A Witch That Is Good at Hunting

Chapter 5: Male Witch (5)

Nike walked through the burning embers.

Ash-gray hair and ash-gray eyes. His strange appearance made it seem as though he had been born from the ashes themselves.

Nothing of the village remained.

The chief’s house, Gwyn’s house… all had turned to cinders, soaked by the rain.

“All burned to nothing.”

Vigo pulled back his black hood as he spoke. The wrinkles around his eyes looked deeper than before.

“How could anything burn when it was soaked with water…”

“That is magic at a level even most witches cannot wield.”

Now that they had come to see it for themselves, the fire that consumed the village was far larger and more devastating than they had imagined.

From the magic lingering in the embers, they could tell the witch who caused this was a formidable one.

It was almost certain a very dangerous witch was connected to this boy named Nike.

Rowen’s expression turned uneasy.

“Master, do you suspect anyone…”

“In thirty years of hunting witches I have seen many things… but never something as strange as this.”

As soon as they found a boy using magic, a village suddenly burned to the ground.

This was no ordinary affair. The instincts of a veteran witch hunter told him so.

Both hunters turned to Nike.

The boy, bound with rope, grumbled as he walked over the embers. His bare feet did not flinch in the heat.

‘The burns on his soles are healing instantly.’

Anyone could see he was no ordinary human. Even witches rarely healed so fast.

“That child… he is too dangerous no matter how much I think about it. We must eliminate him now before he brings worse troub- ”

“It is also an opportunity.”

Vigo raised a finger to silence her. There was excitement in his eyes.

“I understand your feelings, Master! But… if we take him alive, who knows what disaster he may cause!”

Ever since the fire, Vigo had already made his decision.

“I will take full responsibility.”

He stared at the snarling boy.

“That one… is worth the risk. He will be the one to end the five hundred year war.”

“…”

Rowen fell silent.

She knew it too.

Witch hunters had no future.

Every year their numbers dwindled, and their Order grew smaller.

But witches remained strong, and the monsters’ lairs multiplied instead of shrinking.

Humanity was too powerless.

She had despaired ever since her younger sibling was killed by a witch. Even after becoming a witch hunter she had accepted they could never truly win.

So in truth, she agreed with Vigo.

If Nike could be forced into loyalty, if he could be controlled, then the first secret weapon in the history of the Order would be born.

The one existence who could hold advantage against witches, the overwhelming enemies of witch hunters.

A blade to pierce their hearts.

‘…But only if he can be controlled.’

“Let me go! I will kill you!”

Rowen shook her head as she watched Nike still thrash. That seemed impossible.

How could a boy raised like a beast since birth ever adapt to human society, let alone be trained as a witch hunter?

The thought itself was enough to give her a headache.

“At last we may be seeing the end of this endless struggle. Rowen, do you not agree?”

“…I am not sure.”

Her honest answer made her master smile. Of course she could not understand yet.

Even Vigo himself could not fully understand his own words.

It was only instinct. But that instinct had guided him for thirty years.

“With this boy, I will wipe out the witches. I will raise him to do so.”

“Is that even possible? If he is just a witch in disguise, then he may kill us instead.”

“Then I will make it possible. Such risks are part of it. Besides…”

Vigo paused, then continued.

“That boy will fall into the hands of witches eventually. If a male who uses magic is taken by them, the world will face an even greater danger.”

“…”

“In that case, it’s better we take him and keep him under watch. We’ll raise him as a hound.”

Rowen said nothing.

Her master’s reasoning was sound, but in her eyes Nike was still nothing but a monster.

Yet she did not intend to oppose his decision. At the very least, she would watch him closely herself.

“But how do we convince him? He will not follow quietly or agree to be a hunter.”

Vigo scratched his chin, agreeing it would not be easy.

“There is no need to convince him.”

“What?”

“A hound only needs a collar and a stick.”

“You...”

Rowen saw the madness in her master’s eyes. They were sharp and dangerous.

“To exterminate witches, I will do anything. Even if it means becoming his enemy one day.”

* * *

Vigo and Rowen turned to Nike, who still growled with hatred.

“Alright- arrogant brat. It is time to negotiate.”

“Shut up! I will kill you!”

Stab.

“Agh! Aghhhh!”

Vigo drove the silver blade deeper into Nike’s shoulder.

The boy convulsed, trembling at the dreadful sensation of helplessness he had never known before.

“I prefer peace. But if you keep barking like a beast, I will use violence.”

“Grrr!”

Nike still snarled but did not attack.

“Good. Let us begin our talk.”

When Nike stayed silent, Vigo took it as an agreement and spoke gravely.

“Listen well. You have two choices.”

He folded one finger.

“One. Whatever you are, you are a being who uses foul magic. By the Order’s law, I have the right to execute you here and now. That is your first choice.”

Vigo laid out the unfair terms smoothly. Nike glared with hate.

“Two. Swear loyalty to me. Become a hound of the Order, a witch hunter. That is your second choice.”

“Shut up!”

Of course Nike chose neither. He only dreamed of tearing Vigo’s throat out.

Wham!

Vigo kneed him in the stomach, kicked him down, and stomped on his head.

“Kgh…! I will kill you! Kill you!”

“Do you want to kill me? Do you?”

“Raaaghhh!”

As Nike raged, Vigo whispered like a devil.

“Then make a pact with me. Pledge loyalty, and when the witch hunt is over, I will give you my life.”

“Gghh…”

Pressed into the mud, Nike thought to himself.

This old hunter would kill him if he refused.

He had the strength to do it.

And with the damned silver blade, Nike had no chance. He was trapped.

“Make the pact. If you stay here, witches will find you anyway. They will dissect you for experiments until you die. Better to serve me than that.”

“Master…”

Even Rowen, who believed Nike was a witch, winced at how harshly her teacher pushed the boy.

“Do not interfere.”

Vigo, already consumed by madness, could not be stopped.

“Now, answer.”

He shoved Nike’s head into the mud.

“Ggh! Kghh!”

Bubbles rose as Nike struggled, then he slammed his hand on the ground.

“Pwahh-!”

Finally allowed to breathe, Nike glared with eyes full of hatred.

“I will kill… you all.”

“Is that an agreement?”

Nike clenched his jaw so tightly his teeth nearly cracked.

“…No.”

His answer did not change. Even if he died here, he would never be someone’s dog.

Vigo pulled him up.

“You have guts. I like it.”

He spoke again, with his tone slightly softer.

“Then how about this? Do you not wonder about your true identity? And about your vanished mother?”

Nike’s eyes flickered. Vigo held his gaze.

“You are intelligent. Smarter than you seem. That means you must have questioned your identity at one point. You even said it yourself, you do not know.”

In Nike’s outbursts Vigo had heard hints.

“Travel with me, and I will seek the truth about you. Your mother was probably no ordinary woman to begin with so… hunting witches may bring us clues. No, I am sure of it.”

Every sign pointed to Nike being extraordinary.

If he was no fool, he knew it too.

“…”

By this point, Nike had calmed down and was listening.  

Though he seemed like a wild beast, he too had doubts.

What was he? Why did he live alone? Why was he different from others?

They were questions he had brooded over through fifteen years in the mountains.

Vague and unanswered, but now on the verge of change.

Would he seize this chance, step into the world, and discover who he is?

Or remain in the mountains alone, living in solitude?

It was a crossroads of choice.

Rolling his eyes, Nike finally spoke slowly.

“Promise. You will search.”

“My purpose is already to uncover everything about you. I would do it even without promising.”

The tension eased.

To Rowen’s surprise, Nike softened. She sighed in relief.

“Will you follow me?”

Nike hesitated, then saw Vigo cutting the rope around him.

“Come hunt witches with me, and let’s learn who you are.”

Vigo even pulled out the silver blade from his shoulder. Nike felt his magical power return.

Rowen tensed till the end.

“…I will.”

But contrary to her fears, Nike did not attack.

“Good. From now on, you are a witch hunter of the Order of the Silver Blades.”

“Witch… hunter.”

Nike murmured, as if tasting for the first time the sense of belonging, the identity given to him.

His face looked dazed.

Vigo smirked at the once feral boy now calm as a pup.

“Alright, now you will obey my words, train as a hunter, and complete missions. Got that? It will not be as bad as you think.”

“…Meat. Gold.”

“You will get meat and money according to your work and I’ll promise you that. Nothing is free in this world after all.”

“I know.”

His answer was firm. His eyes already burned with resolve.

“And. Revenge. For the insult. Just now.”

“Hahaha! I’m fine with that. I welcome it. You will have training, so repay me all you like then.”

“I will kill you, Vigo!”

Vigo laughed with satisfaction and ruffled his hair.

“Well anyway, welcome to hell.”