Elf Kingdom: Game of the World Tree-Chapter 281 - 270 Streamwood Town and the Guards

Holy Mania Empire, Fengye Territory at the southwestern border.

As the empire’s frontier outpost, on the map, Fengye Territory seemed like a protruding dagger, crossing the Vimur River and diagonally inserted at the junction of the Dark Mountain Range, Elf Forest, and Aries Kingdom.

In fact, a thousand years ago, this place truly belonged to the original Elf Forest. Many Elf Ruins remain on the territory, and they have become a popular destination for some nobles and travelers...

Southwest of Fengye Territory, Streamwood Town.

The winter sky was incredibly blue. The biting cold wind made the frozen windmill at the town’s entrance creak, while the houses built from bricks and wood still had a considerable layer of snow remaining.

In the old alley, smoke lazily wafted upward, exuding the aroma of bread and roasted meat. Occasionally, the sounds of children playing and frolicking could be heard.

At the town’s entrance, in the guard’s watch post.

The campfire danced to the crackling of dry wood. Two guards, one fat and one thin, clad in leather armor, sat around the fire, drinking murky ale in a drunken stupor while roasting a plump rabbit they had just caught in the wild, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

"Burp... is it ready yet?"

The short and chubby guard belched drunkenly.

He eagerly eyed the golden, oil-dripping rabbit meat exuding a tempting aroma, swallowing his saliva with expectation and asking eagerly.

"Don’t rush, roast it a bit longer! It’ll be tastier!"

The tall and skinny guard in charge of roasting the rabbit meat rolled his eyes, took out a small bag with care, and opened it to reveal some fine salt.

Watching him, he painstakingly took some and sprinkled it on carefully,

"Add a bit of salt, it’ll taste better."

"Burp—"

The short and chubby guard, fixated on the golden oil-dripping rabbit meat, had his eyes increasingly glued on it.

While the two were busy roasting meat, suddenly, the copper bell hanging on one side of the watch post issued a series of clear chimes.

The tall and skinny guard turned his head to look, and his expression immediately became stern,

"Hmm? The trap’s been triggered!"

The chubby guard, however, was suddenly invigorated,

"Hmm? Did we catch a beast again?"

He subconsciously swallowed hard.

"Not sure, it could also be a Demon Beast. Recently, quite a few Demon Beasts have been running out from the direction of the Elf Forest, might even be some big ones. We aren’t professionals, gotta be careful..."

The skinny guard shook his head and then motioned with his mouth,

"Come on, grab your gear, let’s go take a look."

"But... the rabbit meat."

"Leave it here for now, we’ll be back shortly."

"Uh... alright."

The two put on their helmets, grabbed their weapons, and then walked out of the watch post.

They followed a hidden rope towards the outskirts...

The fields were covered with heavy white snow.

And the traps they set for catching prey were hidden in the snow.

For some reason, this winter, the beasts roaming outside the town were much more numerous than in previous years, with many Demon Beasts, originally only heard of in the Elf Forest, appearing as well.

Earlier, Streamwood Town had even been hit by a beast tide.

So, considering safety, the town specifically established such an observation post.

And the traps served as both a warning and a hunting tool.

The biting cold wind blew away the men’s inebriation as they tightened their grip on their weapons, held their breath, and cautiously approached the traps...

Before long, they saw a figure caught in a beast trap.

But it wasn’t a beast, it was a human.

He appeared to be a human male around fifty years old, thin in stature, with disheveled hair, lamenting as he hugged his leg caught in the trap.

Covered in dirt and looking extremely haggard, shivering from the cold, his clothes were tattered with a streak of blood yet faintly recognizable as a butler’s attire made from the finest materials only the elite could afford...

A human?!

The two guards gaped in astonishment.

And when they saw his face clearly...

"Lord Anders?! Is that you?! Did you escape from the Black Dragon?!"

The tall guard exclaimed in surprise.

"Lord Anders? What’s happened to you? Why have you lost so much weight?!"

The chubby guard remarked in shock.

Anders: ...

"Don’t mention it! Quick! Help me get this trap off, who the hell set this at the village entrance?! Damn it! Don’t they know it could accidentally hurt someone?!"

Anders cursed weakly.

*It’s already winter, and we are at the border, apart from those smuggling traders, who else would come from outside the town?* freewёbn૦νeɭ.com

The two grumbled internally.

Nonetheless, they quickly helped Anders out of the trap...

After all, this was the Lord’s butler, an eminent person!

Once free from the trap, Anders stood up with a limp, and at that moment, his stomach let out a loud rumble.

"Gululu~"

Anders’ filthy old face flushed slightly.

He coughed lightly a few times, asking cheerfully,

"Got anything to eat?"

The two guards exchanged glances and were about to respond when Anders sniffed, his eyes lighting up,

"What’s that smell? Delicious."

Guards: ...

...

Streamwood Town’s watch post.

Anders was sitting by the campfire, ravenously devouring the golden crispy rabbit meat, his mouth and hands covered in grease.

Seeing him eat like someone who hadn’t had a meal in a month, the two guards exchanged a glance and were speechless.

The skinny guard seemed fine, but the chubby guard, watching the rabbit meat being devoured bit by bit by Anders, couldn’t help but stare.

Finally, the skinny guard tugged his sleeve, and he reluctantly looked away.

"Cough, cough..."

It seemed he ate too quickly, as Anders suddenly choked. The skinny guard noticed and handed the chubby guard’s beer pouch filled with ale to him,

"Lord Anders, take it slow, drink some ale to ease it along."

He said.

Chubby guard: ...

Anders didn’t refuse graciously.

He grabbed it and gulped down a large mouthful.

But soon, his face changed, and with a "pfft," he spat out all the ale he swallowed,

"Is this ale? How much water was mixed in?! It’s awful!"

The skinny guard seemed fine, but the chubby guard was displeased.

He pursed his lips and muttered,

"Ale is so expensive... how many times can we drink if we don’t dilute it..."

"Hmm?!"

Anders’s face instantly turned unpleasant.

The skinny guard was startled.

He quickly pulled the chubby guard behind him, offering Anders a sheepish grin,

"Ahem... Lord Anders, you know, we’re just a border town, resources are tight here, having any ale at all is a blessing. Please bear with us."

Hearing his words, Anders’s demeanor softened significantly.

He took another bite of rabbit meat, reverting to his usual lofty demeanor as he praised,

"The rabbit is roasted nicely."

"Thank you for the compliment."

The skinny guard replied.

Despite deliberately trying to appear regal, Anders’s current appearance was rather disheveled, which made him look somewhat comical.

Seeing his disheveled state, the two guards felt a hint of smug satisfaction in their hearts.

It must be known that a few months ago, this butler had come to town as a tax collector.

Like the nobles from the city, he was quite greedy, which made the townsfolk displeased with him.

When this guy was abducted by the Black Dragon, quite a few people clapped in joy.

Of course, such thoughts were not spoken out loud.

Moreover... along with Anders, many townsfolk were also captured.

Thinking of this, the skinny guard couldn’t help but ask,

"Lord Anders, uh... what about the others?"

"What others?"

Anders was slightly perplexed.

"Those... who were taken by the Black Dragon along with you."

"Them, huh..."

Anders’s gaze flickered momentarily, followed by a sigh,

"Let’s not talk about it."

"Sigh... once freed from the Black Dragon’s control, we were scattered when we encountered a beast tide on our way back."

"In my escape, I lost my way, and only just managed to return today... What, no one else has come back?"

The two guards exchanged a more serious look.

To be sure, no one else had returned.

However, when Anders mentioned the beast tide, they knew it was a bad situation.

In recent months, the Demon Beasts around had been restless. If they truly encountered a beast tide, it would indeed be... perilous.

A few months ago, it was unknown what provoked the beasts in the Elf Forest, suddenly surging forth as if they were mad, causing significant damage to Streamwood Town.

Fortunately, the surging beasts were low-level without causing human casualties.

But in the winter, should there be a beast tide, it would bring forth powerful Demon Beasts!

Thinking about this, the guards were saddened.

If they faced a beast tide... survival might come at a terrible cost.

And with Anders back, the others who hadn’t returned might... never come back at all.

"In the name of the Eternal Lord..."

The chubby guard drew a sun symbol over his chest, appearing somewhat despondent.

Among them were friends he had played with since childhood.

"In the name of the Eternal Lord..."

The skinny guard sighed too, quietly praying.

The small watch post fell into silence.

Anders’s eyes flickered, a slight sigh of relief escaping him.

He swallowed hard, resuming his rabbit feast.

Meanwhile, the two guards stared absentmindedly at the campfire.

At this moment, the alarm bell rang again...

————

Hmm, this is quite lengthy for today. How about considering a monthly vote?