Chapter 53

Chapter 53

Outside the Animal Pet Shop stood the Black Gold Yew Squad and a transport team consisting of three knights' mounts and eleven Crystal Ice Flame Dogs.

Wagons loaded with long down jackets that had been procured overnight from the Slime factory lined the area.

Lorant had specifically visited the Slime ranch to fetch a batch of newly designed down jackets that hadn't yet hit the market.

These down jackets were originally intended as a special supply for The Knights of the Thorns, designed to be extra long for maximum warmth, with a simple style.

They were clothes that prioritized practicality over appearance.

The group marched along the main road to the Fifth Outpost.

The sentries at the Fifth Outpost spotted them from afar.

This sight startled them; they were somewhat familiar with the three 'mounts' leading the group, a common sight at the entrance of the Black Forest due to their use by high-ranking knights.

But what kind of exotic beasts were pulling those wagons?

"Please stop!"

The guards in front of the outpost quickly formed a squad and stepped forward to intercept them.

"Hello," Lennart approached, lifting the wool scarf draped around his neck to reveal the knight's badge pinned to his chest.

In Mauplan, a knight's badge was the best pass.

"Good day, Sir Knight. Is this your merchant convoy? Are you here to use the teleportation array?" The squad leader, a third-level knight, asked after greeting him.

"No, we are not a merchant convoy; we are the Blue Star Pet Shop," Lennart shook his head. "These items are donations for the outpost. Please inform your commander that the owner of the Blue Star Pet Shop wishes to make a donation, and also notify the director that the Black Gold Yew Squad has arrived."

The squad leader looked at the large bundles on the wagons, clearly taken aback.

He had worked at the outpost for nearly a decade and had never seen anything like this before.

"Of course, Sir Knights, please come in. Please wait in the reception hall while I inform the commander." He grabbed a nearby guard. "Carl, take these gentlemen to the reception hall."

After settling the wagons and leaving them in the vast open space inside the outpost, which was about four or five football fields in size, the group was led into the castle by the guard.

Inside the castle, past the teleportation station, lay the administrative offices of the outpost's Knight Regiment. It looked like an ordinary castle.

Its layout resembled that of Castle Cavendish, though the decorations were less luxurious, featuring broken swords and shields hanging on the walls.

One of the side halls served as the reception hall of the Fifth Outpost.

Leaving Silem and others near the wagons to watch over the restless Crystal Ice Flame Dogs, Lorant and Lancelot entered the reception hall filled with comfortable chairs.

With Lancelot by his side, Lorant felt no discomfort despite it being his first time in such a place.

Compared to the rumors of outposts extorting passing merchants, Lorant preferred to see the situation firsthand.

Or rather, he didn't believe an outpost that extended its patrol lines for a shop would engage in such behavior.

Soon, Valina, the knight officer responsible for the daily affairs of the Fifth Outpost, arrived at the reception hall.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting," Valina burst through the door.

The female knight had fiery red hair and a tall, statuesque figure.

Her tight knight's armor accentuated her muscular build, and her metal boots gleamed brilliantly.

"I've been quite busy these past few days, so I couldn't get away sooner," she explained apologetically, despite the unannounced visit.

"No problem; we haven't been waiting long," Lorant replied understandingly.

"I heard from the reporting knight that you have some supplies you wish to donate to us?" Valina got straight to the point.

As a knight, even though she could be considered thoughtful, she still had a straightforward demeanor.

"That's correct. I am Lorant, the owner of the Blue Star Pet Shop. We have some pet shop merchandise that we'd like to donate to the Fifth Outpost, hoping to help you before winter arrives," Lorant nodded in response.

"Supplies?" Valina sounded puzzled. "While this might sound presumptuous, usually shops would contact the Knight Regiment directly if they wanted to make a donation."

"You're the first ones to come directly to us."

Indeed, every year before winter, the Knight Regiment conducted a fundraising campaign, similar to the church's, hoping that city-dwelling nobles would contribute a few gold coins to aid the professionals stationed on the frontier.

The collected donations were then distributed among the various Knight Regiments and outposts.

A merchant convoy coming directly to the outpost was something Valina had never seen before.

"Here's the thing," Lancelot interjected. "The Blue Star Pet Shop is close to the Fifth Outpost, and since we aren't part of the guild, we missed the donation banquet this year."

"However, that doesn't diminish our desire to contribute. We've been pondering how best to assist."

"Yesterday, we saw a patrol squad nearby," Lancelot continued, gesturing toward Lorant. "Our shopkeeper had the idea to donate supplies to the outpost."

"Is this perhaps against the rules?" Valina hesitated.

They had never encountered such a situation before, but there was no explicit regulation prohibiting direct donations to outposts, leaving her uncertain.

"Why don't we look at what we've brought first?" Lorant smiled confidently.

Since entering the outpost, he had been observing the attire of the knights both inside and outside.

The knights at the outpost wore a uniformed cloak, a billowing gray mantle adorned with a large emblem.

However, beneath the cloak, they seemed to wear whatever they pleased, as the outpost did not enforce a standardized inner attire.

Lorant saw some knights wearing hard leather armor, while others wore multiple layers of linen.

Of course, these were mostly younger knights who clearly hadn't achieved high ranks yet.

Their options were limited; they couldn't afford expensive winter clothes made from high-grade beast materials. While ordinary leather was warmer, it hindered their movements and thus wasn't favored.

Many knights, relying on their stronger constitutions, opted for immaturely tanned leather or chose to layer more linen, enduring the cold themselves.

Some knights wore more comfortable and warm clothing, and a closer look revealed that these were higher-ranked, relatively wealthier knights.

Interestingly, Lorant spotted a knight wearing a woolen scarf made by the Slime House around his neck.

In such conditions, watching the shivering knights in the cold wind, Lorant didn't believe anyone could refuse so many winter garments.

At least any leader with a conscience wouldn't refuse such benefits for their subordinates.

Valina nodded, agreeing to the proposal, and the group headed towards the open space within the castle.

Three high-ranking knights' unique beast mounts stood there with vacant expressions, while twelve Crystal Ice Flame Dogs, now unleashed, curiously looked around.

However, with Silem and Stephanie watching nearby, they didn't run off and play.

Valina was startled as soon as she stepped outside.

"What is this?" She took a half-step back, her hand already resting on the hilt of her knight's sword.