In the outermost outskirts of the Wampus Forest, a heavy, yellow-painted noble carriage sped relentlessly down a narrow fractured road.
The vehicle was pulled by an exotic breed of silver steeds equipped with thick, black fur coiling tightly around their heavy hooves, anchoring their strides against the treacherous mountain dirt.
The wooden wheels of the vehicle, heavily galvanized by thick bands of iron, rocked and groaned continuously as they navigated the downward slope of the rocky terrain, moving rapidly toward the valley where Linthin Town lay nestled.
To combat the rough roads, the vehicle had been engineered with mechanical shock-absorbing functions. This design greatly alleviated the violent discomfort of the path, absorbing the sharp rises and drops of the carriage to ensure that the passengers inside could enjoy a smooth ride.
The carriage panels were decorated with lavish golden trims and velvet curtains. Any outside observer could easily distinguish this as a noble transport.
Emblazoned across the side panels was an intricate, polished sigil depicting a sitting black cat with bright, glowing yellow eyes, the family crest of the Greg lineage.
In this world, each aristocratic family bore a specific symbol, crest, or tracking sigil to their name and personal belongings, utilizing the markings to openly flaunt their wealth and exert dominance over the common populace.
There was also a profound meaning hidden behind the selection of these heraldic symbols. Typically, a Noble house would only choose an animal for their sigil that perfectly mirrored their family's beast affinity.
Much like the grueling testing protocols that young magi aspirants undergo back in the South Coast to determine their elemental particle affinity and spiritual talent, this world utilized a parallel variation to map a soul.
Instead of measuring compatibility with elemental particles like fire, water, or wind, the inhabitants of this world were subjected to a soul test to determine their Innate Beast affinity.
Through this diagnosis, an individual could discover exactly which species of monster their soul was most compatible with.
Once the compatibility was mapped, the tamer aspirant could track down a beast belonging to that specific evolutionary branch and execute a taming contract, securing the maximum possible output from the bond to fulfill their cultivation potential.
Unfortunately, this idealized cultivation loop was far from accessible to the average person. Regular commoners and minor hunters living in barren frontier regions rarely had the luxury of binding with their ideal innate beast.
This limitation was due to a lackluster availability of diverse monster breeds within local sectors, paired with the immense dangers and financial burden associated with traveling across imperial borders.
In fact, possessing a rare or exotic innate beast compatibility within a low-level region was often a headache rather than a blessing; if a practitioner could never locate the highly specific creature, their cultivation path would remain stunted.
Only those born into ruling clans and backed by extraordinary background possessed the resources necessary to locate and safely tame a compatible innate beast.
This monopoly over high-grade spiritual monsters was the primary reason why the great aristocratic houses and Royal families successfully maintained their unshakeable positions at the apex of the social ladder for hundreds of years.
Furthermore, while the Magus World neatly divided an aspirant's aptitude into 5 distinct talent grades, the power structure here followed an entirely different, complex protocol to determine the grade and classification of an Innate Beast.
France herself lacked the knowledge required to explain the exact grounds on which a beast was classified, leaving Leylin to map out the patterns through his own observations.
France fell squarely into the category of a medium-aptitude practitioner with a compatibility for cat-type beasts. Coincidentally, the surrounding Wampus Forest was famous for housing an immense, diverse variety of feline monsters, this allowed her to maximize her potential without leaving her father's domain.
Compared to the beast tamers found within these barren lands, her talent was exceptionally high, she was recognized as a genius across the province.
During their journey, Leylin had instructed France to locate and tame a native monster right before his eyes, allowing him to analyze the mechanics of the contract firsthand.
Utilizing the real-time scans by A.I. Chip, Leylin had scanned the area, leading to the inner parts of Wampus pinpointing a beast called 'Assassin Cat', this was the exact species her father, the Viscount, had originally recommended her to tame.
After Leylin casually suppressed and captured the creature with a flick of his finger, France had proceeded to execute the taming ritual, channeling her unique energy grid to establish a spiritual kinship with the small predator.
The entire display had left Leylin deeply fascinated. Completely different from how a magus uses magic contract to bind to magical beasts, Beast Tamer seem to have a spell for it.
Leylin concluded it must have something to do with their meditation technique which builds a taming grid in their soul through which they can form a connection with a beast.
But they must be able to suppress the said beast in taming process, or find a resonance.
His eyes burned with an intense desire to unravel the secrets hidden within the dynamic of this world, and he could barely contain his excitement to begin a series of experiments.
Through the real-time data streams compiled by A.I. Chip during the ritual, he deduced that France and, by extension, the entire Tamer population of this world possessed a mutated variation of spiritual force.
This mental energy had been exclusively reshaped by the world's natural laws to interact seamlessly with ambient Spirit Aura.
Leylin wanted to reach Linthin Town as soon as possible to completely devour the contents of her father's private library. He was certain that by parsing through the texts the City Lord had never 'forced' his young daughter to read, he could uncover hidden clues regarding the true boundaries of this world's power distribution.
'I also need to verify if my preliminary hypothesis regarding their Spirit Aura is correct,'Leylin mused silently, leaning his head back against the plush velvet cushions of the interior cabin.
A smile graced his features as he looked out the tinted window. 'If my deductions are accurate, things are about to become rather interesting.'
Through his brief conversational interactions with the naive girl, he had already extracted several subtle clues and messages, particularly regarding the personal strength and political connections of her father.
He had discovered a world filled with untouched mysteries and foreign laws to dissect, a rare opportunity that would allow him to expand his own foundations.
Typically, a Magus would only be capable of securing an opportunity of this magnitude after breaking through to the legendary realm of a Rank 4 Morning Star, where planar travel became a reality. Yet here he was, exploring a new world while still a Rank 3 Warlock.
The yellow carriage sped smoothly through the clearing of the outer plains, eventually leaving the dense brush behind as it transitioned onto a broad, road running directly toward the primary entrance gates of Linthin Town.
The perimeter walls were far from a glamorous architectural masterpiece, but for a outpost, the stone fortifications were still impressive.
At the main frontal gate, a crowd of regular people, wilderness hunters, and local guides stood in a dense, chaotic line, waiting to be screened by a squad of heavily armed guards before being granted access through the public gateway.
Positioned right beside the noisy hubbub was a secondary entrance, a quiet, desolate, yet more guarded and decorated gate reserved exclusively for high-born aristocrats.
The moment the vehicle steered toward the noble checkpoint, the common crowd instantly fell silent, parting rapidly to clear the road.
Every hunter and commoner stared at the carriage with a mixture of reverence and envy, immediately recognizing the iconic City Lord's sigil emblazoned across the frame.
The carriage slowly came to a smooth halt before the iron gates, and the elite sentries stationed at the noble checkpoint immediately dropped into deep bows, showing respect to the passengers within as they began authorizing the entry.
Even though the carriage belonged to the City Lord's own household, the formal authorization protocols still had to be cleared; these were the laws installed long ago by the empire, and every citizen was bound to follow them unless, of course, the passenger inside happened to be the Viscount himself or a high-ranking noble.
Leylin didn't care about the delay in the slightest, remaining lounging inside the main cabin while the family servant handling the reins cleared the check under France's guidance.
Gill had also stepped out of the secondary compartment to smooth the transition with the guards.
The veteran knight was still terrified of Leylin's presence. Casting a sideways glance toward the pale, miserable, and armless form of Eta shivering beside him on the bench, Gill could only let out a silent, heavy sigh.
He knew all too well that in the ruthless world of the aristocracy, even decapitation would not have been a stretch for the offense Eta had committed against a powerful noble.
Currently, the driver, Gill, and the mangled Eta rested within a small exterior compartment built directly behind the primary driver's bench, completely separated from the lavish main cabin where Leylin and France sat in absolute comfort.
Glancing past the opening iron gates, Leylin focused his eyes on the layout of Linthin Town.
The streets were densely populated, alive with the loud chatter of busy merchants and traveling citizens.
Because the town operated as the primary imperial gateway to the Wampus Forest, the layout was unusually crowded, packed with an large number of wandering beast tamers and independent wilderness hunters.
These traveling beast tamers occupied a completely different social tier compared to the traditional, lineage-born aristocracy. They were commoners who had been born with the lucky spiritual qualifications required to tame monsters, but lacked the resources and financial backing necessary to maximize their potential.
Within the empire's strict paradigm, the ruling class didn't care about their existence in the slightest so long as the independent hunters never foolishly dared to offend a stronger party.
They were labeled as wandering beast tamers; although they enjoyed a vastly superior, wealthier lifestyle compared to ordinary, mundane commoners, they remained firmly underneath the boots of the Nobility.
Nevertheless, it was not entirely impossible for a wandering tamer to climb the steep social ladder. If an independent warrior managed to contribute military merits to the Felineca Empire, they could officially be granted a minor noble title by the crown.
Alternatively, if a young commoner displayed an exceptionally high tier talent during their early breakthroughs, many prominent aristocratic families would happily spread their arms wide, welcoming the genius into their lineages through adoptions or marriages.
The yellow carriage slowly passed through the reinforced checkpoint, driving smoothly onto the busy main avenues of Linthin Town.
The sides of the road were lined with various hawkers and active merchants shouting to sell a myriad of exotic regional items.
Leylin observed the local commerce with a touch interest for a few moments, before he returned to their usual expression of indifference.
Steering through the crowded trade sectors, the carriage eventually broke away from the common noise, entering a quiet, heavily isolated residential quarter characterized by cobblestone roads and massive stone walls. This was the exclusive district of the local nobility.
Within Linthin Town, there existed 4 prominent, ruling families: the Sewon, the Tester, the Kyle, and the Greg families.
The first three factions operated competitively, constantly scheming against one another to secure land and business.
However, none of them ever dared to antagonize the Greg family. The Gregs were the undisputed Alphas of the territory, backed by the absolute authority of the imperial City Lord title.
The moment the carriage entered the quiet avenues of the noble quarter, the servants and private guards of the rival houses immediately cleared the path, offering deep salutes as the Greg vehicle passed.
Within minutes, the horses came to a final halt before a massive, luxurious mansion. Looking at the sheer immensity of the stone towers, reinforced ramparts, and sprawling courtyards, no outsider could ever deduce that this fortress belonged merely to a low-level city lord governing a frontier town.
The carriage doors were opened from the outside, and Gill addressed Leylin, "My Lord, we have arrived at the estate. Please, follow me inside."
Although the veteran knight still shivered with a dread whenever he stood within arm's reach of the Leylin, his mind was filled with reverence for his power. He couldn't help but turn his eyes to look at France.
France sat quietly on the opposite leather seat, gently stroking the fur of the small Assassin Cat kitten she held protectively within her arms. A profound wave of relief washed over her young face now that she was back within the walls of her father's fortress.
Although Leylin was nothing short of a perfect gentleman throughout their carriage ride, simply asking her casual questions, but she had remained terrified of accidentally uttering a wrong word and offending his eminence.
The small black kitten let out a light, annoyed meow as she squeezed it, its ears twitching as it tried to squirm out of her embrace. However, the moment its small eyes shifted to lock onto Leylin an instinctual terror subdued her.
The kitten stiffened instantly, its claws retracting as it became perfectly docile, shivering silently against her chest.
The Assassin Cat was her innate beast. Securing its contract at such a young age catapulted her towards a chance to attempt to break into the ranks of a True Beast Tamer.
This was favor Leylin had bestowed upon her lineage, a debt so massive that any lingering grievance over Eta's was rendered irrelevant.
Stepping out of the carriage onto the polished stone of the courtyard, Leylin adjusted his white robes, prepared to officially meet the Greg family.