The Spring Hunt.
In name, it was a hunting trip—but in reality, it was just an excuse to gather and engage in… other activities.
The participants mainly fell into three groups.
The first group consisted of commoner warriors and mages who had performed well in the Spring Martial Tournament.
They had declined offers to join the military and instead hoped to enter the service of major nobles, securing positions that were safer, more relaxed, and better paid.
For example, becoming the captain of a noble's private guard, or a family instructor.
If they later advanced to high-tier warriors or mages, they might even become guest retainers—or personal guards.
Compared to climbing the ranks in the military through merit, this path was both easier and safer.
The second group was made up of representatives from noble families, sent to evaluate and recruit those talents.
These were usually young nobles—sons and daughters of powerful families.
At their age, they needed to start building their own factions.
The old subordinates left behind by their elders could be used, but they would never become their most trusted confidants.
Only those they personally selected and nurtured would truly belong to them.
So for these two groups, the Spring Hunt wasn't about hunting at all—it was about recruitment and employment.
It was essentially a large, temporary talent marketplace.
Each side got what they wanted—a win-win situation.
Of course, nobles like Wardson—who had already participated in the Spring Martial Tournament—had long since picked out promising talents.
For them, attending the Spring Hunt was just a chance to see if they could find any overlooked gems, and to socialize.
The third group…
People like Ron and Soren—who were simply here for fun.
And there were quite a few of them.
Many idle noble youths came just to join the excitement.
Some outstanding commoners also harbored thoughts of marrying into nobility—or marrying a noble themselves.
The carriage rolled through the Royal Capital in the morning.
Passing along Central Street of Peace Square, going by the Grand Arena, and heading toward the western city gate.
Yuna, in shadow form, clung beneath the carriage, clearly sensing everything happening inside.
While silently cursing Ron as a shameless lolicon, she continued to endure the overly affectionate atmosphere in the carriage.
The shadow beneath the carriage wriggled slightly—whether out of annoyance or something else was unclear.
Being force-fed romance from under a carriage… she definitely hadn't expected that.
Serves me right…
By the time they reached the west gate, it was around eight in the morning.
Carriages rolled out and gathered outside the city.
Some people preferred riding horses and had already assembled there.
The most eye-catching among them was the First Prince, Eil André, dressed in a black military uniform.
Whether noble or commoner, everyone dismounted upon arrival and went forward to greet him.
Eil held immense prestige in the Empire.
Having guarded the northern frontier for years, he had repeatedly distinguished himself in winter wars, and his command abilities were widely respected within the military.
To avoid unnecessary gossip, Ron got off the carriage with Nora and stepped forward to greet him.
Eil returned the gesture seriously, without any airs of superiority.
"Did you spot anyone promising during the Spring Martial Tournament?" Eil asked casually. "If you need, I can introduce a few during the hunt."
"I'm just here for fun." Ron smiled and shook his head. "I've never been to the Forest of Freyst. Since it's the largest natural forest in the Empire, I figured I'd take this chance to see it."
After a brief chat, Ron returned to his carriage, leaving space for others who needed the interaction more.
Around 8:30, Soren's carriage finally arrived.
With a sufficient number gathered, Eil took the lead, and the convoy set off westward.
This wasn't the only group heading out.
As early as six in the morning, an advance team had already departed to establish several safe temporary camps inside the Forest of Freyst.
Once inside the forest, participants could rest at these camps after hunting or during the night, without worrying about safety.
Additionally, two more groups would depart later—one around mid-morning and another in the early afternoon.
Altogether, the total number of participants would reach two to three hundred.
Nora hadn't traveled far in many years.
From the moment the carriage left the city gates, she stayed by the window, gazing outside.
Even though the scenery was mostly rolling hills and distant wheat fields, she wasn't bored in the slightest—her eyes sparkled with excitement.
Although the City of Chaos and the Royal Capital were far apart, the storage room's spatial passage made travel instantaneous.
It never felt like a real journey.
But now, sitting in a carriage and truly leaving the city, the sense of distance and movement gave her a refreshing feeling of freedom.
Still, that excitement only lasted a few hours.
By mid-afternoon, Nora had curled up in her seat, her head resting against Ron's chest, quietly drifting off to sleep.
Ron held her with one arm, while the other controlled the Heartvine, flipping through a book as he read in silence.
By evening, the convoy arrived at a town for rest.
Ron put away the book and gently called, "Nora."
Her brows furrowed slightly as she shifted in his arms, murmuring softly without waking.
Ron chuckled, lowering his head to her ear—specifically her soft, dark cat ear—and gently blew warm air into it.
"Wake up, sleepy cat."
Nora's body trembled. Her ears perked up instantly, and she woke at once.
Climbing out of his arms, she pouted and lightly smacked him, a hint of playful annoyance on her face.
Ron smiled, flicked her nose, and led her off the carriage.
They skipped the caravan's simple meal and wandered the streets instead, eventually settling in a noodle shop.
From the rooftop shadows nearby, Yuna watched the surroundings.
When she saw Ron casually pick up slices of beef and place them into Nora's bowl—
She immediately bit into her bread with unnecessary force.
After dinner, under the fading glow of sunset, Ron and Nora strolled hand in hand, buying a few local specialties before returning to their inn.
As they entered, Ron spotted Soren heading upstairs with a lady in his arms, already starting to get handsy—while throwing Ron a smug gesture.
Ron ignored him completely and led Nora to their room.
They were already used to sharing a bed back at the flower shop, so staying in one room posed no issue.
Nora obediently went to bathe.
Ron sat on the bed, his consciousness shifting to the puppet in the Royal Capital to handle matters at the flower shop and the Magic Battle Arena.
The journey from the Royal Capital to the Forest of Freyst would take about two days.
Including travel and the hunt itself, the trip would last roughly seven to eight days.
Of course, anyone could leave midway if they wished.
"When we left the city this morning, quite a few people were watching you from the shadows."
Yuna's voice came as her shadowy form emerged halfway from the ceiling, hanging upside down.
"There are still four or five scouts following us. Doesn't seem malicious—they're not targeting just you."
"The one beside the First Prince hasn't acted, so neither have I."
"So far, everything looks normal."
Ron nodded, then asked curiously, "The one beside the First Prince? You mean his two guards?"
"Of course not." Yuna rolled her eyes. "An old rival from my time in the shadow division. We used to compete for missions."
"He's like me—an expert in shadow battle aura. Always hidden."
Just as they were talking, Nora stepped out of the bathroom.
Yuna instantly dissolved back into the shadows and disappeared.
"Boss, was everything alright at the shop and the arena today?"
"Nothing unusual. Same as always."
"Ah!" Nora let out a small yelp as Ron pulled her into his arms. "Boss~ go take a bath first, or you'll get dirty."
"Then you can stay and wash again with me."