Chapter 184
Chapter 184
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 184
Chapter Title: Subjugating the Yeti
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‘But how the hell are they planning to find and catch it?’
The hunter trailing behind Eugene couldn’t hide his skepticism.
He knew well that knights and warriors were masters of combat and experts in monster hunting.
But that only applied when the monster to be hunted was right in front of them or holed up inside a demon realm.
Tracking the monster’s traces, pursuing it, spotting the traps laid by the cunning beasts, creating a favorable situation for themselves, and finally capturing the prey—that was an entirely different matter.
And that was precisely why these people had come to this snowy mountain range and hired him.
Knights and warriors only handled the final blow of ripping out the throat in battle with the monster; the rest of the process was the domain of guides and hunters.
Yet they boasted of having slain the monster solely with their own abilities.
The moment they achieved their goal, the contributions of the guide or hunter were erased from their minds.
‘His Grace the Duke seems a bit different... but that’s probably the same too.’
The hunter revered Eugene, but at least when it came to monster hunting, he figured he was no different from the others.
He assumed it would play out like the usual pattern: the noble taking the lead at first, trying something, and eventually handing the tracking over to the hunter.
“Shall we get started?”
‘As expected, even His Grace the Duke is no different.’
At Eugene’s mutter, the hunter judged it was finally his time to step up and smirked as he moved to go ahead.
“Stay back and keep safe.”
“......?”
At the completely unexpected words, the hunter blinked and cautiously opened his mouth.
“Pardon me, Your Grace, I have no intention of belittling you. But shouldn’t it be my job from here? I need to find the monster’s traces and track it so that Your Grace can strike it down...”
“No need to track it.”
“Pardon?”
Eugene, standing casually, summoned his fier without turning to look at the hunter and spoke lowly.
“I’ll make it come to me.”
Paaa......
The air vibrated faintly, and the snow piled on Eugene’s shoulders began to tremble.
As the power within the fier pushed the snow away, the rising snowflakes vaporized and scattered in the air.
“......!!!”
The hunter couldn’t close his gaping mouth as he watched the reddish, tangible fier creep forward from Eugene.
He had seen the dreaded druid spells a couple of times before. But that reddish energy was a fundamentally different kind of terror and mystery from any spell.
Kuaaaaaa......
The tangible fier, linked to the Origin’s senses, swept through like an avalanche over black rocks and pure white snow, churning through deep valleys and high peaks everywhere.
Beasts prowling in search of prey, monsters ravenously tearing at corpses.
Regardless of size, species, strength, or weakness, every living creature on the mountain exposed to the Origin’s authority was overwhelmed and prostrated itself.
It was the dominion of a true sovereign, far more tyrannical than even the king of this region, the Yeti.
Thus, the Origin’s fier, having subjugated everything on the snowy mountains, finally encroached upon the territory of the mountain ogre Yeti.
“Kuh......”
The energy squeezing its flesh and soul left the Yeti unable to think straight. Its mouth, sprouting black teeth like iron spikes, went dry, its muscles tightened across its body, and its limbs began to shake uncontrollably.
That irresistible pressure of authority even stimulated the guts inside the Yeti, stuffed full of humans, beasts, and monsters.
“Kuaaaack! Kwoaa!”
Undigested corpses of all sorts burst from the Yeti’s mouth and anus.
It thrashed to overcome the fear and pain, but the sensation—even more chilling than when it had first opened its eyes in the pitch-black dungeon—was still wrapping around and constricting its mind.
The spirit of the snowy mountains, the Yeti, which had gained reason long ago by partially expelling the dungeon’s demonic energy, realized it.
It had to seek out the being that was binding it in terror from an unseen place.
“Kuh. Ku......”
Gathering all its strength, the Yeti left its den.
Then, it began following the rippling blood-red energy, as if beckoned to come.
* * *
“It’s here.”
“Huhk!”
The hunter, barely freed from the overwhelming fier’s influence—which had made breathing difficult just from watching from behind—gasped for air.
“Hah, haa......”
His face flushed dark red, he panted, staring at Eugene’s back with bloodshot eyes.
He’d heard tales of vampires south of the snowy mountains often enough, but he’d thought they were just orc warriors on the strong side.
Even the massacre of Tolo’s warriors and mercenaries a few days ago, he’d judged as largely due to clever tactics mobilizing monsters.
But it had been a complete misconception.
The vampire duke who had just pressed down on the snowy mountains—said to have been raised by primordial giants for a moment—now gazed calmly downward as if nothing had happened.
The hunter, finally regaining his composure, naturally followed his gaze.
There, a massive monster with grayish-white fur mane fluttering differently from the snow climbed the slope with difficulty.
“Kiee, kieet! The giant snow monkey is cooooming!”
“......!”
He nearly yelled at the sudden frivolous voice but clamped his mouth shut like a seasoned hunter, quickly crouching low and staring at the Yeti.
‘S-something’s off?’
Perhaps influenced by Eugene’s utter nonchalance, the hunter quickly steadied himself and tilted his head.
Its appearance was the same, but the overwhelming majesty he’d felt from it days ago was nowhere to be sensed now.
Yet as the horrific, murderous cannibal monster—enough to make an ordinary person unable to even meet its eyes—neared the top of the slope, the hunter’s back was soon drenched in sweat.
Thud, thud, thud......
“Hiiiik!”
As it slowly approached, the hunter fell on his butt and scrambled back behind Eugene.
Soon, the Yeti came within 4-5 meters of Eugene, and the hunter, facing a high-tier monster up close for the first time in his life, nearly fainted.
Grrrr......
The Yeti bared its black teeth, capable of shredding beast hide and thick muscle in a single strike.
Sensing the fear, rage, and confusion etched in its eyes, Eugene twitched his brow and said curtly.
“Kneel, you bastard.”
Kuaaaat!
The fier exploding from Eugene’s red eyes wrapped around the Yeti’s massive frame like a blade.
Graa! Graaa......
The startled Yeti, flinching, finally slowly dropped one knee.
The strongest monster that had dominated the snowy mountains born from primordial chaos submitted to the much smaller vampire.
At this astonishing sight, the hunter could only clatter his teeth together, speechless.
“You seem to have some reason, so listen well.”
“Yeah! Listen up good! Or you’ll get beaten to death!”
“......”
“Like me. So remember the advice from your senior and experienced one.”
The spirit brat, slapping a hand on its waist, scurried into the leather pouch at Eugene’s glance.
Eugene spoke to the Yeti, which lowered its head further as if eager to heed his words, his voice infused with fier.
“From this moment, you are the servant of I, Yan Eugene Bartella. Your flesh and soul are both bound to me, and you will obey only my commands and those of my proxies.”
Even if it had regained reason, a monster that had lived its whole life on these snowy mountains couldn’t fully understand human speech.
But what Eugene imparted wasn’t mere words for the ears—it was authority that inscribed meaning directly into the soul.
The Yeti’s soul and instincts accepted Eugene’s will.
It was ‘Word of Command’, the mesmerizing ability of the vampire Origin fused with fier.
“If you disobey my orders, you die. I’ll tear you apart and burn every last hair. But if you faithfully carry out my commands, I’ll acknowledge all the creatures on this mountain as yours—even the demon realm where you were born.”
Guoo......!?
The Yeti cautiously lifted its head.
Surprisingly, its expression and eyes held joy.
Eugene pointed with one hand at the hunter trembling behind him and continued.
“Remember this one well. Until the day your life ends, he is my proxy. Permit whatever he does on this mountain. And among all beasts and races passing through your territory, block and kill those he designates. Understood?”
Kuwaaaaa!
The Yeti threw its chest wide and let out a long roar, pounding its massive, gray-furred chest.
Then, as if committing it to memory, it stared piercingly at the hunter and nodded to him.
In this incomprehensible situation beyond wonder, the hunter could only gape blankly.
Eugene eyed him dubiously and prodded.
“What’re you doing? At least say hello.”
“Huhk!? Ah... y-yes, sir!”
The hunter, letting out a goofy noise, swallowed dryly and cautiously took a few steps toward the Yeti.
“Alright, let’s get along. I’m Kraul.”
“Kra?”
“N-not Kra, Kraul.”
“Kw aaa aaaa!”
“Hiiiik!”
In five seconds, his courage bottomed out, and the hunter plopped down again. Eugene’s scolding rang in his ears.
“Monster speech only understands my words. And don’t say your name in front of beasts or monsters. They’ll see it as a threat.”
“Y-yes, sir......”
Having revealed his name for the first time only to get chewed out, the hunter slumped again.
* * *
“......Got all that?”
“Yes, sir! I’ll engrave Your Grace’s words into my bones.”
Kraul, the hunter operating on the snowy mountains who had skyrocketed in status to Eugene’s proxy managing the sole pass through the mountains, bowed deeply.
“Then recite it back.”
Kraul cleared his throat with a cough and spoke slowly.
“Chase out all orcs trying to cross White Fang Mountain from the north. Kill anyone without Your Grace’s crest coming over from the south, regardless of race. And......”
Illiterate but sharp-minded, Kraul had perfectly memorized Eugene’s instructions.
“......That’s all, sir.”
“Good. Remember and carry that out, and you and your descendants will earn respect from northern orcs and all races south of the snowy mountains alike. I’ll make you a knight bachelor or so. Can’t have my steward without a title.”
“Th-thank you, sir!”
Unsure what a knight bachelor was but thrilled to be nobility-adjacent, Kraul bowed flat.
“Kiee. Uncle Krawung really made it big. Even our spirit kin haven’t snagged a title yet. Hey hey, I believed in you! Krawung!”
“Um, my name’s not Krawung, it’s Kraul. Cute little spirit.”
More comfortable with the palm-sized, chubby-cheeked spirit than the black-toothed Yeti, Kraul smiled faintly.
“Kiek? Uncle Krawung fell for this body’s charm too? Kihoo! This body that shook the spirit realm has cross-species appeal after all. But not me. I’m already tamed body, heart, and mana to my master. So I serve hot and heavy day and night nonsto—Kyaek!”
The wriggling spirit got flicked harder than usual and splatted against the log wall.
“Pretend you didn’t hear that. He’s a bit odd and not all there.”
“Ah, yes, sir.”
Owners resemble their pets, whether knights, mages, spirits, or dogs......
Swallowing a saying he’d heard somewhere, Kraul quickly bowed deeply.
Subordinate knights, mages, spirits, even himself.
Everything about the eccentric vampire duke was bizarre, but from now on, he was his lord.
‘Who knows? If I do exactly as ordered, maybe I’ll really become nobility of this land forever? Hehe!’
Dreaming his modest dream, Kraul grinned nonstop.
He had no inkling that dozens of years later, that small wish would come true, and the honorable crest symbolizing his house would feature a white snow ogre, the Yeti.
(To be continued)