Chapter 48: The Leash
“I expected you to come find me eventually… but I didn’t think you’d be sneaking around watching me again.”
Elwin’s teasing words made Abito flinch. In a meek voice, he replied,
“Ah… so you knew? That I’ve been… spying on the Golden Palace?”
“Of course I did. Ever since the first day I arrived in Mediale. You followed my airship, didn’t you?”
“Y-yes…”
“I figured.”
I knew you would. Elwin smiled gently, hiding his true thoughts.
‘After all, I deliberately entered the island with the airship visible—just to lure you in, Abito Yully.’
He couldn’t help but wonder—if he confessed this, what kind of face would that quick-witted boy make?
Though I have no intention of telling him, of course.
On the first day Elwin’s group had arrived in Mediale—
Gale had been too entranced by the aerial view to notice, but the airship alone drew massive attention from onlookers.
—“Whoa! An airship! That’s the first time I’ve seen one in real life!”
—“Who’s on board? A king? Royal family?”
—“Could it be… other Top Hunters? Maybe they’re here to observe!”
Anticipating this reaction, Elwin had instructed Nahrhan in advance.
When guiding Gale to the Golden Palace, they were to avoid using the portal and instead take a long, roundabout route.
—“Who are they? They’re not on any of the lists we’ve researched so far.”
—“I have a bad feeling… like they’re going to be a new variable. We’ll have to keep an eye on them.”
It was all part of Elwin’s plan—to make sure Abito Yully, intrigued and suspicious after seeing the airship, would trail Nahrhan and Gale.
So he would discover the Golden Palace hidden deep within Mediale… and suspect that Gale had ties to the Gold-rank Top Hunter.
‘Though Sercia got tangled up in it by accident…’
But his true target had always been Abito Yully.
To make him think he had arrived at this conclusion entirely on his own—through his own doubts, deductions, and decisions.
So much so that he wouldn’t even realize he'd fallen into a trap someone else had laid.
‘He probably believes this was all coincidence—events lining up by pure chance.’
Smart people tend to be blindly confident in their own conclusions.
And being still young, Abito lacked the experience to rethink his assumptions flexibly.
‘More than anything… in this world, there’s no such thing as coincidence.’
Things that seem like coincidence slowly pile up, unseen, occupying space and time.
And eventually… they become destiny.
As if it had always been meant to be.
“I wanted to speak with you too, Abito.”
The 616th LAMPAS Hunter Exam’s youngest examinee—and its youngest ever to pass.
A brown-haired, highly intelligent 15-year-old who mainly used rune magic.
Abito Yully… harbored a secret. One even Elwin found intriguing.
‘Necromancer.’
A summoner of the dead who could hear the voices of corpses, breathe new life into them, and command them as his own.
That was the true identity Abito Yully was hiding with great care.
“I have a rough idea of why you’re here, Abito.”
“…You do? You think you know what I’m going to say?”
He clenched his small hands into trembling fists and forced his words out.
His voice was thick with desperation, twisted with sorrow and fury. His face, contorted with emotion.
It was a complicated mess.
‘Not surprising.’
If Elwin were in his shoes, he would feel the same.
‘…I’m sorry. I’m not doing this out of kindness.’
But he was about to strike where it hurt most.
So there was no room for sympathy or compassion—not right now.
“Well, I don’t know for sure. I haven’t heard you say it yet.”
I know. But Elwin played dumb.
Even if he told the truth, Abito wouldn’t believe it—and Elwin had no intention of telling it anyway.
“But most people who seek out a Top Hunter… usually say something along the same lines. The details differ, but the meaning’s the same. ‘Help me.’ ‘Save me.’ ‘Rescue me.’”
He folded his fingers down one by one as if counting.
“Or am I wrong? Were you here for a different reason?”
“…No. You’re right. I need your help. Desperately.”
And then, Abito confessed everything—about his and Timur’s past, and their current situation.
Timur the Breaker—the man who had once split a mountain with his bare hands—was now terminally ill, with little time left.
“I see. But why does it have to be me?”
“…!”
“If you need help, I can contact other Hunters for you.”
Elwin listened to everything but then wore a look of polite discomfort.
‘Abito probably believes that the solution he reached after a thousand rounds of deliberation—that one thing—can only be achieved with the help of a Top Hunter.’
More precisely, he needed the privileges and overwhelming power that came only with Top Rank status.
But most people, hearing his story, would likely conclude:
—“This isn’t a job for a Top Hunter.”
Demonic beasts continued to spawn. Crimes never ceased. Somewhere in the world, even now, someone was dying.
A Top Hunter, however, was deterrence itself. If he made a single move, hundreds, thousands—even tens of thousands—might live.
“Ugh, that’s not…!”
Abito realized the unspoken meaning behind those words. He bit his lip hard.
“All Hunters are strong and capable. I’m sure they could help just fine. So—”
“No!”
Abito suddenly cut him off, his voice sharp and urgent.
“Only a Top Hunter… Only you, Elwin, can save Timur.”
Elwin looked down at him with a blank expression.
“…Abito. That’s a serious thing to say. Are you telling me that Timur’s life, just one person, is worth more than the lives of countless others? That only his life has value?”
“…”
He couldn’t speak.
Truthfully, Abito didn’t care what happened to anyone else besides Timur—but how could he say that in front of a Top Hunter?
‘The Gold-rank Top Hunter values all life.’
Regardless of whether someone was from LAMPAS, non-human, man, woman, child, or elder—he treated everyone equally.
‘Is that a conviction? Or is it part of some greater goal?’
If it was the latter, then—
At that moment, Abito realized he had only one possible bargaining chip:
“A-a-anything…”
“…Hm?”
“Whatever you command—I’ll obey! I’ll do it! Anything I can do, I swear it!”
Abito Yully himself.
“You may not see much in me now… but I assure you, I have immense potential! I’ll become a skilled and capable person. One you can rely on!”
He shouted desperately, using all his strength.
He explained how valuable his future self would be. How useful he could be to Elwin. How much he could help him achieve his goals.
“I’ll live for your sake! I’ll do everything I can to help you achieve your dreams. So, please…!”
Slide…
Abito, as if drained of strength, collapsed to his knees and bowed his head before Elwin.
It was a posture akin to a knight pledging allegiance to a king.
“…Really, what am I going to do with you? In that case, I suppose I’ll hear a little more. Tell me again—why does it have to be me?”
“Ah! Th-thank you! Thank you so much!”
Abito looked up at him with the face of someone staring at their savior. Tears welled at the corners of his eyes.
“But remember—what you just said. You made a vow, didn’t you?”
Abito nodded solemnly. Elwin lightly patted his shoulder.
Then, in a gentle voice, he said,
“Alright then. Let’s go inside and discuss the details at our leisure.”
“Yes… Please, I’m begging you.”
Elwin supported the boy as he helped him up with a kind smile.
And Abito—dazed from having his wish granted—never noticed.
The glint in Elwin’s eye, shining with satisfaction at how smoothly things had gone.
At last.
Elwin smiled with narrowed eyes.
He had finally fastened the leash around the neck of the boy who would one day become the most infamous villain in history—Abito Yully.
***
The Next Morning
“Finally!”
Gale’s eyes snapped open as he flung his window wide.
“We’re leaving!”
Chirp chirp chirp—
His shout startled the birds from the nearby tree into flight.
“Ugh… damn this godforsaken Mediale.”
He hadn’t even stayed long, but it felt like he’d been stuck there for months.
Partly because he was used to the freedom of a wandering mercenary’s life.
But also because he’d been caught up in all sorts of messes—and nearly died. The place had left a bad taste in his mouth.
“Anyway, time to go. I packed last night, so I’m good.”
After passing the exam, Gale had lived like absolute trash.
Gambling during the day, partying in the tavern at night.
Crawling home before dawn and sleeping until noon.
“I really was a piece of trash, huh?”
Too late for regrets. Even if he could go back, Gale would’ve done the same things.
With a single bag slung over his shoulder, he left the Golden Palace.
“This fancy place—it’s my last day here.”
Humans adapt quickly. What once felt uncomfortable had become oddly familiar.
“The next place I stay… or more like the one I’m returning to, is going to be another fancy airship, huh.”
…Still didn’t feel natural. Scratching his head, Gale picked up his pace.
If he was late, that terrifying butler would eat him alive.
“You’ve arrived.”
Even at this early hour, Nahrhan Ferdic greeted Gale with perfect composure.
He seemed very busy.
“Given your recent garbage-like behavior, I expected you might be late. But here you are—impressive.”
“…Hey now. I’m standing right here, y’know.”
“Haha, just a joke. Please head inside. Lord Elwin will arrive shortly.”
As Gale turned toward his assigned room, Nahrhan called him back.
“Ah, yes. Mr. Gale—our group has gained some new members.”
“New members?”
“Handpicked by Lord Elwin himself—for the journey ahead.”
It was sudden, but it made sense.
No matter how powerful Elwin was, a three-person party wasn’t enough.
“They’re inside. I suggest you go greet them.”
“Sure.”
Teamwork was important. Nodding, Gale followed Nahrhan to the room.
“This is the place. The airship will depart soon, so please wait inside.”
“Yeah, yeah. You worry too much.”
But once inside…
“…What the hell?!”
“Good morning, Mr. Gale.”
“You’re late.”
Sitting there as if it were nothing—casually sipping tea—were Sercia Edelweiss and Calix Tutatio Zahardt!
Gale’s finger trembled as he pointed at them.
“You two again!?”
His shout echoed loudly through the halls.