Path to Transcendence

Chapter 406: Catching Up

“Who do you represent?” The woman asked Doren with a respectful bow.

Doren shrugged his shoulders. “I represent myself.”

She sounded relieved at this answer. “That makes things easier. So, why are you here?”

“My own interests,” Doren said simply.

“And they are…?” She prodded.

“None of your business,” Doren told her bluntly.

She took it well and didn’t bring it up again. “Well, I appreciate you dealing with that fellow over there. I was waiting for him to make a move, but wasn’t able to detect him before he did.”

“I assume that this was all planned by the guild?” Doren asked a question of his own.

“Yes, we have had a number of traitors recently, and this seemed to be the best way to lure them out. We weren’t expecting so many, though,” she explained.

“You were risking the lives of some important scions,” Doren commented.

She winced upon the mention of this. “Yes, but it was the only way we could be confident that we would draw them out,” she said.

Julius shook his head, not happy upon hearing that. He had been skeptical about such a large expedition; he should have known there was something more behind it. He and his friends had almost been killed or hurt.

He let himself relax a little bit. He and his friends were fine. Even better, he had reunited with Edwin, and so while Doren and the unknown lady talked. Julius took Edwin off on their own. People were running all around, healing the wounds and finishing off any remaining monsters.

He also checked on these so-called dead people on his way. He knelt next to a guy who had his chest crushed and spotted the healing energy surrounding the body like a small bubble. He was right, there was some kind of time magic going on as well. He wasn’t an expert, but it felt just like what Stella had used against him.

He checked on multiple bodies, and while not everyone had this energy protecting them, a significant number did. He didn’t know these people, but it was a relief to see that there weren’t as many casualties caught up in this plan as he initially believed.

***

While Doren fended off the womanʼs questioning, Edwin and Julius took this time to catch up. Julius created a pair of chairs for the two of them and removed some snacks from his storage ring. He even brewed some tea for Edwin, knowing exactly what kind of tea his trainer enjoyed.

Julius proceeded to give Edwin a brief rundown of what happened after the teleportation array had whisked him away.

He told him about the rift he found himself getting trapped in. He also told him about going to Heston and attending Goldencrest.

Edwin listened attentively and only interrupted to ask some clarifying questions. The man seemed more concerned about the direction his skills were leading him. He was really worried that Julius’s foundation had a flaw.

Julius knew that Edwin had his own issues with his foundation in the past, so he could understand the man’s worry.

After he spoke of his own experiences, Julius asked Edwin about what happened from his point of view. He even finally mustered the courage to ask about his uncle. He already knew the answer, especially considering that Edwin had been beating around the topic since they reunited. Still, it almost felt as if Edwin confirmed it, then it would actually be true.

“No, your uncle didn’t make it. He took out the rest of the attackers and gave me a chance to escape,” Edwin said with a pained expression, as if reliving the memory.

Silence pervaded between them for some time as they grieved. Julius already knew what had happened, but seeing Edwin alive gave him one last bit of hope that Lukas might have survived as well. But alas, it wasn’t meant to be.

They didn’t care about the people around them; they just talked and enjoyed the time they had together.

Eventually, Doren walked up to them, letting them know it was time to wrap it up. Something that neither of them was very pleased about, but knew there was nothing to be done.

“Are you sure you will be fine?” Julius asked Edwin again.

“Stop worrying. I will be alright,” Edwin assured him with a soft smile.

“Even if you return without Tuan?”

Apparently, the Tier 5 woman didn’t seem very willing to let the Tier 5 who came with Edwin go. And Doren didn’t fight too hard to keep her from that. Thus, it would just be Edwin who would be returning. He was going to tell the Conclave that the guild had laid a trap for them, which was technically accurate, but it was still a risk.

“They won’t be happy, but I don’t think they will blame me for it. They understand that anyone who can take care of Tuan would be able to take care of me much more easily. Plus, they know that I am very close to Tier 5 and would rather not lose a valuable asset.”

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Julius looked down at the ground and kicked some dirt. “Just be careful, okay? I only just got you back. I don’t want to lose you again.”

Edwin found this hilarious for some reason and grabbed hold of Julius in a tight hug. “I’ll see you again. Remember, I might see you in the capital if you end up going to the tournament.”

“Yeah, I guess we will have to see about that. I don’t know who this Cain person Doren wants me to meet. There is only a little over a month until the tournament, but I will know after I meet him.”

“It doesn’t matter. If you can’t, then I will go to Heston and meet with the vice captain you mentioned. Either way, we will find our way back to one another,” Edwin promised him.

***

Doren and Julius didn’t stay for long after Edwin went on his way. Julius barely held in his emotions as he said goodbye to the man he had finally reunited with. He just reminded himself that he should be thankful that he knew that Edwin was alive and that they would meet again in the near future when the timing was better.

On another note, the guild was very happy that Doren was leaving. They likely didn’t want to deal with someone so strong during this mess.

The Tier 5 woman had gone off and healed the rest of the people she had saved. Something that Julius wished he had seen with his own eyes.

Doren had wanted to take him immediately to Cain, but Julius had convinced the man to let him go see his friends first. Doren didnʼt argue with him and teleported them back to Peralt. When they arrived, Julius found himself being questioned by all of them.

He did his best to explain what had happened, which significantly alleviated their concerns. He also told them about Edwin. They were some of the first people he had told about his past, and he felt warm and fuzzy when they all reacted to hearing about Edwin’s survival with excitement.

All of them were happy for him and promised Julius that if Edwin needed help, their families would be more than glad to be there. He didnʼt know how useful it would be, but he was grateful nonetheless.

However, their happiness quickly faded when he told them that he would be leaving shortly. He did his best to explain the situation and that he was going to meet Cain, a man that Doren really wanted Julius to see.

They hadn’t been very pleased by this, but in the face of someone like Doren, they understood that there wasn’t much room to argue. They also understood that it was a relatively small repayment for the man’s help. Thus, before he was even able to eat dinner, Doren whisked him away once more.

***

Tessa POV

There were times when she hated her job. It could be so tiring and complicated. She didn’t know what the guildmaster and other executives were thinking when they decided to go with this plan.

It put a lot of pressure on her, and she didn’t like that. It was easy for them because they weren’t actually doing any of the heavy lifting. But the guildmaster wanted to clean up the guild, and this was likely their best option.

They had already caught the people responsible for leaking guild information. It was an alarming number of high-ranked individuals. This Conclave organization was becoming a big issue, and they certainly weren’t the only ones who were being caught up in their dealings. She was aware of several other towns and cities that were dealing with even larger issues.

However, that wasn’t what she was worried about. She was more concerned with the people they used as bait. Some of them were extremely important children, and she was sure that their parents would have something to say to the guild.

While she had saved most, not even she could save someone who had their head ripped off. She spotted a couple of people she knew were members of a noble house covered in cloth. Their corpses were a reminder of the event that had just transpired. Their families would be the ones that needed to be appeased the most.

She looked over at where the man named Doren had vanished off to. From what she could tell, he wasn’t someone involved in the attack. He seemed to be there because of that black haired boy.

Speaking of the boy, she made sure to note his name for herself and her superiors. According to the roster, his name was Julius Snow, but she doubted that was his real name.

She was still a little confused by what she saw him do. She wondered if the powerful man had helped, but seeing a Tier 3 take down multiple Tier 4s was not something she had ever experienced.

There was something about this boy, and this Doren person was obviously curious as well. Otherwise, he would not have placed so much of his focus on him. She knew better than most that powerful people like Doren didn’t just pay attention to any regular person. They only took an interest in special people.

The fact that he had taken an interest in this boy meant he was one of them.

As she was thinking about this, she looked over at Simon, who was securing the Tier 5 left behind. Doren had done them a great service by taking care of this person. It was supposed to be her job, but she didn’t have to do anything.

She had healed Simon, who had taken quite the beating from the lightning monster earlier. To his credit, that beast was very strong. So she wouldn’t tease him too severely.

Once he had secured the prisoner, he came over to her. “What is it?”

She glanced at him, taking some of her focus from the unconscious patient at her feet. “Nothing, just thinking.”

He had known her long enough that he was able to tell that there was something else bothering her, but he didn’t push it. He would likely save it for later when they were alone.

“Who was that man earlier? The one wearing glasses?” Simon asked her.

“His name was Doren. He said he wasn’t a part of the attack and that it was just a coincidence that he was here,” she replied.

“Doren?” Simon asked, not immediately recognizing the name like she had hoped he would.

On the other hand, she was half confident that she had heard the name before. She just couldn’t recall exactly where she had heard it. She would have to ask her family about it. They might know who this Doren person was.

Someone that strong must have some kind of reputation.

She looked back at the mess she was left with and let out a heavy sigh. She was not looking forward to the shitstorm she was going to have to deal with for the next couple of weeks. Having to take care of this mission was already a lot of work, but she shuddered in fear when she thought about all of the paperwork the guild was going to make her fill out.

She glanced over at Simon, who was fixing some of his equipment with a devious grin. She could always have him do it for her. If she played her cards right, she might not have to do all of that paperwork.

Simon must have caught her gaze because he gave her a curious tilt of his head. “Yes?”

“Nothing,” she said with a slight shake of her head, hiding the grin quickly before he could see it. She didn’t want to give him a heads-up; he would likely try to run away if he knew what she was planning. That would be bad.