The stone floors of the castle's hallways were covered with polished
wooden planks, and a long red carpet stretched from the entrance all the
way to the main hall—the lord's court. A massive table dominated the
center of the chamber, with a shorter one attached diagonally, three
chairs arranged neatly beside it. But they did not stop there. The baron
guided Edward past the chairs toward a wooden door behind them,
leading into another corridor that ended at a smaller, quieter room.
"Please, sit down, my friend," the lord said courteously.
"Are you thirsty?"
Edward nodded.
The baron poured wine into a copper cup and handed it to him.
"You must be tired," he continued. "But since you came straight to me
the moment you entered Morhen, let us speak of this business first."
He sat, crossing one knee over the other.
"You see… whatever this creature is, it has caused no small amount of
trouble. And I assure you, it is no ordinary monster. I have already sent
four hunters into those ruins, and none returned alive. Are you certain
you still wish to take this job? If you succeed, you will be paid
generously."
Edward leaned back in the chair, nodded, and replied, "I'm fine with it."
"Very good."
The lord smiled faintly. "There is also another man who has signed up
for the task. I would prefer the two of you work together. Is that
acceptable?"
"As long as it doesn't affect my payment, I'm fine."
"Of course it will not. Commander Roland, be so kind as to fetch Jim.
You'll likely find him at the tavern in the city center."
"Yes, my lord."
The commander bowed and left the room immediately.
Edward took a few sips of wine while observing the baron—his fine silk
shirt, dark hair, and striking yellow eyes. The man was young but strong,
unsurprising in a kingdom where most older nobles had died in civil
wars or in battles against orcs.
"My lord," Edward said politely, "may I ask why you do not send your
soldiers to deal with this creature?"
The baron sighed.
"My soldiers are trained men, yes… but they are not meant for monsters.
A task a single hunter can handle would require an entire squad of
ordinary soldiers—and even then, many would die. Surely you agree."
"Well, I can't argue with that. Anyway… let's talk about the monster.
Do you know what it is? Or what it looks like?"
"I do not. No one has ever seen it."
"Well, what does it eat? Where does it live?"
"It lives in the old ruins beneath the city. From what we gathered, it eats
the flesh of its victims. It doesn't use weapons of any kind. If you'd like,
I can show you the body of one hunter we managed to recover—it's the
only corpse we brought out of the cave."
"I'd like to see it."
Several minutes passed before a knock sounded at the door.
"My lord, it is Ronald. May I enter?"
"Yes. Come in, Ronald."
The commander stepped inside, a young man following behind him.
"I brought Jim, as you requested, my lord."
Edward examined the newcomer: tall, near twenty, brown hair matching
his eyes, his body strong and well-shaped. He wore leather armor—
jacket, pants, boots, gloves. Two short-sword slots hung from his belt,
and a small knife was strapped to his lower leg. Jim smiled confidently.
"My lord, you summoned me?"
"Yes, Jim. This man here is Edward—another hunter who has taken the
contract."
"Is that so? Good. Perhaps we'll finally get rid of this creature once and
for all."
Edward leaned forward.
"Well, that depends on what type of monster we're dealing with. Jim, do
you know what it is?"
"Not exactly," Jim replied, "but I believe it might be a Boslame. The
cuts I saw on that corpse, and the region we're in—it fits."
"Well, I can't say anything for sure until I see the corpse myself."
The lord interrupted.
"What is a Boslame?"
Jim turned to him.
"It's a deadly creature, my lord. Feeds on flesh. Long claws, a single
horn. Walks on two legs. Its teeth are sharp as blades. Small horns and
coarse hair on its back. Its eyes can see perfectly in the dark, and its nose
can smell us from nearly a mile away. Not very smart, but not stupid
either. If we take it lightly, we'll end up like the other hunters."
The baron rose from his chair and walked to the window on the northern
wall.
"Well… can the two of you handle it?"
Edward answered with confidence:
"It will be hard, but nothing I can't handle. Still, I want to see the
corpse."
"Of course. Commander Ronald, take them to the morgue."
He turned back to the hunters. "When do you think you can begin?"
"Tomorrow works for me," Edward said.
Jim nodded in agreement.
"Tomorrow it is," the baron said. "Get some rest."