A Witch That Is Good at Hunting

Chapter 6: They Saw the Devil (1)

The village blazed, still burning even in the rain.

Watching the thick smoke rise, a woman let out a refined voice.

“Was it all taken care of?”

“Yes. All the villagers are dead. Witnesses were eliminated as well.”

“…That’s good. If you had been any slower it would have been troublesome. I had to run here and made quite a spectacle of myself. So undignified for a noble.”

“That cannot be. You are still the very image of grace.”

At the man’s fanatical praise, the woman lifted the corner of her lips without emotion. She felt nothing at all about the flattery, but she knew a beautiful smile was the easiest way to win people’s favor.

She kept her eyes on the burning village as she spoke.

“But… of all things, that famous hunter appeared. This is troublesome. We cannot kill him ourselves.”

The man frowned as well.

“If it is Vigo, then he is the true leader of the Silver Blades. Could it be that they have caught on as well?”

“Who knows. I don't think so, but nothing is certain.”

“Then?”

“Let us watch a little longer. See what they intend to do with the ‘sacrifice.’ If we move now, it will only rouse suspicion.”

The man nodded.

Together they stared again at the burning village. The acrid smell carried even through the rain.

“At last, the sacrifice emerges into the world.”

“Earlier than expected, but if fate decrees it, then so be it. We only follow the Order.”

* * *

Leaving behind the ashes of Sinain village, the three of them began their journey.

That evening, camping in the mountains beyond the village, Nike succeeded in the hunt.

He twisted a rabbit’s neck. With claws he tore the skin, stripping it with his teeth, and the process seemed disturbingly practiced.

The hunters had seen many horrors while pursuing witches and monsters.

But watching a fifteen-year-old boy skin and butcher prey without the slightest mercy felt unsettling.

‘It is not even that gruesome, so why…’

Rowen felt sick watching. She was feeling uncomfortable.

Her master Vigo was more brutal, yet this felt different.

“It is because you are seeing raw nature.”

Vigo noticed his disciple’s face and explained. He too felt the same unease, and put words to it.

“Raw nature…”

“The raw, unshaped human. Untouched by civilization. And when it is a child, it feels even more wrong.”

“I-I see.”

Could such a boy ever be raised into a witch hunter? Rowen had no affection for Nike. Seeing this only deepened her aversion.

“Breakfast!”

“It is dinner, you fool.”

Vigo answered as he took the rabbit Nike had hunted.

Everything about the boy’s manner was unlike normal people. It was hard to know where to start teaching.

Vigo peeled potatoes, Rowen built the fire and boiled water.

They made a simple but tasty rabbit stew.

For hunters it was tiresome fare, but for Nike it was the first cooked meal of his life.

“Oooh.”

Nike’s eyes sparkled as he drooled. The two hunters realized for the first time he had lived only on raw meat.

Vigo ladled stew into an old bowl and explained.

“Ah yes, this is called rabbit stew.”

“Rabbit. Stew?”

“Yes. It’s rabbit meat and vegetables boiled together.”

“Slurp.”

Drool nearly spilled as Vigo handed him the bowl.

Nike immediately plunged his hand into the stew.

“Ahh! Hot!”

He dropped the bowl and jumped around, his fingers burning.

“Deceiver! Murderer! Hot!”

“…Wha?”

“Why did you use your hand…”

Vigo and Rowen both pressed their foreheads.

“Ah, of course.”

Nike had only ever eaten with his hands. He had no concept of utensils.

“Here, take this spoon. Move your hand like this. You scoop with it.”

“Puff, puff- ”

Nike began blowing on the stew and slurping it greedily. Even as his throat burned, he endured it.

“…”

“…”

The two hunters were speechless at the sight of such raw savagery.

* * *

“Snore- ”

“He sleeps without a care in the world.”

“Yes. He wouldn’t even notice being kidnapped.”

After dinner, Nike quickly fell asleep. One would expect him to be on edge in such a new environment, but he showed none of it.

He instead looked utterly carefree, as though dirt was a pillow and clouds his blanket. Vigo and Rowen could only shake their heads.

This boy has so little caution.

“And for this such an innocent-looking boy… to be a witch.”

Rowen rubbed her tired eyes. She still could not believe the day’s events.

To encounter a witch was already rare and deadly. But they had met a male witch, something that should not exist. And he had joined them.

It honestly felt more like a dream.

Even her veteran master seemed troubled. After rinsing at the stream, Vigo sat smoking.

Finishing his cigarette, he stared at the sleeping boy and said,

“Rowen. Let us talk.”

“Huh? Ah… yes.”

“I’m sure you have a lot to say.”

They raised their voices a little, away from Nike.

“There is very much. More than I can count.”

“Say it. But leave out ‘Nike is suspicious, let’s kill him, abandon him, are you insane.’”

“Huh? But that’s all I was going to say.”

Rowen spoke stiffly. Vigo smirked and shook his head.

“He is suspicious, yes. Dangerous, yes. And I am insane, yes.”

Rowen bit back her retort.

“But as I said, we must keep him. At least until we know what he is.”

“…You are right. If he fell into the witches’ hands, it would be too dangerous.”

Vigo folded his arms.

“There are three things we must first consider.”

First, Nike’s identity. Second, Nike’s purpose. Third, the one who burned the village.

“We cannot guess his identity yet. We must leave that to the Captain.”

“Yes. I have no idea myself.”

“As for his goal… I even think he may have approached us deliberately.”

“So you at least thought that too huh.”

“What do you take me for?”

A reckless drunk who charged in without thinking. A lecher pretending otherwise. Rowen only smiled faintly, holding back her words.

“He could be a witch using magic to hide his form, or a witch’s familiar. Bringing him straight to the Order is dangerous.”

“Is there a way for us to confirm it?”

“Yes.”

Rowen looked at him, realizing his thoughts.

“…At the next village I see.”

“Correct. If he is a witch or monster, he will not harm his own kind. Even if we kill them, he will leave it to us.”

“Then by watching that, we can know if he is an ally or enemy.”

Vigo nodded.

“At the next village mission, we test his truth.”

“Understood.”

And lastly, the third.

On the day they discovered a male witch, everyone who knew his past was killed.

It could not be a mere coincidence.

“There are either a group or beings watching him.”

“That… is also what troubles me most.”

“Me as well. A fire born of magic, and why they waited until now is all suspicious.”

Rowen propped her chin in thought.

Clues lay scattered like a puzzle, but too jumbled to piece together yet.

“If he is a witch, or allied with them, they may strike us in the next village.”

“Then we should prepare.”

“He looks harmless in sleep, but we still need to be cautious.”

No matter how angelic his face was, witches beguiled humans to kill them. Even veterans could not afford to be deceived.

“Send word to the Captain by crow. We will complete our mission at the next village, then return.”

“…You truly mean to induct him.”

Vigo lifted his back from the tree.

“Of course. Even if he is a true witch, I will collar him and raise him as a hound.”

Rowen watched her master walk off without a word.

* * *

Nike followed them surprisingly well.

He showed no regret for leaving the only village he had known.

It was like a fish returning to water.

After days of travel, Nike reached a city for the first time.

Compared to his village, it was vast and developed.

For Vigo and Rowen, it was just a small city. For Nike, who had only seen the countryside, it was overwhelming.

His head turned ceaselessly as he gawked at everything.

Vigo glanced at Rowen who seemed tired from her limp, and spoke.

“Rowen. Go on ahead, find us an inn and rest. I will get him some proper clothes.”

“…Understood, Master.”

She glanced at Nike, bowed slightly, and left.

“Alright, let’s go too. Do you know what a fine hunter needs?”

Vigo asked, and Nike frowned in thought.

“Uhhhh. Hmmmm… Meat?”

“Food is good, but proper equipment is needed.”

“Ohhh!”

Vigo bought him a black hooded cloak to replace his ragged clothes. It was not the official hunter’s uniform, but resembled it.

Likely because undernourished, Nike was shorter than others his age.

The cloak had to be cut short, making him look even younger.

“Oh my, adorable! It suits you!”

Now looking human at last, Nike was a sensation in the marketplace.

Young and old alike praised his beauty and found his clumsy behavior endearing.

‘Even as a boy, he draws people as a witch would huh.’

Vigo watched quietly. Enchanting others without effort was the mark of a witch.

Of course, this boy did it not with charm or magic, but simply with his handsome face.

“Meat!”

After showing him around the city, Vigo gave him a lamb skewer and led him further.

They came to an abandoned mansion on the outskirts.

The path was overgrown with weeds, the gates rusted shut. Clearly no one had lived here in years.

Vigo lit a cigarette as he gazed at the dilapidated mansion. Nike sniffed at it through the iron bars.

“Nike. How does this house look?”

“Gloomy!”

Vigo chuckled. No better word could describe it.

“Correct. You have good instincts.”

He ruffled Nike’s hair roughly. Nike twisted away, scowling. When Vigo continued to mess with his hair, Nike warned him with a fierce face.

“Death.”

“…Fine, sensitive brat.”

Vigo dropped his hand and grew serious.

“Listen well. Tonight, we will hunt a witch.”

“Oh!”

“That mansion hides our target. We were dispatched here to slay the witch. Your village’s case was only a side matter. That is how we met you.”

Nike ignored him, still staring and sniffing the mansion.

“Well, I guess you don’t care about that. No matter. Tonight, you will kill the witch.”

“No.”

“What?”

Vigo thought he misheard. No?

“Why not?”

Nike dug in his ear and replied.

“Bothersome.”

“…But you should keep a promise.”

“Contract. Payment.”

“Ah.”

Vigo smirked.

‘This kid… He’s toying with me. Fine, I will play along.’

“You will only act for reward, then?”

Nike nodded.

“Very well. You will be rewarded.”

“Reward?”

Nike froze, his eyes shining.

“On the way back I will buy you tasty feasts. Fine cooked meat, fruits, desserts. How about it, don’t you want to taste them?”

“Delicious… food…”

Nike drooled, staring seriously at the mansion.

He bit into his lamb skewer and answered.

“Meat. And?”

Vigo burst into laughter, cigarette in his mouth.

This boy… he only pretended to be simple. He never forgot his share no matter what, and even dreamed big.

“Of course, you will be paid. The gold you love.”

“Slaughter!”

“Hehe. You really are a sly little hunter indeed.”