Northerners are tall and southerners are short.
This has become a common perception and stereotype in Rigal almost all over the world. Although there have been short people among northerners and tall people among southerners, these are isolated cases. Generally speaking, it is an indisputable fact that the farther north the people are, the taller they are.
The cold and bitter Northland has provided many tall and brave warriors throughout the ages, whether it is the pirates of Danlasso, the great swordsmen of Suomir, or the ethnic minorities in the north of the Otolo Empire who only have a few words spread. It is remembered by the world for its rare but powerful fighting power.
But this physical advantage is actually not limited to humans.
Suomir is a famous wool producing area on the east coast, which can be seen from the large amount of wool used in clothing and cloaks. The merchant ship that Henry and Mira came on would also load up a whole ship of wool and set sail again after emptying out the supplies brought from the south.
But what is interesting is that despite such a superior wool industry, Suomir itself does not have such a creature as sheep.
The breed now known as Aurora sheep was imported from the Padrosi empire through trade centuries ago. The origin is the central plain area of the Padrosi Empire. It is a wool-producing variety developed by the Lamanites over many years of breeding. The scale of wool produced in the empire's origins is far from comparable to that of the Suomir Kingdom.
It was obviously cultivated here, but it bloomed and bore fruit in the north. Ultimately, it comes down to the characteristics of the animal.
Hunters who hunt frequently know that mammals with thick fur, such as foxes and rabbits and minks, have "summer fur" and "winter fur". As the name implies, during the hot and vegetated summer months, they naturally have shorter and darker hair, while during the snowy winter months, in order to protect themselves from predators and the cold, they usually have lighter or even darker hair. Pure white coat color, and thicker hair that is longer in length.
The purchase prices of winter hair and summer hair are very different, so hunters often choose to enter the mountains only in winter. This concept also extends to sheep. After generations of selection in the Suomir region, where the winters are colder, the quality and thickness of the sheep's hair are far superior to those in the central region of the empire.
—but that’s not all.
Another advantage of Aurora sheep is also closely related to the weather.
That's their size.
The bigger the sheep, the larger the area they can shear. Like humans, the sheep here in Suomir are twice as big as those in the place of origin.
Warm-blooded animals become larger the further north they go, because larger size means they lose body temperature more slowly①. This is a characteristic they gradually evolved in order to survive in the ice and snow.
The introduced and artificially selected Aurora sheep can be regarded as a typical example of rapid evolution to adapt to this environment, but in the natural environment, it is natural that the same kind of creatures in Suomir are larger than Padrosi.
Both belong to the Cervidae family, the Empire's sika deer and Suomir's moose look almost like two different creatures when put together. The former is small in size. Even when fully grown, it is only about 1 meter tall, which is shorter than a donkey. The latter can grow to more than two meters tall, and the largest one weighs one ton. Even Henry looks like a child standing next to it.
This is one example. In addition to the deer family, the same is true for local horses. The same principle is also shared by rats, foxes, birds, and——
Wolf.
"...I finally understand why this mission is worth two gold coins and 20 silver coins." After adding a companion, the two still did not change their destination. They went to Mira and finally After learning that the village was pronounced Ka-Plexen-Nero, the first purpose was naturally to find the local village chief to explain his purpose, and then investigate the relevant information.
In areas such as Northern and Southern Aurora, where Lamanites often come and go, the local residents speak the Lamanite language quite well. When the village chief saw that there were only two mercenaries taking the mission, and one of them was just a girl, he was obviously disappointed. However, he later saw the beautiful brooch and orange mercenary card. It's a big smile.
But after he gave various explanations and found a hunter from the village to take the three of them to the entrance of the destroyed sheepfold, Mira rolled her eyes when she saw the huge paw prints on the mud soaked by the overturned water tank. , and Galeva next to him was dripping with cold sweat.
"Are all Suomir's wolves this big?" The Luoan girl looked at her teacher with a strange expression. The sage shrugged: "No." He squatted down and took a closer look at the paw prints. I put my finger in and marked the depth.
"It's very deep, it's a dire wolf." He said this. The two of them were talking in Laman language this time. Henry's judgment through a few details also made the hunter next to him brighten his eyes. He immediately stopped holding his hands and The skeptical look on his face became - by Suomir's standards - much more enthusiastic.
"Yes, if it is an ordinary wolf, we can deal with it ourselves. But for such a big one, we can only call in experts." He said this in a not very high tone, while his eyes were still looking at the two. Human equipment - ordinary clothes, armed clothes and brigand floor armor. There are no animal traps on the horse. Although there are two crossbows, their size can only deal with those weighing no more than 50 kilograms. biology.
"Who is the dire wolf?" Not only Mira, but also Galeva, who had been traveling between hotels and piers, and this was his first time traveling, were also curious. Henry glanced at him, then at Mira, and suddenly felt as if he had an extra disciple.
"A unique breed in the North, which is larger than the average northern gray wolf." The sage explained: "The Suomir gray wolf can grow to more than two meters long and about one meter in height. I'm afraid Although the shoulder height of the wolf is shorter, this is because the legs are shorter and the body is actually longer. Like the saber-toothed tiger, the muscles are also more developed."
"So the footprints are deeper because of the heavier weight." Mira nodded and continued.
"Sabre-toothed tiger? Ah, you mean that kind of thing, the one that can prey on moose." Despite his Suomir ancestry, Galeva, who grew up in Polusaro, didn't know much about the ecology of the Northland.
"Dire wolves have very well-developed muscles, but because of their short legs, they are not good at running. They usually hunt in groups such as moose or some large creatures that cannot run fast, such as herbivorous hybrids. Opponents such as sheep in captivity look very dangerous. It's easy to get, but in fact, a healthy group of dire wolves will not choose it. Because they are smart enough to know that humans, creatures that are bound to retaliate, are not easy to mess with - in that case..." Henry touched his chin and stood up. body.
"A lone wolf, probably an old man. He was defeated in a group struggle and was expelled from the wolf pack. But judging from the footprints, he should not have been seriously injured." The sage looked to the left, although the population was not as large as that of Wen Nei. How much more, but in fact the total area of the Suomir Kingdom is quite huge. The Aurora region alone has the area of the entire Kingdom of Avenella - of course in the past. At this time, the entire plain where Henry looked down was filled with short green grass, and further away, the dark green forest was shining in the sun.
"Huh - are you still a lone wolf in old age? I'm relieved." Although the contact time is not long, Galeva, a young man who is easy to say and outspoken, and bad to say, has the characteristics of well-developed limbs and simple mind. Both of them knew.
"That's not necessarily the case." Henry looked back at him and said in a calm tone: "Wolves that are injured and separated from the pack are often the most dangerous, because they are more ferocious because of despair. In contrast, wolves that are well fed and drunk There won't be much hostility. Coupled with the age factor, animals that can grow up in a cruel natural environment are cunning. Even if it is old and frail and is driven away by stronger peers, it still has wisdom. ."
"This money is not easy to earn." Henry looked at the hunter, who was also from Suomir. The hunter turned his head away from his eyes.
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60% of successful hunting depends on information and prior arrangements, and the remaining 40% depends on actual actions.
Improvisation and cleverness can only come true in rare cases when good luck strikes. It is foolish and lazy to expect good luck to happen every time. There is a Lamanite fable called "Waiting for the Rabbit" that talks about such people. , but in some cases this word can also become a compliment.
There are many things needed to hunt wolves, first of all, various trap props. Because canines have a keen sense of smell, these need to be scalded with boiling water and then applied with grass juice. Repeat this process several times with gloves on to avoid leaving traces on them. Any smell that will alert them.
After doing this, you need to prepare bait, and then apply deodorizing grass juice on yourself. Finally, lie in ambush downwind, wait for it to be lured by the bait and be trapped in the trap, then go up to restrain it and kill it.
In order to obtain a complete pelt, the final killing blow is usually done up close with a spear, as it is more difficult to kill it with bows and crossbows. The light one cannot penetrate the skull, and the heart is heavily surrounded by ribs. In addition, the trapped wolf will still struggle in various ways. If you have to shoot several times to kill it, the skin will be in tatters in the end and can only be sold for half the price.
But even so, hunters often bring crossbows. After all, between selling at a high price and saving your life, everyone except gamblers will choose the latter.
There are many things that need to be prepared, but it is all based on one premise - they must first find where the animals are.
Tracking was not difficult at first. A large animal weighing nearly 100 kilograms held an Aurora sheep in its mouth, leaving bloodstains and footprints that anyone could easily spot. It's just that it hasn't rained recently, and after the blood from the sheep's wounds has dried, the not-so-soft ground makes it difficult to find traces.
However, the trace that crossed half of the plain pointed to the west. It was obvious that the old wolf was not so hungry that he was dizzy and started eating directly in the sheep pen. The traces stretch from the sheepfold of the village on the east side across the vast plains, reaching the dark green northern forest at the other end. But although it is a forest, it is not actually a very ideal hiding place.
Unlike the dense and difficult-to-travel rainforest in the south, there are almost no shrubs and small flowers and grass on the forest floor in the north, only some rotten fallen leaves and dead and naturally fallen trees. Other than that, there are all towering trees, and you can see far away from the open forest floor.
Three took the walk - yes, three.
Galeva, who said he was going out with Henry and Mira to visit Heinzwom in Aurora, also joined the group. Although the local hunter silently expressed his concern with his expression, and even though he was so slow, the young man's eldest son of the hotel owner knew that a layman like himself would only alert the enemy.
But this is also the purpose of the sage.
They didn't have the time, tools, or manpower to investigate and set a bait trap to lure the old wolf, and with its cunning and cunning, Henry seriously doubted it would take the bait.
The trap laid with great effort will only fail in the end, and it may even escape or sneak attack them after noticing the change in the environment.
But after observing the forest where it was difficult to hide, it became clear that the old wolf was in despair. Elderly predators living alone can feel very insecure.
Although wolves are usually free-running endurance predators, on rare occasions like this, they will seek out burrows to hide.
Based on this, considering the territorial awareness of a creature in dire straits, if it comes directly to the door, it will obviously frantically try to attack the intruder.
This was naturally an out-of-control situation that the hunters tried their best to avoid, and Galeva and Mira were both dripping with cold sweat after hearing about Henry's plan. But the sage was still calm and composed, and as if he could see flowers from nothing, he easily found the correct traces on the messy ground and followed them.
The three people walking on foot walked for a long time, but when they approached an area with more complicated terrain, the strong fishy smell in the air suddenly made Henry frown.
He waved his hand to signal the two people behind him to slow down, then turned back and whispered: "Squat down."
The young porter and the Luoan girl who obeyed the sage's instructions followed him nervously and continued to advance slowly under the cover of the complex terrain. The fishy smell in the air became stronger and stronger, but it did not smell like blood. Something like that, but a bit like the smell of fish combined with human body odor.
"Looks like he's gone now. You can stand up now." Henry, who only put his sword on his back after entering the forest, kept his hand on Claymore the whole time and didn't let go until now. Galeva naturally complained about the big sword, but he was too nervous to speak.
"Uwata Maiyi Oh (what the hell is this) -" Galeva stood up in a panic and burst out in his native language, but in the next moment he immediately stretched out his free hand to cover his mouth.
"Who did this?" The Luoan girl, whose face was obviously much better after seeing her, was still relatively calm. She pointed at the body on the ground, and then asked Henry.
The dire wolf, which was more than two meters long, had gray fur. Judging from its strong limbs and claws, it looked like a very terrifying apex predator. However, it was already so dead that its body was stiff. The cause of death was obvious, and it was related to the head that was beaten so much that the chin was dented to the side of the face.
"Look there." Henry pointed to something nearby. There was a huge footprint on the fallen leaves. Mira sniffed her nose and resisted the urge to retching.
"It stinks."
"Is it a giant?" Galeva also looked over. Although it was surprisingly large, it was obviously left by a humanoid creature.
"Well, he'll be beaten to death with a stick. This poor old wolf accidentally broke into the giant's territory." Henry said this, and then raised 100 with one hand amid Galeva's eyes widening and Mira's surprise. The dire wolf weighing 10 kilograms was carried on the left shoulder to avoid interference with the hilt of the big sword.
"Why didn't it pick it up?" Mira pointed at the sheep on the ground. She used "it" instead of "him" because the intelligence of subhuman races such as giants is not very high. Human society generally believes that they are and A barbaric race as difficult as the goblins.
"Do you smell the fishy smell in the air?" Henry woke her up. "Ah -" the Luoan girl nodded, and then went over to pull the sheep, but it didn't pull. She looked at Galeva, who was stunned for a moment and then walked over consciously.
"Hey -" It was not difficult for the young man who was a porter to move a sheep, but he subconsciously learned how Henry carried it on his shoulders. However, the dire wolf was killed with a single blow to the head, and it had been dead for more than half a day. The uneaten entrails of the disemboweled sheep fell all over him.
"Ugh - vomit -" The fact that he always uses his hands and mouth faster than his brain finally taught him a lesson. Galeva, who was covered in pink and greasy internal organs, held his waist and vomited all over the floor with a pale face. Mira rolled her eyes and Henry shrugged.
"Make a stretcher and pull it out." He said.
There is no need to stop and look at the footprints on the way back, and the time spent is much shorter. Seeing that they solved the problem so quickly, not only the shepherds, including the village chief, but also other herdsmen in the village came out to watch. However, after seeing the tragic situation of the wolf head, their expressions changed. Many people began to whisper among themselves.
"Ah, I know what you are thinking." The sage looked around them with half-squinted eyes: "Don't say that if we didn't kill him, we will break the contract and not pay you."
"You all know about the giant in that forest, right? That's why you didn't go in to investigate."
"Also, I didn't explain that I was dealing with a dire wolf. This information was hidden and not explained in the mission. This is obviously an attempt to trick people, right?" He pointed it out directly without mercy, which made many people move away again. look. Behind him, Galeva, whose expression had improved a lot, looked at this scene in a daze, while Mira next to him just shook her head slightly.
"You foreigner-" "Step-" The sage took a step forward and moved his body to reveal the hilt of the big sword on his right shoulder.
"——Wooooow——" The villager who obviously wanted to bargain without paying the full two gold coins and 20 silver coins changed his face, and so did everyone else.
"Ha, hahahahaha, no, no, no, there is no such thing -" the previous village chief suddenly laughed dryly: "You are also from Suomir, why didn't you tell me earlier, this little brother here is dirty , come on, come and take a sauna, even though it is summer, it will be very comfortable to take a shower!" He said this, first in Laman language and then in Suomir language, and other villagers also After reflecting, they began to crowd around Jean Galeva towards the bathroom on the other side.
The young man looked back at the two people at a loss. Mira waved her hand to him to indicate that everything was okay, and everyone left here as quickly as if they were escaping from death.
"What a terrible person." Mira said, but her eyes were looking at the villagers, not Henry.
"The so-called fairy tale country is actually just like that." The sage shrugged.
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Note: ①: The thing mentioned here is also the "Bergmann's law", which means that the same type of organisms will become larger and closer to a spherical shape in the cold zone.
