Ch. 49
Chapter 49. Visiting the Royal Ninth Legion
William had just left the main tent and was walking toward the quartermaster’s area when someone suddenly tapped his shoulder.
He turned around and saw that it was the Third Princess, Jessy. His brow lifted slightly.
Before he could speak, Jessy placed her hands on her hips, her tone carrying a trace of indignation.
“Father is far too biased. When I came back, he did not even say a word of concern. But the moment you returned, he summoned you into the main tent for a private talk. Does he even remember he has a daughter?”
William heard the teasing hidden in her words and curved his lips faintly.
“Third Sister jests. I am still young, and it was my first time experiencing such a situation. It is only natural that Father would give me a few extra instructions.”
The soft reply blocked all the words Jessy had been about to say.
She glared at William and snorted irritably. “Smooth talker.”
As she watched his departing back, she could not help but huff again.
That boy… he had become far more composed than before.
At that moment, a tall female knight in silver armor stepped forward and knelt on one knee before Jessy.
“Your Highness, the Royal Seventh Legion is returning. However, the noble youths accompanying them suffered heavy losses. Would you like to visit their camp and offer condolences?”
Jessy rubbed the hilt of the sword at her waist, a hint of impatience flashing through her eyes.
“A bunch of useless fools. If a few of them died, they deserved it.”
Even so, she still nodded.
“Still, even useless people have their uses. Let us go take a look.”
She glanced at the female knight.
“Rose, go fetch some High-Tier Healing Potions. This will be a good opportunity to win some hearts.”
“Yes.”
The knight called Rose stood up immediately. Her armor clinked crisply as she turned and strode away.
Jessy gazed at the busy soldiers in the distance as the irritation gradually faded from her face.
Those noble youths might be incompetent, but the families behind them were not to be underestimated. A symbolic gesture of condolence was still necessary.
She straightened the hem of her battle robe and walked toward the camp of the Royal Seventh Legion, her cloak cutting a sharp arc through the wind.
Meanwhile, William had already reached the quartermaster’s office.
The moment he arrived at the entrance, the quartermaster, Chief Steward Trudy, recognized the Fourth Prince and immediately stepped out from behind the counter to bow.
“Greetings, Your Highness the Fourth Prince.”
William raised a hand to signal that the formalities could be skipped and spoke directly.
“Sir Trudy, I need some High-Tier Healing Potions. The quartermaster’s stores should have them in stock, correct?”
Trudy revealed a somewhat troubled expression and rubbed his hands.
“Your Highness, we do indeed have them in stock. However… according to regulations, the price here is double that of the main city.”
“That is fine. I am aware of the price,” William nodded before adding, “I want one hundred.”
Trudy froze for a moment before bowing again.
“One hundred High-Tier Healing Potions will cost a total of two million gold coins.”
William took out two Gold Notes worth one million each from his robe and handed them over.
After carefully verifying them, Trudy turned and brought out a heavy wooden crate from the storeroom. When he opened it, a hundred potion bottles arranged neatly inside glowed with a gentle light.
“Your Highness, please confirm the goods.”
William merely glanced at them before storing the entire crate into his Spatial Ring. Then he turned and left, heading straight toward the Secret Realm Entrance.
He chose a spot beside a massive rock and stood there quietly, waiting for the Royal Ninth Legion to return.
The wind sweeping through the camp carried the chill of the Northern Frontier, making the banners flap loudly.
An hour later, the familiar legion insignia finally appeared at the Secret Realm Entrance.
The soldiers of the Royal Ninth Legion were walking forward while supporting one another. Although the formation looked somewhat scattered, they still maintained a basic order. The bloodstains on their armor were particularly striking beneath the sunlight.
William quickly stepped forward.
As he approached, he immediately saw Marquis Peter walking at the front of the formation.
The old man’s cloak had been torn apart, and fatigue lined his face. When he saw William, surprise flashed across his eyes.
“Your Highness, why are you here?”
“I brought something for everyone.”
William took out the High-Tier Healing Potions he had purchased from his Spatial Ring.
“Use these first. If it is not enough, I will go get more.”
The soldiers’ eyes instantly lit up when they saw the potions.
During their retreat, many of them had been injured and had been relying solely on their willpower to endure. These potions were truly like timely help in a snowstorm.
Marquis Peter looked at the crate and then at William. His throat moved slightly before he finally patted William on the shoulder.
“Good lad… you have a thoughtful heart.”
Prince Kande also walked over while leaning on his sword. The wound on his arm was still bleeding, clearly showing that their journey back had not been entirely peaceful and that they had encountered another small-scale attack.
When he saw William and the crate of High-Tier Healing Potions, a trace of warmth flashed through his eyes. He laughed heartily and patted William’s shoulder.
“Good lad, this is exactly what we needed.”
As he spoke, he took fifteen potions from the crate and distributed them to the accompanying Sky Knights and several battalion commanders.
“Hurry and use them. Do not keep pushing yourselves.”
He handed another bottle to Marquis Peter.
“Old man, drink this and recover. Your complexion looks terrible.”
Marquis Peter accepted the potion and drank it in one gulp. A warm current instantly spread throughout his body, easing much of his exhaustion.
He looked toward Prince Kande, who was now speaking to William.
“Mix the remaining potions with the ordinary healing potions and distribute them among all the soldiers. It should help them recover a bit.”
Marquis Peter nodded and turned to direct the soldiers toward the Royal Ninth Legion’s encampment.
Prince Kande looked at William and raised an eyebrow with a grin.
“Haha, come along, little William. By the way, these potions must have been quite expensive, right?”
William shook his head, his tone calm.
“If it can save even one soldier in time, then it is worth it.”
Prince Kande looked at him deeply but said nothing more. He simply led William toward the Royal Ninth Legion’s camp.
The moment they arrived, he immediately pulled William along between the tents, deliberately heading toward the areas where the wounded soldiers were gathered.
“Here, open your mouth and drink this.”
William picked up a potion that had been diluted with the High-Tier Healing Potion and carefully fed it to a wounded soldier lying on a pile of straw.
Half of the soldier’s face was wrapped in bandages. When he realized that the person feeding him the medicine was the Fourth Prince, tears instantly welled up in his cloudy eyes.
“Th… thank you, Your Highness…”
He choked up, unable to say anything more and simply repeated his thanks over and over.
William waved his hand gently.
“Focus on recovering. There is no need to say anything else.”
Similar scenes unfolded throughout the camp.
As the soldiers watched the young prince personally tending to their wounds and feeding them medicine, many of them could not hold back their tears.
Most of them were ordinary commoners. They had never imagined that a prince would treat them in such a way. Their chests felt as though something was swelling inside—warm and overwhelming.
Prince Kande stood nearby, watching William’s patient and attentive actions. The smile on his lips slowly deepened.
This was exactly the effect he wanted.
He wanted the soldiers of the Royal Ninth Legion to see with their own eyes that this prince was worthy of their loyalty.
After all, the struggle for the throne was always cruel.
The setting sun’s glow spread across the camp, stretching the shadows of the two figures long across the ground.
When William finished feeding the last wounded soldier and straightened his back, his wrist felt slightly sore. Yet when he saw the renewed light in the soldiers’ eyes around him, he felt that everything had been worthwhile.
The noise in the camp gradually faded away.
Only the crackling of campfires and the faint sounds of distant patrols remained.
And at that moment, the name William Kroll quietly etched itself into the hearts of many soldiers.