While the two were bickering, a blonde girl with a face full of freckles walked out. She looked to be around twelve or thirteen years old.
She carried a heavy hardwood crossbow on her slightly skinny shoulders, a large quiver of arrows on her back, and a thick book wrapped in copper in her hand.
"Aha, my cute little Sally, hurry up and deliver these items to your big client. Then the deal is complete." Laurent said as he stroked the girl's hair.
"Just leave it on the ground. I want to test the power of this weapon."
As he spoke, André took the crossbow from the girl's hands and carefully inspected every part of it, especially the bow arm and bowstring.
As a famous knight killer in the Middle Ages on Earth, such a weapon with such strong penetrative power was hard to find even in Auraire. If not for the fact that Lonely Mountain Town was located at the northern border and often had to fight against monsters and beasts, it would have been stopped at the checkpoint.
Obviously, the crossbow that Laurent took out was a second-hand product, but it was well maintained. There were no problems with the groove, tension, or footrest. The trigger reaction was also very fast. The wood had obviously been polished and waxed, and it was very smooth to the touch.
André stepped on the front tab and pulled the bowstring. He pulled out a thick arrow from the quiver and placed it in the groove. He then aimed at a tree not far away and pulled the trigger without hesitation.
"Whoosh!"
"Bang!"
The sharp arrowhead pierced into the tree trunk twenty meters away. Only a small section of the tail was exposed, the rest of the arrow was embedded in the trunk.
The force produced by the machine was so great that if the target was a human, it could have been sent flying by the powerful impact.
André carried the heavy crossbow on his back and nodded with satisfaction. "Not bad, hunting is much easier with this."
"You … you know how to use a crossbow?!" Laurent finally recovered from his shock and asked with a face full of shock.
Although the crossbow was not difficult to operate, it still involved some mechanical principles. It was too complicated for the villagers who didn't even know how to read. At least, he had never seen anyone in Lonely Mountain Town who knew how to use a crossbow.
"That's nothing. Don't forget how many books I've read over the years. Knowledge is the ladder for human progress. Don't underestimate this."
After saying that, André winked at Xue Li who was standing in front of him. He tied the quiver around his waist and kept the thick book close to his body. Finally, he cut off a large piece of meat and handed it to the girl.
"Take it. Make yourself something delicious tonight."
"Thank … thank you …"
Xue Li struggled to finish her sentence, and a faint blush appeared on her skinny little face. Her dark green eyes sparkled like gemstones, sparkling from time to time.
Ever since the girl witnessed her parents being killed by the Winter Wolf three years ago, her spirit was greatly stimulated and she lost part of her speech. Luo Te felt pity for her and took her in to clean the tables in the grocery store.
"Good girl!"
André squatted down and kissed the little girl's forehead intimately. He put the jar of salt and honey in the car and turned to walk in the direction of his house.
In Lonely Mountain Town, poor orphans like Xue Li were quite common. Luo Te basically helped them when he could. Otherwise, these children would have to risk their lives to survive in the wild.
As a soul from a highly developed society, Luo Te still could not accept such a cruel reality.
After crossing two streets, André came to a dilapidated wooden house. This was his home in this world. Inside lived a father who was crushed by a heavy burden.
A mother who was busy all day to prevent her children from going hungry.
One brother, one sister, and one sister who was just five years old.
After sighing in his heart about the difficulties of life, Luo Te took two steps forward and slammed on the door.
"Bang!
Bang!
Bang! "
"Who is it?"
A woman's voice soon came from inside the house. A few seconds later, the door was opened with a creak. A woman in her forties walked out. She looked like she had seen the vicissitudes of life.
When she saw the large pieces of vertebrae and meat on the trailer, she immediately covered her mouth in shock. "Oh … God, André, you risked your life to go hunting in the forest again!
How many times have I told you not to play with your life when there's food at home? I don't want to hear bad news about you in my lifetime. "
"Don't worry, mom. I'm now recognized as the best hunter in Lonely Mountain Town.
Hurry up and deal with the meat. I also traded some fur for a jar of salt and honey at the grocery store. Let's make something delicious for everyone tonight. "
As he spoke, André kissed his mother's cheek according to the etiquette of this world. He then walked into the dark house.
Betty, who was sewing clothes with a needle and thread, quickly put down her work and stood up to help her brother take off his coat. She lowered her voice and asked, "Tell me secretly, what kind of prey did you get this time?
Based on Lauter's stingy personality, he wouldn't trade a jar of honey and a jar of salt for ordinary fur.
Also, where did you get this crossbow? "
Listening to his sister's nagging, André smiled and shook his head. "A woolly mammoth that broke into the Black Forest. I packed up the ivory and fur and sold it. The crossbow, salt, honey, and this book were all exchanged."
"Wow!
A woolly mammoth!
I bet that no hunter in Lonely Mountain Town has ever caught such a big prey.
Let me see if you're hurt. "
Betty didn't allow her brother to explain and forcefully took off his clothes, revealing the tight muscles of his upper body and of course, the crisscrossing scars.
André had been injured many times in his four years of hunting. Especially in the first year, he was often bitten and injured by wild beasts due to his lack of experience. He spent more time in bed recuperating than out hunting. His family often worried that he would suddenly die one day.
One had to know that hunting was a highly dangerous profession. There was no difference between the hunter and the prey in this wild land. Switching roles was a common occurrence. Every year, there were a few hunters who never returned after entering the forest …
Betty's finger lightly brushed across the half-foot long wound on her brother's chest. She sighed slightly and asked in a low voice, "André, tell me, why are you working so hard?
Don't try to fool your parents, because I can feel that you have a heart that is unwilling to be ordinary. "
"Sister, this world is so big. Don't you want to go out and take a look?
The turbulent seas, the endless plains, the legendary big cities, all kinds of intelligent life forms, all kinds of strange species, mysterious ruins, and of course, powerful spells.
I don't want to waste my life in Lonely Mountain Town. This place is just too remote. "André explained with a smile as he put on his clothes.