As soon as the news broke, the entire Blackstone Town erupted into an uproar!
"What? Recruiting knight apprentices? That's fantastic! My boy just runs around wildly all day; I might as well send him to give it a try!"
"Hey, did you see that last part? No gender restrictions! Can girls really become knights?"
"Is that for real?"
"Hey, who cares about all that! The lord has already made the announcement; how could it be fake? My daughter's stronger than most boys; maybe she'll actually get selected!"
"What's the point of getting selected? What if she can't get married later?"
"Can't get married? If she really becomes a knight, will she still have trouble finding a husband? She might even become a female knight captain! By then, how many boys would line up to marry her!"
On the square and in the alleys and streets of the town, people were buzzing with discussions everywhere.
Shock, excitement, anticipation—all sorts of emotions intertwined.
For families with boys of the right age, this was undoubtedly great news.
Becoming a knight was a dream出路 (chūlù, or way out) for many commoners!
It meant honor, status, and a stable income.
For families with daughters, the reactions were more mixed.
Some thought it was nonsense, believing that girls should stay at home and learn needlework and household chores. But there were also some relatively open-minded parents, or those girls themselves who were spirited and unwilling to lead ordinary lives, who saw an unprecedented opportunity.
"Father! Mother! I want to sign up!"
A young girl with braided hair, slightly tanned skin, but exceptionally bright eyes, burst into the house holding a crumpled registration form, her face glowing with excitement.
Her father, a simple-hearted carpenter, was taken aback for a moment before frowning. "Nonsense! What's a girl doing getting involved in this? That's a man's business!"
"The lord said there are no gender restrictions! Why can't I go? My strength isn't inferior to the boys'!" the girl argued defiantly.
"What's the use of being strong? That's going to put your life on the line!" her mother said worriedly from the side.
"I'm not afraid! I want to be a knight! As magnificent as Captain Ed!" The girl's eyes sparkled with longing.
On the town square, it was now bustling with people, and the noise was almost enough to lift the roof.
Raylo stood by the window on the second floor, looking down at the sea of people below, and couldn't help but rub his temples.
He had expected the townsfolk to be enthusiastic about the selection of knight apprentices, but the scene before him far exceeded his expectations.
The originally spacious square was now so crowded that it was impossible to move, and even the surrounding streets were affected, causing traffic to come to a standstill.
The soldiers responsible for maintaining order had already shouted themselves hoarse, yet they still found it difficult to control the enthusiasm of the crowd.
"My lord, this... there are far too many people!"
Ed stood behind Raylo, looking at the crowded crowd below with a mix of excitement and concern on his face.
He was excited by the townsfolk's trust in the lord and their aspiration to become knights, but worried about the enormous challenge of managing such a huge crowd.
Raylo sighed and said, "Yes, it seems we underestimated the townsfolk's enthusiasm. If this continues, order will inevitably break down."
"Shall I take some men down to maintain order?" Ed asked.
Raylo shook his head. "It won't help if you go down. There are too many people; pushing and shoving will only cause chaos. Instead, go find Old Buck and call a few young civil officials. Have them immediately set up several more registration points on the square."
Ed took his orders and left.
With the registration points set up, the flow of the crowd became noticeably smoother.
Old Buck shouted at the top of his lungs, loudly reading out the registration instructions, while the young civil officials patiently answered the townsfolk's questions and guided them to register in an orderly manner.
Although the noise on the square was still deafening, order had significantly improved.
Seeing this, Raylo let out a slight sigh of relief.
He turned around, just about to give Ed some instructions, when a white figure flashed into his arms.
Moonlight had returned.
After being gone for a day, Moonlight now looked a bit weary but was exceptionally spirited.
"Moonlight, you rascal, you're finally back."
Raylo smiled and patted Moonlight's head, feeling a warmth in his heart as he sensed the warmth emanating from its body.
Moonlight rubbed affectionately against Raylo's hand.
It let out two "meows."
"Are you saying you found the Blood Wolf Gang's hideout?"
Raylo looked into Moonlight's eyes and tentatively asked.
Moonlight stretched out its front paw, indicating the northwest direction.
The meaning was clear—found!
"Good job, Moonlight!"
Raylo was overjoyed and vigorously rubbed Moonlight's fluffy big head.
"Well done!"
He turned to Ed and said, "Ed, go to the kitchen and have the cook roast the prepared gray-headed geese! Today, we're going to properly reward our big hero!"
"Yes, my lord!"
Ed also wore a delighted expression.
The Blood Wolf Gang had been a persistent threat, like a cancer, lurking at the edge of Blackstone Territory.
Now that their hideout had been found, eradicating this cancer was within reach.
He hurriedly took his orders and left.
Upon hearing that there would be roast goose to eat, Moonlight's eyes immediately lit up, and its big tail wagged vigorously.
After soothing Moonlight, Raylo returned to the small conference hall.
Half an hour later.
Two golden, oily roast geese were ready, exuding a tantalizing aroma.
Moonlight couldn't wait to pounce on them, devouring the delicious food like a whirlwind.
Raylo watched it gobble down the food with a smile on his face.
After Moonlight contentedly licked the last bone clean and lay on the table, belching and resting, Raylo rubbed its fluffy head and stood up.
"Ed, prepare yourself and bring a few men; we're going out for a trip."
"Where to?"
"Fifty miles northwest, to that patch of scrubland." A hint of anticipation flashed in Raylo's eyes. "Moonlight says there's something good there."
Ever since Moonlight had shown such remarkable intelligence, Raylo had started attributing various sources of intelligence to it.
Ed nodded. "Yes, my lord."
Half an hour later, Raylo, Ed, and a knight squad left Blackstone Town, galloping towards the northwest.
Blackstone Territory was vast, with most areas still undeveloped, preserving their primitive appearance.
After leaving the town, the roads became rugged, and human presence gradually dwindled.
The group passed through several sparse patches of forest, crossed a babbling brook, and finally reached their destination, a stretch of scrubland several miles long, at dusk.
The trees here were generally not tall, mostly only about a person's height, with not very dense foliage, allowing sunlight to filter through and洒落 (sǎluò, or sprinkle) on the ground.
The forest was filled with various shrubs and weeds, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of earth and vegetation.
"Is this the place?"
Raylo reined in his reins and looked around.
After venturing deeper into the scrubland for about ten minutes and pushing aside a cluster of waist-high weeds, the sight before them invigorated their spirits.
On that open space, hundreds of strange plants were growing.
These plants were not tall, only about half a foot high, with thick leaves that were a deep inky green, shaped like miniature dragon claws, with fine serrations along the edges.
"Earth Dragon Grass!"
Ed exclaimed in delight. "It's really Earth Dragon Grass! And... so much of it!"
Earth Dragon Grass was one of the main ingredients for making a magical beast growth potion.
With this amount of Earth Dragon Grass, they could produce a large quantity of the magical beast growth potion, allowing Moonlight to more quickly pass through its juvenile stage and grow into a true dragon.