The son of the God-Emperor in Warhammer Fantasy

A group of mercenaries guarded the central caravan, while several light cavalry rode ahead by several hundred meters, scouting the way. Bilger had arrived here more than an hour earlier and was scouting ahead, marking the trail for the caravan unless he encountered a large enemy force.

When Ryan first arrived in this world, he imagined that scouts were like ninjas, killing enemies unseen and always lurking in the shadows, emerging at critical moments to deliver deadly blows. There were such scouts, but they were advanced shadow assassins or higher-level beings. Regular scouts were not much different from warriors; they fought openly with hand crossbows, rapiers, clubs, short bows, and short swords. They rarely engaged in frontal assaults, preferring ambush and evasion tactics.

Scouts in adventuring parties primarily handled trap detection, enemy reconnaissance, lockpicking, crafting, and preparing for a lethal strike. On the battlefield, their survival rates were lower than warriors due to their fragility.

Because of their role, scouts often quarreled over loot and rewards, as they had first access to treasures and sometimes hid a portion for themselves. Given their extreme danger and necessity (such as needing to unlock doors or avoid traps), scouts often demanded higher shares, emphasizing their importance to the group, sometimes after already pocketing extra loot.

Though Ryan didn't particularly like them, he recognized the essential role scouts played.

"The most terrifying enemy is not the one who draws their weapon to duel you but the friend who hides a dagger behind their back while shaking your hand."

— "Savior" Emperor Ludwig.

"We're almost there!" Imperial merchant Oliver pulled out a map from the carriage. "This is one of the rest stops."

"A rest stop?"

"Yes, this is a map produced by Marienburg, detailing mountains, rivers, towns, and major trade routes across the continent. Merchants who frequently travel to Marienburg can get this map, in exchange for reporting new routes and conditions back to Marienburg." Oliver displayed the map, which was densely marked with major towns, roads, and potential rest stops.

Lighting torches, Ryan noticed some routes were green, others yellow or red, with rest stops similarly colored.

"Green means safe, yellow indicates possible minor threats, and red... signifies opportunities for wealth," Oliver said, stroking his beard. Tonight's rest stop was yellow.

"Danger always accompanies opportunity. The first person to reach Hidden Island made a fortune, right? If there were no risks, why would we come to Nord to transport so many goods?" Mats laughed.

If you're not willing to take risks, how can you make money?

Low-risk, high-reward investments are scams unless Ryan's strength is enough to participate in the games of gods.

The caravan continued, and as darkness fell, the guards and mercenaries lit torches. Around 4:30 PM, they finally arrived at the rest stop Estel mentioned.

In the snow and mist, the dilapidated village appeared before them. It was small, with about a dozen houses, most with damaged roofs. The village wall, made of wooden posts and bricks, was less than three meters high. The gate had been forcefully broken open, and parts of the wall were heavily damaged, with gaps large enough for two carriages to pass through. The forest was only about 200 meters away, and the path to Hothalain Mountain passed through it.

"We've arrived. Nord brothers, get off and unload the goods. Fak, take some men and cut wood to block the gaps. Mather, take three people to fetch water from the nearby river," Rost commanded.

"Post sentries. Estel, you and the knights, come with me," Ryan waved, signaling the half-elf and knights to follow.

"I'm coming too," a long leg in black high boots descended from the carriage. Teresa, dressed in black combat leathers and a white fur coat, holding her staff, joined them.

The sorceress's glowing black hair reached her waist, her stunning face shining even in the dark, with sapphire earrings glinting and her staff's violet crystal illuminating the path.

The men were stunned, but Ryan could tell Teresa had regained about half her strength.

"Let's go!" The Garon Council women were never mere ornaments. Ryan led the group cautiously to the village gate, where Estel knelt, examining footprints.

Numerous tracks indicated recent activity at this rest stop.

"These tracks are Bilger's," the half-elf noted, using his dark vision to observe closely, with the sorceress's staff lighting the way.

"And these messy tracks?" Ryan knelt, identifying smaller, more chaotic prints.

"These are goblin tracks," Estel concluded from the evidence.

"Did the scout leave any messages?" wandering knight Ike asked, his gaze lingering on the sorceress's legs and chest.

Women are sensitive to men's stares, and Teresa felt it immediately. She tightened her coat and turned slightly to avoid Ike's gaze. "Do you mean... goblins might be hiding in the village?"

"No worries. If there are goblins, I'll cut them all down for you, my lady. I'll bring you their ears!" Ike boasted, twirling his longsword like performing a dance.

"Yes, yes! My greatsword is eager for action!"

"My longsword too."

"We'll dedicate our victory to you, Ms. Trovik!"

The knights cheered.

"Alright, then check those houses. I'll check the one in the middle," Ryan assigned tasks, noting the knights' flattery towards the sorceress.

Giving them a chance to prove themselves, Ryan divided the tasks. Ike didn't let him off. "If I bravely defeat the enemies, will you buy me a Bagman beer, Sir Knight?"

"You must be dreaming. I can only offer you horse urine." Bagman beer, the most famous beer on the continent, brewed by dwarves, was the best and most refreshing alcoholic drink. Rich in nutrients, it could even serve as rations, a few pints enough for a day.

Such a masterpiece naturally came at a high price. Unless Ike was willing to spend his savings, he couldn't afford it. Ryan thought Ike was dreaming.

The group split up, with Ryan holding his warhammer ready, heading towards the central large house, typically the village head or lord's residence, and the most likely place for secrets.

The steps were covered in snow, creaking under Ryan's boots.

The door wasn't locked or barred. Ryan gently pushed it open, the heavy wooden door creaking with decay, revealing pitch-black darkness.

"Light!" Teresa cast a simple cantrip, illuminating the interior.

Chaos, was Ryan's first impression. If he had to be specific, the place looked like it had been ransacked by robbers and then chewed up by dogs.

Indeed, it was like being chewed by dogs. Abandoned villages attracted adventurers and travelers, but common courtesy was to leave it habitable for others. The holes in the walls were not the work of adventurers or mercenaries.

Apart from broken wood in the corners, Ryan found no furniture. The floor was relatively flat, but the walls were damaged and drafty. He planned to have mercenaries reinforce them with wooden planks for the night.

"Wait... Ryan, what's this?" Teresa called from another room.

"Hm?" Ryan quickly approached, finding Teresa had discovered several "mushrooms" in a corner.

Calling them mushrooms was a stretch. These had blood-red skin with yellow and green spots, looking disgusting. More repulsive was the vaguely human or beast-like face on their surface, with narrow eyes in a grotesque grin.

"What are these?" Seeing them closely, Teresa felt nauseous, instinctively stepping back. She felt something under her heel.

Looking back, she saw she had stepped on another similar mushroom. Foul yellowish fluid splattered on her boot, filling the room with a vomit-inducing stench.

"Ugh!" Holding back a scream, the sorceress retreated into Ryan's arms. "What is this?"

Ryan held her slender waist, finding it pleasant. "This is a Bloodshade Mushroom."

"Bloodshade Mushroom?" Teresa pulled out a towel from her space ring but found the foul liquid hard to clean. She groaned, "My boots!"

Ryan let go, uprooting the mushroom. Ignoring Teresa's protests, he threw it out through a wall hole. "Goblins made this. Want to know how?"

"How?" Teresa kept scrubbing her boots. "Let's talk elsewhere!"

"As you wish, and let me help." Ryan used his right hand, conjuring a water ball with pale blue energy. The pure water washed away the foul liquid. The sorceress sighed in relief and quickly led Ryan out, using a spell to move wood debris and seal the inner room door. "That'll do!"

When they emerged, the wandering knights had already checked several houses and found more Bloodshade Mushrooms. Ike held the largest one. "Ms. Trovik, I could present this to you... just kidding, don't point your staff at me!"

"Ha ha ha!" The mercenaries and guards laughed. Some were fixing the walls with cut wood, others starting fires to cook.

"Where's the druid?" Ryan wondered why the druid hadn't protested the tree-cutting. Odd.

"The druid went straight into the forest. Mather! Stop daydreaming! We need more water!" Rost shouted. The black-robed man seemed to enjoy the cold environment, urging the men to work faster to avoid sleeping outside.

"No one wants to sleep outside. Hurry!" Welt encouraged, the mercenaries covering the leaky roofs with tent cloth.

"Ms. Trovik, do you want a bath tonight? If you need, we can fetch more water," Oliver approached,

 fawning. "The water source isn't far."

"No need, just a separate room. And..." Teresa pointed to Ryan. "Arrange me with him."

"Yes, yes, we understand," Oliver gave Ryan a knowing look.

Ryan ignored it, wanting to continue the Bloodshade Mushroom topic, but Estel interrupted. "Mr. Ryan? There's something here. Can you come?"

"Of course."