CHAPTER 40…………………………………….
—Rrrk.
It was a distinctive cry.
It struck directly into the mind, leaving an impression that would be hard to forget after just one hearing.
Aile immediately recognized it as the sound of the white creature she had encountered at dusk the day before.
“C-Captain!”
“Yes, I heard it too. Seems to be nearby.”
“Did it follow us? Or is it another one?”
The bowwoman Aile scanned the surroundings.
She tried to find the white creature through the underbrush and trees, but it was hidden, not even a hair visible.
Among wild animals, there are sometimes those that do not fear humans.
Animals living in remote or extreme magical zones may not even know the existence of “humans,” and so they might approach without caution.
For example, emperor penguins in the northern snowfields—they have no fear of humans and are easily hunted.
Perhaps the white-furred creature from yesterday was one such animal.
Even if not entirely fearless, some creatures approach out of curiosity when encountering humans for the first time.
“This is fate! I could make a fortune!”
Aile rejoiced at the sudden return of hope she had missed before.
It also meant she could not afford to let this opportunity slip away.
—Rrrk.
The cry sounded again, closer this time than before, clearly showing the creature was closing in on their party.
“It seems to be following.”
Batus scanned the surroundings.
His deep-set eyes narrowed into thin slits.
Yet he couldn’t see anything either.
“It’s suppressing its presence. We can hear it, but sense nothing else.”
“I don’t feel anything either… where could it be?”
Eric tilted his head in puzzlement.
If even Eric, the most perceptive among them, couldn’t locate the animal, finding it would not be easy.
—Rrrk.
At regular intervals, the animal’s cry echoed from the underbrush.
“It keeps making sounds. Suppressing its presence yet vocalizing… is it trying to lure us?”
Captain Batus furrowed his brow.
Soon, he made a decision: “It’s better to ignore this.”
They walked for tens of minutes like that.
At some point, the cries that had punctuated the forest went silent.
“So it’s not following anymore?”
Unease and disappointment crept up Aile’s chest.
She had been planning to lure it into the expedition’s cage if it came close enough.
“The Captain’s strangely passive when it comes to rare species…”
Tempted to follow the vanished sound into the bushes, she wanted to investigate.
But Batus, seemingly satisfied with completing their mission, had no lingering attachment to the forest and walked on silently.
As the highest-ranking hunter, he likely earned enough already; there was no pressing need to capture an undiscovered specimen for extra profit.
“What should I do? If I keep following like this, it’ll get far away.”
Aile’s eyes darted anxiously through the foliage.
While scanning, Eric spoke beside her.
“What’s the matter? Need to go to the bathroom?”
His teasing smile was infuriating.
Aile turned her head the other way to ignore him, and at that moment—
Fuss, fuss.
The underbrush shook, and a patch of white-furred ears peeked through the leaves.
“C-Captain, look at that!”
“Yes, I see it. Seems it followed us this far.”
Batus answered nonchalantly, but Aile could not remain calm.
She placed down the wyvern’s tail she was carrying and rummaged through her pockets.
“Hey, what are you doing?”
Aile pressed her finger to her lips. “Shh.”
After some searching, she pulled out dried meat and waved it left and right.
“We have to capture it now. Who knows how much money this could bring in.”
“Wait, so your brilliant idea is to lure it with food? You’re not that stupid, are you…?”
Fuss, fuss.
—Rrrk.
The white creature’s face poked out.
Its round, gentle features confirmed it was the same species as the one seen yesterday.
“C-Come here. It’s okay. Won’t hurt you.”
Aile calmed her racing heart and waved the meat in her hands.
The white creature mimicked her movements, tilting its head side to side—like a pet cat anticipating a treat.
“Incredible… to think dried meat would work. It must be a really stupid animal.”
Eric shook his head with a wry smile.
“Perhaps it’s just tame and harmless.”
“It’s a creature from a magical zone. There’s no way it’s naturally docile.”
Even as he half-mocked, Eric couldn’t take his eyes off the white creature.
Tension gripped him too.
A rare or undiscovered specimen.
Capturing it could instantly raise a hunter’s rank.
Eric, stuck at Silver rank, harbored vague hope that the white fur might help him reach Gold.
Half-hidden in the foliage, the white creature stepped cautiously forward.
Its body fully emerged from the underbrush, moving closer with each step.
“Good… yes, good… here’s something tasty. It’s food.”
Aile tore a small piece of meat and pretended to chew.
The white creature emitted a soft karrk and tilted its head.
“So cute…”
“Why not just grab it? It’s this close.”
“Eric, what if it runs again? Leave it to me. I know how to bond with animals.”
“Hm.”
Eric stepped back a few paces.
The white creature moved a few steps forward, seemingly wary of Eric.
Even animals can distinguish between men and women, sometimes favoring the latter while mistrusting male hunters.
—Rrrk.
With Eric back, the creature finally crouched in front of Aile.
It sniffed the meat in her hand and began nibbling gently.
Aile felt a thrill of accomplishment.
Interaction with a different species—communication without words, mutual understanding—was the very reason she had become a hunter.
“D-Do you like it?”
Though she knew no answer would come, she slowly reached out another hand.
Growling softly, the white creature allowed her to place her hand atop its head.
“Got it…!”
The warmth and softness, even through her leather gloves, made Aile’s heart swell.
It reminded her of Hans, her dog back home, now surely grown large like this creature.
—Grrr, grrr.
“Wow, seems you like that.”
The creature purred like a feline, granting affection.
A creature so proud and aloof letting a human touch it was astonishing.
Aile stroked its chin and neck more boldly.
“C-Can I pet it too?”
—Hah!
The creature bristled as Eric approached.
Aile withdrew her hand, restraining him.
“Don’t come closer. Don’t let it run again like last time.”
“Tch. Why am I the only one being hated?”
Eric clicked his tongue, turning away.
The white creature nestled into Aile’s lap, showing affection—perhaps seeking a hug, or to leave its scent on her—but clearly a sign of trust.
“Wow.”
Aile continued petting it, marveling at its friendliness.
With its temperament, perhaps it could be bred as a pet.
“I wonder how much the reward would be then.”
As Aile daydreamed, a sudden tudduk sound echoed—the silver necklace around her neck fell to the ground.
The white creature curiously pawed and bit at the necklace string.
“No! Without this, I can’t return to town.”
Aile reached for the hunter ID.
At that moment, the creature let out a loud kraang! and snatched the necklace in its mouth, darting into the underbrush.
The event happened so fast Aile could hardly process it.
“Good move. Seems it’s us who were tempted, not the creature. What are you waiting for? Go grab it!”
“They’re chasing.”
I bolted, necklace in mouth.
When hunting a group, the easiest target is usually the weakest member.
Among the trio, the bowwoman seemed the weakest.
She had shown me kindness during our first encounter, so I could create an opening.
I approached pretending to be harmless, successfully lowering their guard.
I had intended to grab the tail and escape, but realizing the necklace’s importance to them, I changed tactics.
“I’ll use this as bait.”
I sprinted through the underbrush.
“There!”
A woman’s breathless voice came from behind.
An arrow flew, but a tree trunk blocked it from hitting me.
I vanished into pre-planned foliage.
The woman, pushing through the underbrush after me, tumbled into a pit with a loud thud.
“Ugh.”
She groaned from inside the pit, bewildered.
“What… what is this?”
She seemed stunned by the trap suddenly beneath her.
I recalled my own experience from a few days ago.
This was Leaf’s favored pit trap, cleverly hidden among the undergrowth, and I had lured her into it.
“You… you tricked me into a trap? By an animal? How…?”
She stared wide-eyed at the pit, incredulous at being outwitted by an animal.
“Don’t be fooled by a cute face.”
I stifled a laugh.
“Hey, Aile! Did you catch it? What happened?”
Two men approached from afar.
Eric, with twin swords, rushed, but the Captain strolled leisurely.
Yan-Meat’s tail rested slung over the Captain’s shoulder.
“How do I shake those two off?”
I hid further in the foliage, concealing my presence.
“I’m here! Help me! Watch out for the hole!”
“What are you talking about? Hole?”
Eric parted the bushes to reach Aile.
“What… what is this?”
One more step and he would have fallen into the pit too, but thanks to the woman’s warning, he avoided it.
“What are you doing, Aile? A hunter falling into a pit… could it be that you fell for a trap? A hunter in a trap, hah! Stupider than an animal.”
“I-I just happened to find a pit here! And stop teasing, help me!”
“You owe me now. I expect payment in a fancy meal. There’s a great spot I scouted…”
“Enough, hurry! The creature ran off with my ID! We need to catch it before it gets further!”
The woman, trapped in the pit, was angry.
She likely thought I had run away rather than hidden in the foliage.
“Tch. You caused this mess and still complain. Wait, I’ll lower the rope soon.”
Eric put down the spider, pulled a thin rope from his pouch, and began hammering stakes into the ground.
Seizing the opportunity, I stealthily approached his back.
“I want to draw this. Hahaha, how foolish. Luckily it’s daytime—at night, we’d be the prey.”
He seemed unaware of my approach.
I leapt with all my strength, slamming into his back.
“Eh!?”
