The carriage rolled past the outer roads of the Glimor Barony, wheels rattling over stone and packed earth.
A trade path threading between the barony and the next town, cutting clean through the edges of the woods.
There was another road, a longer one too, those who didn’t dare cross the woods choose that.
But right now, they were not only going to the next town, but also gonna hunt so beasts down.
The trees thickened on either side.
Tall. Quiet. Still washed in the pale blue of morning light.
Then—
The carriage jerked to a halt.
Snrrkkhh! Grrrhhkk!
Low, guttural snarls echoed from the woods.
Iris stiffened beside Alaric.
The guards straightened, hands already on hilts.
Alaric shifted slightly and leaned forward to peer out the small side window.
Dozens of figures moved between the trees.
Shadows. Low to the ground. Eyes glinting faintly in the dim light.
Gray fur. Long limbs. Wide jaws.
Alaric narrowed his eyes.
From the seat across, the older guard muttered under his breath, eyes locked on the shapes outside.
"...Feral hounds?"
He sounded more confused than afraid.
"They usually move in packs but avoid human roads," he said, mostly to himself. "Never seen ’em this far south. Never this close."
The beasts weren’t attacking yet. But they weren’t hiding either.
Then—
The lead guard from Renard’s unit gave a sharp whistle and drew his blade.
That was all it took.
One of the beasts lunged.
Steel clashed.
Snarls turned into howls.
Clang!
Blades t claws.
The fight broke out fast and clean.
Trained strikes from Renard’s n, but the beasts were quick.
One leapt from a tree, slamming into a guard’s shoulder and knocking him into the mud. Another ca from the flank, jaws snapping near the horses.
Though they weren’t much stronger, the only advantage they had was the number and terrain.
Then the guards in Alaric’s carriage narrowed their eyes and looked at each other.
The older one nodded to the others, and without any hesitation.
They opened the doors.
Boots hit dirt.
And they were gone, blades flashing as they joined the fray.
Inside the carriage, Iris clutched the edge of the seat. Her fingers trembled.
She looked outside once, just a glimpse—and turned away imdiately, face pale.
Alaric watched her.
Then without a word, he reached over and squeezed her hand. Firm. Steady.
Iris looked up at him.
He didn’t speak.
But his presence was enough.
Within minutes, it was over.
The beasts lay scattered across the muddy path, their bodies still twitching as the last flickers of life slipped out.
Renard’s guards moved efficiently, like they’d done this before.
No words exchanged.
One of them knelt beside the largest corpse and pulled out a short hunting blade. He pressed it just below the creature’s chest, sliced cleanly, then reached inside with both hands.
Then—
He pulled back, palm slick with blood, sothing round glinting faintly between his fingers.
A crystalline lump. Faintly pulsing.
Like it was still alive.
Alaric’s eyes narrowed.
He glanced again, just to confirm, and saw the others doing the sa.
Each beast. Sa place. Sa thod. Sa result.
Then, he murmured inside his mind.
What are they doing, system?
The translucent screen popped before his eyes.
[Extracting Essence Cores from the beasts.]
Essence Core? Alaric raised a brow.
[Every living being has Essence, which they accumulate over ti. When that energy condenses and stabilizes within the body, it forms a Core, usually near the heart.]
[It serves as both a reservoir and a signature of the being’s strength.]
[But when a human dies, their Essence fades back into the world, dissolving. Beasts, though... their Essence condenses. It solidifies inside their bodies. That’s what they’re pulling out, an Essence Core. Though, so beast’s essence also dissolves into the world just like essence, if their essence’s not strong enough to exist after their death. A Core is found to be 1 in 4 beasts.]
[It can be absorbed to grow stronger, traded, sold, or even forged into weapons or artifacts.]
Alaric looked out again, eyes trailing the n pocketing the blood-slick stones with practiced ease.
So that’s what they’re really after... No wonder Renard was so eager to help, he needed these materials, aside from wooing her.
One by one, the Essence Cores were collected, slick, pulsing stones still faintly warm in the guards’ palms.
Then, all four of Renard’s guards approached him.
Without a word, they knelt and handed him the cores, each placed neatly in a black velvet pouch that Renard tucked into his coat with a satisfied nod.
The Glimor estate guards stood nearby, silent.
Watching.
But they said nothing.
And how could they?
Renard was the son of a Count.
And they?
They were just simple n from a barony. They didn’t have the right to speak, let alone question.
So they kept quiet.
Once the clearing was cleaned up, the n returned to their carriages, blood still staining their boots.
Doors slamd shut.
And the convoy began moving again.
Inside Alaric’s carriage, the tension hadn’t lifted.
Iris sat with her hands clasped tight in her lap, gazing out of the window.
Alaric stayed still beside her.
Then, the younger guard next to him shifted and spoke up in a low voice.
"That wasn’t normal, right?"
His eyes were still fixed out the window, as if unsure if he should’ve said it out loud.
The other guards across from them gave a slow nod.
"No," he muttered. "Not even close."
Another added, "Yeah, they don’t co this far. They just stay in their territories and hunt smaller creatures and avoid humans and other beasts at all cost, so they dwell just a little deep from the outskirts but not so deep in the woods."
Then the oldest of the three let out a short breath.
"Sothing might’ve stirred their territory. Forced them out and might have drove them this way."
Alaric glanced at him, quietly, listening to all of this with mild interest.
The guard t his gaze briefly, then looked away.
"But whatever it was... must’ve been worse."
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