The Stonehearted Knight
Chapter 397: Competition: Druid Mode (1)

Chapter 397: Competition: Druid Mode (1)

"Winner: Hex Darkenmane!"

Hex heard the loud cheers. People were chanting his name, holding banners, and one person even had a board with his face painted on up in the air. He felt slightly embarrassed, especially since the cheeks were filled with kisses. And they didn’t appear to have been painted. He averted his eyes before the dolled-up, middle-aged fan of his could send him a flying kiss.

’I guess this is the hype Sterling was hoping for.’ Hex kept his face straight as he hurried toward the exit. The barely two-thousand-seater arena was filled to the brim. In the past three days he had raked ten wins. So far, he was the only one in this neighborhood with an undefeated streak, elevating him to the ranks of the best they had.

Despite him being an outsider, the locals loved him. He was the only winner who had stayed in this area to fulfill his quota, giving the locals a sense of pride. People were strange like that. Even Harold, the previous local champion, was heard boasting about his defeat against Hex.

"I won five games and lost one. But I lost to THAT guy. Only someone like that can defeat me."

...

’I finished the warrior part of the competition round for now,’ Hex mused, scribbling on a piece of paper that listed the tasks he had to complete this round. To save time and gain the most of this round, Sterling had asked Hex to focus on three modes.

The advancements to each round wasn’t based solely on individual performance. Like the representative had said, the main focus of the competition was to test the merchants on their resourcefulness. The group points decided the outcome the most. Individual performances only served to gain more bonus points.

He didn’t know how many bonus points he had earned by racking up ten wins without a loss. Or if achieving such a feat in three days instead of seven counted to gain even more. But he knew he had earned them. The amount of points would be disclosed on the seventh day.

’I didn’t think completing Dryad mode would take even less time than the warrior mode,’ Hex chuckled, putting a line through the word Dryad on the list. He still remembered the shock of seeing the long line of people after his services to the girl with her sheep, Bluey, had attracted attention.

’That damn referee. He sure was a stickler for the rules. Luckily, the competition has judges to evaluate claims and requests in case of disagreements.’ The referee’s sour face popped up in his mind. ’I am sure if his eyes could kill me I would be dead...or have a small cut at the very least.’

He didn’t take it personally. The referee wasn’t entirely wrong. But Hex had bulshitted his way because he didn’t wish to lose any chances of racking up signatures. If he had known that a lot of people didn’t get professional help, he would have been less inclined to fight against the poor referee’s objections.

’You would assume that a place filled with Dryads and Nature element people would enjoy the best healing and care. But no. Like everywhere else, coins rule above all. Without enough coins you can’t even get a Dryad in training, much less a proper Dryad.’

The herders and farmers in the outskirts earned the least of everyone inside Wrixia. It was so bad that if Hex had charged as little as one coin, he wouldn’t get even half of the patrons.

’Anyway, one mode remains.’

Druid – 1*

"Bluey was my first." He couldn’t help but laugh out loud. The judge didn’t only award him a point for helping the little girl, he also insisted that healing a small beast like Bluey counted toward his Druid mode task. ’Still nine to go.’

It wasn’t specified in the task whether he had to heal or do something else. He just assumed he was free to interpret the taking care part of the task as healing injured animals. After all, he already earned a point by doing so.

’They didn’t say how many points I need to consider this task completed. But I will spend the remainder of the days on the farms. Ten points should be the minimum.’

He already had a target to start with.

...

"Hey mister. You came!"

Hex had just arrived at the gate of a rundown-looking farm when the cheerful shout of a girl attracted his attention.

Erina, the small owner of Bluey, was running toward him with mud smeared over her face.

Baa

Bluey, like his master, bleated, sounding quite cheerful. He followed his master, skipping all over the face.

A group of adults working a bit further to the back, stopped whatever they had been doing, and stood up to observe him. A man with an unkempt beard watched him with a stern face while two boys at his side whispered something. A lady stood with them, smiling at Erina’s behavior. The old lady who had come with Erina that day, sat in the grass, telling the others about Hex.

"Of course I came. Here, this is for you," Hex replied, giving the girl a small packet.

Impatient as she was, Erina opened her bag, peering inside it.

"Sssweetsss?" She squealed in delight. "Is this for me?"

"Absolutely. But don’t eat everything in one go. You are already missing a few teeth," Hex teased the girl. She replied by pouting at him.

"This is for you," he said to Bluey, giving the sheep a bright red apple. The Baa sounded much like a ’thank you’ from it. He sensed it...him being happy about it.

"Hello, I hope I am not intruding," Hex said, approaching the adults. Erina trailed behind him, focused fully on the snacks inside her packet. She was apparently choosing her least favorite ones. Those would be gifts for her two brothers.

"Of course not, sir," the mother said. "I heard how you helped Erina and Bluey. Thank you for that."

"Was it really free?" The father asked. His face was stern but his eyes hid worries of a man, struggling to make ends meet. A look Hex was all too familiar with. Every responsible parent inside the slums of Grindeston had carried such a gaze.

"It truly was free. In fact, I should be paying you guys. It helped me earn points," Hex said. "That’s why I came to help on the farm and brought these with me."

He handed two large, bulging bags he had with him over to the boys.

"This...," the oldest exclaimed, opening the bag. Rolls of bread, snacks, cured meat, fruits, and whatnot could be seen from the top. The other one opened his bag, revealing packages with clothes and other necessities inside.

The people in front of him stared shocked at him, suddenly not knowing how to react.

"In return for these, I only ask permission to let me take care of the animals here. And perhaps ask your friends and families to let me help too?"