Chapter 81: Hunting Game Winners (1) (1/2)

With the help of the elemental sylphs, the hunting competition came to a successful conclusion. The body count tallied, and even if some of the hunted bodies were already cooked, Erika kept a tally of who hunted which frog.

The food smelled delicious, and almost everyone could not wait to dig in, even though Rino had no idea how undead could eat. Seeing how the women taste-tested, he supposed there was no risk if they were not poisoned or dead yet. They definitely ate more than him while cooking.

With everyone feeling impatient, including himself, Rino cut the winning speech short and dispensed with the anticipation of knowing the winners. Instead, he was going to appoint the talents he needed and call dibs on that king frog thigh he had been eyeing ever since it was stewing in the large clay pot.

”The hunting game was a resounding success, and I cannot thank our hunters enough for participating in the hunting game. Before we start the feast, let me congratulate the commander of the hunting team.”

Everyone held their breaths, and Rino scanned the three teams. Most people were rooting for the goblin chief who raked in a whopping twelve king toads. Mutt only dragged back four, but he worked alone, proving his superior strength to everyone. The human hunters brought back twice the amount that Mutt brought back, but they worked as a team. Moreover, they borrowed work tools from the farmers to bring the bodies back, dismantling them with knives they stole from the cooks in the outdoor kitchen. Unsurprisingly, nobody really liked them despite their amazing results.

The cheers each hunting squad received from the crowd spoke of their popularity, not that Rino did not know how well-liked they were already. The goblins maintained a very close relationship with the farmers and humans, who were generally not siding with the arrogant archer. Even Erika got along with them swimmingly.

However, Rino had another place in mind to put this goblin chief and shaman. He needed someone capable of thinking on his feet, adaptable to change and loyal to his followers to protect this territory when Rino was gone. There was no doubting the goblin chief's loyalty to Rino either, so instead of picking him as the obvious winner, Rino looked over and pointed at the arrogant archer.

”You have proven your skills as a hunter with or without a bow. Your experience is needed for the founding of this kingdom. After you receive your name from me, you will take a vow of eternal loyalty as my subject to never betray me and always serve the Kingdom of Solitude for as long as your soul is mine.”

The archer's friends pushed him forward, and he fell onto his knees to receive his title and name. There was discontentment going around about Rino's decision, but nobody voiced it out of respect for their king.

Rino knew. However, he wanted them to also know that he was a fair monarch who ruled with fairness. The archer might have a dislikeable personality, but his actions and skills earned him his position as the commander of the royal hunting squad.

”From this moment forth, your name is Fowler, my royal hunting squad commander. Serve me and my kingdom well until the day you return to the darkness you were born from.”

Receiving a name and a position was a huge thing for any undead. Rino watched as Fowler and his friends burned in purple soul flames that did not hurt them. Instead, like Erika, flesh started to cover their bare bones, and Rino saw what they looked like before their deaths.