Chapter 15: Everyone’s Condition

This Bear Goblin Priest must have played an important role in this attack. To make sure nothing was missed, George turned around, put on a sincere expression, and asked, “Mr. Val, could you help us check if there is anything missed on this guy?”

“I thought you would solve all the problems yourselves? Since you asked so sincerely, I will mercifully help you.” Sir Val looked like a fox that had stolen a chicken, which was truly speechless.

Sir Val turned the body over and over, looked at it, and hinted, “Actually, you have done a very good job searching the body. However, there is one thing you didn’t think of. Hiren chopped off this corpse’s head. Someone in the team just happens to know how to preserve organs.”

George asked with some doubt, “Do you mean the bounty? Although this Bear Goblin is quite strong, he wasn’t very famous in the Duchy before. Will there really be a high reward? It would be terrible if the bounty isn’t even enough to cover the cost of preserving it.”

“No, no, no, you only considered the official bounty. Why didn’t you think about the Temples? This Bear Goblin is a Priest! Judging by his Holy Symbol, he is a Priest of the Bear Goblin God Hruggek. As long as you hand over his head along with his Holy Symbol to the Temple of the God of Justice, you will receive rewards from the Dwarf Temple and the Halfling Temple.” As he spoke, Sir Val patted George’s shoulder. “Of course, regarding the monetary part of the reward, it is still distributed by the Temple of the Goddess of Wealth. If you go directly to the Dwarf Temple or Halfling Temple to exchange for rewards, the value would definitely be higher. It’s a pity that their Churches haven’t established Temples in the Duchy. Also, cut off the ears of the other few Bear Goblins and Ogres. These can count as extras more or less.”

Hearing this news, George was startled and thought to himself, “Isn’t this the kill reward for the opposing faction in the game? I just don’t know if there is an experience point reward. If there is, in what form would it be distributed? Even if there is, Hiren, being the main force, should take the lion’s share. And the Justice Temple actually runs the business of distributing rewards for other Temples. I wonder if they also handle the business of transferring offerings. Before I crossed over, I was basically an atheist. Because of habitual thinking, I didn’t have a deeper understanding of these Churches in this world with True Gods. Sigh! That really is a big blind spot.”

George tentatively asked, “Mr. Val, what kind of rewards will the Temple give?”

“This requires me to think carefully.” Sir Val actually kept them in suspense. After a while, he answered, “Each Temple’s reward is different. For example, the Justice Temple, besides providing legal services, also participates in clearing out Evil forces. So, besides the general items found in ordinary Temples like Scrolls, Holy Water, ointments, prayer candles, and incense, you can also exchange for opportunities for weapon Enchantment or military support. Of course, the latter requires an astronomical number, and the supported army mostly participates in Territory defense for a certain period. If they go on an expedition, they are only responsible for dealing with Evil creatures.”

After whetting the appetites of George and the others again, Sir Val continued, “Of course, you can also choose rewards from the Dwarves. Besides general items, they have various weapons and equipment. If your contribution is high enough, you can even have custom-made ones. As for the Gnomes, they mostly offer Alchemy potions, Alchemy consumables, exquisite tools, and custom jewelry. Higher-level ones include some rare Alchemy Items. Of course, if you lack money, you can convert them into special tokens, and then take the tokens to the Temple of the Goddess of Wealth to exchange for coins or gems. I’ll tell you in advance, because there are no Dwarf or Gnome Temples locally, even through the Justice Temple’s network, it will take at least about a month to get their items.”

George lowered his head and thought for a while, then turned to Craig, who was sitting against the wall, and said, “Craig, if you don’t have any objections, let’s use this to help Hiren exchange for a better weapon as much as possible. After all, Hiren contributed the most to killing this Bear Goblin. Moreover, he is about to be promoted to Knight, so he can’t do without a good weapon in his hand.”

“I’m fine with it. I didn’t really exert myself anyway.” Craig’s answer carried a bit of a childish temper.

George tried to soothe him, “Alright, Craig! When we get to Cardala, I’ll take you to the Halfling Candy House. My treat.”

Craig raised his head, opened his shining eyes wide, and looked at George, “You promised!”

George waved his hand rather unamusedly and said, “As if I ever lied to you.”

“A suitable weapon… I thought Father would prepare one for me after I became a Knight. I didn’t expect I could obtain one this way.” After saying that, Hiren subconsciously glanced at Sir Val’s sword.

Sir Val glared at Hiren and said, “You seem to be thinking too much! Every weapon of the men of the Val Family is obtained by themselves.” After saying that, he also gripped the scabbard of his sword with his hand.

Then Sir Val looked at George with a somewhat complicated expression. “George! Sometimes I don’t know what to say about you. Firstly, you are my future Liege Lord. Secondly, you actually haven’t done anything wrong. But occasionally, you should do things that match your age. Judging by your usual performance, there is always a sense of incongruity. What I just said is neither the advice of a vassal nor the instruction of a Knight mentor. Just take it as the expectation of an elder who watched you grow up. Occasionally show some vitality. Even if you do some things that look brainless and silly, it doesn’t matter. Look, isn’t Hiren living just fine? Of course, if you became like that kid Ultrad, that would be going too far. I think even if the Lord Viscount has high expectations for you in political affairs, he would also hope that you have some spirit.”

Hiren, hearing this, immediately retorted, “As if I often do stupid things.”

“Oh la la—, these years have indeed been better than before. But didn’t you still act silly with Ultrad at the beginning of the year? Not to mention the time when you were the same age as George or Craig. Only having had such a life is youth. In comparison, George is too mature. I’m not saying being mature is bad. For a Lord, being precocious can be considered a good thing. But this kind of precocity with almost no youthful atmosphere is going too far.” After saying that, Sir Val glanced at George, who wanted to say something but stopped. “The most important thing is that your occasional performances as a young person aren’t real enough. People who have experienced a lot can completely tell. Of course, it is also possible that the matters of the Territory put too much pressure on you. But remember not to deliberately suppress your nature. Some things can be better self-controlled only after experiencing them. This will be of great help to your future Knight path.”

Hearing these words, George fell silent for a while. Before crossing over, he was already in his early thirties. After crossing over, his mental age didn’t shrink like his body. Psychologically, as a self-proclaimed quasi-middle-aged man, where would the youthful atmosphere come from? Of course, to avoid making others suspicious, in daily life, George would occasionally deliberately display some behaviors that matched his age.

But he wasn’t a professional actor, so his actions probably seemed a bit unreal in the eyes of observant people. In Mr. Val’s mind: George is probably precocious due to the pressure of managing the Territory, and those deliberate behaviors became actions to reassure others not to worry about him.

As a result, the issue Mr. Val was most worried about regarding the Knight path was probably the smallest issue for George. Even though it was before crossing over, George had indeed experienced it. So there was no issue of forcibly suppressing his nature. In addition, he had been using the cultivation method he started practicing before crossing over to guide himself over the years. Presumably, there wouldn’t be any major problems.

After thinking aimlessly for a while, George replied, “Thank you very much, Mr. Val, for worrying about my situation. But perhaps my nature is just like this. I really can’t be like them. However, I promise this won’t affect my Knight promotion.”

Sir Val sighed a few times, “Since you think there is no problem now, I can’t say much more. However, if there is anything you can’t figure out in the future, you can still come and talk to me.”

At this time, the often silent atmosphere made Hiren very uncomfortable, “Dad, can we go now? Craig’s foot injury needs to be treated as soon as possible.”

“It’s not far from here to the camp, but if we carry him back like this. What if Craig’s foot injury gets worse?” Sir Val rejected Hiren’s proposal. “I have already arranged for people to handle the Loot and notify them to bring a stretcher. Judging by the time, they should be arriving soon. Let’s just wait.”

“You really thought it through.” For some reason, Hiren suddenly started to flatter Sir Val.

“This sword can be said to be the witness of my traveling career. No matter what you do, don’t think you can take my Holy Executioner away.” Sir Val stroked the scabbard, revealing a slightly weathered expression. “Originally, it was just an ordinary Masterwork Steel Sword, but it grew along with my adventures. In the long resonance with my Soul, it metamorphosed and evolved, finally becoming what it is now. Therefore, it can only exert its maximum power in my hands. And when I die, the concept of this sword will also go to the Divine Realm with me. What remains in the human world is just the original Masterwork Steel Sword.”

Indeed, a father knows his son best. Mr. Val cut off all of Hiren’s thoughts at once. Hiren looked as if struck by lightning, his face full of bitterness, hanging his head low.

Before crossing over, there were rumors in both the martial arts and cultivation worlds of using a person to nourish a sword. In this world after crossing over, there were also legends of Holy Sanctioners. I just didn’t expect an example was always right by my side. It’s a pity that unlike the former two, this one for some reason cannot be passed down.

Putting myself in his shoes, ‘If I were Hiren. Father has a very powerful weapon. I thought I would be the Heir to this weapon sooner or later. Only to find out everything was just a mirage, all in vain. That blow would probably be very huge.’

George tried to comfort Hiren, “At least your starting point is higher than Mr. Val’s. After all, you might soon have a good weapon forged by Dwarves. I think this weapon shouldn’t be inferior to an ordinary Masterwork Steel Sword. As for future glory, of course, you have to create it with your own hands.”

Whether Hiren listened to George’s words or not was unknown. Except for a twitch of his body at the beginning, he still showed no reaction.

The whole scene seemed a bit dull for a while.

After a good while, the calls of “Sir Val, My Lord” finally broke the silence in front of them.

“Oh! Pals, you are actually leading the team.” Sir Val asked somewhat strangely.

“Can’t be helped! The team led by Captain Anson is still clearing out those Goblins in the town. And someone has to stay behind in the camp, so I was sent to lead the team over.” The young man with slightly brownish black hair and freckles on his face replied loudly after bowing.

Mr. Val was very surprised to know this news, “There are still some not cleaned up? The main force of this invasion should have all died here. How many of them actually came?”

Pals scratched his head, “Well, when I came, the people responsible for the clearing hadn’t sent back specific news yet. So I’m not very clear.”

Sir Val thought for a moment and said, “Forget it. I guess nothing will happen. Maybe those Goblins are too good at escaping. A group of frightened rats isn’t that easy to catch.”

With the help of six Guards, everyone quickly finished collecting the Loot, and Craig lay on the stretcher at the first opportunity.

“Everyone, let’s hurry back to the camp. It looks like even after the battle, we will probably still be busy.” Mr. Val’s words seemed to imply something else.

Because there were no monster disturbances, there was no need to carefully guard against sneak attacks. Although carrying heavy Loot, the time spent returning was very little compared to the time spent coming here. Whether it was George’s illusion or because there was less combustible material, the fires in the surrounding buildings had either extinguished or become smaller when returning.

After arriving at the camp, George found that the number of Guard personnel was still much lower. It seemed that the other team led by Sergeant Anson was still in the clearing operation. As for whether they encountered danger, with the double insurance of Alchemy Fireworks and the “Short Message” Magic Wand, two ways to call for help. If they really encountered an enemy that could eliminate them before they could even send a distress signal, then George would be the one to worry about.

After entering the camp, Craig was immediately carried to the side of the bonfire where the wounded were placed. Hiren went back to the tent alone, feeling sullen. Maybe letting him calm down alone for a night was good. But when George went to the side of the bonfire and looked, he found that the main person in charge of medical treatment, Daniel Coke, was not there. Although people who went out to make a living more or less had some medical care means, and the Guard members had specifically received training in first aid techniques of this world for a period of time. But George felt that it was more reliable to have a professional fully in charge.

“Send someone to notify Sir Bart and tell him that Craig’s leg is injured.” After giving the order, George turned his head and looked around the camp. He found an owl standing on a tent, turning its head and looking around as if it was standing guard. Having found the target, George immediately ran to that tent and shouted, “Mr. Coke, are you in? Craig is injured.”

“What! Craig is injured.” Accompanied by this answer, the sound of various metal and glass vessels colliding immediately came from the tent.

Not long after, a man with shoulder-length brownish-black hair, carrying a small leather case, walked out of the tent bending over. Standing up straight, he was about six feet tall. A touch of dark green pupils and soft, delicate facial curves gave people a handsome feeling. Together with his slightly pointed ears, it showed his partial Elf bloodline. Among Humans, he originally appeared a bit too androgynous. Fortunately, the mustache he deliberately kept added some masculine air to him.

The first sentence Mr. Coke said after coming out was, “Where is Craig, what exactly happened to him?”

It could be seen that he was very nervous about Craig’s injury.

George pulled Mr. Coke and ran towards where Craig was lying. As he walked, he said, “He is injured in the leg. He is currently by the bonfire pile. I wasn’t reassured letting those Soldiers or Adventurers do it, so I came to call you.”

“When treating those seriously wounded before, both Sir Val’s and my Divine Arts were used up. Now we can only rely on ointments first. Sir Val’s Divine Arts will recover by early morning, while I have to wait until noon. If more seriously wounded are sent over later, it’s hard to say whether we can save them.” Coke’s words revealed a hint of frustration.

Regarding tonight’s attack, George and his group were unable to provide sufficient help to the town. They were even unable to adequately treat the wounded in their own team. In game terms, the healing output wasn’t enough. After all, no one expected to suffer such an attack inside the Duchy, so they didn’t carry many Magic and Alchemy medical supplies. Although George’s group wasn’t the main target of the invaders, they still suffered heavy losses in the first round of all-out attacks.

Daniel Coke was a Retainer of Sir Bart. He was originally a member of the Kanai Forest Guardian Kindia Ranger Squad. The Kindia Ranger Squad was different from the Rangers appointed by the Lord. That was a semi-religious group composed of Druids and Rangers. They would find evil creatures that threatened the wildlands and destroy or expel them. They would also protect travelers crossing the wilderness and act as guides in exchange for some payment. Of course, for those who maliciously destroyed the forest, they would also fight to the end.

Daniel was one of the Rangers. However, unlike the other combat types who wielded dual blades or shot dark arrows, he preferred to keep company with herbs. Years of cultivation with Druids made his attainments in natural Divine Arts far better than other Rangers. At the same time, his planting and use of herbs had reached a very high level. Of course, the price paid was that he was only a half-ass in the exquisite swordsmanship and archery that ordinary Rangers were good at. Although his combat ability was not outstanding among the Rangers of his batch, he still surpassed the ordinary Soldiers in the Guard.

Unfortunately, I didn’t know the story between him and Sir Bart, but since he came, the medical situation in the Territory indeed improved a lot. George had previously paid a certain price to arrange for the children in the Territory to learn medical techniques from him. It’s a pity those little guys don’t know when they will complete their apprenticeship. On the other hand, his animal companion, the owl Bazat, was often known for delivering letters for Sir Bart.

When the two came to Craig’s side, they found the situation was somewhat wrong. Craig was biting his lips tightly, and there seemed to be tear marks on his face. That steel riding boot that was somewhat dented from the attack was actually still worn on him.

Daniel, who was already a bit anxious, couldn’t help but curse, “What’s going on? No one helped to take off the burden on Young Master Craig’s injured part?”

George squatted down to take a look, then gently held the deformed riding boot and gestured slightly, “Mr. Coke, this probably can’t be blamed on them. The deformed position of the riding boot is just stuck at the ankle. It looks like it can’t be taken off by normal means.”

“Then why don’t you hurry and call someone to get a table to put Craig on, and call a Blacksmith to open this riding boot.” Judging from Daniel’s shouting at the Guards, he was indeed anxious and a bit heated. But who asked him to be the doctor? These big soldiers would still rely on him to save their lives in the future.

George winked at the Guard next to him, “Hurry and find someone to use wooden planks to build a platform on the freight carriage that can support a foot. Remember, when moving Craig onto it, make sure the injured leg is placed on the unobstructed platform. As for the Blacksmith, don’t look for one. At this time, I’m afraid one can’t be found for a while. I’ll go find Sir Val. With his technique, cutting open the riding boot will definitely be no problem.”