"No!"
Ending the simulation, Rhett turned back to the Deadheart Grass field and continued harvesting the magic plants. The fading light of the display lingered in his mind, and he spent a mont organizing his thoughts.
Perhaps it was because the Darkfeather Eagle Range hunting loop was almost closed. After this, until heading to the Canyon Defense Line next year, the trajectory had hardly changed. The only significant differences were in the hunts for the Darkfeather Eagle and the battles against the orcs at the Canyon Defense Line.
Through the simulation, Rhett discovered that fully investigating the Darkfeather Eagle's nest and cooperating with rcenaries were not only feasible but also led to decent results. However, what surprised him was that the three people he encountered were from Icewind City in the continent of Wodan.
Wodan is located in the northern part of the Kingdom of Gillon, and Icewind City, situated in the far north, is the largest city in the region. It is close to the kingdom's largest defense line against the orcs—the Coldflow Defense Line.
Rhett had heard from Deputy Commander Anbiru that the battles at the Coldflow Defense Line were more frequent and on a larger scale compared to the Canyon Defense Line. There, Earth Knights and Archmages were regularly active on the front lines, and even Sky Knights and Grand Magi occasionally joined the fray.
In contrast, the Canyon Defense Line was traditionally dominated by mages and knights, with Archmages and Earth Knights only occasionally taking part. However, Rhett reflected, "But this ti, with the orc reinforcents at the Canyon Defense Line and the participation of the southwestern nobility, the scale of the war at the Canyon Defense Line has suddenly increased. The number of mid-level combatants involved will undoubtedly be substantial."
As Rhett recalled the simulated battles where fourth- and fifth-tier orcs frequently appeared, along with the influx of royal-blooded reinforcents, he pondered, "I never expected that even within the orc royal bloodlines, there would be friction between the Bloodmoon Werewolves and the Phantom Venom Serpent Tribe."
The orc forces were vast, with sprawling territories and complex internal power struggles. It was no secret that their unity was not absolute. Even within human kingdoms, internal conflicts and disagreents were inevitable. However, when it ca to fundantal interests, both sides maintained a clear focus, never confusing primary and secondary conflicts.
Still, it was the first ti Rhett had heard of a wager between royal bloodlines, with each side putting five hundred mbers on the battlefield as stakes. "Could the wager be about who kills more?" Rhett shook his head and dismissed the strange notion. After all, even if he knew the terms of the wager, there was nothing he could do about it. As a fourth-tier Archmage, he had limited influence over such high-level events.
His only priority was to ensure that once on the battlefield, he could protect his sons and subordinates, preventing any tragic losses. The battlefield may be rciless, but people still have emotions. While he wouldn't tolerate desertion, he would use real simulations to avoid tragedies whenever possible.
With that thought in mind, Rhett refocused on the task at hand. There was still over half a year until he had to report to the Canyon Defense Line. For now, resolving the situation in the Darkfeather Eagle Range was the top priority. Although he had only found one magical beast egg in the Darkfeather Eagle's nest—a seemingly small number given the nearly hundred-strong flock—this was not unusual.
First, the reproductive rate of magical beasts was inherently low. Second, stumbling upon a nest with an egg in the hatching stage was largely a matter of luck. So of the Darkfeather Eagles in the flock might already have offspring a few months old. These young magical beasts, having spent ti with their parents, would be nearly impossible to ta.
Finding just one egg ant luck was neither exceptionally good nor bad—just average.
After finishing the Deadheart Grass harvest, Ryleigh, who was riding on Whitegrip's back, surveyed the area ahead, which fanned out into a broad stretch of wild paths. "Father, where should we go next?" he asked.
"That forest over there looks denser. Why don't we head that way?" Tales suggested with a grin, pointing southwest. "A denser forest should an more magical beasts!"
Rhett had been about to suggest heading directly west, which would have led them more quickly to the deeper parts of the range where the Darkfeather Eagles' nest was located. But recalling that in the simulation, he hadn't known this information and had likely followed Tales' suggestion, which had led to an early encounter with the rcenaries, he decided to go with the flow. Nodding casually, he said, "Alright, let's head southwest and see if we can hunt more magical beasts."
...
The moon quietly ascended into the night sky. Rhett looked up at the star-filled heavens, shimring like a dreamlike galaxy. Despite having seen this sky for decades in this world, he never tired of it.
Having lived through an era in his previous life where city skies were severely polluted and only a few stars were visible at night, he cherished this night view all the more.
"Tales, it's all your fault for picking this lousy path. We've been walking through this forest for nearly a day and haven't seen a single magical beast," Tack grumbled, stuffing a piece of black jerky into his mouth.
"Oh, Tack, please close your big mouth. It's probably your loud voice that scared all the magical beasts away!" Tales retorted, crossing his arms defensively.
"Good heavens, what a ridiculous excuse! Since when are magical beasts afraid of noise?" Tack replied, feigning shock.
Tales' eyes sparkled, and he gave a small hop. "See? You just admitted that all you've been doing is making noise!"
"I...," Tack stamred, wide-eyed and montarily at a loss for words. He pursed his lips and huffed, reaching for his waterskin to gulp down water.
Tales, pleased with himself, chuckled and, feeling a bit thirsty, turned to Ryleigh. "Ryleigh, I'm thirsty. Can you give so water?" he asked, shaking the brown waterskin hanging from his waist.
Ryleigh, lying back and gazing at the thinning forest canopy, noticed that they were nearing the forest's edge. Without much thought, he conjured a stream of water, directing it into Tales' waterskin.
Half an hour later, they erged from the forest into a wide clearing, surrounded by dead trees. So were broken in half by the wind and lay crooked on the ground, their insides hollowed out by creatures.
"Hmm? These trees look perfect for firewood. Father, if we're camping, this place would be ideal!" Ryleigh suggested after surveying the area, his eyes lighting up. As a mage, Ryleigh's body was stronger than that of an ordinary person due to elental cleansing, but still far from the endurance of a knight. After a long day of travel, he was feeling tired, and a rest seed like a good idea.
"Hmm... We've traveled far enough today. Let's rest here for the night," Rhett agreed, noting that the environnt was indeed suitable for camping. With a wave of his hand, he manipulated the earth elents, summoning four square stone stools. Enjoying the night breeze, he casually sat on one of the stools and gestured toward a row of dead trees. "Tack, chop so firewood. We're having a barbecue tonight!"
"Got it!" Tack's eyes lit up at the ntion of a barbecue. He quickly placed the carcass of a Darkfeather Eagle and a bag containing wild boar legs in the center of the stone stools before happily running off to gather firewood.
After Tack left, Tales' eyes glead mischievously as he took small steps to stand behind his father. He began massaging Rhett's shoulders.
Rhett raised an eyebrow in surprise, amused by the gesture. "Haha, Tales, what made you suddenly want to give your father a massage?"
Tales chuckled, kneading his father's shoulders. "Father... Could you conjure a stone bed? I want to lie down for a bit! After walking all day, my legs and back are sore."
Rhett rolled his eyes but couldn't help smiling. "Alright, but give ten more minutes of massage, and then you'll get your stone bed."
"Deal!" Tales responded loudly, putting more effort into his massage, determined to earn his comfortable rest.
It wasn't long before Tack returned, carrying an armful of firewood. Tossing it on the ground, he noticed Tales massaging their father and comnted, "Huh? This is the first ti I've seen Tales give soone a massage. When will it be my turn?"
"Don't even think about it," Tales scoffed, giving Tack a disdainful glance.
After massaging for over ten minutes, Tales' hands were starting to ache. He stopped and shook them out, mumbling, "Father, ti's up, right?"
"Oh? I guess it is," Rhett replied, as if he had truly lost track of ti. With a flick of his wrist, he used his ntal energy to conjure four stone beds.
Seeing four beds appear, Tales blinked in surprise. "Wait... I did the massage, but everyone gets a bed?"
Ryleigh noticed Tales' expression and chuckled. "Thank you, Father. Since Tales is done, I guess it's my turn to massage your shoulders."
"Hehe, and I'll massage Father's legs!" Tack laughed, squatting down to form a human stool, gently thumping his father's legs.
Rhett felt deeply gratified, relaxing into the attention with a contented sigh. "Ah... You boys are so filial..."
Seeing this, Tales scratched his head and lay down on one of the stone beds, feeling much more at peace with the situation.
After the massages, Rhett kindled a small fla in the pile of firewood. The dry wood quickly ignited, sending flas roaring upward. He then used his magic to assemble a simple stone grill. Tack placed the prepared at on the grill, sprinkling so seasoning over it. As the at began to sizzle, filling the air with a tantalizing aroma, his mouth watered, his eyes glowing with anticipation.
The night was peaceful, with even the insects falling silent in the cold, leaving only the crackling of the fire and the occasional whisper of the wind.
Nearly half an hour later, the aroma of roasted at wafted through the air.
Tack closed his eyes, savoring the scent, and said, "Just ten more minutes, and it'll be ready!"
Ryleigh and Tales licked their lips, eager to indulge in a well-earned al after a day of travel.
A few more minutes passed, and the at was fully cooked, releasing a rich fragrance. The breast at of the Darkfeather Eagle was particularly enticing.
Tack swallowed hard but restrained himself, skewering a large piece of at and offering it to Rhett. "Father, try the Darkfeather Eagle breast at. It slls delicious!"
Rhett shook his head with a smile. "I'm not hungry. You all eat first."
Suddenly, his expression changed. He looked serious and whispered, "Soone's coming!"
"Huh? Soone?" Ryleigh's eyes narrowed, his hand instantly moving to his wand.
Tack's face also changed. He quickly assud a defensive stance, drawing his sword and scanning the surroundings.
A few seconds later, three figures erged from the darkness. The leader was a muscular man standing two ters tall, with a golden longsword at his waist. He sniffed the air and remarked in surprise, "What a delightful aroma..."
As they approached, DeVorg's eyes fixed on the black feathers scattered on the ground and the Darkfeather Eagle at on the grill. The smile on his face faded, replaced by a more solemn expression as he looked at Rhett.
Rhett studied the trio in turn. Judging by their physiques and equipnt, it was easy to identify the leader as DeVorg. He wore a black leather coat and gray trousers, with a small round shield and a broad sword at his waist. The two people behind him, a man and a woman in loose robes, were likely mages. Their pale complexions suggested they were used to living in colder northern regions.
After a few seconds of silence, Rhett spoke first, cautiously asking, "Where do you three co from?"
DeVorg responded with a friendly smile. "Hello, we're from Wodan."
"Wodan? The kingdom's northernmost region, far from here. What brings you to this place?" Rhett asked, feigning curiosity.
It was clear that DeVorg was the leader. The two mages behind him remained silent, their eyes fixed on the materials from the four-tier Darkfeather Eagle, visibly impressed. After a mont of hesitation, DeVorg explained, "To be honest, we traveled a long way to the Darkfeather Eagle Range for a hunt. Although the Darkfeather Eagle's bloodline isn't particularly noble, its numbers in the Kingdom of Gillon are very few. We researched and found that the southwestern border has a range where they live.
"The one in your possession seems to have been a four-tier magical beast. Would you be willing to part with it? We're willing to offer a fair price."
Rhett paused to consider before replying, "That's not a problem. Our primary goal is to find Darkfeather Eagle eggs. If you want this one, I have no issue handing it over. However... could you tell why you need Darkfeather Eagle materials so urgently?" he asked, probing for information.
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