The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 75

64. The Great Hunt (1)

The Great Hunt.

A tradition passed down among the tribes of the Great Plains.

For the barbarians of the South, who sustain themselves solely through hunting, the hunt holds great significance.

To capture the strongest monster above all others.

That was their way of proving themselves as valiant warriors.

“Surely, you’re not saying you intend to subjugate the Hill?”

The greatest monster of the Great Plains was none other than the Sand Serpent, the master of the Hill.

Its size was three times that of an adult, and its length reached dozens of meters—the ruler of the Hill.

“That’s right.”

As Carryl nodded, the tribal chiefs let out low sighs.

“Thanks to its ability to fly, unlike the masters of other monster lairs, it doesn’t just stay cooped up inside its burrow but roams around the Hill.”

“……”

“I know that it sometimes leaves the Hill to attack tribes. Am I wrong?”

The people made no reply.

‘It’s an undeniable fact. I heard it from the survivors of the Southern subjugation in my past life.’

After Olivine ascended to the throne.

The Empire gained the Great Plains during the Southern subjugation, but ultimately, not all monster lairs were cleared out.

The fierce resistance of the Southern barbarians was a factor, and as long as the Digon tribe of Milliana held out, excessive troop depletion was a burden even for the Empire.

Even after the Divine Revelation.

The Hill still existed, and the Sand Serpent occasionally flew over the Southern regions.

“The reason I caught the Double-Headed Eagle is also for that. There must be a condition to challenge the Great Hunt, right?”

‘I heard this from him too, but.’

“You know well.”

“Don’t be so narrow-minded. Although we make a living thanks to the monster lairs, to advance to the center, we eventually have to clear them out. The other small fry don’t matter, but the Sand Serpent of the Hill is different.”

“But……”

“Isn’t the Great Hunt like that? Whoever catches it first wins. That’s the method I’m proposing to you.”

Silence filled the tent at Carryl’s words.

‘Why are they reacting like that?’

‘Is the Hill such a difficult place?’

Mikhail and Aidan looked at them with puzzled expressions as their faces darkened.

However, unlike the two, Carryl spoke with a peculiar expression, as if he knew the reason.

“Are there so few courageous warriors among the Southern warriors? If you fear death, I can go alone.”

“Don’t speak carelessly. As an Imperial, you don’t even know what kind of place the Hill is.”

Someone shouted.

As if waiting for it, Carryl turned his head towards the direction of the voice and said.

“Someone said that not touching the monster lairs isn’t because they can’t, but because they don’t.”

“……”

“The Great Hunt is indeed a tradition passed down from the Southern people for a long time, but your proposed advancement to the center—and don’t misunderstand that I believe it.”

“As if I would.”

“It’s not something that can be done with individual strength, and I don’t know why we should follow your proposal.”

“Aren’t you afraid?”

Carryl spoke towards the chief of the Tu tribe.

“Are you afraid that I’ll catch the Serpent and collapse the monster lair, cutting off your source of income? Or.”

The corners of his lips slightly lifted.

Mikhail thought that his appearance, like a mischievous boy about to play a prank, was so confident that it was almost annoying.

“Are you not confident in breaking through the poisonous zone in the Hill?”

“I am Beykan of the Tu tribe.”

It was then.

“I’ve heard what you said. If you had come empty-handed, I would have crushed your neck right away, but if you brought the head of the Double-Headed Eagle, you have the qualifications as you said.”

“Hmm.”

“Representing the tribe, I will participate in the Great Hunt.”

A man with a sturdy, almost gigantic physique, who seemed to be a head taller than the others, pushed through them and walked out.

The hand axe he wore on his waist was old but well-sharpened, and he spoke as if he would draw it and throw it at any moment.

‘The chief is the chief, but that man is even more amazing. Are there only monsters here? If the commander fought him, would he…….’

Mikhail swallowed hard as he looked up at him standing next to him.

[That’s the guy. No one probably knows that the reason you’re making such absurd demands is to bring him in.]

Arun Zabis crossed his arms and scanned Beykan, then flew up.

“……”

Whoosh-

At that moment.

Beykan waved his arm in the empty air.

[Ouch, that startled me. What? This guy.]

Arun, realizing that the trajectory of his arm’s movement was none other than the place he had been just a moment ago, spoke with an absurd expression.

“Must be my imagination.”

Towards Beykan, who was muttering in a low voice, Arun now wore a surprised expression.

[Did he sense my presence? What a funny guy.]

‘Be careful. Barbarians are skilled in shamanism [a practice that involves a practitioner reaching altered states of consciousness in order to perceive and interact with a spirit world]. It’s different from magic, but they are strong in spiritual power. He must have sensed it instinctively. That’s why they worship the spirits of the Rock of the Abyss.’

[Hmph……. Spirits and such. Still clinging to things that disappeared long ago.]

‘Well. Some of the Southern people have better exorcism skills than priests. When the Divine Revelation was given, the mainstay of the exorcism unit was the Southern people.’

[Ahem.]

Even as Arun said that, he glanced at him, who had accurately identified his position without even turning his head, and took a step further away.

“You have a good physique. Are you the chief’s son?”

“I am merely a member of the tribe. The Great Hunt is a glorious achievement as a tribe of the Great Plains. I just don’t want it to be tainted by outsiders.”

Carryl smiled at Beykan, who was looking down at him.

‘Just a member of the tribe, huh? There’s no way such a great guy, who became Milliana’s right-hand man when the tribes of the Great Plains were absorbed into Digon in my past life, wouldn’t stand out.’

“Is that so?”

He pointed to the head of the Double-Headed Eagle lying on the ground and said.

“What’s the proof that you are qualified?”

“This……!! How rude……!”

At Carryl’s words, one of the tribe members tried to say something but covered his mouth with a look of realization.

Thud-

Beykan took off the bracelet he was wearing on his wrist and dropped it in front of Carryl.

“It’s a bracelet made of ogre fangs.”

“Hmm.”

Carryl picked up the bracelet and examined it, saying.

“There’s a great man in the center who tears ogres apart with his bare hands. Are you like that too?”

“It’s foolish to fight with bare hands when you have excellent weapons. I give my all when hunting.”

At Beykan’s answer, Carryl handed over the bracelet and said.

“That’s true.”

Then he scanned the surroundings.

“It seems there are no other warriors besides this man who will participate in the Great Hunt. Do the other tribes not care?”

[Why? Isn’t he the one you came to get anyway.]

Arun Zabis looked at Carryl’s expression and asked back as if he couldn’t understand.

‘Just. A bit of curiosity. I know the future, but I don’t know everything. I’m saying there might be talents I don’t know about.’

[Why are you trying to find such guys in a place like this when you’ve been quiet until now?]

At his question, Carryl gave a bitter smile.

‘Certainly……. There would be more in the center. But my position there is still low. The large-scale countries such as the Empire, the Principality, the Three Kingdoms, and Azor already have firmly established power structures.’

[Isn’t that the same for the South? It’s a tribe, but there’s still a chief anyway.]

‘It’s a bit different. If the conditions are right, I think their mission is to follow tradition first. Even when I, an outsider, proposed the Great Hunt, they accepted it, right?’

[Hmm……]

‘Look at the Empire, tearing each other apart to change one royal authority. Compared to that, we are the ones who have the potential to overturn the landscape to normal if we have the skills, even if we are at the bottom.’

[It just looks like the pride of an ethnic minority to me.]

‘Well, you could think that way.’

As if he had been talking to him for a long time without realizing it, he waited for an answer, facing the gazes of the tribesmen looking at him.

“We will follow the results of the Tu tribe.”

“Us too.”

“Hmm, you’re still boring people.”

Carryl muttered in a voice so low that it couldn’t be heard as he looked at the remaining two chiefs.

“……”

But at that moment, only the assassin Aidan could faintly recognize his voice.

‘That’s strange. He has a face as if he had expected their reaction from the beginning.’

“Alright. Then the rest can be decided by me and that friend. When would be a good date for the hunt?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“I like your confidence. I’ll notify you as soon as I’m ready.”

Carryl gestured to the two.

As the tribesmen watched the three people leaving the tent, following him, they looked at them as if they had lost their words at the sudden commotion.

* * *

“Beykan-nim [term of respect], why did you accept the Great Hunt? Doing such a thing because of the central guys who aren’t even Southern people……!”

“Since they brought the head of the Double-Headed Eagle, they are worthy challengers. It is natural to respond.”

“There’s no proof that they really attacked the monster lair.”

“Then will you fight those two?”

“……”

After the three left.

At Beykan’s one word, the people gathered in the tent couldn’t say anything.

“It’s a good thing. I thought we should subjugate the Hill someday. Advancing to the center. It came from the mouth of a nonsensical kid, but it’s only a matter of timing, and it’s not much different from the plan we’ve been preparing.”

“Hmm……”

At his words, the chief let out a low sigh.

“We can’t live by hunting monsters forever. Maybe we can use that child.”

“Are you confident?”

The Tunan chief asked him.

Then he nodded instead of answering.

Outside the tent.

Carryl, leaning against the pillar with his arms crossed, laughed lowly, though no sound could be heard through the thick tent.

‘Yeah. It was as I thought. That the barbarians of the South were originally aiming for the center. It’s just that they failed because the Empire unified the Principality and the Three Kingdoms much faster than they expected.’

Carryl gave a bitter smile.

The reason they failed is because of me. Because I was there, the Empire was able to defeat the Principality and the Three Kingdoms and advance further into the South.

Because I knew the flow, I was confident that even a seemingly hopeless proposal could succeed.

‘So I’m on the side of the South this time…….’

Carryl gave a bitter smile.

[Now you’re making me do all sorts of annoying things.]

At the voice he heard, he raised his head.

‘What good is being dead? I need to be useful even in a place like this.’

[This guy……]

With half of his body inside the tent, Arun looked at Carryl with an absurd expression.

He, who was once a great mage, was now reduced to eavesdropping on the conversations of the barbarians inside the tent and relaying them.

Carryl turned his head.

‘Anyway, it’s been a while…….’

[You’re talking as if you miss it, even though it’s a place that wasn’t subjugated in your past life either.]