In the blink of an eye, it was Tuesday, March 30. The sun was bright, and the breeze was gentle.
Four or five days had passed since Sean reached an agreement with his uncle, Baron Lex Horton, regarding Perfume.
After that day, Sean instructed Thor to deliver fifty bottles of different types of Perfume to a Horton Family shop in Linshui City's bustling commercial district for sale. After careful consideration, he set the prices of the various perfumes between twelve and thirty gold coins. As for the price at which his uncle intended to sell them, that had nothing to do with him.
Sean had set different prices to cater to nobles of different ranks and emphasize the concept of social status. After all, the Empire's nobles had always been stubbornly rigid about rank and identity.
To cater to that mindset, Sean had deliberately used perfumes of varying concentrations to distinguish high from low.
The reason Sean could produce fifty bottles of Perfume at once was only because some had been diluted. In reality, he had used only around thirty bottles from the original hundred. As for the rest, he would release them gradually in the future. After all, he needed to make Perfume appear scarce in order to mislead any organizations or individuals who might covet its profits.
Speaking of profits, the aromatic plants that served as Perfume's primary ingredients were outrageously cheap. Since no one had cultivated them before, most of those purchased had grown naturally in the wild. As soon as he began buying them, Linshui City's poor started gathering them from the countryside. Since they were poor, their labor was naturally so cheap that Sean found it almost unbelievable.
As a result, the greatest expense in producing Perfume became the Crystal Bottles needed to fill it. Sean had briefly considered making glass bottles himself, but after careful thought, he had no choice but to abandon that somewhat dangerous idea. Even under the current circumstances, he still had nearly ten times the profit margin. There was no need to take such a risk now.
Over the past few days, Sean had maintained his usual routine, reporting to the Garrison Barracks every day after breakfast. March 30 was no exception. Early that morning, he brought Thor to the barracks.
However, today was somewhat different from usual. The moment Sean entered the barracks, he sensed a faintly tense atmosphere. He immediately went looking for Sergeant Donnie, hoping to learn what was going on. In the end, he found Sergeant Donnie training on the parade ground.
"Sergeant Donnie, come here..." Sean loudly called out to the training sergeant and beckoned to him.
Sergeant Donnie turned and saw Sean waving at him. He immediately jogged over and asked loudly, "Sir, hello. What are your orders?"
"Donnie, what's going on in the barracks today? Why does the atmosphere feel so strange..." Sean looked at the soldiers hurrying about nearby and quietly asked Donnie.
"Sir, I'm not entirely sure about the specifics either. It's just... we received orders from above..." Donnie looked equally puzzled. He gestured toward the sky with a finger as he answered quietly. Then, under Sean's questioning gaze, he continued, "All soldiers have been ordered to return to the barracks and remain on standby by the end of today..."
"Oh..." After hearing Donnie's words, Sean's doubts deepened. He continued in a low voice, "Do you know who issued the order?"
"I don't know... Sir, but it must have been issued directly by the Garrison's higher-ups." Sergeant Donnie shook his head, then offered an uncertain guess.
Sean silently considered various possibilities, but even after a while, he still had no clue. He could only wave at Donnie and say, "Continue your training. Remember to relay the contents of the order to all the soldiers..."
Donnie nodded in understanding, then saluted Sean before turning around and continuing his training.
Sean looked around the entire parade ground and found no other officers present. Unable to find anyone else for more information, he decided to ask Sergeant Jason. As Lieutenant Colonel Merkel's adjutant, Jason's sources had to be far better informed than most.
Soon afterward, Sean found the busy Sergeant Jason in Lieutenant Colonel Merkel's office building. He gave Jason a meaningful look, glancing toward an unnoticed corner. Sean then casually moved into the corner first, and Jason quickly understood and followed him in.
"Jason, do you know what happened today?" Sean did not stand on ceremony and asked directly.
"Sir, the Garrison is about to deploy troops to suppress bandits. You should make preparations early..." Sergeant Jason did not hesitate in the slightest before telling Sean what he had learned.
"Suppress bandits? What happened?" Sean frowned and thought for a moment, then seemed to realize something and asked urgently.
"Sir, a Noble Cadet was attacked while returning to the academy..." Jason immediately explained the cause of the incident. After a brief pause, he continued, "While traveling by boat back to Linshui City, they passed through a marshland area and were seized, boat and all, by a River Bandit Gang active in that region." After speaking, Sergeant Jason let out a hurried breath.
Sean opened his mouth in surprise. He had never expected bandits to dare commit an act as outrageous as kidnapping a noble. Then he immediately realized that this matter would likely cause a tremendous uproar throughout Linshui City. Sure enough, Jason's next words confirmed his thoughts.
"Fortunately, one of the guards accidentally fell into the water and was rescued by fishermen downstream. That was how the news reached Linshui City." Sergeant Jason continued after catching his breath. Then Jason looked around and, after confirming that no one was paying attention to him and Sean, quietly reminded him, "Sir, the city lord and the Noble Council were extraordinarily furious when they learned of this. They strictly ordered the Garrison Force to respond immediately and ensure a satisfactory result for the Empire and the Noble Council."
Jason carefully surveyed the surroundings again before continuing in a low voice, "I heard Commander Oster of the Garrison is also extremely furious... It's just... his health is not very good, so he has handed this matter over to Lord Merkel for full handling..."
After taking a slight breath, Jason said, "Lord Merkel has decided to personally lead an expedition to rescue the trapped Noble Cadet and punish those audacious river bandits... Sir, you should make some preparations..." As he spoke, he sent Sean a subtle, unusual look.
"So that's what happened. Such a shocking incident actually occurred..." Sean suddenly understood after hearing Jason's words, and he also realized Jason was reminding him. His tone immediately took on a trace of anger as he spoke. After a pause, he put on an indignant expression and asked, "Sergeant Jason, do you know when Lord Merkel will be free... I want to personally request permission to fight." After speaking, Sean fiercely swung his hand, making himself appear agitated.
"Right... Do you know which noble family the victim belongs to?" Sean suddenly realized he did not know who the victim was and asked. Deep down, however, he did not care who the unfortunate person who had been kidnapped was. As a fellow student and a noble of similar background, he merely needed to show sympathy for the victim and anger and condemnation toward the perpetrators.
"Sir, I heard he is Baron Frey's second son..." Jason answered. Then he respectfully said to Sean, "Lord Merkel has half an hour before lunch. Would you like me to arrange a meeting for you?"
"Yes... Please arrange it for me. Thank you for the trouble..." Sean said politely to Sergeant Jason.
"Of course... It would be my honor." Jason answered humbly. After a brief pause, he spoke to Sean in a flattering tone. "Sir, your character is truly admirable... I believe Lord Merkel will greatly appreciate your determination to fight without hesitation in order to save your fellow student." After saying that, Jason revealed a smile Sean found extremely fake.
"Not at all... I am merely worried about my fellow student's safety..." Sean replied with a smile equally full of hypocrisy. Then he humbly said to Jason, "Whether this incident can be resolved satisfactorily will still depend on Lord Merkel's strategic command. I... I will only contribute what little strength I can..."
"Yes, Sir. You truly have a keen eye..." Sergeant Jason immediately replied with an understanding, flattering tone.
Afterward, the two exchanged smiles. Jason remained exceedingly respectful, while a trace of appreciation flashed through Sean's eyes. He could not help but sigh that those around leaders were all exceptionally shrewd.
Only then did the two slowly leave the corner where they had spoken. Sean indicated that he had matters to handle and would leave for the moment, then return to meet Lieutenant Colonel Merkel when the time drew near. Sergeant Jason also had urgent matters to attend to, so after bidding each other farewell, Sean left the office building.
If Sean wanted to go further in the military in the future, he had to continuously build up his merits and experience. Taking part in a "rather easy" bandit-suppression campaign was undoubtedly an excellent choice. His classmate's misfortune gave him the perfect excuse to volunteer for battle. In the end, Sean's reason of "worrying about his classmate" also made him appear compassionate, and most people were willing to associate with someone who valued personal bonds. Thus, the entire incident had become a good thing that served several purposes at once.
After leaving Lieutenant Colonel Merkel's office building, Sean went directly to find his attendant, Thor. Getting straight to the point, he ordered, "Thor, go to the Logistics Office and collect a set of Soldier's Leather Armor. I'll need it later..."
"Yes, Young Master." Thor immediately agreed after hearing Sean's order. He had long grown accustomed to obeying Sean's commands.
"You should also prepare your weapons, armor, and horse." Sean continued. Seeing Thor's puzzled expression after speaking, he added, "I may take part in the bandit-suppression mission. Prepare to join me on the expedition. Keep it confidential..."
"I understand, Young Master. I'll prepare your weapons and equipment as well." Thor immediately replied solemnly.
Sean nodded in satisfaction after hearing Thor's words. Then he waved for Thor to go make the preparations first.
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