Before First Steps’s clan house stretched the main street, where people and carriages streamed past incessantly. A roughly ten-minute walk down the street led to a narrow path, and there, at the end, stood a red-roofed detached house—the home of Liz’s apprentice, Tino Shade. It was an adorable house, complete with a miniature garden planted with tiny flowers, a residence one wouldn’t typically associate with a hunter at first sight. It was a spacious residence for a single occupant; perhaps she’d been considering the prospect of having a romantic partner move in someday.
Visiting my junior’s house for the first time in a long while, I was searching for Liz. Not having a place to call home, she often stayed at either the clan’s training grounds, her master the former Stifled Shadow’s place, or her disciple Tino’s house, acting as if those were her own places. She truly was a free spirit.
After my knocking and a brief silence, a low voice replied. It wasn’t the familiar voice Tino used when talking to me; it was her formal voice.
“It’s me, it’s me. I came looking for Liz.”
On a side note, Sitri was here with me too.
“Oh?! Master?! O-One moment please!”
Scrambling noises came from inside the house, followed by a moment of silence, and then the door slowly opened.
Peering through the gap, she broke into a wide smile upon confirming my face. After the restlessness that the events in the lounge had stirred in my heart the other day, I felt at peace now.
“Master! To think you’d come to my place! Please, come inside. I’m sorry, but Lizzy is in the shower—!!!”
That was as much as Tino had said. Upon seeing me, Tino blushed and fell silent with her eyes wide open.
It wasn’t my first time visiting Tino’s house, and she’d always welcomed me warmly. I must say, she was such a good junior.
“Sorry for the unannounced visit... I’ll be on my way as soon as I collect Liz...”
“No, no, no. Not at all! If, um, it’s all right with you, Master, you’re always welcome to visit, even if just to hang out without any specific reason...”
She’s so sweet that I almost can’t believe she’s really Liz’s apprentice. But well, I rarely leave the clan house, so I won’t actually come here “just to hang out.” Her thoughtfulness is truly heartwarming though. I should take her out for some cake next time.
“That’s right! I’ve actually bought some delicious tea and cookies in preparation for Master coming at any time. Lizzy will take a while in the shower, so please help yourself to some treats!”
Seeing her in such a gleeful mood somehow made me feel kind of sorry.
As I was about to step inside following Tino with her blooming smile, Sitri, who’d been silent behind us all the while, spoke in a quiet voice, “I’m here too, you know, T?”
“Huh...? Uh...S-Si...ddy?!”
Her smile vanished in an instant.
Tino called Liz “Lizzy” out of their sisterly bond, and so she referred to her younger sister, Sitri, as “Siddy.” And although only Liz was mentoring Tino, Tino also addressed Lucia as “Lucy.” For Tino, an only child, this was probably a reflection of the chosen sisterhood she shared with the girls, almost as if they really were her own older sisters.
Sitri gently nudged my back and entered the house with me, closing the door behind us.
“Since we couldn’t properly greet each other last time—long time no see, T.”
“Y-Yes, it’s been a while, Siddy. I apologize for not being able to greet you properly.”
In a moment of panic, Tino kept bowing her head apologetically in a flurry, a reaction completely different from when she was speaking with me.
While she was usually utterly beaten up by Liz during training, if you asked Tino, she seemed to find dealing with Liz’s younger sister, Sitri, more challenging. On the other hand, though, Sitri seemed to have taken a liking to Tino. Well, there probably had been various reasons behind that.
“Hmm, it’s okay... Don’t worry about it? We were all busy then, including Krai. I’m glad to see you now since we haven’t had a chance to meet recently.”
“Eek?!” shrieked Tino, stiffening like a frog caught in a snake’s watchful stare as Sitri’s pink eyes with their translucent radiance pierced her with their gaze.
Unconcerned by Tino’s exaggerated reaction, Sitri casually entered the room and looked around.
Tino’s house was neatly organized. The place hardly had any belongings apart from the bare minimum of furniture, and it clearly lacked a sense of liveliness. There weren’t hints of anything hobbies-related either, but it could be said that Tino’s personality was well reflected by that.
“T, you seemed really enthusiastic to see Krai finally come, but how come you didn’t say anything like ‘you’re always welcome to visit’ to me?”
“O-Of course, it’s my bad! It’s just...that I was a bit surprised... You’re also always welcome to visit...Siddy.”
Sitri’s eyes sparkled as she closed in with the obviously fretting Tino, so close that one would mistake her for going in for a kiss with Tino or something. Licking her lips, Sitri placed her hand on Tino’s cheek.
“T, how are you? Have you grown stronger again? Has my sister been harsh on you?”
“Y-Yes. I-I’m fine.”
“If Lizzy ever goes harsh on you, let me know, okay?”
“I-I’m fine. R-really, I’m fine.”
At the sound of Sitri’s unusually excited coaxing voice, Tino shivered with a sudden chill. She looked at me with a teary expression.
...Yeah...uh-huh.
As if conducting an examination, Sitri peered into Tino’s dark pupils.
“If things get tough, let me know anytime, okay? You can rely on me—and I’ll make you way stronger with way less work than apprenticing for my sister.”
“!”
“You won’t have to go through tough training thinking you’re about to die. I’m sure you’ll be able to do that easily with your talents. I can even recommend you for Grieving Souls membership right away if that sounds good.”
“Siddy...! Y-You’re too close!”
Sitri’s fingers slid down from Tino’s cheek, traced the contours of her neck, and brushed against her collarbone. Her left arm wrapped around Tino’s back, effectively blocking her retreat. Sitri, an Alchemist, and Tino, a Thief, should have different levels of physical abilities, but Tino’s slender body simply trembled and showed no signs of retreating.
Sitri’s nose moved slightly, sniffing her scent.
Her fingers caressed the red-faced Tino’s shoulder, tracing it as if to confirm its shape, moved across her upper arm, and continued down. With each inch of skin Sitri’s fingers slid past, Tino’s body trembled slightly.
“Top-quality muscles honed through combat and a slender body frame accompanied by sharpened senses—this is such a healthy body of a specialized Thief-hunter. Your blood, your flesh, and your bones are all well polished and overflowing with talent. Oh, Krai, why? I wish you’d given her to me instead of Lizzy... I could’ve made her perfect!”
“?! Please, Master, save me...!”
“Seems like Sitri won’t be getting an apprentice anytime soon.”
Is she looking at a person like how she’d look at a lab rat?
Her hand toyed with Tino’s body as it moved mercilessly over her: it kneaded her breasts, caressed her belly, and touched her thighs, exposed from her shorts—it looked just like a snake slowly devouring and digesting a frog. With each touch, Tino trembled and squealed for help in a feeble voice.
“It’s radiating. Oh, so adorable,” continued Sitri. “Only if you were a boy! Then it’d be as simple as just mating with you. But since you’re a girl...I’ll need to properly pick a mate to avoid any mistakes...”
Okay, this is getting out of hand.
There, I finally intervened.
“All right, that’s enough. Remember, Tino is Liz’s apprentice after all.”
“Haaaaahh... Yeah...she is.”
With a deep sigh, Sitri pulled herself away, and Tino, seemingly having reached her limit, staggered back to lean against a wall.
She must’ve been truly terrifying, as Tino, who wouldn’t back down even a single step when facing fearsome phantoms daily, looked like she was about to cry.
“Sorry; I was just kidding. You seemed so happy that I couldn’t help teasing you a bit,” said Sitri, making an excuse, though her actions just now didn’t appear to be “just kidding” at all.
Tino seemed to be thinking the same, and she covered her chest with her arms in a pale face.
“But hear me out. T seems to like Krai a great deal but not me, and she reacted as if her lover showed up to hang out all of a sudden. I like T a great deal too—it’s just reasonable for me to feel a little jealous, don’t you think?”
No, I don’t.
Tino was probably attached to me because I was about the only person who could stop Liz.
Then, Sitri directed her attention towards me and poked my shoulder like she was sulking.
“And besides, Krai never comes to my place to hang out... Shouldn’t you also be hanging out at my place if you ever hang out at T’s?”
“Time flies whenever I’m at your place. Besides, you’re always busy.”
“I’ll clear up my schedule for you as much as you want.”
Unlike Liz and I, who treated the clan house like my own home, Sitri owned property in the capital. I’d hung out at her place a few times and she’d welcomed me with hospitality.
It was a fantastic house, but it also had the downside of being too comfortable. Sitri knew me too well and tickled me exactly in all the right spots. The first time I’d gone to her place, even I’d been speechless to find that two weeks had passed without me realizing. I could be a complete mess sometimes.
With Tino still showing signs of fear, I followed her into her room. There was nothing in the living room either, and the tables and chairs were polished to perfection; I couldn’t imagine at all what Liz and Tino had been doing here at all.
“So, T,” said Sitri, “you tidied up the place in a rush, thinking, ‘Oh no! Krai came to my place.’ Didn’t you? This place is way too clean.”
“Huh?! N-No, th-th-th-that’s not th-the case at all?!”
I see... So she must’ve been tidying in a rush just now when I heard the scrambling noises from within.
I didn’t really mind if her room was messy, but well, I decided not to press it.
Tino seemed a little bashful, but she sat down and prepared some tea for us helter-skelter without mentioning a word. Alongside the tea, she also brought out some cookies from a famous confectionery store where I’d also bought souvenirs from.
“So, what brings you to Lizzy?” asked Tino.
“Oh, it’s not anything important. Well, since Liz and Sitri have returned safely from their expedition in the treasure vault, I thought we could all go to the tavern together.”
Hunters who risked their lives exploring treasure vaults often celebrated their safe return with a grand feast. This was their way to commemorate their success, to praise one another’s accomplishments, and to strengthen their bonds; it also served as a source of motivation for their next adventure.
In our party’s case, since I, as the leader, didn’t accompany them on their quests, it was customary that, every time the party returned, we held a festive banquet to listen to their adventure tales. And every story of the harshness and cruelty of their adventures made me appreciate the tranquility that came with my role as the clan master more, and yet, it also made me feel a little more guilty.
“I see... That sounds wonderful. I’d love to do that too someday.”
“I’d recommend you to the party in a heartbeat if you’ll leave it up to me,” I replied.
“N-No, that’s not necessary. I am Lizzy’s apprentice, and I shall wait until both she and you, Master, approve.”
Tino blushed and smiled shyly. In her eyes, I saw a glimmer of longing.
Right...going to the tavern with just the three of us might be a bit lonesome; maybe I should take Tino along too.
As we continued our chatting pleasantly while enjoying the delicious cookies, Tino’s eyes widened upon hearing about the events at the lounge.
“—recharges, you say? I feel...uneasy around those people. Maybe it’s the racial differences, but at any rate, their gazes towards their own clan master are far from appropriate!”
“Easy, T. People come in all sorts, you know,” said Sitri calmly to unusually resentment-stricken Tino.
“And on top of that, Noble Spirits are a race which almost no research exists on, so having them nearby is quite the fortunate thing, you know? Now that they’ve descended upon our human society, so long as we pay attention to avoid upsetting them, everything will be all fine. Plus, those bodies with an exceptionally high magical aptitude of theirs are biological parts...of particular usefulness, I think.”
“?! Master...!”
“It’s just a Sitriesque joke.”
“Just let them say what they have to say. After all, these Noble Spirits who rely on their innate physical qualities are no match for Krai. With their simple and straightforward thinking, they’re easier to handle than humans with all sorts of different principles and ideologies.”
“Yeah, uh-huh.”
I didn’t really mind, but I wished she’d stop dragging me into all her statements.
Then, suddenly, a muffled voice came from the back of the room. It was a familiar voice.
“T! T?! I’m missing a towel in here?!”
“Roger!!! I’ll bring one right away.”
“Didn’t I tell you last time to make sure to have one ready beforehand? Jeez...”
Tino began rising from her seat, but before she could do so, out came the sound of a door opening with a clang.
From the bathroom, a body of well-tanned skin emerged. Entering the living room exuding an air of confidence as if saying there was nothing to hide, she widened her eyes upon spotting Sitri and me.
The only thing adorning her body was a platinum ring around her ankles—her Apex Roots. Her damp long hair clung to her collarbone, and droplets on her unblemished skin glistened with a radiant shimmer as they dribbled all the way down to her ankles.
Beside me, Tino let out a piercing shriek.
“Lizz—?! Master is—”
“Yo, sup? Isn’t this Krai Baby here? Heh heh, caught you looking for me, didn’t I? Coming while I’m in the shower, you naughty Krai Baby!”
“Liz! Go get yourself properly dressed before you come in! How many times do I have to tell you?!” said Sitri.
Liz had burst into the room with an innocent smile on her face. Without a moment’s delay, Sitri moved behind me and covered my eyes.
In the darkness, some toasty, moist, and supple skin came into contact with my hand.
“Siddy?! Why are you covering his eyes?”
“Show some restraint! Can’t you see that Krai’s feeling uneasy?”
“Oh, come on, there’s nothing I need to hide from Krai Baby—you aren’t feeling uneasy, right?”
“I am.”
***
Zebrudia boasted a great selection of stores catering to treasure hunters: For instance, there were training facilities, weapon and armor shops, Relics specialty stores, and even information brokers dealing specifically with phantom and monster news. One could even find shops offering hunter-for-hire services, providing skilled hunters as temporary party members.
Among them, taverns were one of the most common types of establishments in Zebrudia. Treasure hunters loved their alcohol, and most parties celebrated their achievements and survival at their favorite taverns with feasts after successfully conquering perilous treasure vaults. They toasted each other’s achievements and savored their fortune of living through another day without mishaps, and they ate and drank almost as if to flush away their elation, their excitement, and their fear.
Hunters consumed food and drink in quantities exceeding that of ordinary people by magnitudes, and since hunters were known for being rough around the edges, there were a number of taverns in the capital exclusively dedicated to them. These were places that prioritized quantity over quality, places where patrons could almost drown themselves in alcohol. The mere notion of being able to order alcohol by the barrel there should offer a glimpse of the vast quantity available at these establishments.
Along with Sitri and the properly dressed Liz, I arrived at our usual tavern, Golden Rooster Pavilion.
Golden Pavilion was a large-scale umbrella brand of hunter-serving taverns in the capital, and each branch was famous for different signature dishes. Liz preferred quantity over taste, and Sitri would always go for what I suggested, so it was always my job to pick a tavern.
Tino had looked up at me with a somewhat apologetic expression and asked, “Master, are you sure I can come along too?”
“Of course!” I’d said. “Four is merrier than three anyways.”
And so, I had been emotionally struck by the visible shock on Tino’s face when Liz told her, “You will be staying behind.”
As we opened the large double doors, tailored for hulking hunters, a rush of the suffocating smell of alcohol engulfed us. The tavern was filled with the hustle and bustle of hunters who had concluded their explorations in the treasure vaults a little early and were now celebrating their wrap parties of the day.
A robust female hunter kicked a heavily intoxicated man passed out on the floor to the corner. Oblivious to being flung against the wall, the man started snoring in a rumble. The weapons leaning against each table stood as testaments to this place being a hunters’ tavern. Those quarrelsome, drunk, rageful voices and laughter, which used to terrify me when I’d first become a hunter, were now nothing more than a familiar backdrop.
This was a feast of heroes.
The scene I’d once imagined back in the day when I’d admired hunters now unfolded right before my eyes: a place where only the diligent and the strong were celebrated and the weak were eliminated—this was a place where I’d never be able to enter without Liz, Sitri, or the others.
“Yeah! I got the spot right next to Krai Baby! Siddy, you can sit next to me. I don’t need you to sit next to Krai Baby.”
The server had guided us to the round table in the far back, and Liz had immediately grabbed the seat next to the aisle to my right and blustered in an apparently good mood. The tables in the tavern were designed to comfortably accommodate parties, but Liz was sitting a bit too close, as always. Usually, I wouldn’t mind since Anthem, Luke, and maybe others would be around, but with me alone and three (visually) cute girls in tow, I couldn’t help but attract attention.
“Well, that’s fine; I don’t really mind, but...shouldn’t you be sitting next to T?” said Sitri. “She’s your apprentice after all, and also I have something I want to discuss with Krai.”
Grinning widely and unfazed by Liz’s intimidating demeanor, her younger sister took hold of Tino’s arm. Tino, startled, trembled in response, perhaps still traumatized by what had happened at the front door of her place earlier.
The mentor looked at her anxious apprentice and decided not to mention anything about it.
“Uh... Oh... It’s all right,” said Liz. “T will be serving, so she won’t need a seat or anything. Bring me the dishes and drinks I order! For now, go get some golden ale—ten tall mugs of it, and make it quick please.”
Poor thing! Even I’d speak up in this situation. Ease up on our mascot here, will you? Being right next to Sitri will keep her on the edge for sure.
“Tino, the seat to my left is free, so why don’t you come sit next to me?”
“Huh?! M-May I?!”
After a brief moment in a daze, Tino broke into a blossoming smile.
And then, I just realized—
Could this be...could this be what people mean by “a ‘flower’ on each arm”? Until now, I’ve always had my thoughts about this Ark who’s always not only accompanied by beauties but in harem mode, but wow—this...this is incredible. This doesn’t feel superior at all, surprisingly.
I should apologize next time I see him.
Surrounding me, the thorny and poisonous flowers—Liz and Sitri—stared at the poor little flower—Tino.
“Tsk... If Krai Baby says so. But T, I’ll kill you if you embarrass me.”
“T, Krai isn’t the best at keeping his hands to himself sometimes. So, you know, he might try on you something similar to what I did, and, T, you wouldn’t be able to refuse him if he did, would you? It’s probably better to leave a seat or two empty between you, just so you know.”
As Liz continued to bluster, Sitri attempted to spread a nasty rumor of mine all while maintaining her smile.
I wonder how Sitri actually sees me.
Tino approached my left side gingerly and sat down with an absolutely straight back and perfect manners. Perhaps because of Sitri’s words, her neck had turned red—she was quite adorable like that. I couldn’t help but feel extravagantly soothed and at ease when interacting with my clan members (of course, Sitri and Liz have plenty of good about them too).
Then, the drinks were served. Liz, Sitri, and Tino each got an extra tall mug of the tavern’s renowned golden ale, and in my mug was an amber liquid, a specialty tea with a whiskey-like hue. Hunters’ liquor had a high alcohol content; if I’d gone with what they’d gotten, my liver wouldn’t survive the night.
Once we raised our glasses, Sitri and Liz toasted with big smiles while Tino fearfully followed suit.
“Well, this might be a bit early, but here’s to Liz and Sitri returning safe from Night Palace!” Cheers!
With that, our glasses collided and neatly clinked.
The feast had begun.
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