Kuer was a thin young man. He wasn’t very tall, but he looked full of spirit and vitality.
Before Lake and Mrs. Shaven could even reach the door, Kuer had already stepped into the yard.
"Uncle Lake, Aunt Shaven."
Kuer greeted the two of them with a smile.
"Kuer, my boy, what news have you brought from Sopps this time?"
Mrs. Shaven was nervous. The past couple of days had been when Sopps was scheduled to take his Junior Knight’s Squire assessment. Kuer’s arrival now could only mean he had news about the results.
It wasn’t just Mrs. Shaven; Lake, too, was looking at Kuer with an eager gaze.
Seeing their anticipation, Kuer grinned but didn’t answer right away. ’Sopps’s good news should be shared with the whole family,’ he thought.
"Where are Vili and Vilia?"
Kuer craned his neck and glanced toward the house.
"Over here."
Having heard Kuer’s arrival, Vili had led Vilia away from Wally’s little den and into the center of the yard.
Seeing the whole family was gathered, Kuer’s smile vanished, replaced by a solemn expression. He cleared his throat. "Today, I bring tremendous good news about Sopps."
Mrs. Shaven’s and Lake’s eyes lit up, and their hearts began to pound.
"This very morning, the pride of the Ferren Family, Sopps Ferren, passed the Junior Knight’s Squire assessment held by the Lord of Diamond Town, Baron Kels himself!"
Kuer’s voice suddenly rose. "Sopps has now been selected to be one of Baron Kels’s Personal Guards!"
"My heavens!"
Mrs. Shaven squeezed her eyes shut, her breathing quick and shallow. Her excitement was plain to see.
Lake, too, clutched his heart with his right hand, afraid it might burst from the overwhelming excitement.
Even Vili, standing to the side, broke into a smile. ’This is great news. Sopps passed the Junior Knight’s Squire assessment, taking another step up in both status and strength. This is a huge boon for our family.’
Only Vilia looked a bit lost. She seemed perfectly calm, as if this news wasn’t worth celebrating at all.
"Kuer, you good boy, thank you for bringing such wonderful news. As a token of our thanks, you must stay for dinner tonight!"
Mrs. Shaven struggled to compose herself, but her trembling hands betrayed her joy.
Hearing this, Lake quickly added, "That’s right, Kuer! Stay tonight! I’ll go to the cellar and get the wine. We’ll have a few glasses together!"
"Alright, then. Thank you, Uncle Lake and Aunt Shaven."
Kuer grinned, not refusing the offer. He and Sopps had been playmates since they were little, and eating at each other’s homes was a common occurrence.
"Vili, Vilia, take Kuer to rest for a bit. Your father and I are going to prepare dinner."
Mrs. Shaven said to her two children.
"Alright, Mother."
Vili replied.
Lake and Mrs. Shaven headed toward the back of the house, leaving Vili, Vilia, and Kuer alone in the yard.
"Vilia, you don’t seem very interested in the good news about Sopps."
When he was announcing the news just now, Kuer had noticed Vilia’s indifferent expression. ’A little kid like her probably can’t grasp the significance of Sopps’s promotion to Junior Knight’s Squire,’ he thought. ’I should explain its importance to her.’
"Why should I be interested?"
Vilia frowned, looking puzzled. "Now that Big Brother is a Junior Knight’s Squire, does that mean I can eat meat every day?"
"Eat meat every day?"
Kuer was a little bewildered. He didn’t know why Vilia would ask such a question.
He thought about it carefully. ’Sopps was transferred from Baron Kels’s regular Guard Team to the Personal Guard Team, and his monthly salary has increased to twenty Silver Rums. If he wants to save any of it, affording meat every day would probably be difficult.’
Kuer searched for the right words. "Well, maybe not meat *every* day, but..."
"But Vili can! Vili brings home fresh meat every day! Wild rabbit, and even deer legs!"
Vilia cut Kuer off, her expression completely serious.
She didn’t even realize that, in her subconscious, Vili’s status had already surpassed Sopps’s.
"What?"
Kuer looked at Vili, confused.
’Vili brings home meat every day? How is that possible?’
’Meat is even more precious than white bread.’
"Vili is an amazing Hunter now!"
Vilia puffed out her chest and said proudly.
For a child, bragging to an outsider about an older brother’s excellence brought an extraordinary sense of satisfaction.
"A Hunter!? Are you saying Vili is a Hunter now?!"
Kuer stared at Vili in disbelief, as if this was even more shocking than Sopps becoming a Junior Knight’s Squire.
A Hunter represented a man’s courage and wisdom. Even in his own village, there hadn’t been a Hunter for many years. ’And Vili... he became a Hunter?’
"Is that true?"
Kuer looked at Vili, his eyes full of questions. He couldn’t believe that the snot-nosed little kid who used to tag along behind him and Sopps had actually become a Hunter.
"It’s true."
Vili shrugged, appearing very calm.
Kuer gently pressed a hand to his forehead. ’The two Ferren brothers... one serves in Baron Kels’s guard, and the other is a respected Hunter. For an ordinary country family to have raised two such outstanding young men at the same time is truly enviable.’
’The Ferren Family is on the rise,’ was the only thought in Kuer’s mind.
"Hooo..."
Kuer took a deep breath. He wasn’t jealous; he had a deep friendship with the Ferren Family, and the rise of the two brothers was a good thing for him as well.
"Come on, I’ll show you something cool! Vili brought it back from Morse Forest!"
Vilia’s childish excitement bubbled over again. She wanted to show off every new and fascinating thing she had to the visitor.
"Go on, take a look."
Vili gestured as well. He knew Vilia was talking about Wally, the white bear cub.
Vilia grabbed Kuer’s wrist and trotted him over to Wally’s den.
Kuer looked at the wooden box, which resembled a doghouse, with a puzzled expression, but he stuck his head inside anyway.
"Is this... a bear cub? A white bear cub?"
Kuer was genuinely astonished. He had seen bear cubs before—black ones and brown ones—but he had never seen a white one.
Vilia nodded emphatically. "That’s right! His name is Volibear, but you can call him Wally!"