The Blanc Family Manor in Jerom
After all the trouble cleaning this place, we didn’t even get to stay for long.
Though the world was still steeped in the blue light of dawn, soldiers were already moving with purpose.
Today was the day they departed for the site of the Great Hunt.
Dressed in leather armor, all his hunting gear packed, Sevha scratched at his bare neck.
I want to wear the scarf. But if I do, they’ll suspect my identity.
The green scarf was the symbol of a Hunter of Anse. It was not sothing Sevha could wear openly.
Just as he had resigned himself to going without it, Teresse approached.
“I’ll give you a final summary of the situation.”
Teresse, who was staying behind in Jerom with Legra and Vanadia, began her explanation unprompted.
“Ninety percent of Jershu’s people don’t dream of any king other than Barsh. But that’s not because Barsh has their support. It’s because he rules them through fear.”
Sevha cut to the heart of her words. “You an if the right man were to kill Barsh and beco king, there would be no backlash.”
“Correct. And there are three such n.”
Teresse glanced at Sherry, who was helping soldiers in the distance. Then she relayed what she had gathered from observing Sherry over the past few days.
“The first is the Second Prince, Aleio. He has Michel’s backing. The second is Angke. With the support of the Papal See, he could beco king if there were no direct descendants of Barsh left.”
Teresse grinned, certain he already knew the third.
Sevha caught on quickly. “The third is Duce, who has joined forces with .”
Teresse nodded and continued, “I don’t know if Gwen has allied with anyone, but at least three of the Four Knights are hostile to the king.”
“Gwen must have allies. That’s why he was caught up in the king’s plot at the last banquet.”
Sevha guessed that Barsh already suspected the Four Knights were aiming for his throne, which was why he had planned to kill them at the banquet.
“Whether it’s three of them or all four, for those who covet the throne, this Great Hunt is the perfect opportunity to kill the king.”
“And the perfect opportunity for Barsh to kill all who covet his throne,” Sevha finished.
With the situation summarized, Sevha asked the question that had been on his mind.
“So? Why are you repeating everything you told yesterday?”
Teresse hesitated before tying a green cloth around his arm. A small, skillfully embroidered hawk in gold thread adorned the fabric.
“Next ti, just give it to . Don’t make a fuss,” Sevha said teasingly.
A faint blush crept onto Teresse’s face. To hide her embarrassnt, she snapped, “I’m only giving it to you because you keep touching your bare neck like so abandoned child! It was annoying to watch!”
A mont later, Teresse finished tying the cloth tightly and pulled her hands away.
Sevha said, “Thank you, Teresse.”
She was slightly surprised by his straightforward thanks, then an honest smile touched her own lips.
“It’s nothing, Sevha.”
He imdiately walked toward the soldiers. Having finished their preparations, they watched him approach.
Tension was plain on their faces; every one of them had been told the true goal of this Great Hunt by Sevha and Duce.
To ease their fears, Sevha forced a smile and said, “Let’s go. We’re off to hunt the most savage lion on the continent.”
***
The most contested region in Jershu was the east, which shared borders with
the Empire and several other nations. For this reason, Bianca Fortress, which guarded the road connecting the east and central regions, was one of the largest strongholds in Jershu.
Outside Bianca Fortress.
Though it was night, all the soldiers participating in the Great Hunt—Sevha’s army, Duce’s army, and the others—were arrayed in formation.
Including Barsh’s army inside the fortress… there must be ten thousand n.
Just as Sevha was thinking that a force this size could cross the border and wage a war, Eshu, Tataka, and Baren approached.
“I wonder what great prey he has prepared to have gathered so many soldiers,” Tataka laughed heartily with anticipation.
Eshu sighed. “Tataka, the prey we seek is not sothing to be hunted with a smile.”
“Don’t be so tense, Commander. Worrying won’t make our hunt any easier.”
“That may be, but still…”
To encourage Eshu, Tataka clapped him hard on the back, then looked at the silent Baren.
“Not a word from you. Are you tense, too?”
Baren clicked his tongue. “There is no reason to be tense about killing one man.”
Just then, Barsh appeared on the fortress walls.
In an instant, a hush fell over the assembly. Barsh shouted to those gathered for the Great Hunt.
“What is a knight!”
A just man. A protector. A servant.
Many thought of similar answers, but Barsh’s was different.
“A knight is the incarnation of power!” he roared, as if he would brook no argunt. “The steel armor a knight wears, his warhorse, his lance? They are nothing but tools for acquiring power!”
Barsh continued to bellow, his words a command to fear and obey.
“Justice, protection, service. They are nothing but pretty words used to adorn that power.”
Most of those listening could only tremble, their mouths shut tight.
They had no choice but to obey. Barsh’s speech was not a threat. It was his truth, proven by the countless lives he had taken.
“So, knights! Acknowledge that you must seize what you desire with strength! That you must climb to greater heights by trampling the weak!”
As Barsh’s voice soared, his Dark Knights dragged a creature toward him. It was hard to see in the darkness, but it was about the size of a sheep.
Barsh drew his twin swords and roared, “Knights! Now, in this Great Hunt, cast aside all hypocrisy and prove your strength!”
Just as Barsh finished his speech, Sevha identified the creature.
Instantly, his face went white.
“Is he… insane? Sto—!”
Before Sevha could finish his scream, Barsh stabbed the creature with his twin swords.
It let out a terrible shriek and died.
Eshu, like most of the n around him, did not know what the creature was and was about to ask the hunters.
But then he saw Sevha, Baren, and the others staring at the dead creature, terror on their faces.
“M-Marquis?” Eshu called.
In a dazed voice, Sevha muttered, “Just… run.”
“What?”
“Run. It’s coming.”
“What’s coming?”
Sevha told him, “He killed a baby dragon. Its mother and her horde are coming.”
A patch of the night sky turned red, as if it were on fire.
***
A fortress on the northwestern border of the Empire, adjacent to Jershu’s eastern region.
The fortress had once been ceaselessly embroiled in Barsh’s wars of conquest, but it had been nearly fifteen years since those wars had ceased.
Perhaps because of those fifteen years of peace, the soldiers at the fortress had grown complacent.
“Did you hear the rumor?”
“What rumor?”
The soldiers guarding the walls chatted as they looked out toward Imperial territory.
“They say they keep hearing a dragon’s cry from a nearby fortress.”
“A dragon’s cry? Were you dreaming on duty? The Empire has plenty of dragons, but they don’t leave their own territory.”
“So other madman must have wandered into its lands.”
“So? Did they see it? Did they get past its horde?”
At the rebuttal, the first soldier muttered, “Well, there is that,” and scratched his head.
Just then, soone in the fortress blew a horn.
“W-what? Enemies?”
The horn’s aning beca clear monts later.
“L-look at the horizon!”
Where the horizon t the night sky, a swarm was approaching.
“What is that?”
The soldier squinted, trying to identify the figures. The mont he did, his jaw dropped.
“M-monsters! Light the beacon!”
Thousands of monsters were pouring over the horizon, heading for the fortress.
***
“A-a dragon and its horde?”
The mont Eshu asked, fire and smoke rose from every beacon on the plains, hills, and mountains near Bianca Fortress.
But Sevha was not looking at the beacons. He was watching the patch of sky that was stained a burning red.
“It’s too late…. Baren! Order the retreat, now!”
Baren and the hunters imdiately gave the signal, but Eshu and the others, not understanding the situation, did not move.
“M-Marquis? What in the world is going on…?”
“Enough questions! This isn’t the ti! A dragon and its horde are coming!”
Imdiately after Sevha shouted, a trendous roar swept over Bianca Fortress.
After the sound passed, the night sky above was dyed the color of blood and fla.
Sevha gave up on escaping. He stared into the red sky, his voice full of resignation.
“It sent the winged part of its horde first.”
A hundred or so creatures were flying within the red glow. Another great roar echoed from among them, and then sothing dove, smashing into a fortress tower.
CRASH!
Part of the tower crumbled, and debris rained down in a cloud of dust.
As the dust settled, the creature on the broken tower was revealed.
“M-Marquis, what is that…?”
The creature was massive, nearly half the size of the tower itself.
It resembled a wyvern, but it was clearly different. Its two wings, its four legs, its head—its entire body was covered in crimson scales.
As if fire flowed through its veins, a web of fiery lines pulsed across its body with every breath it took.
Sevha spoke its na.
“A Scorching Fla Dragon.”
It was a situation no one had anticipated. Everyone stared blankly at the dragon.
The veins on the Scorching Fla Dragon’s chest began to glow brightly, like embers in a forge. Then it opened its maw, which was lined with countless fangs.
With a roar, it spat a fireball.
The fireball landed in the middle of the army outside the fortress, erupting in a storm of fire. The soldiers there were incinerated in an instant.
Only after witnessing that sight did the n finally scream.
Countless soldiers broke ranks and fled in all directions.
Among the fleeing soldiers, Sevha stared directly at the Scorching Fla Dragon. The only thing that ca to mind was a passage from a book in the archives of Anse.
The dragon is the king of all living things.
The Scorching Fla Dragon raised its head and roared. In response, the wyverns in the red sky dove toward the ground.
Beneath a night sky of fire.
A roaring dragon.
Descending wyverns.
Fleeing soldiers.
Amidst it all, Barsh gazed down at Sevha, who was not running, and declared, “Now, let the Great Hunt begin.”
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