beast-hide book felt as if it still radiated a strange magic against his chest. Leylo sat up and rubbed his heavy temples. He had fallen asleep clutching the journal, his mind repeatedly playing out the potion formulas and details of magical beast cultivation until the deep hours of the night.
[Daily Intelligence Refreshed]
[1: Traces of Magic Snake minions have been discovered at the edge of the Emerald Swamp; footprints of a large magical beast were found within their ranks.]
[2: The Baron of neighboring Silvermoon City has issued a public notice, recruiting retired soldiers and mercenaries with high pay to expand his private guard.]
[3: A merchant caravan bound for Silvercreek City has confirmed a change of route to bypass Blackstone Town, citing concerns over security and a lack of local trade goods.]
[4: Recently, several shepherds have reported livestock vanishing without cause. Patrols found messy wolf prints, confirming a pack is active around Blackstone Town.]
[5: A caravan from the Valley is expected to arrive in Blackstone Town in three days. They intend to stay for one day; please prepare trade goods in advance.]
[6: A forest of stone pillars stands atop the ridge of the Blackstone Mountains. Hunters have found multiple traces of Griffin activity there.]
[...]
[8: A group of over thirty refugees fleeing the war in the west is temporarily staying in a deserted village forty kilometers away. It is said there are several craftsmen among them, including a blacksmith and a leatherworker, living in dire conditions.]
[9: Guard Captain Ed has been stuck at the bottleneck of a Rank 2 Great Knight for many years; he is only one step away from becoming a Rank 3 Earth Knight. Providing him with a precious breakthrough potion or bestowing upon him an Iron-Armored Rhino calf as a contracted beast has a very high probability of helping him break through.]
[10: A gang of bandits has established a stronghold in a strategic mountain pass in the northern Blackstone Mountains. Currently, they are preparing to descend for a raid, and Blackstone Town will be the first to be hit.]
Leylo had long intended to bestow a rhino calf to Ed as a familiar. Seeing the intelligence, he decided to put this plan into action immediately. With bandits imminent, having an Earth Knight would provide the necessary protection for the territory. An Earth Knight was a high-tier combatant—capable of leading a small knightly order or a mercenary company.
Without further hesitation, Leylo rose, straightened his clothes, and strode out.
By the stables, a temporary beast pen made of thick logs had been constructed. The two calves were inside, their half-human-tall, grayish-black bodies chasing and play-fighting. They were thick-skinned and their horns were still immature, but their runs already carried momentum, making the ground thud.
Seeing Leylo and Ed approach, the little rascals stopped and stared curiously with honest, round eyes. In just a few days, under Ed's careful feeding, they had lost their hostility toward humans.
"Ed, how many years has it been since you became a Great Knight?" Leylo suddenly asked.
"My Lord, it has been seven years."
"Seven years?" Leylo didn't ask for the reason. "The usual way to become an Earth Knight is to rely on a breakthrough potion, but those are expensive and controlled by the great families. I cannot provide one yet. However, I know of an alternative method."
Leylo patted the large head of the calf that nudged him. "Contracting a magical beast. Using the opportunity where the souls of the knight and beast intertwine and their powers fuse during the contract to break the bottleneck in one go. The Iron-Armored Rhino is a Rank 3 beast; it is perfect to help you reach the Earth Knight rank."
Ed snapped his head up, looking at Leylo in shock. His lips moved, but he was speechless. An Iron-Armored Rhino calf! Its value was far higher than a Rank 3 breakthrough potion! If the Lord traded it to other lords, he could get several potions in return.
And the Lord was... giving it to him? This was not just a reward; it was immense trust.
"My Lord... this... this is too precious! I..." Ed, the stoic tough guy, found his eyes reddening.
"Precious? Perhaps." Leylo patted Ed's shoulder. "Captain Ed, loyalty is the most precious thing in this world. Go. Do not disappoint me."
Ed took a deep breath, dropped to one knee, and struck his chest. "I, Ed, swear my life to Your Lordship! I will not fail your expectations!"
Leylo helped him up and handed him a Magical Beast Contract Scroll. "Go. Establish the bond. I'll wait for the good news of your breakthrough."
Ed nodded heavily. He walked to the pen, entered, and approached one of the calves. The little rhino resisted at first, but soon recognized the human who had fed it so much delicious food. It calmed down, whimpering softly as it rubbed its head against Ed's palm.
The scroll was torn, the light of the contract flared, and an invisible bond linked man and beast. At the moment of completion, Ed's body shuddered! A powerful, heavy aura erupted from within him!
"ROAR!" Ed let out a long-suppressed low growl. His combat qi surged—no longer the condensed but slightly stagnant state of a Rank 2 peak, but thick and unrestrained like a physical substance! Earth-yellow light flowed around him, resonating with the ground beneath his feet. The earth trembled slightly; the air grew heavy.
The confused little rhino, seemingly affected by its master's breakthrough, excitedly pawed the ground and rammed into the wooden fence with a clatter, cracking a thick log.
Ed felt the surging power within and looked at his troublemaking new pet with a wry smile. Leylo, sensing the steady, mountain-like aura of an Earth Knight, smiled genuinely.
It was done! A Rank 3 Earth Knight!
"Congratulations, Ed," Leylo walked up. "From today, you are the first Earth Knight of the Blackstone Territory."
Ed reigned in his aura and knelt again. "Thank you for this fulfillment, My Lord! I am your vanguard, until death!"