Chapter 146: [The Countrybumpkin Shows His Might]

"What... what the fuck is this supposed to mean?"

Shaya was utterly dumbfounded.

How could someone inexplicably show up and deliver such a massive, valuable gift? Then, without saying a single word, they turned around and left without even uttering a sound.

Damn it, are there really things like this happening in the world?

Looking at the glittering pile of gold on the ground, Shaya pinched his chin with a slight ache in his teeth.

Afrecat, standing beside him, was also stunned for a moment. Then he let out a long breath, looked at Shaya, and gave a bitter smile. "It seems the old rumors are true... Ah, I had only ever heard tales of this, never having the chance to witness it firsthand. Given my status, I was never qualified to come into contact with such matters. I never expected to actually encounter it today."

Shaya turned his head. "What are you talking about?"

Afrecat first smiled, then made a gesture to Soyte. Soyte immediately hurried over and closed the courtyard gates. Only then did Afrecat squat down, grab a handful of gold coins, examine them closely for a few moments, and sigh softly.

"I've fought tooth and nail, spilling blood in the arena for years, and I've never earned this much money. My Lord, you merely showed your face a little today, and wealth rolls right in to your doorstep. Heh... Thinking about it really makes one sigh."

Shaya chuckled. "What on earth is going on? Judging by your expression, you must know."

Afrecat nodded with a smile, then turned serious. "Legend has it that this is the consistent style of how these people operate. Although they didn't say anything, they have actually made their intentions entirely clear. The carriage that came bore an emblem—the emblem of their chamber of commerce. Anyone with half a brain knows who sent this money."

Shaya frowned and thought for a moment. "You mean... the chamber of commerce holding the betting rights for that arena tournament sent gifts to yours truly?"

"Who else could it be if not them?" Afrecat shook his head with a smile. "This is also a tradition; it's not the first time they've done something like this."

The Wolf-fang warrior then patiently explained: "The empire's major commercial families have a long history and deep roots. Their potential power cannot be underestimated. Even those prominent, top-tier aristocratic families probably share intricate, thousand-threaded connections with them. This arena tournament has existed since the founding of the empire, and passed down to this day, it has become a tradition. How many business opportunities does the tournament spark every year? These are all gushers of wealth. Yet, even so, they need to manipulate things behind the scenes to maximize their profits—and they have always operated this way. The remarks you made on the viewing stands today regarding 'match-fixing'—surely you understand the reasoning behind them yourself. Fixing matches is for profit, and manipulation is also for profit. To make the arena tournament more explosive and sensational, the merchant guilds often resort to special tactics. For instance, to draw the audience's attention and create hype and fame, they frequently use underhanded methods to lure renowned powerhouses into participating. Those true powerhouses are different from the warriors struggling in the vanity fair; those people are the ones truly standing above the clouds. If they can manage to recruit just one such figure to compete, that year's arena tournament will become extraordinarily explosive, creating a continent-wide sensation and bringing in limitless business opportunities."

Shaya shook his head. "True powerhouses? How could they willingly debase themselves and come here to suffer such humiliation?"

In his mind, he couldn't help but think of the only powerhouse he knew: Hastings. With Hastings's proud and rebellious nature, no matter how down and out he might be, he would never be willing to step onto a stage to duel others while people paid for tickets to come and watch!

Afrecat shook his head. "Powerhouses are still human. No matter how strong an individual is, they inevitably have family, friends, parents, wives, and children. Living in this world, many things are simply out of one's control. Especially some powerhouses who, despite their illustrious reputations, possess no foundation of their own and live in seclusion—such individuals are the primary targets of those merchant guilds. If luring them with profit fails, they resort to coercion; there is always a method to bring someone to heel! Especially those once-illustrious powerhouses who are now aging and past their prime, left with nothing but an empty shell. Yet, that empty shell's reputation is valued even more by the guilds. Over the years, I have witnessed many such scenes: once-famous masters, now in their twilight years, suddenly appearing in public to enter the competition. Those with good fortune gain both fame and fortune, while those with bad fortune suffer the tragedy of aging heroes dying miserably on the fighting ring, turning into dust..."

Pausing for a moment, Afrecat lowered his voice. "Just three years ago, there was a famous imperial swordmaster whose strength had reached the ranks of a level-nine warrior. Nearly sixty years old and long retired from the world, he suddenly reappeared to compete that year! This man had always been indifferent to fame and fortune, refusing to yield even when recruited by numerous aristocratic families. Yet suddenly, he entered the competition with great fanfare, baffling everyone. In the end, due to his advanced age, his combat strength had declined too severely, and he was slaughtered on the ring during the main tournament... The tragic scene at the time was truly heartbreaking!"

Afrecat paused again, then lowered his voice further. "Later, a rumor came to light: that old swordmaster had an only son of mediocre talent, who, lured by certain individuals, fell deep into the five poisons of wine and women, eventually committing a monstrous disaster! Because of this, the old swordmaster was implicated. Under the coercion of certain parties, and for the sake of his son, he had no choice but to step forward and compete. The match he ultimately lost was one where he deliberately feigned weakness, allowing the merchants behind the scenes to rake in a fortune through betting. However, he never expected those villains to be so ruthless; taking advantage of his feigned weakness during the match, his opponent pressed the attack too aggressively with a sneak attack, directly inflicting fatal injuries and taking his life! As for his son, he wasn't killed afterward, but he was left to wander the southern slums of the capital, living in a daze day in and day out, completely out of his mind..."

Hearing this, Shaya sneered repeatedly. Looking at the gold coins on the ground, he let out a cold hum. "Oh? Could it be that these bastards sent me money with designs on me as well, wanting me to compete and make money for them?"

Afrecat burst into laughter. "With your reputation—wounding the Odin powerhouse Hastings on the battlefield—such renown is currently unrivaled in the entire empire! Your name alone is naturally enough to make their hearts flutter. However, in my view, they certainly do not have designs on you.

"You are different from that old swordmaster of a few years ago. That old swordmaster was a commoner with a proud nature who always refused to be recruited by aristocrats, meaning he had no backing; being framed meant nothing to them. But you, after all, are currently a baron personally conferred by His Majesty, and furthermore appointed as the military commander of a whole province. With vast authority in your hands, you are a person of real power and influence—an official of high rank who can mobilize thousands of troops with a single gesture! Those sordid tactics of the merchant guilds are only used to bully isolated and helpless retired masters. Toward a figure with such formidable backing as yourself, they dare only seek friendship; they would never dare harbor any malicious thoughts toward you."

Afrecat thought for a moment. "So, I pondered upon it: it's most likely because you suddenly appeared on the stage today and crippled that fellow Philip, leading to your recognition—My Lord, do not be surprised. Given their intelligence networks, Oskilia is neither too large nor too small, and it is hardly strange for a prominent figure like you to be recognized by them. I imagine these gold coins were sent merely as a gesture of goodwill, and at the same time, an expression of submission and conciliation."

"What do you mean?"

"That Philip..." Afrecat sighed. "Although I don't know all the details, knowing Philip's character, I can guess a fair bit. Philip must have spent a massive amount of money beforehand to grease palms. The match organizers within the guild had already colluded with Philip and rigged the arrangements. But you suddenly appeared, forced your way in, and crippled Philip, which directly ruined their plans. For an ordinary person, this would undoubtedly spell catastrophic disaster! But since Your Majesty has granted you a different status, and these people dare not provoke a military figure of true authority like yourself, they can only come knocking to butter you up and show weakness. As for this money, sending it serves only one purpose: to beg for your magnanimity so you won't continue ruining their good enterprise, offering a generous gift as a gesture of conciliation and deference. As the saying goes, 'He who takes a man's money must help him secure his business.' Since you've accepted their generous gift, naturally it would be quite embarrassing to continue making things difficult for them."

Hearing this, Shaya finally came to a sudden realization. He stared wide-eyed at Afrecat, then burst into hearty laughter. "Interesting! This is fucking interesting! It seems I'm still just a bumpkin. There are so many twists and turns behind a simple matter like this. If not for an experienced old bird like you explaining it, I really wouldn't have understood these riddles they're playing."

With that, he glanced back down at the gold coins on the ground, wearing a rustic grin. "Damn it, isn't this just paying protection money?! Fine! Anyway, I only acted on a whim today and didn't plan on troubling these fellows in the first place, yet somehow I've come into an unexpected fortune for no reason. Heh heh... Looks like whenever I'm short on cash in the future, I can just head over to the arena to stir up some trouble, and come back and wait for these people to deliver money to my doorstep."

Afrecat didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "My Lord... well, these people are insidious and cunning. This trick only works once, not twice. There's no need to make enemies with them over such meager gains..."

Shaya laughed loudly and patted Afrecat on the shoulder. "I was only joking. As for these petty villains, I'd rather stay as far away from them as possible."

***

Over the next few days, Shaya truly found himself idle and bored. He didn't have many friends in the capital; General Adrik and the fatty had both left, and Green had departed a step early to assume his post in Mowl County. Being left all alone in the capital felt genuinely agonizingly dull.

As for acquaintances... Cavisill certainly counted as one, but even with the courage of a bear and the gallbladder of a leopard, the rustic warrior wouldn't dare knock on that unfathomable old fellow's door.

Every day in the courtyard, he drilled Totoro thoroughly alongside Sharba and Cato, driving the young mage to the point of crying out in despair.

Fortunately, Totoro cast aside his usual laziness this time, putting in hard and bitter effort. Although he started out as a mere mage, after several days of practicing archery, horse-riding, and swordsmanship, he was gradually being forged into something resembling a warrior.

Watching Totoro wear a custom-fitted cowhide breastplate (had it been iron armor, Totoro probably wouldn't even have been able to carry its weight)—and Shaya proved quite generous, directly gifting Totoro a dragon scale to wear next to his heart as a protective mirror.

Poor mage: mounting a horse and drawing a bow, dismounting and wielding a sword, fully armed and clad in leather armor like a turtle carrying a shell—where was there even half the ethereal and dashing grace of a mage left?

Sharba and Cato both came from cavalry backgrounds, possessing hot tempers that inevitably led to impatience during the drills.

"Hey! Totoro! Are you blind? The target is that huge, and you're shooting right at me?!"

Sharba yelled anxiously in frustration. It turned out Totoro had just fired a test arrow that missed the target entirely, nearly striking Sharba, who was standing ten paces away from it.

Shaya roared with laughter from the sidelines. After Totoro practiced a bit longer, Afrecat also wholeheartedly taught him some agile footwork from his shadow swordsmanship.

Just as the few of them in the backyard were pouring their efforts into drilling the poor mage, Soyte ran up from the front to report: a palace messenger had arrived bearing an imperial decree.

Shaya was momentarily stunned. He left the group behind and headed to the front courtyard. Upon arrival, he saw an acquaintance—none other than the palace messenger who had delivered the decree during his very first audience at the imperial palace.

Since they were old acquaintances, the messenger was exceptionally enthusiastic this time around, entirely devoid of his previous arrogance. He even warmly stepped forward to embrace and shake hands with Shaya, adamantly refusing the piece of solid gold Shaya proactively offered.

"Baron Shaya, My Lord, if you do this again, you'll be insulting me!" The messenger wore an expression of grievance. "I serve His Majesty, and wherever I go, I'm never short of petty cash like this. My friendship with you is sincere; what I respect is a heroic figure like yourself. If you try to pay me off again, you'll be looking down on me!"

Since the man insisted on putting on such a show of integrity, Shaya simply took the gold back and laughed heartily.

"Well, His Majesty has decreed that in three days—the very day of early spring—a hunt will be held in the gardens of the capital's eastern suburbs. Among those invited are members of the aristocratic council, as well as trusted generals of the royal city. His Majesty specifically added your name to the list, too! Baron Shaya, My Lord, congratulations! Every year, those invited to the hunting assembly are invariably trusted high ministers of His Majesty. Though you are young, gaining such favor from His Majesty upon first entering the capital means your future prospects are boundless! His Majesty has been crowned emperor for decades, and to invite someone as young as you to the hunt with the status of a baron—you can truly be considered the first!"

The messenger flattered him a few more times before producing a golden badge. "This is the entry badge for the hunting assembly. According to custom, your status as a baron allows you to bring two attendants..." The messenger smiled, lowering his voice. "In his youth, His Majesty shook the realm with his military achievements, and he adores heroic martial prowess above all else. With your capabilities, My Lord, displaying your heroic bearing to the fullest at the hunting assembly will undoubtedly please His Majesty! Such a rare opportunity—you must seize these next two days to practice your archery and horsemanship!"

After the messenger departed, Shaya stood holding the golden badge, lost in thought for a moment.

A hunting assembly?

It should be a gathering place for the elite nobility, right? Why would the emperor summon a rustic kid like me?

He walked back and discussed the matter with the others. Unfortunately, those around him—whether Sharba or Cato—came from commoner backgrounds. Although Afrecat had seen a bit of the world, how could he have ever heard of or witnessed a gathering at such a top-tier core level? In the end, they couldn't come up with any conclusion.

By evening, however, Yulia, the widow of the bald warrior Kevin, noticed Shaya's distracted state at the dinner table. After she asked about it and Shaya explained, Yulia pondered for a moment before saying, "Shaya, His Majesty appreciates you. Although I don't know why, since he appreciates you, it's mostly because he likes the traits you currently possess. So I think you don't need to deliberately put on any act. Just be your usual self, and when the time comes, act naturally. Showing your true character might just be the best approach."

Hearing this, Shaya's heart stirred, and he laughed heartily. "Splendid! Yulia, you are entirely right! What is there for your old man to fear? If they want me to go, I'll go. If they want me to eat meat and drink wine, I'll stuff myself to the gills. If they want me to hunt... Hahaha! Isn't that my bread and butter?! Those military generals might be better at martial arts or archery than me, but when it comes to hunting, who in the world is better than yours truly?!"

With that, he glanced at Yulia. Though she remained melancholic of late, with a child in her belly, she had forced herself to pull through. While her joyful laughter had not returned, her appetite had gradually normalized, setting Shaya's mind somewhat at ease. Regardless of anything else, the bald man had shown him true brotherly loyalty, and had even died because of him. He would protect his orphan and widow from harm, even if it cost him everything!

***

Three days later, the early spring hunting assembly arrived. Early in the morning, an imperial guards detachment sent by the palace arrived to escort Shaya.

Shaya displayed his golden badge, brought along Sharba and Cato as his two attendants, dressed himself in his finest equipment, and set out with the entourage.

Today, Shaya wore his finest set of armor—the very one he had extorted from the theater military department back then—and brought three top-tier warhorses, one for each of them. Their bright, dazzling armor was polished to a brilliant sheen, and hanging from their saddles were cavalry lances and the usual fire-fork in place of a sword scabbard. The roaring bow gifted to him by the Landisian Guluo was slung across his back, and tucked into a cowhide quiver behind his saddle were twenty iron-spined armor-piercing arrows!

The rustic warrior was naturally built with a magnificent and robust physique. Once he donned this armor and armed himself to the teeth, his broad-browed, large-eyed face framed by a simple ponytail of long black hair gave him an even more wild, untamed, and imposing aura. Sitting proudly atop his tall, spirited steed, casting sweeping glances about, the lingering aura of slaughter honed on the battlefield made him look the spitting image of a decisive, commanding military general!

Even Sharba beside him, despite being a fierce man in his own right, somehow appeared slightly lacking in that martial heroic vigor compared to Shaya. Cato glanced at Shaya and suddenly let out a sigh.

Sharba frowned. "Hey, you smuggling merchant, what are you sighing for?"

Cato smiled and nudged Sharba. "Hey, brute, doesn't Shaya look... just like General Adrik when we first met him? Back then, the General wasn't much older than he is now, and he had that same martial aura of slaughter that made anyone who saw him feel involuntary awe."

***

The hunting grounds were located in the eastern suburban gardens of Oskilia, an estate passed down through generations of the imperial royal family. It was a journey of less than half a day from the city of Oskilia. At a fast gallop, one could reach it in two hours. Set against the foot of a mountain lay a dense forest, surrounded by water diverted from a small river to serve as a natural defensive barrier.

Following the river into the forest, one gradually felt the presence of strict security. Within moments, Shaya spotted three squads of patrolling imperial guards on horseback, all fully armed and standing at strict attention!

Beside the forest, a large encampment had already been pitched, arranged just like a military marching camp with central command tents and interconnected quarters. Imperial guards gathered in force, the scale of the encampment capable of accommodating several thousand men at the very least. Naturally, when the emperor traveled, the scale was bound to be grand.

At the center of the camp, an open clearing had been cleared, surrounded by fluttering eagle banners and guarded by squads of imperial cavalry. Gathered within the clearing were the imperial nobility invited to the hunt this time around.

Though Shaya had already put on his finest armor, upon arriving here, he found that the attire of the aristocrats, wealthy nobles, and military heavyweights was more opulent and eye-catching than the last. Each looked more dazzling and resplendent than the next, instantly reducing Shaya back to a completely unremarkable bumpkin.

What he wore was merely standard-issue armor for a military general in the army, but placed here, it looked suspiciously like the outfit of a mere bodyguard.

Being young, even as he walked in and watched the young nobles clad in brocade robes looking eager and ready to go, not a single one paid him any mind. Even as he walked past them, everyone merely took him for some deputy general within the imperial guards.

Those standing here were either marquises or counts, and even those holding ducal status became the focal points among the crowd. A minor baron like him was ignored by all, with no one bothering to ask who he truly was.

Occasionally, some young people of roughly Shaya's age were also draped in aristocratic elegance, possessing extraordinary poise and forming their own exclusive circles while ignoring outsiders.

Shaya stood quietly to the side observing for a moment without a word. His two attendants, Sharba and Cato, had long since been led away, as they were not qualified to stand here.

After waiting for a brief moment, the blast of a military horn sounded, instantly energizing everyone present!

Hearing the sound of hooves echoing from outside the hunting grounds, a troop of riders approached. Leading the pack was a pitch-black, towering warhorse—obviously a divine steed selected from ten thousand. The horse galloped with high-stepping bounds, yet its saddle remained exceedingly stable as it charged right up before the crowd. Amidst the steed's proud tossing of its head, an intangible aura of majesty naturally emanated from it!

The rider upon its back was none other than Contos, the "Lance Emperor"!

The Emperor wore a patterned cotton robe and a thick fox-fur scarf around his neck. Though a soft breastplate was concealed beneath his robe, sitting atop the horse could not hide the exhaustion on his face, and his sickly pallor was already impossible to mask. While his horsemanship remained skilled, he already required assistance to dismount.

Closely following right behind the Emperor was a young blond man of handsome appearance and overflowing noble aura. Every gesture he made was filled with dignity and etiquette. He wore a set of magnificent, retro-style holy knight armor, his golden hair fluttering as he wore snow-white gloves—he was none other than Crown Prince Garcia.

Behind them, a troop of cavalry radiating a chilling, murderous aura followed closely at their sides. The moment Shaya laid eyes on these cavalrymen, his heart suddenly tightened with a jolt!

Little did he know, these cavalrymen were none other than the "Night Imperial Guards" he had previously encountered on the Wildfire Plains! The most loyal death-squad loyal to the Emperor himself!

After dismounting, the Lance Emperor stood upon a high platform, looking down at the crowd. These were the imperial nobility fiercely loyal to the royal family, among whom were several powerful hawk-faction generals. Unfortunately, the hawk faction's spiritual leader, Duke Minas, was old and frail, and had failed to attend this hunt.

Standing on the platform, the Emperor's gaze flickered. In the very back of the crowd, he spotted the young man he favored—Shaya stood at the extreme rear, maintaining a distance from the nobles ahead. Since no one else paid any attention to this unremarkable young general, assuming him to be merely some deputy commander from the imperial guards, nobody cared.

Seeing Shaya keeping a distance away from the aristocratic circles, the Emperor instead felt a trace of satisfaction rise in his heart.

*Very good. Though this kid is attending such an occasion for the first time, he knows his place and isn't trying to ingratiate himself through networking. Not bad at all!*

Clearing his throat, the Emperor spoke in a hoarse voice, delivering a very brief speech: "Today's hunt will follow the usual custom! Gentlemen, put forth your best effort. Should any of the young talents from your respective households display dazzling performances, I shall certainly be generous with my rewards! Go forth! Display the martial valor of Byzantium!"

The young nobles below had already been itching for action. Hearing the Emperor speak thus, they immediately responded with a roar of agreement. Some, having already received instructions from their elders to perform at their absolute best, wished they could instantly sprout wings and leap onto their horses to showcase their heroic martial prowess, outshining the entire field and stealing the spotlight.

Crown Prince Garcia, however, remained silent throughout, standing quietly behind the Emperor while maintaining proper royal etiquette.

Shortly thereafter, imperial guard officers stepped forward to wave the eagle banners. Amidst a blast of horns, the hunt officially commenced!

The Lance Emperor stepped down from the platform, remounted with the aid of attendants, and rode into the forest. The nobles hurried over to their respective horses at the edge of the field and fell in line behind the procession.

Instead of dispersing immediately, everyone followed behind the Lance Emperor's mount, for according to tradition, the very first arrow of the hunt had to be shot by His Majesty the Emperor himself!

Entering the forest, the faint sound of hooves echoed from the surrounding distance. Imperial cavalry scouts were already patrolling back and forth along the perimeter, while specialized handlers equipped with lassos and other tools drove the wild beasts bred within the forest, funneling as many prey animals as possible toward the vicinity directly ahead of His Majesty.

Naturally, this driving process required careful management. The rule of thumb was that the prey could neither be too large and dangerous nor too small and insignificant.

Otherwise, if you rashly drove a fierce tiger before His Majesty and it somehow injured the Emperor, it would be a laughingstock. Yet if you only drove out a few gray-haired rabbits... even if the Emperor hit them, as a dignified emperor of a realm, bagging nothing more than a rabbit would hardly be glorious.

Thus, under this guided drive, several startled deer leaped out from the underbrush ahead, appearing within the gaps of the tree line at a distance before the Lance Emperor, lifting their heads in panic as they looked at the crowd in the distance.

The Lance Emperor took a deep breath and waved a hand. An attendant immediately handed over a long golden bow. The Emperor focused his mind and drew the string—with a *hum*, an arrow flew out. But alas, he was old and frail, and plagued by illness in recent years. He no longer possessed the heroic martial prowess of the "Lance Emperor" who had conquered the battlefield in his youth.

This shot flew crookedly, landing with a *thud* into a nearby tree trunk, while the deer bounded away to the side in a flash.

Seeing the Emperor make a fool of himself, everyone in the rear remained silent, none daring to speak, merely exchanging cautious glances.

At that moment, Crown Prince Garcia offered a gentle smile. While others dared not speak, he, as the Crown Prince, was expected to rescue his father from embarrassment. Garcia smiled as if nothing were amiss. "My father is too modest, unwilling to contend for the spotlight... Ah, let me shoot down this deer for you!!"

With that, the Crown Prince unclipped a delicate golden bow from his own saddle and was just about to draw it when the Lance Emperor suddenly shook his head, pressing his own long bow against the Crown Prince's arm. "No need."

The Emperor suddenly turned his head, looked at the crowd behind him, and a flash of strange emotion crossed his eyes:

"Where is Baron Shaya?!"

???!!!

The crowd erupted in instant shock! Baron Shaya? Who on earth was His Majesty talking about?

As for Shaya's invitation, the Emperor had merely added his name at the last minute. Until this very moment, the aristocrats attending the event had remained completely in the dark!

Hearing the Emperor call his name, Shaya was stunned for a second, then immediately spurred his horse out from behind the crowd, bringing his mount to a halt and executing a military salute. "Your Majesty, Shaya is here."

The Emperor looked at Shaya. The young man retained the true colors of a military general, his armor bright without being flashy. The sight of him brought a surge of pleasure to the Emperor's heart, though his expression remained calm as he said, "I hear you possess great martial prowess, and that even the Odin powerhouse Hastings fell by your hand! Very good!"

With that, he pointed toward the deer in the distance. The Emperor's tone deepened, and at that moment, upon his face—though an unreadable expression lingered—his eyes suddenly grew blindingly bright, carrying an intangible majesty as he stared directly at Shaya:

"Baron Shaya! Go and bag that deer for me!!!"

***

*Hum*!!!

The Lance Emperor's single sentence instantly caused an uproar among the crowd behind him!

The Emperor had stopped the Crown Prince from shooting on his behalf, yet he bestowed this honor upon this... well, Shaya?

Was he that legendary military general who had defeated Hastings?!

At that moment, those in the know felt their hearts tremble!

His Majesty's actions were nakedly, unabashedly helping Shaya build a reputation!! If words like these came straight from His Majesty's mouth, then from now on, the weight of Shaya's name...

For a time, countless complex glances and emotions converged upon the young general.

Shaya's expression remained unchanged as he quietly looked at the Emperor. Catching a hint of resolute determination in the Emperor's eyes, Shaya slowly nodded. "Understood! I accept the command!"

The Emperor burst into hearty laughter. "Do a good job! Don't let me down!"

Shaya's eyes lit up. He gazed deeply at the Emperor, then unslung the roaring bow from his back! The uniquely styled long bow instantly made the Emperor's eyes brighten! As a martial emperor, he recognized the extraordinary nature of this bow at a single glance. Even the hawk-faction heavyweights among the gathered military generals, seeing Shaya, naturally assumed he was one of their own and cast him supportive, benevolent looks.

Holding the bow in hand without drawing an arrow, Shaya gave a shout and spurred his horse, charging straight toward that deer!

In the distance, the deer was still lifting its head when it suddenly saw Shaya galloping toward it. Panicked, it broke into a sprint. Shaya, still mounted, deliberately put on a show. He drew the bowstring and gently plucked it...

*Hum*!!!

A wave of fierce kinetic energy shot forth from the empty string! With a sharp *shriek*, the brush ahead of the running deer was instantly slashed apart by the energy! Flying grass and debris exploded into the air! The deer turned in panic, but Shaya had already closed the distance, plucking the bowstring once more!!

The brush to the left of the deer was similarly slashed apart by the kinetic energy, blocking its escape route entirely. By then, Shaya had already reached it!

The rustic warrior leaned forward slightly in the saddle, stretching his body, and grabbed the deer's antlers in one swift motion. With his immense strength, he hoisted the deer right up into the air and casually tossed it to the ground, snapping its neck in the process!

By now, the rest of the deer herd had scattered. Only then did Shaya draw an iron-spined armor-piercing arrow, nocked it onto the bowstring, and stared intently...

A massive stag was fleeing behind a thick tree trunk...

Shaya took a deep breath and vibrated his arms! The roaring bow was instantly drawn to the fullness of a harvest moon!!!

*Hum*!!!!

The piercing sound of the bowstring tearing through the air could be heard clearly even by those far in the rear! They watched as a streak of black light like lightning shot forth, piercing directly through the two tree trunks blocking its path! Egg-sized holes appeared straight through the tree bark!

The black light pierced through the two trees and struck the massive stag directly. The sheer force of the arrow blew the stag's entire body backward into the air, and when it finally crashed far away onto the ground, it landed right before the Lance Emperor's horse!