Translator: Editor: Caron _ Editor: Caron _ Outside the window, the mountains were covered in thick winter clothing. The chilly wind blew fiercely, as though it was cutting with a knife. It had only been three days since they left, but the hunting house was already covered in ice and snow. Sharp and long icicles hung from the eaves, reaching to the ground. The snow in the courtyard was knee-deep when stepped on. This was normal, as there had been a continuous snowstorm in the past three days.
Seven days ago, Redi and Tagger left the hunting house on skis and rushed to the capital of Windbry. Lollister's order must have reached Baron Camorra's hands. Although the order did not have the family's administrative seal on it, the personal handwriting of Laurist and the personal seal of his personal ring had more authority in this special period. He believed that with Baron Camelot's coordination and the cooperation of the family's three main armies, the crisis of food shortage would quickly pass.
Lollister's solution to the food problem was to borrow. Or rather, forcefully borrow food. The target was all the nobles in Winston Province and the surrounding regions, including the Filim Family, Shahin Family, and Kenneth Family, who were allies in the north. While there had been constant wars in the past few years, most of them had happened in other provinces. The nobles in the few provinces in the north had finally lived a few years of peace.
Furthermore, the heavens were on their side, and the harvests of the fields were good. The granaries of Baron Dena's territory were filled with food. While the Norton Family had also bought some, the lords had stored a lot of food just in case. In this chaotic world, food was the most valuable. Lollister believed that with the help of the three main armies, it would be easy to borrow food from these lords. Furthermore, he was now the Sword Saint of the Andinac Kingdom. If these lords wanted to reject him, they would have to think twice about whether it was worth it to offend a Sword Saint for some food.
In a few days, Wendelbri's Capital City would send a fleet of sleighs to transport rations to borrow them. Even if Aridoli was Lollister's lover, Baron Dina's territory would inevitably have to borrow a large amount of rations. Emily was a little unhappy about this, but she also knew that at this critical moment, she could only stand on Lollister's side and help the Norton Family overcome this crisis.
Three days ago, it was the first day of the first month of the year 1789 of the Galinthea Continent's general calendar. At Aridoli's invitation, Laurist went to the wooden castle to celebrate the new year with Aridoli and her son. Since she had recovered from her injuries, Aridoli pestered Lollister for three days. Well, he had spent most of the past three days in bed. For Aridoli's sudden desire to give Triak a brother or sister, Loriste labored in bed for three days.
"Crazy woman …" Laurist murmured as he patted his sore back. Doing it once in a while was passion, but doing it for three days and three nights in a row was torture. Laurist could not help but shudder at the thought of the five women he hadn't seen for two years, waiting for him to return to the Northern Lands to feed them. Even if he became a Sword Sage, he wouldn't be able to resist the temptation of these women …
Ugh … I'm thinking too much. Laurist slapped his forehead to wake himself up. He used the pole in his hand to knock off the icicles on the door, opened the door, and entered the house. He took off the skis on his feet, took off the wolf fur coat and bear fur coat, and changed into a simple set of leather clothes. Then, he lit a brazier and lit the fireplace, adding some heat to the house. After that, he went out to clear the accumulated snow in the hunting lodge and the yard.
After a busy morning and afternoon, he finally cleared the ice on the roof of the hunting lodge and the icicles under the eaves. He also cleared the snow in the yard. Seeing that it was still early, he put on his gear again and went to patrol the mangrove forest. This was not because Laurist was doing his job, but because he had set more than ten traps in the mangrove forest three days ago. Now, he was going to see if there were any results.
When he arrived at the mangrove forest, Laurist realized that he was a little late. The prey that had fallen into the trap had already become food for the uninvited guests. Three days ago, he had set nearly twenty traps in the mangrove forest, preparing to catch red pheasants and wild rabbits. These two small animals were the most numerous in the mangrove forest. There were too many of them to catch, but they tasted delicious. Especially in order to survive the winter, they had stored fat all over their bodies.
Out of the eighteen traps, seven were empty. Three of the more remote traps provided Laurist with two fat pheasants and a frozen wild rabbit. However, the other eight traps only had traces of pheasant feathers and wild rabbit fur, as well as traces of blood. Even the traps were almost torn apart. Looking at the marks left behind, Laurist guessed that it was probably three wild wolves and a demonic bear that had descended the mountain in search of food. It seemed that he would not be idle for the next two days. He had to get rid of the few magical beasts that had descended the mountain.
As for lighting a smoke signal to warn Aridoli in the wooden castle, Laurist had never considered it. What was there to warn? He had already reached the peak of the third level of the Danhai Qi-Gatherer Technique, and his strength had already recovered to that of a first-level swordsman. Even if two swordsmen came, Laurist was confident that he could take them down with his swordsmanship and experience. How could a few magical beasts be of any concern to him? Lighting a smoke signal to warn Aridoli of the Silver-rank? What a joke!
Dinner was roasted rabbit, pheasant, and red mushroom soup. With a large bag of rye bread and sausages from the wooden castle, it was enough. His body had been a little weak these few days. He would drink a bottle of red berry wine to replenish his energy, then soak in a medicinal bath at night. When it was midnight, he would be able to officially start practicing the Metal Water Technique. The sooner he recovered his strength as a Sword Saint, the sooner he could return. His family was in a mess now.
Sometimes, Laurist felt that it was meaningless to be the head of the Norton Family as a noble. He would rather stay in the hunting house and feel free and peaceful. As a noble, he had nothing more than good food and clothing, enjoying a much better life than a commoner. He also had natural power. But could all of this compare to what he had enjoyed as a taster in his previous life? There were no movies, no television, no computers, no cell phones. In his previous life, even a commoner could enjoy more than the king and nobles here. If it was possible, Laurist wanted to give up everything here and return to his previous life that wasn't as good as he wanted …
Of course, this was just a random thought as Laurist roasted the rabbit. What he could not give up was not his identity, status, or power. Instead, it was the cultivation he had now and the responsibilities he had to bear. In his previous life, he had never experienced the exhilaration of breaking through the limits of his body when he mastered the Metal Water Technique. He had also experienced the feeling of being a god after becoming a Sword Saint and using his domain. If he had to give up his cultivation after returning to the society of his previous life, Laurist would have to think carefully about whether it was worth it.
Many of his family's retainers had placed their hopes on him, hoping to bring glory to his ancestors and have a bright future. Now, it had become a responsibility that Laurist had to bear. Among these people were his close friends and loyal followers, such as Fatty Shi, Terman, Ayer, Bodefinger, Jost, Roth the Ferocious Tiger, Yuri, Ovicis, and the others. There were also those who loved him and those he loved, such as Sylvia, Anna, Aristotle, and his children. There were also Redi, Schneider, and Genolio, who saw him as a mentor and idol. These were all feelings that Laurist could not give up …
Am I getting old? Why am I thinking about it … Laurist touched his smooth chin. Hm, the beard on his face had already been shaved off by Aristotle when he was in the wooden castle. Aridoli said that since you have recovered some of your strength, you don't need to be afraid of the Great Swordsmen who came to assassinate you. Besides, it's impossible for anyone to come here to look for you in this cold winter season. Therefore, you should shave off your beard. It's really an eyesore. When I was being intimate with you previously, it felt like I was having an affair with someone else. It was really awkward …
Hence, Laurist readily accepted her advice. With Aridoli personally attending to him, he shaved his entire face clean and applied mink oil to protect his skin. Now, his face felt like an eggshell.
Oil kept dripping from the rabbit that was cuffed until it was golden yellow. It was indeed very fat. The rabbit oil dripped onto the fire and made sizzling sounds from time to time. Hm, I still have to roast it for a while. Then, I'll brush a layer of salt and seasoning on the roasted rabbit. It'll be delicious when it's slightly browned. On top of the brazier, there was an earthenware pot bubbling with steam. The chopped pheasant meat and red mushrooms were boiling in the pot. An alluring aroma filled the entire hunting house and wafted through the half-open window into the pitch-black world outside …
The aroma was not bad and delicious. After tasting the soup, Laurist was very satisfied with his cooking. He placed the earthenware pot on the wooden dining table and moved the brazier to a corner. Then, he placed the roasted rabbit in a wooden basin and placed the rye bread in the fireplace to make it soft. He then took out the red berry wine. A sumptuous dinner was waiting for Laurist to enjoy. At this moment, Laurist heard scratching sounds coming from the thick wooden door downstairs.
Laurist went to the kitchen and first closed the door, turning off the light from the dining room and making the kitchen pitch-black. Then, he tiptoed to the window and quietly opened it a crack. Then, he peeked downstairs. He saw three wild wolves the size of calves scratching at the thick rice door on the first floor. They were in a hurry to rush into the house in search of the aroma that attracted them …
Great, he was just about to go look for them, but he didn't expect three wild wolves to come knocking on his door. This saved him a lot of effort. He wouldn't have to brave the wind and snow to search for them tomorrow. He closed the window gently, careful not to startle the three wolves at the door downstairs. Laurist returned to the dining room and took out his sword from the table. He went to his bedroom, opened the window, and jumped onto the roof. Then, he slowly made his way to the other side of the hunting house along the protruding eaves.
The three stupid wolves at the door on the first floor were still crawling on the ground, scratching at the thick wooden door. For the sake of the enchanting aroma that leaked out from the house, the three wolves stuck their black and shiny noses into the crack of the rice door and continuously inhaled. They had no idea that the god of death had already descended upon them.
Laurist silently floated down from the first floor's roof like a falling leaf. He landed on the back of a lying Greenback Wolf. The clear sound of bones breaking rang out under his foot, and the Greenback Wolf immediately fell to the ground, paralyzed and howling. Almost at the same time, the longsword in Laurist's right hand stabbed into the left eye of the wolf on the right. With a twist of his wrist, the wolf fell to the ground as if it had been struck by lightning.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye, but the Wild Wolf at the side was extremely vigilant. It scuttled to the side almost at the same time Lollister landed, becoming the only Wild Wolf that managed to escape death. Although it didn't know what had happened to its two companions, the wolf still stood five meters away and stared at Laurist with bloodshot eyes.
Laurist ignored the howling Greenback Wolf at his feet. Instead, he faced the wolf five meters away and retreated step by step with his longsword in hand. The wolf continued to stare at Laurist without moving. Seeing Laurist suddenly turn and run when he reached the corner of the house, the wolf couldn't hold back anymore. It arched its back and pounced at Laurist.
In just a few blinks of an eye, the wolf was already two meters behind Laurist. It opened its mouth wide and pounced at Laurist. Laurist turned around and easily stabbed his longsword into the wolf's bloody mouth. He took two steps to the side and pulled out his sword. The wolf's corpse brushed past Laurist's body and fell to the ground with a plop.
"A beast will always be a beast. It doesn't have any brains. It chases after the person's back. It doesn't even think about how it can turn around and run for so long and still stay in the same place. But this is good. The three high-quality wolf pelts weren't wasted at all, and there weren't any wounds on the surface. Also, it didn't bleed much, and it saved me the trouble of cleaning the floor. "Laurist was very satisfied with his wolf hunt and the results.
He went to the door of the first floor and finished off the whimpering Greenback Wolf. He also stabbed his sword into the wolf's eye. The entire world suddenly became much quieter. Just as he was about to open the door, he suddenly smelled a fishy wind behind him.
"Not good …" Laurist dodged hurriedly. A huge palm with a sharp beast claw swept past Laurist's shadow and slammed into the thick wooden door, leaving three deep claw marks on the dark brown wooden door.
Laurist dashed three meters away and turned around. Heh, his luck was pretty good tonight. Not only did three wolves come, even the Demon Mountain Bear came after smelling the aroma. It seemed like he didn't have to look for magical beasts that came down the mountain in the future. He could just cook a pot of pheasant soup and wait for them.
Laurist was very happy. This Demon Mountain Bear was about two and a half meters tall when it stood up. It was one of the largest Demon Mountain Bears. If he gave the carcass of this Demon Mountain Bear to Aridoli, she would definitely jump for joy. This was because the hall of the wooden castle was covered with the fur of a Demon Mountain Bear. Unfortunately, that Demon Mountain Bear was not only a size smaller than the one in front of him, but its fur had also been patched up with holes. The reason was simple. That Demon Mountain Bear had been beaten to death by Aridoli and her men, so its fur was naturally full of holes.
Yes, if he sent this Demon Mountain Bear's carcass to the wooden castle without any wounds, Aridoli would definitely proudly hang this Demon Mountain Bear's fur on the wall of the hall to show off the Dina Family's bravery. Alright, he was her lover, so in her eyes, he was naturally a member of the Dina Family. He was no longer an outsider.
The Demon Mountain Bear looked at its paw in confusion. Laurist's movements were too fast, and the Demon Mountain Bear was puzzled. How could its prey suddenly disappear? It had used the most secretive movements and used the snow as a cover to sneak close enough to kill its prey with one strike. How could its prey disappear? However, the Demon Mountain Bear's attention was immediately attracted by the two corpses of the wolves at the entrance. Fortunately, the corpses were not stiff, which suited its taste. Thus, the Demon Mountain Bear prepared to sit down and enjoy its meal.
"Bastard, that's my prey!" Laurist charged forward and stabbed his sword into the right eye of the Demon Mountain Bear, which had turned its head after hearing his voice. He twisted it with all his might, then let go of his sword and retreated.
The Demon Mountain Bear let out a howl that shook the entire mountain. Its painful howl echoed in the sky for a long time. The demonic bear stood up on its hind legs, furiously waving its two huge bear paws to fight against the invisible enemies around it. Then, slowly, slowly losing its strength, it lay on the snowy ground, frozen stiff in the fluttering white snow in the sky.
The next day, Aridoli, who was worried about Laurist, heard the howl of the dead Demon Mountain Bear. She led a few guards up the mountain on skis in a very rusty manner and saw the corpses of the Demon Mountain Bear and three wolves. The excited Aridoli gave Laurist a passionate kiss as a reward. Then, she happily called for people to drag the corpses of the four Demon Beasts away.
… …
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