The Necromancer in the Wizarding World

The cavalry left the castle and walked along a wide road. Soon, they turned into a main road that led straight to the northwest. The road was wide and flat, with neatly planted trees on both sides, providing a cool shade for travelers.

As the horse team moved forward, the scenery on both sides of the road gradually unfolded. Interlaced farmlands and scattered villages came into view. The mountains in the distance were looming in the clouds, like an elegant ink painting.

The golden sunlight shines through the gaps in the leaves and onto the road, creating mottled shadows. The hooves of the horses echo in the quiet air, interweaving with the cheerful conversations of the travelers, adding a sense of tranquility and anticipation to the entire journey.

Lieben revealed to Matthews that this main road was an economic lifeline to the northwest that the Albert family had devoted a lot of energy to build. It played a vital role in the transportation of medicinal materials in the region.

The completion of this corridor not only significantly reduced transportation time and costs and improved transportation safety, but also deepened the connection between the northwest and the core territory, strongly promoted the economic prosperity of the regions along the route and the improvement of the transportation network, and brought many benefits to local residents and foreign visitors.

During the trip, Lieben also taught Matthews the basics of the Andes, a vast mountain range that stretches from north to south across multiple countries. The Andes has a rich variety of terrain, including continuous mountain ranges, active volcanoes, vast plateaus, and deep valleys. These diverse landforms have created a complex geographical environment and nurtured a unique climate and natural ecosystem.

The northwest of the earldom is adjacent to the high mountains of the Andes Mountains. The cool climate, moderate humidity, and well-drained soil rich in minerals provide unique conditions for the growth of a variety of medicinal materials, such as Salvia miltiorrhiza and Ligusticum chuanxiong. These medicinal materials are not only widely used locally, but also exported to other places, bringing rich economic returns to the Albert family.

The horse team galloped along the northwest main road and arrived at Lucca Town in the northwest of the territory in less than two days. This is an important base of the Albert family. The family owns the vast Albert Mountain Manor in Lucca, which is the largest industry in the entire territory.

The manor not only focuses on the cultivation of medicinal herbs, but also is committed to collecting and purchasing various local medicinal herbs to ensure the rich variety and high quality of the medicinal herbs. In addition, every summer, Count Albert and his family would choose to escape the summer heat in this mountain manor to enjoy the pleasant climate and tranquil rural scenery there.

After the horse team arrived at the manor, Marshall expressed his gratitude to everyone: "Thank you all for your hard work. Tonight, please have a good rest in the manor and recover your strength. Butler Dele has prepared a sumptuous dinner for everyone, please go to the restaurant to enjoy it. After the meal, the butler will help you arrange accommodation. Tomorrow morning, we will gather in the hall."

Afterwards, the butler led everyone to the main dining room, while Marshall and Matthews went to the small dining room for dinner.

Marshall asked Matthews what his next plan was: "Matthews, do you plan to stay at the estate or go into the mountains?"

Matthews answered without hesitation: "Of course I have to go into the mountains. I am not here for pleasure."

Marshall solemnly warned: "The mountains are full of dangers. In addition to the common snakes, insects, rats and ants, you may also face the risk of food and water shortages, extreme weather and even getting lost."

Matthews didn't take it seriously and responded easily: "Marshall, you don't have to worry about me. I'm fully prepared. Even if you say there are bloodthirsty ghosts in the mountains, I won't back down." He continued: "Don't worry, I will follow Knight Leben closely and ensure my own safety."

Marshall nodded and said, "Very good. Since you are ready, I feel relieved."

After dinner, the two returned to their rooms to rest and prepare for the upcoming journey.

The next morning, after everyone finished their meal, they gathered in the hall. Marshall raised his voice to make sure everyone could hear him: "I believe everyone had a good rest last night. Now, we need to divide the personnel into two groups."

Then Marshall divided all the knights and warriors into groups.

The first group, led by Marshall himself, stayed in Lucca Town and was responsible for guarding the safety of the manor.

The second group, led by Knight Aura, went deep into the Andes Mountains with the mission of ensuring the order and safety of the herb-collecting team.

Marshall finally emphasized: "Butler Dele has prepared all the equipment and supplies needed for entering the mountains. Now, please bring your equipment and supplies and gather at the central square of Lucca Town."

In the central square of Lucca Town, the Albert family's herb-collecting team gathered with teams from other families, preparing to follow the Albert family's escort team into the Andes Mountains.

As soon as Marshall arrived at the square, he immediately rang the bell. The bell echoed over the town, symbolizing that they were about to set off on a journey to find precious medicinal herbs.

His voice echoed in the crowd, and his tone was serious, making the originally noisy square quiet instantly. He reiterated the rules for entering the mountain area and made it clear that any violation would be severely punished.

Without any unnecessary delay, he decisively issued the order to set off. The team then quickly and orderly headed towards the Andes Mountains, embarking on an unknown road of exploration.

Matthews followed closely behind Instructor Lieben and stepped into the primitive and mysterious forest. The scenery here was completely different from any scenery he had experienced before. The mountain road was quickly swallowed up by lush weeds, making the originally clear road become confusing.

In order to avoid getting lost in the vast forest, the Albert family had to rely on members who knew the terrain well to lead the team forward.

They carefully guided the direction of progress by relying on the landmarks in their memory, the marks along the way and the precious maps in their hands. Every minute and every second seemed precious, and they dared not slack off in the slightest, because they had to reach the first safe rest point preset by the family before nightfall.

Lieben explained to Matthews the central position and role of the Albert family in herb collecting activities, as well as the huge economic benefits that it brought.

With their in-depth understanding of the mountain environment and effective control of resources, the Albert family opened up safe paths for other herbalists and provided comprehensive logistical support including shelter, clean water, food, necessary protection, and maintenance of order.

In return, the Albert family required non-family members to hand over half of the herbs they collected and reserved the priority to purchase the remaining herbs. This strategy not only strengthened the family's control over the herbs market, but also improved its bargaining power, further consolidating the family's economic position.

Before nightfall, after many hardships, they finally arrived at the first safe resting point opened up by the family in the Andes Mountains - a small col on a higher terrain.