Episode 56 The Hunter and the Prey (2)
“…”
Bikire remains silent while riding on the wolf’s back.
And Iyen, who was riding in front of such Vikir, was looking at Vikir’s eyes while glancing at the back of the extension.
“Are you sick?”
“…”
“Are you mad?”
“…”
Iyen turned his head completely back and looked at Vikir.
To Iyen, Bikir only answers bluntly.
“Look ahead.”
The wolf that Ayen was driving stumbled once when it got caught on a root.
Ayen hurriedly turned his head back and drove the wolf away.
Even so, he kept glancing backwards as if he was worried about Bikir behind him.
At this point, you really don’t know who is the master and who is the slave.
Eventually, when the roots disappeared and a wide plain appeared, Ayen slowed the wolf down.
Then, sitting on the wolf’s back, he turned to face Bikir and said:
“I couldn’t help it. Ahhun is a petty and tenacious guy. This was the way to prevent his nasty retaliation.”
“…”
“…Why are you silent? Huh?”
Bikir gave a short answer to the master’s continued insistence.
“I was sick.”
Actually it is. The inside of my mouth is covered with blood scabs, so it hurts just to open my mouth.
at that time. Ayen’s body trembled for a moment.
She slowly turned her head to look at Vikir.
“Are you very… ill?”
Ayen looked at Bikir’s neck.
The white skin had red marks from the dog collar.
“…”
Ayen stared at the mark for a moment.
Then she lowered her head to Bikir, then licked the wound on her neck with her tongue.
When Bikir flinched and threw his head back, Iyen also realized what he had done for a moment and backed away in amazement.
Bikir frowned.
‘Do barbarians lick each other’s wounds?’
Canines do that.
As Balak’s warriors are friendly with wolves, this behavior may be commonplace.
However, as Bikir is a civilized person, these actions were awkward.
‘Besides, licking the affected area with your tongue is rather dangerous because there is room for infection.’
So Bikir was determined to refuse if Ayen tried to lick the wound on his neck again.
however.
“…”
Ayen just turned his head away without saying anything.
For some reason, the tips of his pointy ears were dyed bright red.
* * *
Like all of Balak’s warriors, Iyen was basically a simple character.
Bikir behaved as usual, except that she became ill and became less talkative, and her mood soon improved.
Feeling better, Ayen said he would give Bikir a gift as an apology for beating him earlier.
“Is there anything you want from me?
Then Bikir answered right away, without a second thought.
“Tell me how to shoot a bow.”
“……Ah. A bow.”
Were you thinking of something else? The answer came back a little sluggish.
Iyen put on a slightly disappointed look at Vikir’s immediate response.
“Yeah. Bows are good. Bows…”
Iyen muttered for a moment before putting a mischievous smile on his lips.
“Okay. Now that hunting is out, I’ll teach you how to shoot an arrow. Anyway, with that body, a bow is better than a sword.”
After speaking, Iyen went behind Vikir and took a posture as if hugging his chest tightly.
The weight of Iyen’s body, which was pressed against him, was straining Bikir’s spine.
Bikir said, enduring the pain.
“…Do I really have to learn in this posture?”
“It’s best to learn everything with your body. Any complaints?”
It was difficult for Bikir, whose body was broken, to resist.
yet. Iyen took out a spare bow and put it in Vikir’s hand.
Bikir recalled memories for a while at the unfamiliar sensation that touched his hand.
Iron-Blooded Swordsman The training that the young hounds of Baskerville receive includes an introduction to weaponry, so Vikir is quite proficient with the bow.
And the swordsmen who lived through the era of destruction actually knew how to handle not only swords but all other weapons to a certain level.
Bikir had already learned the basics of archery.
……Speaking of minors?
‘But it wasn’t to the extent that it was promoted anywhere.’
Before returning, he handled the bow quite well, but it was not at a level that he could use in actual combat.
At best, to catch small game that can be prepared and eaten immediately.
However, if all of Balak here lives and learns from those who are masters of archery, they may be able to step on a different level from their previous lives.
Is it because of the desire to catch a big game?
Ayen had been clinging to Bikir from earlier and teaching him archery.
“I should at least borrow the hand of a wolf cub for this hunt.”
As much as that, Iyen was burning with enthusiasm for this hunt.
In order for 300 members of Balak’s family to survive a day, they need a game weighing at least 200 kg.
Furthermore, due to the poor hunting performance of the recent warriors, there are many people starving within the tribe.
“Your life will be easier if you make a contribution here.”
Vikir nodded at Ayen’s words.
Right then.
“……!”
Iyan’s wolf ‘Vakira’ suddenly stopped walking.
It was a sign that they had found their prey.
Iyen lowered herself and picked up a handful of dirt from where Vakira sniffed.
Soil mixed with rotten sawdust, deciduous moss and sand.
The soil was slightly damp and had a pungent, pungent odor.
Iyen said confidently.
“Oxbear.”
Vikir knew the monster Iyen talked about.
< Oxbear >
Risk Level: A
Size: 5m
Location of discovery: Red and Black Mountains 7th ridge
– A very large bear with two huge horns.
Carnivorous bears are the strongest land predators, near-perfect killing weapons, and are known as the strongest and apex of the ecosystem of the 7th ridge of the Black Mountains.
A monster with few natural enemies except for its own kind.
A bear with two buffalo horns on its head.
It is a powerful monster whose whole body is covered with thick muscles and fat and stiff hair.
A monster that I had encountered several times before during practice within the family.
However, the objects roaming around here now will have strength and vitality on a different level from the objects that were captured alive in cages inside the family and waiting for their death.
“Looks like this guy’s territory is beyond this.”
Ayen turned his head to follow the direction of the smell.
Oxbears deliberately spray poisonous urine to scare off prey and warn competitors.
If it was a decent predator, it would have rolled its tail and ran away at this smell, but that was not the case for Iyen, the hunting leader who leads Balak’s youth.
Bikir also maintained a calm attitude, befitting a person who played an active role as a worn-out hunting dog before returning.
Seeing that, Ayen grinned.
“Isn’t it scary?”
“very.”
“It’s good that he has the guts unlike a kid from the Empire. Even seasoned hunters in Balak feel burdened when it comes to Oxbear.”
Iyen seems to like Bikir’s attitude all over again.
Soon, Iyen and Bikir began to chase the scent, facing the wind head on.
Iyen chased the prey with an animal sense.
Sometimes it smelled better than Vakira the wolf.
Bikir was also good at tracking, but only when targeting humans who were running away.
‘It’s a good opportunity.’
Bikir was learning Iyen’s expert monster tracking skills over his shoulder.
yet.
It wasn’t long before I was able to encounter my target at the top of the hilly area, which was lined with tall brush and short shrubs.
A large oxbear is seen walking somewhere through the bushes.
Two fiercely curved horns, much thicker and stiffer hair than I knew. Flesh and muscles that were clinging to each other to the point of being ridiculous.
This oxbear, which appeared to be very old, was about 8 meters tall, larger than any oxbear Bikir had seen prior to his return.
“…At that level, the risk level should be raised.”
If Bikir muttered something like this, he had said enough.
A head-to-head battle would be difficult for a monster of that size.
Rather, it was a better choice to retreat now and aim for other prey.
But Iyen did not back down.
“Let’s go after it.”
She clings to Bikir’s side.
Bikir said, holding back the slight pain.
“It would be difficult to deal with that size. It looks like an exceptionally strong individual among the Ox Bears.”
“Idiot. Who said they would catch him?”
At Ayen’s words, Bikir made a puzzled expression.
She replied with a smile.
“If you have a female bear, you can catch any number of male bears. Look.”
As soon as Ayen’s words were finished, a response came from beyond the thicket.
Another Oxbear approached the original Oxbear.
Apparently, the huge Oxbear that Bikir and Iyen first found was female.
The newly emerged male oxbears were relatively small in size.
It seems clear that the height will barely exceed 4 meters at most, and the weight will almost double.
Could it be that it is in estrus?
As the female oxbear moves her huge body, the male oxbear sneaks up and sniffs the fur.
Then, he started to rub his chest and back.
“Good. That’s the real game.”
Ayen smiled and pressed Bikir, who was hiding under the bushes, with his chest and waist.
Bikir watched the grooming of the male and female oxbears and felt the strength of Iyen’s grip on her arms.
Pasasac…
Iyen’s body, hidden in the bushes, pressed closer to Bikir’s.
The moist, hot breath hits the ear lobe and breaks it.
Everywhere on her well-trained, elastic and soft body, the skin wrapped around Bikir’s back and clung to her.
The beating of the heart felt through the back tightens the body like a bowstring.
Naturally, Bikir had no choice but to think.
‘It’s very heavy.’
