Morning arrived beneath a sky streaked with pale gold.
Leon stood at the edge of Valcrest territory, spear resting upright beside him as he waited for the arrival of House Ferrowyn's party. The air carried the scent of damp grass and distant pine. A thin layer of mist clung low to the ground, not yet burned away by the rising sun.
Behind him, the armored warrior stood at ease, shield slung across his back, appearing no different from any seasoned retainer in the service of a noble house.
Leon had made it clear.
No interference unless death stood before him.
The distant rumble of hooves broke the stillness.
A procession emerged along the dirt road. Young nobles in polished light armor rode at the front, banners trailing behind them. Aldric rode near the center, posture straight, chin slightly raised.
He smiled when he saw Leon.
"Valcrest," Aldric called as he dismounted. "I was not certain you would attend."
Leon inclined his head. "An invitation from House Ferrowyn is not easily ignored."
Aldric's gaze drifted toward the armored warrior.
"You bring reinforcement?"
"A retainer," Leon replied calmly. "The forest has grown less forgiving."
Aldric chuckled lightly. "You always take things seriously."
Leon did not respond.
Other young nobles approached, exchanging polite greetings. Some watched him openly, curiosity barely concealed. The news of his SSS-Rank talent had traveled quickly through nearby houses.
An SSS-Rank spearmanship talent.
Impressive in title.
Questionable in execution.
The hunt was announced shortly after. The objective was simple on the surface. Track and eliminate aggressive beasts reported near the borderlands. Display skill. Build camaraderie.
Prove strength.
Leon mounted his horse and followed as the group rode deeper into the forest.
The early part of the hunt passed quietly. Smaller beasts were flushed from cover and dispatched efficiently by sword users eager to demonstrate technique. Clean strikes. Flashy movements. Controlled mana bursts.
Applause followed each success.
Leon observed more than he acted.
He watched how they moved in groups. How they formed loose patterns without coordination. How each sought individual glory rather than structured advantage.
It was not incompetence.
It was pride.
Aldric approached Leon at one point, wiping blood from his blade.
"You have yet to strike," he said lightly.
"I am waiting," Leon answered.
"For what?"
"For something that requires more than a single flourish."
Aldric smirked. "You always speak as if anticipating disaster."
Leon's eyes shifted toward the deeper treeline.
"Disaster does not announce itself."
The forest grew quieter as they advanced.
Too quiet.
Leon felt it first.
The absence of small movements. The lack of birds. The tension beneath the soil.
He slowed his horse.
"Something is wrong," he said.
Aldric glanced around. "We have cleared several beasts already."
"That is precisely why."
Before Aldric could respond, the ground erupted ahead.
A massive shape burst from beneath a fallen tree trunk.
Then another.
And another.
Boars.
Not one.
Five.
Each larger than the one Leon had faced alone.
The nobles reacted instinctively, drawing blades and forming loose defensive stances. Mana flared in uneven bursts.
The first boar charged directly into a cluster of riders, scattering them violently. One horse reared in panic, throwing its rider.
Chaos replaced coordination.
Leon dismounted immediately.
"Form up!" he shouted.
Few listened.
Each noble sought their own target.
A boar barreled toward Aldric.
Leon moved without hesitation.
He sprinted forward, spear leveled. The distance closed rapidly. He stepped into range just as the beast lowered its tusks.
He thrust toward its shoulder joint.
The spear sank deep.
But the beast's momentum did not stop.
Leon twisted the shaft sharply and pivoted aside, forcing the boar to stumble past him.
"Behind you!" someone shouted.
Another beast charged from Leon's blind side.
Before he could fully turn, a shield intercepted the impact.
The armored warrior stepped into view seamlessly, bracing against the collision. The boar recoiled from the solid resistance.
Leon did not hesitate.
He thrust upward beneath its jaw.
The beast collapsed.
The world narrowed to motion and breath.
Leon moved from one target to another, not chasing, not overcommitting. He controlled distance. Forced angles. Created space where none existed.
The armored warrior held positions precisely where chaos threatened to overwhelm.
To outside eyes, it appeared as disciplined coordination between heir and retainer.
Nothing more.
After several brutal minutes, the forest fell silent again.
Five boars lay dead.
Two nobles were injured but alive.
Breathing heavily, Aldric wiped blood from his cheek and looked toward Leon.
"That was… unexpected."
Leon withdrew his spear from the final carcass.
"You were hunting," he said evenly. "They were defending territory."
Aldric's expression tightened slightly.
One of the other nobles spoke up. "Your retainer fights well."
Leon nodded. "He does."
The armored warrior remained silent, shield lowered, posture steady.
Aldric studied Leon carefully.
"You positioned yourself differently this time," he observed. "You did not retreat."
Leon met his gaze.
"If you retreat from everything, eventually there is nowhere left to stand."
The words lingered.
The hunt was called off soon after.
No one objected.
As the group rode back toward safer ground, whispers followed Leon more openly this time.
"Perhaps the spear is not so useless."
"He held two at once."
"With only one retainer."
Leon did not acknowledge the murmurs.
Inside his mind, the system spoke.
Coordinated combat engagement registered.
Spearmanship comprehension increased.
Battlefield control insight gained.
Leon exhaled slowly.
The growth felt subtle.
Earned.
Back at Valcrest Manor, his father listened carefully to the report.
"Five?" his father repeated.
"Yes."
His father's eyes lingered on the armored warrior.
"House Ferrowyn will think twice before underestimating you now."
Leon shook his head slightly.
"They will think harder."
That was more dangerous.
As night settled over the manor, Leon returned to the training grounds once more.
The armored warrior stood opposite him.
"You did not intervene beyond necessity," Leon said.
"You did not require more," the warrior replied.
Leon nodded.
"That must remain true."
He raised his spear.
But before he could thrust, the warrior spoke again.
"You were observed."
Leon paused.
"By whom?"
"Not beasts."
A chill crept along Leon's spine.
He lowered the spear slowly.
Beyond Valcrest lands, beyond Ferrowyn influence, beyond even imperial patrol routes, something else had taken notice of the disturbance in the forest.
Something older.
Something calculating.
Leon stared into the darkness beyond the manor walls.
"Then let them watch," he said quietly.
But deep within the forest, a pair of crimson eyes opened.
And this time, they were not hunting prey.
They were measuring threat.