Chapter 8: Unicorn!

{Information Two: Outside the stone house of Mayor Carril at the southeastern corner of the town, there is a low wall; beneath its corner lies a clay jar containing five gold coins and over three hundred silver coins—buried years ago by a wealthy household of Harvest Town, who was killed during a monster incursion, leaving the buried coins ownerless.}

{Information Three: Along the shore of Swan Lake, south of Stormhold, a flock of third-rank flying monsters—Colorwing Swans—will temporarily pause to rest due to celestial disturbances.}

During this time, they will lay eleven eggs, but since they are migrating, the eggs will be left behind along the lakeshore and are highly likely to be consumed by wild beasts or monsters by nightfall.}

If consumed by humans, these eggs will permanently grant the bearer the lightness of the Colorwing Swan, while simultaneously strengthening the body.}

{Information Four: The monster incursions caused by the Three-Headed Serpent Ebas continue to ravage the kingdom’s borders; today, Stormhold will also face an invasion of over a hundred monsters, of considerable strength and not to be underestimated.}

{Information Five: The locusts of the Chaos Wasteland, having accumulated over several days, have finally begun their rampage and will reach the kingdom’s border by evening. Current estimates suggest at least a dozen territories will suffer losses—Stormhold is among them.}

{Information Six: The coastline of Stormhold has recently been unsettled; a group of fishfolk has drifted here. Though fishfolk do not ascend onto land, do not approach the shore during this period!}

{Ding! Today’s intelligence report has concluded!}

After hearing the system’s report, Gervas felt it was another fine day.

He immediately rose, washed up, ate a simple meat broth breakfast, and set off toward Stormhold.

After traveling roughly fifteen li, Gervas began observing the surrounding terrain; when he spotted a clear stream ahead, he halted the party.

“Stop! Look over there—what’s that in the sky?”

The subordinates looked up, seeing nothing.

“It’s blocked by trees—I thought I saw a flying horse. Everyone stay put; we’ll go take a look!”

“A flying horse?” The men exchanged glances. Flying horses did exist in this world, but they were rare and seldom appeared in human-inhabited regions.

Yet they had no choice but to obey Gervas’s order.

He instructed Lei Meng, Mi Gen, and others to bring ropes; then four men headed into the forest.

Gervas had not actually seen a flying horse—he merely needed an excuse to conceal his true intent. The system had given intelligence; the unicorn must be nearby.

Gervas led his subordinates along the stream. After about ten minutes, just as they all began to think he was acting foolishly, Lei Meng suddenly raised his left hand, signaling everyone to stop.

“Lei Meng, what is it?”

Lei Meng turned slowly, his eyes filled with disbelief and excitement. “My lord, there truly is a flying horse ahead! Though flying horses rarely travel alone and almost never appear in human lands, I swear I saw one!”

Following Lei Meng’s gesture, Gervas and the others crept forward quietly—and there, beside the stream outside the trees, stood a snow-white, majestic steed drinking water. Even more astonishingly, its flanks bore wings like those of a swan.

Mi Gen and the other knight retainers stared, dumbfounded—it was their first time seeing a flying horse.

But Gervas focused on the creature’s nasal bridge, where a slight bump protruded—small, yet undeniable proof: this was no flying horse, but a unicorn.

Though their appearances were similar, their value differed vastly.

Without hesitation, he ordered the men to approach carefully and simultaneously throw their ropes to capture the unicorn.

At first, all went smoothly—the unicorn showed no sign of awareness. But as they drew nearer, its drinking motion halted abruptly.

Gervas cursed inwardly—even in its juvenile stage, a divine creature’s vigilance was too high.

The moment was fleeting. Seeing his men nearly in position, Gervas decided to act.

“Throw!”

Swish! Swish! Swish!

The four subordinates hurled their ropes.

The distance was short; the ropes quickly reached the unicorn.

The first rope landed precisely around the unicorn’s neck—thrown by Knight Captain Lei Meng.

The second rope also struck true—Mi Gen’s.

But the other two knight retainers missed.

It wasn’t poor aim—they simply moved a fraction too late. The unicorn thrashed and knocked the ropes loose.

The unicorn would not surrender. It struggled violently, the hemp ropes snapping taut with a creaking sound.

Mi Gen gritted his teeth but was dragged back and forth.

Lei Meng immediately activated his battle aura, stabilizing the situation.

But no one expected another sudden turn.

Snap! Snap!

Two sharp cracks—the flax ropes snapped under strain. The freed unicorn spread its wings and soared into the sky.

The subordinates turned pale, staring at Gervas.

“Forgive me, Young Master Gervas! We are worthless!” The two failed retainers immediately knelt and begged pardon.

Gervas sighed lightly. This unicorn was a divine creature—if it were truly easy to capture, it wouldn’t be so rare.

Had it not been for my intelligence system, I wouldn’t have even caught a glimpse.

“Let’s go back.”

…

“Master John, are you truly willing to follow Gervas away from the castle? You once lived so comfortably within its walls—now you’ve come to this remote place to suffer. I hear we’re heading nearly to the border!”

“Soon we’ll be in mortal danger, tending a small farmstead—we may never return!”

“Caroline, since Lady has approved this, and we serve the bloodline of the Gail family, we servants must give our utmost to Young Master Gervas—even if life grows hard, it is no matter!”

Hearing Master John’s words, Caroline felt a tightness in her chest—she could not possibly communicate with them.

Fortunately, Lady had already instructed her to feign loyalty to Gervas, waiting for an opportunity to escape and return.

After all, she intended to marry into nobility and become a Baroness.

Splash!

The sound jolted Caroline from her reverie.

She trembled, frozen in place.

Ten meters away, beside the stream, a flying horse had landed—and stared directly at her.

“Master John!” Caroline cried, pale with fear.

“Caroline, it’s a flying horse—don’t be afraid. This must be the one Young Master Gervas saw. I’ll send someone to find him!”

Master John, calm and composed, soothed Caroline, then immediately ordered the lone knight retainer nearby to seek out Gervas.

But Gervas and his men were already on their way back—so the retainer had walked only a minute and a half before meeting them.