𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟒𝟏: 𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 (1)
Oswald headed to the Winchester Nation, his ancestral home, for the first time in a long while since the start of the vacation. Thinking about meeting his family members who were family and yet not family made him sigh. He was worried because they would know that he had become a demon hunter.
“Rather than that. . . Alicia, why are you following me?”
He had thought that she would only accompany him until he reached the marquis’s territory on his way to the east. . . But she had not gotten off and continued to accompany Oswald.
“Father is not in the Marquis’ territory right now.”
“Then?”
“He’s in the Winchester Nation.”
“Why?”
“Don’t you know? You’re a member of the Winchester family.”
At those words, Oswald thought hard. What event was held by the Winchester family during the summer. . . . . .
“Ah! There was the summer hunting competition. . . . . .”
The only weapon that could be used for hunting was a shotgun, and each person was allowed to have up to two hunting dogs.
“We have a villa in Winchester City, so we’ll be staying there during the summer.”
“. . . . . .”
During his summer vacation, Oswald had to leave after just a week’s holiday to go to the Vatican. It was clear that he would be carrying out his duties as a member of the Order of the Holy Knights.
“Anyway, please take care of me.”
“. . . . . .”
After spending a long time uncomfortably in the same room with Alicia. . . at last, the train arrived at Winchester Station.
Oswald stretched to shake off the dirty feeling, even though his body was already in optimal condition. . . It was an action he took to refresh his mind.
“Young Master, I’ve been waiting for you.”
As soon as he stepped out of the ticket gate, the butler Arios greeted Oswald as if he had been waiting for him.
“I have a party with me. Can you take us to our destination?”
At Oswald’s question, the butler glanced at the woman behind him and nodded. This was because she was wearing the same school uniform and had fiery red and shiny hair, and her aura made it clear that she was a noble.
After a while, the two got on the prepared carriage. Alicia told the butler their destination, and the butler recognized her status and showed her respect when he heard the destination.
“Lady Valian. It is an honor to meet you.”
“No, you don’t have to be so polite.”
At Alicia’s words, the butler bowed and opened the carriage door.
“So, Oswald.”
“Yeah?”
“What are you going to do during the vacation?”
“I’m going to travel around.”
“Oh. . . Where?”
“Well. . . . . . Anywhere.”
“If you’re going somewhere, take me with you.”
“Why?”
“Be. . . Because! I’m bored.”
“I prefer to be alone.”
“. . . . . .”
After a while, the butler Arios opened the carriage door and dropped them off in front of a mansion. Soon, the door of the mansion opened, and servants and butlers came out to greet Alicia.
Alicia shouted at Oswald before they parted.
“Take me with you anyway!”
“Well. . . I’ll think about it.”
After parting with Alicia. . . Oswald finally arrived at the Winchester Earl’s Castle. After passing through the gate of the Earl’s Castle and heading to the falcon’s palace, his mother Aizena was waiting for him in the garden.
“Oswald!”
Countess Aizena ran up to Oswald and hugged him.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, don’t worry.”
“You poor thing. . . I’m sorry. It’s all my fault that you were born like this.”
Oswald comforted his self-reproaching mother.
“No, it must have been God’s will. And it is according to God’s will that I am who I am now, isn’t it?”
“But it’s too cruel. . . . . . Come on, let’s go inside. You must be tired from coming all the way here. . . I didn’t notice.”
“No, I’m not.”
As he entered the castle with her, he saw his father and older brother Lewis. When Earl Winchester saw Oswald, he said something to him.
“You’ve had a hard time.”
Unlike Count Winchester, Lewis sternly spoke to Oswald this time.
“No matter how much you are a disgrace to the family, you are my younger brother and the child of my father and mother. Even if you die, come here and die.”
“Lewis! Even so, how can you say that!”
Aizena rebuked him for his harsh words, but Lewis did not change his expression and did not give in.
Seeing him, Aizena looked at her husband Wilhelm next to her, sighed, and shook her head.
That evening, Earl Winchester held a banquet as scheduled and invited the nobles who had gathered to attend the hunting competition. Thanks to the fact that Oswald’s return and the banquet coincided, he decided to enjoy the banquet while he was at it.
“Hmm. . . . . .”
Oswald in a lace shirt and black tuxedo. It was the current popular dress. In Oswald’s aesthetic sense, the school uniform had a better design, but he had no choice but to wear his current clothes due to his mother’s strong opposition.
While he was standing in a corner sipping champagne, someone approached Oswald and greeted him pleasantly.
“I see you here again! Oswald.”
“. . . . . .”
It was Alicia’s voice. Oswald turned around and saw her standing in front of him in a beautiful dress.
“Alicia.”
“You look great in that outfit.”
“You too.”
“Is that all?”
“Huh?”
Come to think of it, Alicia’s behavior had become a bit too obvious at some point. He wondered if it was just to recruit him as a Vanguard member, but it was too obvious for that, so Oswald could tell to some extent.
Originally, Alicia was destined to have a crush on ‘Gilgamesh’ and develop into lovers. . . but now she was by Oswald’s side.
“You’re pretty.”
“Tsk, you should have told me that earlier. I don’t feel good hearing that now.”
“Oh my, Oswald. Who is this beautiful young lady?”
Aizena, who had come to call Oswald, found Alicia and asked who she was.
“This is Alicia, who is in the same group as me at the academy, Mother.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Countess. I’m Alicia Valian.”
At Oswald’s introduction, Alicia greeted her politely.
“Hohoho. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Valian.”
Aizena then began to ask Alicia questions about this and that, as if she had found a potential daughter-in-law.
After chatting for a while, the two women were stopped by Lewis, who had come to look for his mother who had not returned.
“Mother.”
“Oh dear, I’m so absent-minded. . . . . . Lady Alicia, I’ll see you again next time. I’ll take Oswald here with me for a while.”
“Yes, Countess.”
Leaving Alicia behind, Aizena took Oswald to where Earl Winchester Wilhelm and two people he had never seen before were.
A man who looked to be the same age as Earl Winchester and a calm and graceful-looking girl who bowed her head shyly.
“Let me introduce you. This is Earl Bichand, the margrave of the West.”
“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Oswald.”
“I’m Earl Julian von Glen Bechand.”
“And next to him is Lady Solina, the daughter of the Earl who is engaged to your older brother this time.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Oswald.”
As he greeted them, Oswald thought about Earl Bechand’s position.
‘𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦’𝘴 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺. . . . . .’
Even though the distance between the east and the west was great, it was still hard to understand why they would form a marriage relationship with the lord of the west. He began to have a reasonable suspicion that they might be trying to curry favor with the third prince.
After finishing the conversation. . . Oswald approached his father Wilhelm when he was alone.
“Father.”
“What is it?”
“Are you planning to support the third prince?”
“Hmm. . . . . . I’m thinking about it.”
At those words, Oswald shook his head.
“You must never do that.”
“Why?”
Earl Winchester, who was not only surprised but also puzzled by the word ‘never’.
“Is there a reason why you say that?”
“The third prince has a chaos worshiper by his side. Following the third prince is the same as being branded a public enemy of the continent, so how can I not oppose it?”
“Hmm. . . . . .”
If Oswald had been just an academy cadet, he wouldn’t have believed it. . . But Oswald was a ‘demon hunter’ of the Chronos Order. He must have known more about Chaos, so Wilhelm couldn’t help but believe him.
“Is the third prince really involved with chaos worshipers?”
“It’s already a well-known fact to those who know.”
Those who know were the CID, the Order, and Hecaton. The fact that Hecaton knew meant that the emperor also knew.
“Hmm. . . . . . Then who do you think we should support?”
“The first prince is the best.”
“However, the first prince already has many supporters.”
“At least you have nothing to lose.”
“Is there a reason why we should support the first prince?”
“The first prince is already a powerful man close to the diamond rank. He has already reached the top among his brothers with his personal strength alone, so there is no need to confront him.”
“Hmm. . . . . .”
“Why don’t you advise Earl Viscount to give up his support for the third prince?”
“If he does that, he’ll have enemies on all sides. Will he do that?”
“Then there is no choice but to break off the engagement.”
“Hmm. . . . . .”
Breaking off the engagement without a proper reason could lead to a territorial war. Of course, since the distance between the two territories was great, it was possible that the other party would apply for a ‘League’ battle as a proxy war.
Since the loser of the league would have to pay reparations to the winner, Earl Winchester had no choice but to worry.
“If I support the third prince and the third prince falls, I may have to give up all the vested interests I have now. Compared to that, the reparations are reasonable.”
“. . . . . .”
“By the way, what’s your relationship with Lady Alicia?”
“She’s a student at the same academy and a member of the group I’m currently leading.”
“Other than that?”
“Father, I am bound to the Order.”
“Won’t you be free in 10 years? Moreover, I understand that you have already reached the platinum rank at the academy. If it’s you, you will surely survive for 10 years.”
“What kind of. . . groundless confidence is that?”
“Don’t you believe in yourself?”
“Of course I intend to survive desperately. . . but even so, that’s not. . . . . .”
“Anyway, it sounds like you’re not heartless towards Lady Alicia.”
“That’s. . . . . .”
Oswald had no particular reason to refuse, and he had no great aversion to being with a beautiful woman like Alicia. Just. . . the fact that he would eventually have to return to his original world’s home if he was with her was a bit of a problem.
‘𝘎𝘦𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺, 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘴 𝘝𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘦.’
Although they did not belong to the Senate family, they had a large magic corps equipped with artifacts, so they would be a great force in terms of military power.
🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸
The next day, the full-scale hunting competition began.
Participants gathered in the open space sponsored by the Winchester Earl’s Castle.
All of them were dressed in hunting clothes and armed with various Winchester series, including the ‘Winchester V10’. They also had their hunting dogs with them. . . It could be said that it was the beginning of the hunt.
Among them were Marquis Valian and Alicia, and it seemed like it would be a very exciting hunt.
The forest that can be seen behind the Earl’s Castle.
From the outside, it looks like it would take about 10 minutes to walk around, but it was a forest with a space expansion spell, so it took 3 days to get through the forest. If you trespassed without knowing that fact, you would be in a lot of trouble.
Inside the forest, there were beasts and animals that Earl Winchester had raised and released himself.
