Ruthless Measure
Finally, the Ritual of the Crimson Wind had begun.
At dawn, all the children entered the hunting ground.
Now, they were scattering in all directions toward their respective prey.
"Hm."
Standing at a fork in the path, I paused for a moment in thought.
It was time to plan how our team would sweep up our assigned prey.
"..."
I pictured the locations of the targets in my mind.
And my honest impression was—
'…What a pain.'
A lot of pain.
The prey we had to hunt down were scattered all across the entire field.
Orcs to the north.
Lizardmen to the west.
Kobolds to the south.
Gnolls to the east.
Their distribution was a total mess, making it impossible to form an efficient route.
In conclusion, to complete the hunt, we'd have to run all over this massive field—
sweating our soles off.
"Hah."
Things were so much better back when I could just do this with a keyboard and mouse.
'How the hell am I supposed to finish all this?'
Just thinking about it made me tired.
And honestly, there was something far more important to me than catching these creatures.
'I have my own quest to do.'
Strictly speaking,
this Ritual of the Crimson Wind wasn't even my quest.
For kids like Baruel or Shark Lobren, who were participating in the ritual, it was a once-in-a-lifetime trial—
but for me, it was just part of the quest's background event.
In other words, even if I, Kals, and Tyrbaen didn't catch any prey,
the quest would still count as completed.
However—
'…That would mean a less-than-perfect completion.'
Catching prey affected the quest's completion rating,
so I couldn't just ignore it.
Especially for players like me, obsessed with perfect rewards,
it was simply unthinkable to skip that part.
So I let out a heavy sigh.
"Phew, guess I'll start with the kobold side first?"
If I wanted to hunt and progress the quest at the same time,
I'd have to stay constantly on the move.
Well, at least the experience rewards were decent—
that was some consolation.
"Damn, isn't there some kind and diligent shuttle who'll go hunting for me…?"
Just as I was grumbling in laziness—
Step, step.
Another team was following close behind ours.
Their leader called out to me.
"Hey, Shan."
The moment I heard that obnoxious voice,
I actually felt delighted.
Heh. Look who just volunteered to be my workhorse.
It was Hekster Walt.
I'd vaguely sensed that a team had been tailing us for a while.
'I thought it was just a coincidence that our paths overlapped…'
But then this jerk suddenly appeared.
This time, though, I didn't mind his arrival—
in fact, I welcomed it.
'Hah, how'd he know I needed a hunting shuttle and show up right on cue?'
After Shark Lobren… now even my prey shows up for free?
'Talk about the gift that keeps on giving.'
How could I not be pleased?
"Heh heh heh."
He approached with a cold smirk on his face.
But inwardly, I was smiling the same way.
"Hey, Shan."
"Mm? What is it~?"
Of course, Hekster had no idea what was going through my head,
and started growling at me.
"You stole my friend away, huh? Heard you got your punishment though—an orc shaman, was it? Heh heh."
Wow, so that's how he's spinning it, huh?
"Too bad for you. You'll need to make an impressive hunt soon—got any idea how you're gonna pull that off?"
"..."
I just listened quietly to his nonsense.
"They say that kind of prey only shows up once every ten years. No one's ever managed to kill one yet."
…Well, good.
It's always nicer to have an excuse when you beat someone senseless.
"Oh man, how pitiful. Guess you'll have to try again next time, huh? Ha ha ha!"
'He's really enjoying himself.'
Then, with mock seriousness, he added:
"Still, you'd better make sure to look after Shark's hunt, yeah?
He's just a mutt who'll come crawling back to me anyway."
He was literally talking about Shark Lobren like he was property.
"And if you don't…"
That same sleazy grin again.
"I'll personally make sure your brothers' futures get cut off.
Once I pass the Ritual of the Crimson Wind, I'll be joining the Border Guard for sure.
No need to doubt it."
He even tapped my cheek a couple times.
"Got it?"
"..."
Hekster backed away with a smug expression, satisfied with his little threat.
But I couldn't help chuckling inwardly.
'Ah, so he's assuming I'll fail the ritual and he can crush me with authority later?'
Well… I suppose that's one kind of cunning.
'Too bad for him—authority's far away, but power's right here.'
And I did have a plan.
"Hekster, come here for a sec."
I motioned to him quietly.
He grinned, thinking I was already buttering him up.
But then—
my fist drove straight into his face.
"Guh!"
As he stumbled back clutching his nose,
I drove my knee right between his legs.
Crack.
Something definitely broke.
"Hhrrghk—haaaghh!"
"Hey, even if it hurts, you still gotta breathe. In, out. In, out."
I patted his cheek lightly this time.
Then Hekster clutched his crotch and slowly toppled backward.
"Guaaaahhh!!"
A belated, mournful scream—
a wail for his lost potential and future lineage.
"W-whoa, what the hell?!"
His teammates, frozen in confusion, finally realized what happened.
"Hekster got hit!"
"And in that spot! Oh god!"
"That bastard! Cowardly piece of shit!"
They hurriedly drew their weapons, shouting furiously.
Same old boring, laughable threats, one after another.
"You bastard!"
"You've no idea how dangerous this hunting ground is!"
"We'll teach you that no one here's gonna save your ass!"
But I just picked my ear lazily.
"Seems to me you're the ones who don't know what's dangerous.
There's something really terrifying right beside me, and you haven't even noticed."
"...!"
Only then did they sense it—
Kals Alledro.
Chzzzzzz…
They felt an overwhelming killing intent pouring out,
unlike anything they'd ever experienced before.
But it was already too late.
I signaled the bodyguard on the verge of exploding.
"Kals, teach them a lesson—but don't break anything. I'll need them later."
"…Alright."
Kals stepped forward, radiating a fearsome presence as though he'd been waiting for this moment.
Even without drawing his sword—just holding it in its sheath—
his aura was so intense it made my skin tingle.
And that voice of his, cold as ice, was the finishing touch.
"Alright, I'll give you a stinging lesson."
Ugh, it made my spine shiver.
Honestly, in a place like this, even if someone kept beating a person until they dropped dead, there wouldn't be a single soul to come help.
"Guaaaahhh!"
"Sorry! I was wrong!"
"Save me! Somebody please—!"
…No matter how much they screamed, nothing changed.
"One."
"Get your head in the game!"
"Two."
"…Pull yourself together!"
"One."
"Focus…."
"Huh? The noise is getting quieter? Am I hearing things?"
"No—no, we're fine!"
Hekster's four friends were getting disciplined until their eyes were swollen and blackened. Except for Hekster, who was foaming at the mouth and still crawling around on the ground.
Kals had laid into them in a way that was satisfyingly precise—just enough to break them but not destroy them. And I used what I'd learned in my world without fail.
'Drill sergeant Yeom at the army boot camp was brutal as hell.'
How could someone herd recruits like that? Thanks to that training, I could beat some sense into these guys effectively.
It didn't even take thirty minutes.
"Better to take more hits than keep going like this!"
"Please! Stop!"
After getting thrashed until they raised dust on a rainy day and rolling around until they bled, I looked at them and said…
"All right, just three hunting tasks. Promise me you'll do only three."
Our team's prey.
"Three small lizardman archers, an inexperienced kobold squad leader, and one mad gnoll warrior."
Their faces contorted as the list of tasks stacked up.
"That's too much!"
"Please, take one off us."
Nope — not happening.
"Hunt them safely and bring me proof. You've got one day."
"...."
"You don't like it?"
"Ah—no! Yes, we'll do it!"
[Random Event: 'Hunting Subcontract' has occurred!]
[You can earn partial EXP and rewards without personally hunting.]
Just like the event name said…
These guys would hunt the targets for us and come back.
"All right then. Good luck."
"...."
"No answer?"
"Yes sir! We'll do our best!"
They barely managed to leave, shouldering Hekster, but I stopped them.
"Leave him. I'll handle it."
They tried to resist.
"W-what are you going to do?"
"Hekster is our captain…!"
Their panic at possibly losing their leader was obvious. I just smiled.
"He's got a broken nut—he won't even be able to walk. Leave him."
"Our healer will treat him—"
"I said leave him. Which matters more: his nut or your necks?"
"Y-yes, we'll go now."
"Good. Goodbye."
The point of this 'hunting subcontract' event is holding NPC weaknesses over them. Right now their weak point was the team's center: Hekster Walt. As long as I kept him as a hostage, the subcontract stayed valid.
Honestly, I wondered if four guys without Hekster could handle the prey… but—
'Judging by how Kals hit them earlier, they'll be fine.'
Hekster had rounded up tough kids; their endurance was surprisingly good. Their skills likely matched too.
'They're among the strongest of their age — they can handle it.'
So the four trudged off.
"Nice, that was sweet."
I hummed as I turned, and two startled faces caught my eye.
Baruel and Shark Lobren's eyes were shaking like crazy.
"This is impossible…"
Especially Shark Lobren, who'd been one of them just yesterday, looked utterly bewildered.
'I don't think they expected me to go this far.'
From their viewpoint, I'd turned Hekster—someone like a god to them—into a seedless watermelon. Of course they were shaken.
Baruel's trembling hands fumbled around.
Everyone….
What would he say? "Are you insane?" "Have you lost your mind?" "Are you a monster?"
But the kid who would become the revolution's greatest mage later on had a sharp eye.
…You're not just participants, are you? What exactly are you trying to do?
"You sure are quick to notice, kid."
No — that wasn't the point!
"Right. Good catch, Baruel."
I smiled.
The team was formed and the ritual had started, so there was no need to hide anymore. In fact, it was easier and more comfortable to lay everything out here.
Of course, I couldn't tell them I was the Empire's third prince, but—
"I'm here on other business. More than the Ritual of the Crimson Wind, I have business with you who are carrying this out."
…?
At those puzzled looks, I began to explain, step by step, the conspiracy tied to this event.
The more I spoke, the less they could keep their mouths shut.
My god.
"W-what? That's—!"
The catastrophe engineered by the Kishiris Order.
It wasn't merely surprising — it was horrifying.
"Hard to believe, but it's all true. That's why the Eolem Order sent me here."
Team leader, if that's true—then…
Baruel signed urgently to me; his hands trembled as he asked the critical question.
…So what's your plan?
Reject Eve's specially prepared strike team and take the route I will take—
How on earth do you plan to stop that flood? You'd even be competing with Eve for this, wouldn't you?
The smart kid pointed that out. I grinned.
"You know the saying 'strike first, win'?"
Strike first? What does that mean?
"What? Surely you don't—"
Shark caught on.
First, I'd hit Eve with a preemptive strike.
"Isn't removing obstacles first the obvious move?"
I had a lot to do in this quest. So I had zero intention of giving ground.