Side: Reinhardt
“…I understand. His Majesty’s departure to the Ideal Mountain Range is a major issue for the country, but as a Hunter, it falls within the realm of personal responsibility, so I won’t pry. Furthermore, given that you’ve brought back such a large quantity of monsters, the Hunter’s Guild has no complaints. Personally, I have a few things to say, but…”
When I reported my day’s achievements at the Hunter’s Guild, Head Hunter’s Master Sierra buried her head in her hands.
I understood how she felt and felt sorry, but this was the first time I’d managed to hunt so many monsters, and since they were mostly monsters near G-rank, I got carried away and couldn’t stop.
“If you’d hunted a bit more, Brother Rai might have been promoted too.”
That’s right, my level had reached 50.
I had wanted to reach level 51, which would allow me to be promoted to G-rank, but since no more monsters were attacking, there was nothing I could do.
Unfortunately, I decided to postpone my promotion to G-rank and head home for the day.
“But Maruca was able to evolve into a High Aldeely, and Elis also reached level 37, so I’m satisfied with the results.”
“Indeed, it was only a matter of time before Lady Maruca evolved. Even so, your levels have risen too much…”
I couldn’t deny that.
Maruca was level 43 before we went hunting, but now she’s 46 and has evolved into a High Aldeely.
She had evolved at level 44, but just like Lydia and Ludia the other day, she evolved during combat. Because of this, she was momentarily confused trying to grasp the feeling and almost took a blow from a Sky Serpent.
Yamato covered for her perfectly, so no harm was done, but my heart chilled at that moment.
And as for Elis, she was level 32, but she’s shot up to level 37.
It’s difficult to maintain this pace, but even so, the evolution into a High Elf is within sight, so I want her to evolve if possible.
After all, evolving into a High Class will extend her lifespan by about 50 years. If she remains as she is now, only Elis will pass away first.
It can’t be helped if one of us goes first, but I want to spend as much time as possible with my beloved wives, so I truly wish for Elis to evolve as well and walk through life beside me.
I’m afraid of the backlash from such a sudden level-up, Acute Mana Fluctuation Syndrome, but according to my great-grandmother Sayuri, one instance is not particularly problematic, but if it continues for several more times, it becomes a disease that the body cannot recover from. I’ve heard that, so I should be fine if I rest for a while.
“And Lydia and Ludia, who just evolved into Hydragonewt the other day, have also leveled up to 45. Being able to raise your level so easily will surely make many Hunters jealous!”
That’s also a concern.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, with High Class monsters, it’s likely that more people will be able to raise their levels by using alloy weapons soon.
However, Normal Class remains the same as before, so there will definitely be those who are jealous.
The reason why Normal Class monsters are said to be unable to level up is because they use their Unique Magic carelessly and cannot control their Mana properly. However, this is a personal issue, and ultimately, they have only themselves to blame.
“People have always been able to level up, so anyone who complains is just an idiot, right?”
“That’s right. Moreover, those kinds of people have never actually used Unique Magic, so complaining is out of line.”
As Ludia and Prim say.
In the end, those who complain are mostly people who are stuck around level 30, and they are also habitual offenders of problematic behavior. Therefore, we don’t teach them Unique Magic even for High Class monsters, and such people don’t even consider asking for guidance.
It is also a fact that these people are lowering the reputation of Hunters, so the Hunter’s Guild and High Classes are paying attention. If it goes too far, the Order’s Guild will apprehend them, but the fact that their numbers are not decreasing is also true.
This is a problem that not only the Hunter’s Guild but also the country is having trouble with.
“So, if we teach them Unique Magic and they not only level up but also evolve, the problem will become even bigger. So, for now, we can only caution them if we see them?”
“That’s how it is. We also caution them when we see them, but since they come to the Hunter’s Guild fully equipped, at first glance, they can’t tell that we are royalty, and some people provoke us.”
Maruca answers Yamato’s general assessment, but I’ve had similar experiences more than once.
Fortunately, since I’ve evolved into a High Elf, I can deal with such people without issue. However, Mana and Maruca, who hadn’t evolved at the time, and Elis, whose level was average for a Hunter, were almost attacked.
Of course, Trial Hearts had stopped them, but even so, it wasn’t a pleasant story.
Especially Elis, right after her engagement to me was finalized, she was almost attacked once.
Although they didn’t know it, they had raised their hands against the fiancée of the Crown Prince. Those individuals were consequently reduced to criminal slaves, but if they had known, they would not have escaped the death penalty.
“Troublesome. Ah, so that’s why Sayuri-sama, Kazushi-san, and Shinichi-san didn’t create something like a Hunter training school?”
“That’s what I hear. Orders and Butlers have something like a training school, but since both of these guilds value education and are relatively free from such problems, I believe it was Shinichi-sama who developed the training school for the Order’s Guild and Kazushi-sama for the Butler’s Guild.”
Both are famous stories.
Lord Kazushi Minato Torencia, who joined the Royal Family of Torencia, established a Butler training institute based in Torencia and significantly improved the quality of Butlers.
Before that, they only received instruction from the Butlers of the houses they served or at the Butler’s Guild, but it is said that there was a wide variation in the quality of Butlers, and many problems occurred.
However, since Lord Kazushi opened the Butler training institute, they have thoroughly learned the basics of being a Butler over three years of T-rank training, including practical exercises, and the number of problems has greatly decreased.
This also led to an improvement in the quality of Butlers, and now the Butler’s Guild even has a training institute attached to it.
Although Lord Kazushi is part of the Royal Family, the Butler’s Guild greatly appreciated him and awarded him the title of Honors Butler’s Master for his contributions to its development.
This title is the highest honor awarded by the Guild and can only be bestowed upon those with significant contributions to the Guild.
Therefore, it can be awarded even if one is not registered with the Guild.
In fact, there is a record that the then-King personally bestowed the title of Honors Order’s Master upon Lord Shinichi Mibu, who established the Order training institute.
Although the enrollment period at the Order training institute is one year, it is said that the quality of Orders has improved.
After that, he founded the Kingdom of Bacion. He went to Bacion with his bride, a priestess, and she became the first Pope. Shinichi-sama continued to protect Bacion until his death, and it is recorded that he also founded the Holiner’s Guild, which became the Bacion Holy Knights.
Because Shinichi-sama aspired to create a knight order that would rival the Order’s Guild, he personally became the Grand Holiner’s Master and trained them. As a result, they have become an elite force that rivals the Order’s Guild.
I am also acquainted with the current Grand Holiner’s Master. He is a fine Holiner, polite and devout, as befits Shinichi-sama’s direct disciple.
Incidentally, my great-grandmother Sayuri, the founder of the Healer’s Guild, holds the title of Honors Healer’s Master.
“Does that mean a comprehensive school is difficult then?”
“I think it’s possible for Crafters, Healers, and Traders, but difficult for Hunters and Priests.”
“Yes. My grandmother Sayuri also considered a comprehensive school, but at the time, the public order was worse than it is now, so she eventually gave up.”
When my great-grandmother Sayuri came to Helios Orb, Hunters were rougher than they are now.
High Class and Ancient Class monsters were not like that, but Normal Class monsters were noticeably crude. I heard that my great-grandmother Sayuri was also attacked shortly after her transmigration.
She defeated about half of them, but they were outnumbered. Furthermore, their comrades had been defeated, so the Hunters were on edge. If Shinichi-sama, who happened to be visiting Float, hadn’t intervened to mediate, who knows what would have happened.
It turns out that Shinichi-sama was guarding our great-grandfather, who was the Crown Prince at the time. This shows how interconnected things can be.
“Hmm, so, is it best to create schools for Orders, Healers, Butlers, Crafters, and Traders, and have aspiring Hunters take the Order curriculum?”
“I don’t think that’s a bad idea, but are we involving Priests too?”
“Yes. There might be people who are undecided about which guild to register with, so I thought we could teach them about each guild at school and let them decide afterward.”
Yamato answers Elis’ question. Indeed, I hadn’t thought of that idea.
If they go through the Order curriculum, even if they become Hunters, the number of people who act recklessly will decrease. And it’s true that many people are undecided about which guild to register with, so if they teach about all the guilds for the first few years and then allow them to choose, they will retain knowledge about other guilds, which will reduce conflicts between guilds.
Furthermore, knowledge about monsters is useful for any guild, so we can teach that as well.
“It’s not a bad plan, but it needs a bit more refinement.”
“Yes. Although the Hunter’s Guild can only be involved to a limited extent, a decrease in rough Hunters is something the Hunter’s Guild would welcome.”
It’s not possible to do it all at once, and I have to discuss it with the Guild Headquarters.
There’s also the issue of what the curriculum content should be, so I’d like to talk to the Grand Masters about it as well.
Depending on the outcome, we could try the practical verification by inviting a few children to Float, or even to Feel, where they are based.
“Rai, it’s fine to think, but you’re still being appraised.”
“Ah, sorry. Head Hunter’s Master, I apologize.”
I seem to have gotten carried away by the thought of being able to further improve the quality of registered members in each guild.
Even though there’s no rank-up procedure, the amount I brought back is significant, so I forgot that the appraisal would take time.
“No, considering His Majesty’s position, it’s understandable. Please come to the Tenth Appraisal Room.”
I’m glad I was understood.
And so, I’m going to the Tenth Appraisal Room after all.
Considering the amount, it can’t be helped, but it’s a room that’s rarely used even among the appraisal rooms.
There’s an idea to make it a Hunter training ground, but Hunters on expeditions sometimes bring back large quantities, and it’s always used for Alliances, so it’s a difficult decision for the Hunter’s Guild.
This time, we plan to take some of the monsters, but it’s still an amount unlike any obtained from a single hunt.
“You mentioned there’s a Gryphon this time as well, but are you still not buying it?”
Ah, a Gryphon.
I heard that the Gryphon Wing Crest put up for sale the other day has already sold out, to the point where they are being inundated with inquiries about when the next shipment will arrive.
It’s no exaggeration to say that the Gryphon is the highest-ranked monster among M-rank monsters, so usually, a next shipment is a distant hope.
However, Yamato and Prim hunted it so easily that it’s not impossible to expect another shipment.
In fact, they’ll probably hunt one if we put out a request.
“I’m sorry, but it wasn’t us who hunted the Gryphon, so please ask Yamato about that.”
It was my first encounter with an M-rank monster, but I still didn’t think I could handle it.
Its movements were faster than expected, and it attacked relentlessly from the sky, flying and firing its wings, as well as breathing fire. Without an Archer, it would have been impossible to defeat.
Although Yamato and Prim were also flying freely, and Jade and Fluorite were moving just as fast as the Gryphon, it made me feel a bit dejected watching them.
“Is that so. Yamato, it’s no good then?”
“I’m sorry. Actually, His Majesty the King learned I had two Gryphons, and I’ve already donated one. So this time, I’d like to make up for that.”
My father was foolishly happy, but was that the reason?
To have me donate an entire Gryphon, even as the King, isn’t that going too far?
“When he said he wanted to make a coat for the Sky Knights using a Gryphon, I had no choice but to donate it.”
“Huh?”
“A coat for Sky Knights… Huh? Did you change it from a Winger Drake to a Gryphon?”
“Yes. Fortunately, the Winger Drake leather was being tanned, so whether the timing is good or bad is debatable. However, there are only three Sky Knights: Tolman, Rex, and Yamato, so one Gryphon is more than enough.”
So that’s what it is.
Moreover, a coat made from Gryphon leather would be an incredible item.
The most famous high-quality leather is tanned from the hide of Dragons found in labyrinths, but Dragons are at least P-N rank, even the lowest rank.
Although Lesser Dragons, which are P-rank monsters, are occasionally hunted and brought to the Hunter’s Guild, their hides are traded at the price of Divine Metal, and even then, they sell out immediately.
However, because they are P-N rank monsters, they are still a step below the Abyss Taurus, a P-C rank monster that Yamato and Prim hunted the other day.
After all, Lesser Dragons don’t breathe fire, and their attack speed is slow even within the P-rank, making them easy to dodge for experienced High Hunters. Their scales are hard, providing high defense, but they do have a weak spot in their abdomen, so with cooperation from multiple raids and thorough preparation, they can be hunted without too much damage. This is not the case with M-rank Flame Dragons or Ice Dragons.
In contrast, the Gryphon is a bona fide M-rank monster. And although its defense is said to be low, that’s with the caveat of it being an M-rank monster, so its defense is likely higher than P-rank monsters.
In other words, it’s no exaggeration to say that a Gryphon is stronger than a Lesser Dragon and its value as a material is higher.
An Arc Order’s Coat made from its leather would likely have higher defensive capabilities than the Winger Drake originally planned for, and even higher than Lesser Dragon leather.
“Certainly, I’m also a Sky Knight, but are you making my coat too?”
“Of course. It’s the formal attire for a Sky Knight and will be recognized conventionally in other countries.”
“Indeed. And honestly, it’s a bit much for an O-Rank Order not to have a formal attire, don’t you think?”
I know Yamato doesn’t have formal attire, but I think even his current Armor Coat is more than sufficient. However, as Mana and Prim say, since it will also serve as formal attire for a Sky Knight, I strongly wish he would wear it in public.
We’re going to Valentia in five days, so it should be finished by then.
I feel sorry for Rex, who returned to Feel after being told that the Winger Drake would be used for the Sky Knight equipment. Rex, who became a Sky Knight and was promoted to A-rank Order in recognition of his achievements in the Alliance, will also be gifted Sky Knight equipment. He knows the design and that Jade Silver and Winger Drake will be used, but I wonder what his face will look like when he learns that it will be replaced by a Gryphon.
I’ve been scheduled to visit Feel directly to bestow the Sky Knight equipment upon him, so I’ll look forward to that moment. The Holy Grave is also in Feel, so perhaps I’ll go hunting with him for the first time in a while.
