House Silversword’s estate was located at the heart of a small town called North Pine Town, a place further south of Vale.
Before the baron became the lord of the town, it was just a small village with a few dozen families who earned their living from farming and hunting wild animals.
It was only when House Silversword was established that this place was developed into a town and gained some semblance of prosperity.
Now, North Pine Town has over six thousand residents.
When Alaric’s group passed by the town’s central square, they encountered some residents who greeted them enthusiastically.
These people respected the baron and House Silversword. They believed that it was because of the presence of the baron and the household that North Pine Town managed to grow into what it is now.
To the residents’ enthusiastic greetings, Alaric simply smiled and waved his hand.
They were in a hurry so they didn’t linger in the town to chat with the residents.
Approximately a thousand meters outside North Pine Town was the Evergreen Forest. It was a forest filled with tall evergreens that towered above the ground.
Alaric and the Knights were familiar with the forest since it was their hunting ground.
No one spoke along the way and their faces turned increasingly serious the moment they stepped inside the forest.
Thin rays of sunlight filtered through the dense foliage, lighting up the forest with an ethereal glow.
From here, the group had to follow a narrow path which was just barely enough for a carriage to pass through. This trail was a shortcut that led to the eastern side of Vale. It was a rarely used route so the road was uneven. However, to the trained horses, this jagged path was just like a walk in the park, not troubling them in the slightest.
The reason why this particular trail was rarely used was because of the presence of monsters. They were creatures more attuned to mana, making them more powerful than normal wild animals.
With the presence of these creatures, only a few brave residents and groups of hunters dared to travel here from time to time.
Following this narrow trail, one would soon hear the violent splashes of a nearby river. It was the main source of freshwater in North Pine Town, a medium-sized river called Butterfly Creek.
This river was connected to a huge lake called Silent Lake which was further east of the Evergreen Forest.
Alaric’s group had to pass through the periphery of this lake.
They had to be careful here since the lake was inhabited by powerful predators like the Iron Back Crocodile and the Gold Spotted White Anaconda. Both monsters were at the Fatal-Grade during maturity.
The good thing was that they rarely attack humans since they mostly stay in the lake.
With an experienced Knight like Henry leading the group, they didn’t encounter any of the said monsters when they passed by the side of the lake.
By the time they arrived at the Red Toad Gorge, two hours had gone by and the sky had already turned crimson with the sun about to set.
“We’re here, my lord,” Henry reported while observing the shallow stream in between the steep, rocky hills.
Alaric nodded his head, feeling a mixture of nervousness and anticipation at what they would find in the cave. Even now, he was still uncertain about what was inside that cave. Were there really Dragon Tail Ferns inside?
If there was none, he would be disappointed.
He erased the random thoughts from his mind. “Let’s go. The cave is at the opposite end of the gorge.”
Hearing his words, Henry nodded and squeezed his legs, urging his horse to move forward.
Closely following behind him were Alaric and Galanar, while Rigor and Aldrin were at the rear, cautiously eyeing the surrounding landscape with their dominant hand resting on the handle of their weapon. If they sensed any form of danger, they were ready to cover Alaric and protect him from harm.
The sound of the horses’ footsteps as they stepped on the shallow stream was the only sound that they could hear.
The surroundings were eerily quiet, making the group feel a bit tense.
At this moment, the roar of a beast suddenly broke the silence.
Alaric and the Knights turned their heads simultaneously in the same direction.
The loud roar came from the end of the gorge.
“It must be from the cave!” Aldrin exclaimed with a stern look.
That beast-like cry sent a chill down his spine. His instincts were telling him that whatever it was, it was definitely no ordinary creature.
“My lord, I think the monster inside the cave is not your average Fatal-Grade beast,” Henry remarked with a grim look after hearing the beast’s roar.
Alaric nodded.
According to the rumors he had heard from his past life, the beast living inside that cave was a Spiked Grizzly Bear. It was a wild beast bigger than the average bear and it had sharp spikes on its back.
“It sounds like the cry of a Spiked Grizzly Bear.” Rigor suddenly said with his eyebrows furrowed.
Hearing this, Alaric was a bit surprised. He could actually identify the monster based on its sound.
“What makes you so sure, Sir Rigor?” Aldrin asked.
Rigor shook his head. A gloomy look flashed in his eyes as if he had remembered a dark past. “I had a few encounters with them when I was still a mercenary.”
Aldrin no longer asked when he saw the former mercenary’s expression. Even Henry who usually joked with him didn’t say anything.
“Rigor is right. Inside that cave is a Spiked Grizzly Bear. I’m just not sure how many of them are inside.” Alaric confirmed this.
A gloomy atmosphere cast over them as soon as they heard Alaric’s confirmation.
Spiked Grizzly Bears were difficult to handle. They have thick hides that are almost impenetrable to blades. They also possessed overwhelming physical strength that could even tear apart a Knight!
However, the most fearsome feature of these creatures was the sharp spikes on their back.
Henry turned his head to Galanar and asked with a stern voice. “Sir Galanar, can you handle an adult Spiked Grizzly Bear?”
Everyone looked at the tall figure. He was the only Elite Knight in the group so they would have to rely on him to take care of the monster.
Facing everyone’s scrutinizing eyes, Galanar remained calm as he nodded his head. “If it’s just alone, I don’t have any problem dealing with it.”
The Knights were relieved by his words. They felt comforted that Alaric brought Galanar on this trip. They would have been powerless on their own.
Even a veteran Knight like Henry wasn’t confident enough to fight against a creature like the Spiked Grizzly Bear.
“From this point forward, keep your eyes peeled.” Alaric reminded them.
“Yes, my lord!”