Chapter 238: The Safety Net

He wanted to know why she thought going deep into the forest was a good idea for training.

He wanted to know why she thought leaving the good parts of the forest and going into the bad dangerous parts was good, unless there was a specific reasoning.

It didn’t make sense to him.

The forest had plenty of open areas, plenty of birds, plenty of space for archers to practice without the constant threat of being torn apart by creatures that had no business being near humans.

Seren leaned back slightly, her eyes still fixed on his. She seemed to be choosing her words carefully, weighing how much to explain.

"The reason we choose deep into the forest," she said slowly, "Is that I need them to be able to shoot under pressure in a wild place like that. With the fear of an attack around them. Denser trees too, and just the feel of the place.

It’s not the same as standing in an open field shooting at targets. In the deep forest, you can’t see what’s coming. You can’t predict where the threat will come from. You have to react. You have to trust your instincts. That’s what I want them to learn."

Darion listened, his expression neutral. He understood the logic. Training in a controlled environment only taught you how to perform in a controlled environment. Real battles were chaotic, unpredictable and terrifying. The deep forest would simulate that chaos.

She continued. "You following us would just guarantee that we’d come out on top and not lose our lives. I’m not asking you to fight for us. I’m asking you to be there in case something goes wrong. To be the safety net."

She paused, a slight smile playing on her lips. "Also, doesn’t the idea of undead wild birds appeal to you? Imagine having Undead birds. Scouts that can fly high above the battlefield. Messengers that can’t be intercepted. Creatures that can see what no one else can see."

Darion’s mind turned. Undead birds. He hadn’t really thought about it before.

The bats could fly, but could they fight? No. Bats were small, fragile, useless in direct combat. He used them for infiltration, for spreading venom and for sneaking into places where larger creatures couldn’t go.

They were good at what they did, but they weren’t warriors.

Birds would be different. Larger birds, with sharp beaks and powerful talons, would be useful in a fight.

They could dive from above, striking enemies before they even knew what was happening.

They could harass enemy formations, break up charges, blind soldiers with their claws. And they could scout, flying high above the battlefield, giving him a view of the entire conflict.

He could see the enemy was massing, where the flanks were weak and where the attack was coming from.

He thought about it for a long moment. Birds would be a valuable addition to his inventory. They would give him an edge he didn’t currently have.

But the thing was, his inventory was currently full.

He had reached the cap for animal undeads. Every slot was occupied by wolves, Rops, Yuimons, bats, Horned Olfs, and the Slitherer.

He couldn’t add any more animals without removing something else, and he wasn’t willing to sacrifice any of his current creatures.

They had proven their worth in battle.

So how would the hunt benefit him? If he couldn’t add the birds to his inventory, what was the point?

He could kill them, but he couldn’t raise them. He could watch Seren and her archers train, but he would gain nothing from it.

He had been excited by the possibility of aerial scouts, of birds that could fly high above the battlefield and give him an advantage he didn’t currently have. But that possibility was blocked by his own limitations.

Unless the system helped. The system had expanded his inventory before, and had given him more space when he needed it.

It had happened when he reached the cap for knight undeads, and it had happened when he reached the cap for animal undeads. The system had recognized his growth and rewarded him with more capacity.

Perhaps it would happen again. Perhaps, if he continued to push his limits, the system would give him the space he needed.

After all, the system was there to help him grow. It had given him his class, his abilities and his inventory.

It had rewarded him for victories, for progress, for survival. It wanted him to succeed. And if he wanted to add birds to his arsenal, the system would find a way to make it happen?

He held onto that hope. If the hunt went well, if he found something valuable, the system might expand his inventory. It was a gamble, but it was one worth taking. He had come this far by trusting the system, and he wasn’t about to stop now.

Or he would just sacrifice an Undead for the new one.

He looked at Seren for a long time. She met his gaze, waiting patiently for his response. She didn’t rush him, didn’t try to convince him further. She just waited.

Darion thought about what it meant to follow them into the forest.

It was basically muddling his nobility. A Baron didn’t go on training exercises with his archers. A Baron gave orders, not protection.

He also thought about how bored he was. With Garren gone, the castle felt emptier. There was no one to discuss plans with, no one to share the weight of leadership.

The history book had been a temporary distraction, but it had only made him restless. Following the archers into the forest would at least give him something to do. It would pass the time. And maybe, just maybe, he would come back with something useful.

He made his decision.

"I’m going with you," he said.

Seren’s face brightened, but he held up a hand.

"This training better be worth it."

Seren smiled. "It will be."

——

Darion found Wulfric in the stable, mucking out one of the stalls. The older man straightened as he approached, leaning on his pitchfork.

"I’m heading out with the archers for a few hours," Darion said. "The castle is yours while I’m gone. Keep things running. Make sure the livestock is fed, the knights are training, and nothing falls apart."

Wulfric nodded slowly.

"Understood m’lord."

Darion nodded. He trusted Wulfric. The man had proven himself reliable, steady, and capable. He wouldn’t let things fall apart.

---

They left without horses. Darion had thought about it before making the decision. Taking horses would be limiting.

The deep forest was dense, the terrain uneven, the underbrush thick. Horses would get tangled in the roots, spooked by the creatures, and slowed down by the narrow paths. They would be more of a liability than an asset.

He remembered the first time he had gone into the deep forest with Seren. They had walked. No horses... no unnecessary weight. They had moved quietly, quickly, and they had survived because they could hide when they needed to.

Horses would have ruined that. They would have announced their presence to every creature within a mile.

He thought about the way back. Last time, they had ridden a wild undead wolf. It had been fast, efficient, and terrifying.

But that was with just two people. This time, he had a group of archers with him. He couldn’t carry them all on one wolf. He would have to figure something else out when the time came.

But that was a problem for later. He didn’t need to solve it now. He would focus on it when they were ready to return.

Darion decided that this should be a quick hunt. Nothing too time-consuming like the previous one.

The previous hunt had a goal: fill his inventory. It had taken time, had pushed him to his limits, had nearly gotten him killed.

This hunt was different. It was just training. He was there to protect, not to collect.

He didn’t need to stay out for hours on end. He didn’t need to find rare creatures. He just needed to make sure the archers didn’t die. If the training went well, they would be back in half a day. Maybe less.

He was ready for a quick trip. No complications, just a simple training exercise in the forest.

The archers seemed too excited to have the Baron come with them on a hunt though.

Darion caught some of the low mutters as they gathered near the castle gate, their voices barely above whispers but carrying in the still morning air.

One of the younger archers was telling a companion that he would tell his kids someday that he once hunted with Baron Darion of Percvale.

Another said it was definitely unexpected, the Baron following them into the forest like this. A few others nodded in agreement, their faces bright with something between surprise and pride.

That was the reason they had agreed to come in the first place, y’know. They wouldn’t have otherwise. Before Darion had said yes, before Seren had even mentioned him, the archers had been hesitant.

They weren’t buying Seren’s words before she said it was a joke. If it hadn’t been a joke, if she had actually meant to take them into that part of the forest without the Baron, they wouldn’t have gone.

Not a chance.