Chapter 68: The Gale Hawk Egg

After a period of delay, the delegation's convoy resumed its journey, and Andy was invited to join the traveling party. The invitation came from none other than the flamboyant young man who had just spoken with Andy. The youth introduced himself as Olef Barov, the only son of Mig Barov, the Lord of Finland City. He was the leader of the delegation headed to the capital, and, accustomed to frequent trips between Finland and the capital, he was well-versed in the road conditions.

It was Andy’s impressive skills that prompted Olef to invite him along with the delegation; after all, even if Andy wasn’t formally invited, he would trail behind the group anyway. It seemed more pragmatic to bring him into the fold, so that in case of danger, they would have an extra hand. Andy gladly accepted; the journey to the capital was long, and at times they would have to camp in the wild. Andy and Catherine couldn’t stay awake endlessly, and if they weren’t part of the group, keeping watch at night would pose a significant problem. Olef’s invitation suited Andy perfectly.

As the journey progressed, Andy and Olef gradually became acquainted. During their conversations, Olef began to share stories about the capital, giving Andy a first impression of Prondra, the royal city. Yet Olef had a quirk: as he spoke, he would often veer the topic toward those subjects men find amusing and enjoyable. In this arena, he was no match for Andy, who, in his previous life, was steeped in countless jokes and possessed a gift for “enhanced memory.”

Once, Andy couldn’t resist responding to Olef’s banter, and when the veteran “driver” got the conversation rolling, Olef was astonished by his wit. From then on, Olef delegated the affairs of the delegation to his deputy and spent his days pestering Andy for stories. Andy soon discovered that Olef had a talent for banter, often able to draw inferences from a single remark. Conversing with him evoked the nostalgic feeling of late-night chats with college roommates from Andy’s former life, making their exchanges exceptionally congenial.

The two hit it off immediately, and Andy learned much about Olef. He discovered that Olef, like himself, lacked outstanding talent in sorcery, possessing only third-tier aptitude and currently holding the strength of a novice sorcerer’s apprentice. However, he had achieved the rank of Great Knight in swordsmanship. It was almost as though Andy Charles before his crossing had been reborn in Olef. The resources required for Olef to reach such heights were unimaginable.

According to Olef, he was a direct descendant of the Barov family in the capital. In recent years, his father was granted the fief of Finland County, and Olef had followed him there. He received substantial support from his family’s resources for his training, which was why he admired Andy, who was equally young yet possessed the prowess of a Great Knight. Of course, by now, he admired Andy for other reasons as well.

During their exchanges, Andy kept his banter subtle and indirect since Catherine was present, but as they grew more familiar, Olef became more frank, and his discussions turned rather explicit. This finally allowed Catherine, previously baffled by their conversations, to understand just what the two men were talking about. Thereafter, Catherine began to draw circles in the dirt.

Ten minutes later, Olef left Andy’s carriage with a bruised face and a lingering sense of dread. Though he couldn’t pinpoint the cause, his repeated misfortunes within Andy’s carriage made him realize something was amiss, and he hastily withdrew. From then on, after another inexplicable mishap when visiting Andy, Olef avoided him altogether, treating him as a bringer of calamity and steering clear whenever they met.

The journey south with the delegation was smooth. Occasionally, they encountered wild beasts, but the guards were generally able to handle them. The only real trouble arose one night while camping, when they faced a large pack of wolves in the wilderness.

With a grave expression, Olef came to ask Andy for help against the wolves, only to see Andy calmly emerge from his carriage and shout toward the wolves, “Get lost!” The moment Andy spoke, a wolf’s howl echoed in response, and the pack retreated as if obeying a command. Olef was dumbfounded, unaware that Catherine inside the carriage had quietly released her aura as a Bronze Sorcerer. Olef, being too low in rank, couldn’t sense it, nor could anyone else in the delegation. Yet beasts are far more sensitive to the presence of powerful beings. The massive pack clearly included a wolf king, and upon detecting Catherine’s aura, it promptly led the pack away.

Andy was quite satisfied with this display of prowess and praised Catherine extensively. He promised that the next time they camped, he would procure some wild game to reward her with a delicious meal. After several camping experiences with the delegation, Andy’s culinary skills had improved considerably. Thanks to his worldly knowledge from Earth, he introduced many innovations in cooking methods. Especially after he discovered some plants resembling cumin in the wild, his barbecue skills soared.

Unfortunately, after that, Andy seldom found an opportunity to showcase his grilling talents, because the next day they left the wilderness behind. From then on, they passed through towns more frequently, allowing them to find lodging each night along their route. The delegation continued southward until, one day, they had no choice but to camp outdoors again, as they needed to traverse a mountain range. According to Olef, this was the Milos Mountains, where the magical creatures and beasts were far more formidable than those of the wilds.

This mountain range was unavoidable on the way to the capital, so they waited until morning for a guide to lead them safely through, avoiding danger. The group skillfully set up camp, and some experienced soldiers began hunting near the foothills. Andy, carrying Catherine, joined the hunt.

The area at the base of the mountain was relatively safe, with common prey such as wild boar and pheasant. Andy and Catherine were already tired of these, so they decided to venture deeper for fresher ingredients. Catherine was far more agile in the woods, running ahead while Andy followed at a slower pace. Unknowingly, they ventured farther into the forest.

Eventually, their efforts paid off. Catherine found several large bird eggs in a cave on a steep cliff. Using sorcery to confirm they were non-toxic, she placed them in her spatial pouch and eagerly presented them to Andy. Seeing Catherine return with seven or eight eggs the size of grapefruits, Andy complimented her, deciding they had enough for a meal, and they headed back together.

Half an hour later, they were savoring the fragrant roasted bird eggs at the campsite. Once cooked, these unknown eggs were unbelievably delicious, and Andy and Catherine thoroughly enjoyed their meal. Even Olef, who had already eaten, was drawn over by the enticing aroma.

“What are you eating? It smells incredible!” Olef laughed as he approached, only to see the scattered eggshells near Andy and Catherine.

Olef’s face turned deathly pale, and he exclaimed in horror, “Windhawk eggs!”