Chapter 102

Chapter 102 - Hunting a Hero (1)

A mutant Great Chieftain who united a four-digit number of Gnolls.

No matter how mighty Count Andar's forces were, fighting fighting such an entity alone would be madness.

He had to prepare properly by recruiting mercenary groups and contacting his vassals. Rumors must have spread widely during that process.

"Everyone seems to know about the Gnoll remnants and the successor."

"Even so, not every knight will step forward to hunt it. There are probably more who are satisfied with small hunts like us."

The Great Chieftain's successor must perfectly be an incredibly powerful variant as well. For such a beast to lead nearly 100 followers, it was in the realm of war, not a hunt.

No matter how much knights were like moths drawn to the flames of valor and glory, they didn't march into a death trap without a plan.

"Even Count Andar probably doesn't expect to completely finish off the Gnolls during the New Year Subjugation. Since they are already guys who suffered heavy damages, keeping them in check and gathering information should be enough."

Having spilled all useful information, including the local geography, Evans's group rested comfortably until the rain stopped.

Returning after washing up cleanly in the public bath with hot water, they felt a refreshing sensation.

The young knight received the tea poured by Valda as if feeling immensely honored.

"To be served by the Sage of the Forest, it is an honor."

"Please drink it while it's warm."

In front of the beautiful Forest Elf, his face turned bright red, and he didn't even dare to make eye contact.

"Looking down at the world from here, one wouldn't envy a king."

"As expected, is a castle the final puzzle piece to complete a knight?"

The knights enjoyed the scenery outside from an elevated balcony that no other castle could replicate.

Experiencing their tongues and noses being pampered while directly observing a dangerous mountain range from outside the wind and rain provided a bizarre thrill.

The knights looked at Eugene with envy. A mansion or a wooden palisade might be one thing, but a stone castle like this was impossible to obtain through mere effort.

It was only possible if one was born as the heir of a high-ranking noble or achieved success riding on a destiny ordained by the gods.

'We should offer something in return.'

No matter how much nobles' hospitality isn't supposed to weigh the cost, there is a peculiarity to the situation.

Even a single cup of water holds hundreds of times more value in the middle of a desert.

Receiving hospitality only possible in the middle of a city while in a dangerous zone right in front of the Shield Mountain Range, the knights also wanted to return the favor somehow.

However, paying money could easily become an insult.

"Do you not have any intention of purchasing the Direwolf pups?"

"They are beasts among beasts, befitting a brave knight like you, Sir."

Therefore, they offered to sell the best thing they had: their spoils of war. At a price quite cheaper than the original value, too.

However, after hearing the circumstances, Rex advised declining.

"Isn't it a shame to pass up an uncommon opportunity? If it's the tamers of your tribe, they should be able to train them perfectly well."

They are magnificent beasts classified as monsters. Missing the chance to tame them at a cheap price felt somewhat regrettable.

"If trained from a young age, they can be used somewhat like military dogs, but they aren't worth the money."

"Wouldn't they have a good sense of smell? It seems they would be useful in tracking missions."

"There isn't much difference from dogs. Yet they eat an exorbitant amount, and their wild nature pops out from time to time."

"Accidents must happen frequently."

"Even the owners who raised them since they were young have to be extremely careful, so imagine how subordinates or servants moving with them feel."

In noble families that raise Direwolves, servants end up getting bitten to death or injured just when you start to forget about it.

From the nobles' perspective, raising their own dignity is what matters; they don't even care about those beneath them.

"How about their combat prowess?"

"It would be stronger than military dogs, sure. But if we go by that logic, why aren't lions used on the battlefield?"

No matter how strong they are, they lack the durability and destructive power of a medium-sized monster. On top of that, maintaining control is difficult, so they easily turn into lumps of meat in front of arrows and spears. That was his explanation.

"Direwolves are a luxury item, not military supplies. They are meant for nobles to show off when hosting guests."

"Thanks for the advice."

Luxury is both a noble's desire, their right, and their duty. However, Eugene neatly gave up after strictly weighing practicality.

Regarding earning money, he seems as greedy as any ordinary merchant, but once he earns it, he shows an unusual lack of interest in how to spend it.

"You're stepping back this easily?"

"Did you want me to be more greedy, then?"

"I was going to suggest we catch them directly ourselves if push comes to shove. Since there won't be just one Direwolf in those mountains."

"It's fine. If we return to the city, we can just buy several military dogs or whatever."

"..."

When Rex first got to know Eugene, he considered him like a mythical warrior with magma flowing through his veins.

But the more he knew him, the more he realized he was a knight with cold blood like a snake, in a good sense.

"I will never forget this miraculous encounter amidst the heavy rain for the rest of my life."

"I will widely spread the excellence of this castle and your honor to everyone, Sir."

As soon as the rain stopped, Evans and his knights left, expressing their continuous gratitude.

Because they had to bring their spoils to the city as quickly as possible to earn more gold coins.

Eugene's subordinates also finished preparing to move out. As it was a hunt requiring mobility, the Dwarves stayed behind, and the forces were organized mainly around cavalry.

"Are you that happy?"

"Of course. Because we haven't done our main job in a while."

Although they had set foot in the assassination and mercenary businesses, Rex's true nature was a hunter.

Tracking, chasing down, and defeating massive beasts or monsters provides a joy that no other entertainment can replace.

Hunting humans on the battlefield wasn't bad, and it earned money much better, but that alone wasn't enough.

"Due to our tribe's circumstances, there were many domains where we couldn't operate."

"The world is vast, and hunting grounds and prey are diverse, after all."

"Whenever we listened to stories from adventurers who crossed over from other regions, it always felt so regretful."

The gazes of the tribal warriors dropping a word each turned to the signboard hung in the hall in front of the entrance.

'No one can foresee us.'

From now on, they could go anywhere.

Places without pastures or water sources, beyond massive deserts or mountain ranges blocking the way, isolated islands in the middle of the ocean, and if need be, even the Demonic Forest.

They were now capable of going anywhere and hunting whatever prey existed there.

"Having high morale is good, but there's something you must know."

Eugene informed them of the real reason the Gnoll army was crushed and splintered. The fact that the castle teleported to the Demonic Forest had unleashed the monsters it harbored inside.

"Shouldn't we report this to Count Andar and receive a reward or something for it?"

The tribal warriors laughed at this unprecedented case of using enemies to fight enemies.

"No. There might be gossip if this becomes a problem later, so keep it a secret."

If Gord suffered damages from unidentified monsters in the future, Eugene could needlessly be suspected and take the blame.

"Will the monsters released back then cause trouble in the world?"

"No, that won't happen."

At Rex's question, Eugene flatly asserted.

It wasn't called the Demonic Forest for nothing. It was a place perilous enough that an entity like the giant boar Eugene had slain even fled to the outskirts because raising its young there was too dangerous.

Moreover, demonic creatures are not organisms belonging to this world. They are entities closely resembling homunculi; existences from another dimension that obtained temporary physical bodies conforming to the rules of this world.

Since reproduction is impossible, they would only deplete over time. Eugene wasn't so irresponsible as to release otherworldly monsters into the forest just prioritizing his own benefit.

* * *

As the weather cleared, groups led by various knights from the city and villages flocked to the area.

A castle boasting a massive presence in a place where originally nothing should exist. Reactions to that sight varied.

"Good heavens!"

"Since it wasn't a false rumor, it seems..."

They were divided into those who were purely astonished and those who accepted it as within expectations, even if surprised.

Naturally, the latter were knights from more influential families.

However, even they couldn't help but be flustered when the gate opened and cavalrymen—specifically Dark Elf mounted archers—poured out.

"Even those knife-ears came too?"

"Even though Count Andar invited them every year, they always ignored it. How come...?"

The power of elite mounted archers was formidable in ordinary battles as well, but it truly shined in monster hunting.

Since Gord's horsemanship was lacking, Count Andar had earnestly tried to invite them to the New Year Subjugation every time, but had consistently failed.

"The tournament champion!"

"So those were the ones brought by that knight."

Their doubts were resolved the moment they saw the tall knight riding a horse with his black cape fluttering.

The fame Eugene built through the divine majesty he showed in the tournament, and the mysterious castle that was hard to believe even upon seeing it.

With these combined, it was understandable why those stubborn Dark Elves had traveled all the way down to the southwestern tip of the continent.

"We meet again. I wish you gentlemen good fortune as well."

"Thank you. We also wish for your victory in battle, Sir."

When Eugene spotted the knights who had fought on his side during the tournament and waved first, they also smiled and replied.

Because few things were as strong as the bond between knights who had fought shoulder to shoulder.

"As expected, there are many Clear Stream knights in the early stages."

"Because they are skilled at horsemanship. They can't possibly run on foot across these vast borders and mountains, now can they?"

The tribal warriors, including Rex, also viewed the Clear Stream knights somewhat favorably.

This was because no matter how strong humans were, Dark Elves didn't treat those lacking horsemanship as true warriors.

Furthermore, riding a horse on flat plains and riding on rough terrain were completely different things.

While the Gord-style tournament might be one thing, the ones who excelled in subjugations like this were always the Clear Stream knights.

Whether in financial power, tournaments, or overall family influence, this was the reason the native nobles pushed out from the mainstream could consistently maintain a certain level of influence.

"What's that over there? He brought a whole army with him."

"It seems he hired a century."

The newly risen nobles who combined with merchant families, originating from sea raiders, were wealthy.

Naturally, there were also those who brought numerous mercenaries with the intention of subjugating the Gnoll remnants.

"I think his name was Salvatore... I saw him at the banquet."

Rex looked surprised as Eugene recalled from memory.

"Do you remember every single noble you saw at the banquet?"

"That man is a bit special. I offered him a handshake, and he rejected it."

"...!"

"He was an opponent on the other side during the tournament, and I heard he's from an influential family. His pride must have been hurt."

Eugene patted the shoulder of Rex, whose expression had instantly hardened, telling him to calm down.

'I will surely repay the humiliation from the tournament.'

Knight Salvatore glared at Eugene and ground his teeth.

Normally, they should have been the ones monopolizing the glory from the tournament to the New Year Subjugation. The descendants of the truly tough men of the sea, that is.

-I heard the Counts had to swallow their pride a lot to set up this stage. We must absolutely repay that expectation!

-I truly wonder why Count Andar treats those weak snobs so favorably.

Their plan to crush the pride of the native noble knights on this occasion was ruined right from the start.

Some knight from Roman crawled in and dominated the tournament with nonsensical combat prowess.

Falling behind even in the New Year Subjugation would be a matter of face.

Using his family's wealth, Salvatore hired a large number of mercenaries and even called in fellow knights, thoroughly prepared.

"Damn it."

"...He really is an extraordinary bastard."

The knights following Salvatore bit their lips looking at Eugene.

If they encountered him outside, they planned to collectively pressure and bully him territorially, even if they wouldn't challenge him to a duel (since they would lose anyway).

However, seeing him leading elite mounted archers with the legendary magical castle as his background, those thoughts vanished entirely.

"Are they glaring at us? Or are they jealous of us?"

The tribal warriors, who had been agitated and talking about gouging out his eyes over the disrespectful gaze aimed at Eugene, settled down, letting out chuckles.

It was because they saw the opponent who intended to threaten them being inversely intimidated.

To the tribal warriors who had lived a nomadic life, the sensation of having a sturdy base backing them was both unfamiliar and fully to their liking.

"Move. Staking Gord's honor, we must absolutely execute the remnants of the Gnolls ourselves."

Encouraging the mercenaries, Salvatore bypassed the castle. Some knights even swung whips at mercenaries whose steps slowed down as they stared blankly up at the castle.

Although they heard suspected locations from hunters, the land was so vast that they had to hurry to find it before others.

"Shouldn't we hurry as well?"

Meanwhile, realizing Eugene had suffered the insult of having his handshake refused, the tribal warriors also became agitated in turn.

"We are going to take it slow."

"Sir Knight! We might miss it at this rate."

"I am greedy for the trophy, but I'm a bit worried since we earned the resentment of someone leading a force of that size."

Rex, who couldn't understand Eugene's intention at first, soon wore an astonished face.

"Are you saying you're worried those guys might ambush us?"

"There are plenty of crazy bastards in the world. And a hunt also serves as a great event to covertly bury a noble one dislikes."

Eugene's cautiousness also transmitted to the tribal warriors.

If knights and mercenaries struck their rear while they were engaged in a fierce fight with the Gnoll remnants, even the Blackhand Mercenary Group could plunge into danger.

The anxiety of 'Would they really go that far?' developed into the thought of 'Just in case?'

"Hmpf! Let them try if they dare."

"Maybe in a tournament, but if they attack us on the plains, we can turn them all into pincushions with a single volley of arrows."

Of course, there were more who didn't bat an eye and instead burned with competitive spirit.

* * *

Thus, the subjugation began in earnest.

Across the vast borders of southern Gord, humans' shouts, hunters' whistles, and monsters' agonizing screams were occasionally carried by the wind. These were typical scenes whenever the New Year Subjugation began.

However, at some point, humans' screams started being heard.

While casualties occur frequently during the New Year Subjugation, it was rare for several people to scream the agonies of death consecutively like now.

It meant that a group consisting of knights and mercenaries was being massacred somewhere.

There was only one culprit capable of this.

"It's the Gnoll remnants."

"Which direction is it?!"

Eugene, Salvatore, and a few knights from influential families who brought large forces aiming for great honor reacted immediately.

Based on previously collected information, they picked out suspected areas and ran swiftly.

"The gods are looking over us!"

The first to arrive were the knights and the century led by Salvatore.

They discovered a monster encampment in the forest beyond the trails winding through the mountains.

"For the glory of Gord!"

"Souls of the men of the sea! Protect us!"

As Salvatore and the knights drew their weapons and let out a battle cry, the mercenaries also followed in combat readiness.

No Gnolls were in sight, and dozens of Orcs and Goblins with slave shackles around their necks were roaming the encampment, mixed together.

"Bring divine punishment upon those wicked monsters!"

A knight grew enraged seeing an Orc stripping armor and clothing from a dead human. It wasn't for the sake of plundering.

Because it seemed to be mealtime, there were several boiling cauldrons in the encampment, and naked corpses were in the middle of being boiled inside them.

A human's back, split like a cleaned fish, floated up, and the ribs and flesh cooked gray were visible.

The organs that must have been inside were being roasted over campfires elsewhere.

Through the rising bubbles, a human's foot stuck upside down was swaying to and fro.

"These cursed monster bastards!"

"Kill them all!"

Even the mercenaries who just tagged along for money felt a surging killing intent at the gruesome sight.

Orcs struck by swords and bolts collapsed, and Goblins shrieked.

Then, poured out from the forest and all over the encampment, Gnolls holding various weapons rushed out.

"Sharkooth! Krimpool!"

Seeing the new intruders, the Gnolls let out cries of joy.

They were a head taller than ordinary Gnolls, and their equipment was too exceptional to be considered that of a monster's.

From much higher up than those Gnolls, two blazing eyes appeared.

"Uhh?"

As their heads naturally tilted higher and higher to face those red eyes, they could only see the fur on the tops of the lower Gnoll's heads.

Inverse to that, the weapons the mercenaries had raised aloft slowly lowered.

"Kwwaaaargh-!!!"

The roar that shook the world a moment later was simply not something that could be considered to have come from a Gnoll.

Their eardrums ached, and the hair all over their bodies stood on end.

The slave Goblins and Orcs immediately threw themselves to the ground covering their heads, and some pissed themselves.

The knights and mercenaries instinctively realized things had gone terribly wrong.