Chapter 158: Midsummer Hunt

Chapter 158: Chapter 158: Midsummer Hunt

High summer.

East of White Bear Town lay a lush, verdant forest.

This was the private forest that Baron Enton had personally ordered to be sectioned off back when this was Blue Whale Town.

It was originally called the Blue Whale Forest, but its name had now been changed to the White Bear Forest.

At this moment, a bustling crowd had gathered outside the White Bear Forest.

Whether Civil Servants or military officials, everyone was on horseback, fully armed.

Everyone wore a relaxed expression, especially some of the burly young men, who looked excited and eager to prove themselves.

For them, today was a great opportunity to make a name for themselves.

If they performed exceptionally well today, not only would they be valued by the Lord Baron, smoothing their future political careers, but they could also win the favor of the young ladies of the same age present.

This summer hunt was not just for men; women were present as well.

However, most of the women here were the younger generation of the Noble Group members. They had been brought here not just to participate in the hunt itself, but for a deeper purpose.

Everyone knew that Baron Vili of White Bear Town was still unmarried. During today’s summer hunt, Baron Vili would be making a personal appearance. If a young woman from one of their families could catch Baron Vili’s eye and become his wife, it would be a great fortune for her entire family.

Therefore, most of the young women who came today had outstanding temperaments and captivating looks, which naturally garnered widespread attention from the other young men.

"The Lord Baron is here!"

Suddenly, a commotion arose from the somewhat crowded area outside the White Bear Forest.

In the distance, Baron Vili could be seen slowly approaching, surrounded by his entourage.

Although the weather had turned hot, Vili was still bundled up tightly today.

He wore a layer of white close-fitting garments underneath a suit of Light Armor engraved with exquisite patterns.

At his waist, he wore two different longswords. One was a Swift Sword inlaid with a Black Gemstone and fitted with a crab-claw hilt, while the other was a gracefully shaped Cross Sword with a ring-guard.

Vili also had a longbow slung over his body and a quiver on his back.

This entire outfit, combined with Vili’s handsome face, made the hearts of many young ladies present flutter.

Handsome, high-ranking and powerful, and strong in combat—marrying a man like this seemed to be every young woman’s dream.

By Vili’s side were Sopps, Sandoor, and Dane, who basically represented the highest echelons of power in all of White Bear Town.

"Have all the arrivals been coordinated?"

Vili asked Sandoor, who was beside him.

The summer hunt was organized by the Town Hall, and Sandoor, as the Town Mayor, was the person in charge.

"Everything is ready. We’re just waiting for you to give the order to begin the hunt."

Sandoor was now much more composed and experienced than when he first met Vili. After nearly half a year of tempering, he could now manage the Town Hall on his own, without needing guidance or help from the old deputies. The Town Hall had basically become his one-man show.

"Very good. Announce the start, then."

Vili nodded.

Sandoor accepted the order and rode his horse to the front of the crowd.

He pointed his Knight’s Lance to the sky and announced loudly, "The White Bear Town summer hunt begins now!"

Cheers erupted from the crowd.

The stationed Guards opened the entrance to the White Bear Forest, and the crowd began to proceed into the woods in an orderly fashion.

Some of the young men who had already set their sights on someone took the opportunity to sidle up to the young women.

Experiencing an exciting and interesting hunt together was an easy way to win a young lady’s heart.

"Let’s head in, too."

As the crowd gradually entered the forest, a look of anticipation appeared in Vili’s eyes.

He hadn’t hunted in a long time. Thinking of the old days when he would enter the forest to hunt and put more food on his family’s table, Vili suddenly felt a pang of nostalgia.

He abruptly spurred his horse forward, and the others behind him followed closely.

"Don’t follow me! Go on your own!"

Vili shouted.

To him, hunting was a solitary affair. Other than having his accompanying Personal Guards retrieve his kills, he didn’t want to interact too much with attendants like Sandoor.

’Seriously...’

Sopps watched from the side as Vili eagerly galloped into the depths of the forest, a look of amusement in his eyes.

In his memory, this younger brother of his, who was always as composed as a middle-aged man, was finally showing a bit of youthful energy.

"Pick up the pace!"

Inside the forest, Vili shouted at the Personal Guards behind him.

Just now, his keen senses had spotted a leap-deer darting past a bush, and he had instantly spurred his horse to catch up.

SWOOSH!

From atop his horse, Vili plucked a feathered arrow from his quiver, instantly nocking and drawing his bow.

The feathered arrow became a blur as it shot out sideways.

THWIP.

The arrow pierced the leap-deer’s right eye, went through its skull, exited its left eye, and pinned it firmly to a large tree nearby. It let out a single wail before falling completely silent.

’As I thought... using the Ability of a Senior Hunter to kill these ordinary beasts is almost effortless.’

Vili smiled faintly, then galloped up to the leap-deer.

Several Personal Guards followed close behind. Their task was to collect Vili’s kills.

When they leaped off their horses and saw the state of the dead leap-deer, they were all amazed.

They hadn’t seen Vili’s actions clearly from their horses. Only now did they realize that his arrow hadn’t damaged any of the leap-deer’s pelt.

Straight through the right eye and out the left, and from a bouncing horse, no less. ’How on earth did he do that?’

The Personal Guards marveled inwardly, but their hands didn’t slow. Soon, they had finished collecting Vili’s prize.

Vili continued on to hunt his next target.

In just half an hour, the accompanying Personal Guards were all laden with kills.

If they hadn’t seen it with their own eyes, they would never have believed such a terrifying Hunter could exist in this world.

Every sword strike was fatal, every spear thrust found its mark, and not a single arrow missed.

On a battlefield, he would surely be a top-tier slaughterer.

The Personal Guards, who had previously only heard of Vili’s renown, were now utterly and completely convinced of his might.

"That should be enough."

Vili looked at the bountiful haul of game and muttered.

After hunting so much game, Vili’s initial excitement had faded quite a bit.

With his current strength, hunting in a non-threatening forest like this was a complete cakewalk.

It was like a top-tier player returning to the novice village. The feeling of slaughtering everything in sight was exhilarating at first, but it wouldn’t be long before all the fun was gone.

Just as Vili was about to head back, he heard a panicked scream from not too far away.

"Hm?"

Vili spurred his horse and galloped over.

He saw a lone young woman whose horse had been rammed by a startled leap-deer. Her body swayed, and she was about to fall from her saddle.