Chapter 13: The Arrival of the Locust Plague!

With the gold coins from the intelligence in hand, only one final important item remained to be retrieved.

“Lei Meng, mount your Ma Pi—you’re coming with me. Zhui Yue seems to have another good spot to show us!”

“Yes, my lord!”

The master and servant set off immediately, riding toward the southern edge of Mai Tian Town.

Their destination was Tianehu, as described in the intelligence—directly reachable via the southern road.

Still, Gervas pretended to ask Zhui Yue for directions several times along the way before finally arriving at Tianehu.

“Is this the place?”

Gervas dismounted, and Lei Meng followed right behind.

Tianehu was sizable, covering at least several hundred mu.

Yet the target—Color-Winged Swans—was unmistakable; they rested and played on the opposite shore.

“Lei Meng, look at those swans!” Gervas immediately called Lei Meng forward.

Lei Meng had been scanning the surroundings, ensuring safety.

Hearing the call, he approached the water’s edge and peered through gaps in the reeds toward the opposite bank.

“My lord, they’re Color-Winged Swans! I never expected to see wild ones here!” Lei Meng, surprisingly knowledgeable, exclaimed in astonishment.

“Color-Winged Swans—one of the delicacies on noble tables?!” Gervas also showed genuine delight.

“Yes, my lord! But… we have no suitable tools; we probably can’t capture them!” Lei Meng looked deeply disappointed.

“No rush. In Stormlord’s Domain, do you worry we won’t get another chance to catch these beasts? Let’s wait a bit—then check if there are any Color-Winged Swan eggs to collect!”

After waiting about half an hour, the Color-Winged Swans on the opposite shore finally took flight, and Gervas led Lei Meng across on horseback.

“My lord, there really are Color-Winged Swan eggs!”

The Observation Skill of a Title Knight was indeed sharp—barely reaching the riverbank, he spotted the first egg nestled in the grass.

“Truly a blessing from the God of Glory! Congratulations, my lord! I’ve heard these eggs are extraordinarily delicious and even enhance agility!”

“Hah! Indeed, the God of Glory has favored us—but we must also thank Zhui Yue’s efforts!”

Thus, all eleven eggs were collected.

When Gervas returned to the castle with the Color-Winged Swan eggs, Old John’s face lit up with excitement as he cradled an egg the size of a pomelo, marveling.

“My lord, I’ve served as castle steward for many years—I’ve heard of Color-Winged Swans and their eggs many times, but this is my first time seeing them!”

“Old John, I’ve never seen a Color-Winged Swan egg either. Boil one up—I want to taste this delicacy the nobles rave about!”

“As you command, Lord Gervas!”

Old John immediately carried the egg to the kitchen.

As for why they didn’t try to hatch them—

Hatching a beast egg was even harder than capturing a beast cub.

So eating them was far more practical.

Soon, the eggs were fried golden-brown and served on the table.

Their appearance was unappealing, but as a beast egg, the flavor was truly rich—natural, fragrant, like wood and fruit, with barely any fishy odor.

More importantly, after swallowing the entire egg, Gervas felt a warm current wash through his body again.

Though weaker than the Red Spirit Fruit, the comfort it brought was no less potent.

Gervas immediately sat cross-legged and practiced his breathing technique.

An hour later, he stood up and tested his movements—running and jumping.

“Incredible! There’s already a change—subtle, but real!”

As a knight who had trained his martial skills for years, Gervas could precisely sense every shift in his abilities.

So he could unmistakably detect the increase in his agility.

“My lord, emergency!”

As Gervas rejoiced over the Color-Winged Swan eggs, Old John rushed into the great hall, face tense and anxious.

“Old John, what’s wrong? Speak slowly!”

“My lord, a serf just reported—he spotted locusts in the southwest of the domain. Huge numbers—and they’re still multiplying!”

Here it comes!

Gervas was already prepared.

“Old John, don’t panic. Let’s go take a look.”

Taking Lei Meng and the town guards, guided by the reporting serf, after an hour’s ride, Gervas and his party encountered the locusts.

And this spot was already several li closer to the castle than where the serf first spotted them.

“My lord, when I first saw the locusts, they were several li ahead—still at least half an hour’s ride away.”

Gervas nodded and led everyone forward.

The farther they went southwest, the more locusts they encountered.

Until both sides of the road were thick with swarming locusts.

“We’re finished—this year’s wheat is ruined! With this many locusts, all our crops will be devoured!”

The town guards, seeing this sight, turned pale.

As people who still farmed, they knew exactly what the arrival of locusts meant.

Old John sighed heavily. “God of Glory, protect us! Lord Gervas has only just arrived in the domain—please, in your mercy, drive these locusts away from Stormlord’s Domain!”

“Don’t panic. This noon, I sent Magistrate Thomas to handle something important. When he returns, the locusts will be dealt with.”

Whether anyone believed him or not, Gervas remained calm.

And this calmness did soothe Old John and the guards slightly.

Of course, news of the locusts spread quickly through the town, plunging everyone—common serfs and wealthy households alike—into panic.

…

More than thirty li from Stormlord’s Domain, in Kai En Town, Thomas headed straight for the central square.

There stood a shop specializing in chickens and ducks, owned exclusively by Kai En Domain.

It belonged to Baron Kai En, whose domain, blessed with numerous lakes, housed the largest livestock farm among several neighboring noble territories.

“Magistrate Thomas, why did our lord order us to buy so many chickens and ducks?”

Two knight retainers had been left guarding the cart; the two serfs accompanying Thomas could no longer contain their curiosity.

“I don’t know!” Thomas shook his head.

“Could it be our lord really loves duck? I heard nobles eat meat at every meal!” one serf replied.

“Even if he eats duck every meal, he wouldn’t need this many! Magistrate Thomas said our lord wants us to buy every single duck!”

“Enough! Dori, Kato—you two remember: when Stormlord’s Domain had no lord, you could say whatever you wanted!”

“But now that we have a lord, if you’re caught whispering about nobles in private, you’ll be whipped—or hanged!”

“Besides, our new lord is a merciful noble—he rewarded the guards who fought on his first day, and punished the wicked Mayor Karil!”

“So I don’t want to hear another word about our lord. If I do, I’ll carry out my duty as Magistrate and have you arrested. Understood?”

The two serfs turned pale with fear. “Understood, Magistrate Thomas!”