Chapter 36: The Enthusiastic Baron Tony

The butler, Zeman, led the group into the castle. It appeared to have seen better days, with one side completely covered in lush, creeping ivy, lending it a sense of the passage of time.

Although the castle was not particularly large—hardly comparable to the massive fortresses that occupied entire mountaintops—it was a case of "small but complete." Every necessary facility, from walls and stables to training grounds, was present.

Li Si and his group of five were escorted to the castle’s banquet hall, where a sumptuous dinner was already laid out on a long table. Standing before it was a portly, expensively dressed man with a look of deep anxiety on his face.

"You must be the renowned Yael Adventuring Party. The magical beast plaguing my territory will surely be dealt with thanks to you heroes!"

The man was Baron Zett Tony, the lord of the territory. He looked as though he had not slept in days, with dark, heavy circles under his eyes standing out starkly.

As the external representative of the party, Arsen stepped forward to greet Baron Tony with a bow. "You are too kind, Baron. I am Arsen. Since we have accepted your commission, we will naturally see this task through and help you eliminate the beast."

"I know, I know! Everything rests in your hands!"

Seeing Arsen’s assurance, Zett Tony finally let out a sigh of relief. These past few days had been a living nightmare for the Baron.

"You must be tired from your journey today. I have already prepared dinner and lodging for all of you."

Zett noticed that Arsen made no move to introduce the other members, but he did not mind and quickly invited Li Si and the others to take their seats. He had gone to great lengths to prepare this feast and had even sent his butler to meet them at the town entrance. His contact at the Radiant City Mercenary Guild, who had helped him post the request, had specifically sent word yesterday that the group taking his contract was no ordinary party; they were certain to resolve the issue.

Zett had been skeptical at first, especially since other Silver-rank mercenaries had previously sworn they could finish the job, only for one of them to lose his life in the process. However, the last part of his friend’s message had dispelled all his doubts: among the mercenaries arriving today was a Gold-rank warrior.

A Gold-rank warrior—that was a one-in-ten-thousand powerhouse. If such a person swore fealty to the King, they would be granted the title of Court Baron immediately. That was far more impressive than a man like Zett, who had simply inherited his title from an uncle. Thinking about it, the substantial commission fee didn't seem so painful after all.

The Gold-rank warrior must be this man, Arsen, he thought. He looked every bit the leader of the group. With that air about him, he was truly worthy of the title! He looked far more capable than the young girl next to him, who kept looking around with idle curiosity.

With this in mind, Zett’s tone toward Arsen became even more courteous.

Li Si, Yael, and the others took their seats. The main courses were stewed fish and roast steak. While not quite on par with the fare in Radiant City, it was clear that Baron Tony had put in a great deal of effort to provide such a meal in this relatively remote town.

Everyone declined the Baron’s offer of the local vintage wine, even the alcohol-loving dwarf, Rumbos. They were about to face danger, and they could not afford to let alcohol dull their reflexes. Elena, however, quite enjoyed the grapes; they were not the sour variety used for winemaking, but rather a table grape variety that tasted quite good, carrying a distinct, sun-kissed sweetness.

"Baron, would you mind telling us more about the situation in your territory?" Arsen asked once everyone had finished eating and rested.

"Sigh..." The Baron let out a long breath and began to recount the events. "It started on an evening two weeks ago. My butler reported that several goats had gone missing from the pastures near the vineyard on the east side of the territory, and the trellises in the vineyard had been severely damaged."

"I initially assumed it was wild boars or wolves, so I sent my captain of the guard to investigate. That was when disaster struck."

"The captain returned having lost an arm, and of the three men who accompanied him, only one came back."

"My captain had only just broken through to become a Silver-rank warrior last year, so I knew immediately that this was beyond my ability to resolve. I had to ask my friend to post a commission at the Mercenary Guild."

"A number of mercenaries came a few days ago hoping to clear out the beast, but many couldn't even find it. Then, that very night, a Silver-rank mercenary was ambushed and killed by the creature. Many others became terrified and abandoned the mission."

"You are my last hope. If you cannot solve this, I will have no choice but to petition the King to send the royal army."

Baron Tony spoke with resignation. He truly did not want to disturb the kingdom; doing so might cost him his title. Yet, he had no choice. If the beast continued to ravage the territory, leaving aside his own safety, the entire domain would decline rapidly. What kind of lord would he be then?

That was why he had gritted his teeth and offered a thousand gold coins as a reward—an amount equal to the entire annual surplus of his plantations.

Li Si and Arsen exchanged glances; they now had a general idea of the situation.

Arsen asked the Baron, "Do you know what breed the beast is? What does it look like? Has that been confirmed?"

"It’s unclear. The beast only appears at night, and those who survived never saw it clearly. They described it as a black, four-legged monster, similar to a leopard or a wolf."

"Where has it been attacking the townsfolk and mercenaries?"

"At first, it was only near the eastern plantations, but last night it began attacking people inside the town. Everyone is terrified; they’re all staying in their homes today. I’ve had my guards bring everyone from outside the town walls into the castle. Aside from the guards watching the castle, everyone else is patrolling the town."

Li Si glanced at Baron Tony. He had not expected this lord to be so responsible for his people; the arrangements were quite thorough.

"I understand. Leave the rest to us, Baron. You can rest easy," Arsen assured him.

The Baron urged them repeatedly to prioritize their safety. If even a Gold-rank warrior couldn't handle this, he really would be at his wits' end. Was he supposed to pray for the beast to leave on its own?

Arsen gathered everyone together. "You’ve all heard the Baron’s description. What kind of beast do you think we’re dealing with?"

"It sounds like a creature that is primarily nocturnal. I suspect it’s a leopard-type beast—a Night Leopard or a Shadow Leopard are both possibilities. Of course, it could also be a Dire Wolf," Elena analyzed. As an Elven hunter, she was very familiar with such creatures.

The group nodded in agreement; they trusted Elena’s expertise.

"I have a few thoughts as well," Li Si said.