Chapter 21 : Mistwing Owl

In the entire region, the Starshade Forest was the last known place where an adventurer sighted a Mistwing Owl. Because it was relatively close to the capital, Thelec suggested going there on foot rather than by carriage.

On their way, Thelec shared stories of his missions in the last few months—omitting the confidential details—while Lloyd was happy to tell him about the new customers who recently visited his shop. 

The duo followed the main road heading south for the entire day and passed by a series of villages, before arriving in front of fields of wheat so vast Lloyd couldn't see where they ended. 

"We're almost there, Boss. The Starshade forest is within this parcel, so we'll have to go through the fields."

"...They seem endless."

"Well, I don't have the exact number, but I'm pretty sure there is no field smaller than 150 square kilometers in the Kingdom." 

(author nt. : ~35,000 acres for US friends.)

Lloyd was amazed by the scene unfolding in front of him.

He had never seen such large fields before. 

Not because he came from South Korea, but because no farmer on Earth cultivated fields stretching so far over the horizon.

"There are four such parcels in the kingdom, one in each direction from the capital, and each parcel contains a dozen of fields. The Royal family decides what the farmers on those lands cultivate depending on their location. The place we are in, the Southern Parcel, focuses on wheat, oats, as well as other feed grains."

Lloyd realized once again how big were the countries on Lunaris compared to Earth. It took them an entire day of walking just to reach the end of the first few fields ; the scale was on a completely different level.

Hours later, after progressing through the crops, they finally reached the edge of the forest where the Mistwing Owls were rumored to dwell.

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"Here we are, Boss. The Starshade Forest."

It was morning when they left the city's gate, yet now the sun was already setting. Except for a short break in a village of farmers to eat lunch, they'd walked non-stop for an entire day. 

Lloyd's excitement grew with every step, but now that he arrived at his destination, he felt even more excited at the idea that it was his first adventure in another world. 

The reason why he didn't feel tired after having walked so much was probably because of his anticipation ; exploring unknown lands and discovering new species was exciting. 

"From now on, we have to be careful. The Starshade Forest isn't particularly dangerous, but there are still some hostile creatures living inside."

"I understand. I'll follow your lead, Sir Thelec." 

Lloyd's heart raced as he took a deep breath to calm down.

"We'll need to be patient and observant if we want to catch a Mistwing Owl," Thelec said.

Lloyd nodded, his eyes already scanning the treetops for any sign of movement. 

They penetrated deep within the forest and settled in a clearing, hidden behind the cover of foliage, before waiting in silence.

"By the way, Boss, you said you had a method to catch these elusive small beasts. What is it ?"

"Well, I thought about using baits and traps that come from my shop. I don't know if it's going to work though, so let's set up as many as we can before night completely falls."

"From your shop...?"

"Yes. Nothing fancy, just some common traps hunters and veterinarians used in my hometown."

Thelec knew that there were no ordinary items in Lloyd's shop. He was curious as to what the store owner brought this time.

Lloyd's took out of his storage ring a bunch of cages and nets.

Since he never hunted before, he had to be ingenious and practical about his approach. 

He selected a combination of sturdy wooden cages and lightweight nets, all coming from the reserve of his shop. 

The cages were designed with a hinged door mechanism triggered by the weight of the trapped prey, ensuring that once an animal ventured inside for the bait, the door would snap shut behind it. 

Lloyd and Thelec spread out the cages in the forest as widely as possible.

The nets, on the other hand, were strategically positioned to drape over likely perching branches all around the same location, where the duo would patiently wait. 

Contrary to the cages, the nets needed to be close to each other since Lloyd and Thelec had to activate them manually. They were attached to cleverly concealed strings that allowed them to remotely pull the nets shut when they detected movement.

With a few well-chosen spots in mind, Lloyd directed Thelec in the careful placement of the traps. 

The tallest trees, their branches stretching out like skeletal fingers against the darkening sky, were identified as prime locations. 

'I don't know much about the creatures of this world, but I believe these owls wouldn't be so different than those from Earth...'

[Do you need help to place the nets ?]

'Sure, I would be glad to.'

[Then, set up a net here, on this branch. Put another one just above. Then...]

Selita took into account the owls' probable flight paths and favorite roosts as she guided Lloyd to correctly position each trap.

After all the cages and nets were in place, the final touch was the baits.

Lloyd opened a box he had brought along, revealing an assortment of small, plump rodents and other delectable treats that owls couldn't resist. They were still frozen since Lloyd took them out from the huge refrigerator in the shop reserve before putting them in his storage ring, but it shouldn't be a problem. 

By the time the first prey gets caught, they'll have thawed.

He strategically arranged these treats within the cages and around the nets, hoping to entice the owls to venture closer to where Lloyd and Thelec would hide.

"It might take some time for them to take the bait, but patience is key," Lloyd mused as he stood back to observe his handiwork. 

He felt proud of his work. It was a totally different matter between knowing the theory and applying it in real life.

'For some reason, installing all these traps is satisfying. I now understand why Bear Grylls had so much success on Earth.'

For a first time setting up traps, Lloyd didn't do too bad.

Thanks to Thelec's care when linking the wires to the nets, the setups were inconspicuous, blending into the surroundings. The nets were covered with leaves and designed to appear as part of the natural environment to avoid raising the preys' suspicion.

As the first stars began to twinkle in the sky, Lloyd and Thelec settled down in a concealed spot, ready to observe and wait. 

The night was theirs now. They remained hushed, attentive to any sign that their plan might be paying off.

During the night, the dense forest slowly came alive with the sounds of nature. Nocturnal birds chirped, leaves rustled, and distant streams of water quietly murmured their melodies. 

The duo's focus remained unwavering, soothed by the quiet beauty of the wilderness.

*flap, flap.*

Time seemed to stretch as they waited, but then, a soft fluttering sound caught Lloyd and Thelec's attention. 

They held their breath, their gaze fixated on the canopy above. 

A Mistwing Owl emerged from the foliage, its iridescent feathers gleaming in the dappled moonlight.

The creature moved gracefully, flitting from branch to branch, its movements almost ethereal. 

Lloyd's heart pounded.

With a mix of excitement and nervousness, he glanced at Thelec and gave him a nod.

"Remember, patience is key. Wait for the right moment," Lloyd whispered.

Thelec took a deep breath, his eyes locked onto the Mistwing Owl. 

He didn't know where those baits came from, but it was a miracle that such a cautious creature showed up so quickly.

Thelec waited for it to settle on a nearby branch, seemingly unfazed by their faint presence.

"Wait... Wait... Now !"

At Lloyd's signal, Thelec pulled on one of the strings he held in his hand.

*Flush!*

Almost instantly, a heavy net fell down and enveloped the unsuspecting creature, taking it by surprise.

The creature flapped its wings, attempting to break free, but the net held it in place. 

Thelec and Lloyd approached cautiously, their excitement palpable.

Thelec drew his dagger, ready to fend off any sudden movements, but to his surprise, the owl seemed completely immobilized by the net. 

'Looks like this net could even hold a small Keter-class beast... That's insane. I already know all the items from Boss' shop are special, yet it still amazes me every time.'

Thelec couldn't believe the sharp claws of the Mistwing Owl didn't even leave a scratch on such a simple-looking net.

The owl's large, luminous eyes stared at the duo, a mix of fear and defiance in its gaze.

"Careful," Lloyd cautioned. 

"It might try to escape."

With slow movements, they worked together to carefully untangle the owl from the net, holding it by the legs and the back of the neck so it wouldn't fly away or try to bite them. 

"Don't worry, we won't hurt you."

Thelec's hands were steady, while Lloyd's calm demeanor reassured the frightened creature. 

"Boss, I'll hold it still while you contract it."

"Contract...?"

"Yes, do it quickly while I'm holding it."

"..."

Lloyd had no idea what his friend was talking about.

Noticing his clueless expression, Thelec asked to be sure.

"Don't tell me... You forgot to take a contract scroll with you ?!" 

"I don't even know what's this scroll you're talking about."

"Huh...? How do you plan to tame a new beast, then ?" 

Thelec was so confused he almost let the owl slip from his hands.

"I'll show you."

To answer his customer, Lloyd reached into his jacket and withdrew a small pouch containing a handful of seeds. 

He held his hand out, offering the seeds to the Owl. For a moment, the creature regarded him with curiosity.

"It won't do you any harm."

As if the owl understood Lloyd, it slowly extended its head toward his hand, before pecking at the seed inside.

"Good boy."

Lloyd smiled, gently caressing the head of the small animal.

Under the bewildered gaze of the Inquisitor, Lloyd repeated the same operation a few times.

"This little fellow is good enough. Now, let's release it."

"What ?! Are you sure about that ?"

Thelec couldn't understand why Lloyd wanted to release a Mistwing Owl they worked so hard to capture.

"If it flies away, this animal wasn't meant to be captured and live among humans in the first place."

Thelec listened to the pet store owner with doubtful eyes and released the owl.

Contrary to what he expected, the owl didn't leave right away.

It fluttered its wings in a brief display of freedom before taking a perch on a nearby branch, eyeing Lloyd with a mixture of wariness and curiosity.

"Want more ?"

As if sensing Lloyd's intent, the Mistwing Owl hopped closer, its gaze fixed on the seeds in his hand. 

Lloyd extended his hand toward it. He smiled warmly as the owl took a hesitant peck at the seeds, its trust slowly growing.

Lloyd continued to offer the seeds, his hand steady and patient. 

Minutes turned into moments of connection as the Mistwing Owl's wariness began to fade. Finally, with a flutter of wings, it perched on Lloyd's outstretched hand, its soft feathers brushing against his skin.

Lloyd was in awe of the majestic creature. 

Its feathers reflected the moonlight in a beautiful array of colors, giving it an otherworldly appearance. He couldn't help but marvel at the fact that he was holding a creature that didn't exist on Earth.

While Blackie had an unusual appearance, if not for his two heads, he looked like an ordinary dog. This little bird, on the other hand, looked nothing like the owls that lived on Earth.

His smile was one of pure joy as he looked at this unknown creature that had willingly chosen to trust him. It was a small victory, but a meaningful one—his first bond formed with a wild beast of Lunaris.

Thelec watched this surreal scene with round eyes.

'It makes no sense...'

He was dumbfounded.

Mistwing Owls were supposed to be very cautious creatures that never approached anywhere close to humans, yet one of such creatures was now perched on Lloyd's hands out of its own volition.

Lloyd didn't even use a contract scroll.

As they stood there, observing the owl pecking at the seeds, Thelec sighed. 

"Boss, I must say, you've got quite the knack for this."

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"Beginner's luck, maybe ?" Lloyd chuckled modestly. 

To be honest, Lloyd thought he would have to capture a few more owls before one of them trusted him. Even he didn't expect his strategy to work on the first try.

With their first catch secured, the duo resumed their positions in their concealed spot and continued their patient vigil, but this time, with an owl perched on Lloyd's head.

Surprisingly, as if it understood its new master's intention to hide, the owl feathers lost their glow and perfectly blended into the environment. 

The creature became invisible to the naked eye.

If not for the sensation on his skin, Lloyd wouldn't even know that a bird was resting on his head.

Time passed, and the forest's symphony of sounds continued to fill the night. 

During this time, the duo managed to capture a few other creatures, primarily small nocturnal animals, using the nets and traps they had set up.

Unfortunately, they didn't find another Mistwing Owl.

The moments between each catch were both tense and exciting. Thelec's expertise and Lloyd's resourcefulness complemented each other well, leading to not a single prey escaping the duo. This night outing was a success.

Thelec was particularly impressed with Lloyd's traps, realizing that these simple baits and mechanisms worked much better than he had anticipated.

As the night started to give way to the first light of dawn, the duo decided to call it a day. They ended their trip by venturing deeper into the forest to inspect the cages they had placed earlier. 

These cages were designed to capture land creatures that might not be as agile as the Mistwing Owls, but would still be drawn in by the scent of the baits.

Walking through the quiet woods, they discovered that the cages had indeed been activated. Inside were an array of small beasts, some that Lloyd recognized, and others that were entirely new to him. 

Satisfied with their findings, they began to carefully gather their traps one by one.

Each net was pulled up with care, and every cage was examined for any caught creatures. 

The rising sun cast a warm glow over the forest, the feeling of accomplishment growing with every successful trap retrieval.

After they had gathered all the cages and nets, Thelec's eyes widened in surprise as he looked at all the various creatures they had caught. 

"Boss, would you look at this ?"

Lloyd followed his gaze and smiled at the sight before them. 

The cages held a diverse collection of creatures—some small and furry, others feathered or even slightly translucent. 

"This trip was a success," Lloyd smiled.

It was the result of the duo's teamwork and strategy.

As they began counting their catches, Thelec realized that all the traps Lloyd had set up caught something. Not a single one of them failed.

He couldn't hide his astonishment. 

"I didn't expect your baits to work this well. We've got quite a haul here."

Lloyd nodded in agreement. 

"It seems that the traps from my shop are more useful than I thought."

The salesman in Lloyd was proud of his store's products.

'Useful is an understatement...' Thelec thought, still surprised that all of the cages held a beast inside.

Lloyd carefully released the captured creatures that were not suitable to be sold in his shop, ensuring that no harm had come to them.

Although he had come here to catch Mistwing Owls and found only one, this trip wasn't vain : he now had a bunch of other beasts to domesticate and sell.

They may not be as rare as Mistwing Owls, but they were magical beasts nonetheless.

With their task completed, the duo prepared to make their way back to the city, the forest now fully awakened with the first rays of daylight. 

As they walked back to the fields carrying the cages on their backs, Thelec glanced at Lloyd with a grin. 

"I've never met anyone who could catch a Mistwing Owl on their first try."

Lloyd chuckled. 

"It's beginner's luck, combined with having a helpful companion like you, Sir Thelec."

Thelec laughed heartily. 

"Well, whatever it is, it worked. I'm looking forward to seeing how these creatures will fare in your shop. I might even buy one of them as a pet later. It was also a surprise that you could tame a beast without a contract scroll."

While walking, Thelec explained to Lloyd how Beastmancers used contract scrolls enchanted with powerful binding magic to capture wild beasts and make sure they would listen to their orders. 

If Lloyd had known this sooner, he would have bought one of such contracts to test it.

These scrolls seemed useful, but Lloyd didn't get why the people of this world had to use magic for literally everything.

He never used any kind of shady magic on Blackie, yet his dog was listening to his orders to the letter.

"If you tried to capture a giant dragon or another mythical beast, I understand why you would need one of such scrolls, but why do people also use them to tame small and harmless creatures ? Isn't this a waste ?"

"Not everyone can tame a beast with a handful of seeds like you did, Boss," Thelec said with an embarrassed expression.

He couldn't tell Lloyd that nobody could tame a magical beast without binding magic. 

Besides livestock animals, he could only think of a few tribes that learned how to live with wild creatures without using binding magic, like goblins and orcs living with wolves. But even then, it was more of an exchange that benefited both parties rather than a master-servant relationship. 

'If those old geezers in the Ashen Tower learn of what happened today, they would be ready to sell their entire wealth just to get their hands on a single of those seeds.'

Once again, Thelec made a mental note about something that should, under no circumstances, be known about the pet store owner.

Recently, he felt like keeping Lloyd's secrets was way more troublesome than his missions as a High Inquisitor.

Under the warm rays of sunlight, the duo made their way back to the city with spirits high, a new companion perched on Lloyd's shoulder.

This short adventure had been a success, and their bond had grown stronger through the shared experience.

'I should think of a good gift to thank Sir Thelec for his help.'

As Lloyd was thinking about what reward to offer to his customer, he failed to notice the two pointy ears sticking out from a tree behind him.

'Mhm, she has good camouflage skills for an Arbiter.' 

Only Thelec noticed the pair of suspicious eyes that had been following them ever since they left the city, spying on Lloyd from afar.

'I believe she's Captain Avea, the stubborn Arbiter who inquired about Lloyd in the ID department last time. Since Boss Lloyd let her follow us and didn't say anything, I shouldn't involve myself. He probably has his own agenda with her.'

For some reason, Thelec felt sorry for the ignorant woman who had been following them for an entire day thinking that she hadn't been discovered.

She had no idea who she was messing with.