[Two Days Later]
"Have you heard? That Kenneth is missing."
"I heard some rumors, but is it true? Wasn't he supposed to be executing two Nivian gang members?"
In the tavern of the Ironwood branch of the Hunters' Association, a few merchants and hunters enjoying cheap mead were whispering, their tones a mix of unease and speculation.
"It's true! I was there and saw it with my own eyes! Something went wrong during the execution..." A flushed young hunter downed another cup of mead, his voice slightly slurred. "First, there was a burning Nivian boy, then a black and red demon wielding a great sword! After they attacked one after the other, Kenneth disappeared without a trace, neither dead nor alive!"
"Hammer, have you been soaking your brain in the mead? Demons aren't something to joke about..."
"I'm telling you, I saw it with my own eyes! That black and red monstrosity, whether it was a demon or an elemental beast or whatever, it disappeared for a while and then suddenly reappeared. It was then besieged by the HoundGuards' mages, finally howling and running into the woods... Kenneth and that Nivian boy were definitely, hic, eaten by it!"
Hearing such ridiculous drunken talk, the merchants jokingly moved past the topic, while secretly calculating their future plans and profits.
"Weapons prices will likely go up... better order more now to make a profit."
"Let's dry and store that batch of herbs from Dragon Nest Volcano; no rush to sell them..."
These merchants, who mingled daily with the hunters, always had sharp senses. Regardless of the validity of the monster rumors, the fact remained that a large patch of the grassland east of Ironwood was burnt, Kenneth hadn't reappeared, the HoundGuards had not provided any explanation, and bounty posters with staggering rewards were plastered everywhere. All these signs hinted at something significant, whether good or bad, and where there was a significant event, there was business to be found.
In the farthest corner of the tavern, a small figure with a face covered in bandages sat idly, seemingly daydreaming but actually listening intently to the conversations around.
Across from him, a girl with her hair hidden under a coat's hood looked around nervously, shrinking further into her seat.
"Don't worry, Lucia. We're paying customers, no one has the right to kick us out."
"But..." Lucia looked up, her baby-blue eyes filled with worry, her feet fidgeting as if ready to run at any moment.
Just then, a waiter with trays and wooden cups in each hand approached them, his disdainful gaze sweeping over their somewhat worn clothes and blue eyes, his face showing even more contempt.
"Brats, if you're planning to dine and dash, I suggest you get lost and stop taking up space," he sneered. "I've broken the fingers of your kind before."
Even though Kenneth had been eliminated, the city's perception of Nivians hadn’t improved. After all, many Nivians, including those from the White Wolf gang, had resorted to petty crimes to survive. Even Julius himself had once been a food thief.
But fortunately, Julius now knew what would shut the waiter up.
*Ding*
With a crisp sound, a silver flash flicked from Julius’s hand, hitting the waiter squarely on the forehead before bouncing off and landing in the tray he was holding.
"You brat, looking for trouble...?" The waiter was about to explode in anger but was stunned when he saw what was in the tray.
The pristine, flawless gleam of pure silver, and the nearly perfect round surface bore the embossed profile of the Geo-ancestor, Empress Gaiamaga. What had struck his forehead was a brand-new silver Gaiar!
"Take it. No need for change," came the calm voice from under the bandages. "Bring us all of the best dishes on the menu. We'll be coming here often."
The waiter's attitude shifted instantly, a sycophantic smile replacing his earlier disdain. He quickly placed the two meals he had been carrying, originally meant for other customers, in front of Julius and Lucia, bowing repeatedly. "Thank you, esteemed guests! Please enjoy these meals. I'll go inform the chef right away. If you need anything, just call for me."
Ignoring the protesting gazes and calls from the other table's long-waiting customers, the waiter hurriedly went back to the kitchen with the silver Gaiar, his breath almost catching in his excitement.
A silver Gaiar! Equivalent to 200 copper Gaiars, a sum it would take a waiter like him three weeks of continuous work without expenses to earn! Customer complaints and dignity be damned in the face of such money!
"He changed his tune so quickly..." Lucia, who had been scared pale, now looked puzzled as she watched the waiter nearly trip over the kitchen steps in his excitement.
For someone like Lucia, who was used to being chased away or even beaten, it was strange and disorienting to be served so respectfully by a stranger.
"Money talks, at least to people like him," Julius said nonchalantly, used to dealing with such sycophants.
After the battle two days ago, Julius had taken the artifact rings Kenneth carried, sold them through black-market channels connected to the slums' gangs, and now had enough funds. Spending a silver Gaiar to secure a place where they wouldn't be treated poorly was a worthwhile investment.
With that thought, Julius tapped the covered dish in front of his sister. "Well, we came here to eat. Why not reveal the surprise?"
Reminded of their purpose, Lucia carefully reached for the lid in front of her.
*Click*
The wooden lid lifted, releasing a cloud of steam and a rich, enticing aroma. Lucia's mouth began to water uncontrollably, almost dripping from the corners.
As the steam cleared, a large roasted chicken leg, its skin crispy and reddish-brown, glistened with a tantalizing sheen of oil. Beside it were slices of lightly charred bread and a bowl of golden soup, filled with various vegetables simmered to tenderness in a rich stock.
image [https://img2.imgtp.com/2024/05/19/9ztZySbd.webp]
Even for small merchants in Ironwood, this meal was extraordinarily sumptuous.
"Is this... really for us?" Lucia's eyes sparkled with disbelief and joy. She tentatively touched the food with her fingers, as if afraid it was all a dream.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
"Of course, it's all yours. Eat up," Julius said leisurely, a hint of a smile appearing beneath the bandages covering his face.
Lucia finally couldn't resist. She carefully picked up the roasted chicken leg and took a big bite.
*Crunch*
The crispy skin crackled, and the perfectly roasted, juicy meat nearly melted in her mouth. The rich flavor instantly filled her senses, and Lucia closed her eyes in satisfaction, barely chewing before mumbling through her mouthful, "Yummy... mmm..."
Just as she finished speaking, Lucia nearly choked from eating too quickly. She hurriedly lifted her bowl and took a sip of the wild vegetable soup, the warm broth and fresh taste of the vegetables washing away the greasiness of the chicken, helping her swallow the first bite successfully.
"Take your time. We have plenty of it," Julius said gently, patting her back to help her breathe, his heart full of emotion.
No one understood better than he did how precious this moment was for Lucia. Ever since they fled to Ironwood four years ago, they had rarely eaten anything decent.
The last time they had a hot, hearty meal was on their way to Ironwood, when their mother cooked them stew—Lucia might not remember, but Julius knew where that meat came from, so that meal hardly counted as dignified.
But from now on, things would be different.
"I guess we can eat like this every meal after."
"Mm-hmm!" Lucia nodded enthusiastically, continuing to eat the food on her plate with big bites, occasionally glancing up at Julius with eyes full of admiration.
There were many things she couldn't understand, whether it was Julius's sudden change in speech and demeanor after recovering from that severe illness, his current facial burns, or the recently diminished presence of the HoundGuards in the city. But one thing she knew for sure was that Julius was still her brother, always standing in front of her, shielding her from everything.
*Growl*
Perhaps watching Lucia eat so heartily made Julius's stomach growl, prompting him to uncover his own dish.
Compared to Lucia's meal, what lay on his plate was rather unusual.
A large, thick slice of perfectly seared white meat, firm in texture, with scales on its backside, seemingly from some large serpent, drenched in a dark red, blood-like sauce that made it look somewhat eerie.
"Emmm...why don't we share the chicken leg...?" Lucia hesitated, then pushed her plate towards Julius, suggesting in a small voice.
"No need, it might be quite good," Julius said, unperturbed, cutting off a small piece of the snake meat, dipping it in the sauce, and putting it in his mouth. After chewing briefly, he nodded slightly.
Seeing this, Lucia relaxed and returned to her meal, her face beaming with satisfaction.
Taking this opportunity, Julius closed his eyes slightly, his breathing becoming slow and steady as he skillfully adjusted himself into Breathing Exercises mode. He continued to eat the slices of snake meat one after another, savoring the somewhat unpalatable taste with a sense of joy.
As someone who had been stuck at the Body Tempering stage for a long time without breaking through to Foundation Establishment, Julius had a deep understanding of the properties of various ingredients and their effects on the body. Some of this knowledge, even in a different world, still applied to some extent.
Compared to the meat of domesticated livestock, the flesh of wild, powerful creatures often contains more energy that can aid in cultivation. Though the snake meat's taste leaves much to be desired, combined with Breathing Exercises, it can nourish the body at several times the efficiency of ordinary meat. It's not as potent as official Body Tempering pills, but given my current resources, it's certainly a good find... quite an unexpected boon.
If in the past he could afford to take things slowly, now Julius's need for physical enhancement was urgent.
*Buzz*
Julius delved into his consciousness, attempting once again to activate the residual soul energy from the fragments of his Sword Sovereign's soul, only to be met with a sharp pain in his head.
Still no good. That old emblem Kenneth carried was indeed something extraordinary...
The ancient emblem Kenneth had carried, which had once expelled the Vengeful Sword Revenant, had now completely cracked and failed. The storm of golden sand-like energy it released had unexpectedly struck directly at the fragments of Julius's Sword Sovereign soul. Though it couldn't harm them, it temporarily interfered with Julius's connection to these fragments, severely limiting his access to his soul energy and inhibiting its natural recovery.
Without the use of his soul energy, Julius's combat capability was significantly reduced. He couldn't fully utilize the Unmatched Sword Intent and even the efficiency of the Soulforge Bodycraft for rapid physical enhancement was drastically lowered, maintained only by weak fluctuations of his consciousness.
A grave miscalculation. I didn't anticipate the enemy having an artifact with effects similar to Soulforge-type spells.
This meant that until he found a way to nourish his soul, Julius would have to use his soul energy sparingly, focusing more on physical reinforcement to make up for the gap in his combat power.
Finishing the last piece of snake meat, savoring the wild game's gaminess mixed with the spicy and tangy sauce, Julius continued his Breathing Exercises to quickly digest and nourish his body. His thoughts and his piercing blue eyes drifted towards the tavern's notice board.
As an affiliated establishment of the Ironwood Hunter Association, the notice board, made of hard, blackened wood, typically displayed hunting or gathering requests from patrons. Due to the blockade around the Dragon's Nest Volcano, most of the current postings were for common herbs and ordinary beasts, along with some wanted posters—hunting criminals also fell within a hunter's purview.
At the center of the board were three freshly posted wanted notices, each meticulously drawn with charcoal to depict three faces with detailed information. On the far left and far right notices were sketches of two young men who looked quite similar but had slightly different expressions.
[Hati, Nivian, Class Three Escaped Convict, First-Ringed Cyromancer, Bounty: 4 Silver Gaiar for capture, 2 Silver Gaiar for killing.]
[Skoll, Nivian, Class Three Escaped Convict, First-Ringed Cyromancer, Bounty: 4 Silver Gaiar for capture, 2 Silver Gaiar for killing.]
In the center of the board was the largest wanted poster, depicting a rather frail-looking boy.
[Name Unknown, Nivian, Class One Major Suspect, Strength Unknown, Bounty: 40 Silver Gaiar for capture, 30 Silver Gaiar for killing.]
Given Ironwood's prices, this bounty would be enough to buy a mansion in a prime location or to arm a squad of heavy cavalry," Julius mused. "It seems the HoundGuards still haven't uncovered my identity. They must be getting desperate.
After all, two days had passed and the HoundGuards hadn't even discovered the simple name "Julius," and the sketches on the wanted posters were hardly accurate. The reduced patrols in the city today suggested that they were focusing their efforts on tracking down the so-called "monster," hoping the bounty would attract mercenaries or hunters to do the rest.
In hindsight, my caution might have been a bit excessive, Julius thought as he touched his bandaged, scarred face, sighing in relief.
Two days ago, in the charred field, Kenneth, fully transformed into a Vengeful Sword Revenant, had become the target of the HoundGuards' mages, who launched continuous magical bombardments at him. Kenneth, lost in endless agony, couldn't break free, and Julius had slipped away under the cover of ash, unnoticed.
Didn't expect Rosaline to come to help. Now I owe her even more, Julius thought, feeling a growing respect for her. She's got a good heart, repays kindness, and has decent talent. If not for her family's issues, I might consider taking her as a direct disciple despite my current weakened state.
"Oh, almost forgot," Julius said, standing up from his seat and turning to Lucia, who was still sipping the wild vegetable soup. "You keep eating. I need to take care of something."
"Hmm?" Lucia looked up, a bit of soup still on her lips, her eyes showing a hint of confusion and concern, but she didn't speak as her mouth was full.
"I'll be quick. Stay here and eat more while I'm gone," Julius reassured her, gently patting her head.
Lucia nodded and resumed eating, trusting her brother completely, not worried about the lack of details.
Leaving the tavern area of the Ironwood Hunter Association, Julius walked past a few wooden tables to the main and most spacious area, the hall.
The hall's structure was supported by sturdy ironwood, simple yet robust. One side of the walls was adorned with various trophies and specimens of hunted creatures, including some menacing heads of elemental beasts with their elemental cores removed. The other side featured a long noticeboard with a few scattered requests posted on it.
In the hall's center was a large, dark wooden round table with a detailed map of Ironwood's surroundings spread across it. Various markers representing hunting requests and prey locations were placed on it, with seasoned hunters gathered around, discussing and pointing at the map under the light of gemstone lantern artifacts.
Julius bypassed the round table and headed straight to the nearly empty front desk.
Behind the counter, a gray-haired, scarred middle-aged man efficiently processed paperwork. Hearing footsteps, he looked up with his one clear eye, glancing briefly at Julius's barely above-counter height before speaking indifferently, "Lost from your family?"
"Greetings, I'd like to apply to become a hunter."