“Every time you catch a monster, the number is recorded on the bracelet… and checked at the garrison?”
“A bet has already been made between the knights.”
Genos shrugged and replied.
“Who will catch the most monsters… That’s it… Most knights pick the death penalty, but some pick Hector. Anyway, the odds of death penalty are so overwhelming that a bet on first place doesn’t work. So, we are paying attention to who will be number two.”
“…Who did the priest bet on?”
“Who would you like?”
“Daughter?”
“yes. …Ah, this story is a secret from Xenia. Because she’d be mad about why she didn’t bet on first place.”
“…I’m not close enough to have a conversation like that.”
Wearing a bracelet, competing to hunt monsters… Eugene cleared his throat while hiding his uncomfortable feelings.
‘…don’t these days treat monster hunting as a joke…?’
No, it’s not even Helmud. Yuji nodded his head with a puzzled look on his face.
“…I’m sure there are people who bet on Iod-nii-nii, right?”
“There are a few crazy youngsters out there looking for reversals… well… most expect Master Iod or the Deacon to come last.”
A miserable evaluation that cannot be thought of as the eldest son of the main family. However, Eugene’s thoughts were not different from him.
A total of nine lionhearts participate in the hunt. Among them, Hector is a strong man who has been awarded the honorary knight of White Fang, and Xenia is also a strong enough to be compared to the Twelve Girls.
‘Not to mention Cyan and Ciel… Even Gargis and Deja, who are at the bottom of the list, are falling behind because of that lineup. If you look at your skills, you won’t bow down anywhere.’
Deacon is overwhelmingly inferior.
‘Rather, Iode… if you look at his skills, it’s not like he’s really lacking.’
The 4th circle that Iod has reached is not a skill that deserves to be treated badly.
Eugene’s eyes are just too high. Iod is 22 years old. Right away, Eugene broke through the 4th circle around the age of 18.
‘…regardless of the height of the circle… there’s no way that Iod has experience in combat.’
Rather, the decon may be better than the iod in practice.
“The provided bracelets also have location tracking magic built into them. Its location will be relayed to me and the other captains in real time.”
“It reminds me of the old days.”
Yujin nodded and murmured. Even at the Blood Ceremony, which she did when she was 13, she wore such a bracelet.
“…I will not be far from the death penalty. If there is any danger to the death penalty, we will intervene immediately.”
Genos paused for a moment and shook his head.
“…Under these conditions, I can’t imagine that the Senate… no, someone else would assassinate the death penalty…”
“Rather, it might be easier under these conditions.”
Eugene replied with a smile.
“Through ‘playing’ hunting, you can know exactly where I am in the forest.”
There will be no better conditions than me to assassinate.
“…to play…”
Genos muttered with a wry smile. surely. Even in his opinion, this hunt had a strong play element.
‘…if I’m confident in my skills… I guess so.’
You never know when you might be assassinated. Even though he is at the base of the chest water, his composure is not disturbed. …As he had felt before, Genos couldn’t believe that Eugene was a 20-year-old young man who had just become an adult.
such thoughts.
Standing together with young people of the same age, the contrast was even more intense.
‘…I was nervous.’
red rock. Facilities to function as a garrison have already been completed here.
Genos looked ahead with thinly opened eyes.
Nine people, including Eugene, are standing in a row. They each wrapped a white bracelet around their left arm and looked at the dark forest where the sunlight hadn’t yet reached.
“Don’t be too afraid.”
The head of the Senate, Doines smiled and opened his mouth.
“Even if you say monsters, they’re just annoying monsters… If you’re someone who inherits the name of Lionheart, you shouldn’t be afraid of monsters. Our ancestor is the great Vermouth Lionheart.”
Whenever the relaxed voice continued, it was Deacon who blatantly shrugged his shoulders. Standing next to him, Iod’s expression was unexpectedly calm, but her fingertips were trembling slightly.
It wasn’t just the two of them who felt fear of the unknown. Gargis swallowed, and Didyra took several deep breaths.
“It’s simple.”
Doines pointed to Xian’s wrist. Xian, who was trying to maintain his composure, shrugged his shoulders in surprise at being pointed out.
“Those of you who are in front of me right now, I think you are definitely the protagonists of this generation. Such rookies gathered… If that’s what you do, wouldn’t it be fun to mix competition and play?”
Doines’ eyes did not leave Xian. Xian accepted that gaze as attention toward the next family head.
“As I said beforehand, there is no reward.”
Doines laughed as if he were handing a joke.
“Really. No matter how many monsters you defeat, there’s no treasure worth giving as a reward. In the first place, this hunt is held every year… you guys participated voluntarily, right?”
“I don’t want a reward.”
The answer was Xenia, the daughter of Genos. She showed no tension between her and her Hector.
“A proof of the skill that has been honed. That is why I decided to join the hunt.”
While Xenia said that, she looked at Eugene with a rather blatant gaze.
“Do you want honor? That’s good too.”
Doines smiled and nodded.
honor.
At those words, Iod’s eyes lit up. …His fingertips no longer trembled.
“ruler.”
Doines took a few steps to the side.
“Don’t you need to say “preparation” or “start”? The road is already open… A little further in, and you’ll face hungry prey. I’m saying this out of desperation, but be careful that you don’t become prey.”
There are no rules. If you want to compete, compete; if you don’t want to, join forces with someone else. If you don’t want to go in, it’s okay not to go in.
“Are you going with me?”
——————
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“No way.”
Hector offered it, but Xenia refused with a cold attitude. She strode forward, pausing her steps for a moment and looking back at her Eugene.
“…I won’t lose.”
what you said last time. After Xenia spat that out, she kicked off her ground and ran into the forest. Hector looked at Xenia’s back and laughed.
“…well… then… is there anyone who wants to go with me? I’m going to go, I wish I had a companion so I wouldn’t be lonely.”
It was Deacon who responded to Hector’s proposal. He looked around hesitantly, and eventually approached Hector.
Hector and Deacon were the only ones who formed such a group. The rest had no intention of doing so. As Xenia said, the youthful spirit of wanting to prove my skills in this hunt led everyone forward.
“…are you okay?”
Xian asked Iod.
“I think it’s going to be too much for you with your brother’s skills.”
“Haha… Thank you for your concern.”
Iod replied with a smile.
“But, it will be fine. That forest is sure to be dangerous…but it won’t threaten your life.”
Iod gave the senator a glance, but the senator only smiled lightly and didn’t answer.
“Besides… this hunt is like a coming-of-age ceremony that I couldn’t go through for me. So I can’t take your help, brother. This, I have to do.”
There was strong determination in that murmur. As if he hadn’t expected that Iod would say such a thing, Xian put on a puzzled expression.
‘…I’m sure it’ll be fine.’
Xian looked back.
Except for the captain, the black lions are already in the forest. All that was left there were five captains, excluding the 3rd squad, who had gone to the main house. Among them, the captain of the 6th unit is said to remain in the garrison to manage the sending of magic, but even so, the 4 captains receive the signal from the bracelet and manage to prevent casualties.
‘…It’s not the time to worry about others.’
I saw the face of Eugene, who hadn’t even started yet and was standing leisurely.
‘Hector dared to bear the burden.’
Xian is putting a lot of weight on this hunt. ‘Gaju’ is a place where you have to feel the weight of anything.
‘…Proof of your polished skills? Talking braggart… And what? won’t you stand? You should have said that to me, not that bastard.’
Sian walked forward, gritting his teeth.
“…I have something to tell you.”
Ciel, who hadn’t left yet, lowered his voice and leaned on Eugene.
“I didn’t want to tell you the truth. I told my brother, but it bothered me a little that I didn’t tell you.”
That wasn’t the only reason. Before leaving, he just waited until Yu-jin made up her mind and asked her to accompany her.
‘…You can’t do that.’
I was convinced when I saw Eugene’s expression. That nasty guy will never accompany you.
“Listen. I’m telling you because I’m worried about you. If you go in anyway…”
“You’re dizzy.”
Eugene replied with a sad face.
“…huh?”
“Dizziness. no?”
“…uh… uh… that’s right…”
“I thought it was divided by manpower. Well, if you release the dizziness, the burden on the manpower will be reduced.”
Eugene grumbled and headed for the darkness of the forest. dizzy. It is the name of the monster. They seep into the darkness of such a forest, cluttering the vision and distorting the senses. By making them wander through the forest, they lose their strength and lead their prey to an open mouth in the dark.
“…how did you know?”
Ciel followed Eugene and asked. Eugene replied with a snort.
“You know when you see it.”
The density of the darkness is different, and the tip is fluctuating like a wave. Subtly different smells are mixed in the freshness of the forest.
“…you know when you see it?”
Ciel shook his head, unable to understand.
hunt
A fishy, nostalgic smell wafted through the dingy forest. Ciel, who had been following behind, was invisible from a certain moment, and the backs of those who entered first were not visible.
Eugene took a look around. After passing the red rock, entering the forest, it must have been about 10 minutes. However, the surrounding trees are so unbelievably dense that it creates the illusion that you have entered the depths of the forest for a long time.
In a forest like this one should beware of such delirium. Every time Eugene breathed, he felt a strange feeling in the air, as if it were sticky and sticking to his bronchial tubes. Neither mana nor primitive spirits.
“…I miss you.”
Helmud 300 years ago was a terrible place.
However, most of the memories of ‘Hamel’ were made in that terrible hell.
Almost half of his previous life was spent in Helmud. A survivor who survived a monster attack. A boy who lived as a mercenary, saying he would recklessly seek revenge.
When I was wandering around as a mercenary… I don’t have much memories left. If I had to force myself to count, the first murder… or the single-handedly fulfilling a request.
‘…I don’t think it’s a memory.’
Eugene smiled and stretched out his foot.
As if waiting, something popped out from under my feet. It was a sudden surprise, but the signs were obvious. The problem is that such an obvious surprise cannot be avoided.
f*ck! Eugene kicked his outstretched leg as it was. It was a skinny black hand that grabbed his ankle and tried to pull him into the shadows.
“Yeah…”
Yujin smiled and lowered herself. ‘Hand’ hurriedly tried to enter the darkness again, but Eugene reached out much faster than he ran away.
“It really reminds me of the old days.”
The monster that was completely pulled out had a appearance that could hardly be called a ‘beast’. At the end of her skinny arms, only lumps of bulging flesh were hanging. When I held it in the air and gave it a shake, the chunk of flesh split open, revealing sharp teeth.
“Wow.”
Mer, who had been hidden under the cloak, poked out her head. When she saw the monster that Yujin was holding and shaking, her expression crumpled.
“It looks gross. How do you hold it with your bare hands and shake it?”
“It’s like catching c*ckroaches.”
“Do you think the analogy is understandable? Why the hell do you have to catch c*ckroaches with your bare hands? You can use tools or use magic. No, the situation that c*ckroaches appear in front of you in the first place is wrong.”
Mer shook her head with a disgusted look on her face. It is natural for Mer to hate her gross appearance and mental age, but now, the hatred she feels is not only for her appearance, but also for ‘monsters’.
“…you’re not going to eat it, are you?”
“Why?”
“I heard that hunting takes place over four days.”
“Even if it lasts for months instead of four days, it won’t eat monsters. In the first place, monster meat is poison that cannot be eaten without a high-ranking priest.”
Eugene grumbled and blew mana into his dizziness. ㅡFajik! He didn’t even need to cast magic or raise a sword. The mana imbued with her lightning killed her dizziness and contorted her body just by channeling it.
“And there are plenty of things to eat inside the cloak. There is no need to eat monster meat that has no taste.”
“…Then I’m glad. I really don’t want to allow this, disgusting… hateful, grotesque piece of trash that I don’t even want to call a creature to enter Eugene-sama’s mouth and become a part of Eugene-sama.”
Mer said with clenched fists shaking. …Is the hatred for monsters Senya’s personality? Or is it that he hates monsters made of magic and made of mana and made of mana?
“It’s the latter.”
When asked directly, Mer replied with a crumpled face.
“It’s true that my personality is based on Senya-sama’s childhood personality, but that doesn’t mean I share even the memories. Of course… Of course, I do hate not only physiologically, but also for other reasons. Demons, no, demon-derived beings made Senya-sama suffer.”
Every time he spoke, Mer quietly pulled back his head that had been sticking out. Normally, whenever I have a chance, I struggle to come out of the cloak, but now I tried to open the cloak first, but he refused to come out.
“…I hate this forest.”
“So do i.”
Eugene smiled and closed the cloak.
“I miss it, and just because it reminds me of the old days doesn’t mean I like it.”
four days
The bracelet was filled as if hunting a lot of monsters was recommended, but the priority above all else was survival.
Monster meat is a poison that should not be eaten except in dire circumstances, so if you want to survive in the forest for four days, you must find uncontaminated food resources yourself.
If you are not greedy, there is no need to go deep into the forest. Of course, the farther away from the center, the thinner the concentration of demonic energy, and the easier it is to get food.
‘There’s no way I’m not greedy.’
Since they voluntarily participated in the hunt, they would want to make plausible results. You won’t be able to brag about it if you only catch a bunch of small things that aren’t a big deal, so you’ll want to go deeper and make a meaningful criminal record.
‘…I’m sure…’
Yujin rubbed her fingertips together and frowned.
Monsters of this level came in droves, and they pose no threat to Eugene. surprise attack? Even if you pay a little attention, you won’t get hit, and even if you get attacked, you won’t be harmed. Most attacks can be blocked with just the cloak of darkness.
hunt? No, this is just a walk. Eugene does not pursue prey. just walk as you go While doing so, monsters hidden throughout the forest approach Eugene.
come and die
“A great doomsday.”
“shut up.”
Mer giggled in the cloak, and Eugene shot at him in disgust.
…The god of destruction was right. It raises enough mana to be invisible, and wraps it around the body. That way, you can intercept the approaching monster without having to launch an attack.
‘…He went first, so why is he still here?’
I didn’t want to be conscious of it, so I didn’t pay attention. However, no matter how hard this side tried to ignore it, the other side’s gaze was too blatant.
Xenia Lionheart.
She was staring at Eugene’s back, killing her presence as much as she could.
It is true that he entered the forest first. The darkness lurking with dizziness makes you wander the road from the beginning of the forest. For that reason, if you enter with a time difference, everyone will scatter to the wrong place.
The forest is vast, and if you add in the dizzy’s tricks, it’s hard to meet other people. After wandering around like that, when you become so exhausted that you can’t even resist, you’ll be eaten…
It would be the case with an ordinary person, but this is not the case for Xenia. As soon as she entered the forest, she found a way and cut dozens of monsters to death. For Xenia, it was just boring labor without any tension.
I was going to head straight to the center of the forest.
‘…why is my father… only around him?’
Four captains came in as a latecomer to protect the young lion. Each of them actively judged and decided to protect the nine young lions from the threat of the forest.
but. Genos, the captain of the 2nd division, kept a certain distance from Eugene without heading elsewhere. Without interfering with Eugene’s hunt, without provoking monsters… A distance at which he can intervene in time when danger arises.
It was blatant favoritism. Her daughter, Xenia, could not tolerate him. In this hunt, if there was anyone who deserved Genos’ favor, it had to be her own daughter.
With such dissatisfaction, he pursued Eugene. It was a protest against Genos in its own way, but Genos did not leave Eugene and go elsewhere. He had no choice but to do so. Now, Genos is wary of the situation where the Senator’s dagger will target Eugene. Now that he heard the circumstances, he couldn’t create a danger by leaving Eugene.
‘…That’s…’
I couldn’t help but feel envy and jealousy. The Black Lion, Genos, has left his house and is staying in the Black Lion Castle. Of course, he goes on vacation and returns home many times, but for the past seven years, Xenia has been immersed in training at the staff.
In other words, he reunited with his father after 5 years. Xenia naturally assumed that her father would follow her around and want to see the results of her practice.
Xenia swallowed in a gulp.
The form of mana is invisible. However, if you focus your consciousness, you can associate an invisible flow of mana. Xenia felt the ‘flame’ wrapped around Eugene’s body. No, it felt more like jagged thorns than sparks.
I am just walking aimlessly. However, the protruding thorns ‘smell’ and spread towards the surroundings. The moment the monster that judged it to be prey approaches and touches the thorns. ‘Poison’ kills monsters…
‘…No, it’s not poison.’
I can’t believe it.
‘That’s… a god of destruction.’
A family secret that has been handed down for 300 years. A great hero worthy of respect, Hamel’s skills.
‘…is that…?’
I recognized it, but I just couldn’t believe it. Xenia also knows how to use the Divine Destruction skill. However, Xenia’s god of destruction was not that transparent.
‘It’s not a sword river… It’s keeping mana at a dangerous level. …That’s all, how do you kill monsters?’
The first time I saw it, I thought it was a dishonest use of poison. As he continued to follow and watch, he was convinced that it was not poison. However, I don’t understand that mana, not sword strength, kills monsters.
so.
Xenia decided to check it out for herself. Xenia raised his bent body and estimated the distance between him and Eugene. If it’s that far, you can hit it right away. My father? He’s a long way off, but he’ll be keeping an eye on us.
Will they intervene if they attack?
‘It can’t be.’
monster hunting. That is the purpose, but there was no warning not to fight each other. It was an ignorant thought, but Xenia accepted it that way. What he couldn’t help was that the civil servant Xenia had been training for 7 years was a place where duels between knights were very natural.
Measure the distance once more.
Xenia’s foot kicked the ground. The distance quickly closes. The back of Yujin’s head, who could be seen from afar, gets bigger and bigger. Shall I draw my sword? that’s too much Rather than attacking, it’s enough to catch the back neatly…
“it…”
?
Lips trembled uncontrollably.
“Uhhhhh…!”
This wouldn’t have happened if it was simple mana, but Eugene responded very honestly to the attack coming from behind.
The invisible mana became a flame.
ㅡPajijik!
Lightning melted into flames hit Xenia.
“Hey… Lee Iik! Hey…!”
hair stands on end The body twists at will. The reason why it stopped to that extent was because Eugene had limited the output of lightning and Xenia’s mana had gone out to protect her body.
“…profit!”
The mana generated by the core shakes off the lightning. Xenia quickly came to her senses and jumped back behind her. Although she shook it off, her body still had the aftermath of the electric shock. Xenia strained her numb limbs and gasped for her breath.
“Bar… just? what?”
Tongue did not move well. Not wanting to spit out her ridiculous words with her slurred pronunciation, Xenia asked as briefly as possible.
“…it is on my side that I want to ask. What is it all of a sudden? Why did you attack me?”
“…Um… Uhm. Ughmm…”
Xenia avoided answering immediately and cleared her throat. iced coffee. After clearing her voice and starting to move her tongue properly, Xenia strained her eyes and glared at Eugene.
“…I thought it was a monster.”
“what?”
“…You don’t know, but there are monsters that imitate people in this forest.”
It’s a ridiculous excuse.
“…So I just came to check. There was no intent to attack. Actually I didn’t even draw my sword, I just came close.”
“Why are you following me?”
“…Following me… that’s wrong. I never followed you.”
“It’s obvious, but you’re telling a lie that doesn’t make sense.”
“…you saw it? nonsense. I was completely hiding my presence…”
“Look. You were following me, right?”
Xenia’s eyes trembled at the words that made her laugh. She glared at her Eugene for a moment, then swung her hair back in her pigtails and said,
“…I would have told you earlier, right? I will not lose to you.”
“Yes, so why are you following me?”
“…Eugene-nim. You are my unknown adversary.”
Xenia desperately squeezed out an excuse.
“To fight against you like that and win. I need to get to know you I don’t know. Exploration is the basis of tactics. You, being oblivious, seem to have regarded my search as tailing.”
“…”
“Then what are you doing here? A few hours have passed since the hunt started, but why are you still hanging around the entrance? Could it be… are you just going to pass the time in a ‘safe place’ away from danger?”
Xenia opened her eyes thinly and glared at Eugene.
“Eugene-nim…! I know that you are favored by your father. I heard rumors that he has qualities comparable to that of the founder, which is unprecedented in the history of the head family, no, Lionheart. but! As a successor of the Hamel style, I have no desire to lose to you. Especially if you’re a coward who only cares about avoiding danger…!”
“I am Hamel.”
“What nonsense are you kidding?”
The pride of being a successor of Hamel’s style seems to be great, so I said it subtly. Of course Xenia didn’t believe that. Rather, she glared at Eugene with eyes that seemed to be contemptuous.
“…don’t worry, we’ll take care of it, let’s go our separate ways.”
Yujin waved her hand and turned around.
“…do you know how to survive in the forest?”
“I heard rumors about me. I wandered the Great Forest of Samar until recently.”
“It’s true that it’s a dangerous place, but it’s not a forest contaminated by demons. It’s only four days, but with common sense, it would be hard to survive hunting monsters in this forest.”
Inside the cloak, Mer suppressed a chuckle.
“…If you ask for help, I won’t refuse it. Even if the opponent hates you, not giving up on your duty is my chivalry.”
“Then would you please do me a favor?”
“Let’s listen first.”
“It’s really okay, so don’t bother and go away.”
Eugene exhaled and lowered his knees. …don’t bother me? Did anyone think of it and recommend it? After going through such a flow, Xenia’s eyebrows furrowed.
“What now…”
Pachichik!
White lightning flashed. Her reckless approach got electrocuted, so Xenia was startled and backed away from her.
It was only a few steps back. ㅡWoe! A sudden gust of wind blew Xenia’s hair away. Xenia saw what was happening in front of her with wide open eyes.
The moment the wind blows your back.
Lightning shot forward. It seemed so. Xenia looked at Eugene’s back, who had moved away in an instant, and her half-opened mouth.
“…What is that?”
Magic? No, I don’t know. Is there any magic that allows you to move at such high speed? Among the people Xenia knew, the ‘fastest’ was Ramjour, one of the 12 girls who was the principal.
‘…the speed just now… more than that of Lord Ramjour…’
That kind of speed can be achieved instantly without an acceleration process? Xenia stood there blankly, but she came to her senses belatedly and chased after Eugene.
*
“What about Hector?”
[Takes his luggage and continues to move. Should I call it brave, or call it boyish… Are you thinking of going all the way to the middle? It’s not like I’m thirsty for honor.]
“Haha… Hector will be driven by… interest rather than honor. Haven’t you been like that before?”
Dominic let out a low laugh and shook his head.
“When I went to ask him to join the Black Lions. He said he was not interested and refused, and left for Luhar as if he were running away.”
[If I had joined then, I would have been in the captain’s seat by now.]
“Well, it’s still not too late, is it? When the hunt is over safely, let’s take it easy and persuade.”
[…if he hadn’t changed his mind.]
be a betrayal Dominic scratched his chin at the senator’s voice in his ear.
“…Who else is listening now?”
[no. It’s just me.]
“grandfather. I don’t think Hector has defected.”
[…As you said, Hector is someone who puts my interests first. Such a personality is easy to change even. No, maybe there is no awareness of betrayal.]
“…but he’s proud of Lionheart.”
[Is that pride about the original family with savvy blood? Or is it about Lionheart’s name… I don’t know. Of course, I am not unconditionally suspicious of Hector.]
The senator’s words paused for a moment.
Dominic looked ahead without hastening the silence.
[…the Ruhar that Hector trained… is too close to Helmud. In particular, from 5 years ago, the royal family broke their stubbornness and opened the door to demons.]
“…hmm…”
[It’s not just Hector who is suspicious. I doubt everyone ‘Cause I’m the one who has to be I suspect everyone except Xian, Ciel, and the legitimate successor to the family.]
Iod didn’t bother to say anything.
It wasn’t worth it.
[…so Dominic. As I do, you should be suspicious and keep an eye on everyone. Someday… you’ll have to sit in the same seat as me now.]
“Grandpa’s words are so loud that it puts a scab on my ear.”
Dominic said that and shook his head.
“…but… that young master… haha. I wonder if it’s worth the doubt.”
[…a child with a precedent.]
“I know that, but it’s not even in the corner of my room… I don’t think you’re going to do anything in this place full of lions who will rip off my head in an instant if I want to.”
[I’d rather play tricks.]
The senator’s voice grew cold.
[Finally, I don’t even have a family head right now. If Iod does something now, it won’t matter if he is immediately executed.]
I didn’t say that as a joke. The senator sincerely thought so.
“…You don’t seem to have the guts to do that.”
Dominic looked ahead while saying that.
“…Your grandfather probably understands this, but that young master avoids fighting monsters as much as possible. I’m barely defeating the monsters I encounter with magic, but honestly, my skills aren’t smooth.”
[There are only ten or so now…]
“I’m watching it because I’m suspicious… but wouldn’t it be better for me to go to Hector too?”
[Isn’t Harris watching him?]
“Or… Master Eugene?”
[…That child is being watched by Genos. Dominic. I understand your boredom, but keep an eye on the iodine. If he does anything suspicious, let him be killed immediately.]
That is why the grandson was attached to Iod. The Senate still hasn’t forgiven Iod for disgracing Lionheart’s name.
That’s why, if there was a chance, I wanted to pay the price for that sin with death.
“yes.”
Dominic nodded in response. Finally, communication with the garrison was cut off. Dominic licked his lips and watched Iod move from afar.
“…that’s boring.”
Dominic yawned and shook his head.
“It’s so easy it’s boring.”
hunt
Akasha makes the barrier that Eugene can open more powerful.
The familiar, Mer, doesn’t need to sleep, and is connected to Eugene. If someone interferes or attempts to invade the barrier, she immediately recognizes him and is able to inform Eugene.
That alone wouldn’t make it necessary to stay vigil, but Eugene was strict enough to be overly strict about these issues.
The bonfire was not lit. The darkness in the forest is thick, but Eugene’s eyes can easily see through this darkness. He chose a terrain that would be difficult for the assailant, and did not lay down a comfortable seat.
Eugene wrapped herself in a large cloak and sat on the floor. Sleep is light, short, and cut off. Of course, he prepared various magic around him, but Eugene did not feel comfortable.
Xenia, who had been chasing her from afar, gave her a passing grade. There are no judges in this hunt. Even if it exists, Xenia is not an examiner.
Anyway, Xenia corrected her judgment about Eugene. Talent is something that is recognized here and there… I tried to point it out right away if I showed age-appropriate clumsiness, but even in this situation, my vigilance was enough to give it a passing grade.
“…It’s good to sell.”
Still, Xenia fired a word. She glared at Eugene as she shook the soil from the roots of the grass in her hands. Unlike Xenia, who directly pulled out the uncontaminated grass roots, Eugene was spreading fruit jam on the bread he had stuffed inside his cloak.
“Tell me to be ready.”
“…I was able to prepare myself. It wasn’t done on purpose. because? This hunt tests the survival skills of a hunter…”
“Since when has this been a test?”
“…From the moment Eugene and I decided to wear a bracelet to measure hunting records on my wrist, this wasn’t just hunting, it was an added test.”
“Even if it is, I don’t care. It’s not like they’re rewarding you for getting a lot of points… Isn’t it someone other than me who will be in last place? In any case, if I had to do it last, it would be a bit embarrassing.”
“…Yujin-nim… don’t you have that kind of ambition to prove your skills to everyone?”
“I’ve been proving it all this time?”
Eugene giggled and bit the bread into his mouth. Xenia looked back and forth between the jam-soaked bread and the grassroots in her hand. … Xenia pressed her lips together as she brushed off the dirt from the grass roots.
“Do you want to eat?”
“No, thanks. I’m going to eat these grass roots that I picked myself up.”
“It is the root of Kalisz. If you eat it raw, it will be very bitter.”
“…do you know?”
“I know. Magi doesn’t get dirty well, and once it’s blanched and dried, it’s subtly sweet.”
“…and you can chew for a long time.”
“Well, one bread with jam is much sweeter and tastier than chewing ten of them.”
Xenia’s lips pouted even more at Eugene’s muttering.
“…under these circumstances, this is good enough to eat.”
Xenia opened her mouth proudly and bit off Kalise’s root. … cut with her teeth, the moment it touched her tongue. A bitter taste filled her mouth like an electric shock. But Xenia didn’t show him.
“…Are you putting on some jam?”
“it’s okay.”
i want to spit Even if Eugene was watching, he would have spit it out. No, at least I could have grilled it if I had a fire. Xenia grabbed the corners of her twisting mouth and forcibly chewed and swallowed her grass roots.
“Are you going to follow me around all four days?”
“…I told you I wasn’t following you…”
Eugene stood up without listening to the answer. Then Xenia cleared her throat and nodded her head.
“…I’ll just finish eating and get up.”
Xenia straightened her expression before continuing.
“…I saw Eugene’s skills…even in fragments. Indeed, my father deserved his favor. Not just hearing about it, but seeing it with my own eyes. I can’t help but acknowledge Eugene.”
“Did you follow me because you couldn’t admit it?”
“I just wanted to see it with my own eyes.”
Xenia fired at her like that and got up from her seat.
“…and I’ve seen enough. Even if I catch more monsters than Eugene-sama in this hunt… you wouldn’t consider him a defeat, would you?”
“yes.”
“Still, I will catch more monsters than you.”
“do your best.”
It must have been an attempt to arouse sympathy, but Eugene didn’t think much of it. Xenia felt disgusted by that calm face, so she glared at Eugene’s face for a while.
“…Don’t hate your daughter too much.”
After Xenia left, Genos approached. Eugene smiled as he looked at Genos, who had stopped at a distance.
“Is it the priest’s own stubbornness to not come close at all?”
“…Because I’m always there as a protector.”
“It seems very dissatisfying to your daughter that it only hangs around me.”
“It can’t be helped, can it? If the brother-in-law hadn’t talked about the assassination, he wouldn’t have stayed close to the brother-in-law.”
“The Senate Lord?”
“It remains on the red rock.”
Genos continued, conscious of the terminal hanging from his ear.
“…There has never been a specific order. Never had an accident happen.”
“What about Xian and Ciel?”
“It seems that the young master is aiming for the center of the demon cave. The lady…”
Genos hesitated for a moment without continuing.
“…You are following Master Iod.”
“…Brother’s?”
“yes. I guess that wasn’t the intention from the beginning, but…”
I came across it by chance in the woods, or I saw it. In any case, he is now following Iod.
‘…Certainly Ciel, isn’t he using this hunting opportunity to kill his older brother?’
I thought that for a moment, but when I thought about it again, it was absurd. She knows that Ciel hates Iod, but she doesn’t really hate Iod to the point of killing her.
‘…Besides, Ciel… isn’t the type to get his hands dirty. If I really want to kill him, I’d rather hire an assassin or kill him with poison instead of a knife.’
There is a precedent, so Iod is just being on guard in case Iod does something stupid. Of course, Eugene is also wary of that.
A forest full of demons. There is also a black magic circle at the center of the demon cave, and strange stones and high-level castings containing demonic energy are also prepared. In an environment like this, I would be able to become a warlock without having to sign a contract with a demon.
‘Your fist… Haha… Although it hurt, it became a painful lesson for me.’
‘Thanks to you, I also spent my time working hard. It’s all thanks to you.’
Iod’s face, which was laughing hard, came to mind.
“…if it’s a person.”
Eugene muttered quietly and sat down on the floor.
“There’s no way I’ll do it again.”
This forest is an optimal environment for accepting black magic. But the conditions are too bad. It would be easy to become a warlock, but it would be impossible to survive after that. Dozens of Black Lion Knights lurked in the heart of the forest. Without the captains stepping out, the moment Iod became a warlock, the Black Lion’s teeth and claws would tear Iod to shreds.
‘Iodine’s magic only has 4 circles. It’s not a bad level, but it’s impossible to survive.’
There’s no way anyone with a good mind would do something like that here.
‘…I was trying to get into black magic because I didn’t get stuck in it properly… but I’m sure I’m not that stupid.’
Yujin thought so and glared at the darkness. Genos watched it for a moment, then slowly stepped back.
Genos walks away. Just like that, Eugene was left alone. Mer inside her cloak said nothing and crouched over her. She read Eugene’s silence and the surface of his sinking emotions.
‘…It’s heavy.’
His behavior was light. The conversation I had with Xenia was never heavy.
It was only the outward expression of emotion. Mer realized that Eugene was not a 20-year-old young man, but a member of the death squad that wandered through hell 300 years ago.
Stupid Hamel.
From the moment he entered this forest, he suppressed his seething urge. He is enraged at the magi that clings to his bronchus every time he breathes, and the monster that tries to attack him without even knowing the subject. For him, everything in this space is an unacceptable evil, and he deserved it right away.
what doesn’t.
‘…I’m going to put up with it.’
Inside the cloak of darkness.
Mer crouched in the dark. Darkness is not shaken, but it is not still. The sound of a pounding heart… Sometimes thoughts become voices and echo. The existence spell of the familiar engraved on Eugene caused resonance in Mer’s mind whenever her emotions became stronger.
‘…Because it’s the world 300 years from now.’
Eugene thinks that the demon king, monsters, and demons are all evil. Yes he saw the world he deserved, he survived it, and he wandered to end it.
300 years is a long time. Common sense that is natural to Eugene is not natural in today’s world. A peace treaty was signed with the demon lord, the black magician who should be unconditionally evil is only a ‘realist’, the monster is treated as a moving scarecrow that allows for convenient simulation training, and the demon tribe can be enslaved or hired as a guard in a messy shop. It has become so versatile that it can be used…
Now that the world has become like that, we cannot always have the common sense of 300 years ago. Eugene made that decision and worked hard.
but. Breathing in this nostalgic, f*cked-up air, watching a monster wriggling and attacking as its prey.
Anger inevitably flares up. So, I killed all the monsters that got in my way and moved forward. But the raging inside doesn’t calm down. Even if she was Xenia, if she wasn’t the daughter of Genos, she wouldn’t stop electrocuting her and would’ve beaten her so that she wouldn’t get tangled up for no reason.
‘Should I come?’
The lion heart pattern is engraved on the badge that fixes the cloak on the shoulder.
gigg.
Eugene scratched the pattern with her fingernails and glared at the darkness.
‘It won’t come today.’
It didn’t go that deep. If you want to disguise the assassination as an accident, it’s too early here.
‘Four days ahead. don’t rush assassination? It’s a good hunt. I’m used to it.’
If the Senator Wonju is a malevolent beast.
Will you really commit? It is different from using mercenaries. In this castle of the black lion, even if it is an adopted child, it is to kill the son of the head family. For what?
Intention is unknown.
When he faced the head of the Senate, he couldn’t read the intent to kill.
‘An old man who has lived over a hundred years. Even if he has the intent to kill, he won’t spill it clumsily.’
It was the senator who instigated the assassination. For now, I think so. Shall I make a hasty move?
‘I’ll try to seduce you once.’
The Senate column remains on the red rock. …Dominic Lionhart. Do you want to use your grandson? Or one of the black lions? I’m looking forward to it, but… honestly, I don’t think I’ll attempt an assassination attempt so clumsily.
‘…I can’t keep bothering about this.’
Princess Raksha is coming.
‘If the hunt ends safely.’
We also need to find Raisakia, who is said to have been trapped in the dimensional rift.
‘Should I openly crash into it?’
Did you instigate a beast to try to kill me?
Eugene clicked his tongue and clenched his fists.
*
We didn’t meet face to face.
In the distance, Iod was seen walking through the woods.
The night in the forest is fast. The forest becomes as dark as night when the sun goes down a little. However, Iod did not hold a torch or create light with magic.
So alone, I crossed the darkness.
I was concerned. I was also curious.
The Iod that Ciel remembers remains as he was when he was 15 from 7 years ago.
When Iod heard that he was about to be initiated into black magic in Arot, I was not greatly surprised. He thought that it might not be the case with other people, but ‘Iod Oppa’ might.
Iod in his hometown had a gloomy corner that would not be strange even if he did such a thing. Of course, it wasn’t like that from the beginning. As Ciel remembers, the iodine was pretty ordinary, at least until he was 10 years old.
I mean it was that old. Like a child, he’s playful… and he doesn’t mind that Ciel and Xian are half-brothers, and sometimes gets along.
But since I was 10, that wasn’t the case. Ciel was 7 years old at the time, but I could see why her older brother had started to change.
10 years old.
The age at which you can participate in the Lionheart tradition, the Blood Ceremony.
From then on, Iod distanced himself from the twins. Rather than playing nonsensical games together, he began swinging his sword under the watchful eye of Theonis, who opened his eyes wide. He practiced mana while sitting upright, and when the sun went down, he locked himself in the study and read swordsmanship theory and various tactical books.
from sometime
Magic books were added to the books that Iod was reading. It was not Theonis’ wish, but she did not object to her son reading the Ma Books. At that point, Theonis had no choice but to admit it.
Iod Lionheart has no martial arts talent.
That’s why I turned my eyes to magic. Iod himself wished for him. Rather than focusing on swordsmanship, which he is not good at, while being scolded by his mother, it was fun to read magic books imagining his yet unconfirmed ‘talent’ of magic…
Ciel remembers Iod at that time.
The sight of her eyes shining brightly, shutting herself in the study and turning over the magic books. The appearance of ‘imitating’ magic, generating mana that was not long and could not be handled well.
okay.
After all, it was an imitation. It wasn’t real magic. Although he indulged in magic books, Iod was unable to properly use his magic. That’s why he longed for magic. I locked myself in a room with curtains drawn to block out the light, read magic books, wielded a sword I was not good at, imitated magic, and lit my eyes with magic.
‘…This…’
Something is strange.
Ciel crouched in his seat and glared at the corpse. the corpse of a demon. …is it a corpse? Ciel squinted his eyes and extended his dagger. He poked and stabbed him, and his blood flowed. There are no cramps. I can’t even feel my breath
It is certainly. The monster in front of me died. By the way… he was calm enough to not be thought of as a dead corpse. It’s like falling into a deep sleep.
‘…What is it?’
Ciel tilted his head and stood up.
She belongs to the 3rd Division of the Black Lion Knights. Her captain, Carmen, is considered the best among the Black Lions, and her 3rd Division, led by her, has undergone training to match her captain’s prestige.
training in the forest. He has killed countless monsters and has many experiences fighting monsters. The monsters in the center of the demon cave are dangerous, but the monsters here are not dangerous if you are careful enough.
If it was Ciel’s skill, that is.
‘…how did you do it?’
I haven’t learned magic.
But I know enough about magic. Right now, there is also a mage in her 3rd squad, to which she belongs.
Ciel raised his body with an uneasy expression on his face.
As if asleep, the dead monsters are making a path. Attack by magic… Poison? No, there is no sign of death from poison. Moreover, killing this number of monsters consecutively, without any chance to resist, would be impossible for a moderate level wizard.
“…This… Did Brother Iod do it?”
“Aren’t you curious?”
voice.
Ciel was startled and moved. With a short leap, he left the spot, and drew his sword the moment he jumped up.
“… Brother Iod?”
Nonsense.
Thoughts swirl in my head. The iodine must have been heading forward. How are you able to pop out from behind? Blink? yes, you can use that
But if it was Blink, there would have been a sign. Blinks in the lower circle distort mana in the air. There is no way that Ciel didn’t notice the 4th circle’s Blink.
‘…Strange.’
Ciel dragged his feet back and grabbed the hilt.
‘…I’m right in front of my eyes… I don’t feel any sign of Iod oppa.’
“That knife.”
Iod smiled lightly and pointed at the sword Ciel was holding.
“It’s the non-phantom sword Zabel.”
“…”
“Xian received Geddon’s shield.”
low voice.
“Eugene is… a storm sword, Winid. Other than that… I received several things.”
“…brother.”
“I didn’t get anything.”
Iod laughed lowly and shook his head.
“Ah… don’t get me wrong. Head of household… I don’t mean to resent my father.”
“…How did you get out of the back?”
Ciel swallowed and asked. At that question, Iod tilted his head.
“I just walked behind you.”
“…that’s… impossible. Oppa Iod was in front of me. I said I was after Brother Iod.”
“Why are you following me?”
“…”
“know. Could it be that I did something bad… something that would tarnish the family’s name? That’s why you followed me.”
you are the shame of the family
because of you i
“Ciel. I know you.”
Why are you… my son?
A guy like you is my grandson?
“You… expected me to do something ‘wrong’.”
I wanted to raise you well.
like both of them.
At least, like twins.
