Hunting (1)
Even with the empire reeling from one shocking incident after another, Emperor Barbarosa still insisted on going through with the hunt. Did the man have some kind of fatal condition that would kill him if he skipped a day in the saddle? I slung the hunting rifle Ludmilla had given me over my shoulder and watched him.
At the moment, Barbarosa was deep in conversation with the empire’s most powerful nobles—the ones who ruled both the political and financial worlds. Every last one of them had the same massive build as the Emperor, no doubt from their glory days as famed military men in their youth.
“It is the greatest honor to be summoned by Your Majesty!”
“Haha! The nobles of the empire can’t very well cower in fear at the mere antics of some cultists!”
The hunting grounds lay on a northern ridge not far from the imperial capital. Valleys and ravines stretched out on either side, while the deep forest teemed with wild game. Today’s prey, in other words.
I should just bag a reasonable number without drawing attention and call it a day. The last thing I wanted was to put on a clumsy performance and become the butt of jokes among the Emperor and his nobles. At the same time, I had zero interest in showing off perfect accuracy and stealing the spotlight.
“So you’re the young master of House Hoenberg.”
“I’ve heard you’ve racked up quite the impressive list of achievements in the capital. Truly worthy of being chosen by a Holy Sword!”
The nobles who had been riding ahead turned their horses and approached. They laughed heartily, openly displaying goodwill as if they wanted to build a connection while the opportunity was there.
I’d expected the central great houses—with histories as long as the Valtaria imperial family itself—to be arrogant and boorish, but they were surprisingly personable. Or maybe they were only acting friendly because of my close ties to the imperial princesses.
“After you fire, please hand me the musket.”
“We’ll handle the reloading.”
Three attendants followed close behind—personnel Ludmilla had specially assigned. Naturally the other nobles had brought their own large retinues. The attendants, dressed in leather armor, both assisted their lords and maintained the hunting weapons.
“After leaving the woods untouched for months, the game has multiplied nicely! Everyone, follow me!!”
The Emperor, his sharp mustache bristling, roared in a thunderous voice and spurred his horse forward. He rode without the slightest hesitation, as though he meant to vent every ounce of frustration the cultists had caused.
Thud-thud-thud-thud—!!
The pounding of hooves shook the mountains. Startled animals fled in every direction. Like a veteran hunter, the Emperor leveled his weapon and squeezed the trigger. A roe deer that had been bolting away collapsed mid-stride.
“Follow His Majesty!”
“We shall display our own skill!”
The other hunters who had been watching eagerly joined the fray. At the same time, the beaters encircling the ridge began raising a wild clamor.
Guess I should play along just enough. Like Ludmilla said, this is the perfect chance to earn points with the Emperor.
I raised my rifle and took aim at a marten hiding in the tall grass, targeting its head with precision. A short gunshot rang out, and the brown-furred creature tumbled through the air, trailing blood. At my glance, an attendant rushed over and retrieved the dead animal. Since I’d pierced straight through the forehead, the pelt should still be in good condition. I decided to have it made into a scarf for Ludmilla later.
“A wild boar is getting away over there!”
“It’s a big one…! Let’s take it down and present it to His Majesty!”
While the party continued harvesting game, a dark shape burst from the undergrowth. A massive wild boar with razor-sharp tusks. It had clearly identified the invading humans as enemies. Hot breath snorted from its nostrils as it prepared to charge.
“Everyone stand back! I will handle the boar myself!”
A noble in a dazzling tunic leveled his musket and shouted. He clearly wanted to prove his bravery in front of the watching Emperor. His stance was practiced; he must have hunted many dangerous beasts before. Without hesitation he pulled the trigger.
Bang!!
The bullet slammed into the boar’s skull, but the wound was shallow. Its bone was as hard as rock. Blood poured from torn flesh, yet it was little more than a graze.
Screeeeech!!!
Damn. I only made it angrier.
The enraged beast unleashed a savage roar. Even seasoned hunters feared the wild boar’s reckless charge. As its furious bellow echoed, even the trained warhorses began edging backward.
Something’s off…?
An unnatural sight caught my eye. The graze on the boar’s head was already beginning to heal. Impossible. No ordinary animal should regenerate like a monster. Maybe this wasn’t a normal boar at all. Perhaps someone had cast a special curse on it specifically to target the Emperor and the great nobles…
“The boar is charging!”
“Protect His Majesty! Kill the beast!”
Barbarosa seemed to have sensed the strangeness too. He called a temporary halt to the hunt and ordered his guard knights to form up while he scanned the surroundings. Having conducted relentless purges the moment he took the throne, the Emperor had faced as many threats as his infamous reputation suggested. He was acutely sensitive to any killing intent aimed his way.
Grrrr!!
Kyaaah! Kyaaah!!
Following the boar, wolves and other predators emerged. The bizarre spectacle of beasts forming an organized assault formation—like a military unit lining up for battle—unfolded before us.
It had to be sorcery. They were clearly being controlled. Someone must have placed curses on the animals in advance to assassinate the Emperor. After all, the troops surrounding the hunting grounds to protect him wouldn’t have bothered checking every single creature in the forest.
The beasts began radiating a dark, ominous energy. They were no longer animals. They were monsters that existed for nothing but slaughter.
The knights guarding the Emperor drew their swords in unison. Sensing the gravity of the situation, they deployed blue mana blades and prepared for full combat.
“Here they come!”
Like siege engines trying to smash through a formation, the beasts charged all at once. The knights met them head-on, and the clearing instantly turned into a bloodbath.
“Ugh!”
“These monsters have swallowed curses! Stay sharp!”
The knights holding the front line like a wall staggered under the ferocious physical assault. The impact felt like being hit by a heavy battering ram. Beasts driven purely by bloodlust and madness were not opponents to underestimate. The knights forced backward by the charge learned that lesson with their entire bodies.
A fierce clash unfolded as sword-wielding knights collided with beasts wreathed in black energy.
“Gun.”
“Y-yes!”
I handed over the spent musket and received a freshly loaded one. I took aim at the boar that seemed to be leading the pack. Accurately targeting a rampaging beast wasn’t easy, but it was doable. I fired, shattering its left eye.
Screeeeech!!!
The massive creature collapsed in a fountain of blood. But that wasn’t enough. I needed to strike a vital point and end it cleanly.
“Gun.”
“Yes…!”
The attendant, who had been watching with a dry gulp, hurriedly passed me another weapon.
“Keep reloading without stopping. We’re going to burn through every bullet we have.”
Who knew it would actually turn serious like this? I’d only planned to shoot a few small animals as a formality. Now I had no choice but to get deadly earnest. The safety of far too many people was on the line.
Every time I received a loaded musket, I picked another monster. Every time a gunshot cracked through the air, another beast’s death cry followed.
A wolf that had broken through the knights’ defensive line in an instant leaped from the ground. I put a bullet straight into its gaping maw lined with razor teeth. Each time I dropped a monster with a single shot, the knights’ expressions transformed. The men who had been struggling against the cursed beasts now burned with renewed fighting spirit, empowered by the support of a master marksman.
“The beasts are falling!”
“Now! Cut their throats!”
Sharp mana blades stabbed vital points without mercy. Perhaps because of the strengthened sorcery, the creatures thrashed even after receiving fatal wounds. The knights kept stabbing until the monsters were nothing but shredded lumps of meat. Only after their heads were completely severed did the beasts finally fall silent.
“Is the marten I caught still safe?”
“…Pardon?”
“The marten. You know, the marten. Don’t tell me you don’t know what a marten is.”
“O-of course it’s stored properly!”
The attendant who had been cleaning the overheated musket blinked at the sudden question. It probably sounded completely out of place in the middle of a battlefield. But that marten was a precious gift meant for Ludmilla.
Once the situation had calmed, I checked inside the bag. Seeing the soft pelt undamaged, I gave a satisfied nod.
“Are you unharmed, Your Majesty?”
I dismounted and approached Barbarosa. As I drew near, I witnessed the great nobles desperately trying to stop the Emperor from joining the fight himself.
“Ahem! Thanks to these overly cautious nobles, I am perfectly fine. That aside, your unerring marksmanship while butchering those beasts was truly magnificent. Who taught you such skill?”
“I only picked it up by watching over someone’s shoulder for a short while.”
You actually noticed that in all that chaos? I answered with a wry smile as the Emperor stared at me with open interest and curiosity. I really wished he would just drop the subject. But judging by those wide, sparkling eyes, he wasn’t about to lose interest anytime soon.
“Your Majesty, we discovered suspicious magic tools inside the beasts’ stomachs.”
“Clearly no ordinary items.”
The knight commander in charge of the guard presented a dark orb recovered from one of the creatures. It was undoubtedly the cursed tool that had driven the hunting grounds’ animals into a frenzy. The enemy must have prepared the beasts in advance, anticipating the Emperor and nobles’ arrival. The malice spreading across the empire had finally reached the point of threatening the Emperor himself.
The great nobles raised their voices, demanding that the mastermind behind it be found at once.
“It would be far too wasteful to let such perfect skill go unused. You will accompany us on future hunts. With a master marksman among us, even the largest game will fall easily.”
“Pardon?”
After briefly consulting with the nobles, Barbarosa suddenly turned and spoke. What exactly was he saying? That he intended to drag me along every time he wanted to enjoy his favorite hobby from now on?
The hunt-obsessed Emperor had clearly taken a liking to my flawless shooting. The open displeasure he had always shown toward me had vanished without a trace. He now looked at me with the warm affection of someone who had finally found a kindred spirit to share his pastime with.
To any outsider, it would look exactly like a father-in-law enthusiastically enjoying his favorite hobby with his son-in-law.