There are many species in this world—many still yet to be discovered. All intelligent species capable of speaking are considered equal to humans.
All others are called monsters or beasts, except for spirits.
Now, drawing a line between "monster" and "beast" is difficult. But think of a beast as a dog and a monster as a lion. You can keep a beast, but a monster can only be dealt with after its death. To put it more simply: you might trust your baby with a beast, but never with a monster. So, monsters that are relatively friendly, or that can be tamed through effective methods (even if not completely), are called beasts.
But just because a beast is milder in nature doesn't mean you can go around catching them like Pokémon. Even in Pokémon, catching one isn't that easy. Take a wild horse, for example—good luck making it your ride. Beasts are still fierce.
This is where Beast Masters come in. They tame beasts and use them for fighting. Some even sell them.
Now, since I'm going to a Beast Master, that means there will be beasts. And because beasts are still technically monsters—even when tamed—they aren't allowed inside the capital. Imagine terrorists using some potion to make them aggressive and releasing them in the city. The results would be disastrous.
So I went outside the capital, protected by Claw. They worked surprisingly well, surrounding me in a way that didn't hinder my walking but also made it difficult for anyone to target me directly. This sense of security almost made me forget about the danger to my life. Raven walked a few feet behind, keeping an eye on the surroundings, while the other four moved in a slow orbit around me, like planets around the sun. Their movement gave the illusion that we were two separate groups, helping me blend into the crowd. But I knew assassins wouldn't be fooled so easily. I just hoped there weren't any. I didn't even care if my 100 gold deposit went to waste—having no assassination attempts would be far better.
Since this was the capital, the city was large, and the distance to its gates was equally so. Raven suggested walking halfway on foot to confirm a few things:
1. Were there assassins? If there were, Raven might notice them. Of course, there was always the possibility they were skilled enough to escape his detection.
2. If assassins were present, what level of effort would they dedicate? By observing their movements, Raven could gauge their skill, and whether they intended to attack soon or bide their time for better opportunities.
The worst-case scenario was assassins being numerous, highly skilled, and careful—waiting patiently for the perfect opportunity.
After about an hour, Raven decided there was no point in walking further. We boarded a carriage, with him sitting outside to keep watch.
Without incident, we left the capital's walls and soon arrived at our destination.
The place where Beast Masters lived, kept, and sold beasts was enormous, dwarfing even some of the capital's largest buildings. This wasn't the home of just one Beast Master—keeping beasts was difficult—so many of them stayed here together. But there was one owner: the best Beast Master, the one who also taught others.
We entered the building and began looking around. While we wandered, someone who clearly worked there spotted us and approached—keeping a polite distance greater than normal talking range.
"Hello, I am a junior Beast Master here. How can I help you?"
I glanced at him from head to toe and frowned. He looked like the type who would be scared of a rat. I wondered why he chose such a demanding profession.
Perhaps uncomfortable with my stare—but clearly used to it—he gave a small cough, snapping me out of my thoughts. It worked.
"Can you call the owner for me?" I asked.
He seemed confused but, after thinking for a moment, agreed.
Soon he returned with a man who looked to be in his sixties.
"Are you the owner of this place?" I asked.
The old man smiled.
"Indeed, young man, I am the owner."
I introduced myself.
"I am Adrian Lewin, head of the Lewin Merchant Family."
"And I am Dragon, owner of this establishment."
"…Sorry?"
"You heard correctly. My name is Dragon. I don't have a family name, and my mother wanted me to be as majestic as a dragon."
We were all stunned, but I continued.
"I came here to buy a beast."
He chuckled.
"Well, I kind of guessed that. Call it my sixth sense. Or maybe my name has an effect."
"…."
I was completely silenced.
The junior Beast Master coughed again, prompting me to move on.
"When I told him to call the owner, I thought he would insist on me meeting another Beast Master instead. But looking at you, I understood—he would rather call you than anyone else."
Dragon smiled.
"No, that's not the case. I keep my institute structured. Normally, he would have insisted you meet someone else. But right now, only I am available. So he called me."
I nodded, but another thought struck me.
"Where are the other Beast Masters?"
His expression soured, as if I'd asked how he had died. But he answered.
"You must have heard about the recent demon attacks. Wars are spreading over a wide area. Other nations are deploying their troops. Many clashes are happening in forests."
He paused, gazing out the window toward the forest.
"So, a mass migration of beasts and monsters is happening. Beasts rarely found here are now hiding in these woods. The flames of war haven't reached us yet."
Then he grinned.
"Even if this is a misfortune for many, for adventurers and Beast Masters, it is a blessing—if used wisely."
I cut him off.
"So except for you, everyone else is gone."
He nodded.
"What business do you have? Since you didn't know only I am here, you must need a good beast."
"That's right. I want to buy six Sky Dogs."
"Six Sky Dogs? Do you even know how much one costs?"
I smirked.
"Not exactly, but I have a rough estimate."
"It's 300 gold coins for one Sky Dog."
Claw's members were visibly shocked—not only because of the price, but also because they realized I was buying for them too. Of course, they'd only get to use them during the mission, but it was still staggering.
Raven interrupted.
"Sir, that's too much."
I ignored him and turned back to Dragon.
"So, shall we finish our transaction?"
Dragon hesitated, then shook his head.
"I don't have six Sky Dogs. Currently, only two are available."
I needed Sky Dogs. They could fly, drastically reducing travel time, and assassination attempts would be harder. There were many flying beasts, but Sky Dogs were the fastest, with unmatched stamina. Keeping up with them would require an assassin force far larger than what the duke would risk.
True, there was one beast even faster and stronger: the wyvern. But those couldn't simply be bought. Why? Because to tame one, you had to defeat it. And wyverns traveled in groups, fighting to the death rather than submitting. Only an exiled wyvern could be captured, and even then, it would still likely fight to the death. Assuming it didn't, it was still a pseudo–S-Rank beast. Good luck with that.
But now… what to do?
Hmm… maybe.
I asked Dragon,
"Old man, how long will it take to bring four more?"
He thought for a moment.
"Five days."
I pointed to Claw.
"Okay. I'll give you advance payment. When the rest arrive, hand them over to these people."
Then I called,
"Raven, come here."
----------------------
I bought these two for now and was ready to set out alone riding one.
I shakily sat on one, took a deep breath, and ordered it to fly, copying the way old man Dragon had taught me.
The sky dog began to ascend. After I had risen a few meters, countless blades shot toward me from hidden locations. At the same time, many arrows and a few spells were launched. The arrows and spells intercepted the blades, giving me just enough time.
Soon, I was already a hundred meters above the ground.
Without hesitation, I sped off in a chosen direction.
-------------------
(Before me flying off)
After calling Raven, I pulled him aside and spoke to him quietly.
"Raven, I'm going to take one of the sky dogs and head to Mist City. When you receive the other four, meet me there."
"But sir, we'll be separated that way. Staying inside Mist City for five days is more than enough time for something bad to happen."
"I won't exactly be in Mist City, but in Mist Forest."
"That's even worse than assassins. Mist Forest is home to many A-rank monsters—and even a few S-rank ones. Going there is suicide, even if we're protecting you."
"Don't worry. I have a plan."
"But—"
"No buts. I didn't bring you here to argue. In fact, I believe that if there really are assassins, most of their plans will fall apart once they see a sky dog being prepared. So, you, Lucas, and Emma will hide in different places. If I'm attacked in the air, protect me. The other two will stay with the second sky dog in case someone tries to steal it and follow me."
"…Alright. But about Mist Forest—"
"Don't worry. I spent hundreds of gold coins without hesitation because, to me, my life comes first. One more thing: we may leave as soon as you arrive, so be fully prepared. And here—take a hundred gold coins and buy every kind of potion, both low- and high-level."
"…Okay. Meet you in Mist City, sir."