Hunting

Duke thought about it. It was probably because he had advanced to a Mid-Tier Knight Squire, causing the magical beast meat in his hands to become less effective.

The magical beast meat was from a Mid-Tier Gale Wolf. Duke often bought this kind as well. It was likely because his strength had increased, and he now needed higher-tier magical beast meat for better results.

Duke still had four pounds of magical beast meat left. Once he finished this batch, he would need to buy more.

He found that after his strength increased, he could consume more magical beast meat at once.

He could eat more in one sitting without worrying about failing to refine it completely and wasting it.

That would maintain his previous rate of proficiency growth, but the magical beast meat would also be used up faster.

He used to eat only two or three pounds in half a month. At this rate, he would eat five or six pounds in half a month.

After calculating it, Duke realized he would have to spend around sixty Gold Coins a month. That expenditure was simply too great.

He only had a little over twenty Gold Coins on hand now, enough to buy just a few pounds of Mid-Tier magical beast meat.

"I need to find a way to make money!" Duke thought.

Now that he had become a Mid-Tier Knight Squire, his monthly salary had risen to two Gold Coins.

That was already quite high for ordinary people, but it was nowhere near enough to support knightly training.

Most Nightingale members had to earn money by doing all sorts of odd jobs in their daily lives, only then could they obtain the resources needed for training.

Maple Hill City, Adventurers Tavern.

Duke occasionally came here for a mug of butterbeer, mainly to gather recent news.

The tavern attracted people from all walks of life, and he could often hear news from various places.

"Have you seen that big contract recently?" the bearded man at the next table suddenly asked.

"A big contract? The one to capture the Twilight Deer?" another person replied.

"Of course. So, are you interested in working together?"

"Forget it. The reward is tempting, a full hundred Gold Coins! But it's too difficult. The Twilight Deer is a Mid-Tier magical beast. Though it isn't good at fighting, it is exceptionally good at escaping. How could ordinary people possibly catch it?"

"True enough. Recently, all the adventurers in Maple Hill City have been heading to Moonlight Forest, but no one seems to have succeeded."

Duke's heart stirred. He immediately went to the counter and said, "I want to see the commission for the Twilight Deer."

Behind the counter stood a neatly dressed bartender. Smiling, he nodded and took out a sheet of parchment detailing the mission.

Besides mixing drinks, the bartender was also responsible for receiving and issuing commissions. His backing was considerable.

Duke took the parchment. Only after reading the mission details did he understand why no one had completed it yet.

The mission required the Twilight Deer to be captured alive. No deposit was required to accept the mission, and completing it would earn a huge reward of one hundred Gold Coins.

In this era, one hundred Gold Coins was enough to make an ordinary person a wealthy local magnate.

Duke then asked, "Do you have any information on the Twilight Deer?"

"Of course. For a fee," the bartender said with a faint smile.

The Adventurers Tavern's information business was its main source of income. As long as one was willing to pay, there was almost no information they could not obtain.

That was also what made the Adventurers Association so powerful. It was spread throughout multiple kingdoms, with extremely extensive channels for gathering news.

Duke asked, "How much?"

"One Gold Coin," the bartender replied as he wiped the cup in his hand.

Duke considered it, then tossed out one Gold Coin.

The price was somewhat steep, but he had no choice but to invest if he wanted to improve his chances of completing the mission.

With a wave of his hand, the bartender made the Gold Coin vanish, though Duke did not know where he put it. "Please wait a moment."

He then walked into the room behind him. Shortly afterward, he returned with a letter sealed with wax.

"Everything you want is in here." The bartender pushed the letter toward him.

Duke put away the letter and left the tavern.

He did not draw anyone's attention, because this was an entirely normal scene in the tavern. No one cared unless it was a transaction involving an enormous sum.

Only after Duke returned to the manor did he open the letter. Inside were detailed records of the Twilight Deer's habits, appearance, and other information. It even included drawings of what its droppings looked like.

This was very important to hunters. One of a hunter's skills was identifying what animal had left droppings behind.

"The powder of Sky Lantern Grass is highly attractive to the Twilight Deer..." Duke committed all the information to memory before putting the letter away.

The next day, he entered Maple Hill City again and bought quite a few things. After thoroughly preparing himself, he took his longsword and bow and prepared to enter Moonlight Forest.

Moonlight Forest was the largest forest in the entire Vira Kingdom. No fewer than three provinces bordered it.

This was a paradise for wild beasts, and all kinds of magical beasts were scattered throughout it as well. Those below Knight Level did not dare venture deep inside.

Entering Moonlight Forest required payment. There were several entrances near Maple Hill City, all guarded by Count Hardy's personal soldiers.

As long as one entered the forest, one had to pay a tax of ten Silver Coins, regardless of what one intended to do inside.

Anyone who slipped in without paying would be treated as a poacher if discovered and sent to the gallows.

Duke arrived at the entrance and was about to pay when a guard glanced at the leather armor he wore and smiled. "Brother, you're with Nightingale, aren't you?"

"Yes." Duke nodded.

This was the only set of Nightingale leather armor he had, and it offered the best protection, so naturally he wore it.

The soldier smiled. "Then you don't need to pay. Didn't you know that Nightingale members can enter Moonlight Forest for free? Count Hardy personally granted that privilege."

"I see." Duke put away the Silver Coins and returned them to his pocket. Saving even a little was worthwhile.

"Go on, and good luck!" The soldier waved.

They often encountered Nightingale members coming in to hunt and earn some extra money. Since Nightingale members had all trained in breathing techniques, they were strong enough and usually came back with something.

"Thanks for your hard work," Duke said politely before entering Moonlight Forest.

The moment he entered the forest, the light seemed to dim. Sunlight struggled through the dense canopy, leaving only a few mottled spots of light on the ground.

Massive trees requiring several people to encircle them stood everywhere, all tall and lush.

The forest was tranquil, with pleasant birdsong occasionally drifting through the air.

A gentle breeze brushed past, making the trees rustle. It made one want to find a patch of grass, lie down, and peacefully sleep the afternoon away.

Naturally, Duke had no such leisure. Before long, he spotted several markings on the surrounding tree trunks.

They had been left by hunters who had come here before, usually to indicate directions. They served as guides for those who came later and saved the hunters themselves some trouble when they returned to the forest.

Duke had already learned about such things. They were basic common knowledge for hunters.

[Hunting: LV1 (1/100)]

On the Skill Tree, a new branch appeared, sprouting a green bud.

Duke had not expected that simply identifying a few hunter markings would cause a Hunting skill to appear.