An army of five hundred is marching out of Ironmarch city. With their new equipment and neat formation, the army looks like a true veteran army now, despite their lack of experience. At the head of the formation, Luceran is on his horse while the commander is walking beside him. Two lieutenants are situated on the left and right sides of the long formation. There are ten chariots in the middle of the formation. In the first chariot, there is Liz inside with her helper. The other nine big chariots are various items ready to be sold at Golden Light city. Ian is walking behind Luceran and the commander, while the other workers of Golden Lotus Trade Company are spread across the chariots.
The commander and lieutenants looked confident and happy, as if they could not wait to show their performance to the prince. During their slow march to the mountain region, Luceran asked, "How long until we reach the foot of the mountainous region?" He looked at the commander.
"At least five days, Your Highness." Borrin replied calmly.
Other than occasional showers and foggy weather, the journey was quite smooth. Along the way, Borrin asked the prince, "Your Highness, why are you stationed at Ironmarch?" his curious face could be easily seen.
Hearing his response, Luceran answered, "Ironmarch, despite being at the border of the Empire, is quite strategic, commander." He responded flatly with a slight smile on his face. Hearing their exchange, the lieutenants and Ian could not help but listen.
"So, it is about political reasons only?" He tries to guess with his simple mind.
"It is only one of the reasons. There are other reasons too, commander." He replied ambiguously.
Seeing that he does not wish to elaborate more, no one pressed for the answer. Dred, the lieutenant, failed to hold his curiosity and couldn't help but ask another question: "Your Highness, have you ever travelled to the other part of Primordia?"
"Yes, I visited other parts of Primordia when I was 5 and during my study at the Immortal Academy." He replied.
Karl then gives a follow-up question: "What is it like, Your Highness? The other regions of Primordia?" Not replying to his question, he turned to Ian the businessman and asked, "Have you ever visited other places of Primordia, Mr. Ian?" He asked with a smile. Ian, with his intelligence, could tell what the prince wants.
"Yes, Your Highness." He nodded, then continued, "I have conducted business with the Eastern Land of Primordia. There are forces like the Three Kingdoms Alliance and the Golden Pavilion that I have been associated with in the past. In fact, the Golden Lotus Trade Organization is actually just one of many trade organizations under the Golden Pavilion. There are many trade organizations under the Pavilion, of course, Golden Lotus is one of the bigger ones." He replied, sharing his experience.
"Where is the furthest that you have travelled to, Mr. Ian?" Commander Borrin asked curiously.
"The furthest, let me think, hm…" While he was thinking deeply about the question, the voice of a young girl could be heard from their back. "The furthest should be the Thousand Islands region." Liz answers the question.
"Ahh, yes. It should be the Thousand Island region." Ian agreed with his sister answer. "At that time, you were only five years old and bothered father a lot." Ian teased his sister in front of the people. Liz face turned red, and she replied to the mockery,
"Brother, do you still remember when you were charmed by the Merfolk when we sailed from the Thousand Island region back to the Western Land?" She asked while sneering at him.
"Liz, don't! I was just joking, okay?" Ian replied stutteringly at her with a wry smile on his face. The others are kind of curious about the story, but looking at Ian resigned face, no one asked a follow-up question.
The chit-chat continues until they arrive at the foot of the mountain.
"Your Highness, should we camp here?" Borrin asked. "We've been traveling for half a day. It would be good to rest and continue the journey tomorrow morning."
"Agreed," Luceran said. "We'll camp here."
"You heard the prince! We camp here! Set up the tents!" Borrin yelled, his voice echoing through the valley.
After a few hours, the sun disappeared from the horizon, and the campfires lit up the darkness. Luceran sat in a meditative position outside of his tent. Looking at the prince still awake at night, Commander Borrin approached him and said,
"Your Highness, you should rest," Borrin said.
Luceran opened his eyes slowly. "I feel like I'm being watched," he said softly, his gaze scanning the darkness. Borrin's face grew serious; he nodded and left to double the night shift.
In a massive cave in the middle of the mountains, three men are drinking alcohol. All of them are in a drunken condition. Suddenly, one of their man rushed in.
"Boss! A big caravan is trying to cross the pass!" he shouted, his voice filled with excitement.
The man in the middle, a burly figure with a scar on his right cheek, slowly processed the information. He is Fang, the leader of the Blackfang Bandits, after processing the information, he splashed water on his face, and he sobered up.
"Haha, good. Send our scouts to track their movements," he commanded. "We'll set an ambush for them."
He turned to his two trusted subordinates and gave the command, "The pass is a natural choke point. We'll set up a trap at the cliffs on each part. Make sure the traps are well hidden and the archers are in position. They'll have to pass through our territory, and we'll take every last piece of their treasure."
The two men, a pair of rugged and skinny figures with cruel smiles, nodded in agreement. They quickly dispersed, gathering their forces and preparing their plan.
At dawn, Luceran awoke and summoned Borrin before they started their journey.
"Send a few scouts to survey the surrounding area," Luceran ordered.
Borrin, following the order, immediately dispatched his trusted scouts. They quickly finished packing their camp and began their difficult journey into the heart of the mountain.
The journey into the mountain's heart was slow and difficult. The narrow, winding path and steep elevations made it hard for the caravans to navigate. At times, the soldiers had to physically push the heavy chariots up a slope. Thankfully, with their newfound strength and teamwork, a group of four or five men could manage to push a single chariot, as long as the incline wasn't too steep. There are times when tens of men had to carry the chariot, including the lieutenants and the commander.
"Has the scout returned?" Luceran asked Borrin.
The commander's brow was furrowed with concern. "They haven't returned, Your Highness," he replied, his voice sound less confident than usual. "They should be back in a few hours, I guess."
Luceran sighed, a look of resignation on his face. He knew the reason for the scouts' not returning was obvious. His initial assumption was correct: they were being watched, and their enemy held the home field advantage. They know the mountain like the back of their hands. 'This will be a tough journey,' he thought. 'It would be suicide to play passively while they have the home field advantage. I have to take the initiative.'
Looking determined to do something, he turned to the commander and said, "Move the caravan slower. I will scout ahead."
Borrin's eyes widened. "What? Your Highness, it's too dangerous! Please reconsider this decision!"
"Commander," Luceran replied flatly, his voice carrying a tone of command. "It will be even more dangerous to walk blindly without knowing the enemy's numbers and the lay of the land. With my power, it will be easier to move alone." He then gave a firm order: "Just stay here and be more alert!"
"Sigh, very well, Your Highness," Borrin conceded by the prince's resolve. He immediately ordered his men to reinforce the rear of the formation. Luceran then asked a soldier for a simple brown robe, trading his more conspicuous armor for a more practical, inconspicuous garment. He then slipped away from the caravan, disappearing into the shadows of the forest.
Luceran cast the spells Eagle Eye and Light Step on his body. The first spell granted him enhanced vision, allowing him to see distant objects with better clarity, while the second made his steps light and silent. He moved under the cover of trees and shadows, making himself difficult to spot. 'I have to find a high elevation for a better view,' he thought. 'A cliff or a tall tree could work.' He scanned his surroundings and quickly spotted a suitable cliff to the northeast.
As he moved carefully toward the cliff, a sound from a nearby bush made him stop. He silently hid behind a large tree and cast Enhanced Hearing, a basic spell that, as the name implied, enhanced his hearing. He concentrated his mana, focusing the sound, and heard two men speaking.
"There are at least five hundred soldiers protecting the caravan. That's quite a lot of soldiers," one man said.
"Yeah, let's report this to the boss," the other replied. They then ran off to the east.
'I should follow them to their fortress,' Luceran thought, as he smiled cunningly. He moved stealthily, stalking the two men like a shadow, his movements as silent as the wind.
Half an hour later, Luceran's instincts were rewarded. From a distance, he spotted a big cave entrance. It was hidden beautifully with vines and large boulders, making it look like nothing more than a part of the mountain itself. Only an experienced tracker or someone with an enhanced vision spell like his could have found it.
Just as the two bandits were about to enter, four more men appeared from the west, dragging three unconscious figures whose mouths were gagged. Luceran's eyes sharpened as he recognized the armor; they were his scouts. A cold fury emerged in his chest.
"Nice catch you got there!" one bandit laughed.
"Yeah, their armor looks new," the one dragging the scouts replied with a sneer. "Must be nice to wear new equipment."
"Careful there," the first bandit warned. "You gotta present the goods to the boss first, or he'll punish you if he knows you're hiding something."
"I'm not an idiot," the second bandit retorted, rolling his eyes as he pulled the helpless scouts along.
Most of the bandits entered the cave, but one stayed behind. He didn't just stand at the entrance; he climbed a tall, thick tree and sat on one of its thick branches, pulling a dark green robe over his body to blend in with the leaves. As he peeled an apple, his gaze swept over the surrounding forest.
'Smart way to guard an entrance,' Luceran thought, a flicker of respect in his eyes. 'Luckily I followed them. If I had simply assumed the entrance was clear, he would have spotted me from above and sounded the alarm.'
Luceran moved stealthily through the bushes until he was positioned directly behind the bandit's tree. He concentrated his mana on his legs and right hand. Then, with a powerful, silent leap, he jumped from the bush and delivered a heavy strike to the bandit's head using the pommel of his sword. The man instantly knocked unconscious and fell from the tree. Before he could fall to the ground, Luceran cast Feather Fall at the bandit, who landed on the ground as softly as a feather. 'Can't make any noise,' the prince thought. He quickly hid the unconscious body in the dense bushes and vines, then proceeded toward the cave entrance.
He moved silently through the winding tunnels, the air growing colder and damper as he went deeper. After a few minutes, he heard hushed voices coming from a side tunnel. He sneaks closer, peering around a corner, and his heart sank. Before him was a large cavern that served as a prison. Several of his scouts were tied inside a thick wooden jail. Their armor was taken, their faces pale and bruised, and their mouths were still gagged. A group of bandits stood guard outside, their weapons leaning against the wall as they played a game of dice. The room was close to the main passageway, and Luceran could hear the distant roar of voices from what sounded like a large room or probably barracks deeper inside the mountain.
A conflict raged within him. His first instinct was to charge in to rescue his men. But his mind, disciplined by years of study and strategic training, quickly ran through the available options. An open confrontation here would be stupid. The guards would be finished quickly, but the sounds of the fight would mostlikely alert the fortress. He would be surrounded by hundreds of armed bandits in a small space. It would be a foolish choice. He had to prioritize the mission. The scouts were valuable, but the safety of the entire caravan and his army of five hundred was paramount. With an unwilling look, he silently retreated, leaving his men in chains.
He continued deeper into the cave as his heart grew colder. He moved with extreme caution until he came to a large, well-lit cavern. A group of bandits was gathered around a large, flat stone table. A crude yet detailed map of the mountain pass was spread out on it. One of the men, a large figure with a scarred face, was pointing at a location. Luceran knew this must be Fang, the leader.
Luceran focused his hearing, activating the Enhanced Hearing spell again, noting every detail of the ambush plan. Fang was explaining a three-pronged attack: one group would trigger a rockslide to block the path, another group of archers would rain arrows from above, and a final, larger group would attack head-on. The numbers, the timing, and the positions of their forces are being explained in detail too, laid out on the map and in their conversation. Luceran memorized it all.
As he was about to retreat, his heart pounded as a bandit got up for a drink and turned in his direction. Luceran held his breath, pressing himself against the rock wall. He cast 'Shade', a skill he had only practiced in the academy, blurring his form and making him seem like part of the shadow. The bandits are completely unaware of his location. Luceran let out a silent sigh of relief. He had all the information he needed.
He began his retreat, his mind already formulating a counter-plan. He was just a few feet from the cave entrance when he deactivated his spells to save his rapidly depleting mana. Thankfully, he had successfully engraved the Control rune on his mana core. This allowed him to maintain several active spells at once, as his expert control over mana meant he expended less energy for each spell. With his refined command, every spell was more potent and efficient. As he took the final turn into the outside world, a bandit was walking at the turn, and they both came face-to-face.
For a moment, time froze. The bandit's eyes widened, his mouth was about to open to scream. Luceran's body acted on its own. He moved quickly out of pure instinct, channeling a dagger made of mana, and he thrust the mana dagger forward, and the blade pierced the bandit's neck. The bandit's eyes went wide, and he fell to the ground without a sound, his life ending in a silent gasp.
Luceran stood over the body, his hands trembling uncontrollably. His heart pounded like a drum. This was it. This was his first kill. He had spent his time at the academy learning about the theory of physical and magical combat. He had studied the biology of a mortal body, beasts, and other races. But never had the academy directly made the students learn to take lives. He had just extinguished a life. Just like that. The man was a bandit, a criminal, but he was still a human being, and Luceran had ended him with a simple motion.
With shaking hands, he quickly dragged the body into the dense bushes and vines and hid the corpse under a pile of dead leaves and branches. He knew there was no going back now. His life had just crossed a fundamental boundary. He was no longer a student or a sheltered prince. He was a commander, and his decisions would affect the lives of many, for better or worse. He had to face this new reality, accept the ruthlessness required of him, and move forward. Taking a deep, shuddering breath, he turned and began his journey back to the caravan.