Two days later, dawn found most people in the Black Lion castle getting busy.
Monster hunting was just an annual task, not much of a special event at all. However, this hunt was rather different from the previous ones. Not only were there people participating who were not members of the Black Lion Knights, but there were even two young lions who hadn’t even had their Coming-Of-Age ceremony.
“The Council of Elders will stay at the Red Boulder.”
Genos visited Eugene before the crack of dawn to tell him about the hunt.
“It is unprecedented for the Council of the Elders to leave the castle during demonic beast hunting. The Council of Elders has never been involved in the hunt, at least, not after I joined the Black Lion Knights.”
“But they are not going to run around and hunt demonic beasts themselves, right?”
“You are right.” Genos nodded and pointed to a map he had brought.
“Unlike last year’s hunt, this hunt also serves as a test for the young Lionhearts.”
The Uklas Mountains were vast, but demonic beast habitats throughout the mountain range were thoroughly restricted. This was only natural; just as Ciel had said, demonic beasts were not like average monsters at all.
The origin of monsters had been explained by wizards long ago, but it was still a regular topic of conversation.
Monsters were originally normal animals that were affected by mana and ended up mutating. It wasn’t difficult to figure out which monster was related to which animal. In other words, a pet dog, a wild wolf, and a Monsterwolf weren’t so different in nature.
It also applied to human-type monsters—orcs, goblins, ogres, and trolls. Although countries like the Holy Empire would never admit it, the Magic Society of Aroth claimed that humans and human-type monsters had the same ancestors.
Still, the Magic Society only consisted of a few thousands of people. Perhaps the number of people who believed in this wasn’t the problem; instead, there was a deeper problem that needed to be addressed. Who would just simply nod when they were told that orcs and goblins were humans’ relatives?
Demonic beasts, unlike monsters, had zero connection with any animals or humans. Some looked like animals, monsters, or humans, but their nature was quintessentially different. Namely, demonic beasts were born from demonic energy. It wasn’t possible to interbreed a demonic beast with anything else. In other words, only demonic beasts could give birth to other demonic beasts. Their ominous birth gave them ferocious power, and their power was incomparable to monsters in terms of both quantity and quality. The power resembled magic, but demonic beasts didn’t require magic formulas. As if they were magic formulas themselves, they used up their powers to perform magic-like attacks.
“The demonic beast habitat starts beyond the Red Boulder. The farther you go inside the forest, the more demons will appear. They will also become stronger as you go in. Although a test should be strict… we can’t just let young people die.”
As he talked, Genos pulled out a pen and drew circles here and there on the map.
“Right after this hunt was planned, the Sixth Division knights pulled an all-nighter to release ‘eyes’.”
Magic eyes would transmit footage of what was happening in the forest to the post right away.
“All captains, including me, have received orders from the post. We are going to pave the road for the young lions, so they will not encounter any danger beyond their abilities to deal with.”
“What about ordinary Black Lion Knights?” Eugene asked as he tilted his head.
“They will hunt the same way they do every year. After all, this is a normal yearly activity for them. The only things that are different in this hunt is that there are special guests and a more troublesome hunting method.”
Continuing with his explanation, Genos moved his pen.
“The Black Lion Knights are going to head to the center of the forest by the shortest route. We aren’t going to deal with the small fries. The ones we are going to deal with first are the monsters that block our path on purpose. Do you know what a demonic cave is, Senior Brother?”
“I do.” Eugene nodded.
‘Did he learn about it in Aroth or in the main house?’ Genos didn’t pry about why Eugene knew and how much he knew.
“A demonic cave is a demonic beast’s nest. More accurately, it’s a source that generates demonic energy, resulting in demonic beasts staying in the nearby area.”
“What else is in that place?” Eugene asked, glaring at the map. Although he had heard about demonic beasts being let out into the forest, he could tell how wide the area was when he looked at the map.
“What did you guys use to control this many monsters, oddstones? Cursed relics? Or did they go wild and draw a black magic circle?”
Magic stones were basically pieces of solidified mana. They were usually found inside monsters or places where mana stagnated. Oddstones were similar to magic stones in that they were lumps of demonic energy. Just as magic stones were used for mana training, oddstones were used when black wizards cultivated themselves.
Cursed relics were different from oddstones in that they were items intentionally imbued with abundant demonic energy. A low-class cursed relic wasn’t worth much, but a high-class cursed relic generated demonic energy on its own. Things that could be classified as high-class cursed relics were Incarceration’s Staff, Belial’s Bloody Mary, or Demon King weapons like the Demon Spear Luentos or the Annihilation Hammer Jigollath.
‘The radius of this demonic beast habitat is ridiculous.’ Eugene glared at the map with squinted eyes. He would have understood it if this place were Helmuth, but this was the south of Kiehl. On top of that, the forest was in such a lively mountain range, and yet the demonic beasts’ habitat was this wide?
“We used all three of them.” Genos answered Eugene’s question with a bitter smile.
“Using cursed relics and oddstones as catalysts, we carved a black magic circle deep inside a demonic cave. This hunt is to control the demonic beasts’ population, but it is also to manage the magic circle at the center of the forest.”
Dangerous.
The word crossed his mind, but Eugene left it unspoken. This was the Black Lion Castle. One of the continent’s best knightly orders lived here. On the off chance that magic overload occurred, resulting in a large influx of demonic energy, the inhabitants of the Black Lion Castle were more than capable of bringing the chaos under control before a demonic beast invasion occurred.
‘The world really changed,’ Eugene thought.
He clicked his tongue and leaned back on his chair.
The reason why demonic beasts were at the loose in the Black Lion Castle forest was that they were used to train knights. It would have been absolutely unacceptable in Eugene’s past life. However, three hundred years later, it had ceased being wrong, or even uncommon for that matter. In fact, other famous knightly orders often trained their members using demonic beasts as well. This kind of training helped the knights prepare for real combat, and it wasn’t like it was a big deal if the knights killed the beasts.
‘From what I heard, some tribes in Samar even nurture demonic beasts.’
Furthermore, demonfolk were also sold as slaves at the Bolero Street in Aroth. Whenever Eugene saw such reality, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of incompatibility. This was one of these moments.
“So…we are going to wear a bracelet?” Eugene asked, dumbstruck.
“Yes, you are.”
“Every time we catch a demonic beast, it will be recorded by the bracelet…and the people at the post will check it?”
“There is already a bet going on among the knights,” Genos answered as he shrugged. “The bet is about who will catch the most demonic beasts. Unsurprisingly, most people picked you, Senior Brother. Some also picked Hector. Anyhow, picking who will get first place doesn’t work because the odds of you winning are just too high. That is why everybody is honing in on who will come in second place.”
“Who did you bet on, Junior Brother?” Eugene asked.
“Who do you think?”
“Your daughter?”
“Yes, I did. …Ah, please keep this a secret from Genia. She would obviously get angry as to why I didn’t bet on her getting first place.”
“…We are not that close enough to talk about such stuff.” Eugene cleared his throat. He was hiding his discomfort of making demonic beast hunting into competition while wearing bracelets that recorded the head count.
‘Why are young ones nowadays treating demonic beast hunting as a joke?Well… this place isn’t Helmuth, though,’ Eugene thought.
With a bitter face, he nodded. “I guess there are some people who are betting on Eward, right?”
“There are some crazy young ones who are betting against the odds, trying to get a higher share. Umm… Most people think Master Eward or Deacon will come in last.”
People’s assessment about Eward was disastrous, considering that Eward was the main family’s first son. However, Eugene’s opinion was not so different from theirs.
A total of nine Lionheart youngsters participated in this hunt. Among them, Hector was strong enough to become an honorary knight of the White Fang Order. Genia was talented enough to be compared to Shimuin’s Twelve Finest.
‘No need to even mention Cyan and Ciel. I’m guessing Gargith and Dezra will probably be in the lower ranks, but that’s mainly due to other participants being too strong. They are not bad if I only consider their skills.’
Deacon was the one who overwhelmingly lacked skills.
‘In fact, Eward…isn’t too incompetent when it comes to skill.’
Eward was at the Fourth Circle of magic. Fourth Circle wizards were treated with respect everywhere. It was just that Eugene just had a very high standard; he had already surpassed the Fourth Circle when he was eighteen, and Eward was twenty-two this year.
‘Circles aside, there is no way Eward has real combat experience.’
Deacon actually could turn out to be better than Eward when it came to real combat.
“A location tracking spell is also engraved into the bracelets. Your locations will be relayed to me and other captains in real time.”
“Just like the old times,” Eugene murmured, nodding. He had worn a similar bracelet during the Bloodline Continuation Ceremony.
“I won’t stay far away from you, Senior Brother. If any danger comes your way, I will step in right away.”
Genos stopped talking for a moment and shook his head.
“Although I can’t really imagine the Council Head—no, anyone will try to assassinate you in these circumstances.”
“Maybe it will be easier to assassinate me precisely because of these circumstances,” Eugene answered, chuckling. “They know my exact location at all times during this… hunting game.”
From this perspective, it was indeed the perfect time to assassinate Eugene.
“A game…” Genos murmured with a bitter smile. He certainly also thought that this hunt had more game-like components than the previous ones.
‘…Maybe…if they are confident in their ability,’ Genos thought.
Eugene could be assassinated at any moment, and he was treading on the home ground of a person that could have been behind the previous assassination attempt. However, he was unperturbed. Genos had felt this before, but he really couldn’t believe Eugene was a twenty-year-old man, basically someone who had just become an adult.
He felt that even more when Eugene was in the same room with those of his age.
‘…They are nervous,’ Genos thought.
People had already finished building the facilities necessary to make the Red Boulder function as a post. Genos looked forward with squinted eyes.
Including Eugene, nine people stood in line. With white bracelets on their left arm, they stared at the forest in front of them, which sunlight hadn’t yet reached.
“Don’t be too afraid.” Doynes, the Head of the Council of Elders, spoke with a grin. “They are called demonic beasts, but for all intents and purposes, they’re just monsters that are a bit more annoying. If you are a true Lionheart, you shouldn’t fear mere demonic beasts, since our ancestor is the Great Vermouth Lionheart.”
While Doynes spoke relaxedly, Deacon’s shoulders were noticeably slumped. Eward stood beside Deacon with a surprisingly calm look on his face, but the tips of his fingers were faintly trembling.
Deacon and Eward weren’t the only people who feared the unknown. Gargith swallowed hard, and Dezra took several deep breaths.
“The idea is simple.” Doynes pointed to Cyan’s wrist.
Cyan had been trying to maintain his composure, but as he was being unexpectedly pointed out, he flinched in surprise.
“I think the people standing in front of me will definitely be leading the next generation of the Lionheart clan. Since those promising young people are gathered here today…won’t it be more fun to mix competition and game, if we are going to do it anyway?” Doynes fixed his eyes on Cyan.
Cyan just took it as Doynes paying extra attention to the next Patriarch.
“I’m telling you this beforehand, but there is no reward.” Doynes laughed as if he was joking. “I’m serious. No matter how many monsters you kill, we don’t have any valuables we can give you as rewards. I’m guessing it doesn’t matter, since we are doing this hunt annually in the first place…and you guys are voluntarily participating, right?”
“I don’t want any reward,” Genia answered. She and Hector weren’t showing any sign of nervousness.
“I just want to prove how much I’ve improved. That is why I am participating in the hunt.” Genia spoke while blatantly staring at Eugene.
“You want honor. That is also a good motivation.” Doynes nodded, grinning.
Honor. When Eward heard this word, his eyes shone. The tips of his fingers were no longer trembling.
“Well.” Doynes stepped aside. “We don’t need a ‘get set, go,’ right? The way to the forest is already open. If you go a little further in, you will encounter hungry prey. I’m just saying this out of concern, but be careful, so you don’t become prey.”
There were no rules in this hunt. If the participants wanted to compete, they could compete. They were also able to form a group if they didn’t want to compete. They were even allowed to not go in if they didn’t want to.
“Will you come with me?” Hector offered.
However, Genia coldly declined. “No way.”
She strode forward, but then stopped and turned toward Eugene.
“I’m not going to lose.”
She blurted out the same words as before, then sprang forth to the forest.
Hector dryly chuckled as he watched Genia get further away.
“So…then…does anyone want to come with me? I am going, but I would like someone to accompany me. I don’t want to feel lonely.”
Deacon was the one to react to Hector’s offer. After hesitatingly looking around, he approached Hector. However, the two of them were the only ones to form a team. Others had no intention to do so. Just like Genia had said, everybody wanted to prove themselves in this hunt. Their young passion led them to step forward.
“…Are you going to be okay?” Cyan asked Eward. “It seems this hunt will be difficult for you, considering your ability.” 𝘪𝑎.
“Haha… Thank you for worrying about me,” Eward answered, beaming. “I will be okay. The forest is definitely dangerous, but it won’t threaten my life.”
Eward glanced at the Chief, but Doynes stayed quiet, only a faint smile on his face.
“Besides… This hunt is like the Coming-Of-Age ceremony that I didn’t get to have, so I can’t receive your help, brother. I have to do this on my own.”
There was firm determination in Eward’s whispers. Cyan looked somewhat bewildered; it seemed that he hadn’t expected Eward to say such a thing.
‘Everything will be okay,’ Cyan thought as he looked back.
Aside from the captains, the Black Lion Knights were already in the forest. The captain of the Third Division was at the main estate, so only five captains were currently at the Black Lion Castle. Among those five, the captain of the Sixth Division was going to stay in the post to manage the magic transmission. Still, four captains were going to supervise this hunt by receiving signals from these bracelets, so there wouldn’t be any casualties.
‘…Now is not the time to be worrying about others,’ Cyan gloomily thought.
Cyan could see Eugene just standing there, relaxed. He hadn’t even left for the forest yet.
‘Although he didn’t have to, Hector decided to carry a burden.’
Cyan had a lot riding on this hunt. The Patriarch had to always be careful when they made their move.
‘…Prove how much she improved? She was so condescending, babbling away like that… and what did she say? She’s not going to lose? She should have said that stuff to me, not to Eugene.’
Cyan gritted his teeth and marched forward.
“I have something to tell you.” Ciel lowered her voice as she leaned against Eugene. She also hadn’t left yet.
“Actually, I wasn’t going to tell you, but it bugged me not to tell you when I told Cyan.”
That wasn’t the only reason. Ciel had waited for Eugene to come to his senses and request her to join him before they departed to the forest.
‘…You are never going to ask for my company.’ Ciel thought.
She was certain when she saw the look on Eugene’s face. That annoying prick would never ask her something like that.
“Listen carefully. I am telling you this because I am worried about you. If you enter without—”
“There will be Dizzy Lumps,” Eugene indifferently interrupted her.
“…Huh?”
“There will be Dizzy Lumps, am I wrong?”
“Uh… Uhhh… No, you are right…”
“I thought they divided the sectors manually. Well, it sure makes their work easier if they released Dizzy Lumps in the forest.” Eugene grumbled as he walked toward the forest’s darkness.
Dizzy Lumps were a type of demonic beast. Covered by the darkness, they crept along the forest paths, causing the vision of their prey to blur and its senses to fail. After taking away the prey’s senses, the Dizzy Lumps caused it to lose strength by making it wander through the forest. Then, the Dizzy Lumps opened their mouths wide in the dark and led the unassuming prey in.
“How did you know?” Ciel asked as she followed Eugene.
Eugene snorted. “I know one when I see it.”
There were several inconsistencies he had noticed. First of all, the density of the darkness covering the forest was inconsistent. Secondly, the edge of the darkness was undulating like a sea wave. Finally, within the scent of the green forest, he could sense a trace of a different smell.
“…You know one when you see it?” Ciel shook her head, unable to understand him.
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