Margrave Boyd.
Anyone educated in the Adel Kingdom would have heard of them—one of the kingdom’s greatest noble families.
They have countless achievements, but the most recent and notable one is their role as the key force behind the destruction of the Lugar Kingdom a few years ago. A living legend.
And now, such a person has summoned me.
This really drives home just how important the young lady is.
For someone like me, born in the slums, meeting such a figure would normally be impossible in my lifetime.
Regardless, since the meeting was inevitable, I had already mentally prepared myself.
The only problem was…
“What are you so deep in thought about?”
“Why haven’t they called me yet?”
“Huh?”
“Never mind.”
I responded while adding firewood to the campfire in the highlands.
It’s been quite a while since they hinted that the summons would come “soon,” yet there’s still no word.
Why aren’t they calling me?
They used to assign missions on the same day without hesitation.
Right now, I’m camping after scouting the highlands with the mercenary group.
The young lady has long since returned to the Royal Magic Academy, and lately, I’ve been back to roaming the mountains.
“Are you certain about this?”
“Yes, the traces of the Manticore are undeniable. I’ve followed one on a hunt before.”
“Good. That’s promising.”
While waiting for the summons from the Boyd family, I had nearly gathered all the materials for Gareth’s sword.
Now, all that remained was the final ingredient—the Manticore’s tail—which is why we were currently investigating the highlands.
We’d been circling the area for days, and finally, we found something.
“Let’s get some rest. We move out tomorrow.”
“Understood.”
After poking at the campfire for a bit, I turned in for the night.
The next day.
We followed the Manticore’s tracks deep into the forest beyond the highlands.
Naturally, this was in a completely different direction from where the Imperial Investigation Team and the statue of Gigant were located.
Ever since Jevan returned, I’d been venturing into the Kaine Mountains quite frequently, but I made sure to avoid that area altogether.
There was no good reason to get involved.
And so, as soon as dawn broke, our mercenary group set out.
By the time the sun reached its peak at midday, we arrived at the location where the Manticore was likely to be.
“This is the place.”
“Yes, there are traces over there.”
The area was a dense forest filled with massive trees.
Looking in the direction Jevan pointed, I saw grotesque claw marks carved into the bark.
“It’s a territory marker. The Manticore is claiming this area.”
“How arrogant.”
So, it’s declaring that this is its domain.
I drew my sword, preparing for battle at any moment.
Manticores are cunning creatures.
If it realizes that a mercenary group has entered its territory, it might launch a surprise attack.
“Stay alert, everyone.”
“Yes!”
Where could it be hiding?
We were certain that this was its territory.
Based on what Jevan told me, this thing uses the tall trees as pathways, moving swiftly among the branches.
That meant we had to be wary of not just the front, back, and sides—but also above us.
The only good news was that its large size made it easier to spot, even from a distance.
As long as we could find it.
“Rookie, you take the rear. Jevan, take point.”
“Understood.”
Maintaining formation, we pressed deeper into the forest.
With Jevan and even the rookie being Aura users, the group was well-balanced.
Honestly, I was treating them like extensions of my own body.
The Silver-ranked mercenaries under Jevan were also proving to be quite reliable.
“One last reminder—don’t touch the Manticore’s face or tail.”
“Understood.”
The tail was mine.
The mercenary group needed the head intact to complete their mission.
That meant we had to take it down while focusing mainly on its body.
With its thick hide, this would be a troublesome fight.
Step, Step.
As we walked deeper into the forest with our group of a dozen men.
Shhh—!
“Over there!”
At a mercenary’s shout, I turned my head—
A shadow flitted between the trees in the distance.
“Prepare for battle!”
It was finally here.
Shhh—! Crash!
The sound of rustling trees echoed as a dark silhouette darted swiftly among the branches.
“It’s faster than I expected.”
“Yes. We should switch to shield formation.”
“Agreed. Do it.”
“You heard him—shield formation!”
The Silver-ranked mercenaries wouldn’t be able to handle this creature individually.
Carefully, we moved to a more open area within the forest and formed a circular formation.
Mercenaries with shields stood on the outer perimeter.
Behind them, those wielding melee weapons provided support.
At the very center, mercenaries equipped with ranged weapons stood ready.
Of course, Jevan, the rookie, and I stood outside the shield wall, prepared to respond at any moment.
The Manticore’s figure was gradually becoming clearer.
…Let’s see.
I expected an ambush, but it was charging at us head-on.
Did it underestimate us that much?
Or has it never been hurt before?
As it drew closer, I got a better look at its form.
Its torso was exactly as described—a lion’s body.
A massive human-like face was attached to a long neck.
Its bronze-colored mane had a strange, unnatural hue.
Its tail, like that of a scorpion, ended with a venomous stinger.
And behind its back—small but distinct—were a pair of eagle-like wings.
A Manticore, exactly as described in the stories.
“I’ll go first.”
“What?”
Without waiting for a response, I activated the Boyd family’s Vision Track.
The world slowed down.
I could now see the Manticore’s movements clearly as it weaved between the trees.
It was hideous.
Seeing it up close, its human-like face was entirely inhuman.
It was as if something had merely copied the shape of a human face, but the expression was grotesquely distorted.
Beyond its thin lips, razor-sharp fangs peeked out.
Its eyes, split vertically like a predator’s, made me want to kill it on sight.
So I—
‘Fleet.’
BOOM—!!
I propelled myself forward, following the red trajectory lines that appeared in my vision.
It was a considerable distance for Fleet, but not enough to stop me from reaching it.
Dashing past the blurring trees, I closed the distance between us.
The Manticore noticed my attack and turned its head—
That was my cue.
I swung my sword with all my strength.
CLANG—!!!
A powerful resistance pushed back against my blade.
As I passed by, a spray of blood erupted from its body.
“GRAAAAAH!!”
A thin, shrill scream rang out—grating and painful to hear.
…A fatal strike would’ve been ideal, but since it twisted its body, I only managed to leave a deep wound along its shoulder.
Thud!
I landed by kicking off a tree in my path.
Then, using it as a foothold, I launched myself again.
This time, I aimed directly at the wound I inflicted.
Before the Manticore could recover, I went for its back—
But—
Whip—!!
Its tail lashed out like a whip, its venomous stinger hurtling toward me.
‘Track.’
I had no time to dodge with my eyes alone.
Immediately, I activated Track, positioning the flat side of my sword toward the incoming stinger.
Thunk!!
Rather than a needle, the impact felt like getting hit by a boulder.
My body was thrown through the air.
Crack!
I hit the ground, rolling several times before coming to a stop.
“Hah.”
So this is what fighting a high-tier monster feels like?
A casual swing of its tail held tremendous power.
How did such a thin tail contain that kind of force?
BAM!
Though I tumbled, I wasn’t injured.
I immediately rushed back at it.
If I hesitated or tried to recover, the Manticore would become a nuisance to deal with.
The best strategy was to keep up the pressure while it was still reeling from the wound.
“KIIIIIIAHH!!”
Its human-like head let out a shriek—sharp and grating like nails on a chalkboard.
Its vertical pupils gleamed with predatory intent as it locked onto me.
But—
No matter how it glared at me while bleeding from its shoulder, it was nothing more than a desperate struggle.
“Jevan! Rookie! Flank it!”
“Understood!”
“Got it!”
By the time I called out, Jevan and the rookie had already joined the fight.
I charged straight ahead.
Thump!
Sensing my movement, the Manticore flapped its wings.
Then—
WHOOSH—!!
A fierce wind surged in all directions.
…Magic?
No—this felt more natural than that.
I wrapped Aura tightly around my body, countering the force of the wind.
Bracing my feet firmly against the ground, I pulled out my hand axe from my waist and hurled it at the approaching Manticore.
The hand axe sliced through the air—
The Manticore, dismissing the small axe as insignificant, raised its front paw to strike me down.
‘Rush.’
Boom—!!
The hand axe, infused with Vision Rush, detonated right beneath the Manticore’s chin.
“KRAAAHH!!”
Since we needed to preserve its head, I had aimed for its neck instead.
The Manticore flinched from the impact.
At the same time, Jevan and the rookie attacked from both flanks, swinging their weapons.
“Watch out for the tail!”
Having experienced its power firsthand, I shouted a warning before dashing forward.
With the gusts from Rush now gone, my movements felt light as I surged ahead—
Closing in on the Manticore.
“GRAAARGH—!!”
Its twisted, monstrous face no longer even remotely resembled a human.
Meanwhile, Jevan and the rookie kept up the pressure from the sides, keeping it off balance.
BOOM!!
I narrowly dodged the Manticore’s massive paw as it slammed down.
Looking up, I saw the thin connection between its majestic lion’s body and its hideous human-like head.
It looked fragile—as if it could be easily severed.
Swish.
I leapt, swinging my sword at the weak point.
However—
THUD—!
My blade only sank halfway into the Manticore’s neck.
Damn.
Would I need to generate Aura Blades just to cut through this thing?
These monsters were absurdly tough.
In the brief moment I was suspended in midair, I pulled out another hand axe.
Grip.
Seizing the Manticore’s neck for leverage, I steadied my position—
Then, I swung the hand axe down onto the opposite side of my embedded sword.
CRACK!!
“KIIIIAAAGHHH!!”
The force drove the sword’s blade deeper into its neck—
And then—
THUD—!
The Manticore’s head crashed to the ground.
“Hah…”
“I-Is it dead…?”
“Why the hell would you say something so ominous?”
…It wasn’t going to get up, right?
I glanced down at the Manticore’s corpse.
Yeah. Definitely dead.
“Get those slackers over here. Cut off the head and tail, and store them properly.”
“Yes!”
With the battle over, I left the cleanup to the mercenaries and pulled my sword from the carcass.
Despite the brutal fight, the blade was still in excellent condition.
Not that I’d be using it much longer.
After all—
“Extraction complete!”
“Pack it up and let’s head back.”
“Understood!”
I had gathered all the materials needed for my custom-made sword.
