The Cycle of Fate

Chapter 6: Madame Pouaris

The blue sky was dotted with white clouds, and the spring breeze, carrying the scent of trees, caressed people's cheeks. By the clear, gently flowing river, white geese were pecking at the grass, while a young girl in a grey and white skirt watched over them with a long stick.

The girl's face was bathed in golden sunlight, revealing a soft downy hair. Her smooth brown hair was covered with a white cloth, and her delicate features radiated an unmistakable youthful vitality.

She looked at Lumian, who was sitting on the ground under a tree by the river, and frowned slightly, saying:

"Weren't we here to discuss which legend is easier to investigate? How did it turn into talking about the statues on the church?"

This young girl was Ava Lisier, the daughter of the cobbler Guillaume, and one of the few in the younger generation of the village who got along well with Lumian and Raymond.

"I'm pondering a question," Lumian replied without lifting his head, still staring at the white geese and the rippling water.

"What question?" Raymond Craig, who was helping Ava watch the geese, asked curiously.

Lumian, as if deep in thought, said:

"If you encounter a beast with thick skin that your weapons can't harm, how would you deal with it?"

"Of course, I'd find a way to escape. There are so many wild beasts in the mountains; it's not like we have to hunt it," Ava said, finding the question not particularly challenging.

Lumian nodded:

"What if that beast is particularly rare, and the gentlemen in the city are willing to pay a hundred gold Louis for its corpse?"

"A hundred gold Louis, two thousand Fergins..." Raymond's breath became heavy.

He had never seen or used a gold Louis, so his instinct was to convert it to Fergins.

With such a sum, he could go to Dariège and start a small business; no need to herd sheep anymore.

He thought quickly and said:

"Borrow a shotgun from someone?"

"It can't penetrate the beast's skin," Lumian immediately dismissed the idea.

Though knowing the prey was imaginary and wouldn't fetch such a sum, Ava couldn't help but join the discussion:

"Is it strong and fierce?"

Lumian thought for a moment and said:

"About as strong as me."

This was one of the reasons he hadn't given up.

"That's not too bad," Raymond breathed a sigh of relief. "Gather a group from the village, surround it, wear it down, and then tackle and bind it."

He knew Lumian could fight but was aware of his limits.

"In that case, you'd only get ten gold Louis, or even less," Lumian reminded.

"I've seen them hunt before. Maybe we could dig a pit and let the beast fall in," Ava suggested, her lake-blue eyes glinting as she recalled.

"That's a good idea," Lumian agreed.

Knowing Ava and Raymond's knowledge was limited and they couldn't offer more suggestions, he steered the topic back on track:

"Which legend do you think we should target next?"

"None of them," Ava shook her head. "They're either events from hundreds of years ago or only witnessed by one person who is long dead."