Unexpected

Time quickly arrived at Tuesday, March 30th, with bright sunshine and a gentle breeze.

Four or five days had passed since Sean reached an agreement with his uncle, Baron Lex Horton, regarding the perfume issue.

After that day, Sean instructed Thor to deliver fifty bottles of various perfumes to the Horton family's shop in Linshui City's bustling commercial district for sale. After careful consideration, he set the prices for different types of perfume between twelve and thirty gold coins. What price his uncle chose to sell them at was entirely his own affair.

Sean set varying prices to cater to nobles of different ranks, highlighting the concept of status hierarchy; after all, Imperial Nobles had always been stubborn and rigid in their obsession with identity.

It was precisely to cater to this noble mentality that he deliberately used different perfume purities to distinguish between high and low.

Sean's ability to produce fifty bottles at once was only the result of diluting some of them; in reality, he had only taken about thirty bottles from the original hundred, while the rest would be released slowly over time; he needed to feign low production yields to mislead any organizations or individuals who might covet the perfume profits.

Speaking of profits, it had to be said that the aromatic plants, the main raw material for perfume, were absurdly cheap; since no one had cultivated them before, most of what he acquired came from wild growth. As soon as he started purchasing, Linshui City's poor went out to gather from the wild. Since they were poor, their labor was so cheap that Sean found it almost unbelievable.

Thus, the biggest expense in perfume production became the crystal bottles needed for bottling. This once made Sean consider firing glass bottles, but after careful deliberation, he had to abandon that somewhat risky idea; after all, even under current circumstances, he still had nearly ten times the profit margin, with no need for such a daring move at this point.

These past few days, Sean maintained his usual routine, reporting to the garrison barracks every day after breakfast. On the 30th, it was no different; he brought Thor to the barracks early in the morning.

But today was slightly different. As soon as Sean arrived at the barracks, he sensed a slightly tense atmosphere. He immediately went to find Sergeant Donnie, hoping to learn something from him, and finally found him training on the drill ground.

"Sergeant Donnie, come here..." Sean called out loudly to Sergeant Donnie, who was training, and waved him over.

Sergeant Donnie turned his head, saw Sean waving, and immediately jogged over to stand before him, asking loudly, "Sir, hello. Any orders?"

"Sergeant, what's going on in the barracks today? I feel the atmosphere is strange..." Sean looked at the soldiers nearby, who seemed hurried, and asked Donnie in a low voice.

"Sir, the specifics... I'm not too clear either. Just... I received orders from above..." Donnie's face also showed some confusion, as he gestured upward with his finger and replied quietly. Then, under Sean's questioning gaze, he continued, "Orders for all soldiers to return to barracks and stand by today..."

"Oh..." After hearing Donnie's words, Sean's confusion deepened. He continued quietly, "Do you know who gave the order?"

"No... sir, but I'm sure it came directly from high command within the unit." Sergeant Donnie shook his head, then guessed somewhat uncertainly.

Sean silently pondered various possibilities, but after a moment, he still had no clue and couldn't make sense of it. He waved at Donnie and said, "Continue your training. Make sure to pass the order's content to all soldiers..."

Donnie nodded in understanding, then saluted Sean before turning back to continue his training.

Sean looked around the entire drill ground and found no other officers present. Unable to ask anyone else for information, he decided to find Sergeant Jason to inquire about the situation; as Lieutenant Colonel Merkel's adjutant, his sources were surely better than others.

Soon, Sean found the busy Sergeant Jason in Lieutenant Colonel Merkel's office building. He gave Jason a meaningful look while glancing toward an unnoticed corner; then he inconspicuously moved into the corner, and Jason quickly followed, catching on.

"Jason, do you know what happened today?" Sean didn't stand on ceremony and asked directly.

"Sir, the unit is mobilizing to suppress bandits. You should prepare early..." Sergeant Jason didn't hesitate and immediately told Sean what he had learned.

"Suppress bandits? What happened?" Sean frowned in thought, then suddenly realized something and asked urgently.

"Sir, a cadet from the Noble Academy got into trouble on the way back to school..." Jason quickly explained the cause of the incident. After a pause, he continued, "While taking a boat back to Linshui City, passing through the marshlands, they were hijacked—boat and all—by the River Bandit Gang active in that area." After speaking, Sergeant Jason took a quick breath.

Sean opened his mouth in surprise, never imagining that bandits would dare to kidnap a noble. Then he immediately realized this incident would likely cause a huge uproar throughout Linshui City. Sure enough, Jason's next words confirmed his thoughts.

"Fortunately, one guard accidentally fell overboard and was rescued by a fisherman downstream, which is how the news reached Linshui City." Sergeant Jason caught his breath and continued. Then, looking around to ensure no one was watching him and Sean, he lowered his voice and warned, "Sir, the city lord and the Noble Council were furious upon learning of this. They strictly ordered the Garrison Force to respond immediately and ensure a satisfactory outcome for the Empire and the Noble Council."

After speaking, Jason carefully scanned the surroundings again before continuing quietly to Sean, "I heard Commander Oster of the Garrison was also very angry... but... his health isn't good, so he handed the matter entirely to Lieutenant Colonel Merkel..."

Jason paused for a breath and then said, "Lieutenant Colonel Merkel has decided to lead the campaign personally, rescue the trapped Noble Cadet, and punish those audacious river bandits... Sir, you should make some preparations..." He gave Sean a subtle, meaningful look.

"I see. Such a shocking incident has occurred..." Sean said, feigning sudden understanding after hearing Jason's words, also realizing Jason was hinting at him. He added a note of anger to his tone. After a pause, he put on an indignant expression and asked, "Sergeant Jason, do you know when Lieutenant Colonel Merkel will be free... I want to personally request to join the campaign..." Sean waved his hand forcefully to show his excitement.

"By the way... do you know which noble family's member met with this misfortune?" Sean suddenly realized he didn't know who the victim was, so he asked. But deep down, he didn't really care who the unlucky bastard was; as a fellow student and noble, he had to show sympathy for the victim and anger and condemnation toward the perpetrators.

"Sir, I heard it's the second son of Baron Frey..." Jason replied. Then he respectfully said to Sean, "Lieutenant Colonel Merkel has half an hour free before lunch. Shall I arrange a meeting for you?"

"Hmm... Please arrange it for me. Thank you..." Sean said politely to Sergeant Jason.

"Of course... It's my honor." Jason replied modestly. After a pause, he flattered Sean, "Sir, your character is truly admirable... I think Lieutenant Colonel Merkel will also greatly appreciate your determination to resolutely volunteer for battle to save your fellow student." After speaking, Jason's face showed a smile that Sean found very insincere.

"Not at all... I'm just worried about my classmate's safety..." Sean replied with a smile, his own smile equally thick with hypocrisy. Then he humbly said to Jason, "Whether this incident can be resolved successfully depends on Lieutenant Colonel Merkel's strategic planning. I... I'm just doing my small part..."

"Yes, sir. You truly have keen insight..." Sergeant Jason immediately flattered him with understanding.

After speaking, the two exchanged a knowing smile. Jason remained very respectful, while a glint of appreciation flashed in Sean's eyes; he couldn't help but sigh that people close to leadership were all sharp cookies.

Then the two slowly left the corner where they had been talking. Sean indicated he had matters to attend to temporarily and would return to see Lieutenant Colonel Merkel when the time approached. Sergeant Jason also had important business to handle, so after bidding each other farewell, Sean left the office building.

If Sean wanted to go further in the military, he had to continuously increase his merits and experience; undoubtedly, participating in a "relatively easy" bandit-suppression campaign was a very good choice. His classmate's unfortunate incident provided the perfect excuse for him to volunteer. Finally, Sean's reason of "worrying about his classmate" made him seem very humane, and most people preferred to associate with someone who valued relationships; thus, the whole event turned into a win-win situation for him.

After leaving Lieutenant Colonel Merkel's office building, Sean directly found his attendant, Thor. He got straight to the point and instructed, "Thor, go to the Logistics Office and get a set of Soldier's Leather Armor. I'll need it later..."

"Yes, Young Master." Thor immediately agreed upon hearing Sean's order. Torr was used to obeying Sean's commands.

"Also prepare your own weapons, armor, and horse." Sean continued. Seeing Thor's puzzled expression, he added, "I might be joining a bandit-suppression mission. Get ready to accompany me. Keep it secret..."

"I understand, Young Master. I'll prepare your weapons and equipment as well." Thor replied solemnly.

Hearing Thor's words, Sean nodded in satisfaction. Then he waved for Thor to go and prepare.