The Invitation

Regg accepted the warm wooden bowl with both hands. The slight warmth spreading to his fingertips did nothing to dispel the persistent chill rising from the depths of his heart.

‘This trip was practically a disaster. With Uncle Taylor missing, those people probably have other ideas...’

He couldn't help but feel a chill rise in his heart.

The expedition into the forest had been a near-total disaster. Uncle Taylor, a half-step Gold Rank expert, was still missing, his fate unknown.

Without this powerful backer, Regg's status within the Fiery Lion family would undoubtedly take a massive hit.

Those branch family members who were already eyeing him like hawks, along with the “clever” opportunists within the family, would likely start making their moves before he even made it back.

‘But returning safely from Anda Town to the county seat... won't be easy either.’

Regg's mind raced as he sighed inwardly.

The journey from Anda Town to the county seat was long and fraught with danger, far more complex than traveling from a village to the town.

When heading to the county seat, the caravan would carry more cargo, making them a much larger target.

Wealth stirs the heart, and the strength of the highwaymen along the way would naturally far exceed those on the town-level routes.

On the way here, with a half-step Gold Rank expert like Uncle Taylor accompanying them, the surrounding bandits had been nothing but respectful, none of them daring to make a move.

Now, on the return journey, with Uncle Taylor's fate unknown, relying solely on the banner of the Fiery Lion family to intimidate bandit groups led by Silver Rank leaders might not be enough.

And this bowl of meat soup was merely his way of testing Porter. If he had truly wanted some meat, it would have been incredibly easy for him to simply order one of his personal guards to fetch it.

But he wanted to see how much respect and patience the people around him still held for him under the current circumstances.

Fortunately, everyone remained respectful.

Regg pulled himself from his thoughts, his gaze sweeping over the figures in the camp as he quickly calculated his options.

‘Both Porter and Calm possess Silver Rank combat strength. If I can find a way to make them work for me, it might barely compensate for the loss of Uncle Taylor.’

He lowered his gaze slightly, the steam rising from the soup obscuring his expression.

But out of everyone, the one who caught his attention the most was the youth named Matthew.

Initially, on the way back to the village, when he had clearly seen the face of the archer who had fired those fierce arrows and realized the boy was around his age, if not younger, his heart had surged with shock.

During the journey, as he gradually learned more about the youth from Porter, Regg's astonishment became even harder to suppress.

A youth raised in a remote countryside with absolutely no background, showing such astonishing talent with virtually no support.

“If I can bring him under my wing and tilt some resources his way, his future achievements will surely be limitless...”

“Becoming the next Taylor wouldn't be out of the question either...”

Regg thought to himself, his gaze lingering for a moment on the youth who was silently wiping his bow and arrows not far away.

Even if he couldn't completely win him over, building a good relationship early on would definitely be a highly profitable, long-term investment.

With these thoughts in mind, he immediately stood up with his meat soup and headed toward the large rock.

Meanwhile, Matthew sat on a rock near the campfire, taking large bites of dried meat while his gaze drifted past the flickering flames toward the distant forest.

The dried meat was coarse, chewy with a smoky saltiness. He ate quickly, yet couldn't really taste anything.

All that remained on his tongue was a lingering sense of urgency.

The open plain and the cold night wind temporarily distanced them from the threat of the forest. The quiet murmurs of the villagers and the crackle of the campfires wove a fragile peace. But Matthew knew very well that this peace, to him, was like shallow water to a fish.

‘It's too far...’

he thought silently, swallowing the last bite of his food.

From here to the town, and eventually back to the village they might return to in the future, every step meant moving further away from the forest.

Safety also meant isolation—isolation from the dangers that could temper his life-and-death skills, and isolation from the opportunities to find rare herbs and materials.

These were things he could not accept. Most of his strength progression came from his panel.

And the panel required the empowerment of high-end weapons...

If he remained in this marginal area lacking danger and challenge, his growth would inevitably slow down.

‘Return to the village and wait for the forest to calm down?’

Matthew shook his head inwardly.

That could take months, or even longer.

Time would slip away in comfort, while crises were never truly far.

Today, a forest disturbance forced a migration; tomorrow, it could be something else.

Without strength, this so-called peace was nothing but a candle in the wind.

An idea gradually became clear: he needed a larger stage, a place with a higher concentration of resources.

Not a small town, and not returning to that still-vulnerable border village after a long wait.

‘It's time to go further... to the county seat, or perhaps a larger city even more prosperous and filled with powerful experts.’

There, a more complete trading network would exist, where he might find the key materials to repair his staff and exchange for precious herbs to assist in absorbing crystal cores.

He might even obtain information about wizard organizations!

Furthermore, the nearly fifty gold coins he carried would only yield their maximum value in a more prosperous city, allowing him to exchange them for the resources he needed.

His mind was made up.

Matthew withdrew his gaze from the forest. It was at this moment that he saw the yellow-haired youth walking toward him.

Regg sat down beside Matthew, a look of appreciation on his face.

He first glanced at the bow and quiver Matthew had set aside, then turned to him, speaking in a casual tone, like friends chatting:

“Those two arrows at noon... were truly beautiful. Even in the county seat, I've rarely seen such precise and decisive archery.”

He paused, looking at Matthew with sincerity.

“I'm Regg. If it weren't for you and Instructor Calm today, our situation would have been terrible. Thank you so much.”

Matthew looked up at the yellow-haired youth who introduced himself as Regg.

The other party's demeanor was natural, his words filled with appreciation and gratitude, sounding completely free of pretension.

But Matthew was also well aware of his background, so he naturally wouldn't treat him like some innocent child...

After all, even Brody, the second son of the Fiery Lion family, could ruthlessly order the slaughter of his own companions.

How could this Eldest Young Master before him be someone naive and innocent?

...

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