Back then, they didn’t have a private carriage.
Most of the time, they had to travel on horseback.
Wind blew in their faces, dust coated their clothes, and they had to find sheltered spots to rest at night. They ate dry rations, drank cold water, and even while sleeping, they had to keep one ear open for any movement in the surroundings.
But now, things were different.
They were heading to the royal capital.
They were riding in a carriage arranged by a noble merchant caravan.
There were guards, a manager, and a pre-planned route with relay stations.
This change caused an indescribable emotion to rise in Aidan’s heart.
It wasn't simple joy.
It was more like a mixture of bewilderment, excitement, and awe.
He still remembered when he first walked out of his village; he had never imagined a day like this would come.
Back then, his greatest wish was simply to become an adventurer and attain Black Iron Rank status so that he wouldn't be like a typical country youth whose life was predictable from start to finish.
But now, he had followed Big Brother Matthew to the county seat and was about to head to the royal capital.
And all of this was because of Matthew.
Aidan stole a glance at Matthew.
Matthew’s expression remained calm.
But what Aidan didn't know was that Matthew’s heart was not entirely without ripples either.
A private carriage.
A noble merchant caravan.
A recommendation letter.
Intelligence on the royal capital.
These things, laid out before him one by one, made Matthew feel the change in his status and value more clearly than ever before.
In the past, when he came from the small town to the county seat, he was just a low-level apprentice who needed to hide cautiously and find his own way.
Back then, he had very little to rely on.
He had to judge many things for himself.
On the road, he had to be wary of beasts, bandits, and strangers, while also being careful not to let his resources be seen by others.
But now, though he was still weak, he was no longer completely ignored.
Regg was willing to invest in him ahead of time.
The Holder family was willing to give him a recommendation letter.
The caravan manager treated him with respect.
These things weren't because of how likable he was as a person.
It was because he was a wizard apprentice.
Because he had shown potential.
Because others believed that he might bring a greater return in the future.
Matthew saw this very clearly.
Yet because he saw it so clearly, his heart became even more determined.
This world was very pragmatic.
It was so pragmatic it was almost repulsive.
But pragmatism had its benefits as well.
As long as you showed enough value, someone would proactively make way for you.
Matthew didn’t need unprovoked kindness from others.
He only needed to make himself more and more valuable.
A Second-Grade Apprentice was not enough.
A Third-Grade Apprentice might not be enough either.
An Official Wizard was the true threshold where fate could truly change.
Matthew looked into the distance.
The road outside the East Gate stretched deep into the mist, its end nowhere in sight.
That was the direction of the royal capital.
It was also the direction toward higher heights.
There was expectation in his heart.
It was stronger than it had been two days ago.
The spells of the capital. The resources of the capital. The wizard circles of the capital.
And that vaguely existing academy gate waiting for him to approach.
These things were like distant fires, burning silently behind the fog.
Matthew knew there would certainly be danger ahead.
Perhaps some people in the capital would be even more difficult to deal with than Herbert.
Perhaps the rules there were more complex, and a single misstep could drag him into a larger vortex.
Perhaps once he arrived, he would find that he, a Second-Grade Apprentice, was still as lowly as dust.
But it didn't matter.
He had known for a long time that he wasn't strong.
He had never fantasized that the world would proactively be gentle toward him.
All he had to do was walk forward step by step.
Use magic stones to improve himself.
Use caution to avoid danger.
Use resources to trade for spells.
Use opportunities to approach higher levels.
Until one day, he would no longer need to rely on Regg’s recommendation letter, no longer need to hide from Third-Grade Apprentices like Herbert, and no longer need to flee in a sorry state because of a Fifth-Grade Apprentice’s tomb.
At this thought, the suppressed expectation in the depths of Matthew’s heart finally surged slightly.
His gaze remained calm.
But beneath that calm, it was as if a fire was slowly burning.
Aidan placed the bundles onto the carriage.
Most of those bundles were just ordinary luggage to deceive others; the truly important things were all in Matthew’s storage ring.
Matthew boarded the carriage and sat down inside the compartment.
The interior was more comfortable than he had imagined.
The seats were cushioned, there was a fixed small table in the middle, and there were hidden compartments on the sides for water skins, books, and personal items. The walls were thick, and once the curtains were drawn, it was difficult for those outside to see in.
It was much more comfortable than riding a horse.
Sitting inside, Matthew suddenly thought of the days when he was covered in dust from the wind on the road.
Back then, he had no choice.
He could only ride a horse.
He could only endure the wind, rain, dust, and bumps of the road.
But now, he had a carriage.
This wasn't a matter of enjoyment.
This was a change in treatment.
It was also a change in status.
Matthew didn’t become arrogant because of this, yet he still clearly felt the meaning brought by this change.
When a person moves upward, many things don't become glorious all at once.
But the details change first.
The place where one lives changes.
The people one talks to change.
The attitude of the other party changes.
The way one travels also changes.
These details silently reminded Matthew that he was no longer the low-level apprentice from the beginning who lacked everything and had to endure everything on his own.
But it wasn't enough.
Far from enough.
Matthew lowered the curtain, leaned back in the carriage, and lightly touched the storage ring on his left hand.
The ring was cold.
Inside lay magic stones, materials, the recommendation letter, and that booklet of information on the capital.
These were the foundation for his continued ascent.
Outside the carriage, the Guard Captain shouted loudly, “Inspection complete! Prepare to depart!”
Horses neighed.
The wheels slowly turned.
The carriage swayed slightly and soon moved forward steadily.
Aidan sat on the outside of the carriage and looked back at the county seat.
The tall city walls gradually receded in the morning light.
The city where they had lived for two months was slowly being left behind.
Aidan felt some reluctance, but also some excitement.
Matthew, however, did not look back for long.
He merely watched through a gap in the curtain as the silhouette of the county seat grew smaller.
This place had given him resources.
It had also given him danger.
Now, it was time for him to leave.
Ahead was the royal capital.
A larger stage.
And a deeper vortex.
Matthew slowly closed his eyes.
The wheels rolled over the road, making a rhythmic sound.
In this slight swaying, he did not rest but instead began to silently operate his meditation method.
The first strand of Spirit in the early morning flowed slowly deep within his consciousness.
The royal capital was still far.
Becoming a Third-Grade Apprentice was also still far.
But at least, from this moment on, he was on his way.
...
...
One week later.
Shortly after dawn, the mist over the main road had mostly dissipated.
On both sides of the road were rolling low hills, the grass and trees dampened by morning dew, shimmering with a fine layer of light under the sun. Occasionally, sparse patches of woodland could be seen in the distance, the shadows of trees swaying gently in the wind. Further away were the blurred outlines of mountains, like a layer of pale blue shadows pressing against the horizon.
The main road was not particularly smooth.
This road had clearly been traveled by many merchant caravans and travelers; the hard earth had been repeatedly crushed by wheels, leaving ruts of varying depths. Occasionally hitting a stone or a shallow pit, the wheels would jolt slightly, emitting a dull thud.
A merchant caravan was slowly moving along the road.
The sound of wheels, hooves, and the low conversations of guards mixed together, not noisy, but carrying a sense of rhythm unique to long-distance travel.
At the very front, two mounted guards led the way.
They wore dark leather armor with swords at their waists and shortbows on their backs, their gazes constantly scanning both sides of the road. A little further back were the first and second carriages, carrying food, water barrels, tents, and some spare tools needed for the journey.
The third carriage was more specialized; its exterior was reinforced with iron bars, and it contained spare weapons, arrows, shields, and several sealed boxes for defense. If they encountered bandits or magical beasts on the road, the items in this carriage could be immediately distributed to the guards.
The fourth carriage was located in the middle of the convoy.
Compared to the freight wagons in front and behind, this carriage was clearly more suitable for passengers. Its exterior was not luxurious; copper strips were only wrapped around the corners of the deep brown wooden boards. However, the wheels were wide and thick, the body was stable, and thick cloth curtains hung on both sides of the windows, both to block the sun and to isolate the interior from outside prying eyes.
This was the carriage Matthew was riding in.
Further back were four freight wagons loaded with supplies.
Those wagons were bundled with furs, herbs, wooden crates, and several boxes of silverware covered with oilskins. Each wagon was followed by guards, and the caravan manager occasionally rode back from the front to check the goods and personnel along the line.
Eight carriages.
Guards at the front and back.
A passenger carriage in the middle, along with spare rest carriages.
Food, water, defensive weapons, cargo, and accompanying personnel were all arranged in an orderly fashion.
The scale of this convoy wasn't exaggeratedly large, but it was certainly professional.
At least for the journey from the county seat to the royal capital, it was sufficiently secure.
Inside the fourth carriage, the light was dim and quiet.
The thick cloth curtains blocked most of the sunlight, leaving only a sliver of a bright gap. The carriage swayed gently with the road, and the water skin in the corner of the compartment followed with a very faint sloshing sound.
Matthew sat cross-legged on a cushion.
His hands were placed naturally on his knees, his breathing was steady, and his eyelids were lowered.
Outside the carriage was the advancing caravan, but inside, it was as if it were partitioned into another world.
Matthew was meditating.
This was already the seventh day since leaving the county seat.
During these seven days, they traveled by day and rested by night. Most of the time, he stayed in the carriage and rarely took the initiative to speak with those outside. The people in the caravan only knew that this Lord Matthew was a guest personally entrusted to their care by Young Master Regg, and they also knew he was a wizard apprentice, so no one dared to disturb him casually.
This quiet was exactly what Matthew wanted.
He didn’t need excitement.
Nor did he need meaningless socializing.
To him, every day was important.
After departing from the county seat, he didn’t completely relax just because he had left a dangerous place. On the contrary, the closer he got to the royal capital, the clearer the sense of urgency in Matthew’s heart became.
Herbert’s shadow was still there.
The dangers of the tomb were still in his memory.
The unknowns of the royal capital were also waiting for him ahead.
These things didn’t crush him; instead, they were like invisible hands pushing him to keep moving forward.
He would meditate every day.
If his state allowed, he would absorb an ordinary magic stone.
If his Spirit felt slightly saturated, he would only perform ordinary meditation to stabilize the energy he had previously absorbed.
After a week, Matthew could already clearly feel the changes in himself.
These changes were still not massive.
He hadn’t had a breakthrough yet.
There was still a way to go before becoming a Third-Grade Apprentice.
But the density of his Spirit had indeed increased.
His meditation trajectory was also more stable than before he left the county seat.
Especially in a relatively enclosed and quiet environment like the carriage, Matthew could more clearly experience every bit of his accumulation.
This feeling was slow.
Yet it was very solid.
It was like a person building stone steps in the dark.
Only laying down a small piece every day.
But as long as one looked back, they would find that they were already standing higher than before.
The carriage jolted slightly.
Matthew slowly opened his eyes.
The calm darkness in the depths of his eyes gradually dissipated, and his consciousness slowly returned to reality from the meditative state.
He didn't move immediately.
Instead, he sat quietly for a moment, feeling the flow of Spirit within his body.
Steady.
No obvious disorder.
Nor was there any of the saturation remaining from absorbing the magic stone last night.
This indicated that yesterday's energy had mostly settled.
Matthew nodded slightly in his mind.
According to this progress, as long as no accidents occurred later, he could still stabilize quite a bit more before arriving at the royal capital.
Of course, breaking through to a Third-Grade Apprentice couldn't happen that quickly.
But being able to maintain cultivation while on the road was a good thing in itself.
If he had only been able to travel on horseback as before, he wouldn't have been able to achieve this at all.
When riding a horse, the body needs to maintain balance at all times, pay attention to the road, and be wary of the surroundings. Even if one stopped at night, they were often exhausted and still had to guard against dangers in the wild, so meditation efficiency would naturally drop.
But now, there was a carriage, guards, and a mature merchant caravan.
Matthew could meditate in the carriage during the day and cultivate quietly in the camp at night.
This was the practical benefit brought by the change in treatment.
It wasn't just about comfort.
It was about reducing consumption and increasing efficiency.
Matthew reached out and lifted a corner of the curtain.
The light from outside immediately shone in.
He squinted slightly, looking out of the carriage.
The scenery on both sides of the main road was slowly receding.
In the distance was open grassland, and further away were several low hills. Occasionally, travelers could be seen passing by the roadside—some leading donkeys, some pushing small carts, and a group of villagers with hunting bows on their backs standing by the road, waiting for the caravan to pass before resuming their journey.
Matthew watched for a while and then spoke, “Aidan.”
Not far away, Aidan, who was riding beside the carriage, immediately heard the voice.
He lightly squeezed his horse's flanks and trotted closer to the window.
“Big Brother Matthew.”
For the past few days, Aidan had spent most of his time riding alongside the convoy.
He was now a Black Iron Rank Class holder, and his physical fitness was much stronger than that of an ordinary person. Although traveling on horseback was tiring, he could still endure it. Compared to sitting in the carriage, he preferred to move around outside with the guards.
On one hand, he could familiarize himself with the caravan.
On the other hand, he could also keep an eye on the situation outside at any time.
Of course, he knew very well that his true task was not to protect the entire caravan but to follow Matthew’s orders.
Matthew glanced at him.
Aidan’s face was somewhat flushed from the wind, a cloak was draped over his shoulders, and a short sword hung at his waist. Compared to two months ago when he had just come out of the countryside, he now had more of the appearance of a Class holder.
He was still very green.
But at least he no longer looked like an ordinary youth.
Matthew asked, “How much longer until we reach the royal capital?”
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