Inheriting a Lost Bloodline, My First Task is to have heirs?!

Chapter 392: Chapter 392 - The Town of Ersha

After all my fun time, I finally see a small town from a distance. I can see a small lake to its right side from afar while the other side was covered by lush forests. I have high expectations for this place given its strategic position between areas that are rich sources of food.

As I neared the border of the town, there were no sight of any guards, not even a protective wall or gates can be seen around the territory. The village was totally unprotected in case of attacks from both evil humans or wild animals.

I looked through my memories based on the records that the palace attendants showed me and it seems that the request of this town was to have a safe passage to the lake and through the forest. I feel like these lush forests may not be that simple then.

As I finally entered the gates of the village, I felt many eyes peeking at me from windows and doors of the houses nearby. An elderly gentleman named Bert came out to meet me. He introduced himself as the current chief of the town and I showed him the insignia of the royal family signifying that I am an envoy. He hurriedly invited me to his humble home and gave me a place to park my wagon and tie the horses. For some reason, the old man looked frightened with my unannounced arrival.

Upon entering the chief’s home, he suddenly kneeled with his forehead touching the ground. With a shaky voice, he begged, ”Please save us. There is an unknown epidemic that has been going around the town but we feel like it is the bandits doing. They made a camp near the lake. We disagreed with their demand of giving them a part of our monthly harvest as protection money and they started stopping our people from going to the forest and the lake. We are afraid that they will eventually kill some of us or take some people as hostage to get what they want.”

I sighed heavily as I thought to myself that my role as an envoy is just to give out their requested supplies and check on what the people need. I never intended to fight with bandits or something. I will definitely make my in-laws pay for these extra services since it was never a part of the original agreement.

I looked towards the old man who was kneeling on the ground while shaking like a leaf. He must have been more anxious because I wasn’t saying anything. Well, I sent Yren a message about an attempt of a group of bandits to occupy the town of Ersha and that he just needs to send people for an arrest after six hours once I have handled everything else.

Finally, I asked the old man to stand up and tell me more about the bandit issue that the town is currently facing. He told me that there was a group of bandits numbering about 40 that built a camp near the lake and in the process of doing so, they made the lake and even the forests around it theirs. They forbid the townspeople from entering or getting anything from the forest unless the town agrees to give them a part of every harvest they will have from now on.

With the farm lands not being very fertile, the town can barely feed its measly population of almost 200. They certainly could not afford to feed another 40 grown humans especially now that they could not get food from the forests or the lake. The bandits are simply capitalizing on the people’s desperation to get things to go the way they want it to. Too bad, they will meet me soon.

I settled in the chief’s house and secured my wagon and the horses that came with it. The town seemed to have turned to a ghost town as people opted not to go out or move much. In this way, they won’t use up too much energy and in turn, the food needed to stay functioning would also decrease. You can also add their fear of being abducted by bandits so nobody is outside though it is barely noon time.

I assured the chief that I have already asked for help to resolve the issue but never told him I will make a move myself. I excused myself to check on my wagon but once I was in the cover of my vehicle I suddenly disappeared from my spot.

I placed a few spells to make myself invisible and undetectable as I went to scout the whole forest area as well as the area around the lake. During my check, it seems like from the original 40, they were able to rally in a few members since I counted a total of 51 bandits inside the camp and in certain spots within the forest.

I already made a plan in my head on how to take care of this place, where to place the safe passages and of course, how to get rid of the pests. Since they want to threaten the townspeople wih food, I would hit them with food as well. It is just that it will have special ingredients to trap the pests.

I went back to the chief’s house to stay for the day and discuss my plans on improving the livelihood in the town. Just like the territory I visited before, they have farmlands that can be blessed for better harvests, a lake that can be filled with fish and forests where people can harvest and hunt. Only the presence of the bandits is messing up this supposedly bountiful place.

Although still worried about the issue of bandits, the chief looked quite happy and excited that finally, the town will have some aid from the capital city. He profusely thanked me for anything that I can provide for the people of Ersha. He also told me that the town has no doctors so any help I can provide for the sickly and weak would be well-appreciated. As per the chief, all the children and some of the ones that are getting advanced in age are the ones that need help the most.