Ryan was a squire—a knight in training—born into a family that was still relatively well-off.
Of course, for a declining minor noble, "well-off" was only relative.
To help him gather enough money to buy a magical beast, his family had sold off almost everything of value they could spare. All of it was done for one purpose—to make him a knight.
With the hard-earned sum clutched close to his chest, along with his dream of knighthood and the hopes of his entire family, Ryan set off from the southern border of Aspiration City, bound for the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild.
After several days on the road, he finally arrived in Aspiration City. His plan was to rest here for a short while before continuing north to the city's northern border.
'I've heard that magical beasts which have been tamed often carry injuries.'
'I'd better prepare some healing potions first. That way, I can also win that beast's favor more quickly.'
Ryan recalled the words of his knight instructor. Potions in Aspiration City were much cheaper than elsewhere, so this was the perfect place to stock up.
He moved quickly through the city, asking for directions along the way, until he finally arrived at the largest apothecary in Aspiration City.
…
"Pokémon Breeding Center?"
Seeing the sign hanging above the shop, Ryan was momentarily taken aback. But then he noticed smaller characters near the entrance that read "Potions for Sale." Only then did he confirm he hadn't come to the wrong place.
Upon stepping inside the Pokémon Breeding Center, he saw the place bustling with customers buying potions. A quick glance at the price list confirmed the potions here were indeed very cheap. Ryan breathed a small sigh of relief.
"Hello, are you here to purchase potions?"
A smiling attendant approached as soon as he walked in.
"Yes, that's right."
"Then please take this number tag. The Earler will call numbers in order—please listen carefully for yours."
"Oh, alright. Thank you."
Ryan was briefly startled but accepted the wooden tag. The number carved into it read 167.
Just then, a voice from the service Earler called out another number, and Ryan saw the man holding tag 108 get up and head toward the Earler.
So that's how it works… It was currently number 108, which meant there were still 59 people ahead of him. With a small nod, Ryan quickly understood the system.
It was a convenient way to avoid standing in line for hours. All a customer had to do was wait quietly until their number was called—a much more pleasant shopping experience.
Tag in hand, Ryan walked over to a long row of benches in the distance, sat down, and let his gaze roam quietly around the shop as he waited.
"Hm? Pokémon Breeding Center Services?"
His eyes landed on a notice posted on a far wall.
Checking his number and realizing there was still plenty of time before his turn, he stood up and made his way over—there was no harm in taking a look.
A few others were also gathered in front of the notice, reading it intently.
"As long as you can earn a Pokémon's recognition, you can obtain that Pokémon!"
Ryan heard someone exclaim in surprise before he even got close.
Pokémon? What's that?
Some kind of special magical beast? The term was unfamiliar to him.
"Are you interested in our Pokémon Breeding Center Services?"
It was the same attendant from earlier, smiling warmly as she handed him a booklet.
"You can take a look at this first."
Ryan thanked her again and took the booklet. Its cover read: Trainer's Manual.
Trainer? That, too, was a term he had never heard before.
He opened the manual. The very first sentence read:
A Trainer is someone who captures, trains, and cares for Pokémon, living together with them.
He stared at the sentence for a few moments, and his heart skipped a beat. Taken literally, it seemed that "Pokémon" were magical beasts, and "Trainers" were akin to beast tamers or knights—just under a different name.
Knight's Manual? he translated in his mind as he continued reading. Most of the manual explained what a Trainer was, along with a Trainer's responsibilities and duties.
"As long as a Trainer treats their Pokémon with sincerity, the Pokémon will also treat you with sincerity…"
He read the words aloud softly, and for some reason, they struck a chord deep inside him.
His gaze returned to the wall notice, and he froze for a moment.
"As long as you can earn a Pokémon's recognition, you can obtain that Pokémon!"
He murmured the sentence again.
Looking down at the Trainer's Manual in his hand, then up at the poster, he suddenly realized—this was actually a path to knighthood.
No need for formal knight training. No need to purchase a magical beast. If one became a Trainer, one would have the chance to capture a magical beast. All that was required was the beast's recognition—and then it would be yours.
"Earn a magical beast's recognition…"
He whispered the words again, his eyes growing brighter and brighter. Wasn't this exactly what he wanted?
His hand instinctively pressed against his chest, where the pouch containing all his money—and his family's entire savings—was hidden.
Now it seemed he might not even need to spend it to gain a magical beast. If that was true, he could save the money and bring it back home.
The thought made his heart race.
From then on, Ryan began actively asking questions—what exactly was a Trainer, what were Pokémon, and how could one gain the chance to capture one?
Half a day later, he left the Pokémon Breeding Center full of excitement.
"Gil, we're heading east."
The coachman blinked in confusion.
"But young master, the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild is to the north."
"The Gilded Fang Merchant Guild? We're not going there anymore! We're going to Fruitvale Village in the southeastern corner of the territory!"
Ryan's tone was firm.
"I think I've found the true path to becoming a knight."
The coachman still looked puzzled, but since his master had spoken so decisively, he could only turn the carriage toward the southeast, gradually leaving the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild farther and farther behind.
…
Meanwhile, at the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild, President Nelson had been having a difficult time lately.
Because of the recent potion issues, the guild had suffered heavy losses, barely managing to hold on.
Their original plan had been simple—suppress Fruitvale Village, cut off its trade with other territories, and halt its growth entirely.
But now, with the start of the grain-snatching campaigns, they had been dragged into the mess and forced into a direct grain war with Fruitvale Village.
Thankfully, winter was almost here, and this "grain war" would soon come to an end. Once food supplies ran short, Fruitvale Village would never survive the season.
The only way for them to get through the winter would be to drastically reduce both their knight corps and their population, hoarding their limited food just to stay alive.
And that was exactly what the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild wanted to see—once their knights and population were reduced, Fruitvale's strength would become brittle and fragile. By next spring, they wouldn't be able to stop the beast hunters from pouring in.
Even if their lord tried to ban magical beast hunters from entering, without enough defenders, the place would still become a paradise for hunters.
Knock, knock, knock, knock—
Nelson was still planning the guild's next moves when the sound of urgent knocking interrupted him.
The knocks were so rapid and forceful that his expression stiffened. His heart skipped a beat, and a drop of cold sweat trickled down his temple.
Involuntarily, he recalled the last time a steward had barged in with news about potions—bad news. An uneasy dread coiled in his chest.
'Hah… I'm probably just being paranoid.'
After a long moment, he rasped hoarsely, "Come in."
The steward entered quickly, eyes flicking toward the President sitting behind the desk, fingers interlocked, eyes closed in thought.
"President… news from Fruitvale Village."
The steward's head stayed bowed, as though hesitant to speak further.
Fruitvale Village… Nelson opened his eyes and looked at the man, and that uneasy feeling only grew stronger.
"Bring it here."
"Yes, President."
Nelson took the letter in his strong hands and slowly unfolded it.
The next instant, his hands trembled violently. His eyes squeezed shut in pain—it was just as he had feared: bad news.
The letter reported that the eastern lords had formed an alliance, each establishing a Pokémon Breeding House within their own territories in cooperation with Fruitvale Village.
Opening his eyes again, Nelson continued reading. His face grew darker with each line, until his complexion turned deathly pale, drained of all color.
"These eastern lords… are they dead set on opposing us?!"
His fists clenched, crushing the letter as veins bulged across the back of his hands.
After a long, heavy silence, he leaned back in his chair, calculating the consequences this would have for the guild.
This was not just bad news for the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild—it meant that their enemy was no longer just Fruitvale Village, but the entire alliance of eastern lords.
Knock, knock, knock, knock—
Another urgent knock broke his thoughts.
"Come in," he said in a low voice.
This time, it was the steward in charge of beast trading. He wasted no time.
"President Nelson, we've just received a huge number of order cancellations from eastern lords for tamed magical beasts."
It was said in a rush—never before had they seen such mass cancellations.
Typically, magical beast hunters captured their prey in spring, tamed them in summer, and delivered them to the lords in autumn. In winter, these magical beasts would be sent into battle.
For that reason, lords would always have the guild tame magical beasts ahead of time and collect them in autumn. It had always been this way.
But now… these lords no longer wanted their tamed beasts. Did they not fear the winter magical beast tides?
"Order cancellations…" Nelson closed his eyes briefly, then looked sharply at the earlier steward.
"Go and summon all the managers of the beast trading posts."
Soon, they were gathered, each placing their ledgers on the desk. Nelson examined them—and his entire body shook.
Just as he'd suspected, sales had plummeted. Large numbers of beasts simply weren't selling.
Pokémon Breeding Houses…
Nelson thought back to the reports he'd heard about them.
At first, he'd found it laughable. He knew how hard it was to tame a magical beast—how could simply "earning its recognition" be enough to capture it?
He'd scoffed that it might lure in a few squires for a while, but really—how many magical beasts could Fruitvale Village even offer to commoners?
And what good was a Oddish in battle? If a knight took a Oddish as a partner, the whole realm would laugh them out of existence.
But now, the very service he had mocked was quietly hollowing out the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild's foundation. Their business was bleeding away.
"If this continues, the guild won't last much longer…"
Gritting his teeth, he rose unsteadily to his feet and left the room. The guild—and perhaps the entire Ironblood Alliance—would have to make plans soon.
…
In the northern border of Aspiration City, the town of Casston lay right against the northeastern territories.
Baron Cass was listening to his treasurer's report.
The man spoke in a cautious, hesitant tone, occasionally glancing up at the baron's dark expression.
"What did you say? Revenue from magical beast sales is zero?"
The baron's voice suddenly rose.
Not a single tamed magical beast had been sold from his lands for so long—it was unheard of.
"Yes, my lord," the treasurer said, bracing himself.
"Not just us—other territories are seeing the same thing."
Baron Cass studied him for a long moment, then gave a curt nod and waved him away irritably.
When the treasurer had gone, the baron moved to the window. The streets outside were far from bustling—the north had grown desolate.
If not for his quiet selling of surplus grain, the territory's finances would already have collapsed. But even now, things were dire. The Ironblood Alliance seemed to be tottering.
'Perhaps… it really is time to choose.'
Turning sharply, Baron Cass went to his bookshelf and pulled out a book. Inside it lay a letter.
It was from Earl Ruize.
Since Cass's lands bordered the northeastern territories, Ruize had approached him not long ago, urging him to join the Eastern Alliance.
"The territory is under threat. I must make a choice," Cass muttered, a grim resolve settling on his face.
He knew exactly what betraying the Ironblood Alliance would mean. From the moment he made that choice, Ironblood Fortress would never spare him.
'But so, what?
The Eastern Alliance is about to ban all dealings with beast hunters, closing the entire Black Forest to them.
When that happens, the beast trade will collapse—and small lords like me will be the first sacrifices the Alliance casts aside.
If I join the Eastern Alliance now, as the first lord to break away, they'll go to great lengths to protect me—precisely to lure in more defectors.
And I still have plenty of grain. Before joining, I can buy up more from nearby lords. That grain is exactly what the Eastern Alliance needs.
And besides… Fessen is my son. If it comes to it… well, that too will be part of my bargaining chip.'
Strengthening his resolve, Baron Cass hesitated only briefly before calling for his chief knight.
"We're going to the northeastern territories. And send this letter to Fruitvale Village."
(End of Chapter)