The Hunting Dog's Proof (3)
The next morning, before dawn. While the world still lay deep in sleep, Nureongi and I quietly began getting ready to head out.
Over my usual work clothes I pulled on the sturdy hunting vest I'd recently received from the Hunter Association, then strapped on elbow and knee pads until every piece sat just right. Nureongi, too, had swapped her everyday comfortable clothes for functional gear that would let her move freely. Finally I helped her into the old orange vest I used to wear myself, and when we stood side by side in front of the mirror, we looked for all the world like a grim Hunter team heading out to explore a Gate or a dimensional rift.
"Don't we look just like real Hunters, Unnie?"
"Yeah. We really do. Must be the vests."
"Hehe. I like it either way."
Watching her tail swish happily, I felt some of the tension I'd been carrying ease without my noticing. Worry crept in right behind it, though.
Please don't get so fired up that you go charging off...
We slipped out of the room and crept carefully out of the house so we wouldn't wake Eunseo, who was sleeping soundly in her living-room tank.
We climbed into the old truck, and before I turned the key I checked our gear one last time. The newly replaced barrel. A generous box of slug rounds. A thermal camera just in case, plus headlamps and glow patches. Today's hunt might well stretch into the night, so only after I'd confirmed we were fully prepared did I drive us toward the police substation.
When we arrived I cut the engine and smiled at Nureongi.
"Wait here a minute? I'll grab the gun and be right back."
She beamed right back at me and nodded.
Inside, Inspector Park and Officer Lee weren't on duty—must have been their day off. Other officers were working the shift.
"Whoa... Huntsman Jang, you're fully geared up."
"Going after a pretty big one this time."
"They say there aren't any predator-class Variants on the Korean Peninsula... so a wild boar, then?"
"Yes. A huge one."
While the officer handed me the firearms checkout log and headed into the armory, I wrote today's date and my name, then pulled an instant lottery ticket from my pants pocket and started scratching it with my fingernail.
Today's fortune: excellent. A perfectly clean miss. Not a single winner—so thorough it was almost impressive.
"Oof, all duds? Looks like you're about to land a real trophy for once."
The veteran officer standing beside me said it while peering at my ticket.
"Guess so. I needed a chunk of cash anyway, so this works out."
"Finally gonna replace that junker of a truck?"
"No. I want to buy Eunseo a pocket."
"Hah... honestly. Spend a little on yourself sometimes, would you?"
"Heh... I will."
While I was putting on that empty little smile, the officer came back from the armory and handed over my firearm and the ammo box.
"Looking at the hunting permit, they said this was pretty urgent. I'll skip the ammo checkout video—just go."
"Yes. Thank you."
"Good luck out there."
I bowed my head in thanks to the officers, gathered up the gun, and headed back to the truck.
With practiced hands I started swapping the barrel in the dark. The sun hadn't risen yet and I could barely see, but this was work my hands knew so well I could have done it with my eyes closed. Nureongi was watching me with bright, curious eyes, as if she found the whole thing fascinating, and I couldn't help laughing.
Once the barrel was on and the gun was back in its case, the two of us looked just like a mother and daughter heading out for some dawn fishing.
"Looking at us like this, doesn't it seem like we're going fishing?"
"Yes. To catch a fish called a wild boar."
Hmm... Nureongi still didn't know the true joy of fishing, so she didn't quite pick up my joke.
I started the truck again and drove toward our destination. The road out to the city outskirts took a while, as expected, and it wasn't until the morning sun was fully up that we reached the damaged farm.
Rows of what looked like apple trees stood along the property, but there wasn't a single piece of fruit left—hardly even an intact branch. Several trees had been ripped up by the roots and toppled over. The damage was clearly severe.
When we climbed down from the truck, a middle-aged man who'd been working nearby came over.
"Would you happen to be Huntsman Jang?"
"Yes. Did we arrive too late?"
"Not at all. You came in a single day. That's plenty fast."
"The damage looks pretty bad even at a glance."
"Don't even get me started. The thing just walked right in like it wasn't afraid of people and ate everything in sight. I was so furious..."
"You didn't go banging gongs or anything to provoke it, did you?"
"Aigoo... if it were an ordinary boar, I would've. But this thing's practically the size of a truck."
"Understood. Then please stay home and rest easy today. Pass that along to the other residents as well."
"Yes, I'll do that. And..."
The man glanced sideways at Nureongi standing beside me.
"She's my assistant."
"Ah, I see. You do your best too, kid."
Nureongi bowed her head in a sturdy little greeting, and the man headed off toward another house. We headed into the devastated orchard to begin the search in earnest.
Finding the boar's tracks wasn't hard. The thing's guts must have been hanging clean out of its belly, the way it had torn through the orchard without a care. Half-eaten fruit. Tree trunks scored where it had rubbed itself, as if it had taken a mud bath. Even young saplings knocked over like it had been showing off its strength. The traces of a proper feast were everywhere.
But as I examined the signs, something rather ugly caught my eye.
"Nureongi, come here and look at this."
I picked up a few pieces of fruit from the ground and showed them to her, but she just tilted her head, not understanding.
"The tooth marks... they're all different."
"So... it's traveling with friends?"
"No. These look like... piglet marks."
"Piglets?"
"Yeah. Several of them."
I let out a low sigh. Variant offspring were subject to disposal as well, which was going to complicate things in more ways than one.
"You going to be okay?"
"Yes. I'll be fine. It's what you have to do, Unnie."
True to her loyal nature, Nureongi accepted even the possibility that we might have to kill the young ones with quiet composure. I gave her head a stroke, and together we followed the boar family's trail into the deep woods.
As we entered the forest, a hiking trailhead came into view. I took the gun from its case and opened my pack to pull out a roll of yellow caution tape as well. I tied the tape firmly to the trees on either side of the entrance, and the red letters stood out sharp and clear.
These days almost nobody wandered into the mountains on a casual outing, but you never knew.
I stuffed the empty gun case into my pack and slotted rounds into my vest pockets one by one, finishing my preparations. Watching me, Nureongi started sniffing around and searching the area. No matter how sharp a Beastfolk's nose was, there was no way she'd find the boar right here. There weren't any clear traces yet.
"We won't find them here. Let's go a little deeper."
"Yes, Unnie."
We left the hiking trail people used and followed the animal paths deeper into the mountain. The soil underfoot was soft, and every time I stepped on a moss-covered stone a slick sensation traveled up through my soles.
Only after we'd gone a good deal farther did the boars' traces begin to appear. A massive pit had been gouged into the earth, mud splattered all over the surrounding trees. It was obviously their bathtub.
"Good. We can start searching again from here."
While Nureongi sniffed the air again, I began examining the family's wallow with care. I didn't have any special powers, or the search skills Hunters liked to talk about. But this instinct, honed over years of experience—that, I wanted to call a skill.
I touched the mud on a branch with my fingers. It hadn't fully dried yet, and it was smeared far higher than any ordinary boar could have reached. Stiff bristles scattered here and there told me they hadn't finished their leisurely bath all that long ago. That meant the scent would still be strong—perfect for Nureongi to track.
"Nureongi, you remember this smell, right?"
"Yes. It's way too rank for a pig..."
Her ears drooped at the awful gamey stench, but she pricked them back up and started hunting for the source.
"From here on, Nureongi, you're going to be my eyes and my nose. Just like hide-and-seek yesterday—find the scent and let's follow it."
"Yes, Unnie!"
The fact that I was relying on her seemed to delight her. She took the lead with her tail wagging wildly.
This was Nureongi the person, not Nureongi the hunting dog, and her tracking speed was incomparably faster. Unlike the old days, when I'd had to rely entirely on a trained hound's nose and instinct, being able to talk to each other, exchange ideas, and move as a team was far more efficient.
The deeper she led us into the mountain, the thicker the signs became. Grass beds pressed down like mattresses. Droppings scattered here and there. Trees scored with rub marks from territorial displays and scratching. This was clearly the boars' home range.
While Nureongi paused to pick up the next scent, I scanned the view beyond the mountain. Directly below, the devastated orchard and the neighboring farms spread out at a glance. The cunning thing had nested in a prime spot.
"Unnie. The scent is really strong in this direction."
The direction she pointed was back down the mountain.
They're heading down for another meal with the family.
If we moved fast and stayed on their heels, we could flip their banquet table right over.
"We've almost got their trail now, so let's be a little more careful from here. These boars are a lot more vicious than you'd think."
"Yes, Unnie!"
With that, Nureongi stretched her arms straight up over her head, like she was warming up before a walk. The absurdity of it pulled a laugh out of me before I could stop it. That innocent little display eased some of the tension that had been wound tight in my chest.
I stopped laughing, pushed a round into the chamber, and finished loading. Then, together with Nureongi, I started carefully making my way back down the mountain.