News that the Thousand Tricks was scrambling for money unabashedly spread throughout the entire capital quickly.
The exchange had taken place at the entrance of the clan house while many clan members, as well as outsiders, were present. It was simply impossible for that conversation between the clan’s top two members, both in name and substance, to go unnoticed.
It was an open secret that the Thousand Tricks had a huge collection of Relics. While hunters typically kept their secret weapons under wraps, the Thousand Tricks’s Relic collection was beyond the realm of mere secrets. Almost no one had ever actually seen the collection, but it was rumored to contain rare, expensive, and apparently even cursed Relics too dangerous for an average hunter to handle. There were even rumors that the Grievers’ Relics were all inferior Relics from his collection.
Debts were something that hunters should avoid. Borrowing from another party could potentially damage a hunter’s most valuable asset: trust.
This was a Relic for which a Relic collector, a Level 8 hunter, was willing to incur such a debt to obtain. What kind of power could it possibly possess? Its effects were unknown, but it was apparently a “crazy” Relic. Anyhow, it was undoubtedly a Relic that rarely appeared. Perhaps, there was even a possibility that it would become the Level 8 hunter’s trump card.
By nature, the many merchants, hunters, and even nobles in the capital were all interested in rumors surrounding the upcoming Zebrudia Auction, and rumors only bred more rumors.
Everyone desired powerful Relics, hands down. Treasure hunters pursued them for their hunts, nobles for prestige, and merchants for trump cards to utilize in business.
What kind of power did this Relic actually hold? Those without the money dreamed of its power, and those with it schemed to acquire it by any means.
The merchants thought, He may be Level 8, but he’s ultimately just a hunter. There should be a limit to the funds he can possibly gather.
The hunters thought, Perhaps we could obtain power rivaling that of a Level 8 with this Relic.
And the nobles thought, Wouldn’t we be even more gilded as long as we get our hands on this Relic?
It was just a rumor in the end; however, it was just too tantalizing a rumor to dismiss as mere hearsay.
“Hey, Arnold, apparently there’s a crazy Relic up for auction,” said Eigh to Arnold excitedly.
They were in a corner of a tavern abuzz with the aroma of alcohol and the fervor of the crowd. The place was teeming with numerous hunters, and even Falling Fog, a group of outsiders, seemed to have blended in thoroughly.
It’d been a few days since they’d put aside their grudge with the Thousand Tricks, and unlike the past week, everything had been going smoothly for them. They’d tried exploring a few treasure vaults and confirmed that their abilities were more than adequate even in the capital. Falling Fog had wandered around the Zebrudia capital, learned more about the state of the city, researched the hunters of the capital in more detail, and fixed up their equipment anew—the only remaining issue was the Thousand Tricks.
Slamming the ale mug he’d just emptied onto the table, Arnold asked, “Oh yeah? What kind of Relic is it?”
“Well, uh, I don’t have the details...but they say it’s a Relic that would make even a Level 8 hunter pester people all around the place for money.”
“A Level 8... Hmm...”
Arnold scowled at the news, and Eigh’s expression wasn’t any better either.
Arnold’s current target was the Thousand Tricks. Now that his body had healed, he didn’t care much about the wounds Liz had inflicted on him. Yet, the humiliation he’d suffered remained etched in his soul.
The problem was that he still had no clue about the tactics the Thousand Tricks had employed. Whether it was subterfuge or an incomprehensible level of ability was beyond conjecture, even members of Obsidian Cross and Starlight, parties within the Thousand Tricks’s clan, knew nothing about his power.
Ark knew there were only three Level 8s in the capital, and he suspected that they were all big guns on par with that man. To say he wasn’t interested in a Relic that high-level hunters like them were frantically pursuing would be a lie.
But unfortunately, the members of Falling Fog, who’d just recently arrived at the capital after their long journey, didn’t have the funds for it: they’d expended a large proportion of it on their equipment in the past few days. Besides, there was probably no way that they’d afford a Relic that even high-level hunters had to borrow money to purchase. Well, even if they had the money, shelling out a substantial amount for such an unknown Relic, all based on the premise that a high-level hunter desired it, was out of the question. Eigh, treasurer of the party, surely echoed the opinion.
“Tsk, what an intriguing story. By the way, Eigh, how did the appraisal we’ve commissioned for that Relic go?”
“Yeah. Seems like the appraiser is swamped because of the auction, so it might take a little longer.”
“Okay.”
Recalling the disgusting Relic they’d found in a treasure vault near Nebulanubes, Arnold furrowed his brow.
It’d been a repulsive mask as if made by kneading raw meat. Not only had it looked like real bloody flesh, but it also felt like it to the touch. Even Arnold’s party, hunters accustomed to the texture of blood and organs, were horrified by it. The Relic had been so repulsive that he’d regretted bringing it back the moment they’d returned to town. It was a Relic that even the appraiser in Nebulanubes had refused to appraise. It was probably nothing worthy; judging from its appearance, it might even be one of those Relics that imposed handicaps on its user.
They had it appraised anyway, and if it proved to be of no value, they’d planned to ask the appraiser to dispose of it for them.
“I hope its price could at least cover our drinks. Y’know, bringing it back wasn’t all that easy.”
In response to Eigh’s heartfelt words, Arnold let out a groan of agreement.
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login