Family

Sean pierced through the bandit mob blocking the mountain path in just a few seconds, accompanied by the "thud thud" of blades sinking into flesh. Dozens of bandits fell screaming into pools of blood during the process. Sean himself had only taken a club to the leg, scraping the skin. He was somewhat dissatisfied with the knight sword in his hand—not because it lacked sharpness or durability, but simply because for cavalry combat, it felt a bit too short.

Sean stopped dwelling on it, turned his horse around, raised his longsword, and charged again. Another round of "thud thud" mixed with screams followed as Sean effortlessly cut through the bandit ranks once more. By then, the escort cavalry, coordinating with Sean, had scattered the bandits surrounding them under Captain Jack's leadership. Sean's strength and the cavalry's tenacity broke the bandits completely; they threw down their weapons and fled into the forest.

Captain Jack chose not to pursue. He immediately ordered the uninjured cavalrymen to clean up the battlefield and guard the dozen or so captured bandits. Sean, however, ran into some trouble—this was his first real kill, whether in his past life or this one. The guilt of taking a life, mixed with self-condemnation, made him unavoidably nauseous.

Captain Jack watched Sean with a complex glint in his eyes. Seeing Sean charge the bandits on horseback, he'd initially worried and wanted to stop him. But before he could speak, Sean's strength turned his expression to shock. Only after the battle ended and he saw Sean's sickened reaction did he feel some relief. Sean's guilt after his first kill was normal. The only surprise was his overwhelming power.

"Young Master Sean, are you alright?" Captain Jack approached Sean with unusual respect, greeting him and then looking him over to check for injuries from the chaos. He added, "Perhaps you should rest in the carriage..."

"Captain Jack, I'm fine. How are the soldiers' injuries?" Sean asked, clearly not intending to rest.

"Young Master, four lightly wounded, one's a bit troublesome..." Captain Jack reported with a frown.

"Bandage the wounded immediately. Carry the severely injured to the carriage. The lightly wounded will have to endure. Captain Jack, go reassure them," Sean ordered at once. Then he looked at the captured bandits, frowning in thought.

After relaying Sean's orders, Captain Jack returned to his side. Seeing Sean staring at the prisoners, he probed, "Young Master, how do you plan to handle these captives?" He watched Sean seriously.

Sean considered for a moment, then gave the order: "Treat the lightly wounded captives. Order them to clean the battlefield. Scatter the bodies in the woods—I don't want to cause a plague." He turned to Captain Jack with a cold smile. "Give the severely wounded bandits a quick death. Then take the uninjured soldiers to supervise them. If they try to escape, kill them. Understood..."

Captain Jack felt a chill at Sean's cold smile and immediately answered loudly. He turned to carry out the order.

"Don't forget to finish off the bodies. Have them load the goods onto the carriage. Then... bring them along. Father's territory needs laborers anyway. Tell them obeying orders means survival..." Sean called after Captain Jack, adding quickly. He then signaled for the order to be executed. Soon, after a few screams, dozens of captives began moving.

Half an hour later, the captives had cleared the scene per Sean's orders. The convoy set off again, the captives bound at the wrists and guarded by soldiers, jogging behind the carriage.

After 2 PM, the convoy finally left the hilly region of Golden Wolf Ridge. Everyone, including Sean, had only dry rations on horseback for lunch. The captives got nothing but some water.

As dusk approached, Sean's group hurried into Blue Fortress Town, where the family castle stood.

After the morning battle, Sean's group encountered no further trouble. He rewarded the wounded soldiers with the money scavenged from the battlefield and planned to store the dozens of captured weapons in the family warehouse. Iron was useful in the family territory, whether reforged into weapons or made into tools.

On the road, Sean casually questioned the captives and learned the bandit group had nearly 200 members. Most were farmers who'd fled recently, hiding in a small valley within Golden Wolf Ridge. Dozens of women, children, and elderly remained in the valley.

Blue Fortress Town was a small town the family had developed over 200 years, located at the center of the Viscount Territory. To the west lay Sapphire Lake, named for its gem-like appearance on the plains and the town's water source. To the south was a small hill under 100 meters tall, where the family castle stood—easily defensible terrain, the reason the family chose the site. To the east and north stretched vast plains, where the family's farmland and manors were mainly distributed.

The town had about 7,000 residents, not counting the lord's troops, their families, or servants directly serving the viscount. Seven or eight villages dotted the plains east and north of Blue Fortress Town, bringing the entire viscount territory's population to around that number.

The whole town was encircled by a dirt wall less than 3 meters high, built to guard against the many bandits from the Southern Wilderness Region. Inside, aside from a few two-story buildings like the town hall and barracks, most structures were wooden farmhouses.

When Sean returned to the castle, he was greeted by the family butler, Al. Old Steward Al managed all internal affairs of the Winchester family. In his youth, he'd been a friend of Sean's father, Uss Winchester. Later, he accepted the viscount's invitation and served as butler for over 20 years, watching Sean grow up.

"Uncle Al, long time no see," Sean said with a smile as he dismounted from his warhorse, then shed his thick cloak.

"Young Master, welcome home. The Viscount and Viscountess have been waiting," Butler Al replied with a kindly smile. He directed servants to carry Sean's luggage, frowning slightly at the captured weapons.

"Uncle Al, send my luggage to my room. These are the bandits' weapons we seized today," Sean explained, seeing the butler's expression. He pointed to the captives guarded by cavalry. "These dozen are the captured bandits. Please handle them properly... Also, there are letters and gifts from Uncle's family on the carriage. Please bring them into the castle."

After hearing Sean, Butler Al first looked him over, confirming no injuries, then let out a long breath. He swept a stern gaze over the escort and captives, making the cavalrymen and prisoners feel a chill like winter's harsh cold, their hearts uneasy.

After that sharp look, Butler Al resumed his kindly smile. "Young Master, you've been through an ordeal. Come inside and rest." He told the servants, "Prepare hot water for the Young Master." Then he directed them to handle the captured weapons and bandits. Sean also thanked Captain Jack and the soldiers who'd guarded him.

Soon, everything was settled. Sean followed Butler Al through the castle gates, with servants carrying gifts behind him.

As Sean stepped into the familiar yet strange castle, his heart grew uneasy. In his memory, his father, Uss Winchester, was a man nearing 40, typical of the stiff Imperial Nobles, and as a father, somewhat harsh. The original Sean had feared his father, their relationship strained.

His mother, Margaret Winchester, was two years younger than his father, gentle and kind with a dignified, beautiful face. She'd doted on the original Sean, her greatest wish being for the whole family to love one another.

Sean's older brother, Jamie Winchester, was 17. For well-known reasons, he and Sean weren't close. Sean could understand—otherwise, Jamie would be ostracized by nobles of equal rank. A noble who didn't care about a brother splitting his inheritance was either a fool or had a problem with his head. That was the code of conduct Imperial Nobles had followed for centuries.

Sean's younger sister, Julie Winchester, was 10. When she was very young, she and Sean had gotten along well. But as she grew older, especially after learning bits about Sean's identity, she gradually distanced herself.

A noble lady's life depended on three people: her father, her brother, and her future husband. Her father gave her noble status and usually chose a suitable husband. But he couldn't care for her forever. After his death, she could only rely on her husband and brother. If her marriage was unhappy—the norm for noble unions—and she had a good relationship with her brother, she could gain her family's support and thus her husband's respect. Here, "brother" meant the family heir. Even with supernatural forces in this world, average life expectancy was only around 50.

At that moment, in the castle's living room, the Winchester family sat on sofas chatting, nearing dinner time. Sean stepped forward to bow and greet them softly: "Father, Mother, I'm back."

Sean's father, Viscount Uss Winchester, sat on the sofa with a dignified expression, speaking flatly: "Hmm, you're back." Sean's mother, Viscountess Margaret, shot her husband a look, displeased with his tone. She hugged Sean and laughed, "My dear little Sean is back! Was the journey smooth? Are you tired?"

A barrage of questions left Sean awkward. He hugged his mother back, feeling no resistance in body or soul. His heart steadied. Gently freeing himself from her embrace, he gave her a warm smile. Then he turned to his brother Jamie and sister Julie, greeting them with a smile: "Dear brother, hello. And dear little Julie, hello too."

After greeting his brother and sister, Sean smiled again at his mother, Lady Margaret: "Dear Mother, I'm fine. The journey went smoothly. Please don't worry..."