Timid Benny

The noon sun pierced through the lush foliage, casting mottled shafts of light through the forest like sharp swords falling from the sky and stabbing the deep mountains until they were covered in wounds.

It had been some time since Nord and the others set out. Along the way, Cindy lay obediently in Nord's arms, curiously observing the unfamiliar mountain forest, while Ryman and the others clearing the way ahead had no such leisure. Forcing their way through thorns and brush had drained much of their strength.

"Lord Nord, which way should we go next?"

Ryman caught his breath, glanced at the hunters clearing the weeds nearby, then turned to Ryman for instructions.

"From what I observed earlier, the mountain to the north is much taller than those around it. Let's climb to the summit first, then plan our route."

Nord stroked Cindy's smooth fur and looked calmly at Ryman. A faint smile curled his lips as he made a lighthearted joke.

"Besides, I have a feeling that once we climb that tall mountain ahead, good news will surely come."

"As... as you command, Lord Nord."

Ryman was somewhat bewildered. Looking at Nord's confident smile, he had no idea where that confidence came from. Was it that Little Mountain Cat? Ryman had noticed that ever since Nord encountered Little Mountain Cat, he had changed completely. His mood had become lighter, and he had become more approachable as well.

Although Lord Nord had been very kind before, Ryman could sense a certain distance between Nord and them. It was as though he stood right before you, yet an entire world separated you from him. Ryman had once thought that was simply a nobleman's bearing, but this change was clearly not what he had imagined. Though Ryman did not know what had happened to Lord Nord, the Lord Nord of today felt much more cordial.

Nord did not notice the thoughts churning in Ryman's mind. After hearing Nord's order, Ryman turned and urged the hunters to pick up their pace and reach the summit as quickly as possible.

As everyone quickened their movements, Nord reached the mountaintop before sunset. Sure enough, the view from this mountain was far broader than before. Its peak stood a full mountain higher than the surrounding ranges. Nord sat atop a huge boulder, unfolded the beast-hide map, and sketched out the terrain around them.

Cindy lay on the rock as well, watching Nord draw and write on the hide with a confused look. From time to time, she stretched out a little paw and gestured in the air, as if she were drawing with Nord. Whenever Nord stood and surveyed the surrounding land, Cindy would arch her body, raise her head, and gaze into the distance too, wanting to know what Nord was looking at.

While Nord was drawing the map, Harry and Old Mor came to his side together. Hesitation showed on their faces as they stared into the distance without saying a word.

After a while, Nord finally noticed them. Seeing the two men standing silently behind him, he was filled with questions, unsure what they wanted.

"You two... did you need something from me?"

Hearing Nord's question, Harry and Old Mor exchanged a glance. In the end, Harry spoke to Nord with a hesitant expression.

"Lord Nord, I don't really know how to explain this. When we reached the summit just now, I noticed that the view to the north seemed somewhat familiar, but I couldn't remember where I had seen it."

"So I found Uncle Mor to see whether he knew what place this was."

"Harry told me about it, but it has been too long, and I've forgotten where this is too. That's why we hesitated over whether we should report this to you."

A smile appeared on Nord's face after hearing their explanation. This truly was good news. Perhaps because of what had happened before, the two men were hesitant, afraid of making another blunder.

"This is good news. You should have told me right away. Don't be afraid of making mistakes. Think it over carefully. I won't tell the others yet. With so many clues now, I believe we'll definitely find Distant Mountain Stronghold. Before long, you'll be able to return home."

"Lord Nord, thank you for your understanding. From now on, whenever we have news, we'll report it to you immediately."

After saying that, the two left with visibly lighter expressions. Watching their brisk steps, Nord felt as though they had cast off a heavy burden. Indeed, there had previously been voices in the group complaining about them, suspecting that they had deliberately provided false information. Before Nord could deal with it, Ryman had suppressed those voices, but the matter had still added to the burden in their hearts.

Another night came. The hunters, having traveled mountain roads all day, gathered around the campfire and enjoyed a rare moment of leisure. Nord told them about the bustling streets of Beron City and the grudges and conflicts among its nobles. The hunters listened with great interest, and a longing for Beron City arose in their hearts.

Ryman and Old Mor, who were listening by the fire, suddenly exchanged a glance. At the same time, Cindy, the Little Mountain Cat in Nord's arms, raised her head and stared into the darkness. Her little ears stood erect and slowly turned toward one direction.

Without saying a word, Ryman and Old Mor rose in tacit understanding. Pretending to be casual, they slowly walked beyond the camp. Once they had gone far enough, a shadow suddenly darted away through the darkness. Ryman shot after the fleeing figure like an arrow loosed from a bow.

Nord, who had been telling stories by the fire, stopped speaking and watched the two men in confusion. Only when he saw the figure in the darkness did he understand why Ryman and Old Mor had risen.

Whether it was Ryman drawing near or Nord's storytelling coming to a stop that alerted the figure in the darkness, Ryman's plan had failed, leaving him no choice but to forcibly pursue the person through the night.

Nord was also curious about who had been hiding in the darkness. In these vast mountains, aside from their own group, who else would be wandering through the wilderness? Could it be... Nord had formed a guess, but he would have to wait until Ryman brought the person back. Nord believed that no one could escape Ryman's grasp.

Sure enough, moments later, Ryman emerged from the darkness with a trembling figure in his hand. He walked to the campfire and set the person down directly. The person lying on the ground shook all over. He looked up and saw Cindy staring at him with bright eyes. At the sight of that terrifying beast, he lowered his head again in fear.

Nord carefully examined the mysterious person lying on the ground. His clothing was in the same style as Harry's had been before—rough and crude, with animal hides simply cut and worn over the body. In the instant he raised his head, Nord clearly saw his appearance: hair like a bird's nest, a pale face, small eyes, cracked lips. He looked exactly like a malnourished refugee.

At the same instant he raised his head, shock appeared on Harry's face, and he cried out.

"Benny, why is it you? Benny!"

Harry's shock gradually turned into wild joy. He hurried to the person on the ground and introduced him to everyone.

"He's Benny, Benny from Distant Mountain Stronghold. He's the man Captain Ryman saved a few years ago. Lord Nord, with him, we can find Distant Mountain Stronghold."

Benny, lying on the ground, heard Harry's voice, and his trembling body gradually calmed down. He raised his head to look at Harry and slowly spoke.

"Harry, you... you were captured by outsiders too... too?"