Chapter 48
Chapter 48
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: The Hunter of Narvik
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For Arsen and Eloise, the greatest enemies on their journey were not magic beasts or bandits, but boredom and fatigue.
The western plains, barren as a desert devoid of any plants, were nothing but a vast expanse of desolate land, and unless one was blind, it was impossible not to spot any dangerous foes that appeared.
There was scarcely any ecosystem to speak of from the start, so they encountered almost no living creatures at all. Thus, the two rode on without any clashes whatsoever.
In order to shake off any potential pursuit from the estate.
Meals were far from enjoyable as well.
Hardtack, dried vegetables, and jerky were the only options permitted.
They weren't the sort of food one could jokingly call delicious, but since they had packed only lightweight, long-lasting provisions and needed to conserve water, this was the best they could do.
Finally, sleeping arrangements—or rather, the issue of rest—tormented them too.
Fortunately, the cold was manageable with Eloise's magic, but with almost no information on this desert-like wasteland, they couldn't sleep soundly even at night.
It was common knowledge that magic beasts didn't stir at night, but they had already ventured into a world beyond common sense.
Arsen, with his strong stamina and sharp night vision, stood watch while half-dozing, and during the day, Eloise took the lead to set their direction as they repeated their exhausting rides.
After weeks of this monotonous, grueling travel—where even meals and sleep were ordeals—they finally reached the forest.
As if marking the boundary between the estate and the outside world, the wasteland and forest were divided as sharply as if sliced by a blade.
The moment they spotted the forest, the two embraced in sheer joy—an event hardly worth recounting.
And shortly after entering the woods, Arsen came upon a man on the verge of being slaughtered by a magic beast, collapsed before it.
* * *
"Huff... huff."
Rino lay prone on the ground, struggling to steady his ragged breaths.
His companions had already scattered, leaving him as the sole survivor here.
Hoping against hope that the mighty magic beast—which had overwhelmed him and his hunter comrades—would pursue someone else, he remained flattened in place. That was his current plight.
'Please!'
It had all started when one of his fellows spotted a snowflower fox, a magic beast renowned for its parts as an aphrodisiac.
What began as a casual hunt for some giant rats to eat turned into frenzy at the sight of this valuable, non-aggressive rarity.
The snowflower fox, extremely rare and harmless, bolted upon seeing the charging hunters.
Chasing it relentlessly led them far deeper into the woods than planned—a fatal mistake.
The moment they thought they might have strayed too far into danger, a massive deer spewing lightning from its antlers appeared and attacked.
Witnessing one comrade burn to death, the hunters immediately fired arrows and swung spears and swords in retaliation.
But the deer's black hide showed not a scratch, and it retreated swiftly, unleashing two more bolts of lightning that killed two more comrades.
Finally accepting it as an unbeatable foe, the hunters scattered in all directions to flee.
Thunderous crashes echoed several times after, and Rino huddled in the underbrush, praying the deer would sate its bloodlust and leave.
Then, at the rustling before him and the sight of its hoof, he sensed his life was over.
'Damn it all.'
Peeking up, he saw the jet-black legs stretching upward from the hoof, the massive body, and the two antlers still crackling with electricity.
The deer gazed down at Rino indifferently, as if he were a mere insect.
Without thinking, Rino muttered.
"I'm sorry... please spare me."
As intense light gathered in the deer's antlers, Rino closed his eyes, reflecting on his short, troubled life.
Faces of his deceased parents and siblings flashed by briefly.
Then came the sound of something piercing deeply, followed by the magic beast's agonized scream.
Feeling blood splatter on his face, Rino opened his eyes.
"Huh?"
The deer, once a king of terror, staggered as if its legs had given out. A javelin protruded from its flank, having pierced hide tougher than steel.
As Rino gasped in awe at the impossible scene, a voice shouted from afar.
"Get down!"
Though the situation made calm judgment hard, the command pierced Rino's ears with startling clarity. He dropped flat instantly.
Exactly one second later, a boom erupted overhead, something splashing across his body. Clutching his dazed ears from the blast, Rino rose.
Before him lay the deer's corpse, shattered to pieces.
As he stared blankly, a voice came from behind.
"You're alive."
With the young man's voice came the first sight: Jin, a metal mount ridden only by the elite even in the estate.
Atop one of an unprecedented design sat a knight.
Armored in unfamiliar cobalt metal, the knight cut an imposing figure. Sunlight streamed from behind, haloing him like a figure from myth.
Overwhelmed, Rino bowed deeply in gratitude without thinking.
"Th-thank you for saving me, Sir Knight... I'm Rino. A magic beast hunter."
"It's only natural to save someone attacked by a magic beast. I'm Knight Arsen."
Even his demeanor was nobly refined, nearly bringing Rino to his knees in感动.
What stopped Rino's fawning was the black-robed figure appearing behind the knight.
Riding a differently shaped Jin, the sight of them sent a shiver of instinctive revulsion through Rino.
"Sir Knight, wh-who is that...?"
Ignoring the question, the knight glanced at the beast's blood soaking the ground and said.
"Let's get out of here first. More beasts will smell the blood."
* * *
[People really do live beyond the wasteland.]
[Of course.]
[But they look just like us. I thought folks beyond the wasteland might have horns or something.]
[Then they'd be ma-in, not people.]
Arsen conversed with Eloise via earrings while looking down at the hunter, Rino.
Freshly washed in a nearby stream, Rino gazed at Arsen with eyes full of admiration.
"Just to be sure, you're from Narvik Estate, right?"
"Yes! But asking that... are you from another estate, Sir Knight?"
Noting Rino's wonder at seeing an outsider, Arsen nodded.
He'd planned to inquire about recent events anyway, and their attire alone set them apart from locals.
"We came from far away. Very far. But I have some questions."
He'd heard about Narvik from Starling, but that intel was a decade old.
Ten years could bring no change—or total transformation. This was a chance to check.
Per Starling, Narvik had been ruled jointly by knights since the lordly family wiped itself out in infighting long ago. More precisely, it was an anarchic society run by violent knight-led gangs in constant strife and scheming.
A world of beasts ready to devour any weakness.
By comparison, Belluan was a highly advanced society.
"Has Narvik unified under one rule?"
"No way! The higher-ups are always fighting. Knights only know how to kill each other. Narvik unifying? That'll happen when the moon falls to earth."
From Rino's cynical tone, Arsen read his resentment toward the ruling gangs.
"So you don't belong to any group."
Realizing he'd spoken too harshly, Rino bowed apologetically.
"If I offended you, I'm sorry! I didn't mean you, Sir Knight. You're different from the others, obviously."
"No, I've heard the stories, so I understand."
Rino bowed repeatedly in thanks, then said.
"I have no affiliation. Groups require proper family backing. I'm just a hunter scraping by on magic beasts day to day."
"You endured the outer poison well enough, yet that's all the respect you get?"
"In Narvik, guys like me are a dime a dozen."
Overcoming the outer poison required physical training and mana accumulation—a baseline in Belluan for soldiers.
If mere training built mana, farmers and smiths could do it too.
But training merely forged the vessel; true mana for poison resistance demanded perilous, life-risking combat.
Palato called it: 'The will to harm foes builds mana.'
Thus, soldiers needed training and spars to accumulate it.
In Belluan, such soldiers were elite. In Narvik, they were commonplace.
Unlike Belluan, where non-soldiers pursued trades, Narvik's brutal environment—from childhood fights for survival—bred this surplus.
'At least nothing's changed much. Good or bad, who knows.'
Arsen mentally noted Rino's info. So far, it matched the past. But one more thing to confirm.
"What about mages? As you see, my companion is one. Any issues bringing her along?"
"Well... a mage alone might cause trouble, but with you beside her, it should be fine."
Rino looked up at Arsen with sparkling eyes. Feeling the intensity, Arsen averted his gaze slightly.
"In Narvik, might makes right. Who'd challenge a knight who fells a beast like that with one javelin? Plenty claim knighthood inside the estate, but few hunt beasts that strong outside."
"Are there mages in the estate? How do ordinary folk react?"
"Some knights command mages, but I've never seen one. They hide them away, fearing rivals might kidnap them. Come to think of it, mages are so rare no one's pondered how to treat them. This is my first time seeing one ever."
"So they won't stone or burn a mage on sight."
As Arsen nodded, Eloise signaled.
[Should I stay outside after all?]
[No, better to enter the estate. We need supplies anyway. But stick right by me inside. Another knight might try to snatch you.]
[Okay. Don't worry, I won't leave your side. But don't fret too much—I can escape if needed.]
[I know. Just worried, that's all.]
While chatting with Eloise, Arsen eyed Rino closely.
They'd stay in Narvik awhile and needed a local guide. Staying low meant avoiding outings.
This hunter he'd saved owed him a debt, held no mage prejudice, and had no gang ties.
"We'll be in Narvik awhile. Interested in working for me? Pay won't be bad."
"You mean... accept me into your group, Sir Knight?"
Rino beamed like he'd won a lottery, but Arsen shook his head, dousing the hope.
"No, I don't plan to stay in Narvik forever. Just handling some business before leaving. Simple negotiations or errands suffice."
"I see..."
Rino drooped in deep disappointment. Arsen followed up, and Rino's head snapped up.
"Or, want to leave with me entirely? After my adventure, I'll return to my homeland, Belluan. It's way better than Narvik. Unless you have family to support."
Of course, he'd deal with those two—or one—ratlings first. Arsen kept that thought internal.
Ruins yielded relics he couldn't hoard alone; he needed comrades, subordinates, influence now. Starling's crew wasn't fully trustworthy yet.
Time together would prove Rino's worth, but he might be the first.