The Hunter’s Followers.
This term refers to those who revere, respect, or otherwise follow the Hunters found across various territories.

For example, there was a Hunter follower among the Candles we encountered while returning to Lontan after meeting Pawra and rescuing the Knight Commander. This fact came to light later through investigations.

Hunter followers are known for their exceptionally sharp sense of smell, much like the Hunters themselves. However, they lack the combat abilities that make Hunters so formidable.

So, why were the Knight Commander and Vice Commander treating this issue so seriously?

What makes a Hunter capable of hunting alone?

Their keen sense of smell,
Rapid decision-making based on this sensory input,
And their inhuman physical abilities to execute those decisions.

While a Hunter possesses all these traits individually, their followers do not.

If these followers had the same abilities, they’d be Hunters themselves rather than followers, wouldn’t they?

But what would happen if these followers allied themselves with bandits?

Bandits typically lack common sense, rely on brute force, and overwhelm with numbers.

By allying with Hunter followers, it would be akin to granting the bandits collective intelligence.

Such a force would be far more dangerous than one might imagine.

When the Knight Commander and I dealt with those bandits previously, they were a small group and manageable. But if their numbers were doubled—or multiplied several times over—it would be a completely different story.

“...I understand the risk well enough. But how do you intend to find them? Wandering outside without direction could lead to us getting lost…”

“Which is why bringing you along might prevent that. You can speak with the divine beings, after all.”

In other words, even if we got lost, I could rely on the deities for guidance to return to Lontan—like when Zumya summoned her dragon to bring us back.

“Even if we solve the issue of getting lost, we still lack information on their location.”

Bandits typically cover a vast range.

Since the Second Princess froze the Empire, their territory expanded exponentially, and they now roam freely.

Considering their nomadic lifestyle, identifying which group of bandits is cooperating with the Hunter followers would be an enormous challenge.

Without that knowledge, hunting them down blindly could take a lifetime.

“Well, we’ve heard reports of sightings nearby, so let’s start there. If we don’t find anything, we’ll move on,” the Vice Commander suggested.

“That seems rather careless…”

“Well, it’s not technically our responsibility, is it? The dukedom is handling Candle’s activities, and they’ve requested our assistance in the search. We don’t need to shoulder all the responsibility.”

Ah, so this request came from the dukedom.

It made sense—they couldn’t handle the vast scope of the search on their own and sought our help.

“Well, if that’s the case, patrolling the area shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Exactly. No need to go all out. And if we run into trouble, we’ll handle it with force. Simple,” the Knight Commander said, rolling up his sleeves.

…Honestly, with his strength, I was worried he might actually knock everyone out.

Still, this wasn’t an issue we could ignore.

Leaving it unattended could allow these forces to interfere when we move against the Second Princess.

Hmm.

But why does it feel like I had a specific method in mind for situations like this?

Hmmmm.

As I wracked my brain, a memory of the Saint’s explanation about alternate divine theories surfaced, along with the names of entities capable of influencing this world.

I snapped my fingers.

“Commander, what happens if we manage to eliminate them?”

“Hm. We haven’t discussed that yet, but if other territories didn’t want to deal with it, taking care of it might earn some goodwill for our region.”

“That’s good enough for me.”

“Hm?”

“I have an idea.”

The Vice Commander and Knight Commander exchanged curious glances.

Right.

There was someone perfect for a situation like this.

The Watcher, Belle.

The loyal companion who listens to me better than any Jinro dog could.

“Wooow! It’s been so long since I’ve gone for a walk!”

“You’re that excited?”

“Woof!”

We were in a spot not far from Lontan, where the Hearth’s influence weakened just enough for light snow to fall. Belle, behaving like an overjoyed puppy, bounded around in every direction.

Watching her frolic, the Vice Commander pointed at Belle with a flustered expression.

“Is it really okay to let that thing run loose like this?”

“Yes, it’s fine. She’s a good girl.”

“A… girl?”

The Vice Commander blinked at me in disbelief, then glanced back at Belle.

Knowing how distorted Belle’s form must seem to them because of the Second Princess’s power, I could finally understand their reactions.

Ah, Oko.

You’ve truly given me privileges unique to myself.

Because of the life you granted me, I’ve made it this far.

“Belle, before we go on this walk, there’s something I need you to do.”

“Woof?”

“The Hunters.”

“Those humans who shot at me with a gun!”

Well, she wasn’t wrong.

Back in the underground prison, a Hunter had fired a double-barreled shotgun at Belle.

Though I couldn’t help but notice she hadn’t mentioned Hunters like that recently. Was she trying to make me view them in a worse light?

“Hmm. Can you find humans with a sense of smell almost as sharp as that Hunter’s?”

“Hmm, there are a lot!”

Oh.

As expected of the Watcher. Can she really observe all humans as if through CCTV?

Seeing Belle frown, looking like she had a headache, I decided to give her a bit more guidance.

“Focus on the ones who are slow-moving.”

“Slow humans?”

“Yes, exactly.”

Belle perked up, wagging her tail and hopping in place.

“There are a lot of them! And they’re hanging out with strange people!”

Gotcha.

These must be the ones we’re looking for.

“Great job, Belle! Wow, you’re amazing!”

“I am amazing, woof!”

She beamed, clearly fishing for praise, so I reached out and patted her head. She happily draped an arm over my shoulder and licked my face.

Ugh.

No matter how many times it happens, I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that. Still, I decided to let her do as she pleased since she’d been so helpful.

“Are you sure this is okay? I know you handle deities well, but still…”

“Haha, yes, it’s perfectly fine. Don’t worry.”

“Hmm.”

I wondered how all this must look from their perspective.

I’d love to see Belle through their eyes, but with Oko inside me, that was impossible.

“Oh, and Belle’s found them.”

“Oh, really?”

The Knight Commander smiled, clearly intrigued by the idea of a deity helping humans.

“We should set out right away.”

“Indeed.”

The Knight Commander nodded, turning to the division’s assembled forces.

Among them, I noticed Muyeon for the first time in a while.

But something about her pouty expression made me wonder what had upset her.

Hmm.

Had Mushin said something unnecessary again?

Considering Muyeon’s personality, it wouldn’t be surprising if she felt annoyed by my presence.

After confirming the troops, the Knight Commander smiled confidently.

“You all understand the mission, correct?”

“Yes, sir!”

“Good. Then we’re commencing the second Candle eradication operation now.”

The Knight Commander’s commanding voice rang out, but the knights exchanged uneasy glances instead of rallying.

It didn’t take long to figure out why—all their eyes were on Belle.

One knight even collapsed to the ground, staring blankly.

Ah.

Don’t tell me…

Afta, you didn’t suppress Belle’s presence, did you?

「Oh.」

Of course.

I sighed deeply, feeling the headache creep in as I turned to consult the Knight Commander.

For some reason, he was smirking at the trembling knights.

“You’re going to face far worse than this in battle. If you’re already collapsing now, how will you handle the real thing?”

As expected of the Knight Commander.

Even though the knights’ terrified eyes were brimming with tears, his words spurred them to rise with renewed determination.

He chuckled and added, “And don’t worry too much. She doesn’t bite. Besides, if she did, we’ve got a skilled dog handler here to manage her.”

He gestured toward me as he said this.

Ugh.

Judging by his tone, he was clearly teasing me.

A skilled dog handler? Really?

That image reminded me of those dog trainers famous for their uncanny ability to negotiate with dogs—except I was doing it with a literal divine canine.

Apparently emboldened by the Knight Commander’s words, the least experienced-looking knight crept toward me. Gripping my hands with his trembling ones, he looked up at me with tear-streaked cheeks.

“S-Sir Tantan… Please, I beg you… handle that deity gently…”

Hmm.

Would it make me a bad person if I teamed up with Belle later to pull a harmless prank on him?