LIGHTNOVELONLINE After halting the train near the station, I slowly followed the Hunter, who was trailing a smell.
The station was a bit further away, but not too far, so the Hunter said we could just walk in the direction of the scent.
Our destination felt like a space with piled stones resembling a ravine.
It looked like it could collapse at any moment, but the persistent snowfall had frozen it solid, making it oddly immovable.
Could this be the beauty of nature?
The Hunter boldly moved forward, seemingly drawn by the scent.
It seemed questionable when he pushed into what appeared to be a non-path, yet it was fascinating how a decent path emerged when I followed.
Is this the ability possessed by all Hunters?
In terms of sense of smell, he was no different from the Hunters of Rondan.
“Hey, Hunter, do you have a reason for becoming a Hunter?”
As I was starting to get bored from just walking, I decided to strike up a conversation.
Just then, a fork in the road appeared right on cue.
Thinking my words would likely be interrupted, I figured I would ask again after we got through the fork.
Sniff sniff.
While the Hunter casually sniffed, glancing between the two paths, he confidently walked down one without a second thought.
“When I was young, I got lost.”
Fortunately, as if he heard me, the Hunter began to share his story.
“I once took a train with my parents to a nearby village. I can’t remember why. But then I got lost in that village and ended up separated from my parents.”
Was it a painful memory? The Hunter sighed deeply, as if in discomfort.
“After barely finding my way back, I arrived at the train station, but it had already left. I really thought the world was ending then. Trains don’t come by often, you know. I had to spend at least a week loitering around that village like a homeless person. What could I possibly do at that age?”
He spoke with a voice mixed with self-mockery, and I nodded along, as if to empathize.
“So, I cried like a baby right there. Even as a kid, I remember how ridiculous it was for a guy to cry that much. But there was nothing else I could do. I just needed to call out for help from anyone, you know?”
For some reason, Agartha seemed lost in thought, staring at the ground.
Come to think of it, Agartha had mentioned she didn’t have good parents either.
Could that have triggered some bad memories?
The Hunter didn’t seem to notice Agartha and continued his story.
“While I was standing there, a man in black approached me. He was a really cheerful guy. As soon as he saw me, he exclaimed, ‘Oh my, who left such a little child here!’ This Hunter happened to be heading towards Gerun and offered to take me there. Of course, without any train.”
A man in black?
It seemed to overlap with the image of a Hunter.
“He was incredibly strong. No matter what Outsider he encountered, he blew them all away with just a shotgun. No matter how big or fast they were, he protected me as if it was nothing. He safely got me back to my home. When I asked how he knew the way, he said he followed the scent I left.”
As if reminiscing about that day, the Hunter smiled.
“That’s when I decided to become a Hunter myself. A cool Hunter who could help everyone in the Gerun Domain. Saying this now feels a bit embarrassing though.”
“…That’s a nice story.”
At my comment, the Hunter let out a sheepish laugh and focused ahead.
“That’s enough chit-chat, we’re out now.”
On hearing the Hunter’s words, we adopted a vigilant stance and concentrated.
“We’ve arrived near an Outsider.”
Following the Hunter’s lead, we quickly moved behind some distant rocks.
The Hunter placed a finger to his lips, signaling for silence, and whispered.
“I can see something moving. It’s a bit far, but within striking distance.”
“Okay.”
We remained silent until the Hunter’s signal, and slowly the outline of the Outsider came into view.
And that outline was…
Just a human.
But I didn’t dare to voice this fact out loud.
To me, due to my cowardice mode, everything looked diluted.
I mean, a human walking around in such thin clothing in the middle of this snowstorm? Ridiculous.
“…Is it a human attacked by an Outsider? Given how poorly he can stand, it seems he must have been bitten by an Outsider.”
Could it be similar to the White Mask?
She said her face was hideously deformed because of being bitten by an Outsider.
The Hunter seemed to sniff again, but soon fixed his gaze on the human.
“I thought it was the stench of another Outsider, but to think it only comes from that human. Just how deeply infused is that Outsider’s essence? It’d be better for him if we just killed him.”
Outsider essence, huh.
If that’s the case, wouldn’t I have some too?
“Don’t worry about that.”
The Dragon Slayer responded to my doubts.
Why not?
“That human has already met his end. Since he lost the power to control himself, you can think of him as effectively becoming one of us. But you, my husband, are still alive as a human. Hence, it means you won’t emit the smell that the Hunters speak of.”
…Something about that was very vague, and I didn’t fully understand.
So the conclusion was I wouldn’t emit the smell of an Outsider?
For a moment, I worried that Hunter might have caught scent of the Dragon being in me.
“I’ll count to five, and I’ll charge in first, so cover me, Sir Tanton.”
Saying this, the Hunter drew two revolvers.
So this side primarily used dual pistols?
It seemed all Hunters had an excess of romanticism.
The Hunter started counting softly, and the moment the countdown ended—
He immediately leapt over the rock and charged at the Outsider.
Bang!
He swiftly aimed his revolvers at the Outsider, and the rapid gunfire echoed.
Those pistols had quite a recoil, yet the Hunter appeared to possess extraordinary strength, shooting like that without a stance.
However, despite looking human, the Outsider was indeed an Outsider.
Twelve bullets shot out, with hair quickly swatting them all away in an instant.
“Ugh.”
Seeing Agartha’s disgusted reaction, it clearly wasn’t just hair.
“Sir Tanton!”
At the Hunter’s call, I turned back to Agartha and Asti.
“Asti, Agartha, while the Hunter and I engage from a distance, draw their attention so I can strike at the decisive moment.”
“Understood!”
“Okay, Leydan.”
Agartha and Asti nodded at me and then leaped towards the Outsider.
Even though she must have struggled with her prosthetic arm, Agartha dashed towards the Outsider, dagger held with both hands, slashing down.
Swoosh!
A sound echoed, muffled by my cowardice mode.
It was a clash between blades and hair, yet the noise was surprisingly jarring.
Agartha seemed taken aback, grinding her teeth.
To allow her to escape, Asti rushed alongside with her own dagger aimed at the Outsider.
Thanks to possessing the body of the Interrogator, her speed had increased dramatically, allowing her to begin slashing at the Outsider.
With that, the Outsider’s hair began to be severed completely and Agartha was free from immediate threats.
Having had all her hair chopped off, the Outsider seemed to lose her means of attack.
Now flailing without direction, the Outsider was confused.
Asti was far stronger than I had anticipated.
“Now’s the time, Sir Tanton!”
The Hunter shouted that just as he started firing his revolver.
The bullets struck the Outsider, who emitted a pained scream.
At that moment, the Outsider, falling into uncontrollable chaos, suddenly spat something that began to melt the shoulder of Agartha’s clothing.
“Argh! Have you ever seen such a shameless Outsider!”
Agartha shouted with flushed cheeks, but now it was time for my strike to end this.
She was still reaping her rewards till the very end.
So I jumped high to deliver the final blow, focusing all my mind on the Outsider.
BAM!
Suddenly, something came crashing into me from the side, and there was no angle to evade.
“Eek!”
I collided with something black, and of course, due to the angle, my body was dragged in the direction that the black thing wanted.
Fortunately, I landed softly on the snow, though the impact brought me a headache.
An Outsider’s ambush?
But according to the Hunter, he said there were no other Outsiders around.
There was no way he, with a sense of smell almost like a Hunter, could make such a mistake.
So, then what?
“…Finally found you.”
Pinned beneath the black form, my arms were captured, rendering me immobile.
Suddenly, as I recognized that I was being held down by the familiar voice, panic washed over me.
In an instant, I caught a glimpse of the face behind that voice, and I fell into deeper fear than when facing any Outsider.
“Leydan Tanton!”
Indeed, the one chasing after me had the glint of a Hunter with something he desired.