Having repelled the bandits, it was clear that they wouldn't be able to continue their journey today. Derek decided to find a nearby spot to set up camp, leaving the rest to the soldiers. Taking this opportunity, he conducted a psychological preparation session for his men. After the battle, many of them had shed their fears of war; the visible naivety faded away, and some were even extremely excited, eager for more action.
Once the mental preparation was complete, Derek opened his panel. Sure enough, the experience of all the soldiers had increased, varying by ten to twenty points. For the pikemen above level five, this kind of progress was minimal; after level seven or eight, it became almost negligible. Yet, the current increase was not insignificant. He knew such opportunities were rare and dwindling.
Next, he checked his own panel data:
Derek von
Class: Knight Level 7 (5/100)
Experience Pool: 0/100
Not bad; he had also gained three points. Even his knight retainer had reached level four. To his surprise, he noticed an avatar at the bottom of the panel that was clearly not human.
War Horse (Unnamed)
Quality: Ordinary (46/100)
Experience Pool: 0/100
“War horses can also be added to the panel?” Derek felt a surge of excitement. He understood that the arms trade was lucrative, but the war horse trade was even more monopolized, especially given the significant price range—having money didn't necessarily mean one could buy a horse. Even for an ordinary horse like his, it would cost at least 10 gold coins, while properly trained war horses started at several dozen coins.
Derek quickly contemplated the reason why the war horse had been included in the panel. Was it due to the recent battle? Or was it about obedience? Based on the example of soldiers, he leaned toward the latter. However, if every horse needed personal attention to be accepted into the panel, then this feature wouldn't be very useful. For now, Derek noted it in his mind, knowing he could continuously train a few quality war horses.
That evening, the manager, Vincent, visited quietly and promised a reward upon their return to the city. Although it wouldn’t be much, it was a customary practice; after all, they couldn’t ignore the hard work put into battle. Derek felt satisfied with this arrangement, knowing it would make future dealings smoother.
The convoy continued its slow journey, with few bandit camps left to pass before returning home. Vincent prayed for no further incidents. Despite being attacked once, the convoy had still made a considerable profit; the latter part of the journey had indeed been lucrative. The mountain folk were wary of outsiders; without the presence of the goat caravan, Derek would not have easily entered their camp.
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He instructed his soldiers to avoid conflicts and merely guard the caravan while quietly observing the mountain folk trading. It seemed there were not just one but several nearby camps with traders arriving from other areas. Derek crossed his arms, his sharp gaze fixing on anyone who seemed suspicious.
“Can you sell the healing potions for a bit cheaper? We only have these rabbit pelts.”
“No way. Those rabbit pelts are only good for making gloves; they aren’t worth much. The high-quality healing potions are for my own use; I won’t sell them cheaply.”
The argument drew Derek’s attention, and he stepped in to prevent a conflict. Seeing Derek, Vincent felt emboldened. He knew that while some people were willing to take risky jobs, no one was keen on losing money. The mountain man looked like he wanted to fight, but upon seeing Derek, he shrank back, a flicker of fear in his eyes. He hesitated to leave, thinking of his brother lying injured.
“Manager, give me the healing potion, and next time, I’ll bring ten wild boar hides.”
Ten wild boar hides would be enough to make several pieces of leather armor, which was quite valuable. Vincent’s eyes lit up, but then he looked at the man’s tattered appearance and sneered, “Next time? You better not starve to death first. Get out of here, or I won’t be polite!”
The mountain man’s arm muscles bulged, seemingly about to strike. At that moment, Derek stepped forward and grabbed his shoulder.
“Friend, you look very familiar!”
The mountain man was startled, recalling where he had seen this figure before. Though he wanted to struggle, he found himself held tightly by Derek. The strength in Derek’s grip was surprising; he was stronger than most robust men.
“I don’t know you; let me go! This isn’t a place for you outsiders to act wild!” he shouted, drawing attention from the onlookers. Derek ignored him and turned to his retainer, Simon. “Go get my healing potion.”
Simon quickly ran off and returned shortly, holding a small package.
“Friend, I mean no harm. I’ll take those ten wild boar hides; these are the healing potions I prepared for myself. They’re definitely better than what’s sold in the market, especially for… stab wounds.”
Derek stared into the mountain man's eyes, as if sensing his thoughts. The mountain man instinctively looked away, unable to meet his gaze. For him, his brother’s life was far more important. After a moment of hesitation, he gritted his teeth and accepted the package.
“Outsider, I will definitely prepare those ten wild boar hides for you.”
“Good. Next time the convoy comes, I’ll be waiting for you... If I’m not here, you can give them to Manager Vincent.” The mountain man took a few steps away but turned back stubbornly to ask, “Knight, tell me your name.”
“Derek von.”
“My name is Wood. I will definitely bring you the wild boar hides.”
Watching the mountain man stride away, Vincent approached with a look of regret. “Knight Derek, I’m afraid your healing potion might go to waste; these people lack the virtues of a knight.”
“No, I believe he is a warrior and deserves a chance.”
“Where did you see that?” Vincent asked, curious. Derek smiled but remained silent.
Where did he see it? The few who dared to charge into battle were the strongest fighters among the bandits; their bravery was evident. Had it been someone else, they would have likely been overwhelmed. Such people were definitely talents among the mountain folk, worth winning over. Derek's belongings wouldn’t be easily taken.