Alaric returned to House Silversword’s territory after he visited the orphanage. The first thing he did upon his return was to gather the money he had saved up over the years.
This should be enough to pay the children for two weeks, but I still need more money to fulfill my promise to William.
Alaric promised that he would donate funds to the orphanage. However, his savings were far from enough.
He didn’t want to use the household’s money since he had promised his father that he wouldn’t touch it. It would be embarrassing if he went back on his words.
He had to gather funds as quickly as possible.
In his past life, there were rare items discovered by wanderers. Some of them were of great value and they even caused major upheavals when they were found.
Alaric suddenly thought of one particular item found on the eastern side of Vale.
It was a miracle herb called Dragon Tail Fern.
It got its name from its whip-like features that made it look like a miniature dragon tail from certain angles.
This miracle herb was capable of tempering the human body, but this wasn’t its most important function. Consuming this herb could also aid the Knights in their mana training, speeding up their progress twofold! It was also because of this that this herb was sold at sky-high prices. The only problem was that it was so difficult to find them since they only grow in certain conditions.
Alaric knew where he could find this herb and it wasn’t just a single stalk.
From what he could remember, the number of Dragon Tail Fern found in that place was in the hundreds!
If he could gather all the Dragon Tail Ferns from that place, he would have enough money to fund the orphanage for the next three years and he would still be left with a decent amount for himself.
However…
There was a minor problem.
That place was the home of a ferocious creature with a threat level classified as ‘Fatal’.
Monsters were graded based on their threat levels- the degree of danger they posed to the civilians.
Fatal-grade monsters were already capable of harnessing mana and they also possessed intelligence far greater than normal animals.
A normal warrior or even a Knight Apprentice would be helpless when faced with such a creature. Usually, a team of Knights would be dispatched when a monster of the Fatal-grade was causing havoc.
Alaric had to thoroughly prepare for his trip to that place.
I need to bring more people with me.
Although he had Galanar who was an Elite Knight, he planned to bring more Knights with him in case the information he had was wrong.
His information about that place was only based on the rumors he had heard in his past life so it was better to take some precautions.
Alaric wore his battle armor and equipped the reinforced steel sword he got from Lucas as a gift.
After making sure that he didn’t miss anything, he stepped out of his room.
“My lord, where are you headed to?” Elena was startled when she saw him in combat-ready attire.
Looking at her worried expression, Alaric gently smiled at her.
“I will hunt some wild animals for dinner.”
He didn’t tell her the truth. Telling her would only make her needlessly worried.
Elena looked around. After making sure that no one was there, she shyly grabbed his hand.
“You must be careful out there, my lord. I heard from the Knights that there’s a Fatal-Grade monster lurking outside the territory.”
Feeling her soft and warm hand, Alaric squeezed it gently.
“Don’t worry. I’m not going out alone. I will bring Galanar and a few guys with me.”
After reassuring her, he told her to stay close to his mother while he was gone.
He didn’t know when his uncle would return to the mansion so it was better for her to stay with Maria for the time being. Elena would be safe as long as she was with her.
After sending Elena to his mother, Alaric went to his father’s study room.
He needed Lucas’s permission to mobilize the Knights. He also didn’t plan on keeping this from him.
The Knights were loyal to his father so he wouldn’t be able to hide the details of this trip. Since that’s the case, he might as well tell him the truth.
Soon, he arrived at his father’s study room which was located at the topmost floor of the mansion.
He knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
Lucas’s stern voice echoed from inside the room.
Alaric pushed the door open and stepped inside.
He saw Lucas writing on a piece of paper, looking incredibly focused.
Standing behind him was the old butler, Bastian, who bowed upon seeing that the visitor was Alaric.
Noticing this, Lucas put down his pen and raised his head.
When he realized that it was his son, his face broke into a smile.
“Do you need anything from me?”
Lucas pointed at the seat in front of his desk, gesturing for him to sit down.
Alaric nodded to the old butler before he bowed to Lucas. He then took his seat.
“Father, I heard of rumors that a Dragon Tail Fern was found in the eastern side of Vale.”
“I would like to investigate the area to see if it’s true.”
Hearing this, Lucas chuckled.
“And here I thought it was something serious.”
“You don’t need my permission for this. You can go there if you want, but you need to be careful. There are reported sightings of monsters in that place so you must exercise caution.”
“I know.” Alaric nodded.
“The reason I came here is because I need your permission to mobilize the Knights.”
Lucas raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Why will you bring them there? Galanar should be able to handle the monsters there.”
“It’s just for precaution.” Alaric shook his head, thinking of a good excuse that wouldn’t make his father suspicious.
“After all, we still haven’t investigated the credibility of the rumors. I would like to bring them there since there is a possibility that this is a trap.” He added.
Lucas nodded his head. “You have a point. The rumors you heard might have been intentionally spread by someone to attract the public’s attention.”
“Since that’s the case, I will give you the authority to mobilize the Knights, but…
“…how many do you plan to bring with you for this trip?”
Alaric raised his hand. “I only need three.”
The household had a total of eight Knights. Three of them were stationed outside the territory, protecting the key businesses of the household. Only five were at the territory, waiting for their next missions.
Lucas thought for a moment before he gave a nod of approval. “Alright. You can take this opportunity to sharpen your skills.”
“You just became a Knight and you still lacked practical experience in field operations. Whether the Dragon Tail Fern exists or not, this will be a good learning experience for you.”
“Yes, father.”
Lucas gave him a few more reminders before he sent him out.