The quest of Ironblooded Swordman Baskerville.
Even without opening the scroll, everyone could guess. It would be against the fierce monsters of the Western Front.
What could a bunch of bloodthirsty, mad hounds be interested in other than getting blood on their teeth?
That was the world's perception.
But Vikir chose it nonetheless.
'I should go home.'
Vikir had work to do, after all, and he was on his way home.
For Vikir, who hates Baskerville, going home doesn't feel like a vacation.
However, it's worth noting how organized the Baskervilles have become.
Vikir's concern is how much of the demons agents will remain after the death of Andromalius, who was wearing the outer skin of Set.
'It would be nice to solve the quest as well.'
It's Hugo's seal. Just ask for it.
Honestly, it was a task to be eaten raw.
* * *
Vikir reassured all his worried friends that monster hunting was his specialty.
They were soon convinced, as Vikir had always gotten good grades in Introduction to Monsterology and had recently brought back a large quantity of gnoll pelts.
At dawn the next day, while everyone was still asleep, Vikir left the Magic Tower, keeping his route well hidden.
When the Academy's ranked players set out on their League Second Round assignments, they are often followed by reporters, paparazzi, headhunters from various guilds, and others with ill intentions.
Vikir carefully scanned his followers for the presence of any demon agent, and when he was satisfied that nothing was amiss, he began to make his way home.
Of course, Vikir's mastery of concealing his movements and covering his tracks prevented him from being followed.
Early morning filled with hazy fog.
When Vikir bought a train ticket back home.
"...!"
Vikir spotted a familiar face.
A girl with white hair, sitting still in the last seat of the train at the next platform, staring out the window.
It was Sinclair.
Vikir was now standing on the platform opposite her.
'Going east?'
Vikir, who had disappeared behind the steel frame that was sticking out of the platform as the platform expansion work was not yet completed, slightly peeked his head out and looked at Sinclair.
Sinclair, unaware that Vikir was looking at her, was quietly gazing out the window at the gray dawn landscape.
She was on a train headed east. And there are few famous families in the East.
'I wonder if the assignment Sinclair picked was for Quovadis?'
Certainly, her assignment was to discuss how to effectively eliminate cults and heresies from the perspective of Quovadis.
Sinclair's current direction was a completely different one from Quovadis's in the west.
Only Sinclair herself knows for what purpose she boarded the train to the East so early.
"...."
Vikir turned on his heel, not daring to pry into the secrets Sinclair was hiding.
It was just the right amount of social distance.
* * *
The image of Hugo that Vikir had seen in so long was quite different from what he remembered.
Hugo had always been a cold-blooded creature, with cold eyes, a stern face, and a sword always ready to slash.
But.
"Hehehehe-"
The sight of Hugo in front of him now was making Vikir quite confused.
Hugo had gained weight from whatever it was that he ate so well, and his mustache had grown back and was braided into a pretty little girl's braid.
At the end of his beard was a clumsily tied ribbon.
"It's been a long time, son."
When Hugo saw Vikir, he spoke with a hint of sternness in his voice.
But it was short-lived.
"Do you see this? Pomeranian braided it for me. How could it be so beautifully knotted? Baskerville must have a prodigy like no other. Truly the gift of the Gods."
Hugo grinned as he cradled the sleeping Pomeranian in his arms.
Vikir looked around wordlessly.
"...."
Hugo's office, which was originally a very shabby place, has also changed a lot.
The black stone floor had been replaced with soft, colorful puzzle mats.
It was designed to prevent the toddler from hurting herself if she fell, but also to allow her to sit and play puzzles from time to time.
The ceiling is decorated with celestial mobiles and glow-in-the-dark star stickers.
The pink curtains featured a scene from a trendy fairy tale in which a fairy princess wields a magic wand to beat a demon to death.
There was a large illustrated book with imperial language characters on the wall, and the swordsmanship textbooks and other books that filled the bookshelf had all been replaced with children's storybooks.
And the biggest change of all.
"Have you come, Master?"
It was Butler Barrymore, bringing tea.
He wore cow-patterned pajamas all over his body, had something resembling a snout in his nose, and held a rattle in his hand.
Of course, Pomeranian is not old enough to be amused by such things.
"I am providing all the things that should have been given to my granddaughter, who was unable to enjoy even the basic things among the barbarians."
Hugo spoke with a stern expression, and Vikir could only nod with a shudder.
Indeed, the papers he was handling now looked like Baskerville's administrative work, but they were all related to Pomeranian.
.
-0May 0:00:00, Pomeranian looked at the decoration on the teacup during morning tea and said, "Ruby is beautifu".
↳Urgent Action ☞ Break the alliance agreement with the Morg family, and immediately march into Red Fang Mountain to steal the ruby ore.
-On August X, at XX:XX, Pomeranian uttered the phrase "Tiny Little Zowa" while eating the chocolate pudding served for dessert after the banquet.
↳Urgent Action Item☞ Recapture the coffee bean fields beyond the 'Red Witch's River' from the barbarians, and build a logistical fort in the blood bean fields.
-#Month #Day ##Hour ##Minute, Pomeranian looked at the Monster Encyclopedia during eye-level learning and said, "Cute bear".
↳Urgent Action Item☞ Organize a detachment to attack the Red and Black Mountains Seventh Ridge, killing and pelting as many Oxbears as possible in plain sight.
↳Urgent correction 1☞ Reporting correction. It was assumed that Pomeranian only likes "living things".
↳Urgent Action Item 1☞ Organize a detachment to attack the Red and Black Mountains Seventh Ridge, capturing as many Oxbears as possible in plain sight.
↳Urgent correction 2☞ Report correction. It looks like Pomeranian only needs "a single live, small, young one".
↳Urgent Action 2☞ Organize a detachment and send it to the Red and Black Mountains Seventh Ridge to capture a newborn Oxbear.
However, due to the gravity of the matter, the size of the detachment should not be reduced.
↳Urgent correction 3☞ Reporting correction. Pomeranian said, 'If a bear cub comes here, the mother bear will be sad, so I'll just put up with it as a teddy bear!'
↳Urgent Action Item 3☞ No matter what I think, my granddaughter is too nice and cute.
– This report is an official record of the House of Baskerville and a military secret of the first class, and unauthorized viewing is punishable by death.
Head of House Hugo Le Baskerville ㊞
Vikir glanced at the contents of the papers and turned away.
'...What have I just seen?'
It was the seal of the Head of House. At least within the Baskervilles, that seal was like the emperor's seal.
I still remember the countless sleepless nights I spent on guard duty and fighting off enemies to protect the documents that bore that seal.
But I can't believe that's what those sealed documents say....
Jeez.
Vikir couldn't help but shake his head.
Then.
Vikir suddenly felt Hugo's eyes on him.
'Oops!'
To say the least, he'd let his guard down.
No matter how foolish Hugo looked now, he was still the Swordmaster, the Swordsman of the Empire, the Lord of House Baskerville, and the King of All Dogs.
Vikir tensed once more and waited for Hugo to speak.
Finally, after looking at Vikir thoughtfully, Hugo spoke.
"Yes. It's time to give the student from the Academy a task in Baskerville."
Five-star difficulty, worst quest ever.
It was to fulfill a special assignment from Baskerville.
Apparently, Hugo wasn't going to let Vikir off the hook for being his son.
'Monster hunting? Factor assassination? Pioneering the frontier?'
Vikir didn't know what his quest would be, but he knew it wouldn't be easy.
Finally, Hugo spoke up.
"I have a task for you. It is... 'Parenting'."
Vikir doubted his ears.
"...parenting?"
"Yes. Parenting."
"Parenting (肉牙). You mean meaty fangs? What kind of teeth are those...."
"What are you talking about? Ew. Parenting. Caring for a child."
Hugo clicked his tongue and glanced at the swaddling bag in front of him.
The sleeping Pomeranian began to whimper.
Hugo looked worried about the world.
"I'm worried about how sullen she's been lately. She doesn't smile at all. In the past, if I showed her my braided beard, she'd just giggle and giggle and giggle."
"...."
"I've called in all the doctors in the West, and they're all saying there's nothing wrong with her, what a bunch of quacks. If my granddaughter isn't smiling, what's wrong with her now? I was about to strangle them all, but Butler Barrymore stopped me. Can you make her laugh?"
Hearing Hugo's words, Vikir's mind flashed back to the cover of the assignment scroll.
The Iron Blood Swordsman / Difficulty [★★★★★]
Is this really a five-star difficulty? Was parenting really this hard?
Vikir sighed and stepped forward.
At that moment, the exquisite Pomeranian opened her eyes.
"Ugh! Samchun! Samchun!"
"...not Samchun, Uncle."
When Vikir held out his hand, Pomeranian opened her arms wide. And....
"Oooh! She smiles! My granddaughter smiles!"
Hugo began to smile as well. Because as soon as Pomeranian saw Vikir, she started laughing.
At the same time.
…bang!
Behind him, Butler Barrymore in the cow pajamas nodded happily and stamped Hugo's seal on the task scroll with a bang.
Confirmation that all tasks had been completed.
A five-star task that no one else in the Academy had ever dared to attempt, cleared in an instant.
–
–
–
t/n: 육아 = Parenting, (肉牙) = flesh/meat teeth, Uncle = Samchon