"Uh... sorry, Jack."
"What use is apologizing now? Seeing you like this, I wouldn't dare hit you anyway."
Raymond broke out in a cold sweat upon hearing this and secretly thought, is suffering from the Pale Sickness a good thing after all?
Otherwise, if he were healthy now, he'd dare to stand in front of Jack and end up beaten black and blue, bedridden for months.
...
Shortly after, Karl finished dealing with the Drowners and returned to the village carrying a wild boar.
Passing villagers nodded at him with smiles on their faces, and some even looked surprised, as if seeing him for the first time.
While everyone expressed friendliness, they couldn't help but stare at the wild boar on Karl's shoulder.
Their eyes gleamed, clearly showing envy and greed.
Many secretly wiped saliva from the corners of their mouths with the backs of their hands as they passed by Karl.
Not all villagers could afford meat; at most, during particularly big festivals, they might be lucky to have one or two eggs.
But meat with every meal? Commoners simply didn't have that kind of financial means, which was why most of them were pale and thin.
Karl's and Old Jack's standard of living was the best in the entire village.
Even the butcher shop in the village had to ask him for help from time to time to ensure a stable supply.
"Karl, you're back? You actually hunted a wild boar? Amazing!"
"This wild boar must weigh seventy kilograms, right..."
"Well, Sam, it's about that much, maybe a little heavier."
Mid-sentence, Sam, who was greeting Karl, was startled, and then suddenly reacted.
Wait, something's not right...
A guaranteed seventy-kilogram wild boar, and Karl was actually carrying it on one shoulder?!
Sam swallowed hard, astonished by Karl's strength.
Karl didn't look that strong on the surface, but he actually had this kind of power?
If anyone ever picked a fight with Karl, an ordinary person would probably hit the ground with just one punch.
Karl met the envious gazes of the villagers all the way to the butcher shop.
THUD! The boar was placed on the counter by him.
"Dales, sorry to bother you. Butcher it the same as before." Karl said with a smile.
Dales smelled the strong scent of blood on Karl, along with a more distinct, sour stench, and he wrinkled his nose, a bit overwhelmed.
"It's no bother at all; I couldn't keep the butcher shop open without your help."
"Karl, did things not go well on your hunt this time?"
Dales looked worriedly at the torn holes in the wrist and chest of Karl's shirt.
"Well, I encountered some monsters on the way, but luckily I managed to escape using some traps."
Karl's expression didn't change; he smiled slightly and spoke the words he had prepared in advance.
"Haha, I knew you were clever. But don't get too cocky; a moment of carelessness in the wild can cost you your life."
Dales picked up the kitchen knife on the cutting board, twisted his wrist, and sliced into the boar's body a few times.
Subsequently, following the gaps between the bones, the boar's tenderloin and shoulder meat were separated.
"Alright, it'll be done according to your requirements. As for the rest..."
"Considering wild boar meat is usually relatively scarce, how about one silver coin per kilogram?"
"Okay, that's a fair price."
Near his house, Karl noticed a luxurious carriage parked by the wooden fence, along with several guards standing there.
After a few curious glances, he looked away and didn't show the slightest hint of shock.
He had seen airplanes and sports cars before, so what was so surprising about a carriage?
At most, suddenly seeing an object in a medieval style, he felt a bit curious.
He immediately skirted the fence and opened the gate to enter when a voice from behind stopped him.
"Stop! Who are you? The Baron is conducting business with people inside the house."
"If you want to enter, you must wait for us to report, and only enter if the Baron permits."
As he spoke, the guard slowly stepped forward and placed his hand on Karl's shoulder from behind.
Suddenly, Karl stopped, turned around, and knocked the guard's hand off his shoulder with the back of his hand.
"Damn, this is my house, and now I can't even enter?!"
"Heh, your Baron isn't being a bit too arrogant?"
The guard naturally caught the insinuation in Karl's words; he cracked his knuckles and replied with a nasty expression, "Kid, how dare you insult the Baron? Looks like I need to teach you a lesson!"
Before he finished speaking, he clenched his fist and swung it at Karl's face.
The few guards behind didn't come to help; they all stood still, as if watching a good show.
They hadn't expected someone to be so brazen, openly disrespecting their Baron.
The fist, carrying the force of wind, gradually approached Karl's face until it was very close to the tip of his nose, and then Karl leisurely reached out and grabbed his wrist.
"Looking for a fight, huh? I don't want any trouble, but you started it."
The guard, his wrist caught, desperately planted his feet on the ground, his face reddening at a speed visible to the naked eye, yet he still couldn't break free from the handhold that felt like an iron ring.
He was shocked by Karl's strength when he suddenly saw Karl raise his hand.
In an instant, the world before him spun, pain erupted in his back, and everything in his eyes became blurred.
"Ow, oh my god... My back! It hurts!"
Karl tossed the guard, holding him by the shoulder, and he landed on the other side.
Of course, Karl had restrained his strength and hadn't used his full power; otherwise, just tossing the opponent like that would have left him at death's door.
The other guards, who had been watching the show from behind, were suddenly at a loss after seeing this scene.
"No way, a commoner from this rundown little village took down the captain just like that?"
"Uh, maybe the captain spent a bit too much energy on that woman last night..."
The three guards exchanged glances, placed their right hands on the hilts of the swords at their waists, and prepared to draw their blades.
Seeing this, Karl raised an eyebrow and clenched his fists again—he wasn't about to just stand there; he intended to take the initiative himself.
At that moment, they were stopped by a rebuke.
"What are you doing? Stop it!"
They noticed that at some point, Raymond's butler, Hans, had opened the door and was standing there, looking at everyone with a displeased expression.
"Uh, Master Hans, we were just about to teach this so-called boy a lesson; he injured our captain."
"Moreover, he insulted Lord Raymond, saying the lord was arrogant and unreasonable..."
"Are you Karl? Go inside the house; Master Raymond has been waiting for you for a long time." Hans asked with a smile.
The guard wanted to continue, but his voice gradually faded mid-sentence.
Because, seeing this, when Master Hans looked at the boy, not only did he not angrily rebuke him, but he even smiled and invited him inside.
Seeing this scene, the three exchanged glances and collectively played dumb, silently carrying the fallen guard captain away without another word.