- Fantasy Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence
- FLDI Chapter 50
Chapter 50: Capturing the Unicorns
The operation quickly got underway.
Three days later, according to the intelligence, the unicorns were expected to come out to graze again. At this time, a large number of knights had gathered at Eagle Ridge, and even Steve, who had been stationed at the mine, was called back.
After all, among the unicorns, there was a Tier 2 peak unicorn leader. Without Steve’s help, relying on just the dozen full knights would make capturing it far too difficult.
Only with Steve’s participation could they have confidence in success.
Early in the morning, a grand procession set out.
Thor mobilized one great knight, fifteen full knights, over thirty squires, and more than a hundred reserve knights.
This was almost the full force of Eagle Ridge.
Led by Thor, they soon arrived at the upper reaches of the Maine River Valley, where the unicorns were grazing that day.
From a distance, the group spotted a herd of 20 to 30 unicorns peacefully grazing on the lush grass.
Most of the unicorns were Tier 1 magical beasts, with only the unicorn leader reaching Tier 2. Unicorns were known for their incredible speed. A Tier 1 unicorn could outrun most Tier 2 beasts, and a Tier 2 unicorn could outpace nearly all Tier 3 magical beasts. These creatures were among the most common magical beasts in the Northern Province.
Due to their speed, they were often domesticated by minotaurs and were a favorite among Northern nobles.
Rumor had it that Marquis Raymond commanded a force of 300 unicorn knights.
Thor had had his eye on this herd for a long time.
However, magical beasts were difficult to breed without specialized handlers, so Thor had initially given up on the idea.
But after his trip to Loren City, where he acquired Allen, the boy with “affinity for all creatures,” Thor began to see new possibilities.
“Raine, take some men and pour fire oil around the perimeter,” Thor instructed in a low voice. “Steve, once the flames rise, you’ll lead the charge to capture the unicorn leader. If we can take it down, the rest will follow easily.”
Thor had spent days carefully planning how to capture the herd.
Although unicorns weren’t particularly strong, their speed made them formidable. A Tier 1 unicorn was faster than most Tier 2 magical beasts, and a Tier 2 unicorn could rival the speed of a Tier 3 magical beast. Even with a great knight, capturing them all would be nearly impossible.
But that was under normal circumstances.
Unicorns had a fatal weakness—one that untamed unicorns, in particular, shared: they were terrified of fire.
Fire would throw them into a panic, making it difficult for them to escape. Thor’s plan was to encircle the herd with flames, preventing them from fleeing, and then capture them with the overwhelming force he had brought.
With the plan set, Raine moved quickly, leading over a hundred reserve knights to spread fire oil around the area.
During the earlier frontier war, a good amount of fire oil had been left over, and with Racios Assad’s recent visit, Thor had acquired even more.
Now it was time to put it to use.
Large quantities of fire oil were poured across the grassland.
Since the herd was still some distance away, the unicorns remained unaware of what was happening.
Time passed slowly.
After about half an hour, a massive semicircle of fire oil had been laid around the grazing area.
Seeing Raine raise his hand in the distance, Thor gave the signal.
“Light it up!”
Thor’s voice was calm but commanding.
In the next moment, the fire oil was ignited.
The fire spread quickly, flames racing around the perimeter.
On the opposite side, the other knights lit their own fires.
*Boom!*
A sea of fire erupted, flames surging three or four meters high.
It was at that moment that the unicorn herd realized something was wrong.
“Shriek!”
The unicorn leader, sensing danger, began to gather magical energy at its feet, preparing to flee. But the encroaching fire threw it into a state of panic.
The other unicorns reacted similarly, their fear of fire overwhelming them.
With a wave of Thor’s hand, Steve and the other full knights, along with the squires, charged toward the herd.
Lassos flew through the air.
*Snap! Snap!*
One by one, the unicorns were caught, their necks ensnared by the ropes.
Feeling the restraints tighten, the unicorns grew even more frantic.
The unicorn leader, in particular, summoned the wind element, preparing to flee in a flash of speed. But the sight of the flames reflected in its eyes caused it to hesitate for just a moment.
That brief hesitation was all it took for a lasso to catch around its neck.
The unicorn leader began to struggle violently.
Steve, however, unleashed his life force, gripping the lasso tightly and holding the powerful creature in check.
The other knights, meanwhile, continued their efforts. One by one, the Tier 1 unicorns were overwhelmed and collapsed to the ground, unable to resist the combined force of the knights.
As more unicorns fell, it became easier to subdue the rest.
In the end, only the Tier 2 peak unicorn leader remained.
Everyone watched in tense anticipation, even Thor.
The herd of unicorns was important, but the leader was even more crucial.
This was a Tier 2 peak unicorn.
If it could evolve to Tier 3, it would be comparable to a human earth knight, ensuring the safety of Thor’s territory in the Northern Province.
How could Thor not be anxious?
The unicorn leader, still tethered to Steve, continued to run wildly, but the fire surrounding it was closing in. Its panic only grew, and its movements gradually slowed.
Finally, after half an hour of struggle…
*Boom!*
The unicorn leader collapsed to the ground, exhausted.
Steve, drained from the effort, exhaled in relief. Despite being depleted of life energy, he rushed forward to secure the creature.
With that, all the unicorns had been captured.
Thor let out a long breath of relief and signaled for the others to extinguish the flames.
Half an hour later, the fire was gone.
Everyone’s faces lit up with smiles of triumph.
Thor’s smile matched theirs.
They had captured a total of 23 unicorns, including the Tier 2 peak unicorn leader.
It was a tremendous success.
These unicorns could be exchanged for valuable resources in the future.
The thought of riding unicorns excited everyone. It was a thrilling prospect.
(End of Chapter)