Chapter 77

Chapter 77

Valina hurriedly rode her mount towards the priest camp.

She had just received news. Although the young knight who brought the message was incoherent and didn't explain things clearly, both she and Baqi understood one thing.

Lancelot and his remarkable shopkeeper seemed to have stirred up some trouble again.

And it was something that the young knights deemed extremely important.

Baqi couldn't leave his post. As the commander of the outpost, he was practically stationed on the top platform of the castle around the clock, constantly monitoring the movements of the beast tide whenever he wasn't asleep.

He was always ready to handle any emergencies, such as a sudden escalation of the beast tide.

Unless a Level 9 monster broke through behind the outpost, Baqi wouldn't abandon his post.

Thus, as the daily knight officer of the Fifth Outpost, Valina immediately left what she was doing and rushed over.

"Count Cavendish! Shopkeeper Lorant," the female knight gracefully dismounted, her cloak drawing a beautiful arc in the air.

"I could see from afar that you were quite busy here. What happened?" Valina greeted them and then asked directly.

Lorant and Lancelot exchanged a glance, both seeing the excitement of finding prey in each other's eyes.

The two of them smiled at each other like foxes who had spotted their prey.

"Knight Officer Valina, your timing is perfect," Lorant said with a slight smile. "We were just about to go to the outpost to introduce you and Commander Baqi to our Animal Pet Shop's latest bred pet."

"We were slightly delayed by everyone's enthusiasm, and here you are."

"Oh? What is it?"

Valina didn't take Lorant's words seriously at all. If these two really wanted to go to the outpost as they claimed, they wouldn't have come directly to the priest camp.

It was clear they had ulterior motives, especially Lancelot.

As the highest-level combatant of the guard team, it was now his duty time, and logically, he should be with Baqi on the castle platform.

By deliberately not going where he was supposed to be, he was clearly waiting for the outpost to come to him.

However, Valina wasn't upset about this.

Rare goods naturally command a higher price.

"Follow me, Valina," Lancelot ignored Valina's accusing gaze and led her into the priest camp.

The Windbreaker Horses were left in the camp, with Estelle accompanying them.

Estelle didn't like interacting with people but was quite fond of various pets.

And perhaps due to her half-elf blood, the pets treated her more favorably than others, easily becoming close even upon first meeting.

Taking advantage of Stephanie's distraction, she slipped into the camp and brought the three Windbreaker Horses to the side of the tent.

This provided some shelter from the cold wind, making the little creatures more comfortable.

When Lancelot and the others entered, they saw Estelle gently stroking the nose of a Windbreaker Horse, making it close its eyes in contentment.

"This is the new pet we want to introduce to you—the Windbreaker Horse!" Lorant proudly approached and patted the horse's back, which gleamed like satin in the sunlight.

Valina stared straight at the Windbreaker Horse, which clearly showed its comfort under Lorant's touch.

She felt her throat dry up, and her voice became hoarse: "This, this is also a pet?"

"Yes, this is our latest bred pet," Lancelot nodded, unsurprised by Valina's reaction.

"A pet, a pet, meaning..." Valina's mind went blank, repeating the words in her mouth.

"In other words, it shares common traits with the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs, such as low aggression towards humans, communication, and learning," Lancelot added, highlighting those irresistible features.

"Of course, it's rated as a C-class beast by our shop and has unique skills," Lorant continued, explaining the detailed abilities of the Windbreaker Horse to Valina.

Valina's eyes sparkled; this was exactly what she had been dreaming of!

"Oh! This is... I mean, this is truly the perfect pet!" Valina excitedly looked at the three pets and couldn't help but ask enviously, "Can I touch it?"

"Of course!" Lorant readily agreed. "Look into its eyes for a few seconds. If the Windbreaker Horse looks away, it means you can approach further."

If it doesn't look away, it means the horse is wary of you, and forcing contact might lead to an attack.

Compared to the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs, Windbreaker Horses are more easily frightened.

Don't ask how Lorant knew this.

Leon Rist had told them not to mention that he got kicked hard by a Windbreaker Horse.

Valina nodded and followed the instructions, soon hugging the neck of a chestnut-colored horse with satisfaction.

"Shopkeeper, the Fifth Outpost has always been your friend," Valina stroked the horse's mane, thinking aloud. "The current situation with the beast tide is quite urgent, and it's dire! But! With the help of the Windbreaker Horses, we can certainly minimize casualties!"

"What I mean is, how many Windbreaker Horses can the Animal Pet Shop sell right now? Can we take them away immediately?"

Valina revealed her true intentions after a brief detour.

Lorant smiled slyly.

As for the dire situation, he didn't believe it at all.

Before coming, Lancelot had prepared him mentally, anticipating several possible scenarios. The outpost would likely exaggerate the situation to gain sympathy and funding, a strategy he had predicted first.

After all, such a routine plays out every year at the Knight Regiment's annual end-of-year distribution meeting.

Lancelot is quite familiar with this routine.

However, for Lorant now, these are matters he needs to consider. Seeing Valina's expression, he knows that the big fish he wants will surely take the bait, and that is enough.

"The Animal Pet Shop has indeed hatched a batch of Windbreaker Horses," Lorant said, looking at Valina's delighted face before mercilessly crushing her hopes. "But we have no plans to sell them at the moment."

"Why! How could this be!" Valina's eyes widened in shock and agitation.

The disappointment of seeing such valuable beasts only to learn they won't be sold was hard for her to accept.

"We previously discussed the sale of the Lapis Iceflame Dogs," Lorant said, gesturing for her to calm down and listen as he explained. "At that time, I explained that the reason Lapis Iceflame Dogs need three months before finding their owners is to complete their socialization within their pack."

"This applies equally to Windbreaker Horses."

"Moreover, the current Windbreaker Horses are still newborns, far too young." Lorant looked away from the two-meter-tall, muscular Windbreaker Horses. "They would need to reach adulthood or at least sub-adulthood, like the Lapis Iceflame Dogs, before being sold."

"But..." Valina clung tightly to the Windbreaker Horse, unwilling to let go. She wanted to say that Outpost Five was willing to buy all the Windbreaker Horses to allow them to socialize on their territory.

But then she remembered that the previous pet, the Lapis Iceflame Dog, cost fifty thousand gold coins each.

So she closed her mouth.

"However," Lancelot interjected, "the Windbreaker Horses aren't completely useless right now."

"These pets have a much shorter growth cycle than the Lapis Iceflame Dogs and grow very quickly."

Valina's hope reignited as she stared intently at both men.

"Although the Windbreaker Horses are young, they can already carry simple loads," Lorant and Lancelot exchanged glances before continuing. "Previously, the outpost wanted the Lapis Iceflame Dogs to assist with logistics. Now, it seems the Windbreaker Horses can perform just as well in this role, wouldn't you agree?"

Valina finally understood what these two were up to.

She was about to bargain as usual but then realized that the Animal Pet Shop would be their most important partner for a long time, at least until every knight had a horse.

Who else would handle the logistics?

In previous years, their outpost lacked the resources to manage such frequent and time-consuming logistics tasks.

So the Knight Regiment allocated funds for them to hire someone to handle it.

This was initially part of the favor Baqi offered Lancelot, involving the Lapis Iceflame Dogs participating in logistics to earn some money.

But after one trip where the Lapis Iceflame Dogs intercepted a group of Level Seven herd beasts, Baqi and Valina realized that not only did they not owe Lancelot any favors, they might even owe him more.

It turned out they owed themselves!

That's why when Lancelot suggested using the Lapis Iceflame Dogs to help against the beast tide, Baqi agreed.

After all, using such powerful pets for logistics was a waste!

But having the pets directly join the defense instead of acting as adventurers was a risky decision for Baqi.

Since then, the outpost had been looking for someone to take over the logistics tasks.

Who knew that now, the Animal Pet Shop could take back the task they had abandoned.

How convenient...

Valina nodded decisively, agreeing, "Of course, I believe they will be just as excellent, if not better!"

"Shall we continue with the initial agreement?" Valina asked Lancelot.

Lancelot nodded, adding, "However, there are some differences now."

Valina looked at him, wondering if he was going to demand a price increase.

"Our current number of Windbreaker Horses far exceeds the previous Lapis Iceflame Dogs," Lancelot said, aiming for something greater. "We can meet all of Outpost Five's transportation needs. Moreover, I hope Knight Officer Valina can introduce us to the leaders of the other outposts."

"It's time to discuss the possibility of handling the entire Black Forest frontline logistics!" Lancelot smiled at Lorant.

The two foxes shared a knowing smile.

For the entire shift, Lancelot openly slacked off.

He ignored Baqi's frustrated look and stayed in the meeting room with Lorant, waiting for the leaders of the other nine outposts to arrive.

"So, Valina, why did you call us here?" The daily knight officer from Outpost Six, who arrived first, had been absentmindedly drinking tea for over two hours in the reception room. He felt the tea had lost its taste.

He wanted Valina to tell him what was happening, but she insisted on waiting until everyone arrived.

She only said she had an important proposal.

So, they waited until the knight officer from Outpost One arrived, covered in blood and in a hurry, before Valina stepped forward.

"Today, I called everyone here to discuss logistics issues," Valina said, looking around. Seeing that everyone, though impatient, was listening attentively, she nodded in satisfaction.

Logistics often didn't receive much attention from many outposts, but out of respect for Valina, the knight officers listened carefully.

They trusted that Valina wouldn't misuse her authority for trivial matters.

"At the last meeting, I mentioned that Outpost Five would collaborate with the Blue Star Pet Shop during this beast tide," Valina continued. "Our collaboration has been highly successful. I believe Knight Officer Fulin is aware of this."

Fulin, the knight officer from Outpost Six, was present when Lorant and his team brought the Lapis Iceflame Dogs to the farm within Outpost Six's territory.

Fulin nodded, looking at the curious gazes of the others and said, "Yes, I did hear specific news from others."

"The Crystal Ice Flame Dogs indeed have a significant advantage in this aspect. I am willing to pay ten percent more than the current budget to hire their assistance."

Ever since the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs transported supplies, Fulin had been coveting these extraordinary beasts.

With their help, the efficiency of his outpost's logistics could be improved by leaps and bounds!

This would mean more personnel could be assigned to frontline combat, significantly easing the burden on the entire outpost.

"What, Valina, you've decided to let the 'Blue Star Pet Shop' cooperate with us?" A woman with short, neat golden hair sitting nearby laughed. She was a good friend of Valina's from their school days, and they had always maintained a close relationship: "At the last meeting, when we talked about using those convenient 'beasts' to help our outpost, you were as protective as if they were your own eyes!"

"What changed your mind?"

Valina rolled her eyes irritably.

"I've already mentioned that there are only twelve Crystal Ice Flame Dogs. They're not even enough for the Fifth Outpost alone, let alone for you guys!"

"However, the situation has changed now. I think it's better for you to see the specifics with your own eyes." She then instructed the apprentice knight standing nearby, "Go bring Knight Lancelot and Store Owner Lorant here, and ask them to bring the Windbreaker Horses along too."

"Yes!"

Lancelot couldn't stay idle for long. After waiting in the reception hall for a while without any response, he brought Lorant back up to the rooftop.

Although the platform seemed more dangerous than indoors, Lancelot was confident in himself. He believed that under such circumstances, only under his watchful eye was everything safest.

Lorant lay on the rooftop, looking down to see the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs wreaking havoc.

Unlike before, after being incorporated into the outpost's regular forces, the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs were allowed to enter the edge of the Black Forest even when the light barrier was active, which meant without 'opening the gate.'

This was a privilege reserved for Sixth-Rank Knights.

Even the outpost's knights below Sixth Rank could only wait inside the outpost for batches of monsters released periodically. They could never freely enter the Black Forest like these dogs.

As for the high platform, it was not meant for many people to stay.

After all, the outpost's high platform was limited in size, and only the top-tier combatants of Seventh and Eighth Ranks could ascend here.

Knights ranked Fourth to Sixth were considered intermediate knights, forming the backbone of the outpost's forces. They could easily handle most monsters during a beast tide but struggled against higher-level threats.

Nonetheless, these intermediate knights were the most excited during a beast tide, especially those at the peak of Sixth Rank.

Advancing from Sixth to Seventh Rank was a significant hurdle for knights, with many stuck at Sixth Rank for life, unable to become advanced knights.

They needed intense battles!

Only through such battles could they increase their chances of advancing.

To accommodate them, the outpost allowed them to freely enter the Black Forest and clear out monsters during the beast tide.

In battle and the face of life and death, they could find new beginnings.

After all, the light barrier at the edge of the Black Forest was specifically designed to target monsters.

The light wall itself had no physical substance, meaning that if a monster suddenly realized that the place emitting an instinctive aversion was harmless and merely a light barrier, it could step out of the forest anytime.

The Crystal Ice Flame Dogs were also affected by this light barrier, but they were intelligent.

After seeing the disappearance of the light barrier followed by a horde of monsters rushing out, they understood that behind this barrier lay countless interesting prey.

Yesterday, Lancelot personally led them through the light barrier once, and the little ones quickly realized that this seemingly solid wall could actually be crossed freely.

Not a real wall.

Yesterday, these little ones were thrilled, leaping around the light barrier, playing to their heart's content, and even forgetting to engage with the nearby monsters.

Today, Lorant and the others were preparing to showcase the Windbreaker Horses, but the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs weren't forgotten.

Stephanie and Estelle became the guardians of the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs, accompanying the pack into the edge of the Black Forest, tearing through the outer layers of the beast tide.

From Lorant's vantage point, the bright blue appearance of the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs could be seen jumping in and out of the dark mass of the beast tide, clearly enjoying themselves.

Meanwhile, Lancelot took the opportunity to clear two Seventh-Rank monsters.

Of course, he used gentler methods that didn't appear as bloody.

Upon receiving the notification, they prepared briefly and led the Windbreaker Horses to the reception hall.

Though fighting monsters was more enjoyable, today's main task still needed to be completed.

The moment Lorant led the Windbreaker Horses into the reception hall, the nine knight officials present could no longer focus on anything else.

They surged forward, and if not for Lancelot blocking them, Lorant and the horses would have been swarmed at the entrance.

Lancelot looked sternly at Valina, "Knight Valina, we agreed to bring the Windbreaker Horses here, but not to let you harm them."

Valina hurriedly rushed into the crowd, calming her excited colleagues.

Lorant stood aside, still shaken. He had been pulled out by Lancelot first, avoiding the knights' 'surrounding circle.' Seeing the frenzied knights, he had no intention of stepping in to protect the panicked Windbreaker Horses.

Sorry, horses, I can barely save myself!

"Everyone calm down! Don't scare it!" Valina, like an angry old hen, flapped her wings and shielded the Galesteed behind her.

Lorant had brought the chestnut-colored horse that had just interacted with Valina, and the frightened little creature was now hiding behind her, its face full of terror.

If it hadn't sensed that it couldn't defeat anyone present, the Galesteed would have shown these knights the power of "Whistling Wind"!

Once everyone had calmed down, Valina let out a sigh of relief.

She couldn't help but silently disdain her inexperienced colleagues.

Even though she had been excited when she saw the Galesteed today, she hadn't reacted this way!

Hmph! No experience!