay, everyone. We just stopped for a second. There's no danger or monster approaching,” Genene called out loudly, trying to settle them down.

Julius saw Walter talking with a man in charge of the people on the side of the road, and they seemed to be discussing something.

He was curious why these people were on the road in the first place. And why did they look like they had just come from a battle?

Walter and the man seemed to come to an agreement, and before Julius could figure out what was happening, Walter came over to their carriage, opened the door, and looked at the crowd of passengers.

“Does anyone among you have any healing skills of any kind? We have come across a group of people whose village was recently destroyed by a powerful monster. There are many children who are sick or injured, and they need specialized healing magic,” Walter quickly explained to them.

The aloof young noblewoman sitting diagonally from him was the first to stand up; she didn’t even give him time to finish what he was going to say. She got up from her seat, a blank expression still on her face, but without a word or hesitation, pushed past Walter, already heading over to the injured children.

He saw the woman of the young couple also standing up; however, she seemed less confident.

“Umm, do you need an actual healer? I have a healing skill, but its water is attributed. And I wouldn’t call myself very skilled in the area,” she said shyly.

Walter gestured at her. “Doesn’t matter, any help would be great,” he said urgently and escorted her off the carriage to where the injured were already being sorted.

Julius sat in his seat; he didn’t really know what to do. He didn’t feel confident enough in his new, strong healing skill to use on other people. He still had Drasil, but sadly, the little guy hadn’t finished his preparations for his new form. He could only become an orb at the moment, which wasn’t what Drasil was hoping for.

He let out a sigh and sagged back into his seat. Hopefully, there were enough people to help the injured even without their help. He could already tell that Walter had two healers under his employ, but he didn’t know how good they were.

He was already planning to stay out of it, but apparently Drasil had other ideas. He was sending Julius several bursts of emotions, basically telling him that he wanted to help out.

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Julius frowned. he said to Drasil.

He got a strong affirmative in response, and he knew once Drasil got his mind on something, he wouldn’t let go. Plus, it would feel good to help these people. They seemed like they had a rough time out there, losing their village and their home must have been awful, so who was he to deny them some hope and reprieve in these sad times?

He stood up, and while the other passengers watched him, he exited the carriage and went over to the injured group of people with Drasil appearing over his shoulder as a pale green orb of light.

Walter was the first to notice him, a frown on his face while he inspected the glowing orb over Julius’s shoulder.

“You’re a healer too?”

Julius tilted his head. “Not exactly, but my contracted spirit is, and he intends to help these people. I take it that’s alright with you?”

Walter nodded firmly. “Of course. I take it, your familiar is a spirit?”

“He is.”

“And he’s healed people before?”

Julius nodded. “He has.”

“Then please, go right ahead. Those who require immediate healing have been separated from the rest, including the children. My company’s healers are attending them, but feel free to jump in whenever you wish.”

Julius nodded and immediately went over to the nearest injured, who happened to be a young child. They were unconscious, but he spotted a huge burn over their forearm, and it looked like it was already getting infected if the fever and swelling were any indicator.

Julius nodded toward Drasil, who quickly floated down and began to infuse life mana into the young boy. He’d already been told to hold back a little so that he didn’t attract too much attention, so it took a little extra time, but after several minutes, the child was completely healed.

Then Drasil floated over to the next one and healed them similarly. Though Julius couldn’t help but notice the faint traces of corruption lingering in these wounds. He did his best to keep a scowl from appearing on his face, infusing his mind with his Concept of Balance to calm himself.

He didn’t know what the Conclave was planning or if this was even them, but if they responsible for this, it only gave him more reasons to rid them from the face of the continent. In the meantime, he would keep an eye out.

***

After they healed the injured villagers, it took them about a week to arrive at Goldmere, and while they hadn't come across any more signs of corruption along the way, they had come across one pack of wild monsters. A pack that the guards of the caravan dealt with easily. They were only a bunch of Tier 3s with a single Tier 4 as their leader, so it wasn’t very dangerous.

The villagers, on the other hand, were escorted to a nearby town, where the local authorities helped them and provided a report on what had happened. Several groups of adventurers and other men were sent out immediately to check if the monster was still rampaging.

After Drasil rendered aid, he didn’t gain as much attention as he expected. Most of the passengers in the carriage didn’t seem to know what he did, or rather what Drasil did, so they didn’t bother him.

The only ones who seemed to know were the two women who also helped out the villagers. However, it was the noblewoman in particular whose attention Julius had garnered. He caught her staring at him intensely when she thought he wasn’t looking.

He didn’t know the reason for this, but he couldn’t exactly complain. He’d already inspected her skill while she was frantically healing the villagers, sparing no mana to help them as quickly and as effectively as possible.

He could tell from her healing how skilled she was. She was Tier 4 and had incredible control over her mana, using her authority in ways that he didn't know were possible when it came to healing.

In fact, he didn’t think there were many people in the Burning Sun Sect who could compare with her, but then again, the Burning Sun Sect wasn’t exactly known for its healing.

When Julius first saw the city of Goldmere, he was quite shocked. While it wasn’t a city made of gold or anything that ostentatious, it was still quite a sight. Massive spiraling towers speared towards the sky.

He spotted many flying swords and small ships coming in and out of the city. The architecture was quite unique, too. Each building seemed to have its own personality.

Goldmere was one of several large cities controlled by the Golden Cauldron Sect and was the reason for the sect's name. That also meant commerce and trade in this large city were a huge deal. People from across the country and the continent as a whole liked to congregate here to trade goods or buy something they would otherwise not find in other cities.

This also meant that adventurers loved the city. Some of the best bladesmiths and crafters gathered in this city to sell their goods. It wasn’t just because it was a commerce city either; it was mainly because the Golden Cauldron Sect provided many benefits and protections to those who did business within their walls.

He learned from talking with Walter the other day that the cities controlled by the Golden Cauldron Sect all had a few things in common. For one, they all were promised safety within the city’s walls. Not just from monsters, but from other people.

Criminal organizations were still present; that was unavoidable, but the city really cracked down on organizations that preyed on independent businesses. Unlike most places on the continent, nobody had to pay anyone, whether that was a sect or a specialized union to do business. They regulated certain things, but that was to keep the order and fairness for the rest of the established businesses.

They also facilitated loans and other means of financial assistance. But this was all to help promote new businesses and boost the overall economy of the city

Truth be told, Julius was reminded of his old world and the mechanisms of glorious capitalism.

It seemed to be working pretty effectively. Everyone on the street looked like they were eating well and had nice clothes on their backs. Of course, there were still a number of beggars in some alleys, but for the most part, it seemed like a successful city. At least on the surface.

Who knew what kind of secrets were hidden beneath the surface? Maybe he would find out if he stayed here for a bit longer?