Chapter 80: Ruler's Surprise
Chapter 80: Ruler's Surprise
Rain desperately wanted to ask Anna to try again to verify his suspicions, but seeing Anna's pale face, he knew it wasn't the right time.
"Anna, what was your childhood like?"
"When I was young, I followed my mother as we moved from place to place. I don't remember staying in one location for more than a year. So, every time we settled down, just as I was getting familiar with the place, we had to leave again."
"No other children wanted to be friends with me."
"After a while, I stopped trying to make friends. I knew I would be leaving soon, and I didn't want to experience the sadness of parting." Anna slowly recounted her childhood experiences.
"Do you know why your mother kept moving?" Rain asked.
Anna shook her head slightly, a hint of confusion in her eyes.
From Anna's story, it seemed like her mother had been running from something, which explained the constant moving.
...
"And you, Rain?"
The talent of the young man before him was worthy of cultivation and recruitment in any region of the empire.
This realization elevated Ruler's estimation of Rain to a whole new level.
After all, Miss Kraya was indeed a genius knight of Mayst County, but that didn't mean Rain was as well.
Even though this young man named Rain had once received guidance from Miss Kraya, the extent of his improvement was astonishing.
At that moment, he also confirmed the general location of his enemy.
...
"How is this possible!"
Rain struggled to recall the situation.
Even for him, silently taking out a servant within the estate would be extremely challenging, and it would come with significant risks. Since the target wasn't at the Habsburg Estate, they must be at home.
Initially, Ruler thought Rain was attending servant training, but after several attempts to casually pass by the training grounds, he couldn't find the black-haired youth.
"Even Master Dennis's training progress after drinking the 'Divine Blood' this month pales in comparison!"
Just then, an alarm bell rang in his mind.
Such a legendary event was more likely to be found in the tales of wandering bards.
Rain, while practicing Grizzly Sword Technique, had a constant feeling of being watched. Perhaps the initial surveillance wasn't as malevolent, so his core skill, Danger Sense Level 2, didn't trigger a strong warning.
After chatting for a while, Anna seemed genuinely exhausted, and Rain quickly escorted her back to rest.
The night before, at the Oak Tavern in Shiny Gold Town, Rain had bought a drunkard a drink for just one silver coin, and from him, he learned Rain's address.
Many Eaglets never got the chance to spread their wings before crashing to the ground.
As he observed Rain practicing the Grizzly Sword Technique from a distance, he was overwhelmed with awe, his eyes sparkling.
If Rain agreed, Baron Norman would surely be delighted, and even if he endured a scolding from his young master, it would be worth it.
"It would be a waste to kill such a talented youth!" Ruler shook his head slightly, sighing inwardly.
From a distance, Ruler followed Rain to a clearing deep in the woods.
This brought him joy, as the Habsburg Estate had strengthened its defenses after the previous rampaging werewolf attack.
Rain scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed by Anna's praise. He didn't know what to say for a moment.
Apparently, the boy had completed a wanted task and obtained the Junior Bounty Hunter License.
"This boy's knightly talent is truly top-notch, no less than Miss Kraya, the so-called genius knight of Mayst County!"
Rain knew that the person watching him was real and was probably about to make a move.
"Did you hear that from his father?"
"I feel like you've changed a lot lately!"
To ensure success, Ruler hid behind a tree and began applying a faint green deadly poison to his Knight Longsword.
Ruler started searching for Rain's home location.
If it weren't for the boy's clear and lively eyes, Ruler would have thought he was possessed by some evil deity.
"You've grown taller and stronger, and your whole person... how should I put it, you're full of vitality and vigor, as if you've become a completely different person!" Anna turned to Rain and smiled sweetly.
Now he understood why Miss Kraya valued the boy's talent.
"But without any foundation, he has cultivated to this level in just over a month!"
Of course, it's like becoming a different person! "Haha, maybe it's because of the servant training."
If he had only shown a slight interest before, now he was genuinely paying attention.
Rain somehow felt a sense of weakness and loneliness from Anna.
Of course, these were just Rain's personal speculations.
Then, to Ruler's delight, he discovered that Rain's home was located near the southern edge of Shimmering Gold Town, next to a forest, with few passersby, making it an ideal spot for an ambush.
After investigating Rain for several days, Ruler confirmed that there had been an oversight in the information he provided to Michel.
Speaking of this, Rain recalled that his friend George had mentioned something mysterious about Anna's mother being taken away.
In Ruler's eyes, Rain's personal history was like a blank slate.
After the reconnaissance the night before, Ruler arrived early in the morning and hid in an alley near Rain's house to stake out.
Born into a farmer's family and raised in Shimmering Gold Town, Rain had never left the town, yet he managed to undergo a transformation and become a bounty hunter in just over a month.
After observing Rain several times, Ruler confirmed that Rain had not continued with the servant training.
"Based on the investigation and information, this boy named Rain has not undergone any Knight Squire Training, not even the most basic Militia Training."
Although Ruler had suspected that Rain might have already pledged loyalty to Miss Kraya, he still intended to ask if Rain was willing to join the Norman family.
It was a show of respect for talent.
Coincidentally, just as Ruler had been staking out for less than five minutes, Rain emerged, carrying a two-handed greatsword in a sheepskin bundle, heading towards an open area in the forest for his morning practice. This caused Ruler's lips to curve upwards slightly, as he hadn't expected things to go so smoothly. It seemed that Lady Luck was on his side.
"Who did George hear this from?"
The person was at his left rear.
"Who's there!" Rain's gaze fixed intensely on the direction of Ruler.
This further elevated Ruler's opinion of Rain, "Such sharp senses, truly enviable talent."
Then, from within Rain's line of sight, a hunter dressed in hunting gear, with a sword at his waist, slowly emerged from the dense forest.
(End of Chapter)
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