Chương 111: Five Prey

In a forest outside Virelia. Oscar rode with a proud posture, his royal cloak gently swaying with the horse's pace. Beside him, on another steed, Matilda kept her gaze lowered. They were in a vast hunting reserve, an open and well-maintained area reserved exclusively for the aristocracy. Other nobles rode around Oscar, all there either to watch or pretend to compete.

"Oscar…I don't feel well", Matilda said in a tired voice.

"Can I go back to the palace?" He did not even turn around.

"No. I want you to witness my victory. I'll be the one to hunt the first prey of the day". Matilda sighed and glanced at the other participants: a severely overweight middle-aged nobleman, an elderly man with trembling hands and a child struggling to hold his bow.

"There's no need for me to watch", she said with a hint of irony.

"I already know you'll win. For God's sake, Oscar…look at who you're competing against". Oscar observed them for a moment.

"You think they put them here to make me win?"

"I'm pretty sure they did".

"I tend not to judge based solely on appearances. They could still turn out to be excellent hunters. If they don't, however, I'll demand the head of whoever pretended to compete just to make me win".

"Isn't that a little excessive?"

"No. It means they think their King is weak, and that's all because of that fat bastard of a dead brother of mine. They think I'm a good-for-nothing just like him". They rode for several minutes. Then Oscar spotted some prey. He took his bow and fired. The arrow whistled through the air and struck a wild boar squarely, killing it instantly. Immediate applause erupted around him.

"Excellent shot, Your Majesty", said the overweight nobleman, panting. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

"He truly is a skilled hunter, Your Highness", the child added enthusiastically. The elderly man simply applauded in silence. Oscar gave a satisfied smile and turned toward Matilda.

"You can go now. I hope the reason you're feeling ill is because you're pregnant". Matilda lowered her gaze.

"Very reassuring… Your Majesty". She turned her horse around and rode back toward the palace, accompanied by two soldiers. Oscar continued his hunt. By the end, he had managed to kill a wild boar, two rabbits, and even a bird in flight. Although the sword was his primary weapon, he wasn't so bad with a bow either. The other two, on the other hand, had failed to catch a single piece of prey. They had proven to be just as incapable as they appeared.

At the end of the hunt, a nobleman approached Oscar on a steed with a red coat. He wore a very flashy red robe and a golden necklace.

"Your Majesty, that was an excellent hunt. We will certainly organize more in the future". Oscar looked at him.

"Did you arrange my challengers?"

"Exactly, Your Majesty". Oscar's gaze turned cold.

"Do you think your King is a good-for-nothing?" The nobleman turned pale.

"What? Of course not, Your Majesty…how could you possibly think such a thing?"

"But that's what you've demonstrated to me. For example, why didn't you put that boy who killed three wild boars among my challengers?" he said, pointing toward a boy a short distance away.

"Well, Your Majesty…he's been hunting since he was a child. I didn't want to put you in a difficult position. If you consider it an insult, next time I'll give you the best challengers…I swear".

"Too late. Take him…have him beheaded in the square tomorrow morning". Two Golden Knights stepped forward.

"Yes, Your Majesty", they replied simultaneously. The nobleman continued looking around. Then he pulled on the reins and fled. The two soldiers pursued him. Oscar took aim with his bow and fired. The arrow embedded itself in the nobleman's back, sending him tumbling from his horse and into the mud. The soldiers caught up with him shortly afterward. Oscar smiled.

"And that makes five pieces of prey". In the rocky mountains. While his son Oscar was out hunting, his mother, Teresa, had stopped beside a large rock, seeking shelter from the relentless sun. The heat at that altitude was even more dangerous. Naomi wiped the sweat from her forehead and covered her face with a new wet cloth.

"Are you sure you want to continue?" she asked worriedly.

"The higher we climb, the more dangerous the journey becomes. Besides, we're wasting a lot of water just to cool ourselves down".

"I'm sure", Teresa replied in a tired but firm voice.

"We've come this far. We can't give up now". The gnome was drinking greedily from his canteen when a soldier snatched it from his hand.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing?! That's mine!"

"You drink as much as we do, despite being half our size", the soldier retorted.

"We can't afford to run out of water". The gnome angrily wiped the sweat from his face.

"Damn the day you entered my bookstore…" Meanwhile, in Loxia, the air was filled with peace. Magical creatures of all kinds wandered through the streets, bartering goods, laughing and singing in taverns. An illusion of harmony. Then the air warped. A black portal opened in the center of the city. Xarath emerged from it. Behind him stood his army of goblins.

"Loxia…" he said calmly.

"The city that has rejected you since its very foundation". The goblins growled softly, gripping their weapons.

"Don't you feel like unleashing your true nature?" Xarath asked.

"Yes, sir!" they replied in unison, grinning as they prepared to strike.