Chapter 43  

The next day, Kai rushed his morning exercises. He had convinced uncle Moui to take him to the outskirts of the Veeryd jungle. More like tricked into agreeing, but those were just semantics.

It was an opportunity to see an expert navigate the infamous jungle safely and he didn’t want to be late.

Just an hour after dawn, Kai was heading toward the hunter’s house to meet him, walking through one of the worst districts of new town. Moui’s house wasn’t exactly in the slums, but not that far either. After the experience of his first day back in Greenside, he had carefully avoided the area.

Why the hell does he live here? Isn’t he rich?

That was another mystery he would have to solve today.

Since they were going to trek into the jungle, Kai wore his best pair of shoes, long trousers and shirt, instead of his usual mid-sleeve. His training staff in hand to use like a long walking stick. If something happened, it would be more helpful than the wooden sword.

Many houses looked about to be crumbling. The few people on the streets were mostly farmers walking towards the field in tattered clothes, most men opting for no shirt at all. His average garments suddenly felt lavish. It might have been all in his head, but he felt the passersby's gaze linger on him longer than was comfortable.

He had purposely taken the worst-looking knapsack they had at home, letting it hang on his shoulders as if it was of no importance. He had packed as little as possible since he didn’t want to be slowed down. The bag started to feel heavier under the pairs of eyes watching him.

I’m sure it’s all in my head.

Kai made full use of Awareness as he walked on muddier streets than usual. The smell of human waste was more pungent than he could bear, especially when added to the ever-present humidity. He cursed his keen senses and breathed through his mouth.

Finally, he spotted his destination.

This should be it.

The building in front of him wasn’t particularly striking. The typical square of four conjoined boxes, but a tad better maintained than the ones around it. With a few good quality wooden boards nailed to the walls and roof. It looked sturdier than its neighbors, but not the residence of one of the wealthiest people Kai knew.

Moui told him to knock on the first door he saw coming from the street. There were two doors, but one of them had been barred and nailed closed, leaving only one choice.

Kai’s knuckles barely brushed the door when a deep voice called from inside.

“Come on in.”

Not one to be asked twice to snoop on someone else's property, Kai tried the door handle and found it open.

Stepping inside the living room, the hunter was nowhere to be seen. The place was unimpressively bare. A sturdy table with two chairs took center stage and not much else.

Before he could use the excuse of his absence to explore further inside, Moui’s voice sounded again.

“Wait there and don’t touch anything. I’ll come in a moment.”

He’s no fun.

Kai tried to stay on his best behavior. He didn’t want to annoy Moui first thing in the morning. He was going to be in his care for the rest of the day. Walking into the jungle with a disgruntled guide seemed a sure way not to be seen again.

The weird thing was that the hunter’s voice came from the right wall.

He must have bought the nearby house.

Thinking back, it made sense why the other door had been barred. Like his family, Moui had no need for two entrances.

One moment later, the hunter opened the door on the left wall and came in. That wasn’t the direction he expected. It was the wrong wall.

“Did you buy the whole block?” Kai asked as he connected the pieces.

The hunter shrugged, “It was cheap.”

“What do you need all this space for when you live alone?”

Gesturing around he explained, “This part is to greet guests and business meetings, one to process hides and animal parts, one to store them and one is my living quarters.”

Somehow Kai had thought his uncle would live frugally in a cramped hut. He lived in new town, so he had thought he just didn’t care.

“Can’t you afford a house in a better part of town?”

The building wasn’t bad, but after seeing the kind of money he earned from the merfolk merchants, Kai was sure Moui could afford much more than this.

“Old town has become too crowded,” Moui grumbled to himself. “Here it’s quieter, with fewer people continuously going back and forth. It’s also closer to the forest.” Then he disappeared again behind another door.

Kai nodded along. That made some sense, but his mind soon realized another weird fact he couldn’t explain. “Weren’t you already here when the relocation happened, why do you live in new town?”

Moui came back with a large bag and a machete. “My house was on the outskirts, right where the Republic wanted to build the new district. They demolished my house and gave me one of the new buildings. Not a great deal, but it was not like I was given a choice.”

The hunter was decked in dark-green clothes. The bow Kai had seen him buy from the merfolk merchants made its appearance too. He put the backpack on like it was as light as a feather, while checking his equipment. He was ready. Way more ready than Kai was.

“Now, if you’re done with your questions, it's time to go.”

Kai followed him on the streets. People moved out of the way and didn’t create trouble.

Kai looked down at himself, his outfit now felt inadequate for the journey. His trousers were beige, but his shirt was pure white. “Do I need something else? Won’t I stand out?”

Moui gave him a glance, “Probably, but it doesn’t matter. I have everything we need, and any animal will get your scent or hear your steps long before it sees you.”

Seeing his concern he added, “Don’t worry, we’re not going too deep.”

Trusting the hunter’s words, Kai started walking. The fastest path out of town passed directly through what Kai thought of as the shady district. Moui didn’t seem to have a worry as he strolled forth. Kai followed closely behind, his eyes darting around. It was unlikely that someone would cause trouble with the big man by his side, but he still felt tense.

With the corner of his eyes, he caught sight of something he had not seen in a while in one of the side alleys.

Yep, that’s definitely the symbol of The Voice of the Ancestors.

It wasn’t exactly put on display, but it wasn’t hidden either. Anyone passing by would see it if he happened to look in that direction.

Kai had known the rebel group couldn’t have been completely wiped out despite the governor's efforts. They had just been pushed underground. Still, seeing the signs of their presence so close to home made him worry a bit.

Hopefully, they won't try anything too stupid anytime soon.

He didn’t get time for another glance as the hunter was already marching ahead. Hurriedly closing the distance, Kai had to do a small sprint to make up for his short legs.

Hey, you could have waited a second or at least slowed down.

Moui glanced at him, “Try to keep your focus, shorty. If you get lost in town, I don’t think it’s a good idea to go into the jungle.”

Kai gave him a flat look, “I’ll keep up.” He would not be deterred by such simple means. He quickened his steps, walking beside the hunter.

There was no true border to Greenside, at a certain point the houses just ended. The outer circle of houses was quite a coveted place since it offered plenty of space.

A little farther the cultivated fields extended for a couple miles in the distance, ending with a small green wall on the horizon. That was their target, the Veeryd jungle.

Kai followed Moui through the farmland. Many farmers were already out working in these early hours. The hunter waved to a couple of them, and Kai imitated him.

“Uncle, how much do you make hunting?”

“Enough.”

Kai suppressed an annoyed scowl. “With all the silvers you gained from the mermen, you might as well be the wealthiest person in town.”

Moui let out a hearty laugh. “That was an exception, no merchants of that caliber usually come here. I made more from them than what I can hope to make in a good year. I doubt I will ever get that lucky again. Even if they were to come back, I would not have much to sell. I accumulated those materials over many years.”

That was surprising. From the way Moui had acted at the time, Kai would have never guessed that the amount of money was so significant to him. He still had much to learn.

“Even if it’s a one-time thing, with that much money you could go anywhere. Maybe even off the archipelago, why do you stay in Greenside?” Kai asked.

Moui gestured at the cultivated fields, his eyes lingering on the trees in the distance. “This is my home and it’s close to the jungle. I never had a reason to leave.”

Kai wanted to ask more but didn’t insist. Soon they had reached the edge of the jungle. Moui turned to look at him very seriously, straight in the eyes.

“We won’t be going very deep, but I can’t assure your safety if you don’t do exactly as I say. You move when I tell you to move, and stop when I tell you to stop. Don’t touch anything before asking me. Can you promise me this?”

“I promise.”

The hunter didn’t seem satisfied. He asked him to repeat everything he told him to do three times.

Kai looked back at him solemnly, “I swear.”

Moui's green eyes kept his gaze a little longer, before nodding, “Good. Now, the first and most important lesson when you enter the jungle is to stay silent and not ask questions.”

Okay, this feels a bit targeted. Is it truly the most important thing?

Kai already wanted to argue, but he kept to his promise to shut up. The big man was walking ahead. He would bet he was smirking.

Moui continued explaining, “Noise will alert any prey and predator of your position, both are bad. If you want to stay safe, you want to be doing the listening.

“Now, there should be no awakened beasts this far out, but it’s better to be careful. Just because something shouldn’t happen, it doesn’t mean it won’t. Relying on luck is a good way to get yourself killed. And even normal animals can be dangerous if you’re not careful.”

Kai had a slight suspicion Moui was making things sound more dangerous than they were. Most people stayed away from the jungle, but quite a few perused the outer reaches for herbs and edibles, coming back safely.

Forcing down the questions threatening to spill from his mouth, he dutifully walked in silence. The smells of the jungle became more noticeable as they went deeper. The scent of vegetation mixed with moisture, soil and decaying plants and wood.

Moui followed some kind of path between the trees as the jungle around them grew denser. He casually cut a few vines that were in the way with his machete as they continued on.

The light dimmed blocked by the tree canopies. Underfoot the ground felt crumbly and wet. Away from the breeze of the sea, the familiar humidity intensified. The leaves of the plants looked slippery and wet. Not even half an hour had passed, but his neck was already slick with sweat and his clothes stuck to his body uncomfortably.

Maybe I should have gone for short sleeves.

“Can I ask a question, uncle?” He had promised to stay silent, but he needed something to distract him from the sensation of slowly drowning in the air.

Moui didn’t appear annoyed as he broke the silence, maybe surprised it had lasted that long in the first place. “Sure, but only one.”

There was one thing Kai had always been curious about. “What are awakened beasts exactly? I mean, I know they are animals that have unlocked some sort of Guide, but what does that mean in practice?”

Moui looked at him over his shoulder. “Have you ever seen one? Alive I mean.”

Kai shook his head.

“Well, as you said, an awakened beast is an animal who awakens its Guide. I’m not exactly sure how that happens, but it’s common knowledge that the denser the mana the easier it is.

“I once heard there are places on the continent where the mana is so abundant, people make no difference between normal animals and awakened beasts. Every animal has their Guide unlocked. I can’t say if such a place truly exists or is a rumor, but it’s certainly true that the area with the densest mana, at the heart of Veeryd, has the most beasts.”

Seeing that he was following, Moui continued his explanation.

“Their Guide is different from ours. Humans advance on two paths: race and profession. Beasts only have the race. But you must not think they are weaker because of that. Some say the opposite: that it’s easier to advance with only one p—”

Moui stopped on the spot and Kai almost bumped into him. As he was about to ask what was going on, the hunter made a gesture to stay silent and squinted toward the dense vegetation.

“Wait here. I’ll go check something.”

Without waiting for his response, Moui disappeared into the greenery.

Kai looked around, the rustle of the wind and branches crackling appeared more unsettling now that he was alone.

I’m perfectly safe. Uncle Moui has not abandoned me. I was not that annoying. There is nothing dangerous hiding just out of sight.

To feel calmer, Kai activated his Mana Sense. He carefully scoured his surroundings for anything that stood out before letting out a sigh of relief. The vegetation was richer in energy, but there were no high mana signatures present.

A minute later Moui reappeared with a smile. Kai was relieved to see him but gave him a glare for leaving him alone.

The hunter did not react to his angry stare, speaking in an excited tone.

“What do you think about a more practical lesson? I spotted a young red-tier beast just a little farther.”