Harvest (1)

After reminding Phil, Sean immediately led Vinson into the secret chamber at a brisk pace. The room was small, with several torches thrust into each of the four walls, their bright flames illuminating the entire space.

Sean swept his gaze across the chamber and spotted three chests stacked haphazardly against the wall, varying in size. On the wall opposite the entrance, there was also another exit.

Sean couldn't help but think: So this is the escape tunnel the Water Bandit Leader prepared for himself. These chests should hold the valuables he stashed away. Too bad he never got the chance to use any of this.

"Search the room carefully—check for hidden compartments..." Sean collected himself and gave the order, then added, "And be careful..."

With that, he walked toward the chests. Phil and Vinson immediately began a meticulous search of the chamber. After a while, they returned to Sean's side, looking somewhat dejected.

"Sir, we've checked everything. No abnormalities..." Phil said, his eyes fixed on the chests in front of Sean.

"Looks like there are no other traps..." Sean said with a smile. He picked up the smallest chest on top and said, "Let's see what goodies are inside..." Carefully, he pried it open.

The chest wasn't large, and it didn't feel particularly heavy in his hands. As Sean slowly opened it, everyone instinctively leaned in to look. Inside was a thick stack of parchment, resembling important documents. Sean handed the chest to Vinson and picked up the top sheet.

He studied the writing closely and realized it was the letter Vinson had mentioned earlier—a message from the Max Bandit Group to the Water Bandit Leader, Gil. After reading it, he frowned, his confusion deepening.

The letter was simply a bounty for an old blacksmith named Tack, repeatedly urging the Gil River Bandit Group to capture him alive. This only piqued Sean's curiosity further. What's so special about this old blacksmith Tack that the bandits are so obsessed with him, losing sleep over him?

Lacking sufficient information, Sean quickly abandoned his speculation. He began opening the other parchments in the chest one by one, and his heart sank as his expression darkened.

Most of these parchments were letters from merchants in Linshui City, with only a few from other bandits to the Water Bandit Leader. The merchants' letters revealed not only their purchases of stolen goods but also their occasional sales of food and intelligence to the bandit group.

These incriminating letters were now in Sean's hands, but he felt no joy—only a deep sense of crisis. Among the merchants mentioned, several were representatives of nobles within Linshui City.

Sean couldn't help but think: With my current status and position, holding onto these so-called pieces of evidence would likely bring me harm, especially now, right after wiping out the bandit group. If I could keep this quiet...

He shook his head with a bitter smile, worry creeping in. If word gets out that I have these letters, even a hint of it, I'll never know peace. I'll face all kinds of schemes, and I might even be in mortal danger.

After all, nobles wore masks of civility to hide their bloodthirsty true faces. When faced with potential threats, they were accustomed to nipping danger in the bud.

A chill ran down Sean's spine. The faint joy and excitement he'd felt at finding the Water Bandit Leader's hidden treasure vanished like smoke.

He looked up sharply, his eyes sweeping over the two men before him. Phil seemed deeply interested in examining the chamber, as if he hadn't noticed Sean's grim expression.

Vinson, on the other hand, stood respectfully with his head bowed, but his trembling body and sweat-soaked brow betrayed his anxiety. Perhaps he feared the decision Sean might make against him...

Sean frowned slightly at them, cursing inwardly: Damn Gil, hiding these things here—is he trying to cause trouble? But he quickly dismissed that thought. Gil had likely kept these letters as insurance, storing them here for easy access if he ever needed to flee.

These were meant to prevent Gil's partners from hunting him down after his fall from power. If worst came to worst, he'd still have a countermeasure.

A flash of inspiration struck Sean, and a plan formed in his mind—a way to kill two birds with one stone. He could dispose of this hot potato and maybe even gain some benefit.

The method was simple: after disguising the origin of these letters, he'd hand them all over to Lieutenant Colonel Merkel. After all, people of different statuses handled the same problem in vastly different ways. These letters were a talisman for Gil, a curse for Sean, but in Merkel's hands...

Sean smirked inwardly and set down the letters. Then he smiled at the two men. "Heh... Don't worry, I've got a foolproof plan." As soon as he spoke, he heard both of them exhale in unison, clearly relieved.

"Let's see what gifts the Water Bandit Leader, Gil, has prepared for us..." Seeing them relax, Sean continued with a smile. He opened the second chest, and under the torchlight, a dazzling radiance burst forth. The chest was filled to the brim with jewelry and gems, laid out before the three of them.

Sean picked up a piece—a gemstone necklace made of gold, studded with various precious stones. It felt heavy in his hand and was clearly valuable. Dozens of other ornaments and gems filled the chest, drawing excited, happy smiles from all three.

"Sir, this is quite a haul..." Phil said with a grin, his eyes devoid of greed.

"Yes, yes. All of this is yours, sir..." Vinson said, his eyes lingering on the jewelry, but he knew his place. Then he asked, "Sir, how do we transport it back?"

Sean noticed they didn't ask about the plan he'd mentioned earlier, instead shifting to other matters. It seemed they'd truly moved past the awkwardness and trusted him to handle everything.

"Hold on, there's still a big chest to check..." Sean said, equally pleased. From this moment, these jewels were his private wealth. Though he didn't know their exact value, they'd surely keep him comfortable for a long time. After that, he could focus entirely on his knight training. As he understood it, advancing in knightly realms also extended one's lifespan—and he'd never forgotten his wish from his past life.

"Sir, let me..." Vinson spoke up first, reaching for the chest that had been at the bottom before Sean could.

As the chest opened, a blinding golden light hit their eyes. All three squinted involuntarily. When their vision cleared, they saw the chest packed full of gold coins. Sean estimated there were no fewer than three thousand coins.

"It looks like we really need to figure out how to get all this back," Sean said, a bit troubled.

Their group, including Torr keeping watch above, was only four people. Even just moving this chest of gold coins without drawing attention seemed nearly impossible, let alone the jewelry and letters.

"Phil, go scout ahead..." Sean pointed to the passage opposite the chamber and said.

"Right away, sir..." Phil replied, turning and running into the passage.

The sound of Phil's hurried footsteps echoed through the dark tunnel, quickly fading. Sean looked around for any tools or equipment they could use, thinking: The Water Bandit Leader who hid all this must have prepared a means of transport. How else would he move it? Did he suddenly lose his mind?

Soon, the nearly inaudible footsteps grew clearer as Phil rushed back. Sean and Vinson turned toward the passage, and Phil emerged from the other end.

"Sir, the passage leads to a cave that opens onto the river. The entrance is well-hidden... and there's a Water Bandit Speedboat moored there..." Phil reported breathlessly.

Sean felt a surge of relief. So the Water Bandit Leader was prepared after all. He turned to Vinson and ordered, "Vinson, go back and fetch Torr. Remember—close the entrance when you return..."

"Yes, sir." Vinson turned and sprinted back toward the entrance.

"Phil, let's move these to the boat. Once Torr and Vinson get back, we'll head straight for the warship..." Sean picked up the chest of jewelry and ducked into the passage.

"Sir, wait for me..." Phil called out as Sean disappeared into the tunnel. He then grabbed the heavy chest of gold coins and began dragging it slowly into the passage.

Sean quickly reached the cave Phil had described. It was the outlet of an underground river. About twenty meters ahead, he could vaguely see the connection to the swamp waterway, hidden by reeds. The Water Bandit Speedboat Phil mentioned was moored quietly inside the cave.

Sean placed the jewelry chest on the boat and turned back into the passage. There, he found Phil struggling to drag the heavy gold chest. After covering most of the tunnel, Sean caught up to the panting, sweat-drenched Phil and said with a warm smile, "Phil, wait here. When Torr and Vinson arrive, you can all work together..."

"I'll go back and grab the chest of letters," Sean added, then passed Phil and left.