After their rest, the party began to move. The initial plan was to capture or kill all animals that could be seen inside the cave-like perforation. Rayha, Vaissien, and company would be the back-up. Alfredo and Mado volunteered to be vanguards Waldo, Chief Feldor, and the other two would serve as the long-range hunters. This way, the task was divided well.
"Chief, this is not a cave. But like a huge pile of twigs and grass. I think I've overlooked it." Waldo was a bit disappointed.
"Yeah, you're right. It seems like it. Did some intellectual animals build this one? No. This seems naturally occurring. Moreover, I never thought there are also fruits spawning near this place. We should also look into them later."
"Yeah. Let's begin."
Immediately after, Mado and Alfredo started approaching the place. They first shaded themselves on the trees nearby. Before they could carelessly come closer, they saw something completely unexpected to them.
"Antlers… Wait, is that…"
"Look is that a—!"
The two stopped and waited for the Chief to give further instructions. They could hear the other people in the party cheered a bit in excitement. After all, the one that just unveiled in front of them was a buck.
"Everyone, prepare the necessary hunting preference for deers. I think there are more of them inside." Chief Feldor happily instructed everybody.
"Chief, should we do the capture method or the harsh one? Capturing them both is very hard. Maybe, we should just kill them." Waldo complained.
"You're right. It's difficult, huh?"
In so many years, deers were a rare spectacle for three main reasons. First, deer had been very smart animals to ever come as vulnerable as this. Second, they were thought to be hiding in the northern outskirts in the continent facing the Hydoria Sea. Third, they were almost extinct in this region due to being a common prey for wild animals, monsters, and even humans.
"Cimmerian, come here." He called out for him who was calmly discerning the situation.
"What is it, Chief?" He and the fox came closer.
"As you may have known already, deers are special, they're so expensive if we sell them. I want your help to stop them while not injuring one."
"Huh? I believe it's difficult, Chief." He responded respectfully.
"Yes. You're right. But I'll find a way."
By the way, the Chief knew that Cimmerian cannot use magic. However, he knew that he was special. In this world, only a handful of people can use magic. In every rural village, only one was standard, or one more if lucky enough. For why did the frail 60 year-old man even bothered to join this hunting, there's only one answer—because of this magic. Yes. The only person who could use it in the Lambo Village was Bacchus Feldor. An old man who was once a member of the infamous Astral Knights in the Kingdom of Styllacus, where the village belonged.
Little did Cimmerian know that the purpose of him being here was also for his ability to be gauged. Feldor had been very interested about his unnatural strength and speed. Being a magic user, he felt some strange faint aura from the boy. He noticed it during his usual conversations with him. The aura he sensed could only be described in a single word—nefarious.
"How about using these ropes and the magic items. Can you do it, Cimmerian?"
"Yeah I'll try."
"That's good enough. Okay, everyone, we'll capture every single animal hiding there. Cimmerian would now be the main vanguard. Alfredo, Mado, assist him."
Vaissien, Ferm, and the others prepared the ropes for capture. Waldo and the archers readied the smoke bombs. These magic items were expensive products of Feldor's long-time friend named Janus Witsson—the City of Gamus' known alchemist. Once thrown, the bomb produced a thin fog-like orange smoke. This made the human eye recognize the target. However, it had a deadly effect on animals. They become partially blind and weak in not more than five minutes. A good alchemic invention indeed. Every bomb cost 7 silvers. As of now, they only had three.
As a single smoke bomb was thrown around the perimeter, Cimmerian ran quickly and tied the feet of the deer outside using the thin yet strong bundle of ropes he carried.
"That's one. I guess there are more inside." Cimmerian entered the shelter. There he saw deers hibernating. He threw the other two simultaneously.
In Cimmerian's perception, his speed was that of a normal human. However, the rest of the party were speechless.
(I've known brother the most. How has he become good like this? His ability is that of a genius martial artist. I can't believe this. Have I been pretending that I know him well?) Vaissien was lost in thought as he looked at his brother enter the hole of the shade alone.
"Ha-ha-ha. He's superb." The Chief loudly laughed while watching the show.
"Yeah. He's like an expert even though this is his first time hunting. Oh, Chief, If I may ask, is Cimmerian, a magic user?" Waldo was amazed.
"Of course not. He's still fourteen with no knowledge of the Covenant."
"Oh, right. I just heard that he just turned fourteen." Waldo tilted his head as if he just remembered it.
(Still a year to go, huh? I've high hopes for you, Cimmerian.) The Chief genuinely smiled as he thought of the boy's future.
(For us humans, access to magic only come by the time we reach fifteen through a specific type of ritual. I think this kid, Vaissien, also has the potential to become on par or even surpass his brother. I can feel it.) He thought further.
"Okay, everyone, please prepare to deal with the aftermath. Cimmerian is almost done." Feldor looked around to find something. "Wait, Vaissien, where's the fox? I don't seem to see it."
"What!!? Oh, yeah, where is that thing... I wonder. He was still here a moment ago." Vaissien turned his head in different directions.
"Elaine, it was there right?" Rayha followed suit.
"R-R-Rayha, don't joke around, it was sitting next to you, right?"
They were worried, at the same time confused. But when the all the smoke faded, deers lying on the ground could be seen as well as four figures—Alfredo, Mado, Cimmerian, and the fox