Beast Whisperer

Porter's expression suddenly froze upon hearing this.

He quickly looked up at the sky, his sharp gaze sweeping over the circling black dot. His brow furrowed deeply, as if he were rapidly searching his memory.

Within a few breaths, his expression changed several times, shifting from initial solemnity to sudden realization, before finally settling into a deep, heavy wariness.

“I remember now...”

Porter's voice carried a rare gravity. He withdrew his gaze, looked at Matthew, and said, “This is a rather niche, but extremely troublesome branch of Class holders—the 【Beast Whisperer】.”

He paused, his tone growing even more serious. “To put it more plainly, these Class holders can control animals through special means, making them perform tasks like scouting, tracking, or even participating in battle. That eagle is the ‘eyes’ Nathan sent.

“To tame a bird of prey for such precise surveillance... the 【Beast Whisperer】 controlling it must have at least Brass Rank strength, and might even be at the Silver Rank.”

Hearing this, Matthew was startled.

Could there really be a class that controlled animals in this world? How did they even develop their combat techniques and methods of cultivation?

However, with the crisis looming, there was no time for him to ponder.

Porter had already mounted his horse. Tugging the reins, he barked in a low voice, “Mount up! Retreat!”

Matthew spurred his horse and closely followed Porter, the two of them galloping toward the caravan like arrows released from a bow.

Above them, the eagle continued to circle, like an inescapable black specter lingering high in the sky, its gaze firmly locked onto their escape path.

‘Will returning to the carriage really be of any use?’ A trace of uncertainty crossed his mind.

The Fiery Lion family's flag and Porter's badge might deter ordinary bandits, but to a traitor like Nathan who held a blood feud with the family, it would likely only provoke a more vicious onslaught.

Yet, there was no other choice now. Fleeing into the grasslands alone with insufficient rations and no sense of direction was no different from seeking death.

He looked at Porter's rock-steady back ahead of him, and his mind settled slightly.

There were still several Class holders in the caravan. Even if they were driven to a dead end, joining forces to break through might still offer a chance of survival.

At worst, he could take Aidan, seize enough rations, and disperse to escape. It was just... a pity about the generous reward Regg had promised.

With his mind made up, he hesitated no longer.

The wind howled in his ears, and the grass receded rapidly. Yet the eagle still followed them like a persistent ghost, seemingly mocking their futility in silence.

A surge of anger quietly welled up. Anyone would get furious after being stared down so relentlessly.

‘I might not be able to kill Nathan for now, but can't I even deal with a mere beast?’

Anyone else might truly be helpless against it—after all, it was circling over a hundred meters up in the sky while he was galloping on horseback.

But after traveling for over ten days, Matthew had long grown accustomed to drawing his bow from horseback to shoot down fast-moving birds. Though he didn't have a perfect hit rate, it was worth a try.

With that thought in mind, he turned his horse, drew an arrow, and pulled back his bow—completing all the actions within a single breath, as naturally as breathing.

The bowstring thrummed, and the arrow tore through the air!

The eagle's reaction was incredibly fast; it suddenly tilted its body to spiral away, but the arrowhead still grazed the base of its right wing, tearing away a clump of feathers.

The bird of prey immediately lost control, tilting violently in the air.

Matthew's gaze darkened as his fingers already nocked a second arrow.

The bowstring thrummed again! This arrow pierced straight through its chest.

The black eagle plummeted at the sound, falling into the distant grass like a kite with a severed string.

Almost at the exact same moment, a shrill, pain-filled, and furious roar suddenly echoed from far behind Matthew!

“No!!!”

Porter's expression froze instantly when he heard the sound. A trace of shock flashed across his face, followed by a complex gloom.

‘This shot... has likely completely enraged the horse bandits.

‘A Beast Whisperer shares a mental connection with their controlled raptor. The death of the eagle is akin to injuring the master. I'm afraid this matter... cannot be resolved peacefully anymore.’

But this thought only flashed for an instant.

Although Porter had never witnessed Nathan's deeds firsthand, he had long heard of his ruthless methods and notorious reputation. Against such an opponent, he naturally remained vigilant.

Even if they had left that "eye" alone, the other party would never have shown mercy.

Furthermore, on this peril-laden grassland, what one could rely on was never compromise, but the strength in one's hands.

Now that the eagle had been shot down by Matthew, it was a done deal, and regret was pointless. Instead, the most urgent task now was to reassure Matthew.

After all, with the precise archery and quick decision-making Matthew had shown, he was already an indispensable combat asset to the team.

If this incident made him lose heart and insist on leaving, the overall strength of the caravan would instantly plummet by more than half.

At that point, let alone repelling the horse bandits and ensuring Young Master Regg's safety, even keeping the team together and safely crossing the grasslands would become a pipe dream.

Not to mention, Porter carried the heavy responsibility of protecting the vice president's son and maintaining the guild's reputation on this trip.

Whether from the perspective of the mission, personal favors, or the most practical matter of survival, at this very moment, reassuring Matthew and consolidating their fighting strength was the only wise choice.

Porter immediately turned to look at Matthew, his eyes filled with undisguised approval, and said in a deep voice, “Excellent marksmanship! Decisive and clean. That shot was timed perfectly.”

Matthew did not know what Porter was thinking, but he felt a clear sense of affirmation from the man's words.

He nodded heavily and replied in a low voice, “Just doing my part.”

Hearing this, the approval in Porter's eyes grew even stronger.

The two said no more, galloping rapidly back toward the caravan.

...

Meanwhile, near the mound where Matthew had stood moments ago.

In the center of the horse bandit group, a suppressed commotion spread like ripples. This group of about fifteen men instantly fell silent, everyone's gaze shifting toward the front.

For at that very moment, beside the leader Nathan, a black-haired, middle-aged man suddenly swayed violently. He pressed his hand hard against his temple, all color draining from his face, and squeezed out a painful hiss from between his teeth: “My eagle... has been shot down!”

The surrounding horse bandits' eyes narrowed.

Nathan's expression remained unchanged. He merely raised his hand in a pressing motion to signal everyone to stay calm.

His gaze fell upon the black-haired, middle-aged man, who was the Brass Rank 【Beast Whisperer】 under his command.

With the raptor destroyed, it was only natural for the controller, who shared a mental connection with it, to suffer a backlash.

It was precisely because he was at the Brass Rank, with the life energy in his body already close to the level of a Silver Rank, that he was able to withstand the backlash without suffering a severe injury.

Had it been a Black Iron Rank Beast Whisperer, they probably would have died on the spot from such an impact.

“Don't worry, Valentine. I will make them pay the price.”

Nathan's voice was steady, betraying no emotion, but his mind was already rapidly calculating.

To be able to shoot down a bird of prey circling over a hundred meters in the sky while on a bumpy, galloping horse—such marksmanship was absolutely not something an ordinary archer could achieve.