Chapter 13: The Arrival of the Locust Plague!

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

"Lei Meng, saddle the horses—we're going out. Chase the Moon seems to have another good spot to show us!"

"Yes, my lord!"

The master and servant set off immediately, riding south toward Wheatfield Town.

Their destination this time was the Tianehu, directly reachable via the southern road.

Still, Gervas pretended to ask Chase the Moon about the direction several times along the way before finally locating the Tianehu.

"Is this the place?"

Gervas dismounted, and Lei Meng followed right behind.

The Tianehu was sizable, covering at least several hundred mu.

Yet the target—the colored-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 alert to the surroundings, ensuring safety.

Hearing the call, he came to the water's edge and peered through gaps in the reeds toward the opposite bank.

"My lord, they're colored-winged swans! I never expected to see wild ones here!" Lei Meng, who had some knowledge, exclaimed in surprise.

"Colored-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 catch them!" Lei Meng looked deeply disappointed.

"No rush. In Stormhold, do you worry we won't get another chance to catch these beasts? Let's wait a bit—then check if there are any colored-winged swan eggs to pick up!"

After waiting about half an hour, the colored-winged swans finally took flight. Only then did Gervas and Lei Meng ride across to the opposite shore.

"My lord, there really are colored-winged swan eggs!"

The Knight's observational skills were indeed sharp; barely had they reached the riverbank when he spotted the first colored-winged swan egg nestled in the grass.

"Truly the Blessing of the God of Glory! Congratulations, my lord! I've heard these eggs are extraordinarily delicious and even enhance agility!"

"Hah! Indeed, the Blessing of the God of Glory—but we must also thank Chase the Moon!"

Thus, all eleven eggs were collected.

When Gervas returned to the castle with the colored-winged swan eggs, Old John's face lit up with excitement as he cradled one egg the size of a pomelo, marveling at it.

"My lord, I've served as castle steward for many years—I've heard of colored-winged swans and their eggs many times, but this is my first time seeing them!"

"Old John, I've never seen colored-winged swan eggs either. Go 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 is 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 wasn't impressive, but as a beast egg, the flavor was truly rich—natural, fragrant like fruitwood, with barely any fishy odor.

More importantly, after swallowing the entire egg, Gervas felt warmth surge through his body again.

Though weaker than the Red Spirit Fruit, the comfort level was just as strong.

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

An hour later, Gervas stood up and tested running and jumping.

"Incredible—there's already a change! Though slight, it's real!"

As a knight who had trained in martial arts for years, Gervas could precisely sense his own physical capabilities.

So he could clearly detect the increase in his agility.

"My lord, emergency!"

As Gervas rejoiced over the colored-winged swan eggs, Old John rushed into the hall, his face filled with unease and urgency.

"Old John, what's wrong? Speak slowly!"

"My lord, a serf just reported—he spotted locusts in the southwest of the domain, in enormous numbers, and they're still multiplying!"

Here it comes!

Gervas knew exactly what was happening.

"Old John, don't panic. Let's go take a look first."

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

And here, they were several miles closer to the castle than where the serf had first spotted them.

"My lord, when I first saw the locusts, they were several miles 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 so many locusts, all our crops will be devoured!"

The town guards, seeing this sight, turned pale.

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

Old John sighed heavily, "O God of Glory, please protect us! Lord Gervas has just arrived in the domain—have mercy and make these locusts leave Stormhold!"

"Don't panic. I already sent Magistrate Thomas on an important mission at noon—when he returns, the locusts will be dealt with."

Whether or not anyone believed him, Gervas remained calm.

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

Of course, the news of the locusts spread quickly through the small town, inevitably causing panic among the townsfolk; both ordinary serfs and the wealthy households were equally affected!

At Kaen Town, more than thirty li from Storm Baron's Domain, Thomas headed straight for the central square of the town.

For there stood a shop in Kaen Domain that specialized in selling chickens and ducks.

It was an estate of Baron Kaen; thanks to the numerous lakes within Kaen Baron's Domain, this place boasted the largest livestock farm among the noble domains in the surrounding area.

"Thomas the Magistrate, why does my lord order us to purchase so many chickens and ducks?"

Two squire-knights were left behind with the carriage, while the two serfs accompanying Thomas could no longer restrain their curiosity.

"I do not know either!" Thomas shook his head.

"Could it be that my lord particularly enjoys eating duck? I have heard that nobles eat meat at every meal!" one serf replied.

"Even if they ate duck at every meal, there is no need for so many. Thomas the Magistrate said my lord ordered us to buy all the ducks..."

"Enough! Dori, Cato, remember this: in the past, when Storm Baron's Domain had no my lord, you could say whatever you wanted without anyone caring!"

"But now that Storm Baron's Domain has my lord, if you are caught discussing nobles in private, you will be whipped or sent to the gallows!"

"Furthermore, our new my lord is a benevolent noble. On his very first day, he rewarded the guards who participated in the battle and punished the evil Mayor Kailer!"

"Therefore, I do not wish to hear you discussing my lord again in the future; otherwise, I will fulfill my duty as Magistrate and have you arrested. Do you understand?"

The two serfs were startled, their faces turning pale as they said, "We understand, Thomas the Magistrate!"