Above the mage

Chapter 69 The Journey

The caravan traveled eastward along the official road.

When we left Hogan, there were large fields on both sides of the road.

In broad daylight, many people were working in the fields.

These are fields belonging to the small villages surrounding the city of Hogan.

These farming and pastoral villages rely primarily on agriculture for their economy, providing grain and meat to the inhabitants of Hogan in exchange for goods they cannot produce themselves.

Although the population of each village is not particularly large, generally not exceeding one thousand.

But in reality, these villagers and farmers make up the majority of the world's population.

However, this scene can only be seen around Hogan City.

As the convoy moved forward, the weeds and trees along the road gradually became lush, and the human presence gradually disappeared.

Giant trees, some so large that it would take several people to encircle them, began to appear everywhere.

Thick layers of fallen leaves piled up on both sides of the road.

More and more bird calls and insect chirps could be heard.

Perhaps due to magic, or perhaps due to insufficient development, the wild plants in this world grow exceptionally lush and tall.

"Stay on the main road and don't wander off," the driver reminded Gao De.

Young people are impulsive and like to "stir things up," so he had to give them one more thing to say.

The official road is maintained by the government year-round, and mages are sent to inspect and clear away the surrounding ley line creatures. It cannot be said to be absolutely safe, but it is relatively safe in most cases.

But once they leave the official road and enter the primeval forest, things can get unpredictable.

Gao De nodded.

He wouldn't do anything reckless unless there was a reason.

The convoy usually needs to rest for 15 to 15 minutes every two hours, as both people and livestock need rest and replenishment.

However, the caravan had just departed from Hogan City, and after a few days of rest and recuperation, everyone was at their peak of energy and strength.

So they walked non-stop until noon, when the leader finally ordered a short break of half an hour.

Upon hearing that it could be repaired, Gao De immediately jumped off the carriage.

As the novelty wore off, the discomfort of the journey finally began to surface.

In the past, many people would feel tired after riding a smooth high-speed train for half a day, let alone the fact that Gaode's current mode of transportation is still a bumpy horse-drawn carriage used for carrying goods.

In just half a day, Gaode felt his buttocks were getting numb from all the bouncing.

Fortunately, I've improved my diet and exercise during this time, and my body has become much stronger.

After stretching his body a little, Gao De took out the water pouch from his waist and took a sip of water.

"You didn't bring enough water." The coachman jumped down from the carriage, took a large water bag made of cowhide from his waist, which was clearly two sizes larger than Gao De's, and took a big gulp before saying, "My name is Gru."

"Water sources in the wild are not safe. To replenish water, you can only go to villages and towns along the way, and it takes another two days to reach the next village or town where you can replenish water."

"It's okay, I'll drink less," Gao De said.

He didn't explain much. The reason he brought less water wasn't because he lacked common sense, but because the [Water Creation Technique] gave him the confidence to not bring more water.

For ordinary people traveling long distances around the world, clean drinking water often constitutes the bulk of their burden.

Gru then took a piece of corned beef from the cloth bag at his waist, broke it in half, and said, "Want to try some?"

Gao De looked at the two pieces of corned beef in Gru's hand, hesitated for a moment, and then took one.

Gru smiled and put the remaining half of the corned beef in his mouth and chewed.

Seeing this, Gao Decai felt reassured and began to taste it.

The beef is salted, making it very salty, and after a long period of marinating and pressing, it becomes exceptionally firm, even dry and hard.

Gao De chewed for a couple of bites and found it a bit difficult, so he chewed a few more times and then simply swallowed it.

Seeing this, Gru chuckled and said, "If it weren't for people like us who are used to eating this, ordinary people would have to tear it into tiny pieces before eating it."

"If you hadn't said so earlier, I would have swallowed it all." Gao De pouted.

After a brief rest, the team set off again.

After actually experiencing it, Gao De realized how difficult long-distance travel in the wild is for ordinary people.

We're still on the official road.

If, like Pierre in his youth, one were to venture into the primeval forest to hunt leyline creatures for resources, the challenge would increase several times over.

There are no such flat roads in the primeval forest; they are not only rugged and steep, but also full of dangers.

Whether it's wild beasts or even more ferocious creatures from the ley lines, they would be a nightmare for even mages, let alone ordinary people.

For an ordinary mage apprentice, venturing into a primeval forest to hunt alone is a gamble with their life.

Night falls.

Traveling at night not only obstructs visibility, increasing the risk of getting lost and encountering danger, but also severely depletes the physical strength of both people and livestock.

Therefore, staying overnight is the best option.

By dusk, the caravan had found a safe spot and set up a temporary camp to spend the night.

In fact, caravans had traveled this route many times, and they had long planned out the exact day, time, and destination.

Gaode's 15 silver coins were definitely worth it.

A dozen or so horse-drawn carriages formed a makeshift camp. They lit a fire and cooked some hot soup made with salted beef, which they ate with black bread. This was their simple meal on the journey.

After arranging for people to take turns keeping watch, everyone went to sleep.

These people spend most of their time away from home and have long since developed the ability to fall asleep quickly anytime, anywhere to replenish their energy.

But for Gaode, falling asleep is exceptionally difficult.

Not to mention the occasional roars of beasts coming from the depths of the forest, the flying insects attracted by the firelight alone were enough to annoy him.

Moreover, sleeping in the wild made Gaode feel extremely unsafe.

"Master Gao Huan should be able to solve the problem of lodging in the wild," Gao De muttered to himself.

As the saying goes, demand determines the market; similarly, demand should also determine the magic.

In short, under this extreme sense of insecurity, Gaode barely slept a wink all night, only managing a few short naps here and there.

The next morning, as the sun rose, the caravan quickly packed up and set off again.

Gao De, who hadn't slept through the night, was in a daze for most of the morning before finally waking up completely.

"How many days does it usually take to get to Bremen?" God asked Gru.

That's right, the caravan's destination, which is also Gaode Maps' destination, is Bremen, the largest city in the entire Bremen region.

"It takes about seven or eight days to get here, but only about five days to get back," Gru thought for a moment and gave a conservative answer.

"One day in between, we need to take a short detour to a small town near Carmond to replenish our water and food supplies, and rest for the night, otherwise both the people and the horses will be too exhausted."

"In our business, it's all about the long term. Trying to make a quick buck for a day or two won't earn you much more money, so it's pointless."

After spending a day together, Gru had clearly become more familiar with Gaode and started talking more.

Gao De naturally nodded in agreement.

Driving while fatigued is always a big no-no.

(End of this chapter)