CHAPTER 18
“Lord Kyle! Look behind you!”
At Alfred’s shout, Kyle twisted his body quickly.
Kraaagh—
A massive beast with bared fangs was charging toward him.
With no time to hesitate, Kyle raised the sword he had just pulled from another slain monster’s torso and slashed it diagonally.
Dark red blood spurted like a fountain from the deeply cut beast.
Tsk.
Covered in the beast’s blood with no time to dodge, Kyle clicked his tongue in annoyance.
As he wiped the blood from his eyes and mouth with the back of his hand, Alfred ran up beside him.
“Lord Kyle, are you all right?”
“This is why I hate torso strikes. Should’ve just sliced it clean at the waist.”
Kyle grumbled, spitting out the blood that had reached even inside his mouth.
“Alf, was that the last one?”
“Yes, it was. Let’s return to the castle and get you cleaned up. I’ll give the orders for cleanup and follow shortly.”
“How many was it this time?”
“A total of 393.”
Kyle’s lips curled into a sly grin.
“At least being drenched in blood was worth it. Let’s go collect our reward from the lord.”
—
The Adport Mountains—high and rugged in the north.
Among the many territories at its base, the one Kyle was currently staying in for the monster extermination was governed by a man named Panox.
“Lord Panox, it’s been a while.”
The lord, who had been chatting with knights, shot to his feet.
Kyle, drenched in monster blood from the neck down, appeared before them.
Unlike the startled lord, the knight commander grumbled lowly in disapproval.
“Here he goes again. Does he have to show off that he killed monsters? The Grand Duke, obsessed with hunting monsters just for money… What a sight.”
As Kyle strode forward, the lord instinctively stepped back.
Just like always, Kyle plopped down casually in the lord’s seat.
“Your Grace, it seems you… slew quite a few monsters again.”
“You’d be shocked if you knew the number. Pretty impressive, right?”
“Ah, yes. Yes… very impressive, Your Grace.”
“What’s with the face? If not me, who else would risk their life killing that many monsters? Right? All you have to do is sit here comfortably and cough up the money.”
His mocking tone didn’t match the beautiful, chiseled features of his face.
The lord and the knights scowled in displeasure, but none dared to speak.
Kyle flashed a perfect smile, revealing neat teeth.
But his eyes were colder than the wind crossing over the Adport Mountains.
“Oh, Alf, you’re here? How many monsters did we take down this time?”
Alfred, just entering the central hall, was holding a monster’s severed head, blood dripping from it.
As he tossed it to the floor, annoyed sighs echoed around the room.
“That wasn’t necessary…”
Kyle raised a hand to cut the lord off.
“Did you forget? What did you say the first time I brought back a monster? Alf, you remember?”
“Yes, I remember exactly.”
“Tell him.”
“Your Grace, you ask for money just because you say you killed monsters, but how can I trust only your word and hand over such a large sum? At the very least, I should confirm a monster head or two.”
Alfred looked directly at the lord.
“That’s what you said.”
“You heard that, right?”
The lord’s shoulders slumped.
“Yes… I did say that back then. But I also said afterward that I no longer needed proof.”
Kyle shook his head firmly.
“No. When you’re paying that much money each time, you should be precise.”
Mocking him, Kyle gestured to Alfred.
“In total, 393 monsters were slain across three villages within the Panox domain.”
“Being so close to the mountains, the number was insane. You know what to do. Pay Alfred.”
The knight commander, scowling deeply, spoke.
“It’s been nearly a year since you and Lord Kiyor began hunting monsters.”
“Really? Already? Time flies.”
“You’ve killed an incredible number of monsters, so the money you’ve earned must be just as massive.”
Though his eyes were on Alfred, his sarcasm was directed at Kyle.
Alfred’s brow furrowed as he glared at the knight commander.
“Now that you mention it… I am curious. How does Lord Kiyor even carry all that money around?”
He had always claimed Kyle used monster extermination as an excuse to extort money.
But more than that, what truly irked him was Kyle’s arrogance.
He believed Kyle used his rank as a Grand Duke to torment them under the guise of monster hunts.
“Hmm, so that’s what the commander’s curious about. But he should’ve asked me, not Alfred. I’m the one who owns the money, after all.”
The commander bowed exaggeratedly.
“A mere knight guarding a small northern territory could never dare ask the Grand Duke such a question.”
Kyle’s lips twisted ever so slightly as he looked down at the man.
“When I arrived in the north and killed my first monster, it was spring. Now it’s nearly winter… Just a few months—how much could I have made, really?”
“A few months? I’ve heard countless stories of lords who’ve gone bankrupt funding monster hunts under your name.”
The lord, looking anxious, waved his hands as if to say enough.
“No, my lord. If they’re curious, let them ask. Actually, now that I think of it, I’ve never really counted how much I’ve earned either. Now I’m getting curious…”
At that moment, the doors burst open, and a soldier rushed in, breathless.
“Lo–Lord! Monsters! They’re breaching the castle walls!”
Everyone’s eyes turned to Kyle.
“Why’s everyone looking at me?”
“Your Grace, didn’t you hear? Monsters are breaching the walls!”
“Yeah, I heard. So what?”
Kyle leaned back in his chair, resting his chin on his hand.
“What do you mean, so what? You need to go out and fight!”
“Oh no… I think I’ll have to pass this time. Send the fine knights of Panox instead.”
“W–What are you saying!?”
“Something urgent just came up.”
Kyle stood abruptly.
“Your Grace! What could possibly be more urgent than monsters!?”
Kyle pointed at the knight commander.
“He asked how much I’ve earned, right? Now that he’s mentioned it, I’m genuinely curious. Just how much have I made killing monsters?”
The lord frantically reached toward Kyle as if to grab his clothes.
“Don’t move, Lord. If even a single finger touches me, you’ll live the rest of your life without both arms.”
Kyle grinned as he spoke, but his expression turned deadly cold in an instant.
The glint in his jade eyes was so frigid, the lord visibly trembled.
Then, just as quickly, Kyle chuckled.
“Ah, maybe it doesn’t matter. Everyone here is going to become monster chow soon anyway.”
Alfred stepped beside him.
“Word just came from Count Olbreno. The sealed cave was breached, and monsters are reappearing.”
Leaving the panicked lord and his knights behind, Kyle and Alfred quickly left the castle.
Moments after riding off, they heard the monsters’ shrieks and the people’s screams from behind.
“What about the extermination fee?”
“I collected it beforehand. But Kyle, if they try to protest—”
“They’re all going to die anyway, so who’ll protest? Besides, those leeches have been sucking the blood of their people for years. The citizens who fled probably threw a party.”
Alfred looked fondly at Kyle’s back as he rode ahead.
The Red Hawk Extermination Corps.
That was the nickname for Kyle’s monster-hunting group.
Appearing suddenly, striking swiftly, and annihilating monsters—just like a hawk.
His red hair whipped behind him as he moved like lightning.
His mysterious green eyes had darkened; his once partially brown hair now flamed red, as though on fire.
His body, honed by endless monster fights, exuded power—no trace of the once pitiful Kyle remained.
Yet few noticed the change.
To the northern lords, Kyle was still just a greedy, monster-obsessed, troublesome Grand Duke.
But to the common people, he was a hero who punished cruel lords on their behalf.
“Welcome back, Lord Kyle.”
Count Harfa Olbreno.
One of the few who addressed him as Lord Kyle, not Your Grace.
“I’m starving. Haven’t even had dinner yet.”
Harfa chuckled softly and brought out a humble meal.
Among all the northern lords Kyle had met, Harfa was the most beloved by his people.
“My lord, what is this? I know I’m an exiled Grand Duke, but this is all I get for dinner after coming all this way? Not much of a welcome for someone here to kill monsters, huh?”
Even as Kyle teased, Harfa only smiled quietly.
“If I’d prepared a feast, you’d accuse me of squeezing the people dry.”
Kyle dipped bread into the soup, took a big bite, and nodded.
“And last year’s harvest was poor. Our food stores are nearly empty now.”
