Outside the villa, Selvo paced nervously in the front yard, eagerly awaiting Blatt's return. He was anxious to learn of Vance's decision regarding his suggestion. Despite being cousins in name, Vance held no regard for Selvo. To Vance, who sought to elevate his status within the family, someone like Selvo was simply intolerable.
Vance harbored a deep disdain for any connection he had with the Handler family. Therefore, Selvo worried that his proposal to employ Blatt would be rejected. He was afraid of rejection, as it was Selvo's only chance to gain some recognition within the Sorneo House.
Suddenly, footsteps echoed from within the villa, catching Selvo's attention. He rushed forward, brimming with anticipation. However, as he took a few steps, his body froze, rooted to the spot.
Davion, the first to exit, didn't spare a glance at the young master of the house they were staying in, simply continuing on his way.
"Young master Selvo?"
Selvo was startled by Blatt's voice, finding a masked face in front of him.
"Ahem, you're back." Selvo nodded, his voice tinged with nervousness. "So, how did it go?"
"I just have to pass a small test of theirs, and I'm likely to be recruited," Blatt replied with a smile. "You don't have to worry; I won't let them forget young master Selvo's contributions even after I join them."
"Haha, good." Selvo chuckled, feeling a surge of happiness as it seemed his plan had succeeded. He was very happy.
Regarding the test that Blatt had to undergo, Selvo had witnessed his skills firsthand. How could they possibly reject someone so remarkable?
As they conversed happily, the butler, Acelo, urged Blatt to hurry, explaining that guard Davion had already departed and they risked reprimand for their late arrival.
Blatt nodded hastily and bid farewell to Selvo before leaving.
Watching the group depart, Selvo's lips curled up in a satisfied smile.
"With this card up my sleeve, cousin, even you'll have to give me some face now, won't you?"
...
The city gate on the side of the Zeru forest was bustling with activity as mercenaries and adventurers moved in and out of the city. The area was crowded, causing delays for many. But the rules were to be followed; hence, they could only stay in line obediently.
However, certain individuals enjoyed special privileges reserved for those in power.
Blatt's team, for instance, was being led by servants from the Handler family through a side gate designated for emergencies. Possessing a token from an influential force within the city granted them access. The process here was smooth and swift, taking no more than a minute, and soon they found themselves outside the city.
"Let's go," Davion commanded in his usual cold tone, motioning for the servants to depart.
The familiar canopy of the Zeru forest enveloped them, while distant roars and whispers from deep within the woods seemed to welcome their arrival.
After walking for a few minutes, Davion came to a halt. Retrieving a piece of paper from his storage bag, he handed it to Blatt without looking back.
"Here," Davion said, waving the paper towards Blatt. "These are the things we need. See if you can find them."
"Yes, sir," Blatt replied, carefully accepting the list. The paper contained the names of five herbs, all of which Blatt recognized. His familiarity with them stemmed from the books he had perused in the Safaira family's library. As for one herb not recorded there, he had learned about it from the handbook he purchased with Kristin, titled [The Unique Aspects of Nulis City.] Since Nulis City primarily focused on resource collection, the book contained a wealth of information about beasts, plants, and herbs. It had provided enough knowledge for Blatt to appear knowledgeable and legitimate.
Lowering his hand holding the list, Blatt pondered for a moment before nodding. "Please follow me," he said, taking the lead and choosing a direction to proceed in.
Acelo glanced at Blatt's back with a contemplative expression, wanting to say something but refraining due to the presence of Davion. As for Davion himself, he observed Blatt's back with genuine interest. He was intrigued by the subtle change in Blatt's demeanor after accepting the task.
Under Blatt's guidance, the group continued walking for a few more minutes. Acelo, the butler, grew increasingly impatient, but he refrained from voicing his frustration. Davion, on the other hand, remained silent, his attention fixed on Blatt.
Suddenly, Blatt came to a halt, prompting Acelo and Davion to stop as well. Acelo watched in awe as Blatt emitted a peculiar sound, resembling the call of a bird. To his surprise, a crimson flash streaked through the air and landed gracefully on Blatt's arm.
"Tweet!"
The bird elegantly landed and perched itself on Blatt's arm, letting out a sound as if greeting him.
"How have you been, my friend?" Blatt seemed to be smiling behind his mask as he caressed the Crimson Lestria's little head. The little guy also seemed to enjoy his touch as it let out low chirps with its eyes closed. The red, fire-like, vibrant feathers felt quite smooth to the touch, so Blatt ended up rubbing for a moment longer.
Next, under the attentive gaze of Acelo and Davion, Blatt began to produce bird noises of different frequencies, as if communicating with the word.
And he really was! The language skill bestowed by Della was quite versatile, as it only required one to emit any kind of sound; it doesn't matter whether meaningful or incoherent, the intention will be emitted anyway. He could even speak in any language on Earth, and the creatures around him would still understand him in their own way. He could also control his intent so that only a select few could understand him.
Like what he was doing right now. His words were being conveyed to the bird, while the humans around him were absolutely clueless.
Blatt turned to Acelo and Davion, gesturing in a specific direction within the forest. "We have to go this way," he said.
Acelo glanced at Davion, whose attention was placed on the red bird perching on Blatt's arm while seemingly thinking about something. Upon hearing Blatt's words, Davion nodded in agreement. "Lead the way."
The deeper they walked, the more one could feel a unique sense of oppression being emitted from within the depths of the verdant Zeru forest. While it was the main source of livelihood for the people of Nulis City and the nearby towns and villages, its role wasn't limited to just that. What the people in this place knew about it was only the basics, as they couldn't venture too deep.
Rumors indicated that many high-level rankers visited the place, of course, through different routes. It was also the reason why Nulis City, despite being a resource gathering hotspot, was not highly regarded by the kingdom. If not for the specialties and cheap prices, no one would have bothered to come to this place. Therefore, despite its lively appearance, Nulis City lacked an actual standing among the others. This fact could be confirmed by the scarcity of people who have awakened their spirits. Aside from the nearly inaccessible City Lord's mansion, only a handful of individuals, such as Gamus from the Safaira family and the brother of the Handler family's former head, were known to possess awakened spirits.
Davion, currently at Rank 1 middle-level, held a position of significant influence in Nulis City. It was this status that prompted him to volunteer for what appeared to be an inconsequential task. He wished to complete it swiftly and move on to more pressing matters.
As Davion observed Blatt's skilled movements, reminiscent of a beast-tamer, his confidence surged. Initially, accompanying Vance on this task seemed trivial, and Davion had little interest in the dealings between their families. However, Selvo's mention of Blatt's abilities piqued his curiosity, albeit briefly. He had doubted the possibility of finding such exceptional skills in this place, but now his perspective had shifted entirely.
Suddenly, Blatt came to a halt, signaling for silence. Even the bird perched on his arm sensed the change and fell quiet. Davion approached Blatt, his footsteps silent, to see what had captured his attention.
In front of them, a patch of brown grass stood out amidst the surroundings. Delicate, fingernail-sized blue flowers adorned the grass blades, attracting a myriad of insects feasting on their nectar. However, it was the finger-sized wasps that commanded attention. Their sharp stingers emitted an intimidating glow, making them easily distinguishable from the rest of the buzzing insects.
"We'll have to be careful of these wasps," Blatt whispered, cautioning the group. "While their numbers seem small, there's a possibility of a nearby hive. A single wasp is not a problem, but a swarm can overpower us easily." He sounded nervous but continued, "The best way to deal with them is to gather another herb that grows nearby. They have a strong aversion to-"
"No need," Davion interrupted, waving his hand dismissively. "I'll take care of it." With confidence, he stepped forward, undeterred by the presence of the wasps.
Blatt watched in surprise as an intense energy radiated from Davion, causing his skin to emit a luminous glow. Something in the air seemed to be drawn towards him, gathering around his body and forming a thin protective layer that enveloped him.
It appeared as though Davion had generated the barrier of light himself, but Blatt sensed two distinct forces at play. One originated from Davion's body; the other seemed to be attracted by his presence. It wasn't Davion's own energy creating the barrier; rather, it was something drawn from the atmosphere.
Blatt couldn't help but feel a sense of unease, as there was no disturbance when the energy was absorbed from the air. But now wasn't the time to dwell on this mystery, as Davion had already advanced towards the patch of herbs they needed to collect.
Davion's sudden appearance startled most of the insects feasting on the flowers, except for the wasps. The dozen or so wasps congregated together, adopting a more menacing formation compared to their previous scattered state. Meanwhile, two of the wasps retreated and disappeared among the trees, presumably seeking reinforcements. It was evident that their hive operated with remarkable coordination, rivaling the precision of trained human soldiers. Blatt suspected it was an instinct honed through generations, an inherent trait ingrained in their bloodline.
Despite the organized response of the wasps, it didn't faze Davion. He maintained his calm composure and approached the patch of grass. Paying no attention to the buzzing wasps posturing but not attacking, he squatted down and gathered a handful of the herbs.
Without wasting a moment, Davion turned and made his way back to the group.
Dispelling the energy surrounding himself, Davion placed the collected herbs into a box handed to him by Acelo and stowed them in his storage bag.
"Let's proceed to the next location," Davion declared, ready to move forward.
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