From there, Levi and Bram headed off to the library. Inside, book shelves in the hundreds lined the cold walls.

Levi headed straight for the monster section. He grabbed a stack of them before heading to a table. Placing them on it, he couldn't help but sigh, a pain emerging in his mind. This was going to be a lot of reading.

Despite the task in front of him, he stuck his head into the books and began reading. Inside was an enormous selection of monsters, all with their weaknesses, and their habitat. Honestly, it was far too much for Levi to remember. He didn’t have the best memory before, and that certainly hadn’t changed now.

The only reason he was able to learn the magical fire trap he used, was because his talent had guided him forwards. But something like this… no amount of magical talent could help him here. So, after only glancing at the information, and committing what he could to memory, he moved to his true target: Salamite. He found the page not long after.

The salamite was a reclusive beast that only hunted alone. It had four legs, around the size of a large dog, and was known for its long, gripping tongue. It was dark green in colouration that helped it hide within the dark forests. It was also nocturnal, and resided in areas of forestry. The way the book described it, meant that it would be a nightmare to hunt it. That was most likely why the bounty was higher than the other 1 star monsters.

Luckily, the forested area that the beast resided within wasn’t too far away from Ironvale, thanks to a little help from Bram. But the exact location wasn’t something he, or Bram, was privy to. Bram was right, the best way to hunt his prey was to go to the locals who hunted them for a living.

So, Levi and Bram left, and Levi began asking around. Most of the people around weren’t too keen on talking. They were mostly focused on their own lives. Many of them snapped at the young Levi for even asking a simple question. Levi didn’t blame them one bit. He’d also be agitated living in a smoke pit like Ironvale.

Before heading to an inn, where he’d most likely find the information he was looking for, Levi turned to another source. The homeless. Many beggars lined the streets that were either crippled with addiction, or simply had a terrible roll of the dice. Levi had experience with the former. He wasn’t a saint, but he had tried to help the homeless. Giving them food and water. But most weren’t really reciprocal of his efforts. They’d get angry that he was only giving them food, not money.

Levi tried to communicate with the latter. He offered food and water to a few of them, but like on Earth, the sour few got angry that he wasn’t giving them money. Thankfully, it was just that, the few. With freshly cooked meat and a bottle of water in hand, he found an older lady that was thankful.

And it was as he had thought; they had a lot to talk about. The older lady was so sweet, but hell, she was talking his ear off. Levi felt he’d never leave, so without hesitation, he used Incite, gently. He sprinkled the magic words within his sentences, steering the flow of conversation. It was barely perceptible. Levi mused that even if the older lady was a mage, she’d not even notice what he was doing. Hopefully.

He was careful in his applications. Bram only realised what he was doing halfway through. And even then, he frowned. Gregory and Sera appeared to agree with the methods, but Bram didn’t. Levi noted not to do it again within his presence.

Upsetting a gentle giant wasn’t exactly intentional.

But the results were fast. Moving through the rambling at breakneck speed, Levi discovered that there was a hunting cabin 4 miles into the woods, nested across a slender river. They primarily focused on hunting salamite. It was perfect.

Levi grabbed a handful of coins and handed them to the lady. Her eyes brightened with surprise and gratitude, and she even bowed. Levi shifted uncomfortably under the weight of her gratitude.

Breaking free, Levi and Bram headed to the forest entrance which she was kindly persuaded to point out.

“Don’t make a habit of that, Levi,” Bram warned. “It’s a slippery slope. Do it once, and you’ll find yourself doing it again and again. Eventually, you’ll slip up. People will figure out what you’re doing. If they discover you’re an Inciter, they’ll scrutinise your every move. And if you have enemies… well, they’ll watch even closer. It only takes suspicion to become an outcast at the academy. There, you need allies. Remember that.”

“I won’t,” he replied half-honestly. Especially doing it to such a seemingly kind hearted woman. He felt dirty. But against others who weren’t as approachable? He didn’t mind, not one bit.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Levi and Bram disappeared into the forest.

***

Rakor was busy tending to the ale in his cup when his hunting brother–Renlon–jolted his arm, almost resulting in his cup tossing to the floor. Rakor spun round, grabbed the scuff of his fur lined breastplate, and pushed him back.

“Fucking watch what you’re doing, will you?”

Renlon chuckled. “What’s got your breaches in a twist? Wait, is it because of that SDC twat?”

Caedric chimed in, “You know Rakor, Renlon. Doesn’t like anyone ignoring him.”

“It’s not that,” Rakor spat. “It’s that fact he thinks he’s so much better than us. Taking a child into the wild, what’s he thinking? Does he think he can keep him alive? Arrogant prick.”

“Hey,” Renlon said. “Speaking of children, have you heard what happened on the Nightmare Train?”

"It was attacked," Rakor replied after taking a large gulp of ale. He wiped the foam from his mouth.

“You need to pay more attention,” Renlon said. “That’s the basics of it. I heard there was a child on board that fought off a horde of krull all alone. Even defeated am evolved. Apparently the child is no older than 12. Apparently he’s already reached Tier 2.”

“Tier 2?” Caedric laughed incredulously. “Now you’re just bullshitting, like usual. How long has it been since a Tier 2 12 year old emerged? Has to be at least 15 years now.”

“I don’t know,” Renlon said. “I hear that the crown prince is extremely likely to obtain it. I hear he’s close. They’re even readying the celebrations in the Imperial City as we speak.”

“You don’t know anything,” Rakor humphed. “But, doesn’t it make you pissed? That shit stain of a prince receives the best Ingredients, top quality elixirs, and has access to the most experienced masters. Shit, it’s not fair. If I even had a fraction that they had growing up, I’d leave them all in the dust.”

“That’s right, brother. We earn our living through blood, sweat, and tears. They wouldn’t understand that while sucking on a golden spoon.”

Rakor turned silent for a moment before saying, “What if what you say about this child is true? What if he is one of those noble children over there in the Imperial City. Who knows what Ingredients he has on him. Hell, maybe he even has a Relic.”

Renlon perked up. “You think that Bram’s tasked with protecting him? To take him back to the Imperial City?”

“Woah, there, Rakor,” Caedric said, placing his cup on the table. He frowned. “I don’t like what you’re getting at here.”

“You think I’d hurt a child?” Rakor said. He leaned in closer, whispering, “but if we treat it as a hunt, capture the lad. A boy his age, he’ll spill everything he’s got without any bloodshed. We’re talking about a haul for a lifetime here. Caedric, no longer will you need to risk your life to feed your boy. He’s only 2 months old, right?”

Caedric nodded heavily.

“Think of him,” he said. “You won’t need to worry about what monster is aiming for your throat out in the wilds. It’ll be easy living.”

“I don't know, Rakor,” he replied. “Things can go wrong, especially for a hunt. You know that better than most. What will we do with Bram? He’s from the military. I’ve heard rumours about those bunch. They’re fucking scary. Heard that he was in the trenches at the border. Have you seen Lod? He came back a husk of a human. Bram still smiles.”

“Against us?” Rakor said with a savage smile. “There’s not many more experienced in a hunt than us. He may be stronger, may be a better hunter, but against our teamwork, I’d very much like to see if he can walk out of our entrapment alive.”

“But–”

“No buts, Caedric,” Rakor said. “We’re doing this. But don’t worry. We’ll gather information just like we always do, find out if the risk outweighs the reward. Gather the others. We’re going hunting.”

All hunts began with information gathering. No hunter worth their salt would go out into the wild unprepared, and for Rakor, he had killed beasts even before he had learned to run.

After spending half a day asking around, Rakor found out exactly what he needed for his hunt. The boy was named Levi, and he was being escorted around by two other detectives. Sera and Gregory. He had heard of Sera, as most had. She was a frightening talent, but apparently she wasn’t with them. He had also discovered something interesting on that front. Sera had invited him to join her family.

Was he a hidden noble of the Lindar family, or was Sera doing another family a favour and hiding his identity until he reached the Imperial City where he was safe? Rakor wasn’t sure, but he wouldn’t let that interfere with his plan

He had heard of the rumours being spread about the boy’s power. If they were true… Then that meant he was definitely part of some big family. He’d have some high grade Ingredients on him, as all the noble children always had. They needed assurance if one Ingredient was wasted during assimilation to the next tier. That meant they also had more on them.

Maybe he even had a relic on him. If this was successful, he wouldn’t need to risk his life in the wild anymore. He could settle down, get a wife or two, live a happy life.

Was he allowed that?

Gaze turning steely, Rakor readied himself. Noble children always held tricks up their sleeves. Just like Rakor had always learned in the wild, he had to be ready for anything.