Seeing the curious expressions on everyone's faces, Arthur could no longer hold back and decided to explain.
"This time, we all made it out alive thanks to this thing!" he declared, holding up a damaged scroll.
The crowd only looked more confused.
"This is a pollution magic scroll I traded for using monster meat. Honestly, I bought it just for fun—but who would've thought it'd be this useful in a critical moment?"
"This scroll induces such intense fear in its target that they briefly lose consciousness. That's why the boar staggered earlier, even though it hadn't shown any signs of weakness."
Arthur exhaled and continued, "I hope you'll all remember this—and consider sharing a bit of the meat with the person who made this scroll as a token of thanks. Sure, the scroll belongs to me now, but we'll definitely need more of these in the future. It's best to start building a good relationship with Clayton. Quality goods never lack buyers."
Everyone nodded as the explanation finally made sense.
Arthur smiled in satisfaction. His true aim was to make them recognize Clayton's value, so no one would protest if Clayton received a share of the hunt's spoils.
Of course, he had another reason—self-interest. Who wouldn't want to be friends with someone capable of crafting high-quality gear at a low price?
In a world of swords and magic, Clayton was like gold in a field of low-born farmers.
Meanwhile, some people reacted differently.
Equus, for one, was stunned by the revelation. He started to wonder how someone like Hank—clearly stronger than Clayton—could've been killed. With this new information, he was more convinced than ever: it was better not to cross Clayton.
Bravus, on the other hand, was fuming. First, why hadn't Arthur used the scroll earlier? Why wait until after he had pissed himself in fear? It felt like Arthur had done it on purpose, just to humiliate him.
Second, he was furious at Clayton. Why did that kid keep showing up everywhere, like a pesky mosquito that just wouldn't stop buzzing around?
His growing frustration solidified one thing: Bravus was now fully committed to his plan.
After the incident, Arthur and the others rested briefly before resuming the hunt.
Over the next four days, the group hunted in an orderly fashion. They encountered a few obstacles, but nothing unmanageable. On the final day, they secured an enormous haul.
Arthur sighed in relief. Since the wild boar attack, there hadn't been any major incidents. In fact, their yield had steadily increased.
The group had become more coordinated. Problems were few, and all were handled smoothly. The most troublesome person was still Bravus. While he did complete his tasks, he often worked half-heartedly. Arthur also noticed he seemed distracted, like he was plotting something.
Still, Arthur wasn't too concerned. With a brain that small, he doubted Bravus could do much damage.
Once the hunt wrapped up, the group made their way back to the city. The journey was uneventful.
Seeing the city's tall, sturdy walls, they all sighed in relief—grateful to be home.
As they approached the city gate, the guards stopped them.
"Where are you coming from? What's your reason for entering the city?"
After confirming they were local magic farmers, the guards didn't press further. They simply warned them to be careful—there had been a rise in wild animal attacks on the outskirts.
With monsters running low on food due to the winter, many had begun encroaching on human settlements to survive.
Arthur took the warning seriously and reminded everyone to stay vigilant.
Once inside, the group took a short break near the city walls. Soon after, Arthur gathered them together.
"Alright, everyone. Let's tally up our harvest!"
Excitement lit up the group as they crowded around. After a quick count, they had collected a total of 770 kilograms of meat—two adult boars, five adolescent ones, and three wild goats.
Converted to market value, it was worth around 2,310 low-tier mana crystals.
Cheers erupted, and Arthur let them celebrate for a while.
Once things calmed down, he distributed one to two kilos of meat to each person as an advance. The rest would be sold to a restaurant and the proceeds divided evenly.
Because of his contributions, Bravus received five kilos of meat. He was ecstatic and began bragging. The others could only hide their envy.
Seeing their reactions made Bravus's ego swell.
But his mood quickly soured when Arthur announced that a portion of the meat would go to Clayton. Bravus was clearly displeased, but he knew his opinion wouldn't matter. He stayed silent.
As he turned to leave, he accidentally made eye contact with Equus. His eyes lit up, and he hurried over, full of enthusiasm.
But Equus immediately turned away, disgust written plainly on his face.
Bravus felt humiliated. Now, along with Arthur and Clayton, he added Equus to his list of people he hated. He wished he could kill all three of them just to vent his rage.
Seething with resentment, Bravus headed home.
Just before reaching his house, he saw a few people nursing injuries. Curious, he walked over.
"Hey, buddy. What happened to you?" he asked.
"Ugh, got attacked by a wild boar right outside my house," the man groaned.
"A boar? Seriously?"
"Yeah, wild boars have been sneaking into the farming district looking for food. A bunch of people have gotten hurt—some even worse than me. Haven't you noticed the extra patrols?"
"I'd recommend staying indoors. The monsters are lurking, just waiting for a chance to strike."
Bravus nodded, pretending to be enlightened.
"By the way, where are you coming from? You look like hell."
"Just got back from a hunting trip outside the city," Bravus replied.
"Wow, did you get anything good?"
"Eh, not much. Just this," Bravus said, lifting his five kilos of meat with an obviously fake modesty.
Those around him could only sigh. 'Not much'? That's a lot, and he knows it!
Seeing their faces, Bravus was thoroughly pleased. "Well then, I'll be going. I'm exhausted. Imagine—days of hunting just for this," he added with smug humility, strutting off and leaving a trail of envy behind.
When he got home, Bravus did nothing except set down his gear and carefully store the meat.
Then, he calmly left again.
When he arrived at his destination, he moved stealthily, keeping his presence hidden. He picked up a tree branch and sprayed it with his special perfume.
Once it was fragrant enough, he tossed it toward a particular house.
"ARGHH! Who the hell?!" Clayton's angry voice rang out from inside.
Bravus quickly fled and hid nearby, waiting for his plan to unfold.
Moments later, the sound of savage grunting echoed through the area. From afar, a wild boar came charging straight toward Clayton's house.
Seeing it, a wicked smile crept across Bravus's face.