Chapter 36 - 36 33 Strike While the Iron is Hot_1

36: Chapter 33: Strike While the Iron is Hot_1 36: Chapter 33: Strike While the Iron is Hot_1 Strike while the iron is hot. Gaven didn’t give Anna any chance to change her mind. At daybreak, they set off, speeding non-stop until they arrived at Bel-Dasc City. Here, Gaven fulfilled his promise, helping Anna find a suitable caravan to send letters to her parents and teacher, and then he found a caravan in which he could join as a fellow traveler. This caravan would head north upon reaching Asbray Win, follow the Far Mountain, pass through Horusva across the Sunset Mountain Range, along the Goblin Margins, traverse Tun Marsh, Far Sea Marsh, and the Rocklands, and conclude Gaven’s journey of over three thousand kilometers at Tivandun. This was the shortest of the three trading routes to Tivandun, but also the most arduous and dangerous one. Once across the Sunset Mountain Range and into the Goblin Margins, the dominant force on the trading routes was no longer humans but various monster communities. Gaven chose this path because he was most familiar with it, having traveled it at least three times, one of which was as a slave. In his past life, he had been sold to the Santarin Association via this trade route, which was also a future development focus for the Association. In his past life, he had traveled this trading route at a time that was close to the present. Therefore, what others saw as the most perilous trading route, in Gaven’s eyes, was the safest, since he knew where the dangers lay and where the opportunities for profit were. Most importantly, his short-term goal was set on the final leg of the journey through the Rocklands, where he could dig deep into his memories and plan anew while retracing his steps. The caravan had a smooth sail before reaching Horusva, as humans still dominated the area. By the time they reached the western entrance of the Sunset Mountain Range, the caravan had mostly come together as a unit. In Gaven’s view, the caravan was average. All the independent business owners were seasoned merchants, many of whom had run this trading route three or four times, and the hired guards were also mostly familiar faces. In contrast, Gaven and his two companions were the fresh faces. Luckily, within the caravan, Gaven encountered an acquaintance, a business owner he had met on the northern route, who had numerous connections in the area. Naturally, these connections quickly became Gaven’s as well. In Horusva, they ran into another caravan. Although they did not combine forces, they traveled one after the other, no more than twenty kilometers apart, which was reassurance enough. Normally all merchants were competitors, but when facing external threats, they often united to confront dangers together. They crossed the Sunset Mountain Range unscathed. The scare came not from monster communities, but from rockslides caused by torrential rain. While some carts and their loads were smashed, there were no casualties. Since they had joined the caravan as fellow travelers, Gaven and his group had relative freedom of movement, and it was no issue to leave the caravan temporarily and then return. The prerequisite was that they could catch up with the caravan, which didn’t have a fixed schedule. It made stops and sometimes had to take detours, all decided on the spot based on the weather and road conditions. Situations like this were a true test of the caravan leader’s and merchants’ business experience. A wise decision could avert a catastrophic disaster. In this regard, Gaven admitted he was no match for those merchants. Therefore, he rarely offered unsolicited advice and tried to limit the frequency of leaving the caravan. Even when he did leave, it was never for more than three hours. Even if the caravan had moved on, the tracks would be fresh, making them easy to follow. Gaven still adhered to the philosophy of making friends widely, providing help wherever he could, regardless of the money involved. The most important thing was to make more friends. For the game he hunted and the wild vegetables he gathered, even if he had surplus, he wouldn’t sell them for money. Instead, he would invite a bunch of people to eat and drink on the spot. They might not be true friends, but he had lots of “fair-weather friends.” As long as it wasn’t too outrageous a request, the entire caravan was willing to open doors of convenience for Gaven and his group. During the journey, Gaven spent most of his time on self-improvement. This time he was not alone, with Vick and Anna accompanying him. Influenced by their experiences along the way and by a subtle influence, Vick, who had been like a puppet on strings, finally found his life’s goal: to become stronger. He didn’t aim to master his destiny, but at the very least, he didn’t want to fall back into the slavery of alternating hunger and satiation he had known before. Driven by this life goal, he absorbed all the knowledge around him like a sponge, thirsty for learning. This included physical exercise and close combat skills, which many considered of little importance to a magician. He was eager to learn, and Gaven was generous in teaching him. Gaven specifically chose combat skills that suited his physical condition and agility and taught them to him. If possible, Gaven still wanted to acquire a couple of Gnome Blunderbusses or Hand Cannons for him to defend himself with. As for the one Gaven held, it’s not that he was unwilling to give it up, but the recoil was so strong that even he struggled to handle it. Vick’s small frame would probably break with every shot. Unfortunately, none of the caravans they encountered en route had contact with the Gnomes of Landan Island, nor did they trade in goods from there. He could only commission them to keep an eye out. If they managed to get such goods and the price was right, they could transport them to Tivandun, where he would buy them in large quantities. This was purely a mindset of casting a wide net in hopes of catching more fish. Sёarᴄh the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Regardless of whether there were fish or not, the idea was to cast the net first. Catching fish would be great, but there was no loss if nothing was caught. Anyway, Gaven didn’t hold out too much hope. The Gnomes of Landan Island were famously reclusive. In his past life, he’d hardly seen a few firearms originating from there, not to mention Tivandun was thousands of miles away from Landan Island, which made it even less likely for the goods to be transported over. Instead of pinning hopes on trade, it would be faster to settle down later and find a suitable craftsman to research and replicate the firearm he had. As for the other companion, Anna, there was no need to say more. She was like a bird freed from its cage, indescribably joyful with boundless energy. In addition to high-intensity training with Gaven, she still had the energy to dash about, looking at this, touching that, full of curiosity for everything, and possessing a studious spirit that pried into every matter. With her innate simplicity, kindness, and willingness to help others, along with her pleasing appearance, she was far more popular in the caravan than Gaven. Gaven’s interactions with the traders were somewhat utilitarian—he had already decided to settle in Rocklands, and these traders were veterans of the trade route, so he would likely deal with them more and more in the future. Anna, on the other hand, had no such ulterior motives and simply enjoyed helping others. Though her Healing Spells came with peculiar side effects, her standard Heal practices were beyond reproach, effectively treating minor ailments. She didn’t boast about it; she genuinely had a knack for concocting Healing Potions. Just with the herbs gathered in the wild along the way, she could easily prepare potions that healed minor wounds. The Healing Potions were quite effective, with only one small flaw—after drinking her Healing Potions, one wouldn’t feel warmth and comfort but rather a bone-piercing itch as if countless insects were nibbling at bones and flesh. The discomfort was brief, lasting only a few seconds to around ten seconds, but those who experienced it knew the torturous sensation.