Fredrinn Firecrown: The Weakest Villain

[Hidden Mission Completion Rate: 25%]

To some extent, Fredrinn already expected that he would receive bountiful rewards if he successfully hired these Master-rank martial practitioners.

'It says here that I only completed 25% of the hidden mission. Does this mean that I would receive more if I invite more martial practitioners to join the household?' Fredrinn couldn't conceal his excitement. He only completed the mission partly, but the rewards were already impressive.

"What are you grinning about? Are you that happy that we got those experts to join us?" Roland chuckled when he saw his son's happy face.

"Of course! We are already close to becoming a supreme household!" Fredrinn responded.

Roland nodded in agreement. He was also pleased with the growing strength of the household. "I wonder how they would react once we return home with this news."

Fredrinn was also looking forward to their reaction.

"So when are you guys leaving?" Andre suddenly asked.

The father and son stared at each other before Roland replied. "We'll leave now."

"I see." Andre didn't show an exaggerated reaction. He just smiled faintly. "I was hoping that you guys would stay for a few more days, but I know that the situation is urgent. I wish you a safe journey. Inform me immediately if you ever need me. This time, I will come running as quickly as I can."

Roland smiled and patted his shoulder. "Once we're done with the task in the capital, we'll pass by here on our way back home."

"Alright. I will wait." Andre nodded.

On the afternoon of the same day, they left Arcane City after bidding farewell to Andre and the friends they made.

Their next destination was Areswell. It was a city well-known for being a trading hub. Many rich merchants from neighboring kingdoms and countries would visit Areswell to buy and sell goods. Because of the diverse market and endless opportunities, it made the city a holy land for aspiring business owners. Aside from that, Areswell was also one of the most developed cities in the Star Wind Kingdom!

There was a paved road from Arcane City that led to Areswell. It was one of the many joint projects completed by the two cities. This convenient route made traveling easy for Fredrinn's group and it only took them less than two days to reach Areswell.

Looking at the tall iron gate and the fortified walls of the city, Fredrinn was in awe. Red Sun City was like a small town compared to this place.

As if understanding his son's thoughts, Roland remarked. "Areswell has a longer history than Red Sun City. It's normal for it to be this developed. In probably another decade, Red Sun City would look like this."

"You sound confident. Do you trust the city lord that much?" Fredrinn chuckled at his words.

"He is a good man. If it wasn't for his illness, he would have made more progress in developing Red Sun City." Roland sighed while shaking his head.

The mood became slightly unpleasant when the city lord's illness was brought up.

Fredrinn knew that his father respected the man so it must be hard for him to see the city lord in such poor health.

'Should I give a drop of that medicine to the city lord?' Fredrinn thought.

After a moment of silence, he opened his mouth. "Father, I have a way to help the city lord recover."

"Huh? You do?" Roland stared at him in shock. The city lord's illness was something that even the renowned doctors in the capital were helpless against so he found it hard to believe. However, Fredrinn had already shown him a lot of miracles so perhaps…

"Once we return to Red Sun City, we'll stop by the city lord's mansion. You'll know if I'm speaking nonsense or not by then." Fredrinn smiled.

"Alright. I can't wait to see him in good shape." Roland's frown disappeared and was replaced by a warm smile.

At this moment, the group had already found an inn to stay. They didn't choose a famous place to prevent unnecessary troubles and drama. The establishment was relatively obscure since it was constructed in the less populated part of the city.

They had no tasks in Areswell so they only stayed in the city for a day before they headed straight to the capital.

The main road leading to the capital was being fixed so they had to take another route.

"Weird… The main roads leading to the capital are always maintained so damages are rare." Roland commented while rubbing his chin.

"Perhaps there was an accident. For example a natural disaster or an attack…" Fredrinn's words made Roland's face turn serious.

"What's the likelihood of a natural disaster happening?" Roland asked.

"It depends. Probably five times a year, but they usually don't cause much damage since there are special organizations assigned to prevent damages caused by natural disasters." Fredrinn shrugged.

Roland nodded. "Which means the damage on the main road was most likely caused by a battle."

"That's right, but this is just our speculation. We'll know what truly happened once we arrive at the capital."

Since they had to take a secondary road, it took them over three days to get to the capital. There was a long queue at the main entrance, but the thing that surprised them was the strict inspection of the visitors.

"That emblem… they are definitely the Golden Star Army of the Star Wind Royal Household! Why are they supervising the inspection?" Roland muttered in shock.

"It seems like something really happened. Perhaps the damage on the main road was related to this." Fredrinn furrowed his eyebrows.