A Perfect Excuse
When Welikro heard the gunshots coming from the ruins, he was cleaning up two dead mountain gazelles by a small stream near a cliff. Those were the most commonly seen wild gazelles in the three southwestern provinces. They loved to climb cliffs to feed on the moss and leaves on the cliffs. At the same time, they were also able to avoid being hunted down by their natural predators.
As many carnivorous beasts didn't have the ability to climb cliffs, they could only drool at the sight of the delicious food dangling from the cliffs.
However, the gazelles didn't think that someone would be able to shoot them down from the cliffs even though the beasts couldn't.
To Welikro, the gazelles were the best targets. Even when the three of them approached the cliffs, the gazelles didn't panic at all.
Perhaps many beasts had tried to hunt them down before, only to be taught a bloody lesson by falling from the cliffs. That made the gazelles believe that their enemies wouldn't be able to climb the cliffs and wouldn't be a threat to them.
Welikro calmly raised his gun, aimed, and fired. One of the gazelles tumbled down the cliff.
However, the rest of the gazelles didn't notice the approaching danger.
The sound of the gunshots sounded like thunder to the gazelles. The fall of one of their companions could easily be mistaken as a misstep by the other gazelles.
So, the remaining gazelles only stopped eating and bleated anxiously. They looked around and paid more attention to where their companions landed.
Seeing that the other gazelles didn't run away, the three of them were overjoyed and worked even harder to clean the chamber of their guns, pour in the powder, reload, light the slow match, and continue to aim.
With another boom, another mountain antelope tumbled down from the sky.
Only then did the surviving gazelles realize that the real threat came from the three two-legged beasts below. They were wielding weird sticks. Every time they let out a clap of thunder and white smoke, one of their companions would tumble down the cliff. Soon, the remaining gazelles jumped up and down the cliff as if they were walking on flat ground. It didn't take long before they all disappeared from sight.
Welikro and the other two reloaded their slow matches before they went in search of their prey. Nobody could guarantee that there wouldn't be other carnivorous beasts waiting to ambush the gazelles. That way, they could very well bump into the beasts. Borkal's ballista and Eriksson's hunting bow weren't enough to guarantee their safety.
They were rather lucky and didn't run into any beasts. Welikro said that the most dangerous beasts on Egret were the mountain leopards. They were the overlords of the forests.
Every mountain leopard was the size of a calf and was unusually alert. No experienced hunter would dare to face a mountain leopard without being prepared. That was no different from suicide.
The two antelopes that had been hit and fell off the cliff were easy to find. They had fallen on the slope below the cliff, not far from the three of them.
But when Borkal saw the two of them, he couldn't help but sigh and complain.
Actually, the two gazelles were rather fat, but Borkal felt it was a pity for their pelts.
Rolling down the cliff and coming into contact with the hard rocks caused the two gazelles to have quite a few cuts in their pelts, making them look rather tattered.
The two furs Welikro sold at Mok's Grocery Store belonged to that particular antelope as well.
While those two pelts were rather old, they were still intact, unlike the two freshly hunted gazelles whose pelts were in tatters.
"This one can only be sold for two riyas at most. This one is a little better, around three riyas.
I think we can only sell it at Old Munk's. Wakuri might be able to give us that price.
If we bring it to Chirp's Fur Shop, they might even refuse to buy it because it's too damaged, "said Borkal as he appraised it professionally.
"Give me a hand and stop wasting time," Eriksson said unhappily, "Let's pick one up and Wero take the other. Let's go to the stream and skin them first.
No matter how much it costs, we still have to skin them.
As for whether they're worth anything, I doubt your eyesight is that good. You couldn't even hit a pheasant that was so close. What a waste of that crossbow bolt. "
"You're talking about me? Aren't you the same? You couldn't even get a single strand of fur from those two rabbits," retorted Borkal. But he still picked up the gazelle by the front leg and walked with Eriksson to the stream not far away.
"I'm just not used to it, you know? This is a hunting bow, not a practice bow. I just got it and haven't gotten the hang of it yet.
If I had the short-barreled gun at home, I would've hit those two rabbits long ago, "said Eriksson as he tried to find an excuse for not being able to hit the rabbits.
"Hmph," Borkal said with a snicker, "That short-barreled gun of yours?
With that little bit of range?
You're just going to crawl over there and stuff the short-barreled gun into the rabbits' butts before firing, right? That way, even I can hit them, let alone you. "
The two bickered as they walked to the stream and watched as Welikro skinned the gazelle. They continued to bicker as they watched.
When Welikro was cutting the antelope into eight pieces, he heard the sound of a gunshot coming from the ruins.
Welikro stood up and asked, "Did you hear the gunshot as well?"
Borkal nodded. "Yes, we did."
Eriksson asked worriedly, "Did something happen to Claude?"
Welikro glanced at the mess on the ground and said, "Take the two gazelle pelts and the four hind legs. We don't want anything else. Let's go back immediately."
Forty minutes after the gunshot, the three sweating profusely made their way back to the ruins. The first thing they saw was Claude lying on the ground in front of the ruins.
The three of them were terrified. They dropped the things in their hands and ran towards Claude, shouting as they ran, "Claude, Claude!"
Claude raised his head and forced a smile. "You're here. I'm fine. I'm just a little tired and weak."
Welikro rushed to Claude's front and knelt down to give him a thorough check. He didn't find any external injuries and breathed a sigh of relief. He helped Claude up and asked solemnly, "What happened?
Why are you covered in mud? You're so dirty and smelly. "
Claude pointed at the ruins and said, "I went to the first floor and killed a huge python. Go take a look and bring the corpse up."
"Huge python?" Welikro stood up with a start. "Eyke, Boa, let's go take a look."
"The entrance at the end of the cliff …" Claude yelled.
Actually, he didn't need to say it. The mud on the ground was enough to tell which entrance Claude had come up from.
It didn't take long for Borkal to return. "You're amazing, Claude! You actually killed a huge python on your own!
Did you know that the three of us were so shocked when we saw it? We were afraid that it was still alive. Eyke even asked Wero to shoot it again to see if it was really dead. "
"Did he shoot?"
Claude asked. He didn't hear any gunshots. Even though they were in the first floor, they should've been able to hear it from that close.
"No," Borkal said with a shake of his head, "Wero said that the python was definitely dead. Otherwise, we would've heard some noise when we went down. He went down the rope ladder alone.
By the way, I came up to get some more firewood. The fires inside are about to go out. "
Borkal hurriedly went to get more firewood.
After another half an hour, Claude stood up as well. That was enough acting. Even if he was tired, he should've recovered by now.
When he reached the entrance, he saw Wero and the other two dragging the dead python out.
Claude didn't think much of it when he was fighting in the mud, but now that he was on the ground, he realized that the python was really huge. Its four-meter-long body was really frightening. Claude couldn't help but feel some fear.
What if the python didn't bite the gun and bit his face instead? Cold sweat broke out all over his body. What a close shave.
"This python skin can be sold for at least three thales in town," Borkal said as he clicked his tongue in wonder.
"It's not just the skin. Don't forget that the tendons are even more valuable," Eriksson added.
"Enough!
Don't just think about money! "
Welikro's expression darkened. "I don't understand, Claude. Why did you go down to the first floor?
I told you that there's nothing down there apart from mud. You're lucky today. What if something happened to you? How are we going to explain it to your parents?! "
Borkal and Eriksson finally snapped out of it. They recalled Welikro's words and felt a chill run down their spine.
If Claude didn't manage to kill the python and was instead killed by it, they didn't dare to imagine the consequences.
"Sorry," Claude said, "I only wanted to take a look from the top of the stairs, so I tossed a few torches down there. But I noticed something shining gold in the mud beside the stairs, so I made a rope ladder and tossed a few branches down there to see what it was. I didn't think I would be attacked by the python."
"Then, did you find out what it was?"
Welikro looked at Claude skeptically. He thought that Claude was just trying to find an excuse to take the risk.
"I found this …" Claude reached into his pocket and took it out. When he opened it, a few shiny gold coins fell to the ground with crisp clinks.
"This … this is a shalivin!"
Borkal picked one up and exclaimed in surprise, "I'm not mistaken! This is a gold coin from six hundred years ago! I've seen it in the coin encyclopedia back at home! It's a magus in a cloak!
After the founding of the Amsra dynasty, these coins were completely abolished.
It's too bad this isn't a shalivin magic coin. "
"I searched for quite some time and only found these five," Claude said, "They were all beside the stairs. I wanted to expand my search, but that's when I ran into the python."
Welikro's suspicions were completely dispelled. There was no way Claude could conjure a few gold coins from 600 years ago. It seemed that the situation was as he said. He tossed the torch down and noticed something flashing in the mud. That was why he tossed the branches down and made a rope ladder. His preparations were already complete. However, he didn't think that there would be such a huge python in the first floor. That was truly an unexpected situation.
Eriksson picked up the other four shaliuns. He didn't think as much as Welikro did. "Are these valuable?"
"I don't know if they're valuable or not," Borkal said.
"They should be considered antique coins. They're at least six hundred years old, after all.
But they can't be considered antiques as they're depicted with the image of an evil magus. That's why they're banned in most Freian nations.
However, they're still allowed to be exchanged for common currency according to the value of the coins.
I recall that they can be exchanged for two crowns in our kingdom, which is around ten thales. "
"Haha, Claude, you're rich," Eriksson said with envy.
"I didn't think you'd get the most out of Egret this time. Not only did you kill a huge python, you even found five gold coins.
Take them. They're yours. "
Claude waved his hand and didn't take the gold. "Give it to Boa. Let him keep it. Didn't we agree to split the loot between us?
The five gold coins I found are no exception. "
"But … but you killed the python on your own and found the coins on your own. We didn't help at all," Borkal said with a pained smile.
Claude laughed. "We came here together, so we'll be together before we go home. Just like how the three of you went hunting while I was here alone, you'll give me a share too.
By the same logic, if something happens to me because I didn't kill the python, you'll have to bear the responsibility and accept your punishment.
So, whether it's the python or the five gold coins, everyone has a share.
Don't you think so, Wero? "
"You can say that.
But there's a rule when hunting together. Whoever puts in the most effort gets the bigger share. Those who don't get the smaller share. "