Gaining a Well-Trained Physician

Why did I have such a dream?

Henry's eyes suddenly widened as a bold guess formed in his mind.

"Ailiya, are there any pigeons left? I want to eat the pigeon pie and lemon cake you made."

Ailiya pursed her lips and said shyly, "Master, even if you like the desserts I make, you can't eat something so greasy first thing in the morning."

Henry looked at Ailiya without wondering why her face was flushed. "Go quickly, Ailiya. This is important."

Ailiya hurriedly nodded and walked out in a daze.

Master loves the desserts I make, hooray!

Henry let out a long breath. His own guess had shocked him.

Huh? Why was Ailiya's face red?

After a long while, Ailiya finally came in carrying the food, her face full of smiles.

Henry first gave it an exploratory sniff. Mm, the smell had not changed. Then he carefully cut off a small piece and put it into his mouth... Mm, it was exceptionally delicious.

Phew... Only then did Henry finally relax completely.

Sure enough, he had been overthinking things!

This was just a highly productive Mount & Blade "medieval" world. Even if there were half-orcs, it was still an ordinary world. How could strange things possibly appear?

Besides, even if there were, it couldn't possibly be that thing. He had already chopped and chopped and chopped... No, why did I have to chop and chop and chop?

Henry shook his head and continued enjoying the delicious pigeon pie and lemon cake.

"Wait, Ailiya, where did we get pigeons and lemons? What cooking utensils did you use?"

Ailiya blinked and asked quietly, "Didn't you tell me to secretly take them from the logistics department and the Supply Convoy?"

"Ahem, right, took them. Haha, I forgot. Get ready to depart."

Henry laughed awkwardly. He felt as if his memory had declined a little. It was all that damned dream's fault—it had disrupted his sleep too much!

The group was soon ready. They had already grown accustomed to this life of marching, and fortunately, they had ample water and food.

Just as the party of over a hundred people was about to set off, a commotion suddenly came from the woods.

Immediately afterward, two enormous black bears charged out of the forest. Baring their fangs and brandishing their claws, they chased closely after a middle-aged man and a young man.

The middle-aged man and the young man looked terrified as they ran desperately, their faces filled with despair.

The bears' roars echoed through the air, sending chills down everyone's spines.

Boman's and Fas's soldiers instantly fell into panic, despite having so many comrades around them.

As the black bears drew closer and closer, the middle-aged man and the young man's fates seemed already sealed.

At that critical moment, Henry noticed the baskets on the two men's backs and suddenly shouted, "Quick, save them! Bain... forget it, give me the bow!"

His shout broke the silence. Everyone snapped back to their senses and grabbed the weapons and shields at hand, preventing the huge black bears from charging into the crowd.

The crossbowmen remained ready to fire at any moment, but Henry seemed to want to handle it personally, and they did not dare steal his thunder.

As for those two strangers? They weren't the ones paying their wages.

Henry took the bow and arrows Bain handed him, aimed at the black bears ahead, took a deep breath to steady himself, then released the bowstring without hesitation.

Henry could say with complete confidence that even without the boost from his passive skill, he could still hit them easily.

The arrow whistled through the air toward one of the black bears and struck it accurately in the eye. The bear let out a pained roar and temporarily stopped advancing.

Seizing the opportunity, the soldiers quickly stepped forward and used their shields to protect the middle-aged man and the young man.

The two were overwhelmed with gratitude. They had thought they were doomed.

Henry drew another arrow and easily shot through the other black bear's eye socket.

"Stay calm! Form up! Wait for them to die. I want those two bear pelts and their body parts!"

After giving the order, Vasco immediately commanded the Skilled Infantry to form a Shield Formation, while the other soldiers instinctively moved closer as well.

"Who are you? Why were you being chased by black bears?" Henry asked calmly.

The middle-aged man answered between gasps, "My lord, we are apothecaries from Amprela. News of the legion's victory has already been sent back.

"So, I planned to bring my apprentice here to try our luck. This is an unexplored place. Perhaps we could find many herbs, or even entirely new ones."

Henry frowned and thought for a moment before raising a question. "You came from Amprela? You would have had to cross grasslands, forests, mountain ranges, and rivers, pass through Makebu, Baltahan, or Autongard, then travel an extremely long way to reach this place... I need a reasonable explanation."

The middle-aged man answered somewhat awkwardly, "You know, commoners have to pay a tax to gather herbs, and I don't have that much money."

Henry nodded. It was quite a reasonable answer. For money and for survival, people could often make many bizarre decisions.

The young man beside him was trembling with fear, and Henry could even smell urine.

Still, Henry did not mock the young man. Encountering black bears that large and not freezing in place from fright already counted as strong nerves.

Henry's gaze swept over the baskets on their backs, and an idea came to him.

"It isn't safe here. Come with us for now."

The middle-aged man hurriedly bowed in thanks. "Thank you, my lord. My name is Thomas, and this is my son, Vasily. My lord, might I have the honor of learning your name?"

"Henry Burley, the King's vassal knight, Lord of West Lyme."

After learning of Henry's noble status, Thomas was seized by panic. His face instantly turned pale, and a sheen of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

Would he be beheaded for complaining about Amprela's taxes just now?

Thomas cautiously raised his head for another look, and his last shred of hope died completely. Young, handsome, lavishly equipped, and capable of shooting a Brown Bear dead—he was definitely a noble lord!

"Knight, Sir Knight, your archery fills me with the deepest awe. I will never be able to repay your life-saving grace for as long as I live. I..."

Henry hurriedly raised a hand to stop Thomas's rambling flattery, then said to Boman, "Bain, Philip, those two Black Bears have been down for quite a while. Go see what's going on. Boman, help skin them. Bain's hand hasn't healed yet."

"Yes, yes, yes, Sir Knight~"

Henry turned back to Thomas. "You do have a way to repay me. You said you're a commoner, so fine—come to my territory and work as an apothecary. You can bring your family with you. I'll provide housing and wages."

Thomas looked at the bow in Henry's hand and the Soldiers around him. How could he dare refuse? He could only agree with tears of gratitude in his eyes.

"It is my blessing to serve you, Master!"