47 Duke of Oakes (1/2)
KIHO felt a little betrayed when Tilly left him with Duke Prescott alone.
According to his wife, she needed to pick up the tailored hunting clothes that she personally ordered for him.
And so, here he was in the foot of the mountain that the Prescotts owned.
[They own a freaking mountain.]
It wasn't just any mountain because it was home to the rarest spirit stones in the empire. No wonder they were so rich.
”Captain Kiho, do you know how to use a rifle?” Duke Prescott asked while holding a rifle in his hands. ”I know that you're a swords master. But in hunting, using a rifle can also be advantageous. I heard it's all the rage among young men these days. Even Captain Sherwood has shifted from swords to rifles.”
”I heard about it, too, Your Grace,” Kiho answered politely. ”I'm not an expert but I know how to use rifles.”
”Good,” the duke said. ”I want you to use a rifle at the Hunt.”
”That won't be a problem,” he said. He wasn't choosy when it came to weapons anyway. Heck, most of the time, he used his bare hands for the kill. ”But may I know if there's a specific reason as to why I need to use a rifle?”
”Because Captain Sherwood would definitely use a rifle at the Hunt.”
”I apologize but I don't see the connection.”
”I'll get straight to the point then,” the duke said while looking at him with widened eyes. ”Captain Kiho, I want you to beat Captain Sherwood at what he's good at.”
He swallowed hard at the duke's request. ”I will try my best, Your Grace.”
”House Sherwood is also a part of the Royal Faction,” Duke Prescott continued. ”But I can't forgive them for laughing when they heard that you joined the Hunt for the first time. Worse, Captain Sherwood's arrogant father even apologized to me because apparently, his son would ruin my son-in-law's debut in the Hunt. That obnoxious old man…”
He knew that it was a serious matter but to be honest, he was doing his best to stop himself from laughing. He found it amusing how Tilly resembled her father a lot.
[They both have nasty temper.]
”I don't want you to simply win the Hunt, Captain Kiho,” the duke said menacingly. But he knew that his anger was directed at the Sherwoods and not at him. ”I want you to crush Captain Sherwood so bad that his father can't laugh at you anymore. Do you understand?”
”Yes, Your Grace,” he said.
He wasn't sure about the crushing part but he never intended to lose. After all, he promised Tilly that he'd emerge as the victor of the Hunt.
”Has my daughter told you about my wish for you to have your own last name?”
”She did, Your Grace.”
”I'll give you until the Hunt to think about it,” the duke said. ”I want to hear your answer after you were awarded as the victor.”
What high expectations.
Well, he was willing to live up to it.
”I'll think about it carefully, Your Grace,” he said politely. ”My utmost gratitude for the generous offer, Duke Prescott.”
The duke looked at him with a knotted forehead. ”You have the reputation of a wolf but you act like a puppy. Did my daughter tame you or something?”
He almost laughed at that. But he didn't want the duke to think that he wasn't taking him seriously so he just bowed.
”Anyway, I'll teach you how to catch the hardest one to hunt among the Four Ancient Beasts that serve as the empire's guardians,” the duke said. ”Captain Kiho, do you know which among the four ancient beasts is the hardest to catch?”
”I believe it's the Blue Dragon,” he answered politely. ”The last time the replica of the Blue Dragon was released, almost half of the hunters were killed.”
”I understand why you think that the Blue Dragon is the most dangerous,” the duke said. ”After all, you haven't seen the Red Phoenix, have you?”
He shook his head. ”As far as I know, the replica of the Red Phoenix hasn't been chosen ever since the Hunt began.”
”That's true,” Duke Prescott said. ”But we never know. The Red Phoenix must have been chosen as the ancient beast for today's Hunt.”
That kind of surprised him because the duke said it with confidence, like he was so sure that the Red Phoenix was the chosen ancient beast for this year. But he was probably over thinking.
[The replica of the chosen ancient beast will only be released before the Hunt begins.]