TLWD 54

Chapter : 54 Whereabouts (1)

Bernard’s words that a guest had visited the barony.

And not just any visit—it was “just now.”

I asked Bernard sharply, almost pressing him.

“Who is it? The guest who came to the barony?”

“A guest from the House of Veneron, my lord.”

“…The House of Veneron?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Unintentionally, a disappointed expression crossed my face.

It wasn’t Ian.

Yet the name “House of Veneron” seemed oddly familiar.

Where had I heard it before? It wasn’t during the allied forces’ era… Ah, right.

“The guest who came to the barony last time was also from the House of Veneron, wasn’t he?”

The guest who had come after the Gelu Drake subjugation. I seemed to recall it being something with Veneron.

“That’s correct.”

As I expected, Bernard nodded in agreement.

“But why are they visiting again?”

“It seems they came back regarding the proposal from last time.”

“A proposal?”

“Well…”

Bernard hesitated, as if it were difficult to bring it up.

I couldn’t tell what kind of proposal the House of Veneron had made that made him act this way.

“Bernard, handle it as you see fit.”

I wasn’t particularly interested. There was no reason for me to care.

Bernard briefly looked slightly disappointed.

Apparently, after caring for the residents and handling the legions alone, his opinion of me had changed. He had probably expected me, as a minor lord, to act in a certain way—but I had no intention of meeting that expectation.

I had no plans to become the lord of the barony.

If Ian came, I intended to decide the fate of Seraphia and Kai and then leave. Unless the guest visiting the barony was Ian, any further interest would be a waste of time.

For now, I needed to head to Freche and first learn about Ian’s whereabouts. Simultaneously, I had to secure funds for establishing the allied forces, obtain medicine to improve Seraphia’s condition, and raise the remaining favor of the residents.

I had a mountain of tasks ahead of me.

“Isn’t this the chief steward’s job?”

The chief steward could act as a proxy lord in emergencies. With my father gone and Seraphia in such a state, this situation certainly qualified as an “emergency.”

Bernard was currently the acting lord, wielding more authority than I did, which was why he had ignored my demand for funds to establish the guild.

And now he—

“…Understood.”

Bernard stepped back. Yet he did not immediately leave.

When I remained silent, Bernard finally turned away without another word.

Every day, Freche, a bustling free and commercial city, was usually crowded with merchants and visitors.

But recently, Freche had been enveloped in an unusually gloomy atmosphere.

Normally, the sounds of countless street vendors calling out to customers would fill the air. The streets would be crowded with people, vibrant with life.

Now, the stalls were covered in dust, and the expressions of people wandering the streets were filled with disappointment and unease.

“I just don’t have any energy lately…”
“You feel the same? I’ve had no motivation either, not a single bit, so I can’t even enjoy working.”

People stared at the sky.
Some gazed into the distance.
Some gathered in the square, hoping that maybe today…?

But all of them soon lowered their heads in disappointment.

“What’s the point of working hard to earn money?”
“The Predator Guild doesn’t seem to be coming at all.”

The monster meat from the Predator Guild. Once people tasted it, they suffered like an addict.

“I can’t live without monster meat anymore.”
“Just once… I really want to eat it just one more time…”

Days continued in exhaustion, with work barely manageable.

Craftsmen no longer hammered weapons or armor.
The sounds of hammers and merchants’ bargaining no longer filled the air.

This was why people said you shouldn’t casually indulge in drugs. Once you’ve had a taste, there’s no going back.

And it wasn’t just the consumers.

Merchants collaborating with the Predator Guild to sell accompanying goods also suffered.

“Without the Predator Guild, our sales are cut in half…”
“Half is lucky. Ours dropped to a tenth.”
“Same here.”

Sales that had been booming abruptly collapsed with the discontinuation of monster meat.

After tasting the ‘high’ of monster meat, ordinary sales were no longer satisfying.

Even visiting nobles from various kingdoms sighed in disappointment.

“I came all this way because monster meat was supposed to be amazing…”
“Oh no! I promised the marquis I’d get some…!!”

Conversations once filled with vitality dwindled, and the once noisy marketplace grew quieter.

“Haah…”
“Sigh…”

Groups of people stared endlessly at the empty streets.

Whenever a horse or cart passed, they’d briefly show hope, but with no white wolf insignia of the Predator Guild, their heads would soon drop in disappointment.

“Could something have happened in the White Wolf Barony?”

Someone finally voiced their suspicion.

“No, look. It’s been days, and there’s no sign of them.”
“Huh…?”
“Now that you mention it, that’s true.”
“Yes! No matter what, they shouldn’t be this late!”
“Could it be… something happened while hunting monsters…?”

The unease quickly spread. The skies over Freche darkened, and shadows engulfed the city.

“No, no! It’s just heavy snow blocking the roads!”
“That’s worse! They could come, but they can’t.”
“Shouldn’t we go help them?”
“Exactly. Let’s not wait—let’s send people to the White Wolf Barony!”
“Dispatching the city militia!!”

Just as the free citizens, merchants, and nobles resolved to act,

“Therrre!!!”

A loud, booming shout, as if someone had eaten an ogre’s lung, echoed through the city.

“The Predator Guild is heerrree!!!”

Everyone’s attention snapped to the city’s streets, as if by unspoken agreement.

Following the sound came a convoy of carriages, each marked with the white wolf insignia.

“Therrre!!!”
“It’s heerrree!!”
“Waaahhhh!!!”

The loud cries announced the arrival of the Predator Guild. People peeked out of every window along the streets.

Children ran through the streets, spreading the news:

“The Predator Guild is here!”
“They’re here!!”

The convoy seemed endless—dozens of carriages, signaling the enormous quantity of monster meat.

It seemed their delay was due to securing that much supply.

Music played across the city square.
Majestic drumbeats revived the city’s gloomy atmosphere, filling it with energy.

Massive banners welcomed the Predator Guild:

[Freche always welcomes the Predator Guild!]
[This is your home!]
[How did we live without you?! Finally, life returns!]

Vendors reopened one by one, and forge fires blazed anew.

The marketplace, once filled with sighs, now buzzed with life:

“Fresh vegetables to enhance the flavor of monster meat!”
“Charcoal perfect for cooking Predator monster meat has arrived!”
“Our Lebanon forge knives are ideal for preparing monster meat!”
“Spices, butter, salt, pepper, and more to elevate monster meat flavor—come see!”

Freche had become a city that could not survive without the Predator Guild.

The restaurants were busier than ever.

“Order up!”
“Yes, coming!”

Monster meat was a massive hit, but now they operated from fully equipped restaurants rather than street stalls.

The city council had specially approved the building, and there was no reason to refuse.

They could now serve more customers than before. Word of Rex meat had spread.

“Oh, they came after hearing my rumors…”
“Can we buy that Rex meat or whatever it’s called?”

Nobles’ demand for Rex meat was insane.

I priced 200g of Rex meat 1,000 times higher than regular top-grade beef, making it 5,000 gold.

Such a price seemed ridiculous—but nobles didn’t hesitate to pay.

“Why did you take so long to come?”
“Do you know how long our lord has been waiting for you?”

The reason was its extreme taste. Rex meat, from cold regions, had thick fat and weak muscles, producing unmatched flavor.

I also labeled it “Prime” to make it appear more special—just enough to catch the nobles’ eyes.

“Pack 500g of Prime Rex meat for my son’s coming-of-age day!”
“It’s the king’s birthday soon. I want to impress him with 1kg of Prime meat!”

Rex meat became a premium product, available only to nobles, and even then, hard to obtain.

Meanwhile, Alacron and Demex meat were priced reasonably for the general public, so anyone could buy them.

My goal wasn’t just to make money. I aimed to make the guild the continent’s best, integrating into public life while earning prestige from the masses.

“Five servings of Alacron belly steak, please!”
“Three servings of Demex hind leg and four of Alacron, please!”

The Predator Guild earned enormous profits while gaining massive popularity.

I was busy handling and cooking meat nonstop. Luckily, hunting Lycanthropes had raised my agility to 65, allowing me to prepare meat skillfully and quickly, providing unparalleled taste.

“Wow! How can meat taste like this?”
“Did they drug it or something?”
“I don’t care! I can’t live without monster meat!”

Customers weren’t just local citizens; people from other kingdoms visited, spreading the guild’s fame continent-wide.

It was only a matter of time before the Predator Guild became legendary.

Even in a free city without absolute rulers like kings or lords, power resided in the wealthy.

“Just how much is all this?!”

Adelrun couldn’t help but smile at the piles of gold coins.

It was only a single day’s earnings, ever since the Predator Guild began selling monster meat.

At first, I doubted the guild’s potential, but now it revitalized local commerce, generating unprecedented sales.

Adelrun, dealing primarily in wine, earned massive profit from nobles coming from across the continent to purchase monster meat.

Yesterday’s revenue was twenty times normal sales—a true fortune.

“Truly a blessing, no, a savior!”

Just then, a bell rang.

A customer entered despite the [Closed] sign. Adelrun’s eyebrows twitched.

It was a dark night, the perfect time to rest after a long day. Yet this uninvited guest dared to intrude.

“Business is—”

Adelrun stopped mid-sentence.

The man entering was no ordinary visitor:

Shiny black hair, bangs slightly falling over his forehead, sharp and striking facial features, deep and piercing eyes, powerful yet not overly muscular physique, long eyelashes, and a sharp jawline.

Even in the dark, his face shone like the most handsome and manly, almost beautiful young man.

“You’ve come!! Adrian-sama!!”

Automatically, Adelrun bowed deeply at the waist.