章 8: The Calm After the Storm
"Luminova…who is the man that came to our rescue?" Elinalese asked, looking up at the man who seemed to be staring blankly into the air.
"His name is Vincent Strider, Milady," Luminova replied as she turned her head towards Vincent. "He was the one who also rescued me when I was being chased by the bandits."
"Is that so? Then we owe a lot to that man then," Elinalese said, her voice filled with gratitude.
Vincent, still processing the system notifications, snapped out of his trance and turned his attention back to the princess and her maid. He nodded slightly, acknowledging their conversation.
"It's nothing," Vincent said, his voice calm and steady. "Just doing what needed to be done. I am going to go ahead to that camp over there to release the prisoners I found earlier. Stay here."
Elinalese and Luminova nodded and Vincent quickly made his way back to the tent where he had found the other prisoners. As he entered, he saw the six women huddled together, their eyes wide with fear and confusion.
"You're safe now," Vincent said softly. "I'm here to get you out."
The women looked at him, hope slowly replacing their fear. Vincent moved to unlock the cage, the sound of the lock clicking open breaking the tense silence. He carefully swung the door open and stepped inside, extending a hand to the nearest woman.
The women hesitated for a moment before one of them, a woman with short, dark hair and a determined expression, took his hand and stepped out of the cage. The others quickly followed, their trust in Vincent growing with each passing second.
"Thank you," the dark-haired woman whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. "We thought we were going to die here."
Vincent simply acknowledged their gratitude and led them outside.
The moment they stepped outside, the six women spotted Luminova and Elinalise.
"Milady!" they cried in unison, rushing towards the princess and Luminova.
Luminova ran to meet them halfway, her eyes welling up with tears of relief. "Thank the heavens you're all safe!"
Elinalise moved to embrace them, offering words of comfort. "I'm so glad to see you all unharmed. We've been through so much, but we're safe now."
Vincent watched the reunion quietly, giving them a moment to reconnect. After a few minutes, he stepped forward, clearing his throat to get their attention.
"What's your relationship with these women?" he asked Luminova, his tone curious but gentle.
Luminova turned to him, her expression grateful yet serious. "They are also maids working under Lady Elinalise. I am their leader, the head maid. We've served the princess for many years."
"Alright," Vincent nodded. "I'm going to look around for something. You all stay here."
Vincent left the group for their reunion and walked back to the main tent where he had confronted the ringleader and his goons. He scanned the area, his eyes settling on the cluttered desk that the ringleader had been using.
He moved towards the desk, sifting through the scattered maps and documents. Most of it was standard bandit fare: routes, stolen goods, and a ledger of their illicit transactions. However, something caught his eye under a pile of papers—a small, ornate chest. He pulled it out and examined it closely.
The chest was surprisingly heavy, its weight indicating it was filled with something valuable. Vincent pried it open and found it brimming with gold coins. He examined the coins closely, noting their intricate designs and realizing they were probably a valuable currency in this world.
Then he looked at the map that he found prior, spreading it out on the desk. The map detailed the surrounding area, with markings indicating various bandit camps and hidden stashes. Vincent traced a route with his finger, noting the strategic locations of these camps.
Not only that, it also displayed where the Kingdom of Eldoria was located. It was 55 kilometers due east from the bandit camp, a journey that would take them through several more wooded areas and past a small mountain range. Vincent noted these details, folding the map and tucking it into his jacket pocket for future reference.
Satisfied with his findings, Vincent closed the chest of gold coins and carried it back to where Elinalese, Luminova, and the other maids were waiting. He set the chest down and addressed the group.
"So I found this treasure full of gold coins, I want to know the value of this."
After saying that, Vincent opened the chest and the girls gasped.
"That's a lot!"
"It is indeed a lot," Elinalese confirmed.
"Okay, what would I get from this kind amount of money?" Vincent asked.
"Well, with this money, you could buy a mansion in the Kingdom of Eldoria or even a plot of land about the size of a small village," Luminova said thoughtfully. "You could also purchase hundreds of slaves if you were inclined."
"I see," Vincent hummed in thought. "So it's a treasure then. Okay for the next one. I have found that it could lead you all back to the Kingdom of Eldoria. It's fifty-five kilometers due east."
"55 kilometers?" Elinalese exclaimed. "That's too far from the Kingdom of Eldoria. Perhaps, sir Vincent, you can escort us there. We will compensate you of course for your service."
The moment he heard that Vincent's system notification popped up.
[New Mission: Escort Lady Elinalese Claes and her subordinates back to the Kingdom of Eldoria safely.]
[Rewards: 5,000 experience points, 75,000 gold coins, and a new feature of the system]
Vincent read the system notifications and considered the offer. So long as he is being rewarded to do things, he'd do it.
"Alright," Vincent said, nodding. "I'll escort you back to the Kingdom of Eldoria. But first, we need to rest. It's going to be a long journey, and you all need to regain your strength."
Elinalese and Luminova both nodded in agreement. The relief in their eyes was palpable, but they were clearly exhausted from their ordeal.
"We'll stay here for the night," Vincent continued. "I'll clean up the camp so we can all sleep soundly and safely."
He immediately got to work, methodically checking each tent and area of the camp for any remaining threats. He disposed of the bandits' bodies out of the camp and ensured there were no more hidden dangers. Once satisfied, he waited for all the ladies to sleep in one tent.
Confirming that they were all sleeping, Vincent opened his system and opened the System's shop.
"Time for shopping," Vincent muttered.
First, he tapped the [Personnel tab] and found combat and non-combat personnel available for purchase. Infantry, special forces, medics, and even engineers were listed with their respective prices. Vincent needed reliable and highly skilled troops for the journey ahead.
He selected five special forces soldiers, each costing 3,000 gold coins. These soldiers came equipped with M4 Carbines and Beretta M9 pistols, ready for any situation. Vincent confirmed the purchase, and his balance of 76,000 gold coins was reduced by 15,000 gold coins.
Next, Vincent navigated to the [Vehicles] tab. He needed something robust and capable of transporting both his troops and the personnel. After considering various options, he decided on the M939 trucks for transporting the women and the Oshkosh M-ATV for himself and the special forces soldiers. The M939 truck cost 10,000 gold coins, while the M-ATV cost 17,000 gold coins.
He added both vehicles to his cart, and after confirming the purchase, his balance was further reduced by 27,000 gold coins, leaving him with 34,000 gold coins. A magic circle appeared on the ground, and the soldiers and vehicles emerged from it.
"What the…" Vincent mouthed and approached the newly arrived special forces soldiers. Are they real?
***
[Host: Vincent Strider]
[Level 5]
[Gold: 34,000 gold coins.]
[Experience points: 4300/8,693]
[Health: 100/100]
[Armor: 100]
[Equipment: Combat Suit, Heckler & Koch G36, SIG Sauer M17, Tactical Knife]
Summoned Troops & Vehicles.
Vehicles:
Land: 1x M939 series 5-ton 6×6 truck, 1x Oshkosh M-ATV
Air:
Water:
Amphibious:
Spawn personnel count.
Infantry: 0
Special Forces: 5
Officers: 0
Non-combat personnel: 0
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