Chapter 62: Monkey and Bird Fight

"Steady yourselves, be vigilant!" Marcus's angry cry echoed through the forest on the outskirts of Thorns Ridge, punctuated by the sharp cracks of his whip.

Thirty youths, armed with wooden staves, patrolled the woods with tense nerves, scanning every corner.

They could hear the sounds of various birds and beasts deep in the forest, perhaps even the roars of magical beasts lurking among them. For these young men, who had grown up on terrifying tales of these creatures, each passing moment felt like an eternity, sending shivers down their spines as if a magical beast might pounce at any instant.

Tony was one such anxious youth.

Clutching his wooden staff tightly, he leaned against a mighty tree, his knees trembling slightly. Last winter, a Windblade Wolf had attacked Wheat Village, consuming two slaves, leaving him with nightmares for days. Now, those haunting dreams resurfaced in his mind, and he couldn't help but pray fervently.

"Please don't eat me..."

He kept glancing at the adults chopping down trees outside, as if their presence could provide him with a sense of security.

Suddenly, a sharp crack echoed above his head. Unbeknownst to him, Marcus had already ridden up beside him, cracking his whip against the tree trunk, chipping off pieces of bark.

"Tony, I told you to keep an eye on the forest, not the lumberjacks!"

"Yes, yes, Sir Marcus."

"Show your mettle and don't disappoint me, let alone Lord himself," Marcus said coldly.

Tony promptly replied in a loud voice, "Yes, I won't disappoint you, Sir Marcus, nor will I disappoint Lord!"

Only then did Marcus ride away.

Tony breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this. He was genuinely afraid of the stern and ruthless Earth Knight. During the previous selection days, he had been whipped several times with a leather whip.

It was a real whipping; one lash left an immediate bloody welt on his skin.

If not for the chance to become a squire and alter his fate, he would never have wanted to face Marcus or confront these magical beasts.

Unbeknownst to Tony, Marcus had left with a shake of his head. The Earth Knight had already dismissed him. A knight who couldn't face their fears or withstand pressure from their surroundings had no potential. In his eyes, commoners could only ascend to nobility through trials of blood and fire. If they weren't prepared, they were better off going home and tending to their fields, rather than risking death under the hooves of warhorses in battlefields.

Continuously navigating through the woods, Marcus alternated between keeping watch over the forest's movements and observing the young boys. The morning passed uneventfully, and he had essentially finalized his selection of the twelve team members.

At noon, he reported his choices to Liszt: "My lord, Philip Wool, Xavier Cowdung, Jacob Sole, York Baldy, Wayne Haystack, Zachary Little Toe, York Cobbler, Evan Handkerchief, Sean Redcheek, Tracy Hunchback, Melon Pants, and Theodore Rotten Socks – these twelve youths will become your squires."

"Xavier Cowdung sounds like the younger brother of a butler named Jim Cowdung; York Baldy and York Cobbler have the same name, let's call one Big York and the other Little York... Inform their families that from this moment on, these twelve boys will be relieved of their productive duties and supported by the castle."

"Aye."

With the selection of the knight squad completed, Liszt took the opportunity at noon to summon the Smoke Mission.

Sure enough, the mission had been completed and updated.

"Mission completed. Reward: An unhatched Wind Falcon."

"New mission: Besides drifting bottles, the seashore might also bring unexpected surprises. Now, a sailboat carrying such a surprise is drifting towards the eastern coast. Locate and rescue the stranded vessel. Reward: A portion of the population."

"Hmm?"

Lister didn't immediately focus on the reward of the Windroving Falcon.

That was because he saw "Population." Flower Town was currently in dire need of inhabitants. With less than two thousand people in the entire town, it was even less populated than a larger village in his hometown. Without a population, as the lord, any plans he had would be hindered. What he desired most was a larger population.

"The rewarded population is connected to the distressed ship. Does that mean a ship carrying people will drift to the eastern coast soon?" Thinking this, Lister called for Gort eagerly.

"Lister, what do you need?"

"I just realized that the fishermen of Oyster Village face the vast sea, where there are quite a number of sea monsters. This is very dangerous and must be taken seriously."

"Sea monsters... They shouldn't come ashore, right?" Gort seemed unconcerned.

Sea monsters were indeed perilous and often attacked ships, but they rarely ventured onto land. Once they were stranded at low tide, they would meet a miserable end.

Lister's intention wasn't about the sea monsters. He emphasized, "We can't take any risks. Inform the patrol team immediately to focus on patrolling the eastern coast in the coming days. Report any unusual activity to me. Keep a watchful eye for a while. If no sea monsters actually come ashore, we can adjust our patrol priorities later."

"Alright, I'll inform them right away."

After Gort left, Lister finally turned his attention to the previous quest's reward—the egg of a Windroving Falcon.

He had heard of the Windwandering Falcon - a type of falcon magical beast that ranked as a low-level one. They commonly appeared near the seashore, feeding on fish from the ocean. Due to their small size, they seldom posed a threat to humans. As a result, they were considered less dangerous, but this didn't mean they were weak. On the contrary, they were formidable fighters.

They could cast a spell - Wind Blade.

This was similar to the Windblade Wolf's magic, but as a falcon, it had the natural advantage of flight. The wind blades could be shot from any direction.

In other words, it could employ a kite strategy to exhaust its opponent without taking damage.

"Then, where is my Windwandering Falcon?" Liszt cast his gaze upon the trees being cut down, his senses on high alert. "Could it be hiding in one of the trees about to fall?"

If there truly was a Windwandering Falcon, the threat it posed would be immense.

He promptly called for Marcus. "We can't just focus on land creatures in the woods. We must also keep an eye on the sky. There might be flying magical beasts here."

Marcus took his bow and arrows off his back and held them firmly, his gaze resolute. "My Lord, flying magical beasts are more vulnerable than their ground-dwelling counterparts. My arrows are always ready for them!"

Marcus' confidence inspired Liszt.

"I originally planned to learn archery from you, but I've never found the time."

"Your Grace can learn whenever you're ready."

"Mm-hmm, once this busy period is over, I'll take up archery," Liszt resolved. Archery was a must-learn skill for him, as it suited his personality to strike down enemies from afar.

Close combat was too crude and carried a higher risk of injury.

As a lord in this world, he should be enjoying life, not suffering.

In the afternoon, Liszt couldn't help but constantly look up at the trees, hoping to spot where his reward might be. However, just as the sun began to set, Gort arrived with an unexpected piece of news: "There's a fragrant palm tree in Oyster Village where a battle between monkeys and birds is currently taking place."