Episode 8

<Veterinarian Druid Episode 8>

"Recently, the upper class has been getting smarter. They are focusing on products that create high value, like potions and magical items."

If you're in business, it's natural to want to generate high profits, so it's understandable for the upper class to do the same.

"At the center of it all is the Mana Stone. Products that contain Mana Stones can generate profits several times, or even dozens of times, higher than regular items. Naturally, all the upper class are risking their lives to secure Mana Stones."

"It's a battle for acquiring resources."

"That's right. It's like a war, except without swords and bows. Our empire has the Imperial Upper Class, the Olif Upper Class, the Metaren Upper Class, the Beren Upper Class, and our Ulysses Upper Class. It's not an exaggeration to say that these five upper classes are leading the economy."

Heh, even Ulysses is a powerful upper class that spends money.

"All five upper classes require Mana Stones, right? But what if the Mana Stone mine is located on top of a mountain? For example, in a place where people can't reach by walking due to a cliff."

"Why do you think that way?"

"Didn't you just say that targeting the mine and targeting the Eagle Knight serve the same purpose? So, it means that you have to ride a griffin to reach the mine."

"Oh! You saw it accurately."

The Count couldn't hide his satisfied expression.

"That's right. As you know, our Mana Stone Mine is famous for its high purity. It's worth a lot."

The Count's expression was filled with pride. And rightly so.

When Sharen talked about mining, I looked into it and found out that the Ulysses Mana Stone brand name was dominant on the continent.

It's no wonder that there are many people aiming for it.

"I heard that the movements of the Marquis of Metaren and the Kingdom of Stein are suspicious. Or it could be Third Prince Feloton."

Healer Dan, told me various things when I asked about the mana measuring device. Including how the Mana Stone market is currently operating. In that case…

"It could also be the Olif Upper Class."

"The Olif Upper Class? Why did you think that?"

"I heard that the Olif Upper Class is the largest in terms of scale in the Mana Stone market. But our reputation is even higher, so it only makes sense, doesn't it?"

"Well, that makes sense. Our Suri Mountain Mana Stone is currently the most valuable in the market. Plus, their Griffin Brigade can't easily reach the Suri Mountain Mine. They're not skilled enough."

The Count's gaze turned towards the wall, where a portrait of the founding head of Ulysses was hanging.

Continuing his speech, the count explained that the founder, Count Bartlonga Ulysses, was the first to tame the griffins and establish the Eagle Knight Order.

During that time, the empire suffered significant damage due to the emergence of monsters.

Bartlonga led the Eagle Knights to hunt down the monsters and succeeded.

One of their notable achievements was in the mountainous region, with Suri mountain being one of them.

At that time, Suri Mountain was considered a useless wasteland due to the presence of monsters.

It was said that Suri Mountain had transformed into a goose that laid golden eggs, becoming a target of greed.

The Count’s conclusion was as follows:

"That's why we have to become even stronger. We have to crush them with overwhelming power. They should never dare to underestimate us."

So, the Eagle Knight Show was ultimately a display of power.

A display of power. It is simple, yet it is also a natural course of action.

“There is no guarantee that such incidents won’t happen again. We need to identify the exact cause in order to prepare before hand.”

“Yeah, thanks to you, we managed to get through today, but you’re right.”

Although I managed to calm down my state of excitement, I wondered if it was really cauused by pheromones as I suspected, or if the griffins had taken some kind of stimulant. It was necessary to investigate.

I continued my conversation with the Count for a little while longer before stepping outside.

Spica, who was sitting in front of the building, saw me and approached, stretching lazily.

[I heard the griffins went crazy?]

-How did you know?

[Tinger and Bella told me. They were worried about the griffins being too excited, but their owner appeared and calmed them down.]

-They did? Those guys seem to know everything.

[Of course. Tinger and Bella know everything. They know it all.]

Spica's words were true.

The next morning, Bella smiled at me and said,

[You know, Marcus, thanks for calming down the griffins.]

-I’m glad everything worked out.

[Turns out you have some skills, huh?]

Tinger spoke with a slightly annoyed expression.

-Well, it just happened.

[He used catmint. It would have been even better if he added milkweed.]

-What?

[Hmph!]

When I asked Tinger, who seemed to know something, responded with a sneer.

Tinger, who had his head bowed while nibbling on a cherry, suddenly raised his head and glared at me.

[By the way, I noticed there was no morning training today. Do you know why?]

-Who would dare to ride on a griffin’s back after all that chaos? It could have been deadly.

[Why?]

-What if they get excited again like yesterday? We’ll observe the griffin’s behavior from now on an and make a decision.

[That can't happen! What's the point of me being stuck here?]

Tinger suddenly got angry.

[This guy is an Eagle Knight fan. That’s why he can’t leave this territory.]

[I’m not a fan!]

Tinger shouted back.

[No? Then why do you check what the griffins eat, what kind of training they receive, and where they fly to?]

[Well, just a little bit of interest?]

[That’s ridiculous.]

As I listened to their conversation, I remembered what the Count said.

Hallucinogenic drug.

-Wait, have you ever seen any suspicious person wandering around?

[Hey,even though I may like them, it doesn’t mean I’m watching them all day. I have plenty things to do. But why?]

-What if someone intentionally fed the griffins an excitement-inducing drug?

[If we find out, will the event go on as planned?]

-Maybe not. If this situation isn't resolved, we may never be able to hold it again...

[Alright. Is that all I need to find out?]

-For now.

[Leave it to me. I’ll find it quickly.]

Tinger hurriedly flew away. But he returned in less than 5 minutes.

Thump, he dropped a bunch of grass on the ground.

[It's milkweed. If they eat this, they won't be easily affected by any danger signals from their fellow griffins.]

-So it's like a nerve stabilizer, but could it make them drowsy while flying?

[Not really.]

-Can they eat it every day?

[Yes. It will give them strength when they're exhausted.]

-It's like a tonic.

[Wild griffins naturally eat it when they're tired. The griffins in the training grounds probably don't have the chance to eat it.]

After leaving those words, Tinger flew away again and returned in the evening.

[They said there was nothing suspicious. No sightings of unfamiliar people, nor did thet detect any strange scents.]

[Tinger let the griffins loose, and that's the information they brought back.]

As I suspected, that guy Tinger was a scoundrel.

Just as Tinger said, I fed the griffins milkweed every day and added catmint to their food for calming purposes.

A week passed, and nothing like last time happened again.

During that time, the Count gave each of the Eagle Knights a ring.

It was a ring made of mana stone containing a levitation scroll.

When in danger, if you say “levitate,” a shield automatically forms around your body to protect against impact. As a demonstration, Fred, the eldest, showcased it himself.

It was impressive to see him taking the lead in showing initiative even though he could have died if he fell. It showed his strong attachment to the family.

Was it pride?

Because of this, the morale of the knights was revived, and training resumed.

***

“His Highness will arrive in two days. Make all preparations.”

The Eagle Knight show must be quite something. Even the Crown Prince is coming.

But that’s not all. People were bustling all over the territory.

The city was no exception.

All of this is due to the tourists who came to see the Eagle Knight show.

I pushed through the crowd and entered the Deli Restaurant.

"The lion is eating up the grass."

What nonsense. Last time it was a lion flying in the sky, and now it’s a lion eating up the grass.I wonder what’s wrong with Legasi’s head.

I muttered under my breath, reciting the password.

Nevertheless, this time too, I sat facing him at the table.

"What's the password?"

"It's quite creative, isn't it?"

Legasi snorted.

"It's noisy. Just tell me what you found."

“Your personality hasn’t changed.”

“Get to the point!”

“Okay, let’s get started. Duke Olif and Marquis Metaren are eyeing Suri Mountain. You can think of them as enemies, of course. And Count Mokra also has a great interest in Suri Mountain. Duke Beren can be considered an ally as he belongs to the same Imperial faction. Well, who wouldn’t dare to be a foe in front of money?

"That's true."

“And recently, the Morgan Merchants has made a move in the Mana Stone Market. As you know, the Morgan Merchants is a giant conglomerate that dominates the underground economy. They are using their tremendous financial power to aggressively control the Mana Stone Market.”

Legasi continued to spill more informations after that.

The conclusion was that there are many people who fly like moths to money.

“Do you happen to know anyone who deals with psychotropic substances? Whether it is potion or magic, it doesn’t matter. Anyone specializes in that field?”

“Are you talking about mind-altering substances? I’ll look into it.”

“Good. And this…it’s what we agreed upon last time.”

As I place the pouch on the table, Legasi blinked for a moment before speaking.

“Oh-ho, this is much larger than I expected.”

“I’m leaving.”

There was no need for me to stay seated any longer, so I got up from my chair.

But then, Legasi opened his mouth, wearing a serious expression.

“Be wary of Duke Olif. And when you go to the Healing Tower, always be on guard in your surroundings.Despite being the offspring…no, the bloodline of the world renowned Ulysses. Hahaha.”

How did he know that I was going to the Healing Tower? I haven't even taken the exam yet.

It seems that the rumors are true. That all the information of the Empire is stored in that guy's head. If that's the case, then the words that came out of his mouth may not be nonsense.

Duke Olif, who is at the top of my list of suspects, could indeed be the culprit.

I engraved his words in my mind and stepped outside.

The streets were filled with a festive atmosphere.

The griffin emblem, symbolizing the Ulysses family, and the proud emblem of the Elarotus Empire, the dragon, fluttered in various places on the street.

As the atmosphere continued to escalate, the day the Crown Prince visited was nothing short of madness.

Finally, the Crown Prince arrived in the territory.

The people of the territory poured out into the Bartonga Square, and the Crown Prince reciprocated with a bright smile.

The Crown Prince paraded to the Powell Palace like a general, and along the way, the residents of the territory greeted his visit at every turn.

20 years ago, in order to express gratitude to the royal family who visits the Ulysses terrirtory every year, Count Ulysses built the Powell Palace and dedicated it to the Emperor.

There are conflicting accounts regarding this.

Some say that Count Ulysses built the Powell Palace to flatter the royal family, while others says that the Emperor demanded it and took it away.

Howevever, the truth lies in the intentions of Count Ulysses.

On that evening, the Crown Prince hosted a banquet to announce his arrival to the people.

I, too, attended as a representative of the organizers.

"Wow, it's magnificent."

The Powell Palace, enitrely made of pristine white marble was incredibly grand.

Marble, that is the essence of the Powell Palace.

The Ulysses territory is famous not only for its magic stones but also for its marble production.

As the number of nobles attending the Eagle Knight's Show increased, the Count built the Powell Palace using the white marble, a specialty of the territory.

In other words, it was like building a model house.

The saying “seeing is believing” proved accurate, and the Count’s idea was a hit. The nobles started decorating their mansions with Ulysses marbles.

"He has a brilliant mind."

He is not just a Count, but someone who can succeed even with only the top part of his body.

No wonder he has many enemies.

As I entered the banquet hall, I saw people dressed in extravagant attire engaging in conversations.

I overheard various discussion, from expectations for the event and even heard about the griffins getting excited.

"Hmm, can you hear very well? Are you able to hear even the conversations of those people at the far end?"

My vigor has already at 9. As a result, my hearing has become quite acute.

"The little sun of Elarotus, Crown Prince Kilian, is entering."

As the doorman spoke, the doors to the banquet hall opened, and the Crown Prince made a grand entrance.

And...

"Huh? Is that... a wolf?"

A large wolf walked alongside the Crown Prince, matching his steps.

Even Spica, who is quite large, doesn't seem to be a match for that wolf.

"A wolf? It’s a Silver Wolf."

Fred, who was standing next to me, frowned and spoke quietly.

It's a wolf indeed.

As all eyes in the banquet hall turned towards the Crown Prince, I admired the wolf.

"My, what a handsome creature.”

With a fierce, ready-to-hunt gaze, well-defined skeletal structure, and beautifully silver fur, I could tell it was an extraordinary creature.

"But that fellow seems to be injured."

The wolf was limping as it walked in, exhaling hot breaths.