Chapter 46: Unpredictable People

Levi no longer wanted to join the expedition.

Adult dragons are ferocious beasts, equal in power to Great Knights. They are invulnerable in the true sense; with this crossbow, it is theoretically possible to subdue the Earth Dragon, with emphasis on the word theoretical. He didn’t think risking his life was worth it for a mere bottle of ambergris.

At worst, it’ll just take more time for him to practise his Black Snake Breathing Method. Besides, he was just sixteen, so there was absolutely no rush.

Levi didn’t want to take a risk. He wants to do things with certainty.

Seeing Levi turn around to leave, Graff hurriedly chased after him and shouted, “Y-Your Excellency! I am aware of the risks of hunting an Earth Dragon, but I am sure we can defeat it! I have been tracking the beast down for several years, and just a month ago, it fought against a Great Knight from the Tuva Empire!

Both the Great Knight and the Dragon are seriously injured. I paid a huge price just to borrow this crossbow, and I specifically recruited Knights who are proficient in archery. I am at least seventy per cent sure that we are able to take down that Earth Dragon!

Plus…” Graff hesitated before speaking once again. “I am willing to give you two bottles of ambergris for your troubles.”

Graff was secretly anxious; the Earth Dragon is known for its self-healing abilities, and he didn’t want to delay its death any longer.

Although the crossbow is different from ordinary bows and arrows, it is fundamentally the same. With Levi’s accuracy, that crossbow would be lethal.

Levi stopped as Graff spoke and hesitated.

“You wouldn’t lie to me, right?” Levi looked back in disbelief. “Is the Earth Dragon really injured?”

“I took an oath to God to never lie,” Graff swore. In this world, because of the Church’s brainwashing, people still believe in gods. To swear in the name of a god certainly has a degree of credibility.

Levi’s heart was moved. After all, upon seeing that crossbow, he knew that his role in this hunt would be to shoot the crossbow itself.

Relatively speaking, the mission itself is not very dangerous. Really, he just wanted to reap more benefits from his act.

And it seems like Graff has bought into this very act.

“I accept. I’m only responsible for the work I should do. If any danger arises, I am leaving immediately,” Levi stated in advance.

“All you have to do is hit the vital points of the Earth Dragon with the crossbow. As for the ambergris, I will give it to you once the task is completed. I… don’t have any on hand as of now,” Graff muttered.

“Got it. When do we start?”

“Tomorrow, afternoon. Black Widow needs some time to prepare a highly poisonous drug to smear on the arrows to ensure our safety.”

“Alright.” Levi nodded, turning around to leave.

“White Wolf!” Graff yelled as Levi disappeared into the distance. “Western exit, tomorrow afternoon! Don’t forget it!”

“Heh,” the Black Rhino Knight scoffed. “He must be the personal Knight of a noble, coming out to play. A pity, really.”

“Absolutely not,” Black Widow interrupted. “Can’t you feel his youth leaking out of that mask of his? With how strong he is at his young age, he must be the heir of a certain Earl.”

“Graff, are you really giving him just two bottles of ambergris? Listen to me: the glands of an adult dragon are worth at most twenty bottles of ambergris. That kid just needs to shoot an arrow—nothing more, nothing less. I, however, must dive headfirst to fight the beast. I think I need four bottles of ambergris to compensate,” Black Rhino sneered.

“I am in charge of distracting the beast, so am I not in greater danger? I, too, want four bottles,” Blue Falcon chirped up.

“And I’m preparing the poison. Without it, are any of you capable of hunting the beast? I think not. I require five bottles, at least.” Black Widow scoffed as she looked to the side.

“I’m just ensuring that he stays with us,” Graff growled. “But I don’t think any of you are in a position to bargain; I’m the one who knows where the beast resides; I’m the one who got this fancy crossbow to subdue the beast. You are free to leave if you want; I’m sure there are plenty of Knights waiting to take your place at the Tavern. I just gave you all the tasks for the sake of ensuring good relationships between the four of us.”

The three Knights remained silent, dissatisfied that Graff didn’t take the bait; for Wandering Knights like them, earning an income is hard. As long as they can complete this task, the ambergris sold will be able to support them for a very long time.