Upon returning to Kamina’s office after entering the Guild, we were each handed a card.
It was about the size of a driver’s license.
“If you drip your blood onto this, the same information on your Hunter’s License will be displayed in the Library. This license can also be used as identification, saving you the trouble of constantly pulling up your Library.”
That’s good.
The Library displays not only names and ages but also titles. If I accidentally grant viewing permission, it could lead to trouble.
“Licenses cannot be used by others, but if you lose yours, please proceed with reissuance at the Guild immediately. A fee of 3,000 El will be required.”
I see, so I should just put it in storage. Before that, I should check it.
Yamato Mikami
17 years old
Lv. 57
Human Race – High Human
Hunter’s Guild: Amister Kingdom – Feel
Hunter’s Rank: G-T
Raid: Wing Crest
This is how it looks. It might be a bit difficult to understand, but imagine a driver’s license. The photo section shows the rank, which is prominently displayed. Well, since I just registered, it says G-T, but what does this display mean? Initially, it should be a T-rank, but I wonder what this display is. By the way, below is Prim’s license.
Primrose Hydrangea
17 years old
Lv. 51
Beast Race – Winged Tribe – High Foxy
Hunter’s Guild: Amister Kingdom – Feel
Hunter’s Rank: G-T
Raid: Wing Crest
“That concludes the issuance of licenses. We will now guide you to the Semi-Hunter’s Master’s room, so please follow us.”
Prompted by Kamina, Prim and I went up the stairs at the back of the Guild. There were several rooms on the second floor, with the Hunter’s Master’s room at the very end. Next to it was the Semi-Hunter’s Master’s room.
“Welcome. I am Linus McGregor, the Semi-Hunter’s Master of the Feel branch of the Hunter’s Guild. I saw what you did right after registering; you made quite a stir.”
Upon entering the Semi-Hunter’s Master’s room, Apricot, Mina, and a stern-looking old man were there, and the old man immediately started complaining. Judging by his smile, he seemed to be holding back his anger as well.
“They were the ones who picked a fight. Besides, such bandit-like individuals calling themselves Hunters, isn’t that a major problem for the Guild as well?”
“I have no excuse, but you are correct. Recently, there have been many emergencies, and the Hunter’s Master has personally tolerated the misconduct of Hunters.”
Hey, hey, that’s more than just a problem. Even the Order’s Guild would act in such a situation.
“Precisely, and several individuals have already been apprehended. The Hunter’s Master has gone to the Royal Capital to protest this.”
Is the Hunter’s Master an idiot? No country would tolerate such a thing.
“Won’t that break the trust between Amister and the Hunter’s Guild?”
“It will. But he won’t listen to my advice. The reason I came to Feel is precisely because of his problematic actions. Damn it, there are still so many troubles to deal with, and he just keeps creating more unnecessary work.”
Why is someone like that still the Hunter’s Master? And how has he not been fired yet?
“How can you possibly be the Hunter’s Master like this? Doesn’t the Alegria headquarters have anything to say about it?”
The Hunter’s Guild has its headquarters in the Duchy of Alegria, where the Grand Hunter’s Master is also located. Hunters are ultimately the overseers of Guild employees, so if the Alegria headquarters were to act, the Hunter’s Master of Feel would be fired immediately, or even punished.
“They have said something, but to report to headquarters quickly, we would need to use a Wyvern. However, Wyverns can only be used with the Hunter’s Master’s permission. I have reported through an alternate route, but with Black Fenrir, Green Fang, and even a large bandit group involved, I’m not sure if it reached them safely.”
A large bandit group, that sounds troublesome. Surely they had been quiet for a while.
“Hasn’t there been any report from the Royal Capital or other towns?”
“I wouldn’t know. The closest one is Emosion, but there are rumors of Green Fang there as well, and he was the one who half-suppressed the matter. So, even if they act, it will likely take time.”
So, it was the Hunter’s Master of Feel’s fault that the rumors in Emosion weren’t believed? Apparently, the first witness reports came from Feel, but the Hunter’s Master imposed a gag order on the Hunters who reported it. Those Hunters were like the Hunter’s Master’s cronies, and they agreed in exchange for a large sum of money, not telling anyone. Furthermore, false reports were sent to other towns under the Hunter’s Master’s name, leading to more and more victims. It was a big deal when Rex led an elite force from the Order’s Guild to investigate and confirmed the presence of Green Fang. That happened a few days ago, and it seems the Hunter’s Master fled to the Royal Capital.
“Because of that, we plan to report to the Royal Capital using birds and have a Wyvern dispatched from there. I don’t know if it arrived safely.”
Birds, like carrier pigeons? It’s true that there are quite a few flying monsters, and they might get lost.
“Would it be unacceptable for us to escort you to the Royal Capital or Alegria’s headquarters?”
“Ultimately, I will have to ask you to do so. Therefore, I would like to have you considered as Hunters with an inspector.”
“Hunters with an inspector? What does that mean?”
First of all, what is an inspector?
“The inspector is me. When there are problems within the Guild, I am dispatched from headquarters. However, coming alone would be suicidal, so high-ranking Hunters are assigned to provide escort. Of course, I had an escort as well, but unfortunately…”
Did they die? I don’t know the reason, but knowing the Hunter’s Master, it’s likely his doing. However, there’s always the possibility of an accident or a monster kill, so it’s nearly impossible to find the culprit. Linus, the old man, is also a Level 44 High Human, but even so, there’s only so much one person can do. I understand why he was looking for Hunters to escort him.
However, we just registered, and regardless of our levels, there’s the issue of our rank, so I don’t think it’s possible.
“Don’t worry about the rank. There are plenty of requests to defeat Glass Wolves and Green Wolves, and since you’ve defeated Black Fenrir and Green Fang, you can be promoted to S-rank quite quickly. The Hunter who was escorting me was also an S-rank Hunter, and the Hunter’s Master knows I’m looking for an escort, so it’s fine. Besides, this is within my authority as an inspector, so the Hunter’s Master can’t do anything about it.”
So, in some aspects, you have more authority than the Hunter’s Master. Well, that’s natural for an inspector. If anything were to happen to the inspector, even if it were an accident, the Hunter’s Master would not be absolved of responsibility. That must be why Linus, the old man, has managed to survive until now.
Linus, the old man, introduced as the Semi-Hunter’s Master, is not a subordinate of the Hunter’s Master but rather an overseer and inspector dispatched from headquarters. Both roles can be confusing, but he is essentially the Hunter’s Guild’s number two. In the current situation where the Hunter’s Master is inactive, the burden falls entirely on Linus, causing him to often fall behind, leading to the present predicament.
“I don’t mind, but what about Prim and Apricot?”
“I don’t mind either. However, regarding Mother, if you are going on a long trip, either I will accompany you, or we will ask for an escort from the Order’s Guild.”
“I want to go with you, but I’ll likely be a hindrance, so I should probably stay in Feel.”
I want them to come with me, as I can’t trust the Hunters currently in Feel. Well, it depends on the situation.
“I apologize. I will process this as a formal, designated request. The conditions will be an unspecified duration, but at least until a report can be made to Alegria’s headquarters. The reward will be 5,000 El per day, with an additional 100,000 El as a success bonus. What do you say?”
I have never received an escort request, and I just registered, so I don’t know the details. An unspecified duration makes sense. But isn’t the reward too high?
“Considering you’d be hiring G-rank Hunters, this is about right. Besides, even though it’s an escort, it only applies when I leave Feel. Otherwise, you’re free to do as you please.”
“So, when Linus leaves Feel, we prioritize Linus’s schedule?”
“That’s right. However, while I said you can do as you please otherwise, please avoid overnight stays. Of course, unexpected situations can arise, so it’s not an absolute rule.”
I see, in that case, I can prioritize escorting Apricot during normal times. Either way, it’s difficult to go outside the town.
“By the way, what will happen to the Hunters that Prim and Yamato were dealing with earlier?”
Ah, I forgot. Prim and I made eye contact and I hurriedly looked out the window.
“The Order is here. They’re tying them up with ropes, are they going to be alright?”
“It’s Snake Bite, isn’t it? It’s fine. Besides, it’s a fact that they were causing trouble for the townspeople. Not just them, but the Hunters currently in Feel haven’t gone hunting for a while, so requests are piling up. On top of that, their disruptive behavior in town, not to mention today’s incident. They’re ripe for the picking, aren’t they?”
“Yes. Not only Snake Bite but several raids are suspected of involvement with illegal slaves. The fact that they are apprehending them means that someone from the Order’s Guild must have witnessed the commotion earlier is the reason the Order’s Guild acted on suspicion.”
This is truly beyond help.
Helios Orb has a system of slavery, but generally, the act of forcing someone into slavery is illegal. In other words, stripping someone naked and selling them to a slave trader is a crime. Not only was it an attempted crime, but they were also on the receiving end of retaliation. Since they spoke to us like that, they’ve definitely done it multiple times. Furthermore, the people around them are suspected of being involved, to varying degrees. In fact, they are almost certainly involved. Honestly, I never thought the Hunters would become an enemy, but since we will be living in Feel from now on, I am all for eliminating such fools.
Therefore, I guess I’ll help purify the town a little.
