Chapter 38: Finding a Trace

Chapter 38: Chapter 38: Finding a Trace

"Perhaps they never planned on getting the Snow Pattern Deer out of here..." Olay’s eyes narrowed, a flicker of understanding dawning on him. "Or to be more precise, they never planned on getting a *living* Snow Pattern Deer out of here."

"Hm?" Bamos frowned. "They want to kill the Snow Pattern Deer?"

"That’s right." Olay nodded. "Since they can’t tame the Snow Pattern Deer themselves, they certainly don’t want us to succeed. In their eyes, it’s better to slaughter the deer and take its valuable materials than to let it fall into our hands. That way, we gain nothing, and they can slip out of Diamond Town without being noticed. You have to remember, materials from Magical Beasts are extremely precious."

As Vili listened from the sidelines, he finally understood. So, creatures with Supernatural Power like the Snow Pattern Deer and Wally were collectively known as Magical Beasts.

"Aren’t they afraid we’ll report them to Count Lumbar for this?!"

Bamos demanded, his face filled with rage. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ

In the Lanton Duchy, the Duke himself held the power to grant all noble titles. Typically, however, the Duke would only bestow the titles of Marquis and Count. Viscounts and Barons, on the other hand, were appointed by Marquises and Counts based on the state of their own territories. The fief of Diamond Town, for instance, had been granted to Baron Kels’s grandfather by Count Lumbar’s father.

Both the current Baron Kels and Baron Enton of Blue Whale Town were vassals to Count Lumbar. They were required to obey his orders and answer to him.

"Report to Count Lumbar?" Olay sneered. "What proof do we have? A single, small noble insignia isn’t nearly enough for an accusation. We’d need undeniable, public evidence. Besides, even if we did report it, as long as the conflict isn’t out in the open, Count Lumbar would likely opt for a softer approach to resolving it."

"In that case, we just have to be faster than them."

Bamos’s expression turned serious. "They certainly didn’t send just one person. Baron Enton might already have a good number of his people in Bole Forest. So, no time to rest. Send all the Guards into the forest."

Olay nodded in agreement.

"Vili, you’ve done an excellent job. After this operation is over, I will see to it that you receive a fitting reward. For now, return to Bole Forest and do everything you can to find traces of the Snow Pattern Deer."

Bamos said, turning to Vili.

Vili gave a slight bow. "Thank you, sir. In that case, I’ll take my leave."

Shortly after leaving the encampment, Vili heard the sounds of the Guards mustering.

From Olay and Bamos’s conversation, he now understood just how much importance Baron Kels placed on the Magical Beast, the Snow Pattern Deer. This also made Vili realize the immense value of his own little white bear, Wally.

’Looks like I’ll need to give Wally some more professional training from now on.’

Vili disappeared into the darkness of Bole Forest.

The traces left by a Snow Pattern Deer are incredibly subtle, so Vili had no intention of searching in the dead of night. He decided to wait for dawn before resuming his search for its trail.

A few hours later, the first rays of sunlight pierced the clouds and shone upon the land.

Vili emerged from a hollow in a tree. Having refilled his waterskin and eaten, he began searching for ice crystals and suspicious puddles along the path.

"Is there really such a thing as an elk that can spray frost?"

Deep in the forest, a bald, middle-aged hunter walked with a frustrated look on his face, muttering to himself.

It was Helai, the very same hunter Vili had taught a lesson to earlier. Vili had ruined his hairstyle so badly that he’d had no choice but to shave his head.

Helai had been searching for a long time but hadn’t found a single trace of the Snow Pattern Deer, much to his frustration.

’How am I supposed to find traces of ice crystals in this heat?’ Helai complained to himself as he searched, his disbelief in the existence of such a supernatural animal growing by the minute.

As the sun climbed higher, the air grew hotter. Fortunately, the canopy of branches and leaves provided some shade; otherwise, he would have been drenched in sweat.

Helai hadn’t slept well the night before, and after two or three hours of exhausting searching, he felt his energy flagging.

’Maybe I should just find a place to hide and rest. I’ll wait until someone else finds the Snow Pattern Deer, then tag along with them to get out of Bole Forest. This is too much trouble, and it’s dangerous. Better to just lay low. Sticking it out until the end and just collecting the five Gold Rums is a pretty good option, too.’

With this thought, Helai’s feet felt heavy. He found a large, leafy tree and sat down beneath it.

He opened his waterskin and took several deep gulps of water.

’Maybe I should hunt down a rabbit to liven up my rations.’

Although Baron Kels had provided every Hunter with buttered bread and jerky, Helai was craving something a bit greasier.

Just as he was thinking this, Helai suddenly felt a breeze from afar, carrying with it a refreshing chill.

He was about to sigh in comfort when he suddenly felt something cool splash against his face.

Helai instinctively brushed the cool substance from his face and examined it in the palm of his hand.

"This is..."

Suddenly, Helai’s eyes shot open. The white, granular crystals... these were ice crystals! That wind... it had carried ice crystals!

He shot to his feet, his eyes gleaming with delight. "The wind is coming from the northeast."

Helai shoved his waterskin into his pack and hurried off to the northeast.

’So cold...’

The further northeast he went, the more Helai felt the air temperature dropping.

He was now certain he was getting closer and closer to the Snow Pattern Deer.

’A big pile of Gold Rums is about to be mine.’

Now, Helai put his rich experience as a veteran hunter on full display. His steps were light, his movements agile, and he didn’t make the slightest sound.

Finally, peering through the cover of the forest leaves, Helai spotted a huge elk resting at the foot of a massive boulder.

Helai had never, in all his life, seen such a magnificent elk.

A common elk was typically under seven feet long, stood about four feet high at the shoulder, and had antlers with three to six points. Their coats were usually a dull brown. But the elk before him was nearly ten feet long, with a shoulder height he estimated at well over five feet. It had a full twelve points on its antlers. Its coat wasn’t a coarse, drab brown, but a beautiful silver-white, adorned with deep blue stripes. From a distance, it looked like a masterpiece.

Helai’s heart pounded in his chest. He was torn: should he fire the Signal Arrow now, or should he try to capture it himself?

In his nervousness, Helai’s elbow accidentally brushed against the nearby undergrowth, making a faint rustling sound.

’Crap!’

Helai’s face fell. The magnificent elk whipped its head around, its gaze locking right onto his hiding spot.