Section 2 Storm

When Ashu Rufate finally walked into the small town pointed out on the map, he had been delaying the road for three days longer than originally planned. His horse was also more limp than he was originally.

Leo was right at the beginning. This was a very prosperous small town. A natural market was formed on the open space outside the town. Many people were crowded here and were in chaos.

Ash Rufate found the place where the horses were sold and asked the place where the veterinarian was from the horse dealer.

In fact, the horse medicine was right next to the horse market. It was a gray-haired old man. After looking at the injured hooves of Ash Rufate, the doctor shook his head.

"Young man, you are too disloyal to care for your horse. This level is not effective for short-term treatment." The veterinarian replied. "Did you forcefully drag the horse after it was injured?"

“Is it impossible to treat?”

"It's not that it cannot be treated, but it will take at least two months to recuperate." The doctor replied. "And I promise you that if you continue to drag it, it will take only two days at most, and this poor beast will be completely disabled."

"Now, how much does the cheapest riding horse cost?"

Ma Medical looked at Ash Rufate. "You want to take a long distance, right? If it's a long distance, the best thing is the kind of good-bred horse that can be regarded as a war horse, which costs at least four gold coins. Even if it's a pack horse or something, it costs at least seven or eighty silver coins."

"Is horses so expensive in this place?"

"Young man, don't you know that a war is going on? At the beginning of the war, the price of horses became more expensive."

"So, doctor, how much is my horse worth now?" Ashu Rufate asked the doctor.

"Although this horse is a very good horse, it can be seen that it has been trained as a war horse, it is already very lame. It takes at least two months of maintenance, and it cannot be guaranteed to be well maintained, and there is still a possibility of being disabled. If I were asked to buy it, I would be willing to pay a fair price for gold coins." Ma Medical replied, "But I am just a doctor, not a merchant, and I will not buy horses. You can ask those horse merchants. But their prices will definitely be lower than the fair price."

An hour later, Ashu Rufate left the horse market. He sold his lame horse for eighty silver coins, and at the same time he held the saddle to the horse doctor at the price of a silver coins. The money was enough for him to buy a farm horse. He had already figured it out. If the lord refused to help him, he would have no choice but to buy a bad horse and go back.

Although the lord's castle is not here, there must be a manager appointed by the lord in this small town. Even if the lord allows the town to be autonomous, there will be a mayor. It is easy for them to find the lord.

So his situation is not bad, after all, this matter itself is just a simple task. Ashu Rufate can now observe the situation in this small town with a relaxed mood.

He began to feel something that was not right. Although he knew that this was the only trading center in a large area nearby, it was too lively. This kind of crowded hustle and bustle is no longer something that can be achieved in remote areas. Is it a festival somewhere today?

"Look at it, it's rare! It's definitely rare, a half beast unique to Dandeng Mountain Area! A female half beast!"

Someone shouted loudly, and Ashu Rufate couldn't help looking at the source of the sound.

What was shouting loudly was a tall man in hunter's costume, who was carrying a strong wooden stake at his feet, a short rope connected to the stake, and a child tied to the other end of the rope, tied around his neck.

Population transaction? Ashu Rufat couldn't help but be stunned for a moment, but then he realized that this was not a human. This mysterious creature was probably not as big as a ten-year-old human child. Part of the body was covered with fur, part of it was exposed, and a pair of furry ears on its head, and a tail was exposed behind it. The whole thing looked half-human and half-cat.

This strange animal is now looking at anyone who dares to approach him with a very fierce look, like a badger who is forced into a desperate situation.

"What is this, Carrie?" Ashu Rufate asked in his mind.

"'Half Beasts', also known as the 'Sem', are intelligent creatures with a very high level of intelligence and can form society. They are good at concealing and have some special abilities. This creature used to be extensive, but now it only survives in the Danding Mountains. They have failed in the competition for survival. Unless a miracle happens, they will sooner or later become extinct." Carrie replied word by word. "These are the information collected by my former master, that is, your wife Qinxin."

"It's really rare, is this half beast?" A curious passerby tried to tease the motionless creature with a wooden stick, but the moment the wooden stick hit the other party, the half beast rushed over. If it weren't for the half beast's neck, the passerby would have been bitten.

"What! So dangerous?!" The man was shocked. Although the beast was still rushing towards him, the short rope was firmly pulled on the beast's neck, making the beast unable to move. "How can I buy such a thing? How can I take it away even if I buy it?"

"Don't worry," the hunter replied with a smile. "I will provide a safe iron cage. All of them are only ten silver coins."

"It's indeed a rare animal." said a man dressed by a businessman next to him. "I bought it and took it back to show my children something new. But you have to take it out of the teeth and claws of the beast so as not to hurt people."

"No...don't...come...I'll bite your artery!" Half of the beast bared his teeth and shouted in stiff human language. A clear fear appeared in her eyes. This sentence aroused more people's interest. How could this creature speak human language?

The hunter picked up the trap and wanted to subdue half of the beast to remove the minions. At this time, another person spoke.

"Sell it to me, you don't need your help to extract your teeth."

The hunter was stunned for a moment and saw a young man talking. The young man was wearing a breastplate, a shield behind him, and a red dragon was engraved on his breastplate. There was no doubt that the young man with the heraldic emblem was a nobleman, at least an apprentice knight.

The hunter looked at the merchant who had bid before. The merchant did not express any expression and obviously did not intend to bid.

"Of course, sir." The hunter picked up the cage and covered the beast's head, then inserted the baffle at the bottom of the cage, and finally cut off the rope that tied the beast. He handed the cage to the guest and exchanged ten silver coins from the latter's hand.

Ashu Rufate continued to walk forward with the cage. When he came to a small alley where no one was, he put down the cage and opened the cage door.

Half of the beast rushed out like lightning and bit his hand. But Ashrufate moved faster. He easily dodged the beast's bite, grabbed Half of the beast's back neck, and pressed her to the ground and couldn't move. Half of the beast was struggling hard, but he couldn't break free.

"Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you." Ashu Rufat said softly. "I know you can understand what we say, so you should understand that I have paid you a full ten silver coins."

"I hope you won't let me spend these ten silver coins in vain." He let go of his hand and took a step back. Half of the beast looked at him in surprise, then looked around, afraid that this would be just a cruel game.

"You are free, hurry up and leave, don't stay in human territory anymore." Ash Rufate said. Then he left without looking back.

He had almost circled around the small town, and the center of the small town was in front of him. The lord here must have an office here.

Ashu Rufate saw the militia on duty in front of the official residence, wearing simple leather armor and looking listless.

"I am the envoy of His Highness Princess Irina, and I ask to see your lord." Ashurufat came to a militia and said.

"We have no lord now." The militia muttered.

"There is no lord? I remember the lord here is..."

"He is dead." The militia made a helpless gesture. "Two months ago, a dam on the river broke through, and the flood washed away the lord and his family, as well as all his servants, the deacons. Now there is no one responsible here. No one holds funerals for them, no one collects taxes, and no one even pays us. This will always be done until the royal family sends new lords here. I just hope this time will not be too long."

Ashu Rufate stood there for a moment, not knowing what to do.

"Master, you shouldn't have bought that half-beast..." Carrie said softly.

"This is a complete accident." Ashu Rufate turned around and left in a frustration. Forget it, just report the situation to Thomas. Although the pack horse is slow to react and slow to speed, strictly speaking, the endurance is better than the war horse...

"It's him, that person!" A group of people suddenly appeared in front. The person leading the man was the hunter who had previously sold half beasts. He pointed at Ash Rufate.

"It was him who bought half of the beast from me, so he was the master of half of the beast!"

A group of people rushed over with great momentum, "Did you buy that half beast?"

"Yes, is there anything wrong?" Ashu Rufate asked back. These are just some merchants, and there is nothing to be afraid of.

"No, there is nothing wrong with it." The man stretched out a hand at Ash Rufat, "Since you are the master of the half beast, then pay the compensation."

"Compensation?"

"Yes, I run a tavern. Your half beast stole one of my roast chicken and broke one of my wine barrels. In addition, she scared away three of my customers and broke a bunch of wine glasses. A total of at least eighteen silver coins were lost."

"Your half of the beast stole my sausage and broke a precious fur scarf of my wife..."

"Your half beast..."

"your……"

A group of victims rushed to finish their speeches, and in the end the tavern owner who suffered the most suffered the most straightened his chest.

"I think you are a knight, and I believe you must know that as a knight, you are responsible for the affairs of the servant."

"Master, you shouldn't have bought that half-beast." After these people left, Carrie whispered again.
Chapter completed!