Taylor

Porter's flattering smile didn't fade as he continued to introduce the village to Taylor:

“Lord Taylor, although Stone Mill Village is remote, there is an experienced resident instructor in the village named Calm.

“He is quite familiar with the surrounding area. The Shadow Wolf King, which is your target for this trip, has its territory around here. He might have some useful clues.

“This time, the Shadow Wolf King is near Stone Mill Village, so he might have some clues.”

“Hmm...” Taylor nodded slightly upon hearing this, his voice calm. “Calm... Let's meet him first.”

He paused slightly, his gaze sweeping over Porter, and the corners of his mouth curled into a slight smile. “You don't need to be so tense. Just relax.”

Porter quickly complied, toning down his deliberate obsequiousness slightly, presenting an attitude of complete obedience.

Seeing this, Taylor couldn't help but chuckle and said no more.

Seeing Porter's submissive behavior, the young knight beside them let out a soft snort, looking arrogant and haughty.

Porter acted as if he hadn't heard the snort, keeping a respectful smile on his face as he looked at the youth. However, when he turned his head back, a trace of faint disgust quietly flickered deep in his eyes, vanishing in an instant.

Taylor shifted his gaze from Porter to the approaching Stone Mill Village in the distance.

The cottages appeared low and simple in the morning light, with wisps of kitchen smoke rising lazily, exuding the silence and resilience unique to a border village.

With a gentle nudge of his heels, the troop continued riding toward the village entrance.

Upon reaching the entrance, Taylor raised his hand to signal the troop to halt.

He scanned the surroundings—the dirt road was rugged, the wooden fences were crude, and a few villagers peeked curiously from a distance before quickly ducking back behind their houses.

It was indeed as Porter had said: remote and resource-poor.

“Lord Taylor,”

Porter rode forward, a perfect look of respect on his face. “The village conditions are primitive, so it might not be convenient for the entire troop to enter. Why don't we set up camp on a flat patch of ground outside the village first, and I'll go fetch Calm to meet you?”

Taylor pondered for a moment and nodded. “Very well, go on. Bring him here.”

Hearing this, Porter let out a quiet sigh of relief. He rode into the village, his figure quickly disappearing among the cottages at the end of the dirt road.

Meanwhile, Taylor ordered the troop to set up camp on a relatively flat stretch of grassland just outside the village.

Several servants efficiently unloaded the gear and pitched simple tents; the others took care of the horses and set up patrols.

...

Porter rode along the village dirt road, the clatter of hooves sounding exceptionally clear on the gravel path in the quiet morning.

The sunlight, after the morning mist had dispersed, illuminated the village brightly, casting long, slanted shadows of the houses along the roadside.

He continuously calculated his next moves in his mind.

The news about the Shadow Wolf King actually lacked concrete evidence; it was mostly just a speculation based on tracks the last time everyone went out.

Porter knew very well that if he wanted to smoothly secure the position of Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce, he had to find a powerful backer.

After making inquiries through various channels, he had set his sights on the Eldest Young Master of the Fiery Lion family—Regg.

This Eldest Young Master had recently entered the Brass Rank, and his family was currently paving the way for his future advancement.

However, the Fiery Lion family had some special rules regarding the cultivation of their descendants: although the family could provide crucial resources like energy crystal cores, they encouraged their youth to obtain them through personal hunting.

Of course, the family would also allow an elder to assist from the side.

It was precisely because of this rule that Porter saw an opportunity.

He had spent a great deal of effort to finally connect with Lord Taylor, who was in charge of this matter for the Fiery Lion family, through a middleman.

He had seized the chance to provide the intel that the Shadow Wolf King might be active near Stone Mill Village.

Only then did he obtain this opportunity for cooperation. Even if the Shadow Wolf King might not actually exist, he had to seize this chance, even if it meant taking some risks.

Porter was well aware of Taylor's true purpose for this trip: first, to hunt the Shadow Wolf King and obtain its crystal core, preparing for Regg's future breakthrough to the Silver Rank;

on the other hand, it was also to allow Regg to accumulate prestige and experience through actual combat.

It was simply the usual tactic of grand families.

For instance, Taylor, as a half-step Gold Rank powerhouse, was strong enough to roam freely in the middle depths of the forest. Dealing with a unique magical beast on the forest's outskirts was naturally a walk in the park for him, completely devoid of risk.

Yet, the narrative of this operation could be spun into something grand—

A young master who had just entered the Brass Rank slaying a unique magical beast with his own hands would be excellent publicity, both for his personal reputation and the family's prestige.

Of course, the reason a figure like Taylor was personally accompanying him on the hunt was that Regg, as the Eldest Young Master of the Fiery Lion family, was the true future heir of the family. His safety and growth were naturally of paramount importance.

Fortunately, this matter was not too difficult to pull off.

Porter had planned it out long ago: as long as he got on the same page with the resident instructor, Calm, and solidified the rumors, no flaws would be exposed.

As for whether there actually was a Shadow Wolf King on the outskirts of the forest... that was entirely up to fate.

With these thoughts, Porter exhaled a soft breath of turbid air and cleared his mind.

He looked up toward Calm's house and quickened his pace.

Right then, he noticed a young man standing in the distance, looking in his direction.

The young man stood tall with a steady posture, the morning light spilling over his shoulders, casting a familiar silhouette.

Porter pulled on the reins and took a closer look—it was indeed Matthew.

Delighted, a smile naturally broke out on his face as he called out immediately:

“Matthew!”

With his 【Eagle Eye Gaze】, Matthew had already clearly seen the approaching rider. Even without looking, he knew that very few people in the village could ride a horse, so the commotion was likely from an outsider.

He looked up to see a rider and a horse traveling along the dirt road in the morning light.

Once he clearly recognized the face of the rider and confirmed it was Porter, Matthew could not hide his joy: “My Blue bow!”

As he drew near, Porter noticed the unmistakable smile on Matthew's face. Though he found it slightly sudden, he didn't think much of it.

Assuming it was just the natural joy of meeting after a long time, he exchanged some pleasantries before speaking.

“I'm actually on my way to see Calm. Do you have anything else to do right now? Why don't you come along? We can discuss a few things together.”

Upon seeing Matthew, Porter finally remembered the matter of the Shadow Wolf King. Matthew was also one of those in the know. If their stories didn't align in front of Taylor later, it would inevitably arouse suspicion.

It was better to bring him along now and get their stories straight on the way.

Matthew paused briefly, then nodded.

“Alright.”

He didn't ask further. After all, his experience was far inferior to Instructor Calm's. If there were any issues with the “Blue bow,” it would be easier to spot with the instructor around.

...