Bandits Attack

"Hey, have you heard? Joseph has advanced from a junior mage to an intermediate mage." One man said to another inside a small tavern.

"What?! Joseph actually advanced? That's incredible!" the other man exclaimed loudly upon hearing the news.

His voice was so loud that it drew the attention of everyone in the noisy tavern.

Many people had no idea who exactly Joseph was.

Someone nearby immediately asked the question on their behalf.

"Who exactly is this Joseph? Is he some big shot?"

"Not exactly a big shot. He's a junior mage. He's been stuck at that level for over a decade and couldn't advance. Everyone had written him off, saying he'd never rank up in this lifetime. But it seems he mastered some method to help people advance, and recently, he actually succeeded." The first man explained.

Most people, hearing it was just a junior mage advancing, lost interest after a moment of mild curiosity since they didn't know him and he was far away.

However, some interested parties took secret note. Similar situations were occurring simultaneously in various towns and cities around Lincoln Town.

The news of Joseph's advancement spread like wildfire. Even Joseph himself became known to many, his reputation skyrocketing.

All of this was orchestrated by Drew, who had spent money to hire people to spread the word. With the atmosphere sufficiently built up, he was just waiting for someone to take the bait.

Unfortunately, the people Drew was waiting for hadn't arrived yet; they were still observing from the sidelines. However, someone unexpected had arrived.

"Boss, did you hear? That town seems to have produced an intermediate mage. That means there are now three intermediate-level professionals in that town," said a sleazy man with a thin mustache.

Sitting across from him was a two-meter-tall brute with a bald head that shone like a lightbulb. Beneath the bald pate were two sword-like eyebrows, and the eyes beneath them were currently closed. Below a towering nose was a cavernous mouth, from which a voice emerged.

"What's the rush? It's just a rookie who just hit intermediate. A piece of trash who couldn't advance for over a decade is still trash even after advancing. What's there to worry about? Even if they have three intermediate professionals, we have five. Relax and don't disturb my rest."

One day, Joseph rushed to Drew's residence, interrupting his alchemy experiment. "What is it? Why the rush?" Drew asked, clearly dissatisfied with the interruption.

"I heard some news. The Hurricane Bandits are going to pass through our area," Joseph said, too focused on his news to notice Drew's annoyance.

"Oh? Will we be their target?"

"Perhaps not before, since our town is small and has little to loot. But now, because of your presence, this town has accumulated a massive amount of wealth. We are very likely to become their target."

"Is their strength significant?"

"They are one of the top ten bandit groups in the country."

"Do they have any high-level professionals?"

"It seems their leader is a high-level professional, though the leader rarely appears."

"Alright, I understand." Drew replied, acknowledging the information.

"Then how should we respond?" Joseph asked anxiously.

Drew had only said he understood; he hadn't mentioned how to deal with the situation. Joseph was now at a loss for what to do.

"First, go find someone or spend money to hire mercenaries to scout where this group of Hurricane Bandits is and what their scale is. Once you have the situation, I have my own ways to gauge their strength. Also, do you know where there are any Magic Crystal?" Drew replied calmly.

Karen's equipment was still on him, and Drew could use it. However, driving that equipment required Magic Crystal. Karen's spatial ring couldn't be opened for now, so Drew had to find other ways to obtain some Magic Crystal first. After all, the enemy might have a high-level professional. Drew estimated he couldn't win in a fair fight, but if he could use the equipment, he could completely crush a high-level professional.

"Magic Crystal is something only mages above the high level use. I was only a junior mage before, so I don't have such things; they are too high-end. However, I seem to have heard that the mayor has a piece of Magic Crystal in his collection." Drew's calmness and confidence soothed the anxious Joseph.

"Good, I'll go find the mayor. You go do what you need to do," Drew instructed.

"Understood."

After giving his instructions to Joseph, Drew headed toward the mayor's house.

He knocked on the door, and the servant who opened it looked somewhat surprised to see the homebody Drew.

Fortunately, although Drew rarely appeared in town, he had dealt with the mayor quite often.

The servant recognized him immediately, ushered him inside, and notified the mayor. The mayor was also rather taken aback by Drew's arrival.

He knew that Drew rarely ventured out. Aside from handling the school, he basically had no social life.

He must have come for a reason, and usually, if it concerned the alchemy shop, Drew wouldn't be in such a rush.

He would typically wait until Deke came by to pick up the potions to pass on any messages.

The mayor knew his personality; if he had something to say, he would get straight to the point.

"Is there something you need to discuss today?"

"Do you know anything about the Hurricane Bandits?" Drew asked.

"I do. The merchant caravans have already informed me. I've been worrying about this matter—do you have a way to resolve it?" The mayor felt that Drew must have a solution, otherwise he wouldn't have come to see him.

Because if it were just worry, Drew wouldn't have bothered to show up. Thinking of this, the mayor was suddenly overjoyed and asked.

"Yes, if there are no high-level professionals, I can handle it. However, I heard that there are high-level professionals among them."

"Hmm, their leader is a high-level professional, but he hasn't appeared for many years."

"But it is still possible that he might appear, right? I need something. With that item, even if a high-level professional shows up, I can deal with them. I heard you have one here."

"What is it? As long as I have it, I will give it to you."

"If no high-level professional appears, I will return the item to you. If one does appear and the item is used, I will compensate you."

"No, no, as the mayor, protecting the safety of this town is my duty. I've been fretting over this, and I can't thank you enough for offering to help solve it, let alone ask for compensation. Tell me, what exactly is it?"

"Magic Crystal. Do you have any here? If not, can you contact someone to purchase them?"

"So that's what you need. That is an item used only by high-level mages. I do have two pieces here, left behind by my ancestors. They are just ornaments in my hands, so take them if you need them. Are two enough? If not, I can inquire in the larger towns."

"That is enough. Many thanks, Mayor."

"Good, I will go get them for you now."

Emerging from the mayor's house, Drew felt a sense of relief. With these two Magic Crystal pieces, he felt confident.

Although the quantity was small, Drew was not Karen.

Karen had the attitude of a nouveau riche, using Magic Crystal as if it were common currency.

Drew had a system, allowing him to use these resources precisely and at the most critical moments. Moreover, he didn't need to kill the opponent; he only needed to make them retreat in the face of difficulty. It wouldn't consume much, so two pieces were sufficient.

Drew returned home satisfied. He still needed to make some preparations before the bandits arrived, especially regarding potions.

Once Joseph scouted out the location of the bandits, it would be Drew's turn to take action, armed with his large stock of excellent-quality Shadow Potion.

With the powerful scanning and analytical capabilities of Drew's system, gathering military intelligence was a very simple matter.