Chapter 30: A Lead (1)

Tragedy continues yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

New recruits who have taken the hunter’s oath must grow used to this. Otherwise they will either quit with dead eyes in no time, or die during a hunt.

It had been a week since the final test.

The Order was still frantically busy after the unprecedented witch assault.

Led by Morgana, the hunters of the Order strengthened information gathering, reconnaissance, assassinations, and defense of outposts.

To root out any traitors within, relentless ideological examinations and Morgana’s interrogations continued twenty-four hours a day. The witches in penance were not even allowed to sleep.

In such a situation, Nike and the other graduates couldn't rest either.

Before the shock had even faded, they were immediately sent on missions.

The three of them were assigned to subjugate the Dark Forest.

For centuries, the Order of the Silver Blades had managed the forest, raising monsters there for live training. But after the recent incident, it was decided to shut it down entirely.

The place overflowed with mana and was poorly monitored, which meant another assault could happen at any time.

Thus, the monsters that lived there faced an unexpected catastrophe.

— Kyaaaak!

“Ahhh! Die, die, die!”

Lou Gehrig, eyes wild, hacked through monsters with his axe.

Any hunter who had finished training could handle the Dark Forest’s beasts. If not for the disaster of a witch’s appearance, he would have graduated with Ginter and become a proud hunter.

Now he vented his grief over his brother’s death through slaughter.

“Lou Gehrig! You look like a butcher!”

“…”

“Hey, I told you not to charge around like that. We work as four, so if one of us runs ahead the rest are put in danger.”

“S-Sorry.”

At Rowen’s rebuke, Lou Gehrig shrank back to his usual timid self. Only when gripping his axe and killing monsters did his personality reverse.

“Hard to tell if he is suited to be a witch hunter or not…”

Rowen, now burdened with looking after Hestia and Lou Gehrig as well, scratched her head and sighed.

Hans, who had originally overseen Lou Gehrig, had become head instructor at the training hall. Maximilian, one of the Order’s strongest, had secretly departed on a solo mission.

That left only Hestia and Lou Gehrig to be paired with Nike.

“Haha! Lou Gehrig, you are a mess!”

“...Ugh, guts… disgusting.”

“…You smell. Stay away.”

Rowen looked at the three. They were still children. She didn’t know how to handle this situation.

‘Just handling Nike is enough trouble.’

Feeling like an older sister forced to care for her younger siblings, Rowen sighed.

“Focus, you three.”

“Vice boss, in a bad mood?”

“Yeah, I am.”

“Are you hungry?”

“No….”

Hestia and Lou Gehrig stared blankly at Rowen’s mouth.

At least they obeyed and respected her words. Compared to Nike, they seemed perfectly normal.

‘That’s how it should be… yeah.’

It made Rowen realize all over again just how strange Nike really was.

“If you rush off like before just because a monster shows up, you only ruin teamwork.”

Lou Gehrig flinched and hunched his shoulders.

“You have to follow the rules. Especially you rookies, who still lack experience and judgment.”

Since she had been forced into the role of senior, Rowen decided to teach them what she knew.

Lou Gehrig nodded obediently.

Hestia blinked silently with a blank face.

Nike picked his ear.

‘No point nagging more right now.’

Rowen pulled a map from her coat.

“Our squad alone will handle this mission, since manpower is short. It will take about ten days. I divided the forest into sections.”

The map showed a rough layout of the Dark Forest, divided into ten parts with notes for each day. The main monsters there, the terrain, the degree of mana pollution, and key checkpoints.

‘She’s so thorough…’

Lou Gehrig, who thought he knew theory well, was overwhelmed by his senior’s meticulous notes.

He realized this was the level of preparation it took to be a veteran. He admired her.  

This was the model he should follow, working hard until he could be a hunter Ginter would not be ashamed of.

The nights of crying himself to sleep would have to end.

“Y-You are amazing…!”

“…Wha?”

“N-N-Nothing.”

Ignoring Lou Gehrig’s shining eyes, Rowen pointed to one section.

“Today we cover this zone. By nightfall we must clear it. The river cuts across here, so once this is secure no monsters from other areas can cross over. From there we advance counterclockwise. Understood?”

“Understood!”

“And the rest of you?”

“Y-Yes! I got it!”

“…”

The two boys shouted, while the girl simply nodded quietly.

‘This girl doesn’t talk huh.’

Having gauged the group’s traits, Rowen folded the map and stood. Playing at being their senior, she spoke with a bit of swagger.

“Now let’s begin the real hunt shall we? I am looking forward to seeing what you rookies can do.”

* * *

Under Rowen’s command, they carried out textbook tactics as a four-man squad.

The hunt went smoothly and efficiently.

Even Hestia was quietly impressed.

‘Amazing.’

They wasted no movement, covered each other’s weaknesses, and fought in perfect combination.

Rowen had quickly grasped each member’s strengths and assigned positions and roles accordingly.

“Let’s rest for a bit.”

“Yes…!”

They hid in the bushes, eating scentless rations and drinking water.

“…Good. At this pace we will finish before evening.”

Rowen drank only water, with her eyes still scanning the map.

Hestia leaned against a tree, meditating with her eyes closed. Lou Gehrig bounced his legs, nervously scanning the surroundings.

“Oooh.”

Meanwhile, Nike stretched his hand into the air and smiled. Lou Gehrig had no idea why.

Nike’s eccentric habits were so common that no one paid him much attention.

Lou Gehrig turned his head away from him, but then.

“Hmm…?”

He saw Nike’s hand bend like taffy.

Nike smiled faintly, staring with curiosity at his warped hand.

Then, in an instant, it returned to normal.

Lou Gehrig blinked, then shook his head quickly, wondering if he was seeing things.  

‘I must have imagined it…’

Too much had happened lately, and he lacked sleep.

Wandering the mana-soaked Dark Forest in such a state, hallucinations or strange sounds were no surprise.

“I want more food, vice-boss.”

“No. We brought it carefully divided into portions. If we get lost, we might have to survive here for days, so we have to save it.”

Scolded, Nike pouted.

Hestia stretched, with a small groan escaping her lips.

Her pale neck seemed to shine even in the dark.

No one looked tense at all.

Though this forest was the place where Lou Gehrig had lost his brother, clearing it now would help him overcome the trauma.

He worked to calm his heart and rest.

* * *

Swoosh!

Hestia’s battle scythe spun like a boomerang through the darkness, slicing the neck of a monkey monster in the trees.

Thud!

As it spun rapidly, dull thuds echoed as fruits fell from above.

Tap!

Hestia caught the scythe smoothly. Even Rowen had to admit her skill was excellent.

It seems like her technique is nearly complete.’

While Hestia handled ranged attacks, Nike and Lou Gehrig blocked monsters trying to close in.

Their teamwork was excellent. Rowen smiled, judging that they were more than ready for the Dark Forest mission.

Ting!

The scythe clanged against something hard and was knocked away.

“Huh?”

“…?”

All heads turned, sensing something wrong.

— Guh, ughhh

They crouched low, holding their breath, searching for the source of the eerie sound.

— Guh, ukk, ukk, ukk, ukk, ukk

From the silent dark came a halting wail, slow and broken. It grew closer until the creature appeared.

“…!”

“What the…?”

“Get behind me.”

Rowen drew her swordstick and stepped forward. Her eyes sharpened in an instant.

‘Nothing like that has ever been reported.’

It was massive, as tall as the forest’s towering trees. Its skin resembled a metallic crocodile hide. Its lower body was like a horse, its upper body like a monkey’s long arms attached to a humanlike torso. Its head… was close to that of a giant man.

All four grimaced.

Its appearance alone stirred disgust and unease.

“It’s a chimera. I don’t know why it is here, but be careful.”

“W-What? A chimera? Aren’t they the kind that lives only in witch nests…?”

“Yes. Something is wrong.”

Rowen’s eyes darted quickly, scanning the area.

“You guys noticed too, yes?”

“…Yes.”

Hestia answered quietly.

“Just now. The air just changed. Something is different.”

“Again… aghhh!”

They realized too late that they had walked into a trap. Lou Gehrig already felt suffocated just from being in the Dark Forest again.

“Focus! Back to back, cover your fronts. Find out exactly what is coming.”

“...Yes!”

“Got it!”

“Ah, ahh... We will die, we will die…”

“You are loud, Lou Gehrig!”

“Ough!”

— Guh, ekkkk!

The chimera staggered forward on horse legs, struggling for balance.

‘It is not a complete fusion…’

Rowen, slightly relieved, dashed forward.

The chimera’s eyes suddenly flashed, then went dark. Both its eyes were already pierced, one by Hestia’s scythe, the other by Rowen’s thrown knife.

Hestia, with instinctive sense, supported Rowen perfectly.

‘The upper body is hard. Its weakness is the legs.’

Unlike the torso, the horse legs were not covered in hardened skin.

Rowen sidestepped its thrashing, swinging her swordstick smoothly.

Slash!

Blood burst along the blade’s path, and the chimera’s leg was severed. It toppled forward.

Thud!

“…”

“Amazing…”

Though she looked like the intelligent type, her raw power was high as well. Lou Gehrig regained some courage, comforted by the strength of his senior.

Nike leapt in and tore off its head.

“…Is it dead?”

Rowen approached cautiously, prodding it with her blade. No reaction came. It died easier than expected.

‘As expected, it’s an unfinished one… but where did it come from?’

The four scanned the forest uneasily. A chimera did not occur naturally. Only witches could create such things.

Had the witches attacked again?

The realization chilled them. Reading Rowen’s expression, Hestia and Lou Gehrig tensed, swallowing hard.

“Let’s withdraw for now. After finding a chimera, pressing deeper would be foolish. We must report immediately to the Captain—”

As Rowen was calmly leading the group,

— Kuughh…

The entire forest shook with the roar of some monstrous beast.

Everyone except Nike looked at one another in shock. Lou Gehrig’s pupils trembled violently. Rowen bit her lip.

‘Damn it, what is going on?’

All three instinctively felt a presence far beyond them. Their bodies froze.

Rowen slowly turned to check their escape path, then froze.

“…S-S-S-Senior Rowen?”

Rowen clamped a hand over Lou Gehrig’s mouth and nodded.

“Yeah, I know… it’s above us.”

“…”

Even Hestia, though blank-faced, sweated faintly as her eyes lifted.

Above them loomed a colossal shadow.

Something neither seen nor heard of before.

It was so vast that the towering trees of the Dark Forest looked small beneath it.

“…”

“…!”

Lou Gehrig opened his mouth to scream, only for Rowen to silence him.

Nike gazed up with wide-eyed wonder.

Rowen swallowed hard and raised a potion. Hestia and Lou Gehrig followed her lead, uncorking their own.

— Kuughhhhh…

The shadow blanketing the sky moved, very slowly, yet exuding supernatural dread.

— Kuuuuughhhhhh…

— Guuoooooooohhhhhh!

— Kuughhhhh…

The three held their breath, sweating as they prayed the massive thing would simply pass them by.

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