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Chapter 36: Chapter 36: Baron Tony\'s Enthusiasm

Although the castle wasn\'t particularly large, compared to the colossal ones that could occupy entire hilltops, it was well-equipped with all the essentials: walls, stables, training grounds, and so on.

William and his group were ushered into the castle\'s banquet hall, where a sumptuous dinner awaited them. Standing before the table was a man dressed in fine clothes, his face showing signs of worry, his belly protruding slightly.

"I presume you\'re the famous Nichole\'s Adventurer Party. Our territory\'s fate against the monsters now rests on you heroes!"

This man was Baron Zet Tony, the owner of the territory. He appeared to have had several sleepless nights, evident from the prominent dark circles under his eyes.

As the representative of the adventurer party, Nichole stepped forward to greet Baron Tony, saying, "You\'re too kind. I am Nichole. Since we have accepted your commission, we will naturally carry out the task properly and help you eliminate the monster."

"I know, I know. I\'m counting on all of you!" Baron Tony finally breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Nichole\'s assurance. These past few days had really taken a toll on him.

"You\'ve all had a long journey today. I\'ve already prepared dinner and a place for you to rest."

Not seeing Nichole introduce the other members, Baron Tony didn\'t mind and promptly invited William and the others to take their seats.

He had prepared this lavish dinner in advance today and even sent the steward Zeman to the town to greet them.

All of this was arranged by a friend who had helped him post the task at the Canlight City Mercenary Guild. His friend had specifically instructed him yesterday that the individuals who accepted the commission to exterminate the monster in his territory were not ordinary.

Initially skeptical of his friend\'s words, Baron Tony had his doubts, especially since there had been Silver-ranked mercenaries who swore to complete the mission but ended up losing their lives. However, the last words of his friend dispelled all his doubts.

Among the mercenaries who came this time was a Gold-ranked warrior!

A Gold-ranked warrior! Such a powerful individual was a rare find, and if one swore allegiance to the king, they would be granted the title of Court Baron directly! This was much better than inheriting the title from his uncle.

Baron Tony didn\'t think he\'d be so concerned about the large sum of money spent on hiring those mercenaries now that he could invite a Gold-ranked warrior. The Gold-ranked warrior should be this person named Jason, who seemed to be the leader of their group!

This demeanor truly befitted a Gold-ranked warrior! Much stronger than the little girl beside him who seemed to be looking around aimlessly!

Thinking of this, Baron Tony\'s tone towards team became even more polite.

Lumbro and the others also sat down at the dining table. The main dishes for dinner were stewed fish and grilled steak. Although it couldn\'t compare to the Canlight City, the fact that such dishes could be prepared in this relatively remote town showed that Baron Tony had put in a lot of effort.

Everyone declined Baron Tony\'s invitation to taste the local specialty wine, including the dwarf Lumbro, who was usually addicted to alcohol. After all, they were about to face danger, and they couldn\'t afford to numb their reflexes with alcohol.

However, Elena quite liked the local grapes. These weren\'t the sour grapes used for making wine but rather ordinary fruit grapes. They tasted quite good, with a unique flavor of sunshine and rain.

"Baron, could you tell us about the situation in your territory?" Jason asked Baron Tony as everyone finished eating and resting.

"Oh..." Baron Tony sighed heavily, recalling the events.

"It was some nights ago, one evening, when my steward reported to me that several goats had disappeared near the vineyard on the eastern side of the territory, and many of the vineyard frames had been damaged."

"I initially thought it was fierce beasts like tusked wild boars or wolves, so I sent my captain of the guard with men to investigate, but then things went awry."

"The captain of the guard lost an arm and fled back. Among the three men who went with him, only one returned."

"My captain of the guard had just recently advanced to become a Silver-ranked warrior last year, so when I heard this, I knew I couldn\'t handle it myself and had to ask a friend to post the task at the mercenary guild for me."

"Several mercenaries came over a few days ago, wanting to exterminate this monster, but many of them couldn\'t find it. Then, on the same night, a Silver-ranked mercenary was ambushed and killed by this monster, causing many mercenaries to be scared off and abandon the mission."

"You are my last hope. If you can\'t solve this, I\'ll have to report to the king and request military intervention," Baron Tony said helplessly. He really didn\'t want to alarm the kingdom; otherwise, he might not even be able to keep his baron title.

But not reporting was not an option either. If the monster continued to harass the territory without being dealt with, aside from his own safety concerns, the entire territory could decline rapidly in a short time. Then, what would be the point of being a lord?

So he gritted his teeth and offered a reward of one thousand gold coins, which was the annual surplus of his plantation.

William and Jason got a rough idea after hearing this. Jason then asked the baron, "What species is this monster? What does it look like, and have you confirmed any details?"

"I\'m not sure because the monster only appears at night, and those who returned alive didn\'t get a clear look at it. They said it\'s a black quadruped monster, similar to a leopard or wolf, attacking townspeople and mercenaries."

"It initially occurred near the vineyard on the east side of the territory, but last night, it attacked people in the town. Everyone is terrified, staying home today, and I\'ve ordered the guards stationed outside the town to call them back. Now, everyone is staying in the castle. Except for the guards guarding the castle, everyone else is patrolling the town."

William glanced at Baron Tony upon hearing this, surprised by how responsible this lord was towards his subjects and how well he had arranged everything.

"I understand. Leave the rest to us, Baron," Nichole assured the baron.

The baron repeatedly urged Nichole and the others to ensure safety. If even a Gold-ranked warrior couldn\'t handle this, he would be at a loss. Should he pray for the monster to leave on its own?

Jason gathered everyone and said, "You\'ve all heard the baron\'s description of the monster. What do you think it is?"

"It sounds like a nocturnal monster. I think it\'s highly likely to be a feline monster, such as a night panther or shadow panther. Of course, it could also be a terror wolf," analyzed Elena, being familiar with monster types as an elven hunter.

The others nodded in agreement, acknowledging Elena\'s perspective.

"I also have some thoughts," William spoke up.