The sun was still quite high in the sky, indicating that it was only the middle of the afternoon.
Because of that, there were not many customers currently inside the restaurant.
Only a few people sat scattered around the tables, quietly eating or drinking while chatting among themselves.
The usual workload was also much lighter compared to the busy evening hours.
Martha was standing behind the counter, casually cleaning some utensils, while Alex sat nearby resting, seemingly lost in thought.
At that moment, the restaurant door opened.
Alex subconsciously looked toward the entrance, and the moment his eyes landed on Issho, his expression instantly froze.
Issho had entered while carrying a massive wolf on his shoulder.
The wolf’s fur was stained dark with dried blood, and its large body looked extremely imposing even in death.
Without blocking the doorway, Issho calmly stepped slightly forward before lowering the wolf onto the ground with a heavy thud.
After that, he also placed the sack containing the deer beside it.
The faint smell of blood immediately spread through the restaurant.
For a brief moment, the entire place fell silent.
The few customers present could not help but stare toward Issho with shock.
Alex immediately stood up from his seat, his mouth slightly agape as he looked at the hunted wolf lying on the ground.
He had expected Issho to perhaps return with some ordinary prey—maybe a rabbit, a deer, or at most a wild boar.
But a wolf?
That was something entirely different.
This genuinely shocked him.
After all, wolves were dangerous creatures.
Most ordinary hunters avoided confronting them alone because a single mistake could easily cost someone their life.
Yet Issho had not only fought one but had actually killed it and carried it all the way back by himself.
Alex quickly walked toward Issho, unable to hide the confusion and disbelief in his voice as he asked, “Did you hunt the wolf yourself?”
After hearing this, Issho chuckled lightly.
“What do you think?” he replied calmly.
“Who else would hunt for me?
Of course, I hunted the wolf myself.”
Issho lightly adjusted his grip on the wooden stick in his hand before continuing.
“It was honestly kind of bad luck.
I had already hunted the deer earlier and left it there to bleed out properly.
Most probably, the smell of the deer’s blood attracted this wolf, and it attacked me.”
As he spoke, Issho’s expression remained calm, as though he was merely talking about a small inconvenience rather than a dangerous battle.
“Thankfully, this was a lone wolf and not part of a pack.
Otherwise, I would have been in very big trouble.”
The customers listening nearby could not help but exchange glances after hearing that.
A blind young man casually talking about fighting and killing a wolf alone was already unbelievable enough.
After hearing Issho’s explanation, Alex slowly nodded his head.
That at least made more sense to him.
If the smell of blood had attracted the wolf, then the encounter was likely accidental rather than Issho deliberately hunting wolves deep in the forest.
But even then…
The fact still remained that Issho had survived and killed the beast alone.
Alex looked once more at the dead wolf lying on the ground before speaking again.
“But still, you were able to hunt a wolf.
That clearly shows your strength is very high.” There was visible curiosity in his eyes as he asked, “Are you a trainee knight?”
As soon as Issho heard that question, he simply shook his head.
“No, I am not a trainee knight,” he replied calmly.
Then a faint smile appeared on his face.
“But I should be soon.”
Alex nodded slowly.
Although he was just a commoner and did not know much in detail about knights, mages, or the different strength levels within those professions, he still understood some basic things.
Especially because, as a father, he had once hoped for a better future for his own son.
Back then, he had actually spent time asking around and researching these matters.
For a period of time, he genuinely believed that his son might possess the talent to become either a mage or a knight someday.
Unfortunately, reality had disappointed him.
His son had not been born with mana circuits, which meant the paths of both mage and mana knight were completely closed to him.
As for the path of a Blood-Forged Knight, Alex knew even less.
He was aware that these knights grew stronger through continuous training, but he didn’t truly understand how to raise his son as one.
Would simple physical exercises be enough?
Within Sidian County, if someone truly aspired to become a Blood-Forged Knight, there was only one legitimate path: joining the guards serving under the Viscount.
But Alex had never liked that idea.
The guards of the Viscount were not simply stationed peacefully inside the county forever.
They could be dispatched anytime for various dangerous tasks.
Sometimes it could be war against another kingdom, while other times it could be expeditions to eliminate monsters or suppress dangerous creatures around nearby territories.
No matter the reason, it was dangerous work that constantly placed one’s life on the line.
And Alex did not want such a future for his son.
He only wanted his child to peacefully inherit the restaurant someday and live an ordinary, stable life without risking death every few months on some battlefield.
Those thoughts briefly flashed through Alex’s mind as he looked once more at the blind young man standing before him with a dead wolf lying on the floor beside him.
Finally, Alex asked the question that had been lingering in his mind since Issho entered the restaurant.
“So, what are you planning to do with this wolf of yours?”
After hearing this, Issho calmly replied, “I actually came here to ask you about that.”
Issho lightly tapped the ground once with his wooden stick before continuing.
“Last time, you purchased my wild boar, and you were also very honest regarding the payment and everything else.
So I thought… would you be interested in buying both the deer and the wolf from me?”
As he spoke, Issho’s tone remained calm and straightforward.
“I expect that you should be able to give me a fair price.
Or at the very least, even if you don’t personally keep them, with your connections, you should be able to sell them at a good place.”
After hearing this, Alex nodded and said, “If you trust me, then I do have some connections.”
As he spoke, his gaze once again drifted toward the dead wolf and the sack containing the deer.
“Although I can personally buy the meat of the wolf or the deer, I won’t really be able to sell dishes made from them here in my restaurant.” Alex gave a helpless smile.
“After all, dishes made from wolf meat or deer meat are considered expensive delicacies.
They are generally eaten by nobles or wealthy people.”
The few customers nearby listening to the conversation could not help but glance once more at the wolf with slightly surprised expressions.
Alex continued, “However, I know some people from a few high-class restaurants around Sidian County.
Places where nobles dine, rich businessmen eat, and wealthy merchants who visit the county usually stay.”
He folded his arms while thinking for a moment before speaking again.
“So, I should be able to sell your deer and wolf there.
Even the skins of both the deer and the wolf can likely be sold at a good price.
Sometimes merchants or businessmen directly purchase such things for trade or personal collections.”
After hearing Alex’s explanation, Issho gave a slight nod.
“Very well,” he said calmly.
“I trust you.”
Issho’s tone was straightforward without even a hint of hesitation.
“You can sell these two however you think is best.”
Then, after pausing briefly, Issho added, “And how about this—you can keep ten percent of whatever amount you manage to sell them for.
After all, you will be the one doing the hard work.”
After listening to this, Alex did not act pretentious or try to refuse immediately.
Because honestly speaking, Issho was right.
First of all, Alex truly would be using his own connections and spending effort handling everything himself.
Finding buyers for such expensive meat and skins was not simple work for ordinary people.
Secondly, the amount of money these items would likely fetch was already quite high.
Even ten percent of such a deal would still be a very respectable amount.
So Alex did not feel conflicted about accepting it.
Instead, he simply nodded seriously.
“Alright,” he replied.
“Then I’ll make sure to sell them at the best possible price.”
Issho lightly smiled after hearing that.
Soon after, he slightly turned his head toward the counter area where Martha was standing and said, “I am going to take a bath.
Also… can you wash my clothes afterward?
They are quite dirty right now, and there are a lot of blood stains on them.”
The smell of dried blood on his clothes was indeed quite noticeable after spending hours carrying the wolf and deer back from the forest.
After hearing this, Martha immediately nodded without any hesitation.
“No worries about it,” she said warmly.
“I will clean them properly.”
A faint chuckle escaped Issho’s mouth after hearing her response.
Issho nodded and left the restaurant area, heading toward the backyard.
The exhaustion from continuously carrying the wolf and deer for so long was finally beginning to settle into his body.
His muscles felt heavy, and faint soreness spread through his shoulders and arms.
First of all, Issho went to take a full bath.
Warm water washed away the dried blood stains sticking to his skin and hair while the dirt and sweat from the forest slowly disappeared.
The faint metallic smell of blood that had lingered around him for hours also gradually faded away.
After finishing his bath, Issho changed into a different set of clothes and finally returned to his room.
The moment he lay down on the bed, his body immediately relaxed.
The room was quiet, and after spending hours inside the dangerous forest while remaining constantly alert, the silence felt unusually comforting.
Issho simply lay there, waiting for Alex to return after selling the wolf and the deer.
Slowly, his thoughts drifted blank.
Without even realizing it, Issho eventually fell asleep.
Some time later, he suddenly woke up after hearing a knock on the door.
Knock.
Knock.
Issho immediately became alert for a brief moment, but through his Observation Haki, he instantly recognized the presence standing outside the room.
It was Alex.
Issho got up from the bed and calmly walked toward the door before opening it.
As expected, Alex was standing outside.
Alex looked at Issho and said, “I was able to get around seventy silver coins for everything.”
There was a slight excitement in his voice even now.
“The meat of both the wolf and the deer sold for quite a good amount.
The skins of both animals were also very well preserved, especially the wolf’s skin, so they fetched a high price too.
Even the antlers of the antelope deer were sold separately.”
Alex then nodded with satisfaction.
“Altogether, everything came to a total of seventy silver coins.”
As he spoke, he handed over a pouch filled with coins toward Issho.
“Here are your sixty-three silver coins.
The remaining seven silver coins are my commission.”
The moment Issho heard the final amount, a genuinely happy smile appeared on his face.
Seventy silver coins was a huge amount for him right now.
And after deducting Alex’s commission, sixty-three silver coins still remained entirely his.
The weight of the coin pouch in his hand felt especially satisfying.
With this amount of money, Issho could peacefully continue his training for quite a long time without worrying about basic necessities like food, lodging, or other daily expenses.
At least for now, survival would no longer be an immediate concern.
That alone eased a lot of pressure from his mind.
As for Alex, since Issho had already chosen to trust him with the matter from the very beginning, he did not doubt him at all.
He never questioned whether Alex was telling the truth about the amount or hiding any extra profit for himself.
After all, Alex had been honest with him before as well.
And so, Issho simply accepted the pouch calmly.
Soon afterward, Alex exchanged a few final words with him before leaving the room, quietly closing the door behind him.