The Huntsman Of Death:A Gamer's POV As Side Character

Regulus's lips curled into a faint, humorless smile. "If not for the anonymous informant, who knows how disastrous this could have been? Tell me, Richard, do you know who this informant is?"

"N-No, Your Highness," Richard admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Useless," Regulus said, his tone cutting like a blade. He leaned forward slightly, his gaze drilling into Richard. "Find out who they are and handle this situation immediately. Tighten the security in Arcadia. Ensure the knights uphold their authority, or they will face my wrath."

"Yes, Your Highness," Richard said, bowing even lower. He was about to take his leave when Regulus spoke again.

"And one more thing," Regulus added, his voice as cold and commanding as ever. "Double the reward for the incident at the Academy and oversee the process personally."

"Understood, Your Highness," Richard replied, nearly stumbling as he turned to leave the room, eager to escape the suffocating presence of the prince.

---

As the doors closed behind Richard, the silence returned. From the shadows, a figure emerged and knelt before Regulus.

"We've investigated the incident involving the Dark Mage," the figure reported, their voice low and reverent.

Regulus didn't even glance at the figure. "And?" he asked, his tone indifferent.

"It traces back to an Abyssal Warlock," the figure said.

Regulus tapped his finger on the armrest, his expression unreadable. "So, the Abyssals are moving again."

The figure hesitated before adding, "There might be insiders relaying information to them."

Regulus's cold eyes finally shifted to the kneeling figure. "You know what must be done?"

"Yes, Your Highness," the figure replied with a nod.

"Not yet," Regulus said, his lips curling into a small, cruel smile. "Let us observe their next move. Sometimes, the greatest trap is to let the prey think they are safe."

His smile widened ever so slightly as he leaned back, the coldness in his eyes untouched. "All these schemes, these little ploys... they are quite amusing, aren't they?"

The figure bowed deeply, silently awaiting further orders.

Regulus folded his hands once more, resting his chin atop his knuckles. "Let's see how this game unfolds."

...

Lukas' POV 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

The lecture was dragging on, and Emilia paced back and forth at the front of the class, explaining the different types of monsters typically found in dungeons. She had that teacherly focus, her hands occasionally gesturing to the diagrams on the board. I was half-listening, scribbling notes that were more doodles than useful information, when I felt her sharp gaze cut through the room.

Her eyes locked onto the back row, where Reed sat slouched over his desk, clearly up to no good.

"Reed!" Emilia's voice sliced through the air, freezing the rest of us in place.

Nothing. The guy didn't even flinch.

"Reed!" she repeated, sharper this time.

I glanced sideways at him and saw what he was doing—playing some dumb game on his phone under the desk. I sighed and gave him a solid kick under the table.

"Reed!"

That did it. He bolted upright like a startled cat. "Yes, sir—I mean, ma'am!" he stammered, saluting so hard he nearly knocked his phone off the desk.

The device clattered to the floor, and Reed's eyes went wide. "Crap! I didn't save my progress!"

I pinched the bridge of my nose and shook my head. Priorities, man.

Emilia, her hands tucked into her coat, narrowed her eyes at him. "Tell me," she began, her tone icy but controlled. "What is the difference between monsters and beasts?"

Reed made a face like he'd just been asked to explain quantum physics. He scratched his head and glanced at me, silently begging for help. I averted my gaze, pretending to focus on my notes. No way was I bailing him out of this.

"Uh… difference, huh?" Reed stalled, looking up at the ceiling. "One's, uh… born strong? And the other fights to be strong?"

The class collectively groaned, and Emilia's expression didn't budge. Her eyes shifted to me. "Lukas," she said, clearly expecting better.

I stood up, trying to keep my explanation concise. "Beasts are creatures born in the wild. They live and grow stronger through natural means. Monsters, on the other hand, are entities that come from dungeons or labyrinths. They're influenced by magic and are often more dangerous because of it."

Emilia nodded, clearly satisfied. She turned back to the board and resumed her lecture.

Reed leaned over and whispered, pointing an accusing finger at me. "What the hell, man? You knew the answer and didn't say anything? Betrayal!"

I side-eyed him and muttered, "Miss Emilia can hear everything, idiot. If I fed you the answer, we'd both be dead."

"You… you traitor!" he hissed dramatically. "You blasphemous disciple—"

"Lukas!"

I flinched as Emilia called my name again. "Meet me after class," she said firmly, her tone leaving no room for argument.

"Yes, ma'am," I replied, saluting half-heartedly. Great. What did I do this time?

Reed leaned back with a smug grin. "That's what you get for betraying your master, disciple."

---

After class, Emilia handed me a piece of paper, her expression unreadable. I glanced at it, my eyes widening as I read the words. My hands trembled slightly.

"Is… is this for real?" I asked, barely able to believe it.

Emilia nodded with a faint smile. "Mareti had a bounty of 50,000 crypts, but because of the number of lives he took, the Empire raised it to 100,000 crypts." She adjusted her glasses, her tone calm and professional.

I tried to hide my excitement but couldn't stop the corner of my mouth from twitching upward. "That's… wonderful. I mean, I'm honored to have played a role in bringing him down."

Emilia raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying my modesty. "You're lucky," she said. "Edwin refused the reward. He said he had no use for it."

I nodded quickly, not wanting to stick around longer than necessary. "Okay, then. I'll take my leave."

As I turned to go, I caught her studying me closely, her gaze sharp and analytical.

"Unusual," she murmured, almost to herself. "His stats shouldn't be this high, yet he's performing at the level of an acolyte…" She shook her head, as if dismissing her own thoughts, and returned to her notes.

Emilia sat back at her desk, finally allowing herself a moment of peace after the long lecture. She had just picked up a stack of papers when there was a knock at the door. She looked up to see Lukas standing awkwardly in the doorway, a casual grin plastered on his face.

"What is it now?" she asked, her voice laced with mild irritation.

Lukas stepped inside, rubbing the back of his neck. "Miss Emilia, I wanted to know something about the bounty system."

Emilia raised an eyebrow, intrigued but wary. "The bounty system? What exactly do you want to know?"

"Where can I find the list of bounties? You know, the ones with prices on people's heads," he said casually, leaning against the doorframe.

She sighed and adjusted her glasses. "The bounty list is displayed on the walls of the Public Safety Office in the inner district. There's also a website if you prefer that."

"I already know that," Lukas replied, waving his hand dismissively. "I'm asking how to… claim the bounty. You know, after…" He trailed off and made a dramatic cutthroat gesture with his hand.

Emilia froze in place, her eyes widening in disbelief. She stared at him like he'd just confessed to plotting world domination. "Why… why do you want to know that?"

Seeing her reaction, I couldn't help but laugh a little. "Relax, Miss Emilia. It's for future use. I'm a little short on cash, that's all."

Emilia blinked a few times, clearly struggling to process his words. She opened her mouth, then closed it, then opened it again. "You just… hand over the body to the Public Safety Bureau. They'll handle the rest. You'll get your reward after verification."

"Got it. Thanks for the info!" Lukas said brightly. Before she could respond, he spun on his heel and bolted out of the room.

Emilia sat frozen for a moment, her mouth slightly open. "For future use?" she echoed to herself, her mind reeling.

Finally, snapping out of her shock, she stood up abruptly. "Wait!" she called after him, her voice echoing through the hall. "You don't need to do that!"

But by the time she reached the door, Lukas was already long gone. She slumped back into her chair, pinching the bridge of her nose. "That boy is going to give me a heart attack someday…"

---

With the cheque safely stored in my ring, I headed toward the archery club to get some practice in. As I neared the range, I noticed a small crowd gathered, murmuring amongst themselves.

I approached one of them, curious. "What's going on?"

"Some cocky bastard causing trouble," the person replied with a shrug.

Frowning, I pushed through the crowd and saw Freya standing there, her bow in hand. Opposite her was some slick-haired guy, smirking arrogantly. Freya looked… annoyed, which was rare for her.

This couldn't be good.