Your Majesty's money, why don't you engrave my name on it?

Their family members were extremely fortunate, as they had hardly developed their own territory. When they were no match for the king's heavenly army and were forced to flee into the wilderness to continue their resistance, their enemies were struggling to advance, dragging out the war that should have ended long ago, and it was difficult to bring it to a close.

If it weren't for the discovery that the statues of the Scott family heirs were half-submerged in the swamp, this mess would probably have dragged on until now.

However, thanks to their sacrifice, after witnessing the horrific scene firsthand and vomiting his dinner for three consecutive days, His Majesty Henning finally decided to choose this place as the location for his first hunt, to deal with this unfortunate place that was under his jurisdiction but whose monsters had never handed over a single gold coin.

Because she didn't like this so-called "His Majesty" and the journey from Dole to Scott was quite long, Skadi, who only had her master in her eyes, didn't arrive at the meeting place with her team until the day before the deadline. By then, all the invitees had already arrived.

Aside from Raslaufer and her entourage, and the necessary retinue, she only brought two knights and a handful of squires with her—those who had stayed by her side during her most dangerous and difficult times. If any of her squires achieved a good ranking or made a good profit, they would become new knights in Doule's territory.

“I thought Count Dole would bring at least ten times the number of men,” a baron muttered with some displeasure. “After all, we all know that her territory has more than doubled.”

His muttering wasn't meant for himself, but unfortunately, he wasn't good at controlling the volume. Besides reaching the ears of his other vassals, colleagues, and the king, Skadi also heard it clearly.

“I did bring this many men, but I told them to wait in the forest and swamp first,” the count reined in his horse, straightened his collar, and looked at his colleague who was standing on his feet. “If you don’t believe me, you can go in and count the number for me.”

"—If you can still walk out."

As the baron shrank back like a deflated pig's bladder, the lords around him who were entitled to ride in front of the king burst into pleased laughter—these were the main social groups of Skuld. In Eastern Inassassins, there were no strict rules of etiquette for riding in front of the king, and several of these men were barons or grand barons, which at least indicated two things: first, the lord was confident in his riding skills and would not behave improperly; second, the lord was wealthy enough to afford a fine horse and matching tack that would not embarrass him, as well as the training he would receive.

Skadi actually only possesses half of the second point, but since she comes from Ampiri, she doesn't need an additional teacher for riding skills.

“Alright, Earl Doule, stop teasing him,” Henning Wenzel, the new king who had met Raslaufer twice, lifted the curtain in the carriage, a slight smile on his face, which was thinner than before. “I know you must have a lot of important matters to attend to, I’ve already experienced that.”

"Managing the land and people you own is not easy, is it?"

Henning's gaze swept over Skadi's side. He didn't say anything when he passed over the two knights and their squires, but soon his gaze fell on the black-armored warrior who was very close to the count.

As his gaze moved upwards along the obviously expensive armor, a face and icy blue eyes embedded in it made his face paler.

Of course he remembered that face—how could he not? It was the owner of that face who killed his father, and it was the owner of that face who would appear in his worst nightmares, approaching him with blood and a smile!

“And this is—” Henning reluctantly turned his gaze to Skadi and smiled, “This knight beside the Earl… looks quite dashing. Could you introduce him to me?”

“Oh, of course,” Skuld stepped aside to let Raslaufer step forward, “but this is not a knight, but a very important friend of mine. Forgive my intrusion, but he happened to be at home when I received your decree, and I very much wish he could have been a part of such a grand event.”

"You might not be able to match the person to his name: he is what the mercenaries of Eastern Inassassins call 'Death,' 'Dobul of Dobul,' Lord Raslaufer, oh, and of course, there's another one that's been widely circulated recently—"

"Cough!"

Raslaufer tried to interrupt Skuld, but the busybodies around them had already read out the unfortunate nickname.

"The Demon Eater?! That's him!" "He definitely lived up to his nickname. Look at that physique, I'm sure he can do it!" "Not to mention this armor. Doesn't anyone recognize it? Look at the patterns on it, it's the craftsmanship of the Eastern Sea Dwarves, priceless!"

The carriage door opened, and Henning rushed out as if he had truly heard of him. The king was completely unpretentious in front of Raslaufer, warmly shaking his hands: "So it's you! I've been dreaming of meeting you in person, and today my wish has finally come true!"

Raslaufer chuckled inwardly, but outwardly gave the nominal king ample face. He knelt on one knee to pay his respects to the monarch, which immediately made the young man in front of him look much better. Even the nightmare that looked exactly like Dubler was almost mistaken for another similar-looking phantom. For a moment, the monarch, his ministers, and the guests were all in high spirits.

Following this, Henning began introducing the guests, whom Skadi and Raslaufer might not be familiar with, to them. At the behest of the king's attendants, four men and two women, six people on two horses, stepped forward and stopped before the group. These people were clearly not a group, nor even travelers; they were divided into four groups, with only the three on the far right remaining together.

“Let me introduce you to Count Doule and Lord Raslaufer,” Henning said with a smug grin, “these three are members of the renowned ‘Red-Haired’ adventure team. These two are Sid, who has traveled all the way from Corazonde, and Count Katina, a friendly neighbor of the kingdom. And this last one is the one whose family had a brief appearance not long ago, and Lord Raslaufer even participated in one of their expeditions. I am also fortunate to have invited another member this time.”

"A distinguished guest from the Strongman family, Ms. Louise Strongman, young...

Chapter 548 Taking the mother's surname? Taking the child's surname?

Looking at the rider dressed in men's clothing, riding a blue and white hunting horse, Angelita gently shook her head behind the two knights led by Douler.

She resembled her brother, seemingly imitating the style of imperial nobles, but in reality, it was full of flaws and dubious.

But that's enough to intimidate the local nobles of Eastern Inassus.

"It's the Strongman family again. We used to only see them once every few years, how come there are two of them suddenly appearing in just a few months?"

"It's possible that their current patriarch is nearing the end of his life and is preparing to choose his successor. Our Emperor must have anticipated this, which is why he invited Miss Louise here."

"Then I think her position is probably in serious trouble. Her brother, I heard, recently opened up an underground trade route! Wow, the prices of all the jewelry on the market have plummeted. I wonder how much he made! I think her chances are slim."

"What does it matter to us whether she's in danger or not? All I know is that by getting in touch with her, His Majesty's position is probably secure."

The Strongman family is like a legend in aristocratic circles. Considering the scale of Dieter's previous actions, if they could befriend Louise, even if they wanted to oppose Henning's rule, they would have to think twice.

Louise's ears twitched slightly beneath her pale hair, and after hearing the murmurs of the crowd, she let out a rather disgruntled snort.

Her cousin has indeed been making waves lately. Although his high profile has lowered his rating, his gains are not to be underestimated. He has moved up one place in the family rankings and is starting to threaten her position.

But... a little brother is still just a little brother. If she can monopolize most of the business in a large part of the kingdom, or even an entire kingdom, what can Dieter use to compete with her?

“You must be Leslaufer,” she nodded demurely to Doples ahead, without even bending her back, “I’ve heard about you…”

She was just about to give the mercenary a warning so he would know which side was best for him, but before she could finish speaking, a crimson steed beside her suddenly sprang into action, like a red whirlwind, and charged straight toward Count Schotty.

The person sitting on the horse was none other than Count Katina. He was strong and handsome, and his well-proportioned mustache made him look even more refined. The only regret was that he was a little short. Even when he was riding on the same horse as Skadi, he was half a head shorter than the latter.

But this will not diminish his status or his confidence.

“Count Dole, I have long admired your name,” he said with a smile, bowing slightly on his horse. “Your courage and wisdom have long been known throughout the territory of Katina, but only today have I realized that your beauty surpasses even that.”

"I am—"

“I am but a barbarian from Ampiri, my lord, and do not deserve such praise,” Skadi frowned slightly, but still extended her hand politely. “All I have done is avenge my husband and serve His Majesty the King.”

“This is something that many people cannot do. Don’t you think so?” As if sensing Skadi’s indifference, Count Katina sighed, but the enthusiasm in his eyes did not diminish. “You may not know, but my family’s ancestors actually came from Ampiri. They were the royal family of the now-collapsed Frost Ridge Kingdom. If we’re talking about it, we might be distant relatives.”

"To have the favor of a woman like you, His Majesty Henning and your husband are truly fortunate. I just wonder..." He glanced at Skadi, carefully observing her reaction, "...would I also have such an honor?"

“I’m sorry, I’m already a mother of two,” Skadi’s smile turned cold in an instant. A widow and orphans, what’s the difference between such a bold invitation and “I want your property, land, and army”? It’s practically blatant. “Besides, the name Fitzgival is far too disgraceful for a royal descendant like you.”

Hearing this, Count Katina became somewhat displeased: "Madam, why insist on this? I really like children, and I've also heard that you haven't changed back to your original surname, Ampere..."

"But this is what I said during the baptism of the two children."

Dopler felt it was necessary to chime in: "If you like children, at least consider their situation: it's probably not a good idea for them to grow up and find out that their father doesn't have the same surname as them."

“Excuse me, you are—” The count, who had already been rebuffed, turned around abruptly when someone stepped in to stop him. But when he saw who was speaking, he had to swallow the rest of his accusation. “I’m sorry, Lord Raslaufer, this is a conversation between two counts.”

If he were to say something like "Who do you think you are?", Katina suspected that this Dubler would really devour him like a ravenous demon—he had just been received by Henning V, and pretending not to know him would be asking for trouble.

But that's no reason for Reslaufer to ruin his plans.

“You’re right, but with the Mother of Water as witness, I am the guardian of the two future heirs of the Dole Territory,” Raslaufer said with a forced smile, grabbing the count’s hand and squeezing it between the broken spearman’s indestructible gauntlets. “So, if you want to become their new guardian, you’ll either take the mother’s surname or the child’s surname.”

Then, whatever the conspiracy or trickery, perhaps Count Katina would still have a chance to rule the territory of Doule for a period of time, but after his death, his own territory and the territory he "switched" to have had nothing to do with his original family.

Even his territory of Katina would eventually fall under the control of the Kingdom of Wenzel. Henning wasn't even in a hurry to stop this increasingly tense situation—if Count Katina really favored Skadi and agreed to the terms, he would gain a piece of land for free!

But clearly, Count Cartina was not such a sentimental person; he was focused on only one thing: enduring the pain to pull his hand away from Leslaufer.

Seeing that the situation was somewhat deadlocked, the young king gave Count Katina a way out and smoothly turned the topic to the hunt: "Scott Territory has been plagued by monsters and beasts for a long time. This hunt will probably not be short. We must have enough patience to deal with all possible situations."

"As for the competition, although I am young, I am willing to serve as the judge for this hunt. The rules are simple: every prey that is hunted and dragged here will be branded with the mark of the warrior who hunted it. At the end of the hunt, I will judge who has the most fruitful results and will receive my reward!"

He clapped his hands and laughed, "Come on, perhaps I should reveal my 'trump card' first to get everyone more excited."

Chapter 549 Oak Bark Sign

The treasure chests, encased in twelve iron hoops, were quickly pushed out and lined up in three rows in front of everyone.

"It's getting late, so I won't take up any more of your time. Let's start with the champion's prize." Henning had his men open the four boxes in the first row. One of them was full of newly minted gold coins, but unfortunately, the portrait side was poorly made, so that only the outline could be vaguely seen.

But the small print at the bottom edge clearly reads "King Henning V" and "May you always be healthy".

“These are newly minted gold coins, a small token of goodwill. All the other prizes are the same, and the champion will naturally be included,” Henning said, knowing that a member of the Strongman family was present and that she wouldn’t care about these, so he opened the second box.

Two short wands lay quietly inside, crossed over each other. One was made of ebony and had a streamlined shape, while the other was twisted like a vine and had a pure white gem set at its tip.

“This wand can hold the charge of up to twelve magical missiles, and it can regenerate one missile each at dawn and dusk, until it turns to ashes after all the charge is exhausted,” Henning said, picking up the ebony wand first. “Any qualified arcane caster can basically cast this spell, so I won’t go into details. However, the advantage of this wand is that it does not require synchronization, so even someone with no magical training can use it. It has been gathering dust in the warehouse for a long time, and I think it is only right to take it out and give it to someone who needs it more and deserves it more.”

"This one, unfortunately, only has three charges, requires synchronization, and can only recover one charge at dawn. However, the spell it contains is Micro Meteor, which can summon six meteors to orbit around you and command them to fly to any place you specify."

As he spoke, he couldn't help but sigh with emotion: "How lamentable! How hateful! My father was misled by treacherous officials and didn't bring these magical items with him. Otherwise, how could he have been murdered!"

At the time, King Erich was meeting with his trusted advisors, so how could he possibly have brought these things with him? Henning was merely taking the opportunity to express his feelings on the land of this "treacherous minister."

Next came the third box, which contained twenty bottles of a slightly reddish, shiny liquid in transparent containers. It looked like blood, but it didn't look scary at all; instead, it exuded a vibrant life force.

Healing potions—such expensive alchemical elixirs are probably only something a king could produce in such large quantities at once.

"Powerful healing potions!" The more knowledgeable Louise called out the exact names of the potions. "This box of potions is worth almost seven large boxes of gold coins!"

The gold coins she used to measure were naturally the ones Henning had laid out; if converted to Imperial gold coins, they would only fill about half a box.

“That’s right, this is the third prize the champion can receive,” Henning smiled slightly and finally opened the fourth box. However, to everyone’s surprise, there was no wand, magical weapon, alchemical potion or real gold and silver in this box. There was only an ordinary piece of oak bark inside.

The bark was shaped into a rectangle with a hole at one end, but the rope on it had long since disappeared. On its polished surface, only a leaf, a unicorn horn, and a small splash of water were carved.

“This is…” Everyone who could get closer craned their necks, trying to figure out what was going on, but no matter how they looked at it, this piece of oak bark seemed to be… just a piece of oak bark.

“It seems to be just an ordinary piece of bark,” said the red-haired adventurer, the long-haired man who appeared to be a spellcaster. He even cast an identification spell, but even so, he could not identify it. “There is no aura, no divine reaction, nothing at all.”

“Lady Louise, your Strongman family has amassed quite a collection of rare treasures. Surely you can recognize what this is?” Count Katina didn’t recognize it either, so he could only look at Louise, while Sid from Corazonde in the middle was completely ignored.

Louise was unwilling to admit her defeat, but after staring at him for a long time, she could only shake her head in resentment.

From any angle, it was just an ordinary piece of bark—she recognized the engravings on it, the leaves representing Sylvanas, the horn representing the forest goddess Meliquette, and the water splash representing the water mother Idas—but what did that prove?

This is not a sacred artifact. Perhaps it was a ritual implement used by a priest or sorcerer, but now, at this moment, she couldn't think of any use for it other than as a souvenir.

"This is an entry permit." Someone in the crowd said this, and Henning, who was originally a little smug, quickly looked up and looked around.

"Who? Who said it was a pass?"

The crowd parted, and Bella stood still, holding a wooden stick, staring intently at the bark plaque in the box.

“This is the wooden pass for the Refugee Realm, Your Majesty,” the druid raised his eyes to look at Henning. “May I know where you obtained it? As far as I know, there are only three of these passes that are missing.”

"Oh, so it's a Druid." Everyone suddenly realized.

If that's the case, then it's not surprising, but why would something from the Realm of Refusal to Fight end up in the hands of a king?

Henning didn't know the connection between Bella and Raslaufer, assuming they were brought by Skadi, so he responded with the courtesy due to a priest, saying, "This lady comes from the Land of Resistance? Then this wooden plaque is probably one of the earliest ones. Long before the Kingdom of Wenzel was established, my ancestor once saved a druid who also came from the Land of Resistance, and as a token of gratitude, he gave him this wooden plaque."

"He's kept it all this time?" Bella raised an eyebrow, seemingly somewhat disbelieving. "Didn't he tell your family that by holding this wooden plaque, you can choose an animal companion in the Realm of Resistance? Eastern Inas has always been a place of constant conflict, and the war between the growing population has led to the continuous destruction of nature. So, people who follow the teachings of the First Society members have begun to consciously gather homeless creatures."

"But after all, the space in the anti-war zone is limited, so these wooden plaques were distributed in the hope of calling on more people to give them a new home—why didn't His Majesty's ancestors keep their promise?"

Druids treat most creatures equally, which means that there are many powerful beings among them. Whether out of a genuine desire to protect nature or out of self-interest, Bella does not believe that those who obtain the token have any reason not to go to the Realm of Refusal.

“It’s not that I didn’t keep the appointment, but that ‘the time wasn’t right’,” Henning said, his expression somewhat strange. “That ancestor went to the Land of Refusal, which was the advice given to him by the rescued druid. After that, my father and other elders went there, but the results were pretty much the same—oh, by the way, some of the reasons for rejection were ‘lack of qualifications’.”

“Although I haven’t had a chance to go yet, if my father Erich doesn’t succeed, I think I probably won’t have a chance either. I might as well put this wooden plaque here and give my family’s story, this piece of bark itself, and the creature that is about to be taken away a good home.”

"Oh, by the way, I heard that a griffin just hatched in the Realm of Refuge not long ago? I wonder how lucky that little guy will be and where he'll find his new home?"

Chapter 550 The Hunt Begins

"A griffin? A cub?"

Henning spoke "unintentionally," but the listener took it to heart. Griffins are different from deer-eagles; they can be tamed! If trained from a young age, they will be a knight's most reliable, fiercest, and most powerful mount!

A flying mount.

“I have quite a few griffins,” Louise’s eyes narrowed slowly, “but unfortunately none of them were raised from cubs.”

“That’s quite surprising,” Count Katina chuckled. “I’ve never raised one before, but I don’t mind starting my first time soon.”

But perhaps... they never had a chance.

All eyes quickly focused on Raslaufer—if a Doppler like him were here, winning that wooden plaque wouldn't be easy.

“I think we should focus on some more practical goals,” the three members of the red-haired adventure team exchanged glances and relaxed. “How about a few bear pelts, or catching a couple of Terrorclaw monsters—idiot, you actually spent so much money to see an exhibition—unbelievable!”

"Because that thing can't even touch the ground!" The mage glared angrily at his two companions. "Fine, fine, this time I won't hold back. I'll earn back all the money I spent without reservation!"

In contrast to the other three teams who were invited by Henning, Sid from Kolasund seemed detached from worldly affairs. He glanced at Reislaufer indifferently, then turned around and walked to his own tent.

“Look at the sword at his waist,” Mary said casually as she moved closer to Leslaufer. “Do you think he might be a skilled swordsman?”

Sid carried an unremarkable, swift sword at his waist, which others might not have paid much attention to, but Mary had learned to use it.

Angelita was also watching the guy who kept trying to keep a low profile: he seemed to have nothing to offer and didn't participate in the earlier farce, but that only made him more suspicious.

“He seems to be deliberately hiding himself,” the girl said, her hand resting on the hilt of Shouzhi Changshi’s sword before falling back down. “But what exactly does he want to do?”

“As long as he doesn’t mess with me,” Leslaufer scoffed. “If he insists on doing so, he won’t get anything done.”

Aside from that, it didn't matter whether he was there to assassinate Henning or not; Raslaufer didn't care whether the young king, whose life he had spared, was alive or dead.

The remaining commotion and the banquet before the hunt officially began were no longer noteworthy. If anything, there was Louise Strongman, Dieter's sister, who always tried to get close to Raslaufer, but her tone and expression were neither respectful nor friendly, and Raslaufer didn't even bother to look at her. In the end, he was left alone with the girl dressed as a man who demanded that others call her "Lady Louise" or "Mr. Louise" and was left in a helpless rage.

until the next day.

“Since I invited you all to participate in this hunt, I certainly can’t just watch from the rear,” King Henning said after breakfast, having changed into his military attire and sitting atop his magnificent, jet-black hunting horse. “I will also participate in the competition, and I hope the prizes won’t go unsent.”