Chapter 440 - 222: The Forest of Serenity and the Hunting Competition
Chapter 440: Chapter 222: The Forest of Serenity and the Hunting Competition
The carriage traveled at high speed.
It was pulled by two Gale Horses, a type of equine Demon even faster than Windstepping Horses.
At this Level, Demons already possessed considerable intelligence.
They could even travel to a designated destination on their own, without a driver.
Of course, that was on the condition that you were stronger than them and kept them well-fed...
But as long as those two conditions were met, this type of Demon was quite low-maintenance.
The interior of the carriage was lavishly decorated.
The compartment was lined with red velvet, the curtains were adorned with gold-thread embroidery, and there was even a soft divan for resting.
This carriage didn’t actually belong to Silver Stream City, but to the Auswiss Clan. It was the same carriage their people had used when they came to deliver some items.
As it turned out, the items were delivered, but the carriage was commandeered by Lady Beixila.
The clan members, of course, didn’t dare say a word to their former young lady. They could only swallow the loss and return to the Empire in an Ordinary carriage.
A small table sat in the center of the compartment, laden with fine tea and pastries.
With a snap of her fingers, Flora conjured a Flame to boil a kettle of water. Shefilya then used it to brew tea, pouring a cup for everyone.
She served each person their cup. The last one was for Lin Mo. Shefilya walked to his side carrying the tea, knelt, and instead of simply handing him the cup, she held it up before him.
"Tsk, tsk... You certainly know how to live it up, don’t you?"
Flora teased with a smile.
"Ahem, ahem—"
Lin Mo cleared his throat and took the cup from Shefilya’s hands.
’All I can say is, Shefilya is just too dedicated, her service too thorough.’
’Her constant service lately had nearly turned me into a useless person. I was gradually getting used to this life where I didn’t have to lift a finger for anything—as long as no outsiders were around, of course.’
To have her act like this in front of an acquaintance like Flora was still a little embarrassing.
"Do you have any plans for when we get to Fajade City?"
Flora asked as she sipped her tea.
"No real plans for now..."
Lin Mo considered for a moment. "I’ll probably ask someone from an Adventurer Group to help us get familiar with the city, then take on a few quests to start."
Ever since the turmoil in Silver Stream City, it had been a while since Lin Mo had done any proper quests.
"That’s a good idea. Get used to the new environment first."
Flora nodded, then added, "As one of only four major cities in the Doria Kingdom, Fajade City is vast, with plenty of surrounding areas suitable for Adventurer activities. The Adventurer’s Association there receives, at a minimum, several hundred quests of varying Levels each day, so the range of available tasks is much broader."
"Besides, there are lots of interesting things happening in Fajade City... like the annual Hunting Competition,"
Shaya added from the side.
"Hunting Competition?"
Lin Mo asked, his curiosity piqued. "What’s that?"
"Near Fajade City, there’s a rather large Demon Forest called the Forest of Serenity. It’s large enough to be considered a medium-to-large forest on the scale of the entire Continent, covering an area equivalent to nearly twenty Loran Forests!"
"Within this enormous forest, it’s divided into different regions based on the territories of Demon clans—over a hundred of them, large and small. The Demons of each clan generally stick to their own territory. Of course, besides those hundred-odd clans with larger populations, there are many other Demons in the forest as well. These other Demons tend to live in the forest’s buffer zones, in the spaces between the major clan territories."
"The fact that Demons in the Forest of Serenity form clans and partition territory on one hand increases the forest’s stability. For Adventurers, this means a lower chance of unexpected encounters during their expeditions, and the process of finding quest targets is usually smoother. On the other hand, however, the Demons’ survival and reproduction rates have also risen dramatically. That’s why, once a year, the City Lord of Fajade City organizes a Hunting Competition, inviting Adventurers from within the city and beyond to hunt the Demons of the Forest of Serenity."
"I see."
After listening to Flora’s explanation, Lin Mo nodded. "So the City Lord uses this event to control the Demon population, while also hosting a well-known competition that boosts the city’s reputation. That’s a pretty clever method."
Shaya added, "The prizes for the Hunting Competition are extremely generous. You could try participating if you’re interested... But since the event is so famous, it’s not just Adventurers from Fajade City. Adventurers from many surrounding cities and regions, and even some nobles, will take part. That includes many of the most talented individuals from the Royal Capital."
"That’s right. A few years ago, they introduced a rule that only allows participants under the age of 25. Since then, the competition has, in a way, become a stage for young people to showcase their talent and strength. If you can place in the top ten, or even take first place, you’ll instantly make a name for yourself throughout the entire Kingdom. Many nobles with powerful backgrounds and exceptional talent hope to use it to build their reputations and create opportunities for advancement. Even many of the students from the Doria Kingdom National Academy participate in the Hunting Competition, using the rankings to compete against one another."
As Flora spoke, a nostalgic look appeared on her face.