Chapter 114 – The Hunting Dog Unit
“Stop! We’ll get off here.”
Whoa—
At my command, the carriage slowed to a halt.
Stepping outside with Nella, we were greeted by the first light of dawn. We had traveled through the night, but from here onward, we were no longer within Beneta’s territory. It was safer to proceed on foot. Moving through the forest would make us less conspicuous, and crossing Laup Forest was part of the plan.
Taking a deep breath, I caught the strong scent of grass and earth. Beyond the dense trees and the incessant chirping of birds lay Laup Forest, known for its eerie quiet and the occasional wild beast call.
“Nella, are you ready?”
“One moment, please.”
When I turned to look, Nella was tying her loose hair neatly. She had changed into tight-fitting brown leather attire, perfect for moving around freely. The outfit complemented her milky-white skin, and the delicate nape of her neck, exposed below her pinned-up hair, caught my eye.
After finishing her preparations, Nella lightly tapped the coachman’s seat and offered a bright smile.
“Please tell the Master not to worry.”
The dark elf coachman nodded and pulled a letter from his coat.
“Take this, please.”
“What’s this?”
“It’s the weekly intel report. I should’ve given it to you earlier, but… circumstances didn’t allow it.”
Handing over the letter, the coachman gave me a quick glance before quietly leaving.
Only the wheel tracks remained as evidence of his departure. Nella calmly unfolded the letter and began to read. Curious about its contents, I leaned closer, prompting her to smile slightly and offer the letter to me.
“What’s it about?”
“It contains information related to you. This is the latest intelligence gathered by the Black Rose.”
“Information? Why didn’t they give it to us earlier, while we were still in the carriage?”
“Because you were asleep.”
“I wasn’t asleep.”
“Maybe they just didn’t want to give it to you.”
“…….”
Perhaps exhausted from the blood pact ceremony, Nella had quickly fallen asleep.
And me?
I was wide awake, spending the entire night staring idly at the scenery outside. If they’d given me the intel earlier, it would’ve helped me kill time by reading it.
Clicking my tongue, I took the letter, deciding to be content with receiving high-quality information, even if it was late.
One of the greatest benefits of forming a blood pact was the ease of access to such intel.
However, as soon as I started reading the letter, my brow furrowed deeply.
That damn dark elf. If the contents were this urgent, he should’ve handed it over right away!
All these Black Rose members reminded me too much of Fenry—they were all annoyingly difficult to like.
But this information… could it be true?
“Crux has been wiped out?”
“Yes. Since you were formerly involved with that assassin organization, we paid close attention to it. But it’s not just Crux—most of the assassin groups in Etor Territory have vanished.”
Crux was gone.
I wondered what kind of expression Karl Bastain would have upon hearing this news.
After all, his main target for revenge had disappeared.
According to the original story, Crux had thrived until Kamel Blazer conquered Etor and placed Karl beneath him. But now, they had suddenly been wiped out.
Who could have pulled off such a feat?
I had a suspicion.
“Rengua Field, that black shaman, may have made a move.”
There were no assassin groups in Blyer Territory. After the Nest of Shamans took root there, assassins had been driven out.
The reason? They were used as raw materials.
Blood-soaked souls, like those of assassins, were the key components for creating voodoo dolls known as Bandike.
Rengua had long been entrenched in Etor Territory.
And now, he had awakened his divine name.
This deviated from the original storyline.
It was highly likely that Rengua was behind this.
If so, it meant he was acting on Kamel’s orders. But stirring up Etor like this wouldn’t sit well with its lord, Viscount Tomzael.
It was too early to provoke Etor directly—what was Kamel aiming for?
“Wait a moment.”
“Is there more information?”
“Speaking of assassins, something comes to mind.”
Nella rubbed her chin thoughtfully before sharing new information.
“About two weeks ago, the Lord of Blyer formed a temporary unit. I heard it was composed of former assassins. Do you think it’s related to this?”
“A temporary unit?”
“Yes. I was waiting for more concrete details before reporting it, but now it seems connected.”
A new unit created by the Massacre King.
This was news to me.
And it was composed of assassins?
“Who’s leading that unit?”
Lyon Martrein was in charge of Kamel’s royal guard, while Rengua handled the Nest of Shamans.
With Karl Bastain gone, I couldn’t think of anyone fit to lead a unit like this.
Could it be… the Master of Crux?
“Jack and Howell. They’re twin brothers whom Kamel recently recruited himself.”
“……!”
I felt my breath catch in my throat.
Those bastards went under Kamel?
How?
“Are you sure it’s Jack and Howell? And that they’re under Kamel?”
“Yes. I heard Kamel trusts them enough to oversee the unit directly. However, their abilities seem questionable. They don’t appear capable enough to earn such trust from the lord.”
“Are any Black Rose members stationed near them?”
“They’ve set up nearby to gather information…”
“They should retreat. Staying there will only lead to unnecessary casualties.”
“Huh? But according to our assessment, the elder brother, Jack, is about a 4-star level, and the younger brother, Howell, is around 3-star…”
“No. Jack is 5-star, and Howell is 4-star. Both are awakened ability users with unique traits.”
“……!”
Nella’s eyes widened in shock.
She was clearly surprised that the twins had managed to conceal their true strength so well.
“I heard they’re reckless thugs obsessed with money and women. Was that also an act to hide their abilities? Are they really that dangerous?”
“No, they are genuinely perverted bastards obsessed with women. However, they are also dead serious when it comes to hiding their true capabilities.”
“Why?”
“It’s advantageous for survival. Moreover, it’s related to their traits—both have abilities linked to assassination.”
An assassin’s abilities lose much of their effectiveness once exposed, so the twins avoided revealing their powers as much as possible.
Those perverted bastards.
They were notorious for preying on women, regardless of status. If a woman was beautiful, they’d target her without a second thought, even if she belonged to a noble family.
Naturally, this earned them a long list of noble families eager to see them dead.
Hence, they kept their abilities hidden.
The nobles had only been sending mediocre assassins after them.
But without the numbers to overwhelm them, the twins managed to survive by constantly evading their pursuers.
Now, however, with every assassin group in Etor wiped out and the twins under Kamel’s protection, they no longer had to run.
To make matters worse, Kamel had formed a temporary unit with the twins at its helm.
‘Kamel’s forces have shifted.’
By recruiting Jack and Howell, Kamel gained effective hunting dogs—but at the cost of severe dishonor.
Aligning himself with the despised twins would pit Kamel against numerous noble families.
This would only strengthen Etor’s position.
Why take such a risk right before a potential war?
‘Kamel must have a decisive card—something that makes noble families irrelevant.’
Artifacts.
That’s right. Kamel had acquired a vast number of artifacts by selling off information related to my divine name. Those artifacts must have become a critical factor.
It’s fortunate I learned about this now.
The assassin unit led by the twins was effectively a perfect hunting dog unit.
One bite, and you’re dead.
Finding their exact location was crucial.
“Do we know where they are now?”
“They’re currently stationed in a village a day’s travel from Blyer Territory. They appeared to be tracking Lochter but haven’t moved for three days. The exact reason is unknown.”
A day away.
That’s a bit too close for comfort.
Even if Lochter fought at his full potential, he wouldn’t stand a chance against the twins’ unit.
“And Kamel’s whereabouts are still unknown?”
“Yes.”
Nella’s expression darkened.
The Black Rose agents tasked with monitoring Kamel had gone silent. After Kamel left his territory, his exact location remained untraceable.
I nodded and began walking toward the forest.
“Then we need to find their location quickly.”
“The Master should be sending word soon.”
“We need to know even faster. Follow me.”
The reason I dared to leave Beneta was because I was reasonably confident about my safety.
As long as I kept my escape routes open, I only needed to be wary of Lyon and Rengua. Lyon was stationed with Kamel, and Rengua was still in Etor.
Once we located Kamel, things would be easier—Fenry had already hinted at his whereabouts.
The World Tree necklace, which she had handed over in exchange for my divine name’s information at the black market, had been traced not in Blyer but in the direction of Etor.
Since Fenry was personally handling the search, we should have precise coordinates within three days.
However, with the new threat of the hunting dog unit, we had to move faster than planned.
A hunting dog unit.
Just the name alone sounded deadly.
I continued toward Laup Forest.
***
Blyer Territory was located at the western edge of Laup Forest.
As soon as we entered the forest, we broke into a run.
We moved so fast that the trees blurred past us. I glanced sideways at Nella, who was keeping up with ease, despite my initial concerns.
Thanks to the elves’ natural agility, she was far more nimble than humans, and in the forest, she seemed even lighter on her feet.
Still, due to her limited stamina, we had to stop for breaks occasionally.
“You’ve been running without rest—how are you not even tired?”
“If you crawl like a dog long enough, you get used to it.”
After running for half a day, we finally heard something other than wild beasts.
Kieeeek—!
Kraaang!
Nella, looking tense, tugged at my sleeve. I pointed toward a tree, and together we climbed up.
After leaping across a few high branches, we stopped to observe the scene below.
There, in the clearing beneath us, familiar creatures were tearing into each other in a vicious fight.
Nella stared at the grotesque monsters and murmured softly,
“Chimeras…”
“Yes. A lot of them escaped after Arena’s death. We’ll probably encounter them frequently as we travel through the forest.”
“Why are they fighting each other?”
“Without someone to control them, they’re just acting on instinct.”
“Like madmen?”
“Exactly.”
The presence of madmen had become widely known by now.
Especially in Etor.
I had heard that Viscount Tomzael was having a hard time dealing with the steadily increasing number of madmen in his territory.
Even with the knights mobilized, the damage was escalating. Despite warnings about the side effects of mana stones and bans on their use, people’s desire for power kept driving them to consume them.
Tomzael himself was secretly stockpiling mana stones and distributing them to his knights, so it was no surprise that control was slipping.
So far, things seemed to be wrapping up without too much chaos, but only time would tell how deeply rotten Etor’s internal situation was.
It looked like Rengua was working behind the scenes as well.
“Mana stone prices have skyrocketed lately, haven’t they?”
“They’re worth whatever people are willing to pay.”
As time passed, the value of mana stones kept climbing.
Now that chimera production had ceased, their rarity increased.
Where there’s money, mercenaries follow.
Just like the situation before us.
Kiaaak!
“Surround them!”
Shortly after that shriek, a group of armed men emerged.
They were mercenaries from Etor Territory.
About thirty of them surrounded two chimeras and launched a coordinated attack. The battle ended quickly.
“Were you waiting for them?”
“No, not these guys. But the ones I’m waiting for will show up soon.”
“Who are they?”
“The predators higher up in the food chain.”
Mercenaries who hunt chimeras.
And another group that hunts those mercenaries.
This was the perfect time for them to be active.
Moments later—
Uuuung—!!
“What, what’s happening?! What is this…?!”
The mercenaries, who had been gloating over the mana stones they had just harvested from the chimera corpses, flinched and looked at the ground.
A crimson magic circle appeared beneath them, and their bodies froze in place.
The more skilled mercenaries reacted quickly and leapt out of the circle’s range, only to find themselves face-to-face with robed figures emerging from the forest.
In desperation, the mercenaries thrust and slashed at their opponents.
Puk—
“…Huh?”
“What, what are these things?!”
A mercenary who had driven his sword straight into the enemy’s heart looked bewildered. Another mercenary who had struck down a different figure wore the same confused expression.
It felt as if they had stabbed empty air.
Before they could make sense of the situation, shadowy fists emerged from beneath the robes and struck them, knocking them unconscious.
In no time, the mercenaries were subdued.
Then, from the dense forest, four figures stepped into view.
One wore knight’s armor, while the other three were cloaked in blood-red leather mantles.
The moment I saw those red mantles, I summoned the Ring of Blood.
The Nest of Shamans.
The blood-red mantles were their signature robes.
The prey I had been waiting for had appeared.
It was time for the apex predator to enter the fray.
Five minutes until the hunt begins.