Archer's Adventure Manual

After allocating the funds, the group decided to find the local lord first. After all, the matter of Rice Paddy Village was of great importance. If Hama Town was also attacked due to information asymmetry, then they would really be doomed.

The local nobility's activities were concentrated within the manor, just like in Rockfall.

Loran and his companions passed through the manor and arrived at the castle where the lord resided, and reported the details to the guards at the gate.

Their anxious tone caught the attention of the guards, who immediately went to report.

Soon, the castle steward came out to greet them. He gave a slight bow and said, "Brave adventurers, welcome. I heard you have important matters to report to the lord. Please come in."

The butler, who was about to lead the way, turned slightly, looked at Loran who was holding the large dog, and said calmly, "Sir, there's no need to bring this pet inside."

"Well, he's asleep. I'm afraid someone else will pick him up," Loran explained.

The housekeeper thought for a moment and offered a solution: "There's a small room here; you can leave it here temporarily."

As he spoke, the butler led Loran to a small room next to the castle gate. This small room seemed to be for servants, but there was no one there at the moment.

"Let's leave it here for now."

Loran thought for a moment and nodded. After all, carrying this big guy, Brian, was quite tiring, so it wouldn't be a problem to let him rest here for a while.

After settling Brian in, I closed the door to the room.

Led by the butler, Loran and his companions then entered the castle.

The castle's corridors were covered with what looked like very comfortable carpets, and many framed paintings hung on both sides of the corridors.

Most of these framed pictures depict river scenes, such as a man preparing to set off in the sunlight on the riverbank.

There are also many paintings depicting the beauty of Hama Village, including a great deal of riverside scenery.

The butler led the way, proudly introducing the riverbank, "The banks of the Zeya River are our most precious treasure. Our ancestors have lived here for generations. The river is the most precious gift God has given to mankind!"

Even Loren, who doesn't know much about art, could see the artist's skillful craftsmanship behind these exquisite paintings and couldn't help but marvel at how wealthy these nobles were.

Adventurers like them spend all their money on equipment and training; they have no spare money for these things.

After passing through several corridors, the group finally arrived at the luxurious reception hall, where maids served tea to Loran and the others.

The steward then went to consult the lord.

A short while later, a man dressed in fine clothes and with an extraordinary demeanor appeared in the reception room.

"Greetings, adventurers. I am Baron Zeya, the administrator of Clam Town. According to the message relayed by the steward, you know some things about Rice Paddy Village."

Baron Zeya asked directly.

Lin Wen didn't mince words and immediately said, "Baron Zeya, to be honest, we escaped from Daotian Village, where... an extremely fierce war broke out!"

"A group of monsters that looked like goblins but had kobold heads attacked Inada Village at night. It was the night before. If it weren't for luck, we might not have been able to get here at all."

Baron Zeya's expression froze for a moment. He asked incredulously, "Inada Village... was attacked by a monster? Or the entire village?"

"That's right. We don't know the monsters' purpose, but they have a strong military. Dense hordes of monsters are attacking the village in an orderly manner under the command of the goblin shaman. I think Inada Village may have already fallen."

The reason why Baron Zeya met with Loran and the others was that, as the lord of Hamo Town, he had naturally heard some rumors, but these rumors were not accurate.

But the information we're getting from these people is far too shocking...

Baron Zeya's expression turned serious. "Can you guarantee that your description is true?"

"Absolutely true."

"Can you provide all the information you saw at the time? This will allow us to deal with those monsters more effectively, and I will reward you accordingly."

......

Brian yawned, slowly opened his eyes, and stretched.

Then, his brain started working, and suddenly his fur stood on end, assuming a battle stance—he was still in the middle of a fight! How could he have fallen asleep!

However, seeing the quiet surroundings, Brian calmed down. It kept thinking, it seemed... it had been forgotten in a small room again?

Just like last time, the owner is really careless.

Brian decided to go out and look for Loran. His nose was very sensitive, and he could smell the scents left by Loran and the members of the adventurer's party here.

Brian pawed at the door with his paws, but it was no use; the door was locked and he couldn't open it.

Since he couldn't go through the door, he looked for another way. Brian found a place where the light was coming in—a small window, not too big or too small.

Brian used his powerful jumping ability to leap up and get stuck in the middle of the window. He squeezed hard towards the outside and finally managed to get out.

It shook its body, then pressed its nose to the ground and followed the scent on its way to find its owner.

"Hey! Where did this dog come from? Get away from me!"

Brian, who was following along into the corridor, soon ran into the guards, who, of course, would not allow a dog to swagger into the castle and drove it away.

Brian had no choice but to slink away with its tail between its legs. Its mind started working again; it had to go inside and find its owner!

"If the door is closed, I can still go through the window! Right now, those annoying guys are the closed door, and I need to find another 'window'!"

By drawing on the connection between the door and the window, Brian, with his limited brain capacity, came up with a crucial solution.

Brian wandered around the castle, searching for other entrances, and would sneak away from patrolling guards whenever he saw them.

A moment later, Brian jumped through an unattended window into a small room, and then slipped out of that room.

By using cover and avoiding the guards' gazes along the way, Brian actually managed to sneak into the interior of the castle.

His nose could clearly smell that the team members were very close to it.

However, Brian noticed that there were two guards watching the gate ahead and they showed no sign of leaving, so he had no choice but to take a detour again.

After wandering around for a while, they ended up in a dark room. Brian was about to leave when he heard footsteps outside the door.

Brian was startled and quickly found a corner to hide behind a pile of books.

Two people walked in, one of whom was someone Loran and the others had seen before—the castle's steward.