Chapter 21: Hunting competition (3)

[Physis's POV]

Just in case, I looked back and saw a ferocious, golden wolf-type monster bigger than a bear running in front of me.

I momentarily got off the horse and took a defensive stance, but the guy [Alan Aiden] didn’t even pay attention to me and ran ahead, ignoring me.

Apparently, my prediction was correct. He [Alan Aiden] must be looking for this baby monster's mother. I immediately mounted the horse again and chased after him.

However, the distance never narrowed. It was because the speed he showed was not normal.

Somehow I didn’t have a good feeling. If the guy who deliberately let go of the baby monster was the guy who was beaten by me, he must be plotting something.

Even if it was a baby monster, if he caught it, it would be immediately reflected in his score, but there must be a reason why he let go of the monster, even giving it up.

I drove the horse at the fastest speed and chased the monster.

'Please, I hope nothing goes wrong.'

* * *

[Adilun's POV]

When Aristata Glosuna got away from us, time passed gradually. Suddenly, a knight approached Princess Lobelia and said.

“Your Highness the Princess.”

“What happened?”

“I think we should start moving slowly. And other princesses including princess Rodenov, should move too.”

“Ah. Is it already over? Then it seems that it is time for us to go too. Right, Adilun?”

“Yes. Your Highness the Princess. But, may I know what’s going on?”

“It’s nothing. Now that the hunting tournament is almost over, They are telling us to join the other nobles. I think you don’t know it because it’s the first time you are in a hunting competition, but there are many people who get lost in this hunting ground every year.”

“If there are people who get lost…  ...It must be a situation where the knights cannot escort us even to find them.”

“Yes. Those who get lost in their greed for scoring more may be in danger, so at the end of the hunting competition, there are always knights looking for them. If we don’t move from now on, some people will come back later to find us too.”

“All right. Then should we move now?”

“Yes. The knights seem to be ready to move, so we just have to go back to where we met earlier.”

After those words, Princess Lobelia began to call the princesses together. The princesses must have already had this kind of experience, and they quickly followed the princess’s instructions.

Looking around, the knights seemed to have already entered the hunting ground, and not a single one appeared. 

A person who is lost… …Wouldn’t Physis come back with the help of those knights?

He seemed like a person who had never done hunting before, so it was quite possible, so I laughed without knowing. After all, Physis started 3 months ago and apparently had never used mana before.

If Physis came back like that, I thought it would be worth watching.

As I was about to move my feet thinking that, the surroundings suddenly became noisy.

I looked up to see what was going on, and I saw a little wolf with golden fur wounded and surrounded by the princesses.

The princesses let out a continuous sigh at the pitiful wolf and asked if it could be cured. 

He was cute and was equally dangerous: His appearance is somehow contradictory and amusing, or am I the only one who thinks that?

The princesses caught that animal right away.

Well, seeing it with my own eyes made me feel pitiful. The wounded golden wolf must have looked cute enough in the eyes of the princesses.

However, upon closer examination of the wolf, I could see small horns on its head.

The moment I saw the horns, I realized that this wolf was not just an ordinary wolf. 

A wolf with horns? 

Normal wolves, of course, do not have horns. And that’s not all. I felt the dark, muddy torrent of mana flowing through his body. Simple wolves do not harbor such mana. Because they are beings derived from nature, animals are weak but possess pure mana.

If that wolf was a normal animal, there was no way it would hold such a muddy mana.

Not even knowing that fact, the princesses made a fuss and tried to cure the wolf.

In particular, it was surprisingly Princess Aristata who took the lead. She actively blocked the part where the blood flowed from the wolf’s body, and asked if there was anyone around who used magic to cure the wolf.

“Does anyone know how to use healing magic?”

I spoke to her who was hastily asking questions.

“Stop it.”

At my firm words, Princess Aristata said in doubt.

“What do you mean?”

“That wolf is a monster. Look at the horns on top of his head. It’s because it's hurt right now, but the moment It gets better, It will try to hurt you.”

“Princess Rodenov, how can you be so sure that, this wolf is a monster?”

“It’s because I can recognize the monsters just by looking at them. There are many monsters in the north. In particular, normal wolves do not have horns on their heads, and the waves of mana that circulate inside their bodies are not muddy.”

“It doesn’t matter. Can this wolf hurt other people now?”

“It is impossible to tame monsters with human hands. Because their nature is that they hate all living things.”

“… …How can you be sure of that? If the environment changes, wouldn’t the monsters also change?”

In a somewhat stubborn attitude, the stuffiness comes over. 

That woman knows nothing. It must be because it just looks cute to the naked eye.

“There are many monsters in the North.”

At my sudden words, her expression casts a question. I didn’t care and continued talking.

“We have tried many times. I thought that if I tamed the monsters, I might be able to reduce the sacrifices of the northern part. But...

“...The results were all failures. The monsters in the current situation were no different. That’s the monster’s nature. If that baby monster grows up, it will probably bite someone’s neck.”

“Still...”

“If you insist on that much, I have nothing more to say.”

Despite my stubborn attitude, her dissatisfaction is clearly visible.

Well, I understood her reaction. I was a little angry, but it’s a mistake that people who haven’t actually experienced the threat of monsters make.

I’m the only one who can use healing magic anyway, so if I leave it alone, that young monster will die. 

I don’t have to fight and get tired.

Feeling that way, the moment I looked at Princess Lobelia, I could see that her expression was full of embarrassment. I definitely thought she would sort this situation out.

“No way.”

“Your Highness the Princess? What are you doing?”

“There must have been no cubs in the first place?”

“… …Yes?”

“When I first brought the monster deep into the hunting ground, the monster wasn’t pregnant. But can how there be a child monster this quickly...?”

“Didn’t you put both of them in the depths of the hunting ground?”

“Yeah. Obviously. If I had known they had babies, I would never have put them in. But why all of a sudden...”

Watching her bewildered expression, I sensed something was wrong.

A baby monster just born?

Clearly, monsters are beings that value their offspring.

In particular, newly born baby monsters are the first priority for monsters to protect.

If the pup they treasure so much disappears, they will surely come looking for it. Especially since the calf was bleeding from the wound… …There was a high possibility that the mother would come after smelling the scent of blood.

And above all, the situation in which the knights who guarded us entered the hunting ground to finish the hunting competition.

In other words, there were no knights to escort the princesses here.

Having reached that point, I quickly shouted.

“Leave the baby and run away!”

The princesses were startled by my sudden cry. Even in the midst of that, Princess Aristata stubbornly held the baby monster in her arms and did not let go.

That moment.

Khuhuong–!

Suddenly, a ferocious roar is heard… …A huge golden monster with huge horns on its head jumped out.

“Kyaaah!”

I heard the screams of the princesses who saw it. 

As soon as I saw it, I raised my mana.

Damn. 

I clicked my tongue and looked at it, fully prepared to use my magic at any time.

As if it didn’t care about me raising my mana, it glared at Princess Aristata, who was holding its child in her arms, with dark flesh in her eyes.

Princess Aristata sat down on the ground as if her strength for living was exhausted, and only showed a pale expression on her face.

After that brief moment of time passed, it immediately jumped at Princess Aristata, and at that moment, my protective magic spread in front of Princess Aristata.

"Wow!"

His charge was so strong that my strong protection magic was shaken. It continued to ram its head into the protective magic.

I moved the mana while maintaining the protection magic. In an instant, mana flowed along the ground and huge spikes rose from the ground.

- Caang!

However, perhaps that monster had considerable resistance to magic, even the spear of the earth that contained mana was deflected. I clicked my tongue and prepared the magic again.

If that protection magic were to break through, Princess Aristata would be eaten alive.

Because monsters don’t forgive those who stole their offspring.

Other attack magic didn’t work on him either. 

How the hell would the imperial family have thought of burying such a monster in the depths of the hunting ground?

Confusion and anger ran down my spine, and I immediately threw all my energy into protective magic.

If it had turned its head and aimed at other princesses, it would have been a bigger problem, but it was fortunate that its eyes only stayed on Princess Aristata.

Concentrating all my mana on protection magic, I couldn’t use magic to transmit this commotion to other places, so I called out to the princesses.

“Someone call a knight quickly! It’s a monster with resistance to magic, so it’s hard to hit directly with my magic!"

At my voice, the other princesses were just looking at the monster with eyes full of fear, perhaps in a state of panic thinking that if they moved, they would be the ones being targeted by that monster.

Frustrated, I called out to the princesses again.

“Quickly! Right now, that monster is only focused on its offspring! It won’t try to harm you even if you move!”

As if coming to her senses at my urgent words, Princess Lobelia, who had become pale, straightened her expression and stood up.

“I’ll call them!”

Princess Lobelia tore the skirt of her dress, which was not suitable for running, with her hands, and then ran to where the other nobles were.

The protection magic was still strong, but each attack by that monster was quickly draining my mana.

I can’t stand it for long like this.

The moment I thought so.

-hee hee hee-!

A sudden neighing sound was heard, and someone appeared quickly.

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