After the training, the soldiers and the guards fell down the ground like stringless puppets. Their entire bodies were drenched in sweat, and their chests rapidly rose and fell in succession. The heavy spear they each carried that seemed light at first had become lead anchor as they continued running around the vast hall.

To Lark’s surprise, aside from the three soldiers that fainted from exhaustion, everyone finished the task. As promised, he gave each of them a lavish meal with a dried fish included. Everyone immediately regained their vigor upon seeing the food. Some of them even drooled like rabid dogs. Great food after a rigorous task was definitely more delicious.

Seeing this, Lark was clearly amused.

While everyone was eating, Lark clapped his hands once. “As promised, the one who finished first, aside from dried fish, will also get an extra egg.” On his signal, a servant came and brought out a boiled egg. She gently placed it on the plate of Clark, the Head of the Guards.

Seeing the envious looks of the soldiers on him, Clark smirked and slowly ate his prize. Now that they were in the middle of winter, eggs were a luxury.

“Damn, to be eating wheat porridge with both dried fish and egg.”

“The Head Guard is so lucky.”

“Hey, just think of the guys that are still unconscious over there. At least we get to receive a reward.” The soldiers looked at their unconscious comrades, their eyes filled with pity.

Lark cleared his throat. “For now, everyone will rest for an hour,” he said. “After that, all of you shall proceed to the room on the second floor to receive further training.”

At the words ‘further training,’ everyone stiffened. They looked at the young master as though he was the devil incarnate. Making them run around the hall three hundred times while holding a spear was already excruciating enough, and now, they were supposed to attend more of those stuff?

The soldiers wanted to protest and grumble, but they were afraid that the porridge and dried fish would be taken away from them if they complained. In the end, they all shut their mouths, except for one – the Head of the Guards.

“Young Master,” said Clark carefully. He knew that the room on the second floor was a bit small for training. “What kind of training is it?”

The young master smiled. “Basic Education. We will be teaching you guys how to read and write.”

***

Night came. Under the light of the candle-filled candelabra, Lark reread the documents Gaston handed to him a couple of days ago. Although Reading Magic enabled him to read at a relatively faster rate, comprehending everything at one go was still impossible. Lark once again checked the documents and reports that seemed confusing or suspicious. Currently, his attention was on the number of deaths in Blackstone Town.

“Five hunters died last year,” mumbled Lark as he contemplated.

The number was actually small considering the risk of the profession. To the citizens of Blackstone Town, a hunter being killed by its prey was a normal occurrence, especially considering the fact that the Endless Forest was uncharted territory. Although fierce animals seldomly attacked the town, it was an entirely different thing for hunters who purposely look for such beasts.

Everyone simply dismissed the deaths of the hunters as natural, a consequence of the job. But after analyzing the reports, Lark found out a peculiar point – they all died in the eastern part of the Endless Forest.

Currently, the eastern part of Blackstone Town was the place Lark was trying to expand. After it reached a certain size, he planned on clearing out some trees in the Endless Forest.

“Gaston said that the deaths of the hunters last year must have been a coincidence,” said Lark. He had consulted the old butler for his opinion this afternoon. “But the state of the bodies… all of the wounds are quite identical.”

Lark could not rest easy until he confirmed the authenticity of the state of things himself. He donned a black cloak, swept aside the curtains, then opened the windows. The night breeze brushed against his body.

The entire town was sleeping.

Lark breathed in the night air, amplified the strength of his body using mana, then jumped out the window. He landed with a soft, thud sound. After checking that there was no one around, he quickly ran outside. His body blurred as he sped through the empty streets, his cloak violently fluttering.

Eventually, he arrived at the eastern border of Blackstone Town. He saw some builders resting near the half-constructed houses, their chatters heard through the quiet night. Since several Heat Stones have been installed in this area, the workers were able to stay outside.

“The construction project is going smoothly.” Lark smiled. “Good.”