“I oppose your participation in the Hunting Ceremony, Young Master.”
Late at night, Kemen came to Wirn’s room.
Not only was the visit sudden, but what he had come to discuss was completely unexpected.
It was clearly not something a mere butler had any right to object to.
Even so, the reason Kemen had come to his room was simple.
“Young Master, you still have no real combat experience whatsoever. So I would like you to reconsider participating in the Hunting Ceremony.”
Wirn was still a sheltered flower raised in a greenhouse.
At least, he was in this life.
Not only had he never encountered a monster or killed a person, he had never even felt killing intent against his skin.
He had spent his entire life under the protection of the Daylin Family.
That was why Kemen wanted to dissuade Wirn from participating, even if it meant overstepping his bounds.
“Dangerous, huh....”
Wirn was aware of that as well.
“But you’re mistaken about that.”
However, he had no intention of accepting Kemen’s advice.
“I’m confident I won’t get scared just from seeing a monster.”
After all, Wirn had experienced countless things while living as the Imperial Hound.
“You cannot know that without experiencing it yourself.”
“I’m not changing my mind.”
“Young Master.”
“I’m participating in this Hunting Ceremony no matter what.”
Wirn answered firmly as Kemen continued trying to persuade him.
“So just stand back and watch. See for yourself how I distinguish myself.”
He even boldly declared that he would excel during the Hunting Ceremony.
“Yaaawn!”
Then he stretched both arms high above his head.
“I should get some sleep now. I’ll see you at the Hunting Ceremony tomorrow.”
He effectively ordered Kemen, who was standing beside his bed, to leave.
“....”
Kemen swallowed as he looked at Wirn.
If he followed his feelings, he wanted to persuade Wirn a little longer.
But Wirn’s gaze was telling him not to bother him any further.
It was practically a silent warning.
“I will escort you to the entrance of the forest where the hunt will begin at seven tomorrow morning.”
Kemen knew perfectly well which lines he shouldn’t cross, so he bowed to Wirn.
Click.
Then he quietly left Wirn’s room.
“....”
After confirming that Kemen was gone, Wirn stared at the closed door.
“The Hunting Ceremony, huh.”
And during the Hunting Ceremony tomorrow—
“I’ll have to make it perfectly clear who’s hunting whom.”
He resolved to show everyone exactly where he stood in the food chain.
FLAP!
At the same time, he spread a map of the forest he had brought from the family library across the table.
“And while I’m at it, I’ll get myself a useful ingredient.”
A V-shaped mark Wirn had drawn sat over one of the dangerous areas deeper inside the forest.
It was a rocky region formed from countless boulders piled atop one another.
Wirn had to reach that place somehow.
Because the ‘ingredient’ he was after was alive there.
‘Given my current situation, an Ogre’s blood should be enough.’
And that ingredient belonged to a creature notorious since ancient times for hunting and devouring humans.
***
The entrance to the forest where the Hunting Ceremony would be held had a majestic atmosphere.
A single path ran through the center, surrounded on both sides by thick trees.
However, every branch had been meticulously trimmed, giving even the forest itself an air of elegance.
“Once you enter, you will officially be considered a participant in the Hunting Ceremony.”
Following the forest path eventually led to a Teleportation Magic Circle that could transport participants to another area.
“From that moment onward, I will no longer be able to assist you, Young Master. You must overcome every trial entirely on your own.”
Kemen pointed toward it as he spoke to Wirn.
“That’s fine.”
He wouldn’t be able to receive help from Kemen, who supported him.
Wirn had been informed of that fact, but he wasn’t particularly disappointed.
If anything, he preferred it.
It would be difficult to carry out what he had planned if Kemen stayed by his side.
If Wirn said he intended to beat an Ogre to death, Kemen would obviously do everything in his power to stop him.
“You just need to watch how I clear the trials.”
“....”
Kemen swallowed after hearing his answer.
Just as he had yesterday, Kemen was worried about Wirn today as well.
He was afraid Wirn might suffer a serious injury during the Hunting Ceremony.
However, Kemen knew something else too.
No matter what he said, nothing would change.
“Please be careful.”
So instead of trying to persuade him again, Kemen bowed to Wirn.
Grin.
Wirn raised the corners of his lips as he looked at Kemen.
Then he lightly patted him on the shoulder.
―HUMM!
Afterward, he stepped into the magic circle prepared for the participants.
***
The light produced by the teleportation magic circle enveloped Wirn.
The moment it disappeared, Wirn’s vision returned to normal.
Ordinarily, the complexity of the spell formula would require a long wait, but the Daylin Family’s magic circle was on an entirely different level, allowing every calculation to be completed in an instant.
“Hmm....”
Thanks to that, Wirn was transported into the middle of the forest in the blink of an eye.
It was a thickly wooded place where an attack could come from anywhere at any moment.
―Humm....
The instant that thought occurred to him, his Circle began rotating vigorously.
He had always lived prepared for ambushes.
Even without consciously thinking about it, his body naturally reacted that way.
Yet even as time passed, nothing happened.
No monsters appeared, nor did anyone emerge to threaten Wirn.
‘This is more humane than the Empire.’
Realizing that, Wirn stopped rotating his Circle.
Compared to his days as the Imperial Hound, this place was practically the embodiment of humanitarianism.
―HUMM!
At that moment, another magic circle appeared to Wirn’s right.
“What? You came too?”
Wirn chuckled when he saw the person who emerged from it.
It was Began, the one Wirn had beaten black and blue.
“...Is there some reason I shouldn’t have come?”
Began’s expression twisted at Wirn’s amused smile.
“I’m also a legitimate successor of the family. So I have every right to participate in the Hunting Ceremony.”
There were several reasons Began had decided to participate.
However, the biggest of them was that he wanted to show Wirn his strength and earn his ‘recognition.’
“So there’s no problem.”
Of course, someone as prideful as Began would never reveal that intention to Wirn.
“I wasn’t questioning your qualifications.”
Wirn shrugged at Began’s words.
“Hmm... Were you perhaps going to say I’m unqualified because I carry the blood of a lowborn mother?”
He deliberately added that in a strange tone.
He had a feeling it would be quite entertaining if he could make that sulky face flustered.
“Huh?”
“I thought maybe you didn’t like the idea of a half-blood bastard participating in the Hunting Ceremony. You were just trying to imply it indirectly, but a lowborn bastard like me was too stupid to notice.”
The moment Wirn finished speaking, he lowered his head.
He even remembered to put on a lonely expression while murmuring, ‘Yeah. I suppose that makes sense.’
His acting was more than enough to fool the still-young Began.
“No. That wasn’t what I meant....”
Began waved his hands frantically at Wirn’s little prank.
Only now had he been reminded that Wirn’s bloodline was only half the same as theirs.
But that had never been an issue for Began.
He wanted to beat his younger brother, but he wasn’t the sort of person who discriminated against someone because of their bloodline.
“This is....”
Unsure of what to do, Began eventually lowered his head.
‘Well, look at this guy.’
Wirn blinked at Began, who had become completely speechless.
He had expected the bastard not to back down here.
No.
More precisely, he had expected Began to behave like a typical heir.
Like the descendants of prestigious families Wirn had seen in the Empire.
‘He’s got some sense after all.’
But Began didn’t have that side to him at all.
“I’m joking. I know you didn’t mean it like that.”
Wirn walked over to the bowing Began.
Then he lightly patted his shoulder a few times.
Wirn had been the one to start the joke in the first place, so he wasn’t actually angry.
“...You bastard!”
Hearing that, Began raised his head.
The sight of Wirn grinning openly made his intentions painfully obvious.
“...The others might not think that way.”
But Began didn’t relax.
Instead, he looked at Wirn with genuine concern.
He knew that people who didn’t care about bloodlines were rare.
Just as he was about to warn him—
―HUMM!
―HUUUMM!
Several magic circles appeared around Wirn and Began.
Tap!
At the same time, two men and one woman emerged from them.
“Tch.”
Began frowned when he recognized their faces.
“Members of the collateral branches are participating too.”
They carried the blood of the Daylin Family, but they weren’t part of the direct line.
They were also descendants of families that had built their influence in regions far removed from the main family.
“They’re successors from the collateral branches. And they come from families that have achieved exceptional results even among the collateral branches.”
“Hmm.”
They couldn’t be ignored.
These people had been selected from among the Daylin Family’s numerous collateral branches.
It went without saying just how many competitors they must have defeated to earn the right to come here.
That was why Wirn nodded at Began’s explanation.
He now understood why Began had been concerned about Wirn’s bloodline.
‘They’re not exactly looking at me kindly.’
And just as Began had predicted, the gazes the collateral heirs directed at Wirn were filled with displeasure.
‘But they’re not hostile toward Began.’
That treatment, however, was reserved solely for Wirn.
Their attitudes toward Began were almost docile.
Wirn quickly realized that the reason lay in Began’s bloodline.
‘It’s obvious what they’re thinking. They don’t like the fact that someone with only half the family’s blood belongs to the main family while they’re stuck in the collateral branches.’
Those were exactly the kinds of looks the people of the Empire had given Wirn during his days as a hound.
Grin.
But Wirn didn’t find it unpleasant.
He had been treated that way so many times that it was enough to make him yawn.
That was why he was confident he could crush those resentful gazes.
And if they challenged him, he was prepared to repay them twice over.
It was a resolution Wirn could make now precisely because there was no longer a leash around his neck.
‘But that woman... Haven’t I seen her somewhere before?’
At that moment, one person caught Wirn’s eye.
A woman with white hair and black eyes.
She was the only woman among those who had arrived through the magic circles.
“Hmm....”
A straight nose and red lips.
Her face, cold enough to suggest an utterly ruthless personality, bothered Wirn.
Unable to shake the vague sense of familiarity, he stared intently at her face.
RUMBLE... RUMBLE!
At that moment, the ground shook violently.
―GRAAAH!
Five massive Orcs emerged from farther down the path.
Drool streamed from their mouths, making them the very image of savage Orcs.
‘I don’t sense any Mana.’
Wirn immediately realized they hadn’t been created by an illusion.
He couldn’t sense any Mana coming from their bodies.
There was also no magic circle present to create an illusion, so Wirn realized that these Orcs were real creatures the Daylin Family had captured alive.
“Looks like this is the first trial.”
Began smiled as he looked at them.
“Wirn. Let’s see who can take them down faster—”
Just as he was about to challenge Wirn—
WHOOSH!
Sharp fangs of ice shot past Wirn and Began.
THUD-THUD-THUD!
Dozens of ice fangs mercilessly pierced the Orcs’ bodies.
The fangs were so densely packed with Mana that even the Orcs’ tough hides were torn apart.
Their entrails spilled from their bodies, but even that soon stopped.
The cold radiating from the ice fangs froze them completely.
“W-What...?”
Began stared in shock.
He hadn’t expected the five Orcs to die so easily.
“She cast that without chanting?”
He hadn’t even heard an incantation.
“Wirn. I didn’t see that wrong, did I?”
Began grew visibly excited as he stared at the frozen Orcs.
‘I remember now.’
He called Wirn’s name, but Wirn didn’t even glance at him.
He had finally realized why the woman had seemed so familiar when he first saw her.
‘The bastard child of the Daylin Family and the Ruler of Ice.’
And after seeing the magic she had just displayed, he remembered her background as well.
‘She died by my hand.’
He even remembered the fate that had brought her life to an end.
RUMBLE....
At that moment, the fallen Orcs were broken down by Mana rising from the ground.
THUD!
Five new paths leading deeper into the forest emerged from beneath the earth.
“....”
The moment everyone saw them, the people standing in the middle of the forest fell silent as though they had planned it beforehand.
Even Began, who had been making such a fuss, and Wirn, who had been speaking with complete confidence, became quiet.
Everyone silently glanced between the paths before them and the other successors.
Then—
DASH!
Each of them rushed toward one of the five paths.
‘This Hunting Ceremony might be more interesting than I expected.’
Wirn, the corners of his lips raised high, was among them.
***
Wirn continued racing forward with a grin on his face.
Tap!
Before long, however, he stopped.
Something was blocking the path ahead.
“Hmm....”
Wirn stroked his chin as he stared at the creature obstructing his way.
At the same time, he remembered that this event was called a ‘Hunting Ceremony.’
“So it’s true that none of the great houses are sane.”
Remembering that saying, Wirn chuckled in disbelief.
No matter how he thought about it, this was absurd.
“They actually expect children to deal with a giant monster like that.”
Instead of a wild animal at an event called a Hunting Ceremony—
―GROOOAR!
A Treeman, something one would normally only encounter in an elven forest, stood before him.
CRUNCH!
Just as Wirn began to question the event’s name, the massive Treeman drove its vines into the ground.
HUMM!
At the same time, blue light poured from its body.
Just as elves were skilled at handling magic, Treemen could also generate Mana through the vines growing from their bodies.
“Interesting.”
Wirn smiled at the creature.
Was it because this was the Hunting Ceremony of a magic family?
The sight of the Treeman trying to subdue him through magic rather than physical strength was rather interesting.
―HUUUMM!
At that moment, the Mana radiating from the creature changed from blue to green.
Then the previously still ground began violently heaving up and down.
The earth split apart as if an earthquake had struck.
The moment that sight entered Wirn’s eyes—
CRAAACK!
Dozens of thick wooden vines erupted from underground.
Each one was several times thicker than the body of an anaconda that lived along a riverbank.
They were practically vicious crushing machines.
And the distance between them and Wirn was extremely short.
“Druid-type magic.”
But Wirn didn’t panic.
Instead, he carefully observed the Treeman’s magic with an interested gaze.
Even for the Daylin Family, he had never imagined they would actually capture a living Treeman and bring it here.
The realization that capturing one alive must have required considerable effort impressed him even more.
Ooze... ooze.
At the same time, Darkness flowed down Wirn’s arms and legs.
However, its nature was different from the Darkness he normally wielded.
The Darkness he had created now was viscous and clinging.
It resembled highly flammable oil.
―GRRRRR!
But the Treeman didn’t sense any danger.
The power of the Darkness was clearly strong, but Darkness alone couldn’t consume its vines.
And as proof of that, the overflowing Darkness was stopped by the Treeman’s purifying energy the moment it touched the vines.
“Hmm.”
Devouring, Wirn’s greatest strength, had been completely blocked.
However, the creature knew only one thing and failed to understand another.
The human standing before it wasn’t some novice capable of wielding only one attribute at a time.
Although Wirn’s Darkness couldn’t exert its full power because of the purification, it could still cling to the vines.
SNAP!
With the Darkness coating them, Wirn snapped the fingers of his right hand.
A tiny spark appeared over his hand.
It was a spell called ‘Life Flame.’
Wirn dropped it toward the Darkness clinging to the vines.
...FWOOSH!
The moment the flame touched the Darkness, it ignited instantly, spreading through it like fire across oil.
What appeared wasn’t merely a flame of Darkness.
It was a flame of death that devoured life itself.
―GROOOAR!
The roots the Treeman had multiplied burst into flames.
Seeing that, the creature produced leaves.
It then used enormous leaves to smother the flames and stop them from spreading.
But the flames of death didn’t go out.
Their fuel wasn’t air imbued with the flame attribute.
It was life that Darkness could consume.
That was why the Treeman’s roots rapidly turned to ash.
Neither cutting off the air nor the sap flowing through the roots could stop it.
Life into death.
The natural order that even nature itself couldn’t prevent gnawed away at the creature’s body.
“Death Flame, huh....”
A cold smile spread across Wirn’s lips as he watched.
The hypothesis he had been considering had proved correct.
The moment a spark that burned life as fuel combined with Darkness, its very composition changed.
That meant he could create variables like this by using other attributes as well.
“This is pretty good.”
He felt so good he could have flown through the sky.
With that, Wirn smiled as he watched the Treeman burn.
...THUD!
A minute later, the body that had rooted itself into the ground collapsed helplessly.
“You picked the wrong opponent.”
Wirn shrugged as he looked at the creature still burning in the remaining flames.
‘They’re watching, aren’t they?’
Then he glanced through the seemingly empty air before stepping past the fallen Treeman and continuing forward.
“...Wirn, was it?”
An old man smiled as he watched Wirn.
“Just as I heard, he’s quite an interesting child.”