This was the first time I’d ever been inside a noble’s mansion, which was only natural.
The mansion was built in a standard style, but since it was a detached residence, it seemed smaller than the main house.
It appeared that Count Bismarck was meeting with Marquis Frederica in the reception room, and it seemed we were to be shown to that room as well.
Naturally, since the content was mostly the same.
There was a possibility that only I, Prim, and old man Linus would be involved when it came to the quest.
Speaking of old man Linus, he appeared with Kamina the moment we entered the mansion, so we were being guided together for now.
“Welcome. I am Bismarck Ballman. It has been a while, Count Sofia.”
“Yes, it has. Count Bismarck, you seem well.”
“Things have been rather turbulent everywhere lately. Marquis Frederica has briefed me briefly.”
Count Bismarck was an Elf, making his age difficult to determine, but he appeared to be younger than Viscount Archlight.
Well, in a world where the higher one’s level, the longer youthful periods last, many people, even Humans, don’t match their appearance with their actual age.
“If you’ve heard, then we can get straight to the point. However, I must also inform you of a fact that was discovered only just now.”
“Just now? What happened?”
“Yes, well… actually…”
What Count Sofia said was about the Retisencia operatives that Prim and I had captured earlier.
Marquis Frederica, who hadn’t heard the details, was surprised, but Count Bismarck, who had no prior information at all, was speechless, his eyes wide open.
“Retisencia… Indeed, this must be reported to His Majesty immediately. Very well, we shall make use of my household’s Wyvern. However, as you have only just arrived in Feel, I would prefer to depart tomorrow morning. I wish to give it a rest today.”
“That is only natural. Besides, we wouldn’t reach the Royal Capital within today if we left now.”
From Feel to the Royal Capital, even with the Wyvern with necessary stops for rest, it would apparently take a little over six hours.
However, if we left now, it would be night by the time we reached the Royal Capital, and more importantly, the report wouldn’t be ready, so we couldn’t depart immediately.
Marquis Frederica and Count Sofia were both aware of this, so they would likely be rushing to finalize the report afterward.
Viscount Archlight might be working hard, but signatures from all three provincial governors would be necessary, so the documents would have to be checked.
“Thank you, Count Bismarck.”
“No, as for myself, I cannot overlook the current crisis. Moreover, to think that an incident in my territory would save Feel, and by extension, Amister. One truly never knows what life will bring.”
“An incident in Ballman Count’s Territory? What happened?”
I was curious too.
Since they came to Feel in a hurry, it must have been a significant incident that Ballman Count’s Territory couldn’t overlook, but I couldn’t even imagine what kind of incident it was.
Ah, it seemed that from Ballman Count’s Territory, even by air, they had to stay overnight in some town, and this time they stayed in Respeto, the capital of Count Sofia’s territory.
Respeto is directly south of Feel across Mylight, so it would take about two hours to reach Feel by air.
That’s why they seemed to have arrived around noon.
“You are aware that in my territory, we hold a festival in autumn to celebrate the World Tree and a bountiful harvest, correct?”
“Of course. The autumn festival of Ballman Count’s Territory is famous.”
“Indeed. It is a festival combining prayers for a bountiful harvest in the coming year with celebrations for the World Trees, of which there are thirteen on the Philia Continent, including the Heavenly Tree in the Royal Capital. No one living in Amister would be unaware of it.”
The harvest festival, huh?
But what is this World Tree?
I glanced at Prim and asked with my eyes, and she replied with a glance, “Later.”
It would be out of place to ask about it here, so I had no choice but to agree.
All I understood was that there was a World Tree called the Heavenly Tree not only in Ballman Count’s Territory but also in the Royal Capital.
“During that festival, it is customary to offer dances and offerings to the gods. The shrine maidens are meant to dance adorned in costumes made from Feather Drake hide, but several of those costumes have been stolen.”
That’s a serious problem and an incident, but why would anyone steal shrine maiden costumes? What was their objective?
“The costumes were stolen? Were the culprits caught?”
“Unfortunately, we haven’t even found any clues. Of course, we are continuing the investigation with my subordinates and the Order’s Guild, but it’s more pressing to do something about the stolen costumes. I’ve been watching that dance since I was a child, and since it’s a festival honoring the gods and the World Tree, it cannot be canceled.”
Indeed, if it’s a festival honoring gods and the World Tree, it can’t be canceled. My family runs a shrine, so I understand the importance of festivals.
“I see. Even if the culprits are caught, if they’ve already sold them, they can’t be recovered. So, to make new costumes, you need Feather Drake hides, is that right?”
“Precisely.”
In other words, it’s a request for Feather Drake material collection. And given the circumstances, it’s understandable that it’s urgent.
However, Ballman Count’s Territory has a labyrinth, and Feather Drakes should be living there.
“But Feather Drakes should have been in the labyrinth in Ballman Count’s Territory, right? Couldn’t you have issued a request there?”
Marquis Frederica and Count Sofia seemed to have the same question as me. If materials can be obtained from the labyrinth, it should be faster and more reliable to get them from there.
Or rather, they really are there, huh?
“Of course, we have issued requests. However, Feather Drakes inhabit the 24th floor of the Gallia Labyrinth, which is quite deep. Most hunters who delve into labyrinths stick to the shallower floors, and even then, only up to the 10th floor. Unfortunately, there are very few hunters who venture down to the 24th floor…”
I see.
Since there are several labyrinths below, they are naturally named. Gallia is the capital of Ballman Count’s Territory, a city that developed around the labyrinth.
The Gallia Labyrinth, while its full extent is unknown, currently has 32 floors confirmed. It’s said that hunters who reached that point were attacked by a horde of Dragons and gave up on further exploration. It’s no wonder they gave up.
The Labyrinth Core at the deepest part of the labyrinth is protected by a Guardian, but the Labyrinth Core itself is rarely destroyed. The reason is that the Labyrinth Core and the labyrinth are connected by Magic Power, and if it’s placed in a specially treated vault, its functions are not impaired regardless of the distance. Therefore, Labyrinth Cores that have been excavated in any country are almost all strictly managed in the royal castle. Amister also owns and manages about three Labyrinth Cores.
The largest labyrinth with a fully mapped extent is in the imperial capital of the Solemn Empire and consists of 37 floors. As the deepest floor is known, the Labyrinth Core has already been removed and is apparently stored in the Emperor’s Palace in Deseo, the Solemn Empire’s capital. However, it’s said to be poor in mineral resources as there are no Golems or Puppets.
“I see. The 24th floor means it would take at least a month, so it’s uncertain if we can make it in time for the festival. However, you submitted a request on the off chance that a hunter might happen to reach the 24th floor and defeat a Feather Drake, and in that case, you would purchase it from them, is that correct?”
“Just as the Marquis said. Fortunately, the Hunter’s Master of Gallia is from Gallia, so she understands the importance of the festival.”
The Hunter’s Master of Gallia is a woman? But with so many women in the world, it’s not that unusual. Still, what a difference compared to the Hunter’s Master of Feel. I wish I could bottle up her diligence and make them drink it.
“In that regard, Gallia is enviable. So, Count, your visit to Feel is to issue a request for Feather Drake material collection, is that correct?”
“That is so. However, from what I’ve heard, it seems difficult to obtain even in Feel…”
Count Bismarck replied to old man Linus with a dejected look. He looked so pitifully downcast.
“Um, shall we hunt them for you?”
“You two? So, I heard you are G-rank Hunters… but you are too young. No, I don’t doubt you, but…”
I blurted out, but he didn’t seem to believe that Prim and I were G-rank. It was only natural, so I didn’t mind, but when I showed him my License as proof, he was astonished.
“Level 57… Not even in Gallia are there Hunters this strong…”
It is said that there are only a few dozen people in the 50s even with the Helios Orb, and most of them are around level 52-53. Few are close to level 60 like me. Of course, it’s impossible to check everyone’s level, so there might be some if I looked for them. However, even then, it would likely be rumored, so I would have found them eventually.
And subtly, Prim’s level had risen to 52. If she could master the Extreme Flame Wing, perhaps it would rise again.
“Should I call it fortunate, or perhaps coincidental, but we were planning to go to the Mylight Mountains soon. We don’t know how many days it will take, but we don’t intend to stay for an extended period. At most, about a week.”
“There’s the problem of whether we’ll encounter Feather Drakes, but that’s up to luck.”
The nests of Feather Drakes are near the summit of the Mylight Mountains, so it’s quite a distance. The altitude is comparable to Mt. Fuji, so just climbing it is a struggle, and there’s apparently a forest near the summit, which is daunting. What’s more, there are no climbing trails, not even maintained ones, so it will likely take several days just to reach our destination. This is going to be tough for me, a novice climber. Fortunately, it’s summer, not winter.
“That would be understandable. For my part, as long as I can obtain them by next month, there’s no need to rush.”
The festival is apparently in October, so obtaining them by August would be sufficient. I don’t know how long it would take to tailor the shrine maiden outfits, but they would likely be a high priority, and they could probably be made within a month.
“We’ll hunt them as quickly as possible.”
“I’m counting on you. Speaking of which, why are you two going to Mylight? Are you going to crush some Orc settlements?”
The Mylight Mountains are inhabited not only by Feather Drakes but also by Demi-human Orcs. Moreover, their numbers are high, so they frequently cause damage not only in the vicinity of Feel but also in Libertà and Retisencia on the other side of the mountains. The only saving grace is that Orcs and Goblins in this world can only reproduce with their own kind, so they don’t use human women as incubators. On the other hand, there are Demi-humans who abduct men, and these are apparently beautiful female-like Demi-humans. Since they don’t inhabit Amister, even the provincial governors aren’t very familiar with them.
“Um, that’s…”
“It’s rude to withhold information about our quest when we’ve heard about Count Bismarck’s request.”
“That’s right. We have a request for them. The content is the subjugation of an Evil Drake.”
Marquis Frederica and Count Sofia answered on our behalf when we hesitated, and at that moment, Count Bismarck was dumbfounded.
“…An Evil Drake? You’re saying such a monster is in Mylight now?”
“Yes, a subordinate of Viscount Archlight confirmed it. Of course, we can’t rule out the possibility of misidentification, but we can’t ignore it either.”
“That’s true. After all, it’s an An anomaly, so we have to hope it was a mistake. That means there are other Hunters going to Mylight as well.”
Challenging an An anomaly with a small party is suicidal. He doesn’t seem to think we’re going alone. It’s only natural in a sense, but for us, acting together with the current Hunters of Feel would be more suicidal. Besides, there are no Hunters in Feel willing to go to Mylight right now, so ultimately, it will just be Prim and me.
“It’s embarrassing to admit, but in Feel right now, we can’t trust any Hunters other than these two. They openly do things that shake the very foundation of the Hunter’s Guild, like refusing requests and causing trouble for the town. Moreover, the Hunter’s Master herself directly brought up the Green Fang incident and condoned it.”
“That… is certainly… Is that alright?”
Of course, it’s a huge problem. Hunters who don’t hunt are worthless, and causing trouble for the town on top of that? What kind of person are they?
“It’s full of problems. However, thanks to your visit to Feel, Count, we can report this to the Head Office sooner than expected. The Hunter’s Master will likely be dismissed, handed over to Amister, and the Hunters will be sent to the mines after becoming slaves.”
“I see. I feel rather sorry for borrowing capable Hunters during such a tumultuous time.”
“Please don’t worry about it. If these two hadn’t come, we could have faced the worst-case scenario.”
“Yes. We also thanked the gods.”
They’re exaggerating. It’s true that the timing is coincidental, but we were planning to come to Feel anyway, and with such an incident occurring in Count Bismarck’s territory, it was only a matter of time before the Hunter’s Master’s scheme was exposed.
“You’re exaggerating. More importantly, Count Bismarck, we will accept the Feather Drake material collection request, but what will the reward be?”
“Ah, my apologies. This is an emergency, and we are specifically requesting you, G-rank Hunters, so I will offer 300,000 El each. We need three Feather Drakes, but even one should be enough to tailor the stolen costumes.”
The purchase price for a Feather Drake is about 30,000 El, so this reward is exceptional. The leather armor I bought at Albert Workshop was made from Feather Drake hide and was a beautiful sapphire-colored armor. Considering that, the shrine maiden outfits are probably a similar color. It feels strange to me, but it’s not like they’re the same as Japanese shrine maiden outfits, so it’s wrong to compare them.
Still, the reward is too high, even considering the urgency and the fact that Feel’s Hunters can’t be trusted. The going rate for a designated G-rank request is 100,000 El, and material collection requests add to that. Hunting three Feather Drakes would fetch close to 200,000 El, but 300,000 is still too much.
“Understood. We accept.”
Before I could say anything, Prim accepted. It would be impolite to complain about the reward the client deems appropriate, and I wasn’t going to say anything, but I felt like I’d been nudged.
“Thank you. I’m counting on you.”
“We will do our best.”
“Very well, as the Hunter’s Guild, we will officially accept this as a designated request. Kamina, please proceed with the paperwork.”
“Understood. The request is for Feather Drake material collection, with a minimum of one but preferably three or more, with a deadline of the end of August. The reward is a designated request, so 100,000 El per person. In addition, 100,000 El will be added per obtained Feather Drake as a purchase price. Is that all correct?”
“No discrepancies. We will prepare the reward and fees immediately.”
“Understood. ‘Hunter’s Requesting.’ The request has now been officially accepted.”
Kamina quickly filled out the request form, confirmed the details with Count Bismarck, and upon acceptance, she used magic, and the form glowed. The Guild Magic she used is called Hunter’s Requesting, usable only by Guild staff, and it’s a request acceptance magic exclusive to the Hunter’s Guild. With this, the request is officially accepted, and if the requester reneges, they will face punishment from the Hunter’s Guild and the country.
There are apparently several contract magics within Guild Magic, but writing on paper is like a ritual to obtain mutual consent, making forgery or duplication impossible. Therefore, its reliability is high, and even if misused, clear evidence remains. The contract itself is on paper and can be easily burned or torn, but the contents are protected by magic, so they will not expire due to such actions. While the contract can be broken with mutual consent of both parties, it cannot be unilaterally broken, and in such cases, the contents of the contract will appear throughout the body due to the effect of the contract magic, and will not disappear unless fulfilled or canceled. Naturally, it is also subject to punishment by the Guild.
Incidentally, requests undertaken by Hunters are treated as proxies for contracts between the Hunter’s Guild and the client, so failure does not constitute a violation. Failure to subjugate is not uncommon, and situations requiring withdrawal are entirely possible. Regarding request failures, it is clearly stated in the Guild’s regulations, so a fine must be paid, but it usually ends there. The requester is expected to understand this when making a request, so the contract magic on Guild request forms has only minimal effects, and conversely, anyone who is a Guild staff member can use it. Of course, if misused, it literally means losing your head.
“It is accepted. Now, Yamato, Prim, here is the request form. Please confirm and sign it.”
“Understood. Is this how it’s done?”
“I’m finished too.”
“Thank you. With this, the request has been officially accepted as a designated request.”
In the case of designated requests, Hunters must also sign. Hunters who are designated usually have high levels, ranks, and morals, so they would not unilaterally break the contract. However, since the client side has broken contracts several times in the past, it was decided that for designated requests only, the Hunter would also sign the request form to formalize the contract. Naturally, the matter of the inspector-assigned Hunter with old man Linus as the client, the matter of the Mylight mine, and the matter of the Evil Drake subjugation were also received as designated requests. The other day, when I went to the Hunter’s Guild, they presented me with the contract, and I signed it.
“I appreciate it. We couldn’t cancel the festival, so if we couldn’t solve this here, we would have had to call some G-rank Hunters from around the Royal Capital and have them enter the labyrinth.”
It seems there are about a dozen G-rank Hunters in the Amister Kingdom, including me and Prim. However, there are only a few in the Royal Capital, and they are all involved in separate raids. If we were to call them, it would mean calling their entire raid parties. Furthermore, since we are asking them to enter the labyrinth for our convenience, we would have to offer a considerable reward, and given the urgency, the client would have to make some preparations. I see, in that case, the expenses would exceed the reward we would pay.
“Well then, we will prepare and take our leave.”
“Are you leaving already? We are preparing a meal right now. Please stay and have something to eat.”
Come to think of it, it’s already past lunchtime. I ate the food from my storage while waiting in front of the mine, so I wasn’t that hungry, but in such cases, would refusing be rude?
“Thank you very much. However, we have already had a light meal, so we might not be able to eat much, but is that alright?”
“Hahaha. For Hunters, their bodies are their capital, so there’s no need to be modest.”
Count Bismarck smiled and urged me, so I accepted the lunch without hesitation. By the way, lunch was pasta and stew made with Glass Boa meat. It was delicious, of course. Thank you for the meal.
