"Among the knights we still have, whose swordsmanship is the finest—or who has the most experience fighting beasts?"
As Raven flipped through the records of his territory's residents, he asked the question of Butler Aelif at his side.
Aelif thought for a moment before replying: "At present, the Order has only five knights left. If it's swordsmanship, then I'd say Lyon is most suitable. But if you want battle experience against beasts… then Cleveland would be the one.
"He is a veteran, once a soldier who fought alongside the king himself. Years ago, one nation incorporated captured beasts into its army. Cleveland fought in battles against them—and survived."
Cleveland…
Raven searched through the list of seventy-eight residents and soon found the retired veteran's name.
Name: Cleveland
Age: 40
Occupation: Knight of the Guard
Special Ability: None
Loyalty: 90 (Max 100)
Life Record:
Year 108 of the Kingdom: Born to a fisherman's family.
Year 125: Joined the Eindoak Army, fought in wars.
Year 136: Retired from service, returned home to find his parents gone; with nowhere to go, rejoined the army as a guard.
Year 148: Assigned to escort Third Prince Raven to his fief.
Studying the entry, Raven fell into thought.
Beside him, Aelif sighed with regret."If only Lord Geralt were still with us…"
That name made Raven pause."Geralt?"
Yes—there was such a name in the memories of his body's original owner.
Aelif's voice grew heavy with sorrow:"Lord Geralt was the most skilled knight of them all. He had slain countless fearsome beasts. But not long ago… to protect us, he lured away a pack of beasts that attacked the caravan. He never returned."
As Aelif spoke, Raven's memory of Geralt grew sharper.
Back then, their caravan had been passing through a vast forest when they were ambushed by a group of Haxorus.
The dragons had mistaken them for intruders and, with their Axew kin, launched a ferocious assault.
To protect the others, Geralt had drawn the Haxorus away alone—and was never seen again.
Haxorus were normally gentle creatures, but to those who trespassed their territory, they showed no mercy, their axe-like fangs capable of rending steel apart.
Against such a tribe of beasts, Geralt's fate could only have been grim.
Indeed, Raven had already searched the citizen registry and found no trace of him.
"Then it will be Lyon and Cleveland," Raven decided. "I need them to thoroughly explore the lands around our territory. Also—do we have anyone skilled at drawing? I'll need a map of the surroundings, as well as sketches of the beasts."
"Drawing…" Aelif thought carefully. Then his eyes lit up."Yes—there's one! A young girl, Christina. She loves to paint. Her drawings are so lifelike that even the King praised her skill!"
Christina…
Raven quickly found her name.
Name: Christina
Age: 19
Occupation: None
Special Ability: None
Loyalty: 80 (Max 100)
Life Record:
Year 129: Born to a merchant family.
Year 143: Entered the Eindoak Academy to study painting.
Year 146: Became a court painter for the royal family.
Year 148: Accompanied Third Prince Raven to his fief.
A court painter? Raven raised his brows. Clearly, her skills were exceptional. That settled his concerns.
Lyon and Cleveland would explore and fight, while Christina recorded maps and the beasts they encountered.
If only Anna were ready, Raven thought. With Zorua's Illusion ability, she would have been the perfect scout.
Seeing the prince's intentions, Aelif said: "Lyon and Cleveland are helping at the lumberyard, building houses. Christina is out gathering berries with the foraging team. If Your Highness wishes, I'll summon them at once."
Thanks to the Snovers' help, lumbering had sped up greatly. With Dratini's Thunder Wave for fishing and the Snover fruit every day, food was no longer a pressing concern.
Pulling three people away for exploration would not affect the larger picture.
"Summon them," Raven ordered.
"Yes, at once!"
Soon, Aelif returned with the three.
Lyon, Raven already knew.
Cleveland was tall, rugged, his face marked by a fierce scar. Christina, by contrast, was a quiet, gentle-looking blonde maiden.
"Your Highness, why have you called us?" Lyon asked curiously, while the other two waited in puzzled silence—they had never spoken directly with the prince before.
Raven met their gazes and spoke slowly:"I have an important mission for you. It concerns the future of everyone in this territory."
The three stiffened.
Raven continued without delay:"I need you to form an expedition team. Your task is to explore the surrounding lands—and farther if possible. Christina, I need you to map everything, and also record every beast you encounter. Bring your findings back to me."
Christina, caught off guard, quickly stammered, "Y-yes!"
"Cleveland, your experience fighting beasts will protect Christina. Lyon, your sword will support him," Raven added.
Cleveland frowned slightly. Exploration he understood, but recording every beast? Did the prince intend to enslave them with chains, like in the capital?
But thinking of Raven's recent deeds, Cleveland doubted that was his aim. Surely, there was something more.
Lyon, by contrast, asked directly: "Does Your Highness intend to use them?"
Raven nodded gravely."To be frank, our charcoal reserves will last no more than a month. And it is only December—winter has only begun.
"The cold will linger until late February. Without heat, a single blizzard could claim lives. Adults may endure, but the children and the elderly will not.
"That is why I am sending you. Find me beasts that can breathe fire—I intend to use their power for warmth."
The three blinked in surprise.
"You mean to… use the beasts' strength?"
"Yes," Raven said firmly. "Our human strength alone will not suffice. We must rely on them."
Like the Snovers, Cleveland thought.
"But, Your Highness," Cleveland said carefully, "even if we find fire-breathing beasts, can we truly control them?"
"Leave that to me," Raven replied. "You need only find them."
At this, Lyon's eyes burned with excitement."I understand! Like Anna and her little beast!"
These days, he had often seen Anna training with Zorua—commanding it to fight. That was something only a Beast Master could do.
To tame a powerful beast and fight side by side—Lyon longed for that power himself.
"Leave it to us, Your Highness!" he declared, flexing his wrist. "We'll complete the mission!"
Raven wasn't sure what he was imagining, but nodded anyway.
"In addition to Fire-types, I want you to search for these."
He handed Christina a parchment covered in sketches.
The three leaned closer—only to be greeted by crude, strange shapes that barely resembled creatures.
S-so abstract… Christina thought, eyes wide.But no, she couldn't be rude to the prince.
Raven, oblivious to their expressions, studied his own rough drawings, recalling the beasts' abilities.
Mareep: Electric-type. Their wool can be spun into clothing; females produce Mareep milk. Someday, they could even generate electricity.
Pansage, Pansear, Panpour: Common in Unova.
Pansage's leaves ease fatigue and nurture crops.
Pansear, Fire-type, can heat up to 300°C—ideal for charcoal and bricks.
Panpour, Water-type, nourishes plants with its head's water.
Muk: A walking waste disposal unit, feeding on trash.
Gurdurr: Experts at making concrete; with them, the territory could build sturdier homes.
Petilil: Leaves can be brewed into tea that restores energy.
Combee: Produce honey.
Shuckle: Ferments berries into juice or wine.
Since this was Unova, Raven hadn't included creatures unlikely to be found here—like Miltank, Chansey, Wooloo, or Nacli.
(End of Chapter)