Master

After finishing his morning meditation on the Golden Light Incantation, Kraun hurried out of his house.

He headed toward the east side of town, stopping in front of a fence just as he was about to reach the town's edge.

"Old Hans, come out and greet a customer!" Kraun shouted toward the humble wooden shack behind the fence.

A wrinkled old man opened half the door and poked his head out.

Upon seeing who it was, his face immediately crinkled into a smile as bright as a blooming chrysanthemum.

"Master Kraun, what brings you here today?"

Ever since the herbalist began purchasing his herbs, he had been calling him "Master" every single day.

The reason was simple: the man bought every herb he brought, provided the quality was up to standard, and paid in cash on the spot.

There was even a period when a certain herb was in high supply, yet the man hadn't lowered his purchase price in the slightest.

With such a conscientious person, was it really too much to call him a Master?

"Sigh," Kraun offered a faint smile. He had corrected the man several times, but since the other party refused to change his tune, he eventually let it be.

"Old Hans, you are the most experienced herb gatherer in town. I'm placing an order with you; if you find the herbs I urgently need, I guarantee you'll be satisfied with the price."

The smile on the old man's face grew even more enthusiastic as he bowed slightly.

"Just tell me what you need, and I'll keep an eye out when I go up the mountain. Snow is coming soon, so if I can earn a bit more, I'll head into the mountains today."

"You know Star Fern Leaf, right? The herb with narrow, serrated leaves and stems covered in white star-like spots?"

Seeing the old man nod, Kraun continued, "There is a special type of Star Fern with leaves that look like they've been stained with blood. I'll pay 10 Gold Shields for every complete plant."

"You're buying those too? Old Moya said that this kind of herb—" Old Hans stopped mid-sentence and hurriedly corrected himself, "This price, you can't go back on it!"

He knew of a place that contained some of these herbs, which were previously considered useless. If he could get his hands on them, he would earn several Gold Shields for nothing.

Kraun knew what the man had been about to say. After these herbs mutated, their medicinal properties became too volatile; ordinary potions couldn't handle such potent ingredients.

He curled his lip and said in a deep voice, "Do I have no credibility in your eyes?"

The old man shook his head repeatedly, fawning, "Master, you naturally have credibility. I was just... I couldn't believe my ears!"

Kraun listed the other mutated herbs needed for his stamina potion one by one before turning to leave.

He sprinted all the way from the easternmost side of town to the church on the west side.

In the church training grounds, two priests and two warriors were chatting and laughing.

He stepped forward, placed his hand over the center of his chest, and bowed to greet his fellow believers: "May the Lord of Flame light our path forward."

The group returned the gesture: "May the Lord of Flame light our path forward."

Nick stared at Kraun for a few seconds before speaking slowly, "I heard from the two warriors that you have already mastered Flame Breath?"

"Yes, Father."

There was nothing worth hiding, so Kraun admitted it openly. He was preparing to establish a public persona for himself: a powerful Crusader Order warrior.

The priest's expression was a mix of shock and gratification. He hadn't expected that a casual move on his part would yield such results.

Hamfa's face was full of amazement: "Mastering a breathing technique in a single day—such talent would be top-tier even in the Pope's Flame Guard. I wonder if I might have the honor of watching a future Flame Fighter demonstrate it?"

He spoke politely and with genuine tone, showing no arrogance despite being an Exorcist Priest.

Since everyone likes to be flattered, Kraun glanced at the priest, and after seeing him give a slight nod, he said, "I am just a novice warrior who has only just begun. I will demonstrate it now; please, everyone, do not hesitate to offer your corrections."

Following the sequence of diagrams from the parchment, he began to practice Flame Breath in a standard, disciplined manner.

A moment later, white steam began to rise from his body.

Seeing this phenomenon, Hamfa nodded to his old friend: "It is correct; these are exactly the signs of the early stages of mastering a breathing technique. Congratulations!"

A smile also appeared on Nick's face: "It is all due to his own hard work."

Hamfa tilted his head and asked, "Has the Patrol Squad sent word of the cultists who committed the Zhalu Village massacre in the last few days?"

The priest shook his head: "The trail vanished in the mountains. The Patrol Squad members are mere mortals and dare not stay in the mountains overnight. I have to remain at the church, so I haven't ventured deep into the mountains. I suspect the trail has long since gone cold."

"What do you intend to do? We cannot stay here for long. The real test is coming soon, and Rhine City is short on manpower."

Nick sneered: "With so many church personnel stationed there, they are short on manpower? My old friend, don't try to deceive an honest man like me."

Hamfa sighed, whispered "Come with me for a moment," and turned to leave.

The priest's expression turned cold, and it was only after a few seconds that he slowly followed.

Kraun practiced the breathing technique a few more times, and seeing the two priests leave, he stood still and finished his session.

"Greetings, you two!"

He gave a warm greeting.

Savas "hmphed" and turned his head away, while Marshall responded to his greeting with a smile.

Kraun didn't mind; these two would eventually leave, so as long as they maintained a decent relationship, it didn't matter if they couldn't become close.

Kraun turned around and looked at the two priests talking in the distance.

He could see the look of disbelief and the suspicious gaze on Nick's face.

After a while, the two men walked toward the grounds.

Nick's gaze swept over the three Crusader Order warriors as he said in a deep voice, "Today, I will lead the three of you deep into the mountains to track and investigate a case. We will spend the night in the mountains, and regardless of whether we find anything, we will return before noon tomorrow."

"Yes!" the three warriors replied in unison, their voices loud and powerful.

The priest nodded in satisfaction and said to his old friend, "Hamfa, I leave things here to you."

The fair-skinned priest gave the other man a firm smile. "May the Lord of Flame protect you all."

The two men slapped their palms together firmly, and Nick issued instructions to the warriors: "Execute orders. Field combat supplies are in the church warehouse; follow me."

The four men neatly donned light leather armor, loaded camping supplies onto their horses, and mounted their steeds to depart the church. The group galloped along the path, heading northwest.

In the late autumn season, the road was desolate.

Only a few sparse leaves still clung stubbornly to the tips of the poplar and phoenix trees, and the wild grass was withered and yellow, lying listlessly against the ground.

Gazing into the distance, a faint sense of sorrow welled up from the bottom of one's heart.

The horses were sturdy, and in less than twenty minutes, the group arrived at Zhalu Village.

Kraun saw several piles of ash in the open space at the entrance of the village.

Walking closer to examine them, he discovered many messy gray footprints on the ground, and there were quite a few bones in the embers that had not been fully burned; judging by their appearance, they were clearly human bones.

He observed his surroundings and found that not a single soul could be seen on the village roads.

Everything was deathly quiet, with only the "whooshing" sound of the cold wind blowing past his ears.

He felt his voice grow dry. "Father, what happened here? Why can't a single villager be seen?"