As the first rays of sunlight painted the ground and birds chirped in the distance, the remaining applicants gathered near the arena again. The arena, filled with gossiping, became silent in a movement when Alaric arrived.
"I will recruit you all," Alaric declared, his voice steady and resolute. He had already assessed the remaining applicants, decent men enough to strengthen his growing army. A few walked away, dismissing it all as a waste of time. That was expected.
"I have only one demand," he continued, his gaze sweeping across the hall. "Loyalty to the Ashworth household. Betray me, and I will personally see to your execution."
"For now, you'll be staying at the camp, sorry, no proper lodging yet," Alaric said with a faint smirk. "Once we've got proper shelters in place, you'll be assigned positions based on your strength and skills compared to your peers. So don't get too cozy, train hard, prove you're not dead weight. Your daily needs will be taken care of... unless you expect someone to spoon-feed you too."
"Any doubts?" Alaric questioned
"I hav-" the applicant began to speak. "I understand, so take care of yourself," Alaric intervened as he disappeared in an instant.
Alaric straight went ahead to go and meet Dorwon and his companions, who were allotted a room in the household with the contract ready in his hands.
Alaric knocked lightly on the door. As it creaked open, he stepped inside without hesitation, heading straight toward Dorwon.
"Hello, Dorwon, how was your and your companions' stay here last night?" Alaric asked, keeping his hands clasped lightly near his chest, his eyes calculating.
"I-It was wonderful, Lord Alaric," Dorwon replied gratefully, bowing slightly. "We were able to have proper rest without any worry, and we were fed a good meal, the likes of which we haven't had in many years."
"Don't worry about formalities," Alaric said, still maintaining that expression with a faint smile. "I will make sure you and your companions work hard day and night."
"Now, here's the contract, which states that you and your companions will work for our household for 10 years. You will be paid generously for your skills, and you will also be provided with a forge where you will do your work. Furthermore, your children won't need to work until you, as a parent, allow them to," Alaric said, reading out the contract. He continued, "I shall promote Dorwon as the manager of the iron mine; you will be responsible for iron extraction from the iron ore," Alaric finished.
"Thank you for recruiting us," Dormon replied with happiness.
"Also, I was wondering if anyone is skilled in building houses ?"Alaric questioned,
"I, Dorgan, and my brother Dorbos are skilled in architecture and building structures," one dwarf answered.
"I don't remember giving this weird name for Dwarfs like this starting with Dor.., I think I only mentioned Dwarves as race in my novel, they never had appeared as character before,, am I thrown into a world which is similar to my novel,, this is more detailed than what i know."Alaric wondered.
"Can you guys handle building soldier quarters for recruits?"Alaric questioned
"Leave it to us, Lord Alaric, "the Dwarf brothers responded while flexing their muscles.
With the signed contracts in hand, Alaric was about to go his way to find Magnis, who had only just returned from the market. The old healer's satchel bulged with a careful selection of herbs, each one essential in the delicate treatment of Crimson Rot, a disease as stubborn as it was deadly.
Magnis had returned with over twenty-five types of herbs, an eclectic mix of both poisonous and medicinal plants. Among them were rare roots, pungent leaves, and even dry oak wood, along with some Alchemy tools.
Alaric, equipped with gloves, cleaned the alchemy tools properly
"I need to carefully grind the poisonous iris into a mixture; even inhaling this can lead to immediate death, and skin contact can make it even worse. Sealing it, and now while carefully boiling medicinal plants until the mixture thickens slightly, to neutralize the poison, I need activated charcoal, which I can't find in this medieval fantasy world."
"I will create activated charcoal on my own, something I already did in my own world as a kid."
"I will place dried oakwood inside this steel container and heat it for two hours in the furnace."
"Now I will have charcoal, which I will crush into small pieces. I'll mix it with lemon juice, letting it soak for two hours, then wash it with clean water. Finally, I'll spread the wet activated charcoal on a tray, heating it above the furnace for another two hours."
"Finally, activated charcoal is ready."
|SystemNotad***
Achievement unlocked: First to create activated charcoal
Reward: Alchemist title - You are now able to learn alchemy techniques with ease
Alaric pours activated charcoal into the poisonous iris and other plants mixture, which he had sealed.
"Carefully mixing with boiled medicine plant mixture, finally, the cure is ready."
|SystemNotad***
Achievement unlocked: Cure for Crimson Rot
Reward: Inspect Skill upgraded into Ever-seeing Eye Skill
Ability to perceive the truth of everything gifted by ???
"Again, ??? This is, I am sure, linked with someone who brought me here to this world," Alaric muttered.
While Alaric spent the entire day alone near the furnace, tirelessly working on the cure, a carriage arrived just beyond the camp's edge. Inside it, Mark Karen held his daughter, her body wrapped in thick bandages from head to toe, with only her face left uncovered. Even that bore the early signs of the Crimson Rot, though it had yet to fully take hold.
Magnis, already informed of their arrival, was waiting. Without a word, he guided them to an empty room, where a bed had been prepared in advance. Together, they carefully laid the girl down, every movement measured, as if the disease itself might lash out at any sudden touch.
A few hours after their arrival, the door creaked open, and Alaric stepped out, his face slick with sweat, clothes clinging to him from the heat of the furnace room. He looked exhausted, his movements slow but deliberate, the scent of herbs and smoke still clinging to him.
Magnis, who had been waiting patiently nearby, approached him.
"Alaric," he said, his voice calm but urgent, "Mark brought his daughter. He's waiting for you in that room.
"Alright, let's go," Alaric said, wiping the sweat from his face with the back of his sleeve.
As they stepped into the room, a sharp, medicinal scent hung heavily in the air—a mix of herbs, salves, and something faintly metallic. The patient lay still on the bed, her body tightly wrapped in bandages to seal her open wounds, leaving only enough space for her to breathe and rest in uneasy sleep.
"I've brought the cure for your daughter, Mark—just as I promised," Alaric said, stepping forward with a large bowl in hand. He turned to the maids and added firmly, "Mix it with water and feed it to her. Slowly."
The maids carefully propped her up with a pillow behind her back, then helped her drink the medicinal mixture, spoonful by slow spoonful. Minutes passed in tense silence. Then, gradually, color began to return to her pale face, the strain softening as her breathing eased.
Her eyelids fluttered, then slowly opened.
"F-Father… I f-feel better now," she whispered, her voice weak and broken, but filled with life.
After years of silence, the sound of his daughter's voice shattered something deep within Mark. His expression softened, and tears welled in his eyes, overflowing with a father's quiet, overwhelming joy.
Mark wiped the tears from his eyes with his sleeve, then dropped to his knees without hesitation. His voice rang with firm resolve as he declared, "From this moment on, I pledge my loyalty to Alaric Ashworth."
Alaric, with a smile, declared, "Of course. From this moment, you are officially appointed as Commander of the Ashworth Household."
Alaric turned to the nearby maids and gave his instructions calmly.
"Make sure she takes this medicine every morning for the next three days. Once the bright red marks begin to fade, give her this health potion to help her body recover fully."
|SystemNotad*** says you can use your ever-seeing eye skill to check health status
"Really ?"Alaric uses the skill
|ever-seeing skill used
Maria Karen, 13, female
Race: Human
Latent potential: S
Affinity: Spirit Arts
Skill: Not unlocked
Trait: Not unlocked
Status: Recovering — Crimson Rot successfully suppressed
Alaric couldn't help but smirk as he read the status screen. Leaning back slightly, he muttered with dry amusement,
"Another Pokemon caught."
In the meantime, a soldier came rushing toward Alaric, his boots thudding against the stone floor. He stopped just short of them, catching his breath.
"Young Master, Sir Magnis, Lord Frederick is expecting both of you in the study room. He says it's urgent."
Alaric and Magnis rushed to the study room, now fully renovated with polished wooden floors, fine furnishings, and shelves lined with leather-bound tomes. The once dull chamber had been transformed into a space befitting nobility and strategy alike.
As they entered, Alaric spoke first.
"What's the reason for calling us, Father?"
Frederick, seated behind the desk, didn't answer right away. Instead, he pulled out a sealed letter, the royal insignia pressed into the wax.
"You've received an official invitation," he said, his tone measured. "To attend the king's birthday celebration in the capital, issued by King Macrolo Victor Moorgas himself."
He handed the letter to Alaric. "And it seems… this came by the recommendation of Elias Goldsworth."
Alaric cracked open the seal, his eyes dancing over the words. A slow, crooked smirk tugged at his lips.
"Well, well," he muttered, folding the letter with a flick of his wrist. "Magnis, looks like it's finally time for your revenge and for me to take out the trash that thought barking at us was a good idea."
| SystemNotad*** Notification
Quest: Expose Cassian for His Evil Deeds
Objective: Uncover and reveal the crimes committed by Cassian before the royal court.
Reward: Official acquisition of new land as personal territory.
Failure: Destruction of the Moorgas Kingdom
For reference:
| SystemNotad***
Alaric:15,Male
Title: Ugly Mosshead
Stats: Strength: 45
Dexterity: 32
Constitution: 33
Mana: 17
Bonus Points: 50
Skills: Training skill, Boxing skill(Expert), Ever-seeing skill
Traits: Fighting Spirit
Total Respect Points: 350