Chapter Thirty: The Poachers

The tremors drew closer. Everyone had been lying low for a day and a night, exhausted, yet now their patience was rewarded, stirring their spirits. Kevin and the others moved their joints as much as they dared, ensuring they wouldn’t be caught stiff if anything happened.

Suddenly—whoosh, whoosh!—they heard the whistle of arrows. One struck a nearby tree, its fletching still quivering.

They barely had time to be surprised before heavy footsteps crashed through the undergrowth, and within moments, five or six massive gorillas burst into view. Their arms were thicker than a man’s leg, and they ruled this forest with brute strength. Now, though, they were panicked, fleeing without pause, trampling over the infamous gorilla mating display without a second glance.

“Poachers!” the professor muttered, brows furrowed.

As expected, another arrow soon whistled from behind, lodging itself squarely in the back of the slowest gorilla. The unfortunate beast let out a wail and collapsed. The rest, not daring to look back, abandoned their companion and vanished. The downed gorilla staggered to its feet, swaying unsteadily, its eyelids drooping.

“An arrow coated with anesthetic?” The professor wasted no time, scrambling up and approaching the gorilla to pull out the arrow. The beast struggled twice, then fell into a deep sleep.

The others followed suit, rising to their feet. Kevin barked, “Protect the professor!”

Six rookie soldiers closed ranks around them, shields raised, watching the jungle intently. The professor and three students knelt to examine the gorilla’s wound.

“There! Behind that oak tree,” the parrot overhead squawked. “A person.”

Everyone turned as one. Kevin stepped forward, calling out, “Come out!”

There was a quiet pause behind the oak, then a hunter emerged, bow in hand, an arrow nocked but not aimed, ready to draw at a moment’s notice. Like the group, his face was wrapped in cloth, hiding his features.

The poacher smiled. “What’s going on? Even the kingdom’s army is out here?”

Kevin hesitated, glancing at his filthy, tattered uniform—barely recognizable as military garb. The poacher hadn’t realized he was a rookie, so remained cautious. If he guessed the truth, he’d surely ignore them altogether.

Marinas strode forward. “Kid! Poaching gorillas is a serious crime. Pay your fine and maybe we’ll let you go.”

The poacher laughed. “Serious crime? I don’t know about that. What exactly is the charge?”

The professor stood. “These gorillas are rare species. Six years ago, the state banned hunting poison forest gorillas. They aren’t valuable for medicine, nor are they magical beasts. You only catch them to sell to circuses. Why bother?”

“Is that so?” The poacher shook his head. “Are you saying I shot this arrow? But it wasn’t me. Look, my arrows are still in my hand.”

“Enough talk!” Sayne finally snapped, charging forward with shield raised and sword poised behind—standard rookie assault stance. Midway, he even activated his crimson battle aura, making a formidable impression.

For a moment, Kevin wanted to call him back, but realized retreat would expose them more, so he swung his sword: “Everyone, go!”

Whoosh! The poacher instantly loosed an arrow, aiming straight at the professor, who was still crouched. The group turned in horror, but Kevin slid forward, shield raised, intercepting the shot. He even conjured a magical shield, doubling up with his own—without it, the rookie’s shield might not have held.

Everyone spun around again, only to see the poacher vanishing into the jungle.

“I’ll chase him!” Sayne, head hot with anger, prepared to pursue.

“Come back!” Kevin ordered.

“Why?” Sayne barely listened, running off.

“Get back here!” Kevin launched a magical missile after him.

Sensing something behind, Sayne jumped aside, narrowly avoiding it, then turned and roared, “What are you doing?”

“I’m the officer now. I order you to return!” Kevin asserted his rank.

Sayne scoffed. “Ha! You’re nothing!”

Kevin paused, annoyed—he knew his authority was lacking, but with the client present, this open defiance was infuriating.

“Sayne! If you refuse to follow my command, go to the mercenary branch, pick up a task that’s been waiting three months, and complete it!” Kevin retorted. “Anyone who wants to go with him, I won’t object. I’ll report it to the commander later.”

A tense silence fell, the atmosphere awkward. Kevin was, after all, the official officer here; such disrespect couldn’t be justified. They’d spent a day at the Royal Academy, three days in this forest, four days gone out of a week. Even if they returned now, picking up a short task would hardly be easy.

“Cough, cough!” Staddart, steady and mature, stepped in to smooth things over. “Enough. We’ve been together three months. We all know each other’s tempers. This is the last task—let’s keep the peace, alright?”

“Kevin,” Sayne’s tone softened, “Let me reason with you.”

“Go ahead.”

“There’s only one guy, armed with a bow. His outfit couldn’t hide any other weapons—two daggers at most. If I catch him, does he really think he can fight my sword and shield with two knives? These poachers are desperate, not talented. Why call me back? Are you afraid I’ll steal your credit?”

“I’ll reason with you, too,” Kevin replied calmly. “First, how do you know he’s alone?”

“Parrot said so,” Sayne answered.

“Can the parrot see everything in this forest?” Kevin retorted, glancing at the bird overhead. “Besides, if the parrot can’t see, it only means others aren’t in sight. To come this deep into the poison forest alone to poach—does that seem plausible?”

“So what?” Sayne sneered. “Solo poaching is normal.”

“Hmph,” Kevin snorted. “Think. Could one person carry off such a huge gorilla? Could one alone scare so many gorillas like that?”

Sayne fell silent, searching for a rebuttal.

“When he spoke with us, I judged he was stalling, giving his companions time to escape,” Kevin said. “We don’t know how many poachers there are—there’s no need to fight to the death. If cornered, they might cause casualties. Our main task is protecting the professor. Do you understand?”

“Tch!” Sayne scoffed. “Your excuses just hide cowardice. If we kill all the poachers, the professor will be safe. You’re just afraid to die. Pathetic.”

Staddart interrupted again. “Enough. Professor, what now?”

Luke glanced at them, sighed. “The gorilla is anesthetized—we don’t know the dosage. Let’s wait for it to wake.”

Kevin ordered, “Everyone rest and stay alert.” The group relaxed, each finding a spot to sit, still simmering from the argument but holding their tongues for the greater good.

Ultimately, the difference lay in their principles—nearly opposite extremes. Sayne, from a military family, believed in solving everything with his fists; words were useless. Kevin, on the other hand, preferred diplomacy over violence. As a bard, his strength was meager; if he relied solely on force, he’d have been beaten to death long ago. Besides, he felt that fighting only when forced wasn’t very gentlemanly.

After a brief rest with some dry rations, the professor and students whispered amongst themselves. Suddenly, the parrot squawked, “Someone’s here!”

Everyone sprang up, encircling the professor, scanning the forest. A figure in black, masked, walked calmly out, carrying something.

Seeing the assassin’s garb, Kevin and Staddart turned pale. Clearly an assassin, unfamiliar by build, their allegiance unknown. If hostile, no one here could match him.

The assassin walked over quietly, placed the object on the ground, and said to Kevin, “Your package.”

Kevin: “…”

The assassin left, the woods falling silent. Everyone turned to Kevin. Marinas exclaimed, “Mail delivery these days—nothing stops them!”

Kevin and Staddart exchanged glances; only they knew this was likely not ordinary. Kevin ordered, “Spread out. The package may be dangerous.”

No one dared take chances; each moved aside. Kevin carefully used his sword to cut the cord, shield raised, then flicked the lid open. A wave of blood stench rolled out, making him shudder.

Inside was a human head—fresh, but unknown to all. Given the remoteness, it was likely the poacher from earlier, whose face had also been masked.

The group exchanged uneasy glances. As captain, Kevin forced himself to inspect further, finding a note inside the box:

“When is the new book coming out? I’m waiting for the update.”

Kevin: “…”

“What does it say?” Everyone gathered around.

Kevin, unable to conceal the note, handed it over. “Clearly, it’s some kind of code or cipher. I’ll try to decode it.”

Everyone: “…”