If it were only a spar, there was no way to truly unleash the power of Wuju Sword Intent.
The Godspeed Tracking Arrow had a piercing effect, but it was only Lv. 5, so it couldn't break through the White Rock Grizzly's absurdly tough defenses.
Wuju Sword Intent, though, was different.
"Wuju" meant the limitless—without an end, without a boundary.
A fully perfected Wuju Sword Intent, if released in full, could grow stronger and stronger as a fight dragged on. And if paired with its signature sword art—Wuju Swordsmanship—its power could become nearly endless.
But in a spar, Luke held back. Naturally, he couldn't release the true might of his sword intent.
On top of that, Luke was pairing Wuju Sword Intent with a Wind Sword Technique, which also altered the intent's nature to some degree.
Even so, it was more than enough to crack the White Rock Grizzly's defense.
At that moment, Luke was also thinking that if he ever got the chance, maybe he could go to Ionia and learn Wuju Swordsmanship for real.
As for now, he'd make do.
He flicked the blade in his hand, snapping the blood clean, then stowed the weapon and looked toward Quinn, who was standing there in a daze.
He noticed the girl staring at him with wide eyes, and he couldn't help but smile. "You okay?"
Quinn jolted back to her senses. Seeing the prince's amused gaze, warmth crept into her cheeks. She hurriedly lowered her head. "My deepest apologies, Your Highness. I caused you trouble. Thank you for saving me."
Shame she couldn't hide colored her voice.
Her assignment was to step in if Luke encountered danger he couldn't handle—her job was to ensure his safety.
And yet, in the end, it was the "bodyguard" who needed rescuing.
This wasn't just negligence. It meant her abilities weren't enough.
Quinn had come to the capital carrying her family's hopes. Thanks to Lady Lestara's recommendation, her excellent hunting and tracking skills caught the Grand Marshal's eye, and she was directly placed into the Kingdom Rangers.
After enlisting, she'd been brimming with ambition, confident about the future.
But what happened today hit her hard.
If Luke hadn't intervened, she most likely would have died here.
Luke watched Quinn stand there with her head lowered, drowning in shame. He walked over and said, "No one could've predicted that bear would suddenly go berserk. It's not your fault."
Then he asked, "How did it even find you?"
Even though he'd never encountered a White Rock Grizzly before, the one they'd run into today was clearly more savage and brutal than the records described.
He'd assumed that with Quinn's skill, she could've easily escaped the bear's attack range.
Something unexpected had to have happened for her to get pinned down.
Quinn frowned as she replayed it in her mind. "At first I wasn't within its range of smell. But when I was getting ready to leave, it was like it suddenly caught my scent. It charged at me like it had lost its mind, but we were at least two hundred meters apart."
As a ranger, the distances she judged might not be perfectly exact, but they would never be wildly off.
She'd thought two hundred meters was safe, which was why she hadn't retreated immediately.
But once the White Rock Grizzly locked onto her, in that tiny window of time, it closed a frightening amount of distance.
And on top of that, it used the surrounding trees to its advantage. One moment of carelessness, and Valor got struck.
She was slammed into a tree as well.
Hearing her, Luke grew thoughtful. It did seem strange.
The records said a White Rock Grizzly's sense of smell reached about a hundred meters, but this had clearly been beyond two hundred.
After thinking for a while, Luke decided there was no point obsessing over it.
The books never claimed their sense of smell was always limited to a hundred meters.
The books also said they generally appeared in rocky regions.
That word "generally" was doing a lot of work.
If you ran into one somewhere other than rocky terrain, what could you do besides call it bad luck?
So he treated it as an accident and moved on.
"Is your arm injured?"
He noticed beads of sweat on Quinn's forehead. Her expression looked like she was forcing herself through pain, and her left arm hung slightly, clearly hurt.
Yet while talking with him, she'd been gritting her teeth and refusing to show it.
"It's nothing." Quinn forced a smile as she spoke, pulling out a roll of bandage from her waist. "I got hit by a broken tree."
She removed the shoulder guard on her left side. Under it was a layer of close-fitting cloth. She rolled up the sleeve, revealing a slender, pale arm—long, with the kind of toned, healthy muscle that looked perfectly suited to a skilled huntress.
But along her shoulder and upper arm was a clearly severe bruise. Just looking at it made your skin crawl.
Her shoulder joint had likely been knocked out of alignment. Thankfully, nothing was broken.
Quinn analyzed it silently. For now, she could only wrap it up and wait until the prince finished hunting—then she'd go back for treatment.
And Valor—he'd been injured too. She wasn't sure how badly.
She glanced over. Valor was perched on a branch watching them, blood still dripping from his wing.
The bond between them was special. One look was enough—seeing that Valor's injury wasn't too serious, Quinn finally relaxed a little.
She planned to wrap her arm first and then check Valor's wounds. The pain in her left arm was getting worse and worse.
At this point her left arm was numb. She didn't even have the strength to raise it. Wrapping it one-handed would be difficult.
So she looked up at Luke, her breathing turning sharper from the pain. "Could I trouble Your Highness to help me bandage it?"
"I can." Luke took the bandage and glanced at her arm. "But first I'll set the joint. If you leave it like this too long, you could damage the ligaments and end up with something worse."
The moment she removed her shoulder guard, Luke could tell it wasn't a minor misalignment. In his previous world, this kind of thing demanded immediate treatment.
Wait too long, and that arm could be ruined.
The fact that Quinn had endured it this long without making a sound—and looked like she intended to just keep pushing through—made Luke sigh inwardly.
This girl was strong to a fault.
Quinn caught the meaning in his words and froze. "Your Highness… do you know medicine?"
"Some." As he spoke, Luke placed his hand on her arm and shoulder. Then he said, "This might hurt a bit. Bear with it."
Her numb arm couldn't feel the warmth of his palm, but a strange sensation still rose in her chest.
She nodded. "I can endure it."
Luke didn't hesitate. He applied force with both hands.
Two sharp pops cracked through the air.
A stabbing agony shot up Quinn's left arm, like it was being torn apart. She clenched her teeth, her face turning paler as sweat beaded on her brow.
But she didn't make a sound.
Then, almost immediately, sensation flooded back into her arm, and the intense pain began to ebb bit by bit.
It was still obvious—still hard to ignore—but clearly, Luke's adjustment had worked.
Luke looked at the girl with a hint of admiration.
Setting a joint like this and a simple dislocation weren't the same thing.
This was far more serious.
And doing it the direct, brute way could easily hurt badly enough to make someone pass out—yet Quinn had forced herself through it.
Her endurance and willpower were exceptional.
Luke rummaged in his pack, pulled out a small bottle, and said, "This is a salve I made myself. It works well on swelling and bruises. Put some on."
On this trip, he'd packed a little of everything—just in case something went wrong.
Quinn immediately shook her head. "I'm already much better. There's no need to waste Your Highness's medicine."
All she knew was that Luke was a prince. Any salve he carried must be extremely precious.
Now that the joint was set, it was only swelling and soreness. She could endure that.
Luke smiled at her and simply tossed the bottle over. "Use it."
Quinn hurried to catch it before it hit the ground. Instinctively, she lifted her left arm—and a fresh spike of pain made her flinch.
But she caught it. She pressed her lips together, looking troubled as she glanced at Luke. "Your Highness…"
"Apply it to the bruised, swollen spots. I'll bandage you in a moment."
Luke looked away after a single glance.
The firmness in his tone left no room for refusal. Quinn lowered her head, stared at the bottle, hesitated, then finally pulled the stopper.
At this point, if she refused again, she was sure it would only make him angry.
So she did as he said.
It just meant she owed him even more.
The moment the stopper came out, a clean medicinal scent drifted into the air.
Quinn tipped the bottle. Brown salve slid out. She poured a tiny bit onto her right hand, then carefully spread it over the bruised, swollen area of her left arm.
The instant her fingers pressed down, pain flared—then a cool sensation flowed through, soothing it away.
It worked that quickly.
She applied it cautiously, wasting not even a trace.
Meanwhile, Luke glanced toward the Azurite Eagle perched on the branch. He noticed blood still dripping from its wing.
He raised a hand and made the kind of sound you'd use to call over a pet. "Psst-psst-psst."
Quinn couldn't help laughing softly. Even the pain seemed lighter.
Valor was a hunting bird, not a dog.
And Valor usually only stayed close to her. Toward everyone else, he was indifferent. Quinn doubted he would pay Luke any attention.
She was about to call Valor over herself so the prince could examine him up close—
When Valor spread his wings and flew over on his own, landing on Luke's raised arm.
Quinn's eyes widened in surprise, a flicker of confusion passing through them.
"His name is Valor, right?" Luke looked at the Azurite Eagle—magnificent even while injured—with clear appreciation in his eyes.
If anything, the wounds made it look even fiercer. Its feathers were beautiful, and its sharp gaze carried the dignity of a true raptor.
Luke suddenly felt that having a companion like this wouldn't be bad at all.
"Yes." Quinn nodded, still carefully applying the salve. The cool sensation was spreading through most of her arm now, and she managed a small smile. "It seems he likes you."
"How can you tell?" Luke's attention stayed on the wound on Valor's wing as he rummaged in his pack again and pulled out another bottle.
Quinn said, "Normally Valor doesn't pay attention to anyone except me—let alone act this friendly."
Valor had once saved her life. They were partners who had faced death together, trusting each other completely.
And now, seeing that Valor didn't dislike the prince only made Quinn more certain that Luke was a truly good person.
When Luke prepared to treat Valor's wound, she didn't say anything else.
This time it was powder, not salve—the salve was mostly for swelling and internal bruising.
But Valor's wing had several gashes from the White Rock Grizzly's claws—external wounds.
They were easy to see and easy to treat. Luke opened the stopper and carefully sprinkled the white powder onto the cuts in small shakes.
When the powder touched the wounds, Valor let out a cry, the pain clearly sharp—but as if he understood this was healing, he didn't resist.
This Azurite Eagle was remarkably intelligent.
Once the powder was applied, Luke took the bandage and wrapped the wing neatly and efficiently.
Throughout it all, Valor didn't struggle. When it looked at Luke again, there was an extra hint of affection in its eyes.
By then, Quinn had nearly finished applying the salve. As she did, the pain kept fading, replaced by that refreshing coolness.
"All set. Just don't fly at full speed for a while and you'll be fine." Luke spoke to Valor like a seasoned healer.
And Valor, as if he truly understood, dipped its head in a very human-like nod, then flapped its wings and took to the air in a low, gentle flight. It looked to be in a good mood.
"Your Highness, your salve." Quinn sealed the bottle and returned it.
Luke took it, tossed it back into his pack, and then began bandaging her arm.
Watching the prince wrap the bandage around her left arm with practiced hands—his movements gentle, his expression focused—
Quinn found herself staring, her mind drifting.
"All done."
Luke's voice snapped her back. She lowered her head in a hurry. "Thank you, Your Highness… If you ever need Quinn in the future, I'll do everything I can to repay you."
Luke smiled at her. "I don't like 'in the future.' If you want to repay me, do it now."
Quinn froze. "Now?"
What could she possibly do right now to repay him?
Her face flushed bright red. A certain kind of "repayment" flashed through her thoughts.
This… this…
While Quinn's mind spiraled, Luke said, "I haven't chosen personal guards yet. I've never found anyone I'm satisfied with—but I think you're quite good. Would you consider becoming my personal guard?"
Only then did Quinn realize she'd misunderstood. Staring into Luke's clear, straightforward gaze, her face burned even hotter—though she also couldn't help feeling relieved.
For a second, she'd really thought he meant that other kind of repayment.
Catching the meaning of his offer, Quinn hesitated, her expression troubled. She lowered her head. "I'm already a ranger… and Lady Tianna has shown me great kindness…"
Tianna had given her recognition and opportunity.
And Quinn's dream was to become an outstanding ranger—this wasn't only her dream, but also the dream her late brother had carried.
But Luke had nearly saved her life, and right now she had no way to repay him.
It left her painfully torn.
Sensing her struggle, Luke smiled and said, "It's fine. Forget I said it."
"If there is…" Quinn opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but stopped.
There really wasn't anything else she could offer him.
"Let's not talk about that." Luke smiled and changed the subject. "That took some effort. I'm starving."
He began gathering branches and anything else that could work as firewood.
Seeing that Luke didn't seem bothered at all, Quinn felt guilt twist in her chest. She sighed silently and, without a word, helped him collect fuel.
As for Luke, he truly didn't care.
Even if she refused him now, it didn't matter.
Because Quinn was someone he absolutely intended to bring over.
Quinn was rare talent. With a seer's eye, Luke could tell that in the future she would become Demacia's finest ranger.
He hadn't chosen personal guards before—partly because it was annoying, but also because his standards were high.
Mediocrity didn't interest him.
Only someone like Quinn could catch his eye.
A kid from an ordinary hunter family on Demacia's borderlands, rising to become the best ranger in the kingdom—
You had to understand, she earned a title on par with Garen's.
The Might of Demacia, and Demacia's Wings.
Those weren't game nicknames. In the kingdom, they were real honors—real titles, true marks of distinction.
That alone proved how extraordinary Quinn was.
She was still a bit raw right now, but it wouldn't be long before she reached the very peak of the rangers.
So if Luke didn't find a way to pull her in now, once she gained more status and that older woman valued her even more, it wouldn't be so easy.
Ten minutes later, they had a campfire built.
Luke took out a tinderbox, blew gently, and a spark bloomed into a flicker of flame.
He lit the prepared tinder, and before long the fire caught properly, the flames rising higher and higher with occasional crackles.
Lunch, naturally, was going to be good.
Luke processed the White Rock Grizzly a bit—two paws, plus a portion of fatty, marbled meat. He removed the fur and cut cleanly. His hands moved like a veteran butcher, every motion practiced and precise.
Quinn watched him work, wanting to help, but feeling like she'd only get in the way.
So she sat by the fire instead, keeping an eye on it so it wouldn't die out.
Another twenty minutes passed. Luke was basically ready.
He lifted a flat stone slab he'd scrubbed clean and set it over the fire.
"Ever had stone-grilled meat?" he asked, chatting as he worked.
Quinn shook her head.
She'd only eaten roast meat. When she was out in the wild, she'd start a fire and roast the meat directly.
The taste was never great. Sometimes she'd throw on a pinch of salt for flavor. That was how it always was.
This—cutting the meat neatly and searing it on a heated stone—was something she'd never seen.
And what Luke did next only left her more amazed.
First he sprinkled a thin layer of water onto the slab. The moment it touched, it hissed into steam and vanished.
Then Luke rummaged in his pack again and pulled out another bottle.
Quinn stared, momentarily stunned. "Is that… oil?"
Luke grinned and nodded. "That's right."
Quinn didn't say anything else. The oil was a rich golden color—clearly high quality.
Luke opened the cap as if it were nothing, pouring a generous amount onto the stone to heat it.
Once it was ready, he took out two more things: butter and herbs.
The moment they hit the hot stone, a sweet, fragrant aroma rose into the air.
Then Luke laid the sliced bear meat on the slab. It sizzled instantly. On the other side, he set down the two massive bear paws.
When it was nearly done, Luke rummaged again and produced two more items.
One was a prepared sauce. The other was a pepper-and-salt seasoning.
Quinn was staring so hard she almost forgot to blink, eyes fixed on Luke's pack.
She desperately wanted to ask: How much is even in there?
Does anyone really go out alone carrying this many seasonings?
As Luke seared the meat with easy skill, Quinn's nose twitched. A rich, irresistible aroma filled the air.
Without meaning to, saliva pooled in her mouth. Watching the bear meat release waves of fragrance, she swallowed.
It smelled too good. How could it smell this good?
Quinn's eyes wouldn't leave the stone slab. Even Valor dropped to the ground, staring intensely.
A few minutes later, Luke splashed water to kill the fire and said, "Wait one more minute and it's ready."
All that was left was to let the slab's residual heat finish the last step.
Looking at the bear meat and paws—color, aroma, everything perfect—Luke felt his own appetite spike.
White Rock Grizzly meat was firm and hearty, with little gamey stench, and it was also beneficial for the body.
This was Luke's first time tasting bear.
He took out four small eating forks from his pack and handed two to Quinn.
"Just eat. You'll be satisfied."
As he spoke, he lifted meat from a bear paw.
The paw meat was incredibly tender, cooked through by Luke's careful sear. With the fork, he easily pulled off a piece.
While it was still steaming hot, he popped it into his mouth, sucking in air through his teeth as if he were somehow "stir-frying" it in his mouth, and then he made a satisfied expression.
Seeing his reaction, Quinn couldn't help wanting to laugh.
And with the aroma in the air, she couldn't hold back anymore.
Quinn wasn't used to utensils like this, but in the wild she'd often used sticks or a knife to handle hot meat.
Even if her movements weren't smooth, she could still manage.
She carefully brought a piece to her mouth. The moment she bit in, it was scorching hot—she reacted exactly like Luke, hissing as she breathed.
But the flavor was so good she couldn't bear to spit it out. The sauce's fragrance blended with the fully cooked meat, spreading through her mouth.
The sheer deliciousness made Quinn's cheeks flush with warmth. She looked almost entranced. After the first bite, she immediately took another.
"Pretty good, right?" Luke asked with a smile.
Quinn nodded rapidly, admiration written all over her face. She didn't even have time to answer properly.
The prince wasn't just strong—he could even make food out in the wild taste this good.
Without exaggeration, Quinn had never eaten meat this delicious. One bite after another, she couldn't stop.
Normally, eating only meat should start to feel heavy and greasy—but this didn't. It only got better the more she ate.
She forgot all about Valor, who was watching with desperate eyes. The poor bird flapped and cried out, growing impatient.
Luke flicked a piece of meat into the air.
Valor instantly launched, snatched it mid-flight, and swallowed it whole. He let out an excited, delighted cry.
Valor ate quickly. Luke ate slowly. There was plenty, so he wasn't in a hurry.
Every so often he'd take a bite, and every so often he'd toss a piece up to feed Valor.
As for Quinn, she'd completely forgotten her life-and-death partner, focused only on eating.
Luke chatted casually. "How long have you been in the rangers?"
"Almost four months," Quinn replied briefly.
"What's your rank now?"
"The Grand Marshal said… when this mission ends, I'll be promoted to squad leader."
She'd choked a little while eating and had to take a drink of water before she could answer.
After she answered, she went right back to eating.
She really did come from an ordinary hunter family—she'd never tasted anything like this. Her reaction was only natural.
Luke didn't ask more. Watching her eat with that blissful expression, he fell into thought.
Only four months, and already about to become a squad leader. That pace wasn't normal.
Most recruits entered the army and had to grind for a year or two before they even had a chance to move up.
After this mission, Quinn's promotion speed in the rangers would probably be like a rocket.
So if Luke missed his chance now, the next time Quinn stood in front of him, she might not be an ordinary ranger anymore.
Fifteen minutes later, Quinn swallowed her last bite and finally relaxed, her whole body going loose with satisfaction.
It was the best meat meal she'd eaten in her entire life. She even felt a strange sense of completeness, like she had no regrets.
Luke chuckled. "Full?"
"Full." Then Quinn suddenly remembered something and immediately grew embarrassed. She looked at Luke. "I'm sorry, Your Highness… did I eat too much?"
The bear meat had been so delicious she'd forgotten herself.
She'd eaten a lot. Valor had gotten some too. In the end, Luke had only eaten half a paw and a few pieces of meat.
Realizing that, Quinn felt ashamed.
To behave like that in front of him—she wanted the ground to swallow her.
Luke smiled. "Not too much. Among all the girls I've seen, your appetite would rank second."
That ranking was fair—because the top spot was untouchable.
Quinn turned even redder. She didn't know what was wrong with her today—she'd eaten far more than usual.
Her stomach felt like it had actually rounded out.
Luke stood. "Come on. Let's head back first."
He'd hunted plenty this morning, but the biggest by far was the White Rock Grizzly.
For the next part of the hunt, there was no way they were dragging around a giant corpse.
So they needed to return, store what they'd taken, and then continue.
Quinn nodded and stood too. Then she noticed something and froze.
She flexed her left arm uncertainly.
There was no pain at all.
Quinn's heart jolted.
Normally, an injury like this would take at least a week to recover.
But now, after nothing more than eating a meal, she was basically fine.
That only proved further how precious the salve Luke had given her must be.
On the way back, the two of them kept the same distance they had before.
But this time, Quinn's thoughts were heavier.
They walked for nearly an hour.
Along the way, Luke hunted a few more magical beasts and brought them back to the starting point.
Quite a few people had already returned and were tallying scores.
When Luke emerged dragging a White Rock Grizzly corpse and a huge pile of game, he immediately drew shocked stares.
"That bear… doesn't it look like a White Rock Grizzly?"
"It's not 'looks like.' It is!"
"Damn—His Highness hunted a White Rock Grizzly?"
"How is there a White Rock Grizzly here at all?"
Whether they were Royal Academy contestants returning from the forest or hunters about to go in—
Everyone started buzzing the moment they saw the corpse.
Getting a White Rock Grizzly during this event was extremely rare. And the beast wasn't weak—hunting it was no simple task.
And when people noticed the wounds on the corpse, they could tell it had gone through a fierce battle.
Luke dragged the game to the Royal Academy's hunting station.
There were staff there specifically assigned to inspect everything.
An instructor stepped forward, studying the White Rock Grizzly's corpse with clear surprise. "This White Rock Grizzly died to sword wounds. Some meat and both paws are missing, and part of the pelt is damaged. But considering its strength, the total score is four hundred points."
It was the strongest prey he'd seen from the students today.
From the sword wounds, he could tell the killer's swordsmanship was terrifying. Even the rocky outer layer—its high defense—had been shattered in many places.
Then he continued the inspection. He opened a smaller game bundle, and his expression shifted to surprise again.
Three Silver-Ear Rabbits?
The instructor couldn't help looking at Luke, wanting to ask: Your Highness, did you wipe out an entire Silver-Ear Rabbit family?
Silver-Ear Rabbits were rare. They had no real combat strength, but their whole bodies were valuable, making them extremely expensive.
"These two died from arrows through the skull—one-shot kills. The head fur is damaged, but the rabbits are intact otherwise, with no major issues. Total: three hundred points."
"Then this one… alive?!" The instructor's eyes went wide. His hand trembled as he held the rabbit by its ear—he could feel faint breathing, and its chest rose slightly.
It was alive.
His shout immediately drew attention. People and hunters all around turned and moved closer.
"Damn, this Silver-Ear Rabbit looks incredible."
"There isn't a single wound on it? That fur is gorgeous."
"How did he do this?"
"I've never seen a Silver-Ear Rabbit this perfect."
People exclaimed and debated.
Catching Silver-Ear Rabbits alive was rare—not unheard of, but hunters usually had to use every trick they knew, and the rabbit would almost always end up injured during the capture.
But an uninjured, living capture like this was something else entirely.
Behind Luke, Quinn felt a little better seeing everyone react the same way she had.
If they knew the prince had simply walked up and grabbed the rabbit with his bare hands, they'd probably drop their jaws.
Even now, when Quinn thought back to that moment, it still felt unreal.
The instructor stared at the rabbit, wrestling with the scoring. In the end, he gritted his teeth and gave it three hundred and fifty points.
A living, uninjured Silver-Ear Rabbit was fundamentally different from a dead one.
It couldn't be scored too high because it wasn't dangerous, but scoring it too low would fail to reflect its true value.
When the rest of Luke's game was added in, his total score shot up to one thousand three hundred points.
Even the instructors and the scorekeepers were stunned by that number.
Luke had shattered the Royal Academy record in one move. In past hunts, no one had ever reached a score of one thousand three hundred in a single day.
Most of that score came from the three Silver-Ear Rabbits and the White Rock Grizzly.
Luke had used one day to earn what others would need seven days to match.
And today wasn't even over—there was still the entire afternoon ahead.
As for the game, it remained Luke's property. For now, it was simply being stored here.
At that moment, Luke saw Yurna approaching from the direction of the city.
When she came closer, he asked, "Did you find a house?"
Yurna nodded. "A small farmhouse courtyard, at the end of an alley on the south side of the city. There are a few households nearby, spaced out enough that it's quiet. It cost three hundred gold."
"Good. Handle the rest yourself. And these game animals—aside from the three rabbits, sell everything else in the city."
Luke trusted Yurna's ability to get things done and gave his instructions.
"Yes, Your Highness," Yurna replied.
After giving Yurna the orders, Luke prepared to return to hunting.
Setting aside whether he actually enjoyed hunting, the main reason was simple: the first-place prize—twenty days of vacation—was too tempting.
And today was clearly a lucky hunting day. The White Rock Grizzly and the three Silver-Ear Rabbits proved it.
Luke's plan was to use today to rack up the next six days' worth of hunting points in one go.
Then, for the rest of the competition, he could take it easy, live comfortably, and once it ended, claim his vacation and head back to the capital.
Perfect.
The thought alone lifted his mood.
As he passed Quinn, he casually asked, "Your injury better?"
Quinn nodded. "It's basically not a problem anymore."
Luke looked at her. "Then come on."
With that, he walked forward.
Quinn stood there for a second, her mind full of the prince's smiling gaze from just now, that strange feeling rising again.
Seeing Luke disappear into the forest, she snapped back and hurried after him.
Time slipped by, and evening gradually fell.
In the woods, Luke used a Concealment Art, silently closing in on a Trihorn Spotted Deer.
Those three horns were an extremely valuable medicinal ingredient. It should have been deeper in the forest—yet Luke had run into it here.
Today really was perfect for hunting.
Once he caught this Trihorn Spotted Deer, Luke planned to head back.
He reached the deer from behind. It was grazing with its head down, completely unaware, munching happily.
It was far more aggressive than a Silver-Ear Rabbit.
So Luke didn't hesitate. He formed his hand like a blade and struck cleanly.
A dull thud.
The Trihorn Spotted Deer lifted its head and cried out once—then its body crumpled and collapsed, knocked unconscious.
Watching from behind, Quinn was almost used to it by now.
The Trihorn Spotted Deer's alertness was no worse than a Silver-Ear Rabbit's, yet in front of Luke, it might as well not exist at all.
Quinn was starting to sense that His Highness might be using some extremely powerful infiltration technique.
"Alright, Quinn—come help me clean this up."
Luke turned back and waved in Quinn's direction.
Quinn, still lost in thought, stepped out instinctively—then immediately froze, eyes going wide.
"How did Your Highness know I was here?!"
She had almost forgotten she was currently in a concealed position.
As a skilled huntress and ranger, stealth was one of her core talents.
At this distance, how could Luke have spotted her?
And so precisely—facing the exact direction where she was hidden?
There was basically no chance it was a coincidence.
She'd been detected once this morning by the White Rock Grizzly, and now again by Luke.
It made Quinn wonder—
Was she truly lacking?
Was the "perfect" stealth she believed in actually terrible?
Her confidence took a direct hit.
Seeing her spiral into doubt, Luke vaguely remembered someone else wearing the same expression once.
Worried she'd overthink it, he explained, "Don't get in your head. My perception is naturally stronger than most. It's not that your stealth is bad."
Quinn didn't know if he was just comforting her. She stared at Luke, uncertain.
"If you don't believe me, I'll close my eyes. You hide, and I'll try to find you."
Luke said it plainly.
If he crushed this talent's confidence, it would be a real crime.
Quinn hesitated, then nodded.
What had just happened really had shaken her.
"You can start whenever," Luke said, closing his eyes.
Quinn immediately retreated in silence. Not a sound.
After a while, Luke sensed that the area had gone still, and he knew Quinn had hidden herself.
He reached out with his perception, then didn't hesitate—raising his head to look toward a direction.
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