Just Trying to Participate (1)
A new knight was assigned to each section. It was the fallout from me and Kael calling out the previous supervisor knight's laziness last time. The knight assigned to Section 5 was Thomas. Ironically, the same name as the old one. But we wouldn't cross paths much anyway. Complaints were mostly relayed through Dillon. So I didn't have high expectations. Still, he recognized me and seemed genuinely pleased.
"You're that Judas, huh?"
The words carried a lot of weight. The trainee who monopolized Elijah's attention. The one who had turned over more than half the instructors at the training camp.
"Man, thanks to you, a backwater guy like me stuck in the boonies gets to see a place like this."
This is basically the boonies too. Elijah's mansion wasn't exactly prime real estate geographically either. Anyway, nothing notable happened after that. Until the weekend rolled around.
*
"What the hell's going on first thing Saturday morning?" Richard grumbled.
Weekends were usually just a quick morning roll call followed by free time. But today, Gawain's orders had all the trainees gathered in the training yard.
Damn, they look like a lot all bunched up.
During training, you only saw your own section's trainees. Seeing everyone together was creepy in sheer numbers.
"I was only told there was an announcement," Dillon said. He didn't seem to know the details either.
I was supposed to head to Moon Deer Forest today...
It wasn't a welcome development for me, with my plans already set. The trainees stood around haphazardly with no real order. Soon, a maid rolled out a long red carpet in front of them. As Gawain dropped to one knee, someone appeared. Elijah. Today, too, she walked primly under the parasol held by her maid, her gaze looking down on them, her doll-like face coldly impassive. The forsythia-yellow dress stood out glaringly against the drab training ground.
Elijah swept her bored eyes over the kneeling trainees.
...Did our eyes just meet?
No way. Not with this crowd.
The maid brought a chair, and Elijah sat. Gawain explained why he'd gathered them.
"To commemorate Lady Elijah's upcoming birthday, she has graciously granted you trainees a glorious opportunity."
Elijah's birthday. I knew it was late winter, and sure enough, it was around now. It made me uneasy for no reason. Adult Elijah had always gone particularly berserk on her birthdays. Slaughtering dozens at a time to celebrate herself. I could still vividly picture her using the corpses as kindling for a fire.
"We will hold a modest hunting tournament. The winner's prey will be used at Lady Elijah's birthday banquet. Naturally, the owner of that prey will be made known to all banquet guests and mansion servants."
A murmur rippled through the crowd at his words. It was a chance, however small, to make a name in the upper echelons of noble society. Worth more than just impressing Elijah.
Speak for yourself. I'm not interested.
Not in fame over money. I wanted to stay off Elijah's radar. Though it felt like that ship had sailed.
Anyway. "The event runs from noon today to noon tomorrow. Participation is voluntary. Every participating trainee will receive 5 florins as an entry fee."
5 florins. About 20,000 won in modern terms. Pretty cheap for a full day's labor. But considering low-skilled labor here was dirt cheap, it wasn't bad.
"5 florins? That's decent."
"If you get it just for entering, sure..."
The guys around me were buzzing that it was a good deal.
Voluntary is a relief. Gotta hit Moon Deer Forest, so I'll sit this out...
"The hunting ground is restricted to Moon Deer Forest. The winner will also receive a separate prize of 100 florins."
......
"Those not participating may leave freely now. No pressure."
Only a tiny handful left. I stood still.
Eh, might as well enter...
*
The south entrance to Moon Deer Forest. I stood with Richard and Dillon. Plenty of other trainees around too.
"Good luck, Judas." Richard clapped my shoulder.
"Huh? Isn't it individual?"
"It is. That's why I'm planning to steal your prey. No rule against it, right?"
He had a point.
"I've never even hunted before."
"Still, man. You've got that knack. Whether it's skill or luck, after all you've pulled off, I figure tagging along's smart."
Dillon nodded beside him. So both planned to mooch off me.
Some knack...
Actually, following me would lead to some massive beasts. Whether these two could take them down was another story, but they could try.
...Wait. What if I let one of them win?
My goal was the 5-florin entry fee. Plus mushrooms in Moon Deer Forest. I'd forfeit the win. A shame—100 florins was no joke. But drawing more of Elijah's eyes wasn't worth it. Bad for the long game.
Plenty of other ways to make money.
I needed the 100, but it wasn't urgent. Could wait. Still, rigging Richard or Dillon to win wouldn't be easy. Why would they follow a slave-market kid who knew squat about hunting?
Whatever. Might as well bring 'em along.
Just having company had upsides. Like Richard said, you could steal prey here. Someone might get hurt in the scuffle. Or you could claim it was an accident after injuring someone and snatching theirs.
I've got enough enemies already. Time to thin the herd.
"Don't take it personally," Dillon said sternly.
"That's how the world works."
Spouting nonsense so seriously.
"If following me lets one of you win, I'm fine with it."
"Dude... saying it like that makes us total scum! We just wanted to team up!"
"...Too late. We are scum."
As Richard and Dillon wallowed in self-loathing, the hunt began. We entered the fringes of Moon Deer Forest. The winter woods were barren. Dead brown grass everywhere, leafless trees stark and dry. I immediately activated Hunter's Sense. Slowly scanned around.
Footprints of leading trainees pressed into the ground. They stood out crystal clear. I turned to the forest. Bird perches. Insect-chewed branches. Animal trails and signs. All these details separated sharply from the meaningless backdrop.
Detection range about 100 meters.
Farther traces didn't show. Plenty good enough. I knew the tells left by my targets well. Dragging the two self-flagellating idiots along, I plunged into the woods.
A group glared long and hard at Judas and his two idiots as they moved off. The man at the center was the only one looking elsewhere. Bigger build than the others. Stern features. His thick jaw was as solid as his resolve.
"Gullett bro, we just letting that punk slide?"
A rat-like guy, dried stiff on a rack, spoke slyly. The big man called Gullett, who'd been gazing elsewhere alone, replied dismissively.
"What else?"
"Gotta show him who's boss!"
Others chimed in. "Right! That newbie's way overstepped!"
"Gullett bro's always been the top dog in our section!"
"...So you're saying the newbie's better than me?"
"N-no, not that! Just that he shouldn't outshine you, bro!"
Gullett shut his mouth. Truth was, before Judas arrived, he hadn't shone quite that bright. More precisely, he had stood out among trainees. 10th intake, Gullett. 16 years old. Having undergone knight training in his family once already, he'd distinguished himself faster than anyone. Already passed the 6th exam, now training mana cultivation. Sure, earlier intakes had passed more exams. But none faster. Everyone eyed him as a star prospect. Maybe even leapfrogging seniors to the finals. Only his inner circle knew Elijah paid him no mind.
"Enough."
Gullett waved them off. "Standing out doesn't mean you become guard knight. Let him be. He'll figure it out."
Sounded like magnanimous indifference.
"Bro's right!"
"We gotta crush punks like that early... Saved by bro."
Obvious bootlicking, but it soothed the ears. Gullett didn't show it, keeping a straight face and half-listening. From day one here, he'd become the core of Room 13. Proven by skill. Felt damn good.
"Only someone fit for guard knight has such a big heart."
All nodded agreement. Except Gullett himself. Inside, he was twisting in agony. Being the buzz of the trainees was his due as top prospect. Elijah's gaze was his spot. But a week-old newbie snatched it. Felt stolen. Objectively, Judas hadn't even passed the first exam—a total greenhorn. Clearly, Gullett fit Elijah's guard knight better. Yet the inferiority gnawed, keeping him up nights. If no eyes were watching, he'd have rushed over and thrashed him. But pride held him back. Nobles had to act the part. Even nobles swearing fealty to another.
"Anyway, this hunting tourney's Gullett bro's stage!"
True enough. Gullett knew hunting, had done it since childhood. Other nobles might match him, but he brimmed with confidence for first place.
Hunt a moon deer to offer, and first is mine.
The forest's lord and symbol, the moon deer. Intelligent, mystical spirit beast—sacred in some faiths, sent by gods. Offering one guaranteed victory. And Gullett knew how to track it.
Took a good while without spotting prey. Richard and Dillon couldn't hack the wait and split off to hunt solo. I didn't stop them. Didn't matter who won, and clinging like I knew the path to victory looked suspicious. Dillon gave me flint before leaving—woods get dark fast, stay safe. Richard handed over a small stone knife—for kills or fire. Anyway.
I was on the verge of cursing out loud right now. "Fucking tastes like shit..."
Chewing my ninth raw mushroom. These yellow ones stuffed in my pockets were yolk mushrooms. Eat ten for a permanent +1 stamina stat; one recovers current stamina. Problem: no HP readout for me now. To test if it really worked game-like, had to eat ten. Ninth one, rinsed roughly in the stream. Tough, crumbly, earthy. If stamina doesn't go up, I'm gonna lose it.
Didn't notice in-game. Right-click, chomp sound, gone. No clue it tasted this vile. Cook 'em maybe.
Swallowed the tenth thinking that.
Stamina stat +1 over the next 24 hours.
"Phew..."
Worked, at least. Just +1. Max +3 from these shrooms. But beggars couldn't be choosers. Stats were money. Can't have too many.
+3 from eating mushrooms alone is insanely fast. Grab more.
Activated Hunter's Sense. Footprints along the riverbank appeared. Split hooves. Sugar-like powder sparkling around. Telltale moon deer sign. Yolk mushrooms grew near their staple, yellow umbrella mushrooms. Similar enough to confuse without knowing the difference. And yellow umbrellas? Poisonous.
Not deadly, but eating wild ones spells trouble.
In-game, my character laughed in place for a minute. Poison to humans, special flavor to moon deer.
"...Huh?"
Spotted a moon deer. Quadruped, eye-level higher than mine. Tawny hide, black eyes. Horns a soft gray—like they'd glow under moonlight. Drinking across the river.
Tough to encounter before moonrise.
It fled when it saw me. Memorized the direction, just in case. Kept foraging mushrooms after, but heard a noisy group approaching.
Who're they?
Hid in nearby brush. Used Stealthy Steps to avoid detection. A large group crossed the woods. About ten. What the hell's this mob?
Same section trainees. Knew faces, not names. No reason to get spotted. Waited hidden. Overheard naturally.
"This way. Moon deer tracks continue."
Someone tracking? Impressive. Let him win.
"Whoa, Gullett bro, you can see that? Looks like big deer prints to me."
"Think your blind ass sees like mine?"
Gullett seemed the leader from talk. Rest his lackeys.
"But it's a big one. How you gonna take it down?"
"Moon deer show at night. We all rush it then."
Sadly, no clue on hunting method. Not impossible. But frontal assault at trainee level? Suicide. It wouldn't kill—didn't prey on humans. But it'd crush every bone.
With those numbers, they might escape.
Was gonna let 'em pass... then.
"That'll flatten that newbie's smug nose!"
...Newbie? Me?
"Chance to show that shithead Judas who's section rep."
"Little senior advice indirectly? Fine."
Gullett's voice dripped pride and satisfaction. Their petty chatter faded into the woods. I looked down at the mushroom in my hand. Yolk mushroom for me. Yellow umbrella—one of moon deer's faves. I'd gathered extras fearing mix-ups in ID'ing. I knew how to safely hunt moon deer with these.
"Haa..."
Sighed, scratched my head. Better than Lindel-types who trash-talk openly. Kid-like, kinda cute. These cowards mob-whisper, too spineless for face-to-face. Sick of 'em in my past life. Confront, they deny. No proof, can't push. Infuriating breed.
...Nope.
Can't stomach them taking first.