Wild Hunt (4)

Every byproduct that came out of this place.

In other words, even what they themselves had taken down—I was claiming it all.

"What kind of nonsense is that?!"

"Are you out of your mind?!"

Naturally, the hunters erupted in furious protest.

But I didn't yield an inch.

Why would I?

There was no reason to bend.

"That so? Then from the next wave on, I'll just defend myself. That work for you?"

"Ha. Do whatever you want! We're leaving."

"Leaving? For real?"

These idiots still hadn't grasped the situation.

"Out of the three armies, you've only just repelled the first. And its name was the Scout Force. Still not getting it?"

Scouts existed for reconnaissance. Plain and simple.

Which meant—

"By turning back the first army, every last one of you has been marked by the Wild Hunt."

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Even if you turn around and go home, the host will come looking for you."

Once you were marked, no loophole, no clever workaround, would let you escape this march.

The Wild Hunt would simply descend ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠on whatever city they fled to.

And if something like that reached a major city—Seoul, Busan—

"Then the march that only ends when everyone is dead would finally be complete."

At those words, every face froze solid.

And then—

Tak—

"…From this moment forward, anyone who tries to leave this place—I will cut them down."

Having heard me, Na Su-han gripped the scabbard of his sword and spoke.

"And as I said—if I don't receive compensation that suits me… I'll stick to self-defense. So what's it going to be?"

Let's be clear: most of these hunters had come here for the money in the first place.

Demanding they hand every last scrap of it over was always going to spark resistance.

But was money more precious than their lives?

"…I'll renounce my claim."

"Same. I'm not dying here."

The hunters who had already watched me fight were the first to raise the white flag.

"Who the hell does that bitch think she—"

"Didn't you see earlier?! Without that person, we all die!"

"I saw them holding back most of the host alone."

"Does that even make sense?! Did they buy you off or something?!"

In the middle of the clash of voices, someone carefully raised a hand and asked,

"…So when does the next wave arrive?"

"Two hours."

Two hours.

An absurdly short window to prepare for a march as large as the last one… no, larger.

While everyone traded uneasy glances and worked through their thoughts—

Thud—

A man with his hands in his pockets climbed onto the platform.

Red hair. The same style of sword as Ha-eun.

"Oh? What do we have here? Ha-eun's big brother? Got something you want to say?"

"Plenty. How are we supposed to trust you?"

His point was simple enough.

Sure, some hunters had seen me fight. Far more hadn't.

Telling them to empty their pockets because I was going to keep them alive wouldn't land for people who hadn't witnessed a thing.

On top of that—

"At best you're just the demi-human who claimed to be Park Ha-eun's servant, aren't you?"

Wow. Okay.

What even is ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠this guy.

I'd heard plenty of stories, sure… but this was our first meeting, right?

And he just comes out swinging like that…

Or maybe the consistency was a blessing?

It would make it that much more fun when Ha-eun finally pulverized him.

Thud—

"I… I'll vouch for them."

Supported by a male hunter, Ha-eun climbed onto the platform and looked straight at Park Sang-hyeok.

"Without that person… we don't make it out of here alive."

At those words, every gaze that had been reading Sang-hyeok's face swung as one toward her.

I had pushed so far out front that relatively few people had gotten a clear look at me.

And the ones who had were either critically wounded or no longer of this world.

Ha-eun was different.

She had fought out in front of everyone, blazing with radiant light—visible from every corner of the battlefield.

Sang-hyeok's own showing had been smaller than hers by comparison.

"…I'll give it up too."

"I saw that person fighting earlier. If someone like that is saying this…"

Ha-eun's earnest declaration pulled more hunters over, one after another.

Humans really were entertaining like this.

Herding public opinion? Psychological warfare?

They were a species already soft to that sort of thing.

Play it right and you could maximize your own gains—which suited me just fine.

As the hunters slowly drifted to my side—

"…"

Park Sang-hyeok ground his teeth and glared at them as if he were burning with fever.

If you're going to stir the pot, at least do it well.

Did he really think a few pointed words would set me off?

If that were all it took, the Hunter Association and Korea itself would already be gone.

I'll say it again: I am a gentle dragon.

Mm-hmm.

And… honestly, I had no desire to repeat the mistakes of the past.

Anyway.

"So. Consensus is mostly settled, then?"

"…It appears so."

The hunter who had been supporting Ha-eun approached me.

"Are you Hunter Ha-eun's party member?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"A great many people here owe their lives to your party."

With that, he held out his hand.

"If there's anything you need, please don't hesitate to say so. As far as our hands can reach, we will help."

"Our party as well. We have to survive first, don't we!"

"Getting dragged into this goddamn place was already enough of a nightmare… Just say the word. We'll help."

Apparently Ha-eun had pulled off something major.

Not just holding the line against monsters.

Tak—

I took his hand and asked,

"How's Ha-eun? Looked like she couldn't walk on her own."

"Mild exhaustion. With rest, she should recover quickly."

"Good to hear."

With the situation more or less under control, I stepped down from the platform and headed toward Ha-eun, who was already receiving treatment from the man's party members.

They seemed to be using the hotel lobby from earlier as a makeshift infirmary for the wounded.

"Ah… Unnie, you're here?"

"You must've been something else out there. Those high-strung types are completely sold on you."

"I wasn't anything special… It was all thanks to the Holy Sword. I can't even raise big flames on my own."

"Hm? What are you talking about?"

I snorted a quiet laugh.

The flow of mana circulating through Ha-eun's body had already changed.

She had climbed a full step higher.

"The Holy Sword doesn't control your power for you."

"…What?"

"It lends you strength and lets you swing it. It doesn't interfere with the power you use yourself."

Ha-eun's eyes went wide.

"Th-then…"

"You used it yourself. With your own power."

As I said it, I lengthened a fingernail.

"Alright. This might sting a little."

Puk—

"Euk—"

"Think of it as a vitamin shot. It'll help you recover, so bear with it."

Watching me, the man's party members spoke up with open curiosity.

"…You really are an all-purpose party, aren't you?"

"I do have my moments. Stronger than anyone on Earth… and prettier. Anyway, yeah."

While I was giving Ha-eun her shot, people's eyes drifted to Terra, who was stuck tightly to my side.

"Oh my…? A little child?"

"Ah. Hello."

"Hi hi~"

"Oh! Want some candy?"

It was a party of two men and two women, and the female hunters seemed especially taken with Terra.

Well—seeing a kid in a blood-soaked battlefield like this would feel like pure healing, I supposed.

"Is this child a hunter too?"

"Not officially, but… he's pretty strong, yeah?"

"That is correct! I am Goldy-nim's loyal serv— mmph?!"

"This kid says the weirdest things…"

Anyway, the situation was settling into something manageable, and Ha-eun was resting.

Thud—

"Hm? What. You still haven't left?"

When I stepped outside the hotel, I found Park Sang-hyeok waiting with his arms crossed.

"What kind of nonsense did you pour into Park Ha-eun's head?"

"Nonsense? I just raised her a little."

"That girl could never ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠turn out like that from a little instruction. She never had the talent."

"Or maybe you just want to believe that?"

Sang-hyeok's face twisted hard at my words.

"So you're saying that girl has talent?"

"Obviously? You think I'd raise her for nothing? And, hmm~ this time, she's going to completely wreck you in the duel."

"Ha. So you intend to meddle in family affairs?"

"Normally I'd want to smash you myself."

As I said it, I gave my shoulder a light roll.

"I hate these pointless little games more than anything."

"What are you talking about?"

"You thought I wouldn't notice? That spiderweb you planted on my body—I've known about it from the start."

He'd probably wanted to keep tabs on me while I was traveling with Ha-eun.

"What, you a pervert? Sticking something like that on someone's body."

"I have no idea what a demi-human is babbling about."

"Ah, and one more thing."

I closed the distance by a step, opened my Dragon Eyes, and spoke.

"Tone it down. I'll say it again—if things were normal, I'd have personally reduced you to scrap by now. The only reason I haven't is because I respect Ha-eun."

If he were ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠rendered combat-incapable before the duel even happened…

Ha-eun would be the one left disappointed.

"If you understand, then know your place. Before I actually wipe out your entire house. I've been under a lot of stress lately as it is."

With that, I walked on and looked out past the mountain toward the horizon.

And almost at once, I felt something wrong.

…The scale is way too big.

The flow coming this way…

It was far too vast to call a second army.