Chapter 42 《The Hound of the Storm》 – (4)
(I)
“Hmm….”
Arkahak, commonly known as the “Iron King,” exhaled heavily as he examined the request letter handed to him.
The contents of the request were neither extensive nor complex, but they were more than enough to capture Arkahak’s interest.
“The Progenitor Vampire….”
The Progenitor Vampire.
A legendary monster, recently unsealed, that had plunged the Avilia Kingdom into chaos.
Within less than a week, the unprecedented vampire had even conquered the Royal Capital of Avilia Kingdom, tightening its grip on the land with terrifying speed.
“….”
Now, the Avilia Kingdom had requested the extermination of this monstrous vampire.
For the continent’s strongest nation to reach out to mercenary groups like Stormhound on a state level, it was evident that the situation was dire.
For a nation to seek assistance from a mere military organization was an unimaginable blow to its pride. And yet, the fact that the mightiest Avilia Kingdom, with its renowned heroes, had set aside its pride to call upon mercenaries signified that their predicament was far graver than Arkahak had initially thought.
“Hmm….”
He stroked his rugged beard and fell into deep thought.
The Progenitor Vampire….
It was not an entirely unfamiliar name.
Arkahak had heard of it in fairy tales as a child. More recently, members of Stormhound had been dispatched to the great city of Ermaile in the Avilia Kingdom to hunt it down, only to be annihilated.
…This was a being that had already crossed paths with Stormhound, one that had clashed with their blades.
“….”
The worst, most fearsome creature that had annihilated Arkahak’s elite subordinates, who had embarked on an expedition to Ermaile in exchange for immense rewards.
The Avilia Kingdom was once again asking to confront this being, this time imploring Arkahak, the leader of Stormhound, to rally everything they had to slay the monster.
…But the risk was immense. Not only had the mission already failed once, but there was no precedent to draw upon. The danger was simply too great.
In short, the likelihood of death, of a meaningless demise, was far too high.
“….”
Under normal circumstances, it would have been a request to reject outright. Yet this time, Arkahak found himself unable to put the request aside.
The intoxicating scent of money wafting from the letter paralyzed his senses and judgment.
“One hundred million gold coins….”
One hundred million gold coins.
The reward proposed by the Avilia Kingdom to hire the world’s greatest mercenary group, Stormhound.
The sheer amount of gold was so overwhelming that its scent seemed to seep through the paper.
Arkahak’s gaze remained fixed on the request letter, his thoughts circling the staggering sum of one hundred million.
“….”
What could one hundred million gold coins achieve?
It was enough to establish and maintain an entire fiefdom—or even a small nation.
A fortune so vast that even Stormhound, working tirelessly for centuries, might struggle to accumulate it.
“Hah.”
Arkahak let out a dry chuckle.
One hundred million gold coins.
“…There’s no need to hesitate, is there?”
He muttered as he crumpled the request letter. His voice carried an inexplicable fervor, a glint of madness beginning to surface in his eyes.
This was an opportunity to amass an unprecedented fortune and fame.
The brief hesitation he had felt moments ago now seemed utterly foolish.
…What kind of organization was Stormhound?
A group driven by money, united and sustained by the pursuit of profit.
There was no reason to hesitate.
“Mercer?”
“Yes, Lord Arkahak.”
The Iron King, Arkahak, called for his aide. Mercer, his secretary, bowed her head in response.
Gazing at her—her left eye lost in a battle long ago—Arkahak announced his decision.
“…We will accept the Avilia Kingdom’s request. Summon all of Stormhound, including the Three Generals.”
“Understood.”
Arkahak commanded the assembly of all soldiers, including the highest-ranking officers, the Three Generals. Mercer nodded her acknowledgment.
As he watched her, Arkahak grinned slyly.
“When a client makes a request, we must, of course, meet their expectations.”
If money cannot solve a problem, it simply means there isn’t enough of it.
With their immense fortune, the Avilia Kingdom had successfully mobilized the entirety of Stormhound.
Now that the request had been accepted, Arkahak was bound by duty to fulfill it to the best of his ability.
“The Progenitor Vampire….”
The Progenitor Vampire.
The most fearsome monster currently driving the Avilia Kingdom to ruin.
An opponent that should invoke fear, trembling, and terror.
Yet, the Iron King, Arkahak, felt nothing at all.
“…I’ll crush it.”
The only thing he feared was not getting paid. Nothing else.
(II)
“Just thinking about it makes me furious!”
A sharp, exasperated voice filled the palace of the fortress city of Nevirthol.
The voice bounced off the palace walls, ringing in the ears of Vellius Grandius, the hero often referred to as “Humanity’s Hope.”
“Prime minister, please calm down.”
The hero spoke in a gentle tone, trying to soothe the owner of the angry voice, Lilianel Greenfield, the Prime minister of the Avilia Kingdom.
However, despite his words, Lilianel flushed red, seething as she vented her frustration.
“Calm down? After your pristine face has been scarred, and there’s even blood involved?”
The intensity of her rage was such that one might wonder if steam was rising from the crown of her head.
“It’s just a small wound. It’s fine.”
The hero touched the small scratch on his cheek—made by the dagger of Judith Evergrit, a now-former party member—and tried to reassure her.
“That’s not the point! You bled! How do you explain that?!”
“Haha…”
But Lilianel’s anger showed no signs of abating.
Vellius Grandius scratched his head awkwardly, offering a sheepish smile.
“….”
Well, her reaction wasn’t entirely unreasonable.
The scratch itself was trivial, but what was significant was that his blood—a deep blue, unlike that of normal humans—had been seen.
A secret that proved he was fundamentally different from ordinary humans.
A secret known only to the three members of his hero party who had supported him for centuries, and to Lilianel Greenfield, the Prime minister he trusted implicitly.
Now, a regular person knew this secret, someone who wasn’t supposed to know.
For Lilianel, who cared deeply for the hero, this was enough to drive her mad with worry.
Nevertheless, the hero remained calm and once again sought to reassure her.
“…You don’t need to worry. I knocked her out immediately and locked her in the deepest part of the underground prison. No one else will know.”
“But still…”
Lilianel hesitated, her voice faltering with unease.
“Why not just kill her? Why keep her imprisoned?”
She questioned why he hadn’t eliminated the threat outright.
“Hmm…”
The hero smiled faintly, though the expression carried a chilling and ruthless undertone.
“She was insolent.”
“Huh…?”
“Constantly questioning my decisions, drawing her sword on me at the slightest provocation… I simply didn’t feel like granting her a clean death.”
Judith Evergrit had grown increasingly insubordinate, frequently challenging Vellius Grandius, raising her voice in defiance, and opposing his choices to the bitter end.
“And after seeing my blood, I certainly couldn’t let her die peacefully.”
The hero’s grin widened.
Lilianel seemed persuaded by his words, clapping her hands and smiling brightly.
“That’s right! She can’t be allowed to die easily! Pluck out her eyes, make it as painful as possible, enough to make her curse her past decisions!”
“Exactly.”
The hero nodded at Lilianel’s enthusiastic agreement.
“I plan to proceed with her torture soon. So, Prime minister, feel free to prepare to come and watch.”
“Yes! That sounds fun!”
The green-haired elf beamed like a child, as if all her worries and concerns had been resolved.
“Hmm, but speaking of which…”
“Yes?”
This time, the hero bit his lip slightly, as if troubled, and lowered his head.
Lilianel tilted her head in confusion at his unexpected behavior.
“The hero’s party traditionally consists of six members, including the hero.”
“That’s true.”
“…But with Judith Evergrit expelled and Alice killed by the Progenitor Vampire in the Royal Capital, the two vacant positions are glaringly large.”
“….”
At some point, the tradition had formed for the hero’s party to consist of the hero and five supporting members.
But now, with Judith Evergrit exiled and Alice dead at the hands of the Progenitor Vampire, two positions were left unfilled.
“Having two vacancies is a significant drawback, especially with a battle against the Progenitor Vampire looming.”
“…You’re right.”
Given the circumstances, the empty positions felt all the more critical.
“…So, here’s what I propose.”
“Yes?”
The hero locked eyes with Lilianel and offered his solution to the problem.
“We need to recruit new members.”
“New members?”
“Yes.”
In this fortress city of Nevirthol,
By selecting and vetting only the best among S-rank adventurers,
“…We’ll recruit new companions.”
—
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