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Upon hearing the rumor, the girl—Myril and her companions offered prayers to Glavavie, the God of the Evening Moon, who had bestowed upon them unexpected good fortune.

Incidentally, Glavavie, the God of the Evening Moon, is the guardian deity of the night and is worshipped primarily by prostitutes and minstrels who are active at night.

For the same reason, he is also considered the patron deity of gambling dens that open at night, which is how he came to be seen as a god who bestows good fortune.

“Hey, Tadd. Is that story true?”
“Yeah, it’s true. Apparently, a small group of snow lizards was spotted in the woods near the capital.”

Tadd, Gans, and Korlan—these three young men of the same age, along with 16-year-old Myril, make up Myril’s group of mabeast hunters.

Her bright brown hair was cut straight across her shoulders, matching the color of her eyes. Her slender, supple figure was somewhat reminiscent of a cat. Her eyes were large and slightly upturned, which also gave her a cat-like appearance.

She was quite attractive, and she herself had noticed that her young companions would occasionally gaze at her as if dazzled.

But right now, she wanted to make a name for herself as a mabeast hunter more than she wanted to pursue romance. That was Myril’s wish.

The four of them were born and raised in the same village and had always done everything together. It had not even been a year since they left their hometown for the capital, determined to become mabeast hunters.

Upon arriving in the capital, they earned their daily bread through day labor and other odd jobs while studying combat skills at the Temple of Golaiva, the Sun God.

After working desperately for about half a year to save up money, they managed to buy a set of used weapons and armor, and their lives as mabeast hunters began.

At first, they took on simple jobs like gathering medicinal herbs. Since snow had already accumulated, the pay was higher, but finding the specific herbs they needed was no easy task. Even so, the four of them dug frantically through the snow to complete the job, and just as their pockets were starting to get a little fuller…

At their regular haunt, the “West Wind’s Embrace Pavilion,” a tavern and inn where mabeast hunters gathered—a place frequented by many newcomers like them—they were discussing among themselves what kind of job to take on next.

Tadd, who had overheard the earlier gossip, returned to Myril and the others in high spirits.

“As for snow lizards, they aren’t all that strong. They’re said to be just the right prey for newbies like us. What do you say? Want to give it a shot?”
“Yeah, sounds good to me. I was just getting sick of shoveling snow and gathering herbs anyway.”
“Yeah. It looks like it’s finally time for us to show what we’re made of.”

Tadd, Gans, and Korlan pumped themselves up.

Of course, Myril was fired up too. She wanted to pull off a spectacular hunt against this herd of snow lizards right here and use it to kickstart her future as a mabeast hunter. That’s what she was thinking.

“But… do you think we can really take them down?”

Suddenly, Gans—known among the group for his cautious nature— spoke up.

“It’ll be fine. With the four of us, we can handle a swarm of snow lizards.”
“From what I’ve heard, even though they’re called a swarm, it’s apparently a pretty small one. Besides…”

Tadd’s gaze turned toward Myril.

“We’ve got… Myril here. With Myril’s magic, snow lizards aren’t anything to be afraid of.”
“Oh, oh! That’s right! We’ve got Myril’s magic!”
“And… when Myril uses her magic… hehehe.”

Following Tadd, Gans and Korlan also looked at Myril.

There was a slightly lecherous undertone to their gazes, and Myril, noticing it, furrowed her brow in disgust.

“Hey! I don’t just cast spells on a whim! I only use my magic when I absolutely have to! Besides, my magic is self-taught anyway—it’s probably off the beaten path, and it doesn’t last very long…”
“We know that.”
“But just knowing we have Myril’s magic gives us peace of mind. We’re really lucky to have Myril on our team, aren’t we?”
“Say, Korlan. Didn’t you say the other day that, if possible, you’d love to have a beauty like the Holy Maiden of the Temple of Savaiv join our party?”
“W-wait a minute!! You and Tadd both agreed with what I said, didn’t you!”
“Hmm. I totally get how all three of you feel. Well then, I’ll go ahead and part ways with you guys, so do your best to recruit Her Highness, the Holy Maiden!”
“H-hey, hey, I’m just kidding, I’m just kidding. Besides, there’s no way someone like the Holy Maiden would team up with greenhorns like us, right?”

Hearing Tadd’s frantic attempt to smooth things over, Gans and Korlan nodded frantically in agreement.

Of course, Myril wasn’t really angry, nor did she intend to part ways with them.

Still, deciding she couldn’t just let it slide so easily, Myril ultimately chose to put on a show of anger—on the condition that each of the three treat her to a meal.

.

Now that the decision had been made, they had to hurry.

Rumors of the snow lizard herd would surely spread rapidly. That meant they had to set out as soon as possible and hunt the snow lizards before other mabeast hunters did.

Since they were heading to the outskirts of the capital, Myril and the others prepared several days’ worth of provisions and set out from the capital at sunrise the next day.

Armed with their chosen weapons and clad in hardened leather armor, the four of them walked along the highway, following the eyewitness reports Tad had gathered.

Before long, Myril—who had the sharpest eyesight of the four—spotted the tracks of several beasts in the snow.

“Hey, look at this.”
“Are these… snow lizard tracks?”
“I’ve seen snow lizard tracks before, so I’m sure of it.”
“All right, the tracks look fresh, so let’s follow them.”

Nodding in agreement with Tadd’s words, Myril and the others set off across the snowy plain, following the tracks.

The tracks veered off the grassland and into the forest, and Myril and the others followed them.

Brushing aside branches and pushing through thickets, the four of them carefully tracked the footprints.

Soon, the figure of a large lizard with white scales came into view.

—They’d finally caught up!

Unconsciously, strength surged into the hands holding their weapons.

“Now, the hunt truly begins,” the four of them thought, their resolve renewed.

But.

But the sight that met their eyes was not what they had expected.

Before them stood a single, exceptionally massive snow lizard.

Myril and the others had heard that a pack leader sometimes appeared among a herd of snow lizards, so while it was unexpected, it wasn’t all that surprising.

“Does this herd have a pack leader?” Thinking this, the four of them heightened their vigilance. However, something seemed off.

The giant snow lizard—the Great Snow Lizard—seemed completely absorbed in its meal, ignoring Myril and the others as they approached.

There was no way the Great Snow Lizard hadn’t noticed them approaching. After all, they were now closing in, weapons in hand, slowly encircling it.

Yet the Great Snow Lizard shows no sign of stopping its meal.

“…H-hey…”

Tadd, standing to Myril’s right, pointed at it with trembling fingertips.

Scattered around the Great Snow Lizard lay the bodies of what appeared to be members of its own herd. The snow lizards’ bodies, which should normally be white, were stained crimson in places.

“T-that thing… is it actually eating its own kind…?”

Yes.

What the giant snow lizard was devouring without a second thought were other snow lizards—presumably members of its own herd.

“S-Snow lizards cannibalizing each other… I’ve never heard of such a thing…”

Myril couldn’t tell who had muttered that.

Because she had seen it.

A giant snow lizard greedily devouring the entrails of one of its own, as if it were a delicacy. Its eyes—only its eyes—darted around and locked onto her.

The giant snow lizard’s eyes, glowing a deep crimson.

Myril had clearly seen those crimson eyes narrow into a sly grin, just as a human might.

.

And just as she finished telling that much, the woman Tatsumi and the others had rescued—Myril—fell silent.

Right now, she is sitting up on a bed in a room at the Elf’s Restful Pavilion

Naturally, she is fully clothed. Wearing the simple clothes Eru had lent her, Myril remains motionless, her head bowed and her lips sealed.

However, Eru, Tatsumi, Calcedonia, and Jaddock—who had been watching over her—noticed that her shoulders were trembling slightly.

She was crying.

Stifling her sobs and desperately trying to hold back her tears, Myril was crying, her shoulders shaking slightly.

From this, Tatsumi and the others understood what fate had befallen the companions Myril had mentioned.

Myril continued to sob, her shoulders trembling. Taking her gaze off her, Eru turned to Calcedonia.

“As you just heard, the situation is serious. A mabeast possessed by a Specter…a Fiend has appeared in the vicinity of this capital. While it’s unlikely that the Fiend would actually enter the royal capital itself, it’s highly probable that travelers on the highways will be attacked.”
“Yes. I’ll report this to the temple immediately and request that exorcists be dispatched. Of course, I intend to take action myself as well. Husband—”

Calcedonia’s ruby-red eyes pierced straight through Tatsumi.

“—Up until now, I’ve always fought against Fiends alongside Morgana. But now that Morgana is no longer in the temple… My Husband, will you fight alongside me?”

Compared to Morganaik, who had even earned the epithet of the Free Knight, the current Tatsumi wouldn’t even come close to matching him.

Perhaps he would only end up holding Calcedonia back.

But.

But Tatsumi had noticed—he couldn’t help but notice—that deep within the gaze Calcedonia directed at him, a flame of anxiety was flickering. He had realized it.

She, too, was anxious. About fighting fiends alongside someone other than Morganaik.

Of course, Calcedonia trusts and has faith in Tatsumi.

But she has never fought fiends alongside Tatsumi before. Even though she trusts him, things are bound to be different from when she fought with Morganaik.

Tatsumi and Morganaik are different in every single way. Even his skills as an exorcist fall far short of his. Still, Calcedonia asked him to fight alongside her.

That makes Tatsumi very happy.

That’s exactly why Tatsumi answers without hesitation, hoping to dispel the anxiety of the woman he cares about.

“Of course. If you’re okay with me, I’ll fight alongside you anytime, Calcie.”

He doesn’t think he can fight as well as Morganaik. Still, if push comes to shove, he should at least be able to teleport Calcedonia to safety.

“……Thank you. I believed you would say that, darling.”

Caledonia’s cheeks flushed as she gave a bright smile.

Her smile filled Tatsumi’s heart with warmth. Just then, another reassuring voice joined in.

“Well now, if Tatsumi-pie is going to fight, then of course I’ll fight alongside too. Sure, I’ve never fought a Fiend before, but I can at least serve as a shield to protect Tatsumi-pie and Calcie.”

The one flashing a defiant grin across his handsome features was, of course, Juddock.

“Are you sure?”
“Of course. We’re already allies, aren’t we?”

Juddock deftly closed one eye.

“Alright. I’ll be counting on you.”
“Leave it to me!”

Juddock nodded confidently while thumping his chest. Tatsumi clenched fists with him in a solid thud.

“Then, darling, please go to the temple and tell Grandpa about this. In the meantime, I’ll head back home to get ready. After that, let’s meet up here at the inn.”
“Got it.”

It’s a bit of a distance from the Pavilion to the Temple of Savaiv, but since Tatsumi can use teleportation, it won’t take him long.

Tatsumi and Calcedonia nodded to each other. Just as they—including Jaddock and Eru—were about to leave the room to go their separate ways…

Myril, who had been lying silently on the bed the whole time, called out to them from behind.

“W-wait…!! I-I want to come too… Take me with you!!”