~Chapter 116~
While the line briefly stopped, two knights checked a spot where a big tree’s roots were tangled.
Under the mass of roots it was dark and damp—a place the Shadow Boar would like.
Sssrrr…!
But there was no sign of the Shadow Boar. Instead, a snake slid out, twisting through the wet grass.
Startled, the knight stepped back and shouted:
“A snake! It’s not here!”
The hunting party kept moving, searching the Shadow Boar’s expected locations.
The Shadow Boar was omnivorous and a natural enemy of snakes.
Once it chose a habitat, it was said to eat the snakes in the area first—so there was no need to search more there.
“Move out.”
At Ethan’s order, the party set off.
In the dark hunting grounds, the knights’ torches looked like ghost lights.
From the swaying flames came a sweet yet slightly bitter scent of burning resin.
Watching those elegant, swaying lights—woody and sweet, like expensive perfume—made Riden sleepy.
Without realizing it, she leaned her head against Ethan’s chest behind her.
Warm… sleepy.
He had scolded her so often for dozing on horseback that she had moved onto his horse—but here, she felt even sleepier.
Come to think of it, since coming here she’d been living a clean routine of sleeping early and waking early.
Staying up this late was a first in a long while.
“Sleepy?”
At his question, Riden shook her head.
“I’m not sleeping.”
If this were a car’s passenger seat, she’d turn on music to stay awake.
Since she couldn’t, she pinched her nose and cheeks.
Go away, sleep. I still have things to do!
Pushing away her drowsiness, Riden used the dim torchlight to flip through drawings of beasts.
The pet beast Ethan had caught earlier appeared in another novel by the same author.
She rubbed her sleepy eyes, checking if any other beasts overlapped.
Since she’d come with the hunting party, she wanted to be useful somehow.
But aside from the pet beast Ethan gave her, she saw no overlaps.
“The hidden beast isn’t among these, right?”
Among the beasts released in the Silver Hunting Grounds, the highest score belonged to the Shadow Boar—if you didn’t count the hidden beast.
In the forest, there existed a hidden beast worth 500 points more than the Shadow Boar.
It was literally “hidden,” so no one knew what it was.
“Right. You only find out which one is hidden after the hunt ends.”
“If its score is higher, it must be stronger than the Shadow Boar, right?”
“Not at all. Last time, the hidden beast was the Painter Squirrel.”
Painter Squirrel.
A tiny beast that lived only on high branches of giant old trees—almost never coming down to the ground, extremely hard to find.
Its combat power was close to zero, and thanks to that, the number of teams that hunted it was also zero.
That one isn’t a beast I know either.
She wanted to help, but if she didn’t know what it was, she couldn’t.
Maybe me staying quiet is what helps.
Once they reached the abandoned temple, she should focus on finding the relic.
Swaying pleasantly on the horse, Riden imagined the abandoned temple she had never seen.
At last, the hunting party reached the abandoned temple. They dismounted and carefully looked around.
“Looks like it’s here.”
A knight pointed at a stone pillar near the entrance.
In the dirt around the thick pillar, deep, rough gouges were clearly carved.
“Shadow Boar tusk marks.”
Ethan knelt to examine the traces closely.
On the ground were scratch marks from claws, and a few strands of animal fur.
“Seems bigger than expected.”
“Check inside the temple too.”
At Ethan’s order, a few knights entered the temple. They soon returned with a report.
“There are traces inside as well.”
“Recent ones?”
“Yes. They haven’t fully dried yet. It must have been here today or yesterday.”
“Then let’s lure it.”
A knight took out dried bay leaves.
The Shadow Boar was known to like the scent.
When a handful of bay leaves was thrown into the torches, a sweet and spicy aroma spread through the air.
“Kh—kek.”
Riden coughed softly as the sharp scent pricked her nose.
Hearing someone else cough like her, she looked—Damian.
Of course, only the two possessors were struggling and coughing. She frowned.
Knights who knew Damian teased him.
“We understand a lady used to fine perfume would cough, but why are you coughing, Sir Damian?”
“I’m just as used to fine perfume as the lady is.”
His calm answer made the teasing knights burst into good-natured laughter.
“The wind’s blowing toward the temple, so it’ll catch the scent soon.”
Watching the smoke, Ethan took a handkerchief from his pocket and wet it.
It was for Riden, who was having a hard time with the strong scent.
He paused, staring at the wet cloth.
It was the same handkerchief—stuffed in his pocket earlier without thinking—the one Damian had given to Riden.
At that moment, a question he’d never bothered to ask came to him.
So why did Damian come to my tent?
Damian was coughing near Riden, in almost the same way.
A faint, nameless irritation brushed past Ethan.
He handed the wet handkerchief to Damian first.
“Cover your nose and mouth with this.”
“Thank you, Your Excellency.”
“Your Excellency, giving the handkerchief to Sir Damian before the lady?”
“He looked even weaker than Riden.”
He smoothed it over, then handed another wet handkerchief to Riden.
“Thanks.”
Covering her nose, Riden asked:
“Do we just wait now?”
“Yes. The Shadow Boar has a keen sense of smell. It’ll come from far away.”
“How long will it take?”
“At most, thirty minutes.”
Following Ethan’s words, the hunting party moved a little away from the temple.
They kept a distance so the boar wouldn’t be wary, but stayed close enough to surround it at any time.
We’ll catch it quickly.
Waiting took time, but once it appeared, the hunt would be over in a flash.
Catch the Shadow Boar fast, then carefully search the abandoned temple where the relic might be sleeping.
Thinking that, Riden held her breath and waited with the others.
The bay scent at the entrance carried on the wind, spreading and spreading.
Maybe because of the sweet smell, even tiny insects nearby flew in and circled the torches.
But… 20 minutes, 30 minutes…
Time passed, and the Shadow Boar didn’t appear.
“Strange.”
At Ethan’s small murmur, one knight voiced a doubt.
“Could it have left for another place already?”
“The traces say it was here recently. And once the Shadow Boar chooses a den, it doesn’t leave easily.”
“Then why isn’t it coming?”
The scent should have filled the area and even the inside of the temple. No response—that was strange.
“Maybe it just finished eating?”
At Ethan’s words, the knights nodded. What should we do? Wait longer? While they murmured, Ethan stood and gave signals.
“Team 3, circle behind the temple and block the retreat. Team 2, split left and right and move. Team 1, enter through the front. The rest, hold this position.”
It was easier to lure it outside, but if that didn’t work, they had to go in.
Riden looked at Ethan with a worried face.
The plan had hiccups; anxiety raised its head.
“I’ll go with you.”
The words slipped out.
Ethan leaned close and whispered to reassure her.
“There’s no need for me to step in. The knights will catch it. We’ll go later and look for the relic.”
Just then—
“May I go with you as well, Your Excellency? As a priest, I’m more interested in the old temple than in the hunt.”
Damian, who hadn’t been assigned to any team and was told to wait outside, spoke up to follow Ethan.
A good chance.
Damian knew what the church planned to do through this hunting festival.
They wanted to return to the time when the church was most prosperous—when beasts overran the land.
In those days, when the Eastern Empire was invaded by beasts, many people went to temples to seek God.
Of course, the church didn’t want the Empire destroyed like back then. They only wanted to create an atmosphere where people feared it could happen again.
This festival was the first step. The church had secretly mixed a few dangerous “real” beasts into a hunting festival that otherwise used only mild ones.
They planned to increase donations to the church by causing real beasts to appear within the Eastern Empire.
The festival was the perfect time.
It was better for trouble to happen where many nobles were gathered—news would spread faster than if ordinary citizens were harmed somewhere else.
If the duke and Lady McCurry fall into danger, I’ll be there to help.
Since he knew which real beasts the church had released, he could aid them.
Saving someone in danger was the surest way to become their ally.
Without realizing it, Damian looked up at the temple roof and swallowed.
This time… I’ll be useful.
