The Frugal Mage

Stein, Rayven's elder brother, had a commanding presence, the kind that made people instinctively step aside when he passed.

He was broad-shouldered and tall, with sun-browned skin from years of travel… It was unlike Rayven's fair skin as he had just started traveling around.

Still, with his short, dark hair and a trimmed beard, he certainly had a semblance of Rayven. That could not be denied.

The merchant caravan he commanded was on its final stretch, just half a day more before reaching Hesa City.

Indeed, he didn't just come to visit Rayven in Hesa City. He was also going there for business to save the same.

Unfortunately, as they were getting closer, fate seemed to have other plans.

Suddenly, the ground trembled violently.

A deafening roar echoed and made everyone grimace… It was even followed by the crash of falling trees.

With that incident, the horses reared and panicked. The lead carriage splintered as a massive, furred body slammed across the path!

Bang!

"That… Silver! Elite Beasts!" one of the escort warriors shouted, and it was filled with terror.

From the shattered treeline, two colossal creatures emerged and they were locked in savage combat.

Thankfully, they weren't the main target, but their battle damaged their goods and hurt a few of them.

"Tsk… What a mess… Why are these beasts not being hunted? Isn't there a town nearby?" Stein muttered as he knew that the Adventurers or some other organizations should be ensuring that no such beasts would be near towns or cities.

Stein frowned, but he remained calm as he observed the situation.

One was a hulking Silverhide Bear, its silver-gray fur had silver quills, and every swing of its claw was releasing a wave of energy.

The opposing Elite Beast, on the other hand, was Scarlet-Fanged Tiger. It was leaner but no less deadly. It had blood-red fangs dripping with corrosive venom that would hiss when it hit the ground.

They were both creatures that shouldn't have been existing in this area.

The clash of their power alone shattered Stein's lead carriage into pieces as crates and silks spilled into the mud.

"Form ranks! Protect Lord Stein!"

It was ordered by Terra, the First-Rate Swordsman, leading the escort.

His long sword was soon filled with an aura as he drew it, and the nine Second-Rate Swordsmen spread into defensive positions.

But Stein knew better than to play hero here.

An Elite Beast's strength far surpassed that of a Greater Beast, even though there was only a single stage of gap.

He knew very well that even a single Elite Beast could wipe out his entire escort in moments if they were foolish enough to get involved.

"Don't bother. Simple Enchanted Item won't work on this level of beasts. Only high-level magic weapons can pierce through them… We should just run." Stein said.

Their only chance to survive was to escape.

The First-Rate Swordsman hesitated as he wasn't sure if the beasts would just let them be. After all, he was afraid that if they ran away, they would get targeted instead. It would be a lot more difficult to survive if they showed their backs.

"Retreat!" Stein repeated. "Pull back now!"

With his firm decision, they scrambled away from the ruined road, ducking into the treeline for cover.

Even the horses bolted as the supplies were abandoned. Survival came first. Those items they brought could be earned again as long as they were alive. It was something that his father, Tyler Holt, had taught him.

As soon as they retreated, Stein stopped and watched the battle…

Just like what he had thought, they weren't followed by the Elite Beasts.

"Let's see…" He muttered.

From their vantage point, they watched the battle rage.

The Silverhide Bear slammed its weight into the Scarlet-Fanged Tiger, who, in turn, tore chunks of flesh from the bear's silver-plated shoulder.

Both beasts roared, and the forest itself rumbled under their duel.

Minutes dragged on.

Blood sprayed the battlefield, and the monsters began to weaken.

"Young master…" Terra, the First-Rate Swordsman, looked at Stein as he realized what the young master was planning.

Stein just smiled as they watched the beasts…

The Tiger limped, one of its legs was nearly crushed, while the Bear's chest heaved, its hide had already split open and was leaking rivers of dark blood.

Stein's heart pounded.

'Is this alright?' He considered this carefully… Even if they were weakened, he couldn't help but feel worried that they might suddenly burst with strength.

Still, he knew exactly what he was looking at:

An Elite Beast's Core sold for fifteen to twenty gold coins.

By comparison, a Greater Beast Core fetched a mere two to three gold.

The gulf in value was staggering. With two Elite Cores… his fortune would multiply overnight. After all, not only would he be able to collect the cores, but also their other valuable parts!

And now, two beasts, both grievously wounded, were practically offering themselves to him.

Stein tightened his grip on his longsword.

"This… this is an opportunity granted by the heavens themselves."

Terra also liked the idea. After all, their supplies were just destroyed or damaged. If they obtained the loot of these beasts, then that would settle their losses.

"Young master, Stein, even wounded, they are death incarnate! We should not risk…"

"I understand… But I'm sure that if we work together, we can work it out…" Stein replied.

Terra wasn't just his escort at the moment. Terra was also his friend, so he knew what the other was thinking.

"You know as well as I do the profit we can get from the two Elite Beast Cores and their parts…"

The escort warriors clenched their fists. It would also be an honor to hunt one.

"We wait until their final clash. Once they fall… we strike. Kill them both…"

The escort warriors braced themselves…

As soon as the Silverhide Bear and Scarlet-Fanged Tiger collided in one last impact, both of them collapsed! They were already heavily injured and bleeding…

They wanted to wait for a bit more, but as soon as they stood up and turned back from each other to retreat, Stein knew that they had to make a move before they could recover!