Cadmus and Geralt didn't stay long in the village and didn't want to accompany House Stark's retinue to Harrenhal. The Witcher continued riding on Plotka while the mage continued walking on foot along the King's Road.
However, soon the entire House Stark retinue followed behind him without any delay. Which wasn't surprising, both weren't going fast, so it wasn't difficult for them to close the distance, although everyone kept their distance.
Cadmus didn't mind, but he always stopped in a village during the journey, helping the sick with potions, especially children and the elderly, who were more susceptible to contracting diseases. He also explained the basics of hygiene, although he doubted some would follow through.
"Those nobles would kill to buy one of your potions and you give them away for free to the people." Seeing Cadmus helping a sick child drink the green healing potion, Geralt commented in a calm tone, but there was a touch of admiration in his voice.
He had seen many Noble Houses over his eighty years, but none could have such a good upbringing to the point of teaching someone like Cadmus. Surprisingly, even having power above others, he didn't despise life; on the contrary, he seemed to value it more than anything, especially the lives of the poor and needy.
"I can make infinite money with my potions, so it costs nothing to use my potions to help those who never got help. Besides, I can see the results of my potions firsthand, which is a very good reward." Cadmus said with a smile.
He touched the child's forehead, and feeling that the fever had gone down, he waved to the woman beside him, who thanked him repeatedly while looking at him gratefully. Fever in this world was a deadly disease, especially for children.
Geralt rolled his eyes, feeling that Cadmus's reasons were just a disguise to prevent others from seeing that he was a good man. However, he didn't unmask Cadmus and just nodded.
"How many people have you saved this week?" Geralt asked as he mounted Roach again.
"Forty-two, thirty were children and ten were elderly and only two were adult men." Cadmus said with a helpless sigh. The infant mortality rate was extremely high, but there was no way to improve it.
On Earth, there were countries that had high birth rates, much less in this world stagnant in time. And the birth rate was so high that out of six children, four died before reaching adulthood. This wasn't Cadmus assuming, but what he had learned this week traveling.
The most terrible thing was that people were used to death around them, showing how backward this world was.
After seeing that no one was sick, Cadmus showed a satisfied look and left the village. However, a few miles later, he stopped. Not just him, Geralt also stopped. The medallion on his chest began to tremble uncontrollably.
Geralt dismounted from the horse and drew the silver sword from the sheath on his back, his feline eyes scanning the environment with a cold and calm gaze. His nose twitched again, the smell of death and decomposition entered his nose.
"Ghoul." Geralt said in a calm tone. As an experienced Witcher, he recognized the smell instantly.
"There are many." Cadmus said in a calm tone, a fog appeared in the surroundings, and even though it was afternoon, the environment seemed to darken in an instant. A wand appeared in his hand, black as night and even more magnificent.
"Let me remove this fog." Cadmus said and moved his wrist to the right. "Ventus!"
With his words, a dome of wind expanded with Cadmus at the center, pushing away all the fog in the surroundings.
Geralt's eyes sharpened seeing the dozens of Ghouls, their putrid and disgusting bodies, their red eyes full of hatred and hunger for living beings. The Witcher didn't hesitate, entered combat position and waited, he knew that Ghouls had no patience at all and would soon attack in a group.
Just as Geralt expected, the dozen Ghouls advanced with roars and open mouths. The witcher moved to the side and with a quick movement, decapitated the nearest one. He didn't stop, took a step forward and cut the ghoul in half.
When he was about to kill the next one, small fireballs advanced, tearing through the air and hitting the rest of the Ghouls.
"Arghh!!!"
"Arhggghh!!!"
"Arghhggh!!!"
The bestial screams sounded full of pain as their bodies were engulfed by flames, soon after to be reduced to ashes in the next second.
Geralt looked around and seeing that there were no more Ghouls, he didn't relax and with the silver sword in hand, he walked toward the two Ghouls he had killed. Seeing that one was still alive, even after being cut in half, the Witcher finished off the creature by plunging the sword into its head.
"As far as I know, Ghouls aren't uncommon in cemeteries, ancient tombs, necropolises, and battlefields." Cadmus said, putting away his wand. "Is there anything like that nearby?"
Geralt thought for a moment and shook his head. He had already traveled throughout the Riverlands and knew there was nothing of the sort in the surroundings, so the presence of so many Ghouls was suspicious and very unusual.
"Could they have been brought from another location?" Cadmus proposed a theory in a calm tone. He could imagine countless people trying to attack the king's reputation with this kind of cruel method. After all, if the king couldn't protect even the King's Road, then his ability was questionable.
"I hate politics." Geralt spoke in a tone full of dissatisfaction. Although there was no proof or even indication, it was better to believe this than another crazier theory.
Suddenly, hearing the sound of horses behind him, Cadmus saw that the Stark retinue had caught up with them again. Leading the group, Eddard Stark with his calm and silent expression. His eyes swept the battlefield, lingering for a moment on the bodies of the Ghouls on the ground.
He frowned before relaxing again. He used his heels to gently tap the horse's belly and approached. "Many Ghouls?" He asked in a deep tone.
"A dozen." Cadmus answered with a smile on his lips. He looked at the Warden of the North and added. "They probably came from outside the Riverlands."
Eddard narrowed his eyes and understood the implications in the mysterious mage's words. There was only one person who could try to end the king's reputation in this way. The Old Lion of Casterly Rock seemed to watch the Seven Kingdoms lying on the Great Rock.
"Lord Stark should be careful in the south, every time a Stark goes south it doesn't end well." Cadmus warned the Silent Wolf of House Stark. He wasn't lying. If Eddard went south and joined the political whirlpool in Harrenhal, things would get complicated.
Both sides fought to conquer the North, and to prevent the enemy from gaining an advantage in the future war, they would rather destroy House Stark and leave the North in chaos. Of course, with one of the two queens being from House Stark, the most likely one to attack House Stark was House Lannister.
After all, as long as House Stark remained neutral, House Targaryen wouldn't antagonize House Stark because of Queen Lyanna.
Eddard looked deeply at the mysterious mage and nodded. He felt that the mage had good intentions, but it was inevitable to go to Harrenhal. He had to see his sister and help his nephew sit on the Iron Throne.
"Thank you, sir, I will proceed with caution." Eddard said in a polite tone and quickly returned to House Stark's retinue.
"What a stubborn wolf." Cadmus said with a laugh. "Knowing he's walking into a trap, he still moves forward."
"Wolves are united, they don't abandon family." Geralt spoke in a calm tone as he mounted his horse, Roach, again.
"People are moved by emotion, how many can claim they remained indifferent to their own family's safety." Cadmus agreed with Geralt's words. As someone who loved with the intensity of a volcano and valued those he loved, he would fight fiercely for his family.
'However, in the face of absolute strength, any conspiracy is nothing but a paper weapon, easily crushed.' Cadmus thought calmly. He wasn't afraid of getting involved in conspiracies. Unlike Eddard, he had the strength to protect himself.
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Read my other books:
Game Of Thrones: The God-Emperor of Planetos (500,000 words written).
Percy Jackson: Godwyn the Golden.
Game Of Thrones: The King's Court Wizard