Path to Transcendence

The large man in armor was the first one to talk to Julius. “Who are you and what’s your business in Heston?” The man’s voice was quite warm and soothing despite his physical appearance.

Julius didn’t bother hiding anything, “My name is Julius and I am planning to take the Goldencrest Academy entrance exam.”

As Julius was responding, his senses picked up something. It came from the man in the long coat. Julius's eyes snapped over to the other guard and focused on what the man was doing. It appeared like an application of aura, Julius was only able to recognize this much because of his previous exposure to the troll mage’s aura. The man was similar in that it was incredibly subtle, but it was much more refined than the trolls.

Julius saw the tall man’s eyes raise minutely, surprised that Julius managed to detect the subtle probe. Julius believed that the man was using his aura to somehow detect if Julius was being truthful or not. Having a way to determine the truth would make sense considering they were dictating who to let into the city.

The guard in the back interrupted his friend who was about to ask another question, “What happened to you?” The guard asked him while waving his arm pointing out Julius’s choice of attire. The man’s voice was quite the contrast between the first guard. It was sharp and commanding, like the voice of someone who was used to giving orders.

Now that Julius was pretty sure that there wasn’t a point to lying, he made sure to tell the truth, but also make sure not to divulge too many details. He thought about how he was going to answer for a second.

“I got separated from my family and found myself alone in the wilderness fighting against monsters. Eventually, I made my way over there.” Julius turned and pointed at the hill in the distance. “And now here I am.”

Julius felt the man’s aura wash over him, probing him and determining whether or not Julius was being truthful. The man’s sharp gaze also roved over Julius, and he felt like all his secrets were exposed to this man. Finally, the man seemed to be comfortable that Julius wasn’t lying to him and relaxed.

Then the guard walked up close to Julius and got on one knee so that his head was only at Julius’s chest. Then he reached over and laid a hand on Julius’s grimy shoulder, giving Julius a small empathetic look.

“I’m sorry to hear that. Do you know where you were when you lost contact with your family?” The guard asked Julius.

Julius dropped his head and shook it, “I have no idea where they might be, I don’t even know if they are still alive.”

“It’s going to be okay, maybe they also found their way to Heston. What are their names I will check if we have noted anyone with them coming through.”

Julius paused, he didn’t expect the man to ask about their names. He would rather not have to give out their names, Lukas and Edwin weren’t uncommon names but he wanted to be careful.

The guard seemed to notice the indecision on Julius’s face and understood that there was some sort of reason why he was hesitant to share their names. He turned to his partner and said, “Hey Orus, I’m going to take this young man back to the guardhouse. Keep watch for me in the meantime.”

Orus, the man in armor just nodded his head in response and started to check the next person in line. Then the other man looked back at Julius, “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up back at the guardhouse. There should be some spare clothes lying around as well.”

Julius was tentative about following this man back to the guardhouse. Still, the man had been quite kind to Julius so far, so he decided to give the man a chance. Julius followed the man past the main gate, walking through and seeing beautiful buildings placed around a very wide stone path that led to a large square. The square seemed to be some sort of intersection that had large signs and directions to where specific sections of the city were.

The guard didn’t take Julius to the square. Instead, they approached one of the larger buildings off to the side of the path. A large gold and black banner was hanging from the front of the building, displaying a gold dragon in the middle of it.

Another two guards were standing in front, both holding spears and backs straight as an arrow. As the front gate guard walked up to them, they stepped aside, giving a salute as Julius and the man passed them.

When the two of them walked through the doors, Julius could make out a massive common room. It had many large mahogany-colored wood pillars stretching to the high ceiling and many tables scattered around the premises. Many guards who were off duty were either eating or just hanging out with each other, laughing and talking loudly. Most of them were wearing similar gold and black uniforms, but their top buttons were unsnapped and flared open. Several of the men who noticed their entrance stood up and saluted the guard escorting Julius.

Julius took note of the respect these men were showing to the guard who brought him in. This man must be a high-ranking officer or someone important, he thought to himself.

Eventually, they made their way past the common area and up a set of stairs. Then they walked down a warmly lit hallway. The man randomly stopped at a door and turned the doorknob, stepping into the room. Julius had stopped in the hallway and the man was turning on some lights in the room.

With his back still turned to Julius, he said, “Well don’t just stand out there, come on in”

Julius slowly made his way into the room. He looked around and noticed that it was quite cozy. It didn’t have the opulence that some rooms within the Hyperius estate had, but there was a sort of warmth to it that they lacked. There were even some wooden pieces of art hanging off the wall. The bed was not very big, large enough for one person, but it looked soft and plush. Julius stared at it, fantasizing what it would be like to allow himself to fall within its soft embrace.

The man had finished checking the room and turned to Julius, “You can use this room for however long you need. There is a bathroom behind that door.” He pointed at a wooden door off to the side of the room. “You should go take a shower, there are towels and soap as well, so don't be shy. In the meantime, I will go search for a set of clothes for you. I will be right back.” The man turned around to leave.

Julius didn’t even have time to stop and ask the man some of his questions before he was already gone. He had been expecting the man to take him to a private room to ask him some questions, not give him a room and a shower.

However, Julius smiled at the man’s actions. At first glance, the man was a little intimidating and cold, but on the inside, he felt like the man was warmhearted. He could see why the other guards respected him.

The other people waiting in line hadn’t offered any aid to Julius, they either just ignored him or looked at him with disgust. This man, however, didn’t hesitate to extend a helping hand. He took Julius in and even offered him a room and shower.

Speaking of, Julius quickly headed to the bathroom. The bathroom wasn’t that big but it had everything a bathroom needed and more. There was a stall that held a shower, a toilet, and a sink with a mirror hanging above it. Julius quickly shucked off the remnants of his pants and turned on the shower.

This world was similar to his old one, there was plumbing found in most houses, except that most of the waste got purified by individual magical units in a house before making its way to a general waste area. It was quite brilliant and knew that his old world could have used something like this.

Julius stepped into the stall, letting the water from the shower head splash over him. It was honestly one of the best moments he had experienced in both lives. He thought he might’ve even moaned from the pleasure of hot water washing away the grime of his body. For several minutes, he just stood underneath the water enjoying it.

On the side of the stall, he found a bottle of soap and a rough scrub that he could use to exfoliate his body. Julius used that scrub like he was trying to rub off his skin. He went to town, making sure that not a single crevice was left untouched. There was still grime from when he acquired [Kinetic Reiforcement] caked onto some spots.

After a long time and many generous applications of [Pseudo-Phoenix Renewal], his skin was shining like a baby’s bottom. For the first time in what felt like forever, he was completely clean. The same couldn’t be said for the shower. It was stained with his filth and Julius made sure to use the scrub to remove the stains. He was already so grateful for being able to take a shower, and he wouldn’t just leave the stains for someone else to clean.

He finally got out of the shower and dried himself off with a towel folded on the countertop. He felt like a new man, it was the most satisfying shower in his life. He made sure to throw away the absolutely destroyed scrub in the trash placed in the corner, before walking out, wrapped in the towel.

A pile of clothes was placed on the bed. They were simple articles, black pants, and a cream-colored shirt, however, they fit like a glove. Only a few moments after Julius pulled the shirt over his head there was a knock on the door, which was promptly opened, with the guard standing in the doorway.

Julius smiled at the man and expressed his gratitude. “Thank you. You have no idea how much I needed that, Mr.---”

“Declan,” the man let a small smile grace his lips.

“Nice to meet you Declan, I’m Julius,” he said.

“Very nice to meet you as well, Julius. You look completely different now you are cleaned up,” Declan complimented him.

“Thanks, I can’t remember the last time I had a nice shower.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it. You must have had a hard time.” Declan paused for a second, looking directly at Julius. “Back at the gate, I got the feeling that you didn’t want to share your family’s names. Is there a particular reason for that?”

Julius didn’t respond immediately. He still didn’t know if he wanted to share everything quite yet. But a part of him wanted to ask Declan because he wanted to find out what happened to them and if there was any news about the condition of House Hyperius. His uncle was the patriarch of a Marquis family and if Samuel had killed them, Julius didn’t think they could hide Lukas’s disappearance forever. They would likely have to come up with some kind of believable explanation.

As much as Julius wanted to be cautious, he would need to start trusting someone if he wanted to find out some answers and Declan might be one of his best options at this point. He had treated Julius far better than anyone was obligated to and was a highly respect officer within the guards. Maybe he had some contacts that would help Julius.

Also, Declan was clearly strong. Julius didn’t know how strong, Declan’s aura was completely hidden and Julius couldn’t get a proper estimation. However, his instincts were telling him he was at least on Edwin’s level. If there was a time to share, there might not be a better chance.