In Marcal Forest, just between Farnom and Varen Valley, I remain still on a branch of the tree, waiting for my prey.
It moves fast, faster than almost every other animal on land. With a horn on its head, it can easily kill anyone who's unprepared and because of its small stature, it makes it difficult to retaliate against.
But prey is prey. It flees over fighting, which is why it's only classified as C-rank beast despite the B-rank threat, and it isn't an A-rank beast because that blow is meant to be a mutual end, a last-ditch effort that will end up killing itself as well as its predator.
Hearing the rustling of bushes, the hunt begins with the prey already caught in the nearby trap, forced to spin around the young tree sapling due to the rope caught on its foot.
The momentum of its speed turned this simple trap that couldn't catch anything into this rabbits undoing. It's always fast and that's why it's almost always a guarantee that it will be caught when it touches the rope.
With a single shot from my bow, the high-pitched squeal sounds its death. With a satisfied smile, I prepare to bring in its rare meat for another quick cash reward.
As adventurers with a limited income, the Frozen Sapphire can't spend every day training. We need money to eat and we make that money by taking quests. The harder the job, the more money you make. But I want them to focus on their training as much as possible. No distractions and no delays, which is why I'm spending time out on my own collecting the rare 'horned rabbit.'
The more money I make, the more time the party can spend on training. And the more they improve the less trouble we might face down the line.
But on top of making money, this hunting has been good training in itself. Controlling two bodies isn't easy but if I can work hard enough, I can reach a point where I control both simultaneously.
And with enough practice, I may be able to fight simultaneously, which is my primary worry.
After digging out the arrow that pinned the rabbit to the dirt, I brought out the prepared water bucket to clean off and reuse the arrow.
This bow as well as the arrows are borrowed and the actual owner will be pissed at me if even one of those arrowheads went missing.
Since this will be my last catch of the day, I won't worry about getting the rabbit's blood on myself.
Their sensitive noses make hunting multiple a day troublesome but not many people know that fact.
'Which is probably why it's a delicacy. They don't realize they are warning it the moment blood gets on their body.'
With the arrows cleaned, I proceed to collect my rabbits strung up to a tree by rope to drain the blood.
I had a fine system for collecting the rabbits, their noses being powerful enough to catch the scent of their kind's spilled blood by about 300 yards so traps set up just outside that range can have another caught before they've realized what happened.
This plan would have the opposite effect if this area was Fang Fox territory, but it seems the hobgoblins and their wolves have been pushing those predators further south, according to information brought to the guild yesterday.
Taking a second look, I count six rabbits before nodding. I've hunted about 30 rabbits over the last four days and if I hunt any more than this, the Butcher will lower the price again.
Even then, if I hunt too many horned rabbits, they will start migrating somewhere else just as the Fanged Foxes did. So yeah, this should be the last I hunt them for money.
Back in town, I met with the butcher of the meat buffet we frequented since the first day. I set more rabbits on his table but the Butcher was unnerved.
"Back again? Sheesh, how many times are you going to bring in this rare ingredient?"
He checks the condition of each horned rabbit, finding only the holes left by the arrows, "A well-timed arrow shot to the neck. Blood drained. All in perfect condition just like the previous bunch."
I smirk. 'Just as Uldrei taught me.'
He sighs as he does the numbers, "Alright, with everything here, I'll say 6g and 7s each, a total of 36g and 42s."
Just as I thought... "Wasn't it 35g and 40s (39g total) for five rabbits yesterday? And before then it was 63g for 7 rabbits, almost half the price."
"Correct, but you bring in so many in such a short amount of time I'll likely have to start lowering the price on the menu just to ensure people buy it before it goes bad."
Because of the sudden increase in supply of what was originally a delicacy, the demand got harder to meet. Another reason to hope for the letter to show up sooner over later.
I shake my head, "Yeah, alright."
His eyebrow raised, "You sure gave up quickly. Not even an attempt to haggle?"
"I'm not good at haggling. I'll just take the easy money now. But if this keeps up, I might need to start hunting for something else."
"If you're hurt for money, why not sell the method? Everyone else that brings one back only succeeds because it was mangled or missing a leg but you bring them back in perfect condition every time. So you definitely know a way you're not telling others."
Well, I wouldn't say the leg doesn't get dislocated from all that momentum... But...
"We'll see. If I leave within another day, I'll be keeping the secret for the next time around. So, pray I stay longer."
Before I probably would've sold it, maybe even given it away, but I've been getting advice from Farmi on tricks of the trade.
Though she only answers my specific questions with specific answers, I abuse that advice for Verei's sake of not getting swindled. His entry into the University isn't confirmed so if I can save some gold, I could pay to enroll like Floris is trying for.
The butcher clicks his tongue, "Alright, then I WILL see you tomorrow."
With a wave, I head out the side door. That's when I hear a commotion coming from the south gate, a crowd of adventurers forming to see what's going on. I should return soon but my curiosity is getting the better of me as I follow the forming crowd.
The crowd consists of many adventurers I've seen around, from the workaholics always out on a job to the drunkards spending their life earnings in one of the 3 bars. They are all grumbling in hushed whispers about whatever showed up along the roads.
Unfortunately, I can't see beyond the burly men of at least average height. Just one of those times I wish Verei was the tall one.
Clearing my throat, I shout in a commanding voice, "Make some room!"
With the name I made for myself over this week, the adventurers who see me end up making one, ending with an open path for me.
With a path made, I see the amor and insignia of the Knights of Siltria. A full group of about fifty knights: yet, out of any of the other keepers to be their commander, it just had to be him.
--------
I groaned the moment I saw him, and Rikon noticed my frustration.
"Something wrong?"
"No, no. Just some bad thoughts from the past."
I wish it was someone else. I haven't met over half the group, the other half being friendly or good people and yet out of all the Keepers, one of the two most annoying had to arrive on Verei's side. I can only click my tongue in frustration.
Veda finally arrives at the destination, the adventurer's guild of Markston.
It was further than I expected but it's the same size building as Farnom's. The number of people entering and leaving seems to be at a low, about 1 group every few minutes entering or leaving. But that's a good thing for what I'm hoping to do.
"What are we doing at an adventurer's guild?"
Rikon snaps me back to this perspective, "I just need to prepare and I need you to keep a lookout if you wouldn't mind?"
He stares at me with a questioning look before shaking his head, "Just don't be doing anything Illegal." Before leaning against the building, I proceed around the outside of the building into the greenery through the trees.
When I see that the backyard is meant to be the training yard, I'm forced to go to a different spot.
'Guess I'm using one of these.'
Examining some of the nearby trees, I find one just out of sight from the training yard and windows of the building, as soon as I'm in a position out of view of anyone, I cast the spell.
[[Move the Earth to Ensnare my Foes.]]
The dirt on the side of the tree shifts, creating a narrow opening long enough for me to place the sword.
As I steadily insert it, Rikon makes my heart jump. "So, this is what your planning?"
I'd of screamed if I hadn't managed to keep my mouth covered. Would've cursed at him too for not keeping watch but I needed to add the finishing touch now.
[[Flourish and Grow.]]
The grass around the tree grows till it covers the entrance with grass in order to hide the artifact away. With a sigh, I get up and walk over to the front of the building again.
In shouting whispers, some of my anger from the other conversation seeps into this one.
"I asked you to keep watch! I'd have told you everything when I was done!"
"I did. But I wanted to confirm it wasn't illegal since you didn't give me any reassurance."
After I saw no one was around, I proceeded to pull out a dagger and carve into the nearby tree.
Rikon gives me a questioning look but I ignore him to carve into the tree three lines so they make a D shape.
[[Preserve the scar left in this form till the spring empties]]
With the mana amount poured into the mark, it shall persist for about a week. After that, the tree should recover naturally.
Such a specific spell found someway somehow before being written into Uldrei's wife's book, it makes me wonder what purpose a spell like this exists for.
Making my retreat with a confused Rikon, I proceed with exploring the town for as far as Farmi warned before turning to Rikon so I can explain.
"Now that it's over, the reason I came here was to plant my grandfather's sword for my brother's arrival."
"That explains the pocket you put the sword in, but why carve into a different tree, and what spell was that you cast?"
Passing through the streets, I try not to be distracted with the mouth-watering smell coming from nearby stalls in order to feed Rikon the step by step process I came up with on the way here.
This should hopefully explain why Verei will easily find the sword to the others without looking suspicious.
But if not, I can come up with something else to tell the Frozen Sapphires.
"That spell is a preservation spell, whatever marking made before the spell was cast will remain for a time specified by the amount of mana put in with no way of deforming it till then."
"As for why I made the marking, it's originally a game my brother came up with. We hide an item we wish to give each other in secret and leave the mark aiming in the opposite direction from where the object is located. At first it was a way to figure out where one of us hid treasure while the other seeks it out. But I'm using it to give my brother what should've been his."
"If it works and he arrives to the university with the counter blade in hand, then we could use this as a method to communicate on locations of interest to one another."
Rikon nods along, it seems to be a good idea, but the sheepish grin he gives me makes me a bit worried. "I see what you mean... but... there are a few things you should probably know..."