Ren stood in the entrance of the tent, his eyes landing on the four squires inside. They had been in the middle of a conversation when he entered, but at the sight of him, they fell silent.
That was when the biggest and probably also the oldest of them, a boy who looked around fifteen, stepped forward. He had a confident stance, his arms crossed over his chest.
"Who are you?" He asked with the authority of one who expected his every command to be followed. In here, he was king.
Ren stepped forward with the confidence of one who knew he had a better card to play. Lord Ross might not be one for hierarchies and formalities in times of war but the others don't have that luxury.
He held the gaze of the older boy and answered plainly. "Terence Ross."
The reaction was immediate.
The squires straightened, their expressions shifting to ones of respect. The name Ross carried weight here, even if Ren was the youngest and least favored of his family.
"M- My Lord!" The older squire stammered. "Welcome."
Ren walked inside as the rest of the squires quickly scrambled to their feet.
"Let me." The boy stepped forward to take Ren's bag but Ren quickly held up a hand with a smile on his face.
"No need for that. I'm not some kind of spoiled brat."
"Oh." The boy had no idea what to say.
Ren looked around the room, seeing that there were six beds in the room. Four were already filled.
The older boy followed his gaze and his eyes widened in realization. He quickly stepped aside, motioning to the best bed in the tent.
"Take this one, Lord Terence. It's the most comfortable."
Ren shook his head. "No need. I'll take the empty one."
He stepped towards one of the available beds and set his pack down beside it. He wasn't here to assert dominance or act like nobility.
He had a goal, and these squires would be useful to him in achieving it. Instead of handling everything alone, he could use them to gather information.
From what he remembered, Unfettered Enhancement was hidden in the Hollow Grove, a part of the Greythorne Forest near the camp that no one has stumbled into in thousands of years.
One of the quests in Eternal Souls had been to protect one of the NPCs as they went to claim the divine gift. When the time comes, the player would be given a chance to claim the gift for himself but it was a trap.
There was no way for the player to pass the spiritual test. He would automatically fail and lose a lot of stats.
The quest had been one to teach players the folly of greed.
However, this was real life. The divine gift could be claimed by anyone.
Right now, the key to finding the Hollow Grove was the White Tree, a massive landmark he had used countless times in the game. If he could locate that tree, he could find the grove.
Settling onto his bed, Ren turned to the squires. "I have a few questions."
"Ah, yes, my lord." The older boy stepped forward. "My name is Marcus. You can ask me anything."
"Tell me about the area around the camp. The forests, the roads, anything important."
The squires exchanged glances before Markus spoke up. "The camp is bordered to the east by the Greythorne Forest. It stretches deep, and only the patrols go far into it. Most of us don't wander in."
"Especially since the barbarians can attack at any time." One of the younger boys said.
"And you are?" Ren asked.
"Thorn, my lord." The boy said respectfully.
"Okay, Thorn. What about landmarks? Anything distinct?"
"There's a strange pale tree, deeper in the forest." Thorne said. "You can see it from the eastern ridge on clear days."
Ren's pulse quickened. The White Tree. That was what he needed.
"Has anyone gone there recently?"
Markus frowned. "Not that I know of. It's too deep for casual patrols. The further you go in, the more dangerous it gets."
"Have any of the patrols reported anything unusual?" Ren asked. He needed to know if he'd come at a lucky or unlucky time.
"They say the deeper you go, the more the air feels... wrong." Thorn said eagerly, like he was telling a ghost story. "Like it's heavier and quieter at the same time. I heard that if you scream, someone next to you might not be able to hear it if they're not looking at you."
That matched what Ren knew. According to the lore books, the Hollow Grove had always carried an unnatural atmosphere, and was able to warp time and space in ways that were hard to notice.
That was the Blightwood, the fifth Minor Calamity, slowly waking up. It had been gradually waking up for centuries and in a few years, it'll be fully awake.
He exhaled at the thought of just how many calamities were related or close to the Ross family and their lands. Were they just unlucky?
He turned back to his questioning. "What about the knights? Do they avoid the forest entirely?"
"Some do." Markus admitted. "But a few of the senior knights have ventured deep in and returned. They say the forest is cursed."
Cursed. That was exactly how the game had described it.
"And the barbarians? What do you know about their movements?"
"Scouts have found traces of them in the north." Markus answered. "They move fast, but they haven't attacked yet. Commander Arlen thinks they're waiting for something."
Ren stored the information away. It was a good thing the barbarians were nearby. Their attack would be his chance to slip away unnoticed. While everybody was preoccupied with the north, he'd move east and claim Unfettered Enhancement.
"Okay." He nodded to the squires. "Thank you, guys."
He turned away and began his preparations. The guardian of the Hollow Grove would be hard for even seasoned knights to beat but fortunately, he had its weakness.
He pulled out materials he had prepared beforehand and set it somewhere hidden but in reach. He had a dry stick wrapped tightly around the head of a sturdy stick to serve as his torch. But that wasn't his main weapon.
Sitting in his pack was a wooden bottle filled with a mixture of oil, iron shavings, and a flammable paste extracted from a tree. That was his secret weapon.
"What are you doing?" Thorne asked, watching curiously.
"Preparing for a trip." Ren said simply.
Marcus frowned with narrowed eyes. "You're not thinking of going into the forest, are you?"
Ren glanced up, measuring their reactions. He didn't need them interfering. "Of course not. The barbarians would soon attack. I'm just thinking ahead. If something happens, I need to be ready."
That answer seemed to satisfy them, but Marcus still looked uneasy.
That didn't matter to Ren.
Satisfied with his preparations, he leaned back against the rough fabric of his cot, his mind already strategizing on how he'll get past all the obstacles.
The White Tree was his next objective. Once he found it, the true challenge would begin.