The moment the news was released, all of Black Stone Town erupted in an uproar!
"What? Recruiting Knight Apprentices? This is great! My boy does nothing but run wild all day. This is the perfect chance to send him over to try out!"
"Hey, did you see that last line? 'No gender restrictions'! Girls can become Knights, too?"
"For real?"
"Hah, why do you care so much! The Lord himself issued the notice, how could it be fake? My daughter is stronger than most boys. Maybe she'll actually get picked!"
"What's the use of getting picked? What if she can't get married in the future?"
"Can't get married? If she really becomes a Knight, you think she'll have trouble getting married? She might even become a Female Knight Captain! When that day comes, boys will be lining up to marry her!"
In the square, on the main streets, and in the alleyways of the town, crowds of people were discussing it everywhere.
Shock, excitement, anticipation... all sorts of emotions intertwined.
For the families with boys of the right age, this was undoubtedly fantastic news.
Becoming a Knight was a path countless commoners' children dreamed of!
It meant honor, status, and a stable income.
As for the families with daughters, their reactions were far more complex.
Some thought it was nonsense, believing girls should stay at home to learn needlework and manage household chores. But there were also more open-minded parents, and those girls who were spirited and unwilling to settle for an ordinary life, who saw an unprecedented opportunity.
"Father! Mother! I'm going to sign up!"
A young girl with braided hair, slightly dark skin, and exceptionally bright eyes burst through the door, holding a crumpled registration form. Her face was radiant with excitement.
Her father, a simple and honest carpenter, froze for a moment before frowning. "Nonsense! A girl like you has no business joining the commotion. That's a man's job!"
"The Lord himself said there are no gender restrictions! Why can't I go? I'm just as strong as the boys!" the girl argued, unconvinced.
"What good is being strong? You'd be risking your life!" her mother said worriedly from the side.
"I'm not afraid! I want to be a Knight! As impressive as Captain Ed!" The girl's eyes sparkled with longing.
The town square was now swarming with people, the clamor nearly loud enough to tear the roof off.
Raylo stood by the second-floor window, looking down at the dark sea of people below. He couldn't help but rub the bridge of his nose.
He had expected the townsfolk to be enthusiastic about the Knight Apprentice selection, but the scene before him far exceeded his expectations.
The once-spacious square was now packed shoulder to shoulder. Even the surrounding streets were affected, with traffic brought to a standstill.
The guards responsible for maintaining order had shouted themselves hoarse, but they still struggled to contain the crowd's enthusiasm.
"My Lord, this... there are just too many people!"
Ed stood behind Raylo, watching the teeming crowd below. His face was a mixture of excitement and worry.
He was excited by the people's trust in their Lord and their desire to become Knights, but he was also worried. Managing such a huge crowd was a massive challenge.
Raylo sighed and said, "Yes, it seems we underestimated our people's passion. This can't continue. Sooner or later, we'll lose control of the situation."
"Should I take some men down to maintain order?" Ed asked for permission.
Raylo shook his head. "It'd be useless. There are too many people. The crowding would only make it easier for chaos to break out. Go find Old Buck and bring a few young Civil Servants with you. Have them immediately set up more registration booths in the square."
Ed accepted the order and left.
With the additional registration booths, the flow of the crowd improved significantly.
Old Buck shouted at the top of his lungs, reading out the registration instructions, while the young Civil Servants patiently answered the townspeople's questions and guided them to register in an orderly fashion.
Although the square was still noisy, order had clearly been restored.
Seeing this, Raylo let out a small sigh of relief.
He turned, about to give Ed some instructions, when a white shadow flashed into his arms.
Moonlight was back.
Having been gone for a whole day, Moonlight looked a bit travel-worn, but its spirit was exceptionally high.
"Moonlight, you little rascal, you're finally back."
Raylo smiled and stroked Moonlight's head. Feeling the warmth radiating from its body, he felt a warmth in his own heart.
Moonlight affectionately nuzzled Raylo's hand.
It let out a couple of "MEOWS."
"Are you saying you found the Blood Wolf Corps' mountain stronghold?"
Raylo asked tentatively, looking into Moonlight's eyes.
Moonlight stretched out a front paw, gesturing to the northwest.
The meaning couldn't have been clearer—'I found it!'
"Good job, Moonlight!"
Raylo was overjoyed, vigorously ruffling the fur on Moonlight's big, fluffy head.
"Brilliant!"
He turned to Ed and said, "Ed, go to the kitchen and have the cook roast the Gray-headed Goose we prepared! Today, we're going to properly reward our great hero!"
"Yes, my Lord!"
Ed's face was also full of delight.
The Blood Wolf Corps was entrenched on the edge of Black Stone Territory, a malignant tumor and a grave threat.
Now that their lair had been found, removing this tumor was only a matter of time.
He hurriedly accepted the order and left.
When Moonlight heard there was roasted goose to eat, its eyes instantly lit up, and it wagged its large tail vigorously.
After comforting Moonlight, Raylo returned to the small meeting hall.
「Half an hour later.」
Two glistening, golden-brown roasted geese were ready, their aroma filling the air.
Moonlight pounced on them impatiently, devouring the feast like a whirlwind.
Raylo smiled as he watched it wolfing down the food.
After Moonlight had contentedly licked the last bone clean, it burped and lay down on the table to rest.
Raylo stood up, stroking Moonlight's fluffy head.
"Ed, get ready. Bring a few men and come with me."
"Where are we going?"
"To the scrubland about fifteen miles northwest of here." A hint of anticipation flashed in Raylo's eyes. "Moonlight said there's something good there."
Ever since Moonlight had demonstrated its remarkable intelligence, Raylo had started attributing various pieces of intelligence to it.
Ed nodded. "Yes, my Lord."
「An hour later,」 Raylo and Ed left Black Stone Town with a small team of Knights, galloping northwest.
Black Stone Territory was vast. Most of it was undeveloped, retaining its primordial appearance.
After leaving the town, the roads became rugged, and signs of civilization grew scarce.
The group passed through a few sparse woods and crossed a babbling creek, finally arriving at their destination at dusk: a scrubland stretching for a few miles.
The trees here were generally short, most of them only a little taller than a person, and their branches and leaves weren't particularly dense, allowing sunlight to filter through to the ground.
The forest floor was overgrown with all sorts of shrubs and weeds, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of earth and plants.
"This is the place?"
Raylo reined in his horse and looked around.
After venturing about ten more minutes into the scrubland and pushing aside a patch of waist-high weeds, the sight before them was invigorating.
In a clearing, over a hundred strange plants were growing.
These plants were short, only about six inches tall. Their leaves were thick and fleshy, a deep, ink-green color, and shaped like miniature dragon claws with finely serrated edges.
"Earth Dragon Grass!"
Ed exclaimed in a joyful whisper, "It really is Earth Dragon Grass! And... there's so much of it!"
Earth Dragon Grass, one of the main ingredients for making the Magical Beast Growth Potion.
With all this Earth Dragon Grass, they could produce a large quantity of Magical Beast Growth Potions. Moonlight would be able to pass through its Juvenile Dragon Stage much faster and grow into a true Giant Dragon.