All of the skills of the Crystal Ice-Flame Hound are based on its "Ice Flame," which refers to the small, icy-blue flames floating around its limbs and tail. Lorent curiously touched those icy flames, finding that they felt like thick air — not hot at all but instead cool to the touch, a perfect comfort for summer.
However, this was only how the flames felt when the hounds weren't consciously controlling their abilities. Once they actively used their powers, the cool, calm flames would turn into intensely hot, blue fire.
Previously, when two of the pups were playing around in the house, the flame orbs they swiped at each other from their tails nearly burned the wooden table to ashes. Luckily, Sylam was at home and promptly picked up the pups to stop their dangerous play. Afterward, Lorent held the two mischievous pups by their heads, pressing their faces against the charred table legs, and gave them a harsh scolding with a good smack on their butts.
After some pitiful whining and yelping, the pups quickly understood that they couldn’t use their Ice Flames indoors; otherwise, they’d be punished! Since the human's dwelling was so fragile, they could only play hunting games in the yard outside.
The Ice Flames contained both ice and fire properties, a fusion of two opposing elements. Typically, to enhance both elements, one would need to separately cultivate the ice and fire attributes, keeping their intake equal. However, this process of absorbing the elements one after the other could slow down the growth of the Crystal Ice-Flame Hound. While such a delay wouldn’t cause any major issues as long as the other attribute was later balanced, Lorent needed this batch of pups to quickly become independent.
Therefore, he needed to prepare the specialized food described in the bestiary for the Crystal Ice-Flame Hounds, which would allow their bodies and abilities to develop in sync. Of course, the lower cost of this specialized food compared to double-element magical beast meat or crystals was also a significant factor.
Lorent started by soaking two large bags of ice and fire crystal shards in a specially-made potion. Then, he prepared twelve different plant-based magical creatures by cutting, slicing, or juicing them according to their properties. Next, he pulled out two chunks of magical beast meat and had his strong brother mince them into a fine paste. He mixed in measured amounts of soft and hard wheat flour, added a few of the magical beast eggs he’d saved, and blended everything evenly.
He then combined everything into a large bucket, mixing in several bottles of nutritional potion, stirring seven times clockwise, flipping the mixture from bottom to top twice, then stirring counterclockwise seven times again. With that, all the steps were complete.
The mixture just needed to be cooked, cooled, and then divided into small portions to be preserved long-term. Lorent used 90% of his family's assets to make enough food to last the pups for a full two months.
While it wasn’t as good as feeding them high-grade magical beast meat every day, it was the best treatment Lorent could currently provide.
While waiting for the food to cool, Lorent picked up Little Eight, stroking its soft belly, skillfully making it comfortable. Little Eight lay on Lorent’s lap, humming happily with its limbs flailing in delight. Once the other eleven pups were dozing off in their nests, Lorent gently placed the sleeping Little Eight back into its own bed.
Returning to the kitchen, Lorent prepared a separate, special meal for the mother Claw Wolf. By now, the one-legged mother wolf had completely recovered from the weakness of childbirth, its Level 2 magical beast's resilient constitution fully evident.
Lorent carefully pushed the food bowl into the cage from a distance with a long stick. As always, the Claw Wolf growled fiercely at him. Even after being cared for over the past six months, Lorent hadn't seen the slightest softening from the Claw Wolf.
Magical beasts had no feelings; they only knew destruction. Lorent had never really grasped the significance of this statement when dealing with small, Level 1 magical beasts like Fire-Tailed Mice. But the Claw Wolf looked like a creature that should have emotions according to his understanding from his previous life. Yet in this world, they were just mindless, emotionless creatures.
Now, with a pack of soft, fluffy, adorable pups to soothe his heart, Lorent's attention on the Claw Wolf had dropped significantly. After delivering the special meal, he shut the wooden door, blocking out the beast's howls.
Lorent wasn't someone who enjoyed seeking out thrills and adventures. If the conditions allowed it — with enough food, drink, and fun — he would be perfectly content staying home, immersed in his own little world. And so, he threw himself into his daily routine of caring for the pups and the magical beasts.
A week quickly passed. In that time, the Crystal Ice-Flame Hound pups had grown significantly larger. Each pup could freely use its abilities and had grown to around 30 centimeters in height.
Every day, Ruth continued to work at the Knight Academy, while Sylam alternated between caring for the pups and training. That morning, Sylam had left early to train with their neighbor, Simon. Enjoying a rare moment of leisure, Lorent casually began to prepare a more elaborate lunch.
However, just as he started, the door to the yard was thrown open.
“Brother! Tomorrow I’m going with Simon and the others to complete the exam!” Sylam ran in, drenched in sweat, leaning excitedly against the open kitchen window to talk to Lorent.
“An exam?” Lorent paused, puzzled. “What exam? Didn’t you say you were on free activity time?”
“Well, yes, we are free, but all Knight Academy students have to complete a certain number of tasks each year,” Sylam explained. “I wasn’t in a rush and thought I'd do it later, but now an upperclassman knight is going to the Black Forest to complete their own task quota. They agreed to take some lower-year knights along for a fee.”
“Simon applied to go and got accepted!”
“Isn't going with the upper-level knights even more dangerous?” Lorent asked while working the dough.
Simon was Sylam’s classmate and neighbor, and the two were close friends who often came home together during breaks. They frequently trained together and would sometimes stay over or eat at each other's homes.
“No, not at all. We won’t be involved in the high-level knights' mission. Our tasks are mainly around the outer edge of the Black Forest, and having a high-level knight with us is just an added layer of protection. They did tell us not to expect them to be our babysitters,” Sylam said.
“They’re going deep into the Black Forest, so they’ll be setting up a temporary base on the outskirts. We can complete our tasks around that rest area.”
Hearing this, Lorent felt reassured. If anyone ever offered to selflessly act like a Good Samaritan, there would definitely be some hidden agenda. After all, saints were only revered because they existed only in legends.
“Don’t worry, Brother. Those senior knights are quite well-known, and one of them is a noble knight with a fiefdom. I heard they recently inherited a title and are a bit tight on funds, which is why they’re letting us tag along,” Sylam continued. “Our breathwork teacher happens to know them and recommended us! It’s a rare opportunity!”
“Well, as long as you’re sure it’s safe,” Lorent said. He thought it was time to let Sylam gain some independence. With their father having passed away early, Lorent, as the eldest son, had always been the head of the household, exuding a steady and reliable presence. Both Sylam and Ruth often turned to him for advice, making him the true head of the family.
Sylam had always depended on Lorent, seeking his opinion before making any decisions.
“So how long will you be gone? Are you camping out in the Black Forest?”
“Yes, we’ll be staying in the Black Forest. Simon and I accepted a task to collect Shadow Moon Grass, which only grows around the forest’s edge. It’s not dangerous, but it will take some time,” Sylam replied. “Since we’re going with the seniors, we have to follow their schedule. We’ll probably be gone for at least half a month.”
“Half a month?” Lorent hesitated, wondering if he should prevent Sylam from going. After all, Sylam was only twelve. Although others saw him as a responsible squire, Lorent still saw him as just a child.
Going to school was one thing — the Knight Academy was undoubtedly safe — but spending half a month in the forest was worrisome.
“Brother,” Sylam quickly added when he saw Lorent’s hesitation, leaning so far against the window that he almost toppled into the kitchen. “It’ll be fine! Simon and I are only going to the forest’s outskirts, and we won’t be far from the sentry posts. It’s not dangerous!”
The outskirts of the Black Forest were routinely cleared by the Knights each year, so any Level 2 or higher magical beasts were purged, leaving only Level 1 creatures or low-threat plant-type magical beasts. Lorent had even ventured there himself when he first came to the area to capture some small Level 1 magical beasts.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
“Alright, just make sure you stay safe and go take a bath quickly so you don’t catch a cold,” Lorent finally relented. Sylam would have to learn to handle these things himself as he grew into a knight.
Still, safety measures couldn’t be overlooked. Perhaps Sylam could bring one of the Crystal Ice-Flame Hound pups with him. Although they were still young, they already had the strength of a Level 2 or 3 magical beast, more than enough to handle the outskirts of the Black Forest.
Sylam cheered loudly at Lorent’s approval and dashed toward the bathroom with a skip in his step.
In this world, taking a bath was a luxury for most commoners. Mauplan did have a large public bathhouse, but the hygiene there was questionable at best. So Lorent had built a simple little bathhouse beside their home and installed a basic shower setup. Before using it, they would heat up a pot of water to the right temperature and enjoy a refreshing shower.
A simple rinse was enough to wash away the fatigue of the day. However, this setup was only usable in summer; once the weather turned cold, it would be practically useless. The wooden shed had no insulation, so using it in winter would mean risking a severe cold.
In less than two months, winter would be in full swing. Lorent hoped that by then, he would have his own shop. A small, windproof and watertight wooden house with a nice, cozy bath would be ideal.
During dinner, Sylam told Ruth about his plan to go to the Black Forest for half a month, and she immediately decided to take the next day off to go to the city and prepare some dry food and supplies for him. The Academy’s promise to provide materials for students undertaking tasks was entirely ignored.
The next morning, the whole family set off for the city. After reluctantly buying Sylam a large pack of items he probably wouldn’t need, the three of them made their way to the real estate office.
Lorent called over the delighted Emma and received five documents from her.
“Sir, I’ve filtered out the most suitable properties based on your requirements,” Emma said, her face flushed with excitement. She had not held out much hope for Lorent’s order, but when she saw Lorent with Ruth and Sylam, even Mary on the side showed a bit of regret.
With the Knight Academy badge pinned to Sylam’s chest, indicating his status, and Ruth accompanying him, they certainly fit the profile of prime customers. What a pity — that order could’ve been hers, and now it was Emma’s.
Regardless of the emotions of the real estate staff, Lorent opened the files in his hands. The first plot of land was located in the third ring of the "Valor" District, not far from their current residence. It was a sloped area of over 20,000 square meters, but despite seemingly being next to the main road, one had to navigate around the entire slope to reach it.
The second plot was in the fourth ring of the “Mercy” District, with a larger area, but it was quite far from any water sources.
The remaining three plots were all in the "Sacrifice" District, which only had three rings since it bordered the Black Forest. All three plots were located in the third ring.
Being in the third ring of the Sacrifice District meant that they were connected to the sentry posts set up by the Knights on the edge of the Black Forest. News of the posts being overrun by beast hordes came out every three or four years, indicating a significant safety issue. However, due to these risks, the land plots were significantly larger — the smallest being 30,000 square meters and the largest a full 38,000 square meters.
Lorent couldn’t help but be captivated by the number "38,000." When he read through the details, he was stunned.
“Huh? What’s this?”
Emma, who had been attentively watching, immediately explained, “This is part of the abandoned village I mentioned last time. The Knights own the entire village, and they’re looking to either lease or sell parts of it. There’s an option for priority purchase after leasing.”
“This plot is right at the intersection of the main road to the Black Forest's Fifth Sentry Post and the Holy Shield River, at the very corner of the village. It has convenient access to both water and transport and is quite spacious. However, the only downside is that if the village is sold as a whole, you'll have to vacate within a certain period. You would receive compensation for the improvements made to the land, though.”
Lorent was intrigued. “Is the rest of the village heavily rented out?”
“Not much, sir. The dozen or so rented plots are all on the opposite side of the village facing the Black Forest, primarily used as resting spots for adventurers heading into the forest. The plot you’re considering has no nearby neighbors for at least a ten-acre radius.”
Lorent exchanged a look with his mother and turned back to Emma. “Can we visit these places in person before making a decision?”
“Of course, anytime!” Emma nodded enthusiastically. Taking clients to view properties was a significant step toward closing a deal, the closest she'd ever been to completing a business deal on her own.
“If you'd like, I can take you for a site visit anytime,” Emma added.
“Why don’t we go today, while you’re off work?” Lorent suggested to his mother.
“Sure. Sylam, when do you leave for the Black Forest?” Ruth asked her younger son.
“We’re meeting at the Third Sentry Post at six in the evening. The seniors will probably be explaining some rules to us newbies,” Sylam replied.
Lorent calculated the time, and it seemed just right. So, they found a clean restaurant and had an extravagant meal worth 150 copper coins.
To support Sylam’s schooling, Ruth had sold a small apartment in a poor neighborhood of Holando. Though the location was bad, the environment worse, and the apartment itself was less than 20 square meters, being in Holando’s outer district, it sold for a hefty sum of 180 gold coins.
When Ruth learned that Lorent was busy looking to rent a shop in recent days, she offered the money as his start-up capital for his budding venture. Lorent agreed without hesitation. He had always intended to use that money for the shop anyway, and if Ruth hadn’t mentioned it, Lorent would’ve brought it up himself. He had absolute confidence in his pets.
With cash in hand and feeling emboldened, Lorent handed over three silver coins to pay for the use of a teleportation array. With Ruth, Sylam, and Emma in tow, they were instantly transported to the Fifth Sentry Post.
The real estate office's teleportation array was not open to the public and was only for internal use. If the lease or purchase was confirmed later, the transportation fee would be waived.
The array itself was situated in the center of the second floor, radiating a pale blue glow from the intricate lines etched into the floor. This was Lorent’s second time using a teleportation array — the first time being a long-distance teleportation from Holando to Mauplan, which had cost ten gold coins per person.
Blue light rose from the floor, enveloping the party. Once the glow became too bright to see through, Lorent felt a sudden sensation of weightlessness as if the ground had vanished beneath him. By the time his feet felt solid ground again, the glow had begun to fade, and what greeted him was a tall stone wall covered in moss.
To defend against the magical beasts of the Black Forest, the Knights had set up ten sentry posts along its borders. Each post was a small fortress, strong enough to remain standing even during a beast horde, serving as Mauplan’s first line of defense and the gateway to the Black Forest.
“Please present your identification,” a voice came from behind them.
Lorent discreetly shifted his legs to ease the discomfort from the sudden loss of gravity, then looked around to take in his surroundings. They stood in a roofless room enclosed by four stone walls. Apart from the teleportation array in the center, there were three fully armed knights, one of whom opened the wooden fence around the array and addressed the group.
Emma stepped forward to verify their identity, and they followed her out of the teleportation array. The array was situated at the outermost part of the sentry post, near a watchtower. From there, they could directly exit to the front gate without entering the interior of the sentry post.
Stepping out of the post, they found themselves in a forested environment with a straight road cutting through the woods leading to the sentry gate. Many adventurer teams, dressed in gear and moving in groups, filled the path.
Not far ahead, only about 500 meters away, the air of desolation hit them. Countless abandoned wooden houses appeared before them, with the once stone-paved streets now overgrown with weeds. Far-off houses had their doors hanging ajar, clearly unused for a long time.
Only one or two houses along the main road had been repaired, likely the adventurer resting spots Emma had mentioned.
Following the path that cut through the side of the village straight to the sentry post, they eventually caught sight of the wide Holy Shield River in the distance. It served as a natural barrier between Mauplan and the Black Forest, seldom allowing beast hordes to cross its waters — hence its name, "Holy Shield."
The plot Lorent was viewing was situated less than a hundred meters outside this "shield."
Covering 38,000 square meters, approximately five football fields, the land included a two-story inn, five houses, three shops, and a considerable amount of open space.
“If I lease this land, am I allowed to build whatever I want on it?” Lorent asked, running his hand over the slightly cracked wall of the inn’s lobby.
“Yes, sir. And if needed, we can help you fence off the area to define your plot more clearly,” Emma replied.
“And in the future, if someone leases nearby land, would it be directly adjacent to mine?” Lorent asked.
Emma shook her head. “No, sir. According to our regulations, if land is leased in the third ring, there will be about a fifty-meter buffer zone between properties.”
Nodding, Lorent continued to inspect the inn. It was well-constructed; its beams had withstood two years of abandonment without damage, though some wooden walls were cracked and drafty. Repairs would easily make it livable again. The first floor was a spacious area of over 300 square meters, complete with a backyard, though the original tables and chairs had been removed, leaving only dust.
Behind the lobby was a closed-off kitchen with blackened walls and floors that were not exactly inviting. The second floor held twelve rooms and a shared bathroom, while the backyard housed quarters for the innkeeper and staff, with a few broken beds still remaining.
The other houses looked in worse condition, with broken doors, gaping holes in the walls, and loose floorboards — beyond repair and fit only to be broken down for firewood. Overall, though, Lorent was thrilled with this plot of land.
Spacious, secluded, near water and the main road — exiting the backyard of the inn and passing through about ten meters of forest brought one directly to the riverbank, with a simple stone pathway built by the previous owner for easy access. From the inn’s front door, a narrow path connected directly to the wide main road, about ten meters away. It provided both some privacy and the opportunity to be noticed by adventurers passing by.
Afterward, Emma led them to visit the other four potential properties. Ultimately, after consulting with his mother and brother, Lorent chose the first piece of land.
Teleporting back to the real estate office, Lorent swiftly finalized the deal like a local tycoon, paying half a year's rent upfront and signing agreements on compensation if the land needed to be reclaimed during the lease period, as well as a priority purchase option for later. Emma immediately set out to arrange for the fencing of the property, radiating newfound confidence with every step.
Leaving the beaming new hire to her work, Lorent, Ruth, and Sylam returned home, feeling exhausted but accomplished.
“Brother, why did you make me come back?” Sylam grumbled softly beside Lorent. “If I don’t teleport soon, I’ll be late.”
“Nonsense. Were you planning to walk from the Fifth Sentry Post to the Third Sentry Post?” Lorent gave his brother a light knock on the head. “Those two sentry posts are so far apart that it’d take you at least two hours to walk there!”
Sylam rubbed his head and muttered under his breath, complaining that his brother shouldn’t have made him visit all those properties, as they could’ve just gone to the first one and left.
“Stop being so stingy. It's only one silver coin, and it'll save you a lot of effort,” Lorent said, shaking his head. Even with money on hand, he still had that frugal mindset ingrained in him. That habit needed to change.
“I called you back because I remembered something.”
“What is it?” Sylam asked.
“Since you're only going to the edge of the Black Forest this time, why not bring one of the pups with you?” Lorent suggested.
Sylam’s eyes widened. “Brother, they haven’t even turned a month old yet!”
“They could still easily beat you,” Lorent teased.
The pups already possessed the strength of a Level 2 magical beast and were growing rapidly — practically changing every day. Lorent estimated that by the time they reached one month old, they would approach the strength of a Level 4 magical beast. In three months, their bodies and abilities would be on par with Level 5 beasts. Afterward, their growth would slow as they transitioned into their seventy-year-long adult phase.
For Sylam, who wasn’t even an official knight yet, a Level 2 magical beast would be an insurmountable opponent.
Sulking, Sylam pouted silently. He understood that if those pups truly wanted to fight him, he’d stand no chance, but admitting that stung his teenage pride. Losing to a bunch of newly hatched pups...
As they neared home, Sylam spotted a boy peeking over their fence, and he waved his hand in surprise. “Simon! Why are you still here?”
Simon, who had been nearly falling headfirst into their yard, straightened up. He was a full head taller than Sylam, his robust frame already making him a promising knight.
And indeed, Simon’s talent was exceptional, making him one of the Knight Academy’s key students. While Sylam had barely made the cutoff for admission, Simon was a genius who had far surpassed the entry requirements.
Despite his natural gifts, Simon had a down-to-earth personality and was never boastful. Their families had moved to the area at the same time, and the parents got along well, leading to a close friendship between Sylam and Simon.
Simon’s father was a blacksmith, and his mother worked at the academy just like Ruth, though as a caretaker for the students’ dorms, a role that was much easier.
Seeing Sylam return, Simon's face lit up in relief, and he quickly ran over, grabbing his arm. “I didn’t see you earlier today and wasn’t sure if you’d left already, so I thought I’d wait for you. If time got too tight, I could just teleport.”
“Sorry, I forgot to tell you. My family was just...”
“Explain later!” Simon interrupted, pulling him along. “Come quickly; the senior knights are at my house! It’s a good thing you made it back!”
“What? They’re here? Oh! I get it! Are they here to evaluate you, Simon? You might have a chance to join their team!” Sylam exclaimed in excitement.
“I... I don’t know,” Simon admitted, blushing. “But they did ask me about my future plans and my life at the academy. My mother told me to call you over, so let’s go!”
The two boys dashed toward Simon’s house, while Ruth and Lorent, equally eager, leaned nervously over the closest section of the fence, trying to catch a glimpse of what was happening inside.