The Lord Demon King is Unfathomable!

In winter, most of the prey stays hidden in their dens, and usually, it's fortunate enough if one doesn't return empty-handed. Never mind days like today where the entire cart is full.

Of course.

This also has a lot to do with the abundance in Silver Pine Forest.

If it were in Twilight Forest, not only is there less prey, but each one is so cunning they're like Ratmen, often requiring a long battle of wits before catching them.

The man with the scruffy beard laughed and said.

"Hunting doesn't need so many people; the lumberyard over there needs manpower even more... It's hard to imagine how they've managed to stockpile so much wood."

"Maybe there's some kind of demon that eats that stuff? Since it's an arrangement by Lord Demon King, I assume he must have his reasons," the hunter said, glancing at Shepp, who was burying his head in his bowl of porridge. He grinned and continued, "Speaking of which, what about you, Shepp? How's everything going at the ranch?"

Yesterday, this guy was the first to find work, making everyone envious.

Hearing someone talk to him, Shepp raised his head, smiled, and replied.

"Not bad. The first cattle shed is already built. The farm owner said he plans to buy some cows tomorrow and asked me to help check them out. Although I suggested waiting until the coldest part of winter is over, he seemed impatient, so I let him be... Buying them now does have its advantages—prices are cheaper—but you have to watch out for the animals getting sick."

As Shepp was enthusiastically chatting away, the people sitting around the fire suddenly had expressions of astonishment on their faces.

Their surprise wasn't because Lord Demon King's minions somehow had connections to buy livestock from nearby villages, but rather at how fast this guy built the cattle shed.

"It's already finished?!"

"That quick?!"

"Holy... Lord Demon King above, how did you pull that off?"

Seeing everyone looking as though they'd never experienced the world, Shepp couldn't help but feel proud and grinned as he jovially explained.

"Well, it didn't snow today, so construction went faster. And besides, it wasn't really complicated work—just needed to put up a fence and build a simple shed... Oh, and you'll never guess what I saw—a magic-powered nail gun!"

At this point, he gestured with his hand in the air, outlining the shape of a short-barreled flintlock gun, his voice brimming with excitement.

"That thing looks just like a sawed-off club, and apparently it's engraved with intricate Netherworld Language markings. I don't really understand what Netherworld Language is, but it's ridiculously practical! All you need to do is pull the trigger, and the nail goes 'whoosh' and fastens two pieces of wood together—quick, precise, and steady! No need for a hammer, and no risk of smashing your fingers!"

"No hammer required?!" The man sitting next to him stared in astonishment, shaking his head incredulously, his bushy beard swaying back and forth like a broom. "How can that possibly hold?"

"Exactly! How can that work?!"

"That's just absurd!"

The others around him revealed the same expressions, mocking Shepp for bragging without backing it up, while others simply shook their heads, refusing to believe him.

"I'm telling the truth! What would I gain from lying to you lot?" Seeing everyone doubting him, Shepp, who had initially been quite smug, suddenly got a bit agitated, itching to go grab the gadget and show it off to these ignorant folks.

Unlike the skeptics, the hunter holding his pumpkin porridge didn't doubt him. Instead, he thoughtfully stroked his chin.

"What you're describing sounds a bit like a firearms device... but I've never heard of firearms being used to drive nails. What does it run on?"

Earlier, he had returned from hunting alongside Lord Demon King's minions, and he knew that those guys did indeed possess some unique capabilities.

For instance, they would bury small but powerful explosives in the ground, which would explode to frighten the prey hibernating in their dens out of hiding. Afterward, small demons flying in the sky would track the footprints of those creatures.

Precisely because of this, he wasn't surprised at all that Lord Demon King's minions might pull out something he'd never seen before. He was just curious about how the thing worked.

Seeing finally someone believed him, Shepp, face flushed, hurriedly gestured with his fingers to describe it to the hunter.

"Nails and Demon Crystals! Just those two things! Now that you mention it, it does vaguely remind me of firearms, but it's way quieter than firearms! Oh, and I heard a leaking noise... Maybe it compresses air somehow to push the nails out!"

"Demon Crystal?!" The slightly cultured man nearby widened his eyes in disbelief and kept muttering to himself, "How is that possible? Demon Crystals, really?!"

He used to make candles for the lord's castle and had seen a magic crystal lamp there. The radiant glow it emitted was unforgettable.

He could still recall the servants in the castle proudly telling him with a smug demeanor that the crystal-like lamp was a creation of dwarves, utilizing techniques akin to engravings, and its value was said to rival the weight of gold!

That statement might not have been the truth.

But judging by the servants' proud expressions, it was clear that magic crystal-based devices were incredibly rare in the Ryan Kingdom.

He wasn't the only one shocked; the slightly older herbalist nearby also revealed a look of disbelief, exclaiming.

"Lord Demon King above... they actually let you use a Magic Device!"

Seeing the two so astonished, Shepp was startled himself, and his voice instinctively lowered as he softly asked.