The early autumn air of the Northern Frontier carried a dry chill. Low shrubs and yellowing grass swayed gently in the wind as several warhorses sped past.
For a magical beast like the Frost-Mane Tundra Rabbit, which was not very aggressive but extremely fast, a larger hunting party would only make it easier to spook the prey.
That was why Louis had brought only seven knights on this hunt.
For these knights, five kilometers was merely a short ride of a few minutes.
Before long, Louis led them to the location indicated by the intelligence.
"There are magical beasts over there!" The Elite Knight at the front stopped abruptly and warned in a low voice, "Gray-brown fur, blue-gray fruit... Frost-Mane Tundra Rabbits. At least three!"
Louis immediately raised a hand. "Stop."
Everyone reined in their horses at once, led them behind some nearby shrubs to tether them, then dismounted without a sound.
"Don't make the slightest noise," Louis whispered. "These rabbits have exceptionally sharp hearing."
The seven knights moved with the steady, silent steps of hunting leopards, quickly taking cover behind rocks on higher ground.
Louis crouched, resting a hand on a rock as he peered through a gap into the distance.
Among the hills, where the weeds had yet to wither, three gray-brown Frost-Mane Tundra Rabbits were foraging warily.
Their short ears stood upright, and their hind legs pushed lightly against the ground. Thick fur padded their feet, allowing them to move soundlessly over the dry, cold, hard soil.
Most striking of all were the three clusters of "Ice Moss Fruit" hanging along their backs, shimmering faintly blue-gray and trembling gently in the early autumn sunlight.
"Adults... bearing fruit." Louis lowered his voice, a flicker of excitement in his eyes. "Thank you, nature, for your bounty."
Ice Moss Fruit