Shifting his focus back to the task at hand, Raymond asked, "How often do the Red-Eyed Crows eat? What time do they feed, and how long does each meal last?"
The village chief responded immediately, his voice steady. "Twice a day. Once at around nine in the morning, and again at four in the afternoon."
Raymond nodded. That was good to know.
However, when it came to how long each feeding session lasted, the village chief hesitated. "I’m not sure… I never timed it exactly."
Just then, a villager eagerly stepped forward. "I know! I checked the time before!"
All eyes turned to him. Encouraged by their attention, he continued, his voice gaining confidence.
"The Red-Eyed Crows in the two houses eat at different speeds. The ones in the first house always finish faster, about ten minutes. But the ones in the second house take longer, usually around fifteen minutes."
Raymond’s brows furrowed slightly. "The feeding speed is different?" That was an unusual detail. "Do you have any idea why?"
The villager; Taylor, by the looks of him; paused, rubbing his chin in thought. Then, somewhat uncertainly, he answered, "I think… it’s because the first one to eat is a male Red-Eyed Crow. It’s bigger and eats more aggressively. The second one is smaller, so I assume it’s female."
A ripple of doubt spread through the gathered villagers.
"Hey, I never noticed any difference between them."
"Yeah, they all look the same to me. Except for the first one that eats, it’s obviously bigger than the others. But beyond that, I can’t tell them apart."
"Exactly. Other than what seems to be their leader, the rest are identical. Taylor, are you sure you’re not imagining things?"
Laughter and murmurs of skepticism filled the air as the villagers exchanged uncertain glances.
Taylor’s face turned red with frustration. "Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean I’m wrong! I’ve always had sharp eyes! I can spot tiny details others miss!"
Some villagers were about to argue further, but then Raymond glanced up, his expression unreadable.
The moment his gaze swept over them, the villagers fell completely silent.
Without missing a beat, Raymond turned back to Taylor. "Are you sure?"
Taylor swallowed hard, but he met Raymond’s gaze with determination. "I’m sure."
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Taylor nodded firmly, his expression full of conviction. "I’m sure I’m not mistaken! But whether it’s male or female is just my guess. What I do know for certain is that the Red-Eyed Crows that eat second struggle to tear into the mutton. Their strength is much weaker than the ones that eat first."
Hearing this, Raymond nodded thoughtfully. "Alright, that’s good to know."
Still, he wanted to confirm it with his own eyes before making a final decision. As a hunter, his keen observation skills would allow him to size up the Red-Eyed Crows at a glance.
That said, Raymond already trusted Taylor’s account. He knew the man had no reason to lie, especially since he was dealing with an adventurer.
To deceive or attempt to frame an awakened person? That was a serious crime. Ordinary villagers caught endangering adventurers faced severe punishments; some were sent to work in mines, while others, if they angered the wrong person, might just disappear, their bodies left for monsters to devour.
With this new intel, a plan was already forming in Raymond’s mind.
Arya, who had been silently observing, immediately picked up on the shift in his expression. "Raymond, you’ve thought of a way to deal with them, haven’t you?"
A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "Something like that."
Sylph’s eyes lit up with excitement. "Really?! Then tell us!"
The villagers, who had been anxiously waiting for any sign of hope, erupted with relief.
Village Chief Gamens stepped forward, his voice brimming with determination. "Raymond, whatever you need from us, just say the word!"
Raymond nodded. "Alright! We will need your help... Specifically, we need you to provide food for the Red-Eyed Crows."
The village chief and the villagers agreed instantly. After all, they had already been feeding the crows daily to prevent them from attacking anyone.
With that settled, Raymond laid out his strategy.
"Because of Sylph’s Explosion Magic, we can’t let the Red-Eyed Crows stay inside the houses. The spell is too destructive, and we can’t risk leveling an entire home. So, we’ll wait until the crows come out to eat… That’s when Sylph will strike."
The villagers and his party listened intently.
"However," Raymond continued, "once the Explosion Magic is cast, the surviving crows will likely panic and take to the skies. If they do, they’ll become much harder to fight and might attack the villagers or us in retaliation."
Arya, already seeing where this was going, nodded.
"So, the ones that survive the explosion… I’ll have to take them down from the air."
Raymond turned to her directly. "Exactly. You’ll be our sniper. Once they start flying, it’s up to you to pick them off before they attack anyone."
Arya clenched her fists. "Understood."
Then, Raymond took a deep breath and dropped the real risk in the plan.
"To make sure as few crows escape as possible, I’ll enter one of the houses first. The moment Sylph casts her Explosion Magic, I’ll handle the crows inside, alone. My goal will be to eliminate them before they have the chance to fly out."
A heavy silence followed.
Then—
"Wait, Raymond, isn’t that too dangerous?" Arya asked, her brows furrowed in concern.
"Exactly!" Sylph added, clearly alarmed. "Fighting Red-Eyed Crows in such a cramped space is asking for trouble! If they surround you, you could get seriously injured!"
But Raymond simply shook his head. "It’s more dangerous if they escape into the sky. If that happens, we’ll lose control of the battlefield."
His tone was calm but firm.
Sylph and Arya exchanged glances, knowing he was right. If the crows spread out, they could attack from all angles and the villagers would be defenseless.
After a moment, Sylph sighed, scratching the back of her head. "I still don’t like it, but… I get it. This is our best option."
Raymond smirked. "Glad you see it my way."
Now, all that was left was to execute the plan.
Raymond turned his sharp gaze toward Chief Gamens, his voice calm but laced with intent. "It’s almost time for the ’Red-Eyed Crows’ to eat, isn’t it?"
The village chief nodded quickly. "Yes! We were just about to prepare their food, but since you and your team arrived, we haven’t started yet."
Raymond gave a firm nod. "Then let’s begin. We’ll strike while they’re eating."
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Gamens didn’t hesitate. "Understood!" He immediately ordered the villagers to slaughter sheep and prepare the offering.
The entire village stirred with excitement. The ’Red-Eyed Crows’ had terrorized them for far too long, but today would be their last meal. The villagers, fueled by a mix of fear and anticipation, hurried to get everything ready.
While they worked, Raymond moved through the village, methodically scouting the area. He checked each house from multiple angles, studying the two buildings where the crows nested. His keen hunter’s eyes caught details that most would miss.
Just as villager Taylor had reported, there was a clear difference in size between the two groups. The ’Red-Eyed Crows’ in one house were noticeably smaller, by about ten centimeters. It wasn’t something an average person could easily see from a distance, and since the crows took turns eating, there was never a side-by-side comparison for the villagers to notice.
Turning to Arya, who had been observing beside him, Raymond asked, "Can you see the difference in size?"
Arya nodded. "Yeah. The ones in the left house are definitely smaller, while the ones on the right are much bigger. And… one of them is huge, probably about the same height as you."
"That big?" Sylph gasped. "Even the queen of that swarm of ’Poison Sting Wasps’ I fought was only the size of a normal ’Red-Eyed Crow’…"
Lorene, arms crossed, frowned. "Raymond, are you sure about going in alone?"
Raymond’s plan was simple but dangerous. Once the first batch of ’Red-Eyed Crows’ flew out to eat, he would slip inside while their nest was temporarily empty. When the second batch emerged for their meal, Sylph would unleash her ’Explosion Magic’ the signal for the attack to begin.
Timing was everything. If they struck too soon, the crows might sense something was wrong and scatter. If they waited too long, they could lose the element of surprise. The explosion magic had a limited range, and if too many crows escaped, they’d be in serious trouble.
Seeing his comrades’ concerned expressions, Raymond chuckled. "You’re all worrying too much. These ’Red-Eyed Crows’ are only dangerous when they take to the skies. I’ve taken down ’Mad Baboons’ before, these things aren’t nearly as troublesome."
He glanced toward the buildings, confidence gleaming in his eyes. "Besides, fighting inside the house actually works in my favor. They won’t be able to fly or surround me. Trust me; I’ll be fine."
Sylph and Lorene exchanged glances, realizing that Raymond had a point. Compared to the unpredictable, frenzied attacks of the ’Mad Baboons,’ the ’Red-Eyed Crows’ were far easier to handle, especially on the ground. Both nodded slightly, choosing to trust his judgment.
Arya, observing Raymond’s unwavering confidence, made her decision as well. She believed in him.
But then, Raymond suddenly turned to Sylph, his eyes sharp with knowing. "Sylph, you’ve already mastered the second stage of ’Explosion Magic,’ haven’t you? Back in Wittes, you said you hadn’t, but that was a lie, wasn’t it?"