Looking out the window, Jane squinted. As they moved past a certain place, memories flashed.
"Dad, isn't this the place where you were abducted and imprisoned?" Jane pointed at the distance.
Jon looked out of the window and chuckled.
"That's true. It can't happen anymore since I am a high-ranking merchant for the Norde Merchant Guild, and we have two companies of silver-ranked guards and two knights at our disposal."
Last time they were just ordinary merchants courageous enough to take risks and had encountered losses at the cruel hands of bandits, thieves, and barbarians, but after joining the Norde Merchant Guild, one of the big guilds in the Sacred Flame Empire, they were able to grow into a sizeable merchant group in a period of a year.
One year was all it took to transform from a small convoy that could barely afford protection from a company of silver-ranked warriors to one that now had 200 top-tier silver-ranked swordsmen and two knights!
Their growth was staggering.
"What do you think of that young lord we met a year back?" Jane turned to face her father.
Jon rubbed his beard with squinted eyes. "Not much. He should be doing well governing his small territory, but I don't really remember much about him since this year has been hectic. We're here because of the rumors of a unique olive oil. If the rumors are true, the convoy will surely grow."
Jane furrowed her brows.
"Does such oil truly exist? It has so many good qualities that I don't think it can be found in the wastelands of all places."
"Our informants said the source was right here."
"He also said we should head for an outpost called Goshen. Both you and I know that there was no outpost here a year ago, and unless it is built with tents, no solid outpost can be built here in just one year."
"Let's see. If this was a waste of time, then they shall pay us for wasting our time, but if not, we are the ones to gain."
After a while, the convoy arrived at Goshen's outskirts. Beholding the magnificent city that was illuminated specially by the sun, both Jon, his daughter, their guards, and subordinates gasped. It was truly a magnificent city.
Although not as big as the main cities in the Sacred Flame Empire, Goshen could match them in beauty and quality. The green clay made Jon marvel.
He could not believe that there was someone this wealthy in this part of the continent. The wastelands were like a place for the poor, criminals, and low-class nobles without a future.
"Was this built by Count William?!"
"He's at war, and he must have been planning it for a long while. Wars consume lots of money and resources; how could he build this magnificent city at the same time? Besides, to make this city thrive with greenery when its environment is almost a desert would cost quite a number of elemental crystals."
"We already booked a meeting with the Lord of the city. From him, we shall know who owns this city."
Jon shook his head at his daughter's antics.
They heard a loud voice when the convoy reached the city gate.
The sound of footsteps fell into their ears until it stopped right before their carriage. Jon opened the door with furrowed brows. He found one of his knights outside the door, and behind the knight was a 7-foot-tall soldier clad in golden-black armor that had spikes.
The magnificent armor and the thick aura swirling around the soldier were even more powerful than that of his knight!
The Ashbourne knight tilted his head. "You are?"
His deep voice fell into Jon's ears.
"I am Jon; I was sent here by the Norde Merchant Guild."
The soldier raised an eyebrow. "I see."
"We would like to search your carts."
"With all pleasure. Go ahead." Jon smiled. The Ashbourne Knight nodded, turned, and walked away. Jon looked at his knight, came down, and when he saw over five Ashbourne Knights examining the carts, filled with goods, his eyes narrowed.
He turned toward the wall and saw gallant-looking men with wolf caps, steel face masks, and silver plate armor on the walls. Their longbows were firmly gripped in their hands as they stood like statues facing the horizon.
The aura he felt from them wasn't that of a silver-ranked archer but a gold-ranked one! This meant the 20 men he could see at the top of the wall were knights!
Lowering his head, he saw more elite Desolate Wolves searching other guests. Their stunning height and eye-catching armor made them easily noticeable amongst the crowd. There were over 20 of them.
Just at the gates, there were 40 knights!
This made Jon's boast about two knights pathetic. He thought he could finally walk into the wastelands as an esteemed individual, but it seemed like the wasteland grew faster than him.
What in the world were 40 knights doing in the most wretched place in the continent?!
Unable to make heads or tails of the situation, he boarded the carriage and waited until the Ashbourne knights were done with searching his convoy.
The convoy began to move. When they entered the city and Jon beheld the true meaning of magnificence, his lips refused to close. It was like the mini version of a filthy rich duke's capital.
The structure of the city, especially the dividing walls, made Jon yearn to see the architect. To him, only a saint-grade architect could build such a grand city.
Jon leaned toward the window of his carriage and gestured toward his knight. The only thing that made his carriage stand out more was that it had glass, not curtains, covering the windows.
The knight came close.
"As we head for an inn, find a good restaurant for me and my daughter."