MTLNOVEL 61
“Ten days from now, I will propose a ‘Hunt.’”
That was Belial’s main point.
Of course, he hadn’t gotten straight to it from the start. Uncharacteristically, he hesitated for a moment. Unfortunately for him, I wasn’t in a situation where I could afford to patiently wait through that process. Even though my Reload time had increased, it was still only four hours.
However, there was no need for me to personally push Belial to hurry.
Kyle, who had a rough grasp of my circumstances, urged him to get to the point since time was short. Thanks to that, all I had to do was nod in agreement.
‘That’s convenient.’
I should’ve let them handle things sooner. They say even a blank sheet of paper is easier to carry when two people lift it—seems like old sayings really do hold true.
Still, there was a problem.
“Uh….”
I raised a hand slightly and asked,
“What exactly is this Hunt?”
The way he phrased it sounded completely off to me.
A hunt usually referred to a group of people going after animals or magical beasts, but that didn’t seem to fit the current atmosphere at all.
Sen and Kyle, knowing that I wasn’t born and raised in this world, took it in stride. However, Belial stared at me as if I had asked something bizarre.
“We held a Hunt in the last cycle as well, and you don’t know what it is?”
“Well… yeah, I guess so. Just think of it as teaching a fool and explain it to me.”
Kyle swiftly cut into the conversation.
“It’s a war.”
“A war?”
“Yes.”
Deep in the eastern mountains, about two days by carriage from the Imperial Capital. It’s a place no one enters unless there’s a special reason, so few even know what kinds of beasts and magical creatures lurk there.
Each team is limited to ten members. In that place, people fight a battle where their lives are on the line.
Officially, the winner is determined by who hunts more magical beasts, but in reality, no one bothers to count.
There is only one way out of that forest—survive for three days against all threats or kill the leader of the opposing team.
Moreover, deaths that occur there are never questioned. To be precise, people go there to cause those deaths. It doesn’t matter how someone is killed, or even if their corpse is never found—it will simply be dismissed as an accident.
Only one person can ascend to the throne. And when another contender wishes to challenge that authority, when no negotiations can resolve the conflict, and when only blood and death can settle the matter, the challenger proposes a Hunt.
From that brief explanation, I felt as if I had glimpsed the true face of the Meinhardt Empire.
“The situation is already on the brink of erupting.”
Sen bluntly summarized the current state of the Imperial Capital.
“They cut off the scapegoat to contain the fire for now, but everyone knows that Baron Chestil’s death didn’t truly resolve anything.”
Belial gave a short nod.
“If the flames grow too large, they won’t spread—they’ll explode all at once. And if you get caught in it, you’re finished.”
“So, you proposed the Hunt first?”
“I have no desire to be helplessly purged under some flimsy pretext.”
Since Belial had a lower claim to the throne than Lorenz, he was inevitably at a disadvantage in terms of political maneuvering. If he was going to be backed into a corner, he might as well set the board himself.
“This is my last chance.”
At least he’d have a sword in his hands. I could understand that much.
“I see.”
This brutal tradition was apparently a common occurrence in the Empire. The throne was typically passed down to the eldest son, but that didn’t mean the second or third sons weren’t given a chance.
Even so, if they were openly trying to kill each other, what were the surrounding nobles doing? Shouldn’t they be stopping this?
As soon as I asked that, three pairs of eyes turned to me with an expression that said, Are you seriously asking that?
‘If they settle things quickly, it’s easier for the nobles to pick a side, so they leave it alone….’
Someone’s going to die, and they think it’s more convenient to just cut the rotten rope before it drags them down?
This Hunt and the people participating in it… none of them seemed sane.
As I sat there, listening with a sullen expression, Kyle let out a low chuckle. He seemed pleased that I wasn’t particularly fond of this barbaric tradition.
“Doesn’t seem like you’re a fan of it.”
“It’s weirder to be happy about people dying. And besides, the method is downright brutal.”
No matter where you go, where there are people, things always turn out like this.
No matter how harsh the world is, nothing is more vicious than human malice.
With an expression full of disgust, I slowly shook my head.
“The throne is only one, and there are too many who want it. It’s inevitable.”
Belial spoke calmly, which only made my stomach twist even more.
People who mercilessly trampled others in pursuit of their own goals always said the same thing. That it was inevitable. That they had no other choice.
In any case, this power struggle was probably covered in Winter’s Heart.
However, since I hadn’t been paying close attention to the story after Kyle found himself in danger, I’d have to rely on the system for accurate details.
What mattered right now was that Belial planned to declare war in ten days. Lorenz would likely welcome the opportunity, seeing it as the perfect chance to eliminate him cleanly.
And in the midst of all that, what about Kyle…?
“I would appreciate the Duke’s support.”
It was an unusually polite request for someone as arrogant as him.
Belial continued in a low voice.
“I’ve heard that the deep forests of the East are home to some rather dangerous magical beasts. The ecosystem differs from the North, but they should be easier to deal with than master knights.”
Kyle gave a curt nod, signaling for him to continue.
“I ask for your assistance. In return, I will ensure you are properly compensated.”
Lorenz wouldn’t fail to catch on to this development. In fact, after hearing about the Hunt, he might make Kyle the same offer.
Two out of the three imperial princes were clashing. And since they were full-blooded siblings, all eyes would be on their one half-brother—the Empire’s strongest knight—to see whose side he would take.
“It’s a crossroads.”
I muttered absentmindedly, and Kyle responded evenly.
“Life is nothing but a series of choices.”
His demeanor suggested that he had been through far worse, and this was nothing new.
‘Well, that’s true.’
People constantly made choices. Even when fighting magical beasts. Whether to swing left or charge right—decisions had to be made in an instant, with their lives on the line.
For someone like him, a choice like this wouldn’t even faze him.
Kyle spoke.
“Very well.”
A brief silence followed.
During that time, I checked the system again.
[ Kyle Jane Meinhardt. Estimated time of death: Approximately 170 days remaining. ]
[ Kyle Jane Meinhardt. Estimated time of death: Approximately 10 days remaining. ]
[ Kyle Jane Meinhardt. Estimated time of death: Approximately 170 days remaining. ]
[ Kyle Jane Meinhardt. Estimated time of death: Approximately 10 days remaining. ]
My vision was still filled with multiple glowing blue windows.
Kyle had decided to participate in the Hunt. But that alone didn’t determine his fate.
Unlike Belial, whose estimated death remained fixed at around ten days, or Sen, whose death had been avoided, Kyle’s fluctuating timeline suggested that the outcome depended on what happened within that period.
Or… did it mean that his fate wasn’t fixed, making it easier to change than Belial’s or Sen’s?
I didn’t know.
And that uncertainty made me even more anxious.
“……”
Under the table, my clenched fist trembled slightly.
A warm touch settled over the back of my hand.
It was Kyle.
He didn’t say a word. He wasn’t even looking at me—his sharp, unwavering gaze remained fixed forward, as the discussion with Belial wasn’t over yet.
But his hand, which had reached out so naturally, rested gently on mine. His thumb brushed over my fingers, then tightened slightly around them.
It was firm. Steady.
The tension that had frozen me began to slowly ease.
“However, the Blake Order will not accompany me. This is not support on behalf of my territory, either. I will act under the name of Kyle Jane Meinhardt alone.”
He was making it clear that he intended to minimize any political repercussions for his domain.
Belial nodded.
He likely hadn’t expected Kyle to involve his entire territory anyway. It would have been more difficult to justify, and Kyle wasn’t the type to recklessly endanger his knights.
“But regardless of the name it’s under, this is still a significant form of support.”
“……”
“I have no justification to participate in this Hunt. Nor do I need one.”
Belial’s expression grew heavier as he nodded again.
“You’re right.”
“Then give me a reason to move.”
At Kyle’s cold voice, Belial’s green eyes gleamed.
A smile spread across his elegant features. He looked confident, as if saying, That’s easy enough to arrange.
Belial pulled a small object from his pocket and placed it on the table.
It was a copper medallion, small enough to fit in the palm of a hand, yet noticeably heavy.
The engravings on its surface—a sandglass, an eye, and a winding gear—were intricately detailed, yet there was something unsettling about them.
“The mages from the Lawless Zone have begun to move. That means they’ve set their course.”
“The Frost Tower…”
A group beyond the reach of any law. The true rulers of the Lawless Zone.
And they had been waiting for the perfect moment to descend upon the North.
So, they were old enemies.
Kyle picked up the medallion with a terrifying expression. He had already known that the mages were involved, but actually seeing proof of it was a different matter altogether.
Belial spoke in a low voice.
“Your brother has joined hands with the mages, Kyle. That fact will not change.”
“…….”
“Three mages were captured. But not long after being thrown into the underground prison, they coughed up blood and died—just like Baron Chestil. The autopsy revealed that all of them had shattered their lower left molars.”
“They hid poison in their teeth.”
“Exactly.”
Kyle didn’t even scoff at them. He merely twisted his eyes in disgust, as if he was utterly sick of their relentless ruthlessness.
As the air around us turned frigid, I kept silent. Belial continued speaking.
“If I lose this war, Lorenz will become the next emperor. And he will repay the mages for helping him with the Hunt. Now, what do you think it is that the mage faction truly wants?”
“…….”
“Is that not reason enough?”
Kyle clenched the medallion on the table.
The veins on his trembling hand stood out stark white, pulsing with rage and hatred. It looked nothing like the hand that had just held mine so gently.
“More than enough.”
And with that, Kyle decided to join the war.