Sir Edrin Vale didn't always wear his title.
Most days, it got in the way. People bowed too deep, spoke too carefully, waited too long for him to draw his sword like something was about to explode. He preferred jobs where no one knew him. Easier that way.
Today was one of those days.
The monster wasn't special.
Big claws. Thick hide. Two extra legs that made it faster in short bursts but clumsy around trees. Nothing I hadn't seen before.
It had already knocked over a cart and scared off a logging crew before I got there. Guild said it was a class-C forest threat. No mutation signs. No unusual mana. Just an angry animal that picked the wrong place to nest.
Still dangerous. Still needed killing.
I found its trail before noon. Claw marks in the dirt. Trees torn up. Fur stuck to bark. It wasn't hiding, just roaming wide and loud. Probably thought this area was unclaimed. Probably hadn't smelled me yet.
I circled ahead and found a low ridge with a clean line of sight.
