Joining the hunt

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At No. 13, Golden Champagne Avenue, two male servants pushed open the black iron gate. An open carriage waiting by the gate drove along the spacious, clean street.

The weather was fine, so Seth traveled in an open carriage. Initially, he intended to ride directly to the lumberyard. However, the groom, Old Cook, informed him that his father needed the carriage in the morning, and it required two purebred horses to pull it.

If Seth wanted to go to the lumberyard, the only option was an open carriage, which a single horse could pull.

The carriage left Golden Champagne Avenue, bypassed Memorial Square, passed through the green road where dragons and snakes mingled, and headed towards the Abury Mountains behind Enqi Town.

As they passed through the central area of town, Seth noticed that other areas had dirt roads aside from Golden Champagne Avenue and the paved road around Memorial Square. These roads were manageable on sunny days but turned muddy when it rained.

Even if you choose to travel after the rain, without a carriage, your trousers will get dirty.

When the opportunity arises, I'll suggest Dad to make a municipal donation to pave the rest of the town with hard roads. This will help create a positive image and gain support from the townspeople, improving my image as well. Sitting in the carriage, Seth's thoughts wandered.

Soon, the carriage left Enqi Town. In the suburbs, there were more trees and fewer houses.

A road paved with mud and stones extended towards the Albury Mountains. As they passed a fork in the road, Seth saw a dilapidated farmhouse at the end, which looked like it had yet to be repaired in years.

Briar roses covered the gravel wall of the farmhouse, and the dense surrounding trees prevented sunlight from reaching it, casting the farmhouse in a dark shade.

An open space was surrounded by wooden piles near the farmhouse, indicating plans to build a fence. Some logs were piled up in the open space, but construction had only started briefly.

As the carriage passed the fork, two black dogs tied to the farmhouse door suddenly jumped up and barked fiercely at the carriage.

Throughout the process, no one came out to scold the dogs, as if the farmhouse had been abandoned.

"That's Ain's home. His farm hasn't been operational for a while, and the livestock he purchased have disappeared," said Matthew, the servant sitting next to Seth, pointing to the gloomy farmhouse.

Seth remembered this as one of the few exciting things Matthew had mentioned at Memorial Square a few days ago.

"That old fellow Ain has no time to repair the farm," Old Cook interjected jokingly, "I heard him bragging two months ago that he had two healthy grandchildren."

"He firmly believes his grandson will be a big shot in the future, but he didn't spoil us. You know, his daughter Saila has always been a bit mad and has some mental issues. What man would want to marry such a wife?"

"But last month, Ain got drunk and showed us a child in his arms, saying it was one of his grandchildren."

"Goddess, that was no ordinary child. Ugly doesn't begin to describe the child's appearance. He had a face like a goat, dark skin, a bristly chin, and his cry was terrifying."

"And the child was too big; it didn't look like a one-month-old baby."

Amid Old Cook's chatter, they arrived at the lumberyard, and Seth quickly forgot the groom's words and focused on the forest farm.

Many logs were placed in an open space, and workers processed them. The timbers were then shipped to steel mills or other places where they were needed.

This lumberyard earned the Seth family at least 20,000 pounds yearly.

On the other side of the open space was a row of wooden houses for workers. However, several of them now served as temporary residences for hunters.

The carriage entered the open space, and Seth saw several tables in front of the wooden house, with seven or eight men sitting around them. It seemed they had just finished breakfast, but the plates were still on the tables, yet to be cleared away.

Among them stood a middle-aged man with brown hair. He had a rugged outline and robust features. His brown eyes reflected the carriage parked not far away.

He put on a wide-brimmed felt hat and approached.

"This is Leon the Hunter," the servant in the carriage dutifully introduced Seth.

Seth nodded slightly, jumped out of the carriage, and smiled loudly, "Good morning, Mr. Leon."

Leon placed his hands on his chest, bowed slightly, and narrowed his eyes, "Good morning, Mr. Seth. May I ask why you are here?"

Seth responded generously, "I know that, under my father's commission, you have been dealing with the wild wolves in the mountains these past few days. Thank you for your efforts, so I brought a small gift."

Seth glanced at Matthew, who understood and took two bottles of white wine from the carriage, placing them on the wooden table.

A bearded man exclaimed, "Goodness, I saw this in a restaurant. This wine costs 2 pounds a bottle!"

Leon was slightly taken aback, then smiled, "Thank you for your generosity, but the baron has already paid us a commission. We cannot accept such an expensive gift."

"You can," Seth smiled, revealing his real purpose, "I heard you are going hunting in the mountains today, and I want to contribute as well."

Leon immediately frowned and was about to ask his companion to return the wine, but he saw that the bearded man had already uncorked a bottle and was pouring it.

The hunter could only say, "Mr. Seth, this differs from your usual hunting. Wolves are pack animals and very dangerous. The environment of Mount Ebury is complex, and I cannot guarantee your safety."

Seth had anticipated such a response and was quick to persuade the hunter. Instead, he looked at the table and the plates, "Do you still need these things?"

Leon looked puzzled.

"Matthew," Seth winked at the valet. Matthew put away the plates on the table and threw them into the air one by one in different directions.

Boom!

The gunshot came from the snake-scale revolver in Seth's hand. With precise shots, he shattered each plate in mid-air.

Bang, bang, bang—

Seth's arm remained steady, constantly moving, smashing plates in the air one after another. Although Hunter had improved his fighting skills the most, it also made Seth's senses more sensitive and significantly enhanced his flexibility and concentration.

Additionally, Seth already had a foundation in marksmanship, and his skills had improved. After taking the potion, his shooting ability was further enhanced.

He quickly hit multiple plates moving at high speeds in different directions.

His marksmanship was enough to astonish the hunters around him.

The bearded man pouring the wine was so dazed he didn't notice when the glass overflowed. He didn't realize the white wine had spilled onto the table. He yelled, "Shit!" and lay down on the table, starting to suck up the spilled wine.

Seth lowered his arm, holstered the revolver, and smiled at Leon.

"I will be responsible for my safety."