Chapter 29
In terms of raw physical strength, that thing had the upper hand.
But I had aura and Inferno.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Our blades clashed.
The heat radiating from the fire attribute aura lit up the assassin’s face. Etched into his forehead was a mark I recognized. Mark of trickster.
Swoooosh!
Inferno embraced the goblin from behind.
Like a lover’s fiery touch, it covered the goblin’s eyes.
Sssssss!
KEEEEEK!
The goblin screamed, flailing its dagger wildly. One of its frenzied swings grazed Inferno, rapidly draining my aura.
“Inferno, dwell in my blade.”
The goblin, unaware that Inferno had vanished, kept swinging blindly. Then its left hand groped at its waist, where several leather pouches dangled.
‘Poison, most likely.’
Woof! Woof! Woof!
The wolf pup barked out a warning.
It had crouched low as if to pounce, eyes fixed on the goblin—its behavior distracted me more than the threat itself.
Sure enough, the goblin shifted its focus to the pup. With agile, sharp movements, it lunged, dagger raised as if to cut through stone.
GRAAAWR!
My sword let out a low hum, vibrating in protest.
It sounded like a child throwing a tantrum.
“Stay out of this.”
The pup squeaked and retreated.
“He’s gone.”
With that final attack, the goblin vanished.
This time, it seemed he’d truly escaped.
Even the pup looked around in search of him, but did not find him.
I scanned the area, but there was no trace. Even with tracking skills, I couldn’t find a hint of the goblin’s trail.
This was when you needed a hunting dog with a keen nose.
“You take the lead. Find the stinking bastard.”
Squeak, Squeak!
I nudged the pup forward with my foot, but it whimpered and refused to move, its body glued to the ground. Blood had soaked into the dirt, leaving a dark crimson stain.
“You’re hurt?”
The pup just trembled.
I flipped it over with my foot—its belly was torn open, and tiny maggots were already burrowing into the wound.
“Inferno, burn them off.”
Inferno seared the maggots and cauterized the wound. The pup jolted, eyes wide, then tried to scratch at me with its claws. I pinned it down with both hands, pressing firmly on its neck and abdomen.
“Shhh! Stay still.”
When I glared at it, the pup squeezed its eyes shut. Realizing I wasn’t going to harm it, it went limp, trembling uncontrollably.
I disinfected the wound and washed it with clean water. I crushed some herbs and applied the paste thickly, then wrapped it in bandages.
“This is just a temporary fix. We’ll need proper treatment back in the village, so don’t move too much.”
I gathered fallen branches nearby, trimmed them with my sword, and tied them together. Soon, I’d fashioned a crude stretcher, like the ones used by traveling merchants.
I hoisted the pup by the scruff of its neck.
“I said stay still.”
Squeak! Squeak!
“Quiet.”
I laid the pup onto the stretcher and slung the straps over my shoulders. Even as a pup, it was still a wolf—it weighed more than I expected.
“Find that goblin who attacked me. You should know which way it ran.”
The pup sniffed the air, then turned its head to my left and barked.
“…You found it? Can you smell him?”
I charged in the direction the pup indicated.
Pushing through the underbrush, it didn’t take long to reach the destination.
There, I found three corpses. Two were blood wolves, the other an orc. Judging from the condition of the bodies and the insects already gathering, they had been dead for two or three hours.
“Are those your parents?”
The pup didn’t answer. It leapt from the stretcher, limping toward the corpses. It began licking one of the wounds.
“Don’t. You’ll get infected. And they’re not coming back.”
I examined the corpses. This wasn’t the goblin assassin’s doing. Quick as that thing was, it didn’t have this kind of brute force. And more importantly, the weapon used was completely different.
‘It tore through the blood wolves and the orc with my hands. The orc died instantly, and it took two strikes to bring down both the blood wolves. They must have held on for their pup’s sake.’
I glanced at the corpse of the blood wolf. Its pelt was ragged and torn, but if I cut out the cleaner parts, I could probably sell it for five gold.
“Go over there and close your eyes. That’s an order.”
The blood wolf pup didn’t understand my words. Still, it didn’t seem entirely clueless—it turned its head in the direction I pointed and squeaked softly.
“What a troublesome little thing.”
* * *
I buried the blood wolf carcass deep underground. If I left it shallow, other beasts would dig it up and feast on it.
Only after I buried it at a depth no ordinary animal would dare disturb, I set off for Viscount Zylson’s territory with the pup.
I didn’t head straight to Zylson. Along the main road, I found a merchant from the Serpens Trading Company and asked him to relay a message to Hebron. I had a few things I needed to order.
The moment I arrived in the Zylson Viscounty, a crowd gathered. A baron carrying a wounded blood wolf pup—clearly, it was a rare sight.
“Bring warm water and dried oyster Mushrooms.”
I ordered a soldier, but what he brought me was neither the water nor the mushrooms—it was a carriage. A carriage bearing the crest of Viscount Zylson.
The carriage swiftly carried me and the pup to the viscount’s estate.
Viscount Zylson had summoned me to the lord’s manor. I tried to hand the blood wolf pup off to the servants, but the little thing snarled and bared its teeth, refusing to leave my side.
The viscount kept sneaking glances at the pup. Two knights of Viscount Zylson stood by his side, fully armed to protect him.
“You never fail to surprise me. I’m eager to see what you’ll bring me next.”
The viscount reached out to touch the pup.
‘He’s going to get bitten.’
Sure enough, the pup snapped at him with a sharp clang! Though it didn’t bite, the message was clear—next time, it wouldn’t be so forgiving.
Even so, the viscount didn’t give up. He studied the pup, trying to gauge the right moment to try again.
“I found the little one in the Forest of Caprice. May I keep it?”
The viscount smacked his lips.
He looked disappointed.
By law, the blood wolf pup belonged to him. I had taken it from his hunting grounds without permission.
But the pup wouldn’t leave my side. And if the viscount denied the request of a fellow baron who had come all this way to ask personally, he would come off as petty.
“I hear you caught a bunch of ratrolls too?”
“I caught a few for pocket money. I registered as a mercenary a while back.”
“A baron working as a mercenary…? Do you feel no shame?”
“I’m more of a pragmatist.”
I leaned back on the sofa and sipped the tea served by House Zylson. It was one of the few luxury goods in this region that carried the air of true nobility.
While I finished my tea, the viscount tried four times to pet the pup. He failed every time. In the end, the pup’s wariness peaked, and it bristled its fur with a loud kyaaak! in warning.
I gestured to a maid to refill my teacup and said.
“I saw a goblin with a mark on its forehead.”
The viscount, who had been tentatively pointing a finger toward the pup as if for one final try, turned to look at me.
“Most people go their whole lives without seeing one. You seem to run into them often.”
“Misfortune tends to follow me.”
“Be careful. Staying within the house might be the safest option.”
His reply was lukewarm.
He seemed to have misunderstood my meaning. I held the warm tea in my mouth for a moment, letting it roll across my tongue. A bitter taste accompanied by a delicate floral scent lingered. It was a high-grade tea I’d occasionally tasted in House Breio.
Feeling the warmth spread through my body, I spoke again.
“I saw it in the Forest of Caprice.”
“What do you mean?”
“The goblin with the mark. It used assassination techniques.”
The viscount blinked. He didn’t quite grasp what I meant, so I clarified.
“From what I can tell, it wasn’t working alone. There’s something in that forest strong enough to rip apart blood wolves and orcs with its claws. And judging by the way they freely move through each other’s territory, I suspect they’re in some kind of symbiotic relationship.”
Despite everything, the viscount didn’t abandon his noble composure. I respected that. But I still wasn’t sure if forming an alliance with Viscount Zylson was the right decision.
“Are you writing novels these days?”
“I do come up with ideas now and then, but I figure it'll be at least ten years before I can start anything outside of estate management.”
“So what you're saying is, there are not one but two monsters like that in my territory?”
“Yes, I just confirmed it. If I had to estimate… The encounter happened roughly four hours and twenty minutes ago. I went into the forest to look for a blood wolf, but ended up fighting a marked goblin instead. It was too fast, and I lost it. That’s when I found this orphaned pup. I considered heading straight back to Hebron, but I figured it was only right to inform my neighboring lord.”
I emptied my cup.
The maid approached again to refill it. I didn’t refuse another serving.
She had clearly been trained in proper tea ceremony. She brought a freshly warmed cup and poured newly steeped tea. The fragrant aroma bloomed instantly, tickling my nose.
Viscount Zylson’s face turned red.
At last, he grasped the seriousness of the situation.
“You speak of all this as if it’s no big deal.”
“If it comes to it, I’ll sever the rainbow bridge—for Hebron’s sake. I do regret having to abandon the business my father just started, but that’s exactly why I’m willing to go this far.”
Zylson let out a long breath.
Had he been in my shoes, he would’ve made the same decision.
“Where’s the corpse of that thing?”
“There is no corpse. As I said, I lost the goblin assassin during the fight. It was a slippery one. I buried the corpses of the blood wolves and the orc. This little guy was making such a fuss that I had to quiet him down.”
“We ride. Now.”
“After I finish this.”
High-quality tea was more precious than gold. As the lord of impoverished Hebron, I usually abstained from luxuries. That was all the more reason to savor this rare indulgence to the fullest.
“I’ll send you some tea leaves—now stand up and let’s go.”
“It never tastes the same when I brew it at home.”
Noble family teas weren’t something one could imitate with just leaves. The way they were steeped was part of the house’s tradition, a closely guarded method. And that’s what I was really asking for.
Zylson graciously accepted my request.
“Sophia.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Teach Baron Hebron how to brew this tea properly.”
“Yes, my lord.”
‘This is a most satisfying deal. The best I’ve made in a while.’
With a mouthful of tea still warm, I gave the maid Sophia a small nod of thanks.
Viscount Zylson rallied five knights and twenty soldiers before riding south. He even offered me a horse—one of his own warhorses.
‘Now this… this is what I should be buying.’
Hebron had military horses, but none could compare to the black stallion I now rode.
