Three weeks later, near the Nahir Plains.

The forces of Seor had gathered at one of the outposts near the plains. 

“Hah.” 

Looking at Daegongryeong through the engineer’s telescope aimed at the guard post, the steward of Seor let out a breath – somewhere between a sigh and a hollow laugh. 

“This is something.” 

He was the lord who oversaw Seor’s lands beyond the Nahir Plains. With tensions rising recently, he had deemed it necessary to inspect the area personally. 

As his servant watched him with uneasy eyes, the man finally spoke in a hushed tone. 

“Is it true?” 

“What is?” 

“The rumour that Ilmos’ dogs have declared war on us.”

It was a rumour that had recently spread throughout the region. 

The story of the hunting dogs taking the woman who was to be their lord’s wife, of all things, had become a hot topic of gossip in Seor. 

Some scoffed, shaking their heads, remarking that despite everything, the boy was still a man at heart. Others laughed, swapping stories of how the dogs had turned on their master and bitten him. 

Some even joked that the dogs might turn on their master before he had a chance to catch and cook the rabbit. 

Had such words been spoken in Ilmos, they would have been considered treason. But in Seor, among their enemies, the whispers carried an air of half-joking, half-serious amusement. 

“Well, with the Duke of Ilmos in such a miserable state, it wouldn’t be surprising if he staged a rebellion at any moment.”

“Well, the Hunting Dog is certainly sharper than the Duke.” 

“But if the boy rebels… wouldn’t that be bad for us?” 

“Surely it wouldn’t go that far.” 

Still, it was just a joke. After all, a hunting dog was still a hunting dog for a reason. 

They knew that Kallian – despite biting his master this time – was not the kind of man who would truly defy his master’s will. 

If Kallian Icerick, or rather Kallian Elsen, were that kind of man, he would have rebelled long ago. He would have ignored the orders of the Duke of Ilmos, especially when the Duke repeatedly ordered operations that even their enemies considered foolish.

Instead, Kallian managed or overturned the Duke of Ilmos’s ruthless military operations with nothing more than his own skill. 

Instead of advising more efficient methods or persuading others with better strategies, he solved every problem with sheer physical force. 

At times, his approach was so overwhelming that it struck fear into the hearts of even his enemies. 

“Argh! Kill him! Kill him!” 

“Where? Where is he?” 

“We’ve lost him! He’s out of sight – get back!” 

“Damn it! Fall back! Fall back, I said!” 

“When the hell did he get here – aaaargh!” 

Every time they faced him on the battlefield, he was a force that completely turned the tide of battle. 

That damned dog would rain poisoned arrows down on them, and even when they used gunpowder, he just wouldn’t die. 

In one of his most infamous battles, he would charge into the fray wearing a burning cloak, cutting down their soldiers or inflicting fatal wounds on their commanders and elite troops. 

Curiously, he was known to spare the high-ranking officers while mercilessly slaughtering the common soldiers. 

And in those moments – when blood painted the battlefield and chaos raged around him – the hunter, who usually wore a cold, emotionless expression, would smile. Brightly. Clearly. 

Even when a commander would try to disguise himself as a common soldier, Kallian would somehow see through the deception – leaving the officer alive while slaughtering the rest of his men.

Even if they survived, the commanders were never the same – they could no longer lead their troops. 

“Ah… Aaaaah! The hunting dog is coming! The hunting dog is coming!” 

“Co-Company Commander!” 

“He’s going to kill me! He’s going to kill me! Aaaaah!” 

Many of them collapsed in sheer terror, foaming at the mouth and convulsing uncontrollably before being carried away.

Many of them suffered seizures, foaming at the mouth, and had to be carried away. 

Although they refrained from killing them outright to avoid diplomatic repercussions, the physical wounds and psychological trauma were severe enough to ruin their lives as commanders. 

As a result, there wasn’t a single soldier in Seor, near Daegongryeong, who hadn’t heard of the Hunting Dog of Ilmos. 

Stories spread like wildfire – tales of these hellish dogs that struck such fear into the hearts of the soldiers that many suffered nightmares or even chose to retire. 

‘He really is a headache.’ 

And once again he proved to be just that. 

When the Dog was asked to compensate for the damage done by his master and the Empire, the Nahir Plains were the first place he mentioned. 

Of the many disputed territories between Seor and Daegongryeong, Kallian deliberately chose the largest and most valuable. The news spread quickly. 

By this time, the tensions between Seor and Daegongryeong were palpable. 

Many Seor soldiers stationed in the Nahir Plains chose to retire and return to their hometowns, unwilling to face the brewing conflict. 

Soon rumours began to circulate that Kallian himself had arrived in the area.

Although unconfirmed, the rumour sent a wave of anxiety through the Seor soldiers, many of whom were all too familiar with Kallian’s reputation on the battlefield. 

“Do you think the Hunting Dog is really here? Has the Imperial Family approved it?”

“Don’t ask me.” 

“But you only looked through the telescope, didn’t you? If you saw the hunting dog…” 

“I don’t know. I’m going crazy with worry.”

And then the truly disturbing events began.

“It’s annoying enough that the Crown Prince has come here, and now you’re going on and on about the hunting dog?” 

Upon hearing rumours of a conflict between Seor and Daegongryeong, the Crown Prince of Seor rushed to the scene, visibly upset. Although Seor is now a kingdom, it was once a formidable nation that rivalled the Empire in power. Despite the internal strife that has weakened its power, most of the people of Seor refuse to be looked down upon by the Empire – and the royal family is no exception.

In particular, the Crown Prince, soon to inherit the throne, was so hot-headed and impulsive that no one dared stop him. His sudden arrival only added to the already unstable tension on the Nahir Plains. The steward sighed deeply. 

“If an unexpected situation arises, it will be a serious problem.” 

“Come on, there are knights around the Crown Prince who are stronger than us, right?” 

“No matter how skilled the knights are, it’s useless if the person they’re protecting rushes straight into the battlefield.” 

“Surely he wouldn’t do that. After all, he is the crown prince of a nation…”

“Stop. Who doesn’t know how overly passionate His Highness is?” 

“Ugh.” 

“If you want to prepare for this, you must first understand the situation.” 

The Emperor had acted as if he was ready to attack Seor, but after Kallian had prepared everything for him, he became more cautious. Perhaps the prospect of confronting Seor – an established kingdom, not a fledgling one – was too daunting after the long period of internal turmoil and the recent unification of the Empire under the Kartan dynasty. 

“Or perhaps the higher-ups are in the midst of negotiations.”

In fact, he had spoken to Theodor of Ilmos several times. This was after Seor had taken control of the Nahir Plains.

“Did he come to ask for Nahir back?”

“No. He came to talk about something else.”

Theodor of Ilmos would secretly cross over to the other side, leaving his faithful hunting dog behind, to discuss matters such as choosing the next target or deliberately exposing enemy positions.

Each time he was accompanied only by his companion. After the handover of Nahir, this became Duke Ilmos’ primary method of coordinating with Seor while maintaining control over his own subjects. 

A similar dynamic played out on Seor’s side, as they either allowed or negotiated the Empire’s invasions to their advantage.

Though Kallian had become a feared figure among Seor’s soldiers, his tendency to spare commanders likely contributed to this reputation.

Whether Kallian was fully aware of all the dealings between the Duke and Seor remained uncertain.

“I have heard that the Duke periodically tightens the leash to ensure that no major problems arise.” 

If Duke Ilmos still intended to honour his agreement with us, this incident would probably be dismissed as a simple misunderstanding. But this time there was no sense of reassurance. The fact that Kallian – who had always been under the Duke’s control – had suddenly broken free and taken the initiative to attack Nahir was completely unexpected. 

“Then why now? Damn it!” 

It was as if something that had been carefully put in place had been thrown off course. The instinct that had kept him alive for so long stirred with unease. 

Kallian Elsen. The Hunting Dog of Ilmos – one who had never dared to cross a crucial line.

“What would happen if this hunting dog turned on its master and sank its teeth into his throat?” 

It was a scenario he had never considered. 

Brrrr. 

Before he could finish his thoughts, a low horn sounded, its low echo filling the air. Then came the urgent blast – bwoong, bwoong, bwoong – three times in a row. A signal of imminent danger. 

In the distance, soldiers could be seen rushing about, their voices ringing through the camp. 

“The Hunting Dog of Ilmos!”

“The Huntig Dog has appeared!” 

“What?! Everyone, take cover! No, wait – check the formation!”

At that moment, panic began to spread. 

A dark figure appeared on the plain. The officers and attendants who had been talking fell silent, their faces frozen in disbelief. 

“Could it be…?”

Was it really Kallian Elsen, the hunting dog of Ilmos? 

Even before the figure’s identity could be confirmed, confusion swept through the Seor soldiers like wildfire. The pounding of their hurried footsteps echoed across the field, adding to the growing anxiety. 

“Form ranks!” 

“Don’t attack yet!” 

“We don’t know their intentions!”
That was the problem – no one knew why the hunting dog was here. 

Besides, it hadn’t approached them directly, it had only appeared on the Empire’s side. It could have been nothing more than a reconnaissance manoeuvre. 

Then, without warning, something surged forward from Seor’s side, breaking the formation. 

The steward sprang to his feet, his voice ringing with alarm. 

“Crown Prince!”