Having walked around until noon, Zayden and Ren had already come across a few small animals, though none of them were on the list announced before the hunt began. They managed to kill some, while others escaped—mostly because Ren's aim wasn't as precise as Zayden's. Yet, the general kept encouraging him to try again each time.
Whenever an animal was killed, they had to ring a bell to alert the guards stationed around the area. The guards were responsible for collecting the carcasses and recording them under the name of the hunter who made the kill.
"That cat earlier…" Ren murmured, still wondering where it came from.
Zayden, however, upon hearing the word, flinched. He slowly turned toward Ren, his gaze searching for the animal.
Ren blinked, watching the taller man freeze at the mention of the word cat.
"W-Where is the cat?" Zayden asked, his body stiff, eyes darting around as if expecting a beast to leap out from behind the trees.
