I Ascend to the Divine Throne through Arcane Means

Bright City, Lower City District, near the north-side city gate.

This was one of the busiest gates of Bright City, where many travelers headed to the north of Bright City would set out. Between the deep gray bricks of the city wall, some green moss had begun to climb, giving a sense of the years to these weathered walls that had stood for so long.

At this time, a large group of people and horses were getting organized in an open space not far from the city gate.

This was the gathering place for all merchant caravans preparing to venture into the Northern Territory.

The majority of the wagons waiting here bore the same design, with a longsword symbol emblazoned on one side of the carriage, marking the insignia of the Kingdom’s premier Feis Guild.

This also signified that the organizers and leaders of this caravan were from the Feis Guild.

There was no doubt about the credibility and strength of the Feis Guild, which is why many different carriages had hurried here, queuing up honestly behind the merchant caravan, waiting to depart.

The leader of this merchant caravan, Feis Guild Manager Roque Lelli, was checking the readiness of the wagons, ensuring that all goods were loaded, the waterproof covers on the carriages were securely tied, and that all the guards were present, among other things.

He needed to verify and inspect each of these thoroughly.

This was no trifling matter—after all, the destination was Viscount Oraya’s territory in the Northern Kingdom, where many of the places along the way were sparsely populated. Any lapse in preparation could result in minor losses of goods, but a loss of life would leave one with endless regrets.

Thus, no matter how ample the preparations, Roque would personally recheck everything before departure.

This was why he, at just thirty years old, had become the manager of the Feis Guild, leading this merchant caravan.

"Lord Roque, the Guard Team is all prepared, and both the White Wolf Mercenary Group and other mercenaries that the Guild hired are assembled," said Zorff respectfully as he approached Roque, being the commander of the caravan’s guards.

"Zorff, you’re going to have a tough time on this trip," said Roque satisfactorily, nodding at the stalwart middle-aged warrior in front of him.

Although the caravan always issued commissions to hire experienced mercenaries, the most critical force for the caravan’s protection was still the Feis Guild’s own guard power.

In a critical situation, only their own people could be relied upon, though such scenarios were rare.

Zorff was among the Feis Guild’s most experienced Silver High Rank guard commanders, and it was probably because of his presence that the guild’s upper echelon had let Zorff take part in this caravan,

Roque understood that after all, this trip was just to the Northern Territory, still within the Kingdom’s borders. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Normally, a guard commander of Zorff’s calibre would accompany caravans going to other countries.

Of course, Roque naturally gave Zorff the respect he deserved.

"Has that person arrived?" asked Zorff in a deep voice. Among the caravan, only the two of them knew the identity of that person, as that person had specifically requested not to publicize it.

"Let’s wait a bit longer; they should be here soon," replied Roque, equally uncertain and definitely not daring to rush that person.

Because of that person’s request, Roque’s caravan should have been ready to depart a week ago, but they had been made to wait an additional week, showing the Guild’s emphasis on that person.

However, while Roque and Zorff were clear on the matter, the small merchants who had joined the caravan at the last minute dared not say anything, but some of the mercenaries hired by the Feis Guild were beginning to grumble.

Fink looked up at the sky; the sun had already climbed to a high position, yet the Feis caravan seemed to have no intention of departing yet.

Growing impatient, Fink complained to the nearby White Wolf Mercenary Group’s squad leader, Uncle Magat,

"What’s the situation with the Feis Guild, they clearly agreed to depart a week ago when they accepted the commission, and now they’re dragging it out this long? They don’t seem to be in a hurry at all."

Magat didn’t pay attention to Fink and instead sat on the carriage beside them, meticulously wiping a brown cloth over the longsword in his hands.

He wiped away the nearly non-existent dust as if handling his most intimate lover. Only after Magat sheathed his sword did he glance at Fink.

This lad had talent, being a high-level Bronze warrior at such a young age, but he was a bit too restless and impatient.

They hadn’t gotten that far, had they, and he was already anxious?

Magat shook his head and slapped Fink on the head, scolding him,

"You rascal, stop your babbling, just wait quietly. Are you in such a hurry to meet the God of Dawn?"

"Oh, Uncle Magat."

Fink, having been chastised, replied sullenly as he covered his head.

In reality, he was just talking to satisfy the urge to speak; he still didn’t dare to oppose Magat.

After all, the leader of the White Wolf Mercenary Group was a Gold-level warrior, with each of the Silver Level squad leaders below him.

Magat was among them and was the strongest Silver High Rank warrior in the squad.

This time, it was Magat’s mercenary squad that had accepted the commission from the Feis Guild.

While Fink was idly daydreaming, Magat suddenly jumped down from the carriage, calling his team members to prepare for departure.

"The person they’ve been waiting for must have arrived."

Fink lifted his head and saw a fancy brown carriage drawn by two horses slowly approaching their convoy.

Managers Roque and Zorff walked out from the group to welcome the carriage.

Fink recognized Roque; after all, this manager from the Feis Guild had been the one to commission them last time, leaving a strong impression on the young Fink with his shrewd yet courteous demeanor.

The brown carriage stopped before the convoy’s camp, and the door on one side opened. Roque and Zorff stood beside the carriage, greeting someone inside with respect.

It seemed that after a short while, Roque and Zorff left the carriage and returned to the midst of the convoy.

Soon after, the whole convoy became noisy as everyone started bustling about, preparing for departure.

Fink was still a bit confused about the situation when he heard Magat complaining nearby,

"It seems like we’ll be traveling with another VIP this time."

"What a hassle, I hope it’s not some annoying noble."

Fink cautiously turned to look at his squad leader, and immediately his head suffered another hit.

"What are you looking at, go and load your baggage onto the carriage!"

"Oh, right!"

Soon, the entire convoy was organized. Apparently, because the convoy had waited longer than usual, many traders had decided to join, with carriages large and small stretching out for hundreds of meters.

Guided by the guards of Bright City, the entire convoy slowly passed through the city gates, heading towards the Northern Territory of the Kingdom.