The Elixir, which is said to bring the dead back to life, is a story even ordinary people know.
Although she had studied and learned the names of many potions, the term “Half Elixir” was something she had never encountered in any book.
“It’s not as powerful as a true Elixir, but it’s a potion that can effectively treat severe illnesses.”
“Even if such a thing exists, do you think I have the skill to make it?”
Given the grand name “Elixir,” it was clear this wasn’t an ordinary item.
“Do you remember what I said when I first brought you here?”
After a moment of thought, she answered his question.
“You said you needed my father’s knowledge…”
“Exactly. That Half Elixir is your father’s masterpiece.”
“My father’s?”
She was puzzled as to how Ian knew so much about something even she, his daughter, was unaware of.
When she asked her mother about it, she confirmed that her father had indeed been a renowned alchemist.
She had no reason to doubt Ian’s words.
There was no need for him to lie about something like this.
She simply assumed that Ian knew things she didn’t.
“Do you think he might have hidden the recipe for such a masterpiece somewhere?”
“Even if what you say is true, my father passed away a long time ago. Even if he did hide it somewhere, how would I know where…”
Her voice trailed off as she suddenly remembered the keepsake her father had left her.
A book he had told her to cherish as his final wish.
She had kept it safe, taking it out only to hold and remember him whenever she missed him.
She couldn’t read it back then, but now that she could read and write…
‘Could it be… that book?’
It was the only keepsake her father had left her.
“Young Master. May I leave for the day now?”
“Sure, go ahead.”
As soon as he gave his permission, she hurried out.
Watching her rush out of the estate through the window, Ian let out a sigh of relief.
‘Why does it always feel so nerve-wracking to bring up her father?’
He didn’t want to talk about her father at all, fearing it might lower her loyalty.
He had only followed the instructions from the game, but he was worried she might ask too many questions.
Fortunately, she didn’t press him and simply left, which put him at ease.
“Well, since there’s no more work to do, I guess I’ll take a break.”
He had already finished signing all the documents, and his tasks for the day were essentially done.
Thinking he could finally enjoy some well-deserved rest, Ian opened the door to the laboratory.
“Young Master. Are you here?”
He happened to run into Jurdan, who was standing right outside the laboratory.
It seemed Jurdan had come looking for him after hearing he was here.
“Advisor Jurdan, why are you here? Do you have new tasks for me? Or are there documents that need to be reviewed again?”
“Closer to the former. Anyway, Young Master Hubert is calling for you.”
“Let’s go.”
Ian headed to Hubert.
—
* * *
—
Ian was puzzled when he was summoned by Hubert.
Hubert had called him not to the office, but to his bedroom.
That was unexpected, but what was even more surprising was that Hubert was being helped by servants to put on his armor.
“Are you going to observe military training?”
It was customary for the lord or his heir to observe military training, but Ian hadn’t heard anything about training being scheduled.
At Ian’s question, Hubert, who was still putting on his armor, shook his head.
“We’ve received urgent news from Dobina Village.”
“Urgent news?”
While urgent news often came from the pioneer village or Vilcen, which were near uncharted territories, news from Dobina was unexpected.
‘If it’s urgent news from Dobina Village…’
Only one thing came to mind.
“Did the Earl of Erce finally decide to invade?”
That was the only possibility.
Even as he said it, he knew it was unlikely.
“That’s not it. A large group of bandits has entered the territory and is camped in the nearby mountains.”
“Bandits?”
Ian rested his chin on his hand, lost in thought.
‘Is it about time for lords to start acting out of control, now that the imperial family’s grip is weakening?’
By now, lords in various regions were likely starting to act recklessly.
Lords were exploiting their people to fill their own pockets, leaving the common folk in dire straits.
It was the perfect time for bandits to emerge.
Of course, Schrantz had no such worries.
Ian was confident about that.
‘Taxes have remained unchanged.’
Neither Hugo nor Hubert were the type to exploit their people.
In fact, they had significantly reduced taxes for the struggling village of Vilcen and even provided relief.
If things got too tough, people could always move.
They could go to the pioneer village, where there was work and even tax exemptions.
There were plenty of ways out.
‘Besides, there’s nothing to exploit.’
Although the family had gained some financial leeway thanks to investments, the people of Shrantz were still poor.
Exploiting them wouldn’t significantly increase revenue.
‘I was planning to strengthen defenses soon, but have large bandit groups already formed?’
The bandits had formed faster than expected, setting up camp before Ian could prepare.
This was something Ian hadn’t anticipated.
But what worried Ian more than the bandits was something else.
“Did those bandits cause any damage to our territory?”
The potential damage to the territory.
He was worried they might have already raided villages or caused harm.
“Fortunately, nothing has happened yet. But if they’re camped near the villages, they’ll likely cause trouble soon.”
It was a relief that nothing had happened yet.
“Do we know how many there are?”
“From what we’ve gathered, there are over 100 of them.”
That was a significant number for a bandit group.
Considering most bandit groups consisted of 20 to 30 members, this was no small force.
‘But no matter how large, they’re still just bandits!’
The battle-hardened soldiers of Schrantz should be able to handle them.
“So why did you call me?”
“I want to learn by observing how you command. So please hurry and prepare for the expedition.”
‘Perfect timing! I was getting bored!’
Ian had been feeling restless with nothing to do outside of Rosen.
Now he had a legitimate reason to go out.
Moreover, since the bandits hadn’t caused any damage yet, their appearance was almost a blessing in disguise for him.
“By the way, there are rumors that this bandit group is quite notorious. We should be careful.”
“Notorious bandits? If they’re notorious, they must have a large following, right? So, who are they? Are they like Den’s bandits?”
“How did you know?”
“What?”
Ian, who had asked the question without much thought, blinked and stared intently at Hubert.
Hubert was no different.
He was even more surprised that Ian knew the name of a mere bandit group.
“The guys stationed near Dobina Village are Den’s bandits,” Ian said, shocked.
‘What? Are those bastards really here?!’
Den’s bandit group.
Originally, they weren’t supposed to appear for at least another six months, but they had arrived in Schrantz.
[Quest ‘Bandit Subjugation’ has been initiated.]
<Bandit Subjugation>
Objective: Subjugate the bandits
―Eliminate the bandit group stationed in Schrantz
Reward: Improved security in Schrantz
In the mountains near Dobina Village.
Den, the leader of Den’s bandit group stationed there, gathered his subordinates.
Their total number was around 170.
This was a much larger bandit group than Schrantz had anticipated.
Each of them was armed like a soldier.
There was a reason for their notorious reputation.
They were once a regular army.
But when the royal court fell into chaos, they were abandoned by their lord, who joined the territorial wars, and they deserted, becoming an armed bandit group.
Originally, they were weak and had been given unreasonable orders, which led to growing discontent.
When the lord they served started treating his subordinates’ lives as worthless, they rebelled.
Starting with just a dozen members, Den’s bandit group had now grown to over a hundred.
Den even trained all the bandits he took in as regular soldiers.
After that, they repelled regular soldiers forces sent to subjugate them, and more people joined Den’s bandit group, leading to their current size.
“Our goal is simple. We raid the carriages carrying mithril!”
Den had heard that mithril was being produced in this territory.
He learned that carriages carrying mithril mined in Schrantz were heading to the Duke of Endran’s estate and came to plunder them.
“Steal as much as you can. It will be yours!”
“Hahaha!”
As they cheered, the mountains echoed loudly.
Den always distributed the plunder fairly among his subordinates.
Moreover, if they performed well, they would receive additional rewards, so they worked hard to earn their share.
“Boss!”
At that moment, a bandit hurriedly ran up to Den.
“A large number of soldiers have arrived in the nearby village.”
“Oh ho, they’re moving faster than I thought. How many are there?”
“Up to 200, they say.”
“Are they underestimating us? Or do they have the wrong idea about our numbers?”
Whether they were being careless, misinformed, or both, it was good news for the bandits.
They could deal a heavy blow to the territory’s soldiers and take control of the battle from the start.
Den kept a close eye on the village visible from the mountainside.
He could also see a newly set up encampment near the mountains.
“That encampment wasn’t there before. Is that their base?”
“Yes, it seems so.”
“Do they not realize we can see them clearly from here? Their commander must be incompetent.”
Thinking the enemy had no military knowledge, Den was confident, and so were his subordinates.
“Let’s crush their morale first. Vice-leader, you take charge. Be careful, just in case.”
“Yes, boss! Leave it to me!”
The vice-leader, who also thought the enemy would be an easy target, wore a confident expression.
In the deep darkness of the early dawn.
Although the moon was high and the moonlight was bright, they hid themselves in the grass and trees, stealthily approaching the enemy camp.
‘No ambush, no scouts, not even any traps. What a mess.’
They sent a few subordinates to scout, but even as they got close to the enemy camp, they found no signs of an ambush.
Military discipline varied greatly between territories.
Having clashed with many territories while in the bandit group, they knew that territories with poor discipline were usually located in remote areas.
With fewer conflicts, the soldiers’ discipline naturally deteriorated.
In the encampment, there were only two guards on watch, and no one patrolling inside.
‘They’re practically announcing their presence.’
They even left their fires burning brightly, clearly revealing their location.
Some soldiers were leaning against each other, sitting in a corner.
They weren’t keeping watch; they were clearly dozing off.
“Vice-leader, we’re within range.”
“Put them to sleep.”
At his command, two arrows curved through the air.
Thud! Thud!
The arrows accurately hit the two soldiers standing guard at the front of the encampment.
The soldiers fell backward without even uttering a sound.
The vice-leader led the way into the encampment.
“Attack!”
“Attackkkk!”
At the attack command, the bandits let out a war cry and began setting fires.
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