Hunting

Viscountess Margaret walked arm in arm with Uis Viscount Winchester at the front, with Sean and the others following closely behind. Wherever the lord and lady went, whichever small circle they passed would collectively bow and greet them. They made a full circuit of the hall, and after exchanging pleasantries with all the guests, it was soon time for the banquet.

The guests followed the lord's family into the prepared dining hall, where three long tables were already set with knives, forks, and plates. Under the servants' arrangements, everyone took their seats. After a short wait, Uis Viscount Winchester rose from the head of the table, raised his glass, and gave a speech. Finally, with the lord viscount's cry of "Wishing all guests a happy New Year," the guests raised their glasses in unison and replied, "Wishing you a happy New Year." The atmosphere instantly grew lively, and the banquet officially began.

After a round of clinking glasses and clattering dishes, the banquet gradually reached its climax. Sean's family's territory in the Southern Wilderness Region was nothing more than a remote corner of the empire. Even though everyone present was a high-ranking figure within the territory, they soon lost all decorum once half-drunk.

Uis Viscount Winchester smiled cheerfully, unconcerned, and instead turned to instruct Butler Al to keep the supplies flowing. He gave this order every year at the banquet, yet he still demanded that his sons maintain the necessary noble etiquette throughout the evening.

The banquet continued. Servants carrying barrels of ale kept refilling the guests' cups; others brought out large chunks of steaming roasted meat, filling the dining hall with a rich, savory aroma. As knives sliced through the roast, the glistening, oil-slicked meat looked incredibly appetizing. Barrels of bread and boiled vegetables were placed on the tables, along with honey and jam for the guests to choose from.

After more than two hours, the guests in the dining hall gradually set down their knives and forks. At that moment, Sean's older brother Jamie leaned close to Uis Viscount Winchester's ear and whispered something. The lord viscount then stood and announced to the guests that the dance would be held in the hall just one wall away.

With a burst of lighthearted cheers, most of the young men and women among the guests rose and followed Sir Jamie out of the dining hall. The older guests stayed behind, continuing to chat with familiar friends over their drinks.

Sean had no urge to dance; he had no interest in going to the hall to flaunt his youthful energy. He was about to lower his head and focus on the food in front of him when he suddenly felt a gaze full of veiled threat fixed on him.

Sean looked up and cautiously scanned his surroundings, finally spotting the source of the gaze—his mother. The discovery made his scalp tingle. After dawdling for a bit longer, he had no choice but to get up and leave the dining hall.

Only when Sean's figure disappeared from the dining hall did Viscountess Margaret withdraw her stern gaze. Ever since Sean had returned this time, she had felt a vague, strange sensation—as if he had become somewhat withdrawn. So she wanted him to interact and play more with peers or younger people.

By now, a gentle dance melody was floating through the hall. Sean's brother Jamie was dancing with a young girl in the center of the room. The guests stood politely in a circle around them, smiling and softly applauding the pair. Sean studied Jamie's dance partner closely. The girl had snow-white skin, chestnut-colored hair, and looked about sixteen or seventeen years old. She wore a light pink dress with a golden belt cinching her slender waist.

Her shy, beautiful eyes occasionally stole glances at Sir Jamie. Sean didn't know the girl's exact background, but assumed she was the daughter of some high-ranking figure in the territory.

Sean's brother had just turned eighteen this year. In this world, men could marry once they reached eighteen, while women were generally a bit younger. For example, Sean's parents had married at twenty and eighteen respectively.

So the guests at the banquet all brought their daughters of marriageable age, and sons of similar age as well. But the status of tonight's guests was still too low. As the heir to a substantive viscountcy, Sean's brother Jamie would at least have to marry a noble lady from a baron's family in the future.

Sean's arrival also caught the attention of some of the young ladies present, who had presumably been briefed by their elders on the lord's family's key members. Sean had no intention of dancing at all. After politely declining several invitations from the girls, he slipped out of the hall to complete his knight training for the day.

A few more days passed in the blink of an eye. It was now Imperial Calendar 1157 January 5, Tuesday, and the weather was clear.

Since its founding, the empire had always valued martial prowess and held the path of knighthood in high esteem. Every lord would hold a hunting ceremony after the New Year to display their bravery. Today, the Winchester Viscountcy would hold its New Year Hunt. The women would rise early to prepare dried rations, personally fasten their husbands' or sons' cloaks, and then wait at dusk for the warriors to return home laden with game.

Sean would also join his father and brother in the hunt today. Though still young, he had already become a rookie knight. Early in the morning, Lord Uis Viscount Winchester led his two sons, accompanied by Knight Kent, commander of the Lord's Guard, and a hundred guardsmen, riding out of the castle toward the garrison barracks in Blue Fortress Town to meet the other hunt participants. Knight Boos, commander of the Territorial Guard, would also lead two hundred soldiers to join.

Soon, Uis Viscount Winchester's party arrived at the rendezvous point. On the training grounds of the guard, a large crowd of hunt participants had already gathered. Some wore armor, others hunting attire, each with a brightly colored cloak tied at their back. The neighing of horses mixed with the low growls of hounds echoed across the open space, while the assembled soldiers busied themselves maintaining their weapons and bows, making final preparations. The north wind howled past, the weather bitterly cold, but the atmosphere was blazing hot.

With the lord's arrival, the participants readied themselves to set out. Soon, the lord, Uis Viscount Winchester, raised his hand from atop his horse and gestured forward. The lord's mounted party led the way south, heading toward the forest edge camp near the Southern Wilderness Mountains. The hunt participants mounted their horses and followed to the hunting camp.

At the hunting camp, the elderly or those in poor health would stay behind and wait. High-ranking figures like Uis Viscount Winchester only needed to attend in person to preside over the event; the actual hunting was left to their sons and nephews.

This was how every hunt had always been conducted. The game caught by the lord's hunting party would be distributed as rewards to the soldiers left at camp. In the past, Butler Al had always prepared extra pigs and sheep before the hunt to save face for Jamie, the heir.

For this hunt, Sean brought along his attendant, Torr. After more than a month of training, Torr could barely stay on a warhorse without falling off. Sean smiled and said to him, "Torr, my dear attendant. Relax... relax. Do you want to choke the horse to death?" After a chuckle, he paused and added, "Don't be nervous, Torr. Just like in training. You can do it."

"Young Master, I'm just a little excited. It'll pass soon..." Torr said as he fumbled with the reins. As an attendant, Torr should have addressed Sean as "Sir Knight," but Sean thought it sounded too old-fashioned and had Torr call him "Young Master" instead.

Seeing Torr's face full of tension, sweat beading on his forehead despite the freezing weather, Sean found it amusing. He laughed heartily and guided him, "Torr, relax your whole body... yes, relax... be gentle... do you understand what gentle means?"

The surrounding knights also watched Torr's stiff posture with amused expressions, which only made him more nervous. Sean decided that after today, he would have to step up Torr's riding training, or else how could he follow Sean back to the academy?

"Torr, when you went home a few days ago, was everything all right?" Sean tried to distract Torr by asking.

"Young Master, everything's fine at home. Thank you for your care, Young Master. My parents told me to serve you well." Sure enough, mentioning Torr's family immediately cheered him up. Sean had always kept an eye on Torr's family. Ever since Torr became his attendant, their situation had changed dramatically. Torr's father, Master Judd, had been promoted to manager of the blacksmith workshop—equivalent to a technical director in another world—with a clear rise in both income and status.

The grandparents who had nearly abandoned Master Judd in his youth had shamelessly come knocking, hoping to mend the family bond. This left Torr and the younger generation feeling resentful toward their grandparents and uncle's family, while Master Judd himself was caught in a dilemma.

"Torr, what do you think about your grandparents' situation?" Sean asked in a calm tone. He didn't care about Torr's opportunistic grandparents and uncle. But if they did something disgraceful, it would reflect poorly on Sean.

"Young Master, I... this..." Torr's face showed distress as he stammered, unable to speak clearly.

"Torr, think it through carefully. Don't let it affect you..." Sean warned, then suggested, "You can offer appropriate help, but never give in to every request. Human greed has no limits..." After a sigh, Sean didn't wait for an answer. He rode forward to catch up with the viscount's horse, leaving Torr behind to ponder slowly.

At the hunting camp, Sean's brother Jamie formed a hunting party representing the lord. Sean brought Torr and naturally joined Jamie's group. The two of them, along with over thirty guards, rode into the forest. Before leaving, Sean asked Jamie for a quiver of arrows engraved with Jamie's name—naturally, to preserve the heir's dignity.

Once inside the forest, Sean's brother Jamie acted as if he were on a leisurely outing. He rode in the center of the guards, constantly looking left and right. Sean had no choice but to take charge of leading the hunt.

The forest felt bleak to Sean. Aside from the occasional patch of green, it was mostly withered branches and dead leaves. As hooves crunched over the fallen leaves, gray rabbits, pheasants, and other game kept appearing. Sean was ready—he drew his bow, nocked an arrow, and pinned each target to the ground.

The strong bow Sean used was powerful, and his arrows flew like afterimages. With his heightened perception aiding him, every time he drew the bow, a creature fell. His companions were stunned, finding his archery terrifying.

As they pressed deeper into the forest, larger game like short-horned deer and forest sheep appeared. Sean still killed one with each arrow. In just an hour, the cavalrymen tasked with collecting the game were scrambling to keep up. Behind him, Jamie was thrilled, thinking: This year, I finally won't need to make up the numbers with pre-prepared pigs and sheep...

Another hour later, every horse in the hunting party carried at least some game carcasses. Seeing that lunchtime was approaching, Sean discussed with Jamie and decided to lead the party back to camp. They would continue the hunt after lunch. Of course, not all the game was Sean's alone. Aside from Jamie, who hadn't shot a single arrow, the other cavalry guards had all made some kills. Even Torr had brought down a forest sheep.