Chapter 620 Inquiries and News

The reason Xia Nan was willing to step into the fray was actually quite simple.

The first factor, and the premise for everything else, was this:

The enemy's strength lay well within a range he could easily handle.

A manticore with a Challenge Rating of "3"—if this had been a few months ago, before Xia Nan set off for Barracuda Bay, it would have been a powerful monster requiring his full strength and absolute caution.

Right now, however, though he maintained his careful and cautious mindset, his overall strength had skyrocketed and his combat experience had steadily accumulated. If his only goal was a simple kill, a little tactical planning meant he wouldn't need to expend much effort. One adult manticore and two juveniles, even at their uninjured peak, posed a threat level entirely within his capacity.

The second factor, the direct reason that prompted him to intervene, was something else.

It was the conspicuous crest engraved on the shoulder armor of the soldier who appeared to be the squad captain.

It featured a diamond-shaped shield with a pure black background. Two bloodstained axe blades crossed diagonally, while faint, brownish-red lines faintly outlined the silhouette of a castle behind them.

Xia Nan had gathered intelligence before setting out on this journey.

This specific crest was the military emblem of the troops stationed at Bloodcast Keep, his exact destination.

Thus, he could determine this was a squad of soldiers from the border stronghold of Bloodcast Keep.

Xia Nan figured he might be able to get some information out of them regarding the current situation at Bloodcast Keep—such as why they were suddenly conscripting troops, or whether they had seen the barbarian Forgan.

Combining these two factors ultimately led to his decision to join the fray.

"Awooo!"

A deep, echoing wolf howl, as if rising straight from hell, whipped up a biting gale sharp as blades, leaving a dense cluster of fine cuts across the manticore's headless corpse.

With a casual flick of his wrist, he spun his sword, shaking the blood drops from the blade.

His dark eyes shifted slightly, his gaze sweeping over the trembling, gray-haired middle-aged man carrying a heavy shield to his side, and the stunned young man sprawled wretchedly on the ground ahead.

Wasting no time amid the howling, he transformed into a dark blur trailing a swaying, misty mane, rushing toward the soldier squad.

The battle did not last long.

This was thanks to Xia Nan's highly aggressive combat style, which heavily emphasized explosive power and mobility.

Against enemies whose overall strength fell short of his own, his fighting was usually a complete rout, crushing dry weeds and rotting wood.

To some extent, even powerhouses approaching the Transcendent Tier could only achieve this level of dominance when thrashing weaklings. Of course, this didn't mean Xia Nan currently possessed that level of strength.

Such a scene was purely the result of his extremely offense-oriented combat style.

To put it simply, against enemies of a relatively lower power tier, he could treat them all like goblins and casually instantly kill them. However, if an enemy's ability in any specific area—whether defensive capabilities or agility—reached a certain high threshold, Xia Nan's otherwise straightforward combat performance would immediately fluctuate. He would need to use his combat techniques in tandem with the enemy's weaknesses to deliver targeted strikes.

The fight would gradually become more strenuous.

Clearly, the remaining two juvenile manticores on the field, which were already injured, hadn't reached this so-called threshold in any regard. He didn't even need to waste charges on [Gravity Etching].

[Spinning Slash] plus [Fang Hunt] plus [Heavy Tide]. Even his [Hunting Arc] battle posture barely had a chance to show its worth due to how brief the exchange was. The heads of the remaining two monsters on the field had already parted ways with their shoulders.

"Huff... huff..."

"Argh!"

"Potion! Captain, we need half a Healing Potion here!"

Thanks to Xia Nan's fairly timely support, even though everyone in the soldier squad was injured—and three members were already critically wounded from the manticores' attacks—they had at least avoided any fatalities.

Given the sheer strength of the manticores they were fighting, this could only be called a miracle.

"Sir, thank you so much for your help!"

The squad captain was a young man around twenty-five years old, yet he carried himself with a crisp professionalism, clearly possessing a great deal of combat experience. He also handled matters and people quite adeptly.

The battle had only just ended, and without even taking the time to tend to his own wounds, he hurried over to sincerely thank Xia Nan. On the Aifala Continent, perhaps in large, stable cities governed by official factions with strict judicial systems and perfect security, a noticeably weaker party might temporarily hold a slight edge over a stronger but unbacked adventurer by leaning on their background.

But most of the time, personal strength still dictated how others viewed and treated you.

As a soldier fresh off the front lines of the border, who had been slaughtering enemies on the battlefield just recently, clearly no one understood the weight of the word "strong" better than this squad captain.

Even setting aside his status as a soldier of the Servia Kingdom and the captain of a Bloodcast Keep conscription squad, he wouldn't dare show the slightest disrespect to the adventurer standing before him—a man who had casually slain three manticores and saved the lives of him and his brothers.

Xia Nan could feel the sincere earnestness in the soldier's tone and expression.

Although he hadn't intervened for the sake of gratitude, Xia Nan still gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.

Seeing that the adventurer didn't seem like a harsh or demanding person, the squad captain secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He then politely introduced their identities and briefly explained their mission. "We are a conscription squad from the border. We set out from Bloodcast Keep not long ago, and our mission is to head to Salt Rock Port to recruit adventurers or commoners willing to join the army."

"Calculating the time, the conscription order should have arrived a few days ago. By the time we reach the town, I figure anyone interested will already know the details, making our job a bit easier."

"The journey here was smooth enough. We didn't run into any particular trouble, but to think that right as we were nearing our destination..."

As he spoke, the conscription squad captain glanced at the manticore corpses nearby, a clear lingering fear etched across his face.

If Xia Nan hadn't stepped in to help, the entire squad of nine soldiers would have likely ended up as manticore dinner today.

A conscription squad from Bloodcast Keep?

Hearing the man's words, a sliver of realization dawned on Xia Nan. His mind involuntarily flashed back to the arguments he'd heard among the adventurers in the tavern a few days ago regarding that very conscription order.

No wonder...

He needed to hurry to Bloodcast Keep, and the squad was executing their mission to conscript recruits in Salt Rock Port; everyone had their own matters to attend to. Xia Nan decided not to waste time on pointless pleasantries. He was just about to ask the captain about the current situation at Bloodcast Keep when, off to the side, the older man and the youth he had just saved from the adult manticore's claws walked over, supporting each other.

"Thank you for extending a helping hand, Lord Adventurer!"

Keeping his posture exceedingly low, the gray-haired middle-aged man bowed slightly, carrying his heavy shield in one hand.

Behind him stood the youth. Although he lacked worldly experience, he had at least received a proper noble education and possessed a good disposition.

Zanfrey, the third young master of the Wilmot Family, followed his Uncle Ake and bowed in gratitude alongside him.

There was not a hint of insincerity in either their tones or their physical postures.

Coincidentally, the three of them had actually crossed paths once before back in Salt Rock Port.

Xia Nan remembered that it was this exact kid who had left that group of arguing adventurers completely speechless over the conscription order.

To think they would actually have the chance to meet again here.

And looking at the situation, it seemed the pair had left the town even earlier than he had?

Sensing Xia Nan's gaze, and figuring there was no longer any need to hide things given their current predicament, the middle-aged man named Ake explained their story.

"The young master and I were already planning to head to the border to build a future. We happened to run into the conscription squad on the road, so we took the opportunity to enlist. We planned to follow the squad back to Salt Rock Port first, and once the recruitment was finished, head to Bloodcast Keep with the main group."

"Young master?"

Sharply catching the word the middle-aged man used, Xia Nan's gaze subconsciously swept over the heavy shield. It had been obscured earlier and was only revealed when the battle broke out, displaying an emblem of "water ripples on a black background" engraved on its surface.

The young, powerful adventurer's gaze did not go unnoticed.

Having held back for a long time, Zanfrey finally found his chance to speak.

Raising his pitch slightly, he spoke in a deliberately haughty tone, yet because he hadn't fully caught his breath, his loud declaration ended up sounding rushed and slightly comical. "Respected Mr. Adventurer, I am incredibly grateful for your assistance. I am the third son of the Wilmot Family of the Imperial Capital. I have come to the Calm Peaks Province on this journey to reforge the glory of my ancestors and establish my deeds on the border!"

Xia Nan had no idea why the kid had felt the need to repeat what his elder had just said.

He just gave a polite nod, indicating that he understood.

This caused a pang of disappointment to well up in the blond youth. He had intentionally placed extra emphasis on the name "Wilmot" and had been staring intently at Xia Nan's face to observe any change in his expression.

With a hint of unwillingness, he added, "Uh... you might not remember much if I just say 'Wilmot,' since the family's glory days have long passed."

"But if I mention my ancestor, the great 'Shield of the Silver Lake' Grove, perhaps that might ring a bell?"

As it turned out, Xia Nan had absolutely no impression of the "Shield of the Silver Lake."

His predecessor had just been a country boy who had left behind grueling farm work to seek employment elsewhere, and Xia Nan himself had only transmigrated to this world two years ago. While he had used his free time to cram information and familiarize himself with various things...

...expecting him to find the name of a long-dead historical figure like the "Shield of the Silver Lake" even vaguely familiar was asking far too much.

Still, there was no need to slap a smiling face. Since this rather green-looking blond youth was speaking to him with such deep respect, Xia Nan saw no reason to offend him.

He simply gave another polite nod to show he heard him.

This caused a very visible look of disappointment to wash over Zanfrey's face.

Fortunately, just a second later, a shout of astonishment from the nearby conscription captain brought the youth—who wore all his emotions on his face—right back to being thrilled.

"The 'Shield of the Silver Lake'? You mean the legendary 'Heartdrop', the 'Fearless Grove'!?"

"Yes, he is my ancestor!"

Zanfrey had been planning to reveal his family background in front of everyone once the conscription was over, so he hadn't disclosed it to the captain before this.

Seeing the captain's reaction now, the youth happily narrowed his eyes, his chin involuntarily lifting a few notches.

It was just a pity that he had overestimated the enduring power of these legendary figures against the passage of time.

It was true that Grove had conquered the better half of the Calm Peaks Province. In a way, the very land they were standing on was exactly where the Wilmot Family had first risen to power.

But... that had been hundreds of years ago.

Coupled with intentional downplaying by certain factions, simply knowing that such a figure had once existed was the absolute limit for the soldiers currently stationed at the kingdom's borders.

If he wanted to use that name to secure any special treatment, unless orders came straight from the top, he would have to fight for it himself with the weapon in his hand. At most, the captain might use the fact that he recruited a young master from the so-called "Shield of the Silver Lake" family as bragging rights when chatting with his comrades in his free time. And even then, he might end up being mocked for telling an outrageously tall tale.

It might sound a bit harsh, but if Zanfrey truly wanted to use his identity as a descendant of the "Shield of the Silver Lake" to gain some kind of advantage in the Calm Peaks Province...

...he would probably be better off trying his luck with the barbarian tribes living deep within the border hills.

They surely wouldn't mind "warmly entertaining" this tender young master who claimed to hail from the family of the "Shield of the Silver Lake."

Having just been ecstatic over the squad captain's reaction, only to plummet into sudden disappointment when the man showed no further awe after his initial surprise, Zanfrey grew rather anxious. He looked as though he wanted to immediately educate everyone present on his ancestor's glorious deeds.

But before he could even open his mouth, his gray-haired elder forcefully pulled him back.

Withdrawing his gaze, Xia Nan turned his attention back to the conscription squad captain and asked, "What's the current situation over at Bloodcast Keep? Is there a war going on?"

"I heard from the others that you rarely draft adventurers into the military?"

Hearing this, the captain couldn't help but flash a bitter smile.

"It's monsters, sir."

"Starting from the beginning of this year, for some unknown reason, the frequency of monsters appearing near the border has been increasing. And many of them are highly aggressive types that actively attack humans."

"We've suffered heavy casualties at Bloodcast Keep, and we're in desperate need of reinforcements."

"As for why we're specifically recruiting adventurers..."

The squad captain's gaze shifted from Xia Nan to the manticore corpses nearby. He glanced at them twice before looking back, his implied meaning already self-evident.

Given that the enemies were dangerous monsters, adventurers who frequently dealt with them were naturally the prime candidates for recruitment.

At least, that was how his superiors had explained it to him.

"If it's just a shortage of troops, shouldn't the kingdom be deploying reinforcements from elsewhere?" Xia Nan asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"They should have... they probably did," the captain replied. He sounded hesitant, but also carried the exact same confusion. "I have a comrade who's a messenger. Over the past six months, he's taken his squad out on many runs. Sometimes they're gone for a long time, sometimes short."

"But there never seems to be any follow-up. We haven't seen any reinforcements arrive at the keep. We can only watch as the training grounds gradually empty out, while the infirmary grows more and more crowded until the beds are lined up all the way down the halls."

"I'm just an ordinary soldier, so I don't know the specifics. I'm sorry, sir."

Xia Nan committed the man's answer to memory, planning to carefully mull it over and review the details while on the road.

Sticking to his original plan, he shifted the topic to the barbarian Forgan.

"During your time at Bloodcast Keep, did you ever see a tall barbarian named 'Forgan'?"

Before Xia Nan could even describe his features, the moment the words left his mouth, the captain immediately chimed in. "Does he wear a wolf-fur cloak and travel with a Winter Wolf?"

"Oh?" Xia Nan raised an eyebrow. "You know him?"

The captain nodded repeatedly.

"I've seen him. I've definitely seen him, sir."

"But not at Bloodcast Keep. It was a few days ago, right on our way to Salt Rock Port."