Chapter 661 The Shepherd

Compared to the Adventurers' Association, Bloodcast Keep did seem somewhat amateurish. They lacked clear, authoritative regulations, let alone consistent policies. The official directives and quest restrictions constantly changed, leaving the adventurers scratching their heads, clueless as to what the officers in the keep actually wanted.

The current situation was no different.

An unexplained, drastic reduction in available quests a while back had forced many Adventurer Squads to linger in the Bloodcast Keep area for an extended period instead of heading out on missions. Coupled with the return of various conscription squads, the number of stranded adventurers temporarily rivaled that of a major adventuring hub like Rivervale Town. Everyone assumed the officials were orchestrating some grand plan, but the restrictions were suddenly lifted and replaced with a mandatory assignment system. This abrupt shift sparked widespread doubt among the adventurers regarding the higher-ups' decisions, and complaints echoed everywhere.

However, the sunk costs were undeniable. Traveling from the Calm Peaks Province and its surroundings to the border was an expensive endeavor for an adventurer, and the prices in Bloodcast Keep were just as steep as those in any densely packed adventuring hub.

No matter how much resentment they harbored, the adventurers ultimately grumbled and obediently headed to the Military Merit Office to accept their quests.

Fortunately, the administration at Bloodcast Keep hadn't completely lost its mind. Even though the garrison commander had been missing for days, a few of his subordinates were capable enough to step up and make relatively reasonable decisions.

While the quest assignments from the Military Merit Office were mandatory, the tasks distributed to each Adventurer Squad clearly factored in their past combat records and revealed power levels.

You generally wouldn't see anything as absurd as an Iv1 Class Holder who had just stepped onto the professional path receiving a hunting commission for a monster with a Challenge Rating of Iv3 or Iv4.

Xia Nan hadn't been at Bloodcast Keep for long and had only completed a single quest. However, the overall process had gone smoothly, and his squad hadn't suffered severe casualties—only a single half-orc had died.

Because of this, Bloodcast Keep had formed a rough estimate of his strength.

Judging by the quest rank, the investigation task assigned to Xia Nan was—at least officially—equivalent in difficulty to his previous commission involving the banshee.

Only, the type of quest had shifted from hunting to clearing and investigating.

And perhaps because they knew about his connection to the Inner Keep, this investigation quest did not specify a party size limit.

This meant Xia Nan could finally stop worrying about others and operate as a lone wolf once again.

It made him feel much more at ease.

He had already planned to head out today. Now that he had accepted a quest, Xia Nan wasted no time. He specifically purchased some supplies related to the Underdark and immediately set off, leaving Bloodcast Keep behind.

He was incredibly accustomed to adventuring alone, never needing to worry about whether anyone else could keep up.

A destination that would normally be a three-day journey from Bloodcast Keep was reached with ease. Accompanied by Winter Wolf Fanny, Xia Nan practically ignored the terrain and traveled in a straight line, arriving in just two days.

It was a small pasture nestled between the hills.

In truth, calling it a "pasture" might have been a stretch. The clearing wasn't large; it was merely a narrow valley wedged between the hills, small enough to take in at a single glance.

The ground lacked the tender, lush green grass that usually carpeted every inch of a pasture. Instead, only tufts of yellowing stubble poked through the pale gray permafrost and gravel.

The fences were a mismatched jumble. Most consisted of low walls built from loose stones gathered around the valley. Several sections looked as if they had collapsed from some kind of impact and had been hastily patched up with wooden frames and thorny brambles, making the whole structure look exceptionally crude.

The flock of sheep huddled against the enclosed cliffside at the far edge of the pasture. A quick sweep revealed about thirty or so left. They seemed terrified, huddling tightly together. The ewes shielded their lambs in the center, while the rams lowered their heads, horns facing outward, their hooves stamping the ground uneasily. They were likely a special breed native to the Calm Peaks Province. Their fleece was a brownish-white with a faint blue tint—a color Xia Nan had often seen on the clothing of the locals in Bloodcast Keep and Ice Tree Village.

Though relatively small in build, they were surprisingly bold. Even though they appeared spooked, the moment Xia Nan and his Winter Wolf entered the valley, the lead ram—noticeably larger than the rest by two sizes—lowered itself into a charging stance. However, in the very next second, Fanny sensed its hostility and cast it a cold glare. The ram's legs instantly gave out. Dropping a few pellets of dung, it trembled and scurried back into the middle of the flock, not daring to steal another glance.

The shepherd's hut sat on a slope on the southern side of the valley, its back pressed against the rock wall. It was just as crude as the fences, constructed from loose stones, packed with mud and grass clippings, and topped with a roof of dark brown thatch.

"Knock, knock, knock."

His sharp Perception had long since detected the human scent inside, but Xia Nan still maintained basic courtesy and knocked lightly on the door.

"Who is it?"

"Coming, coming!"

Accompanied by a series of hurried footsteps, the door was pulled open from the inside.

Standing before Xia Nan was a middle-aged man with messy hair and rough skin, wearing a patched, padded cotton coat.

Judging strictly by appearances, he looked to be over fifty. But considering the ravages of the local freezing climate, he was probably only in his late thirties.

The moment he opened the door and saw Xia Nan with Fanny at his side, the shepherd visibly froze, fear and panic spreading across his face.

He couldn't be blamed for his reaction.

Anyone living in such a desolate wilderness would have to pass a fear check if they opened their door to find a fully armed, cold-eyed adventurer accompanied by a ferocious wolf beast standing on their porch.

But surprisingly, this shepherd had remarkable mental fortitude.

In just the next second, he forced down his terror, swallowed hard, and feigned composure, asking in a trembling voice, "Milord, may I ask what you need?"

"I'm an adventurer from Bloodcast Keep," Xia Nan replied straightforwardly. "I heard you've run into some trouble recently?"

Anyone capable of herding alone in such a remote area had psychological endurance far greater than an ordinary person. Hearing Xia Nan's words, the shepherd immediately caught on. A slightly stiff smile surfaced on his face as he shuffled aside to make room.

"Ah... I understand. It's cold outside. Please come in, Milord, come in!"

The interior of the hut was extremely simple; everything was visible at a single glance.

The floor was hard, rammed earth. A small stone hearth faced the door, its crackling flames giving off warmth, while a small pot suspended over the fire released the mouthwatering aroma of food. In the corner sat a single bed piled high with thick dried grass and blankets.

It was the absolute bare minimum required for human survival in such an environment, but the space was kept relatively clean and tidy.

Noticing Xia Nan's gaze, the shepherd scratched his head in embarrassment and apologized, "I'm sorry, Milord. I don't have anything here to host you with. I only live here for a few months out of the year."

"When you have the time, you absolutely must visit our village. I'll make sure to give you the most hospitable reception then!"

"Oh, right, are you hungry? I have..."

Seeing that the man was about to offer to share his lunch, Xia Nan waved a hand in polite refusal.

Long before entering the valley, he and Fanny had already enjoyed a hearty meal stored inside his [White Flask] Pocket Watch. Furthermore, the pot boiling over the fire held only a meager portion—perhaps not even enough to fill the shepherd's own stomach. Xia Nan had no intention of making the man go hungry on his account.

Signaling for the shepherd not to bother playing host, Xia Nan cut straight to the point. "Tell me, what kind of situation have you run into recently?"

The shepherd carefully took a seat on a low stool opposite Xia Nan. Having realized from their brief exchange that this unusually young, black-haired adventurer was a man of straightforward efficiency, he stopped wasting time and recounted his recent experiences in detail.

"You can probably tell, I don't live here all the time..."

The shepherd and his family lived in a small village nestled at the foot of the hills to the southeast of the valley.

Due to the nature of his trade, he had to bring his flock to this valley to graze during the fourth and fifth months, as well as the ninth and tenth months of every year. This wasn't because the grass was particularly lush. The main reason was that the magic particles in the air here were extremely active. During those four chosen months, the ambient magic density almost rivaled that of the Rime Hills outside the border.

Grazing the flock here under the subtle nourishment of the magic particles drastically improved the quality of the sheep's wool, allowing it to fetch two to three times its usual market price.

It was a small, well-kept secret passed down through generations of his family.

"As for why I don't just go straight to the Rime Forest and graze them there year-round..."

"Mainly, it's just too dangerous."

Even an adventurer of Xia Nan's caliber would have to expend quite a bit of effort to escort dozens of sheep over mountains and ridges to safely reach the Rime Hills.

Much less an ordinary person like the shepherd.

In reality, finding this valley—where magic particles only gathered four months out of the year—had been a difficult feat for the shepherd's family. It was the only relatively safe location they could manage to reach given their limited capabilities.

"For as long as I can remember, my father would bring me here every year to graze the sheep together."

"It wasn't until I came of age and had children of my own that the flock was finally passed into my hands."

"So many years have passed, and I can't say we never ran into danger even once, but..."

To a certain extent, this was also why his family chose to graze their sheep here exclusively during those four fixed months.

The chaotic convergence of magic particles within the valley acted as a natural repellent to the vast majority of monsters and wild beasts.

While this effect wasn't overwhelmingly strong—a beast that was starving or locked onto a clear target could push through it—as long as the shepherd and his flock stayed tucked away inside the valley, they rarely faced any issues.

"It happened last month." The orange glow of the fire reflected on the shepherd's face. "I locked the flock back in the Sheep Pen, counted them just like normal, and was about to head inside for dinner. I had picked up a snow hare while grazing that day and was looking forward to a good meal, and then..."

"Boom!"

The shepherd supplied a rather abstract sound effect, gesturing with both hands.

"A massive boom rang out from the west. The valley shook like an earthquake for a good while before it finally stopped."

"When I went out to check, I saw that half the Sheep Pen had collapsed. Luckily, the flock was too terrified to move. They were all cowering on the ground, so not a single one ran away."

"Ever since then, muffled thuds have been echoing from deep underground in the distance at night, and the sheep in the pen started disappearing in large numbers."

Hearing this, Xia Nan frowned slightly and asked, "You didn't head west to see what exactly happened?"

The shepherd smiled bitterly and shook his head, speaking with utter honesty. "Milord... I didn't dare."

He was just an ordinary man who had left the relative safety of his village solely because of a generational family secret and the lure of extra profit.

Everything he did within the valley strictly adhered to the teachings passed down by his elders.

To some degree, it was precisely this rigid adherence to the rules that had kept him alive for so long.

By suppressing all of his curiosity, he certainly wouldn't stumble across any ancient relics unearthed from the depths by an earthquake—but he also wouldn't end up as food for some dangerous monster crawling out of the Underdark.

"I'm not ashamed to admit it to you now."

"Milord, sometimes, even when I heard noises coming from the Sheep Pen outside in the middle of the night, I didn't dare go out to look. I just lay in bed perfectly still, terrified that the thing would notice me."

The shepherd made no effort to hide his fear.

"I had over sixty sheep originally, and now almost half are gone."

"To be completely honest, if you had arrived two or three days later, Milord, I was planning to flee immediately, even if it meant abandoning the rest of the flock here."

The unknown monster had long since marked the flock as its prey. Hastily leading them away would only invite disaster upon himself, his family, and his entire village.

But on the other hand, the flock was his family's sole source of income. If they lost the gold coins brought in by this wool, his entire family would have to pray that their savings over the years could tide them over until he found a new way to make a living.

He had been agonizing over this day and night, right up until this very moment.

Having listened to the shepherd's account, Xia Nan now had a rough understanding of the situation.

Knowing his strength lay in Perception, he figured there was no point sitting around racking his brain.

He stood up and tipped his chin toward the shepherd. "I have a general idea of the situation. Take me to the Sheep Pen to have a look first."