Issho, after hunting the wolf, muttered, “I should leave here immediately.
I cannot wait here anymore.
Anyways, the deer has already bled a lot, and it should be enough to carry in the sack.
As for this wolf, I will take it with me.
I will carry it on my shoulder and run away from here because, till now, I can’t sense any other wolf’s presence nearby.”
The cold forest wind brushed past his face as Issho tightened his grip on the bloodied carcass.
“Maybe this wolf is a lone wolf which has just left its pack to establish its own territory or something.
I don’t know what reason is there for this wolf to appear here alone.
But if it actually belongs to a pack, and another wolf comes looking for this dead wolf while I am still waiting here for it to completely bleed out, then it will become a very bad situation for me.”
I cannot take that risk.
So without hesitation, Issho did not waste even a single second.
He immediately stuffed the deer into the sack, the smell of fresh blood thick in the air, and then lifted the wolf onto the same shoulder where he carried the sack.
The wolf was extremely heavy, its body weighing down against him like a boulder, but thankfully, after all these days of training and the rewards from the system, Issho had become far stronger than before.
Carrying both a deer and a wolf on his back was not impossible for him anymore.
Yes, it would definitely consume a huge amount of stamina, and the pressure on his muscles was immense, but Issho believed he should still be able to manage it with his current strength and endurance.
A faint grunt escaped his mouth as he adjusted the weight properly.
Without wasting any more time, Issho firmly steadied the bodies on his shoulder.
Holding the wooden stick in his left hand, he tightly supported the deer and the wolf with his right and immediately began moving.
Though blind, his footsteps were stable and precise as he navigated through the forest using his heightened senses.
Dry leaves crunched beneath his feet while branches brushed lightly against his clothes as he passed.
His movement speed was extremely fast, almost like jogging despite the heavy burden on his shoulder.
The more he moved, the more alert his senses became, constantly checking for any movement around him.
Thankfully, till now, he still could not sense the presence of another wolf nearby, which slightly eased his mind.
It did not take him very long to leave the forest.
Only around forty minutes to an hour later, Issho had finally crossed out of the forest area.
The cool breeze from the open surroundings hit his face, and the suffocating feeling of being surrounded by trees disappeared.
The reason why he had taken more than two hours earlier while moving through the forest was because he had been actively trying to hunt prey for himself.
He had moved carefully, searched around, tracked movements, and wasted time locating suitable targets.
But right now, he had no such need.
There was nothing left for him to search for inside that dangerous forest.
So Issho simply focused on leaving the forest as quickly as possible, and he did exactly that.
After leaving the forest, as Issho walked towards the gate of Sidian County, many travelers moving in and out of the area looked at him with shock clearly visible on their faces.
Their gazes were fixed on the seemingly blind young man who was carrying a massive wolf on his right shoulder while a sack containing a deer hung heavily behind him.
The sight was simply too unusual.
After all, seeing someone hunt normal game like deer, rabbits, or even wild boars was still understandable to them.
Hunters existed everywhere, and such prey was common enough.
But a wolf was entirely different.
Hunting a wolf did not only require courage; it required real strength to back that courage up.
Wolves were dangerous beasts capable of tearing apart ordinary people.
Even experienced hunters usually moved in groups before daring to target one.
Yet here was a blind young man carrying one alone on his shoulder.
Fresh blood stained parts of Issho’s clothes, his hands, and even portions of his face.
The metallic smell of blood lingered faintly around him, making his already imposing appearance even more intimidating.
Combined with his calm expression and steady footsteps despite his blindness, the people subconsciously moved aside to give him space.
No one wanted to block his path.
Whispers quietly spread among the crowd as Issho walked past them with stable steps, his wooden stick tapping lightly against the ground.
Among the people lined up near the entrance of Sidian County was one particular man whose expression instantly changed after seeing Issho.
It was the same brothel-going man from almost a week ago—the one who had pushed Issho backward when Issho had first been denied entry into Sidian County.
Back then, seeing a blind man standing near the gate, he had simply assumed Issho was some useless beggar blocking his path.
Annoyed and impatient to head towards the brothel, he had shoved Issho aside and even cursed at him.
But now…
As he watched Issho calmly walking past him with a dead wolf on his shoulder, his legs nearly gave out beneath him.
Fear immediately crept into his heart.
Cold sweat formed on his back as countless thoughts flashed through his mind.
“I was lucky… that day he didn’t attack me or do anything to me,” he thought with lingering fear.
The more he thought about it, the paler his face became.
He could not even imagine what would have happened if Issho had been the type of person to hold grudges or seek revenge over small insults.
If Issho had been some violent thug or a ruthless man with a bad temper, then with the strength required to hunt a wolf alone…
The consequences would have been horrifying.
The man almost shuddered at the thought.
Thankfully, Issho had never even bothered with him that day.
That realization alone made him feel immense relief.
Meanwhile, near the gate, Charles was also staring at Issho with visible surprise in his eyes.
As he looked at Issho returning with such a massive hunting haul, memories of their first meeting resurfaced in his mind.
Back then, when he had first seen Issho standing outside Sidian County, blind and ragged-looking, he too had assumed Issho was merely here to beg for food or money.
Because of that assumption, Charles had directly denied him entry and driven him away from Sidian County.
But today, the same blind young man whom he had kicked out was now standing before him carrying a hunted wolf on his back.
For a moment, even Charles fell silent.
The contrast between the Issho from that day and the current Issho was simply too great.
Issho pulled at the inner pocket of his clothes and took out his travel pass before showing it to Charles.
“Here is my travel pass.”
Charles, who had been momentarily thinking about the past events, suddenly came back to his senses.
He had not even asked for the pass yet, as he had been somewhat lost in his thoughts while staring at Issho carrying the wolf.
Charles quickly took the travel permit and examined it for a moment.
His gaze unconsciously drifted once more toward the dead wolf resting on Issho’s shoulder before he finally said, “You can go.”
Issho gave a slight nod and walked past the gate, officially entering Sidian County once again.
As he moved forward through the streets, the sounds of the bustling county entered his ears clearly—horse carriages moving over stone roads, merchants loudly advertising their goods, footsteps, chatter, and distant laughter blending together into the lively atmosphere of the county.
At the same time, Issho could also sense the complicated emotions directed toward him through his Observation Haki.
Although his Observation Haki was not advanced enough to fully read thoughts or intentions in detail, it still gave him a basic ability to vaguely perceive the emotions of the people around him.
And from the crowd nearby, he could feel all kinds of emotions directed at him—shock, fear, curiosity, respect, caution, and even a little admiration.
Especially after seeing the dead wolf on his shoulder.
Issho simply shook his head lightly and let out a faint chuckle.
While carrying the hunted deer and the wolf on his right shoulder toward Martha’s restaurant, Issho silently thought to himself:
As I thought… in this world, the more strength you have, the more respect you gain.
His footsteps remained calm and steady despite the heavy burden resting on him.
After all, this is a fantasy world driven entirely by strength.
Weak people are ignored, while strong people are respected and feared.
Not to mention, he was currently inside one of the vassal kingdoms under the Tempest Empire.
Naturally, the kingdoms under its rule would possess characteristics similar to the empire itself.
Just like in the Tempest Empire, everything depends on a person’s strength rather than their family lineage like in the Alvarez Empire.
In the Alvarez Empire, noble bloodlines carried immense importance.
But in the Tempest Empire and the kingdoms under it, things worked differently.
A Baron, a Viscount, or even a Count could only maintain their authority if they possessed enough personal strength to suppress others beneath them.
For example, if a county was ruled by a Viscount, then that Viscount should naturally be the strongest individual in that region—or at least one of the strongest.
Otherwise, they would never be able to maintain control.
The same should apply here as well.
The only thing Issho did not know was the actual strength level of the Viscount ruling this place.
Is he merely a normal knight… or an elite knight?
As those thoughts passed through his mind, Issho continued walking through the bustling streets with stable steps.
The smell of cooked food slowly entered his senses amidst the noise of the crowded county.
Finally, after some time, Issho arrived in front of Martha’s restaurant.