Strange Grief Wants to Retire ~ The Weakest Hunter Dreams of a Hero ~ - Volume 4 - Chapter 3

Chapter Three: A Vacation and Some Pursuers

I saw a vista of rolling hills from the carriage window. It was idyllic and quite unlike the scenery of the capital. I felt at peace as I watched the sights drift by. The road was the only sign of human infrastructure and there were no other travelers besides us.

I saw the occasional animal or monster, but they all ran off the moment they saw us. Killiam, riding atop Drink, must’ve really had them terrified. I was somewhat anxious myself, but I supposed they were a good form of monster repellent.

A day had passed since we had left Elan. The weather was fair. Our carriage moved along under a translucent sky. I had my doubts during the storm on the first day, but traveling on the road could be nice.

“Chimeras are quite intimidating to most monsters,” Sitri explained. “I imagine most of them will flee from us.”

I was pretty sure such a large lion would scare off anyone, even if it wasn’t a chimera. What a grave sin Akashic Tower committed when they created that creature.

If Drink didn’t have a habit of horsing around I could see myself traveling on its back. The empire’s generally a safe place, except there are still monsters, phantoms, and bandits, but none of those would get close to Drink. I know I wouldn’t if I was in their position. Killiam seems more suited to the bandit life. I wonder if I should be more worried about it...

As I leaned out the window and yawned, I heard a low, displeased voice.

“There’s nothing to do.”

Liz wasn’t good at sitting still. In all my memories of her, she was on the move. She would usually run along outside when we traveled long distances in a carriage. If we stopped at a town she would start training if she had even a moment to spare. She never struck me as being bad at learning methods and theories but she clearly found it boring. She much preferred putting her lessons into practice.

For someone like her, being banned from training and shut up in a carriage was almost unbearable. She still managed to hold out for a day and that was more than I had expected. Quietly reading a book in a corner, Tino looked up at her mentor, dark rings still under her eyes.

“T, I’ve got nothing to do,” Liz said. “If something doesn’t happen, I’ll die of boredom. Why don’t you do something interesting? And quickly!”

“Huh?! Um, would you like to study Relics? Matthis was kind enough to lend me an introductory book,” Tino suggested.

“No waaay. Forget about that, just do something interesting.”

“Huh? Uh, okay. Then I’ll do a, um, impression of Branch Manager Gark.”

I watched Liz make her unreasonable demands and Tino make her unreasonable attempt to go along with those demands. I was curious how someone as small as Tino might mimic that brute, but I also didn’t think it would help Liz’s mood. After an instant, her attention shifted to me, and Tino quickly stopped her performance.

“I’m so bored,” Liz said as she crawled my way with a smile and rubbed against me. “I’ve got an idea. I’m gonna run outside. I’ll hold some ropes tied to a box and you can ride on top of the box. It’ll be so much faster, you can feel the wind, it’ll be great. And this isn’t training, okay?”

That was a game we used to always play. It was a part of the training our group did, so I was always the one on the box. Except now Liz was way too fast, I was sure I’d just get thrown off the box.

“C’mooon. We haven’t traveled together in so long, T and Siddy are just in the way, and this restriction is too strict. My muscles will weaken if I don’t use them. See? Aren’t they getting smaller?”

Liz lay on her back and indicated her exposed suntanned midriff. It was the same old flawless skin. It didn’t look particularly muscular, but there wasn’t a bit of excess fat either. It had a sleek, feral beauty.

If someone was strengthened by mana material it wasn’t necessarily visible from the outside. Just by showing me her stomach, I couldn’t tell if she had gotten weaker or not, but I suspected she was fine.

Liz stretched out her alluring arms towards me.

“Hey, play with me?”

“Lizzy, you’re acting like a child!”

Sitri interrupted her writing to stretch out her legs and let her heels fall on Liz’s stomach. Tino scooted backwards. Liz jumped up.

“Ah, what are you doing?! Mind your own business!”

“I can’t if you’re causing trouble for Krai! You’re always, always—if you want to run outside so badly, you can just run with T! Krai said you can train if you really can’t help yourself. Why not have a race with Drink?”

Here we go again. You know what they say, they fight because they’re so close, or something like that...

“I already told you I’m not gonna fall for that! It’s no use anyways, Krai Baby’s head over heels for me so it doesn’t matter what you try! So get out! Begone! Just because Lucia’s not here you think you can get away with this,” Liz yelled.

I see. They’re fighting because Lucia’s not here. Stopping fights in our party always falls to her or Ansem. But Ansem’s one weak point is that he’s soft on his sisters, so in times like these it’s Lucia who has to step in. And then, for some reason, I get scolded.

Tino panicked as she watched the spat heat up. Perhaps my restriction was also putting stress on Sitri; she usually didn’t get so riled up. Perhaps I needed to rethink the restriction.

“Unlike you, I’m not a burden on Krai! And besides, I’ve already said it dozens of times, you and Krai have poor genetic compatibility!”

“Don’t we have the same damn genes?! You’re just saying that to try to swipe him away from me, you thief!”

Genetic compatibility. That’s a phrase new to me.

In a rare turn of events, Sitri’s face was flushed. The blood rushing to her head, she automatically pulled out a white potion. Before anyone could stop her, she hurled it at Liz. The liquid shimmered in the sunlight, and Liz dodged as if it were the most natural thing in the world. We had a window open to let in fresh air, and the potion went out that window and hit the ground. I heard what sounded like breaking glass.

“Why did you dodge it?!”

“The hell did you expect me to do?! All you make are shifty potions! Even if I caught it, you’d totally just sit back and watch me die!”

The carriage rolled along as they bickered. I leaned out the window and looked behind us, but the potion was already distant enough that I couldn’t see it.

Is it okay to just leave it there?

I really wished Sitri would stop hurling potions during her scuffles with Liz. It’d be fine if they were healing potions, but offensive potions made up half of Sitri’s stock. Offensive potions that worked on phantoms. Goodness.

“Okay, that’s enough,” I said as I cut in, albeit a bit late. I was reprising my role as leader. “Liz, it won’t be much longer until the next town so just hang in there. Sitri, do we need to do something about that last potion?”

Sitri and Liz would often fight, but rarely escalated to going for the throat. I could tell by whether or not Liz’s words were getting unhinged.

As they often did, the two sisters quickly calmed down.

“Okaaay,” Liz said.

“I’m sorry, I just got a bit worked up,” Sitri said. “You asked about the potion?”

A bit worked up, she said. These two really are cut from the same cloth. 

Liz fell back against the bench and looked the other way. Sitri steadied her breath and soon enough started talking in her usual tone, like that fight had never even happened.

“That potion is called ‘Danger Effect.’ It’s an improved version of the monster lures used for training. If you need one, I can make more.”

A monster lure? I wanted to ask her if that wasn’t a tad intense for training and what she hoped to accomplish by throwing it at Liz.

What I ended up asking was: “It looks like it broke on the ground back there. Isn’t that bad?”

“Don’t worry. Even with the wind, I don’t picture it spreading too wide and it’ll fade with time. For a brief while, monsters might appear a little more frequently,” she said. After some thinking, she added: “There’s also no proof that we were the ones who used it.”

Was this not an issue? I tilted my head and Sitri gave me a reassuring smile.

From the driver’s seat came word that the next town had come into view. I had been worried about Sitri’s potion, but nothing came of it. It seemed I had been worried over nothing. Not that my predictions were ever accurate. Still, my luck was bad and I was a coward at heart so I worried anyway.

While feeling Liz’s body heat as she pressed against my back, I squinted and looked for the town. Our destination, Gula, was a town I had never been to before. It wasn’t large, but it was famous for its chocolates. Its products were sold in the capital, as many things were, and I had tried them before, so I was looking forward to this visit.

Filled with childish excitement, I spotted it: a town with a terribly overwhelming presence. Even from a distance, I could tell that an unusual number of guards, and even Magi, were patrolling outside its cocoa-colored walls. There were also guards posted atop the walls and a red flag with a horizontal line was flying. That flag meant the town was on alert.

The town’s gates weren’t being locked down so it probably wasn’t anything too bad, but there were clearly many more carriages exiting than entering.

Sitri also stuck her head out and her eyes widened at what she saw.

“Oh my, it looks like something’s happening,” she said. “That flag—it seems it’s something related to monsters.”

“Huh? What is it, what is it? Something crazy?” Liz asked as leaned over me to get a view. Then she saw the flag. “Oh, it’s just the red flag. It doesn’t even look like anything that serious. Boooring.”

You’re way too used to danger. Even if we have run across more of these flags than we can count. 

The red flag was a universal symbol used throughout the land. We had seen it both within the empire’s borders and beyond, even in small villages. These flags were raised fairly often in towns located close to monsters’ habitats. Gula was next to a forest that seemed like it might be populated with monsters so there wasn’t anything too strange about this situation.

In my experience fifty percent of the time, that red flag that indicated monsters would lead us to trouble. Of that, only twenty percent of the time did we actually run into anything dangerous. My senses might’ve gone dull from not leaving the capital for so long but I was certain this was something we didn’t want to get involved in.

“On our way to Night Palace we didn’t stop here. You see, we weren’t certain how long it might take to clear the treasure vault,” Sitri said.

“We weren’t tired and this wasn’t a very good spot to take a break anyway,” Liz added.

“Master...” Tino let out with uncertainty.

It was quite nice. I felt safer with Liz and Sitri around but with Tino I had someone I could relate to.

Our driver must have sensed my hesitation because the carriage came to a stop. I folded my arms and thought hard for the first time in a while.

The situation was different from Elan. We couldn’t have predicted that lightning elemental, but this time we knew that something was going on. Granted, we didn’t know much more than that. We didn’t immediately need to resupply and there wasn’t anything in Gula requiring our presence. Normally, this would have been a no-brainer. Liz and Luke already drove us into plenty of trouble as it was.

There was just one problem.

Normally, I would just err on the side of caution but Gula was a town known for its prized chocolates. As a hidden sweet tooth, I couldn’t just go on by. The chocolate itself could be acquired in the capital, but I had heard from confectioners that there was a shop in Gula with a special chocolate parfait. There was no way to try this parfait without visiting the town.

I was stuck. Should I choose safety or should I choose sweetness? I knew from experience that there was a decent chance that the state of alert wouldn’t lead to anything serious. There would be more commotion if it was something comparable to an attack from a lightning elemental.

I want to eat sweet things.

“Wh-What’s the matter, Master?” Tino asked.

I looked at her. She had seemed so small and timid during the past few days. I wasn’t driven just by my own desire for sweets, I also wanted to treat my valiant junior hunter to a scrumptious chocolate parfait. Actually, that was my primary motivation. Liz and Sitri weren’t fond of sweets but maybe they’d go for them once in a while.

“Tino, I want to treat you to something sweet and delicious,” I whispered as I propped my elbows against the window frame.

“Huh?! Y-You want to treat me?!”

“You’re way too kind, Krai Baby,” Liz added. “But I still don’t like this. T, give me two thousand push-ups later.”

The problem was that our assistance would most likely be requested when we entered the town. We would have to show proof of identity during that process and hunters’ ID’s showed their level.

With an emergency declared, we could almost be certain someone would ask us for help. I found it annoying but I couldn’t complain much when I, as a high-level hunter, enjoyed such favorable treatment. I could refuse them, but I represented Grieving Souls and First Steps and more than that I was just someone who had trouble saying no. Then I’d hand the problem off to Tino.

“Hmm, well, this is a vacation...” I said.

Maybe things would just work out. Maybe the cute and reliable Sitri would take care of it. Without looking at her, I made an exaggerated sigh and the cute and reliable Sitri clapped her hands.

“Krai, I may be presumptuous here, but I’m guessing you’d like to enter Gula without revealing our identities? I have two options. Which better strikes your fancy, altering yourself or altering others?”

“Ah! We can just sneak over the wall! I’m a genius!” Liz said.

Altering myself or altering others? What’s she up to?

Sitri awaited my answer with a smile. I always had to be the one making decisions. I rubbed Liz’s head, loose screws and all, and nodded.

***

“This is our chance to show how good we’ve gotten at walking unguarded,” Sitri said.

“Hey, where do you even buy something like this?” I asked.

“You just need money and connections.” she happily answered.

The plan was to use different ID’s. Apparently, she had prepared these a while ago, just in case. The new ID’s even had our pictures on them so this was clearly some sort of crime. There was one not just for me and the sisters but even for Tino. It all seemed a bit much. Our names and date of birth were made up and no level was written down. I turned the ID over multiple times and looked at it closely but it didn’t look at all like a fake.

When pursuing criminals, hunters sometimes found it necessary to break the law. It could be a dirty job. I wasn’t under any false impression that proper methods were always enough to resolve something smoothly. Murder might be going a bit far, but the use of a fake ID could be overlooked. Even if we were caught, this was minor enough that we’d be off the hook if we gave a decent explanation. That was the sort of favoritism a high-level hunter from the capital could receive. However, nobody would ever interfere in a fight between two such hunters...

Even Sitri didn’t have fake ID’s for her three hired hands, and Drink and Killiam stood out like a sore thumb, so they all stayed outside the town. A pretty reasonable solution.

“Well then, I leave Drink and Killiam in your care,” Sitri said. “I believe I’ve taught you everything you should know about them.”

Silence. The monochrome trio all wore faces like they were on death row. I felt bad but there wasn’t much I could do for them. I hoped they would just think of it as a truly unique job experience. They seemed as fierce as any seasoned hunter so they would surely be fine.

I think I’ll buy them some souvenir chocolate. 

For the first time in a few days, I stroked Drink and the chimera stood on its hind legs and stumbled towards me. Drink’s fur was hard and shiny, almost needlelike, and not at all fluffy. I was afraid I would be crushed so I stepped back, but I had already used up a Safety Ring.

Looks like even I won’t be able to stomach this Drink.

I was a bit worried but I stepped from the carriage and headed towards the gates. All I could do was place my faith in Sitri.

The guards outside of Gula were on high alert. Magi were reinforcing the bulwarks with spells and drawing magic circles on the ground, just like how I’d see Lucia do sometimes. It looked like monsters were stirring up trouble. It happened all the time.

Our turn for inspection came up. I was a little uneasy but Sitri’s ID’s were identical to legitimate ones (maybe they technically were legitimate), and the guard let us pass without showing any particular suspicion. It seemed my cover hadn’t been blown. All that effort spent hiding my face had been worth it.

“I saw the flag. Is something happening?” Sitri, who also looked quite unlike a hunter, casually asked.

She never missed a thing. I loved it.

“Yeah, there’s a pack of orcs livin’ in an abandoned village up in some mountains nearby,” the soldier answered without hiding how much he didn’t want to. “Apparently they set up a fort and now it’s believed they got a higher-orc as their leader. Just in case, we’ve spent the past couple of days preparing for an attack.”

Orcs were a variety of Sapien. To be precise, they were a humanoid apelike monster. They had a similar intelligence to goblins but had physical strength far above a normal human and were covered in thick fur. They were an obnoxious sort of monster; they were pugilistic, attacked humans for pleasure, propagated rapidly, and ate just about anything.

Generally, orcs were among the weaker variety of monsters and could easily be dispatched by a Level 2 or 3 hunter. Occasionally an exceptional one would be born, a higher-orc, but they still wouldn’t be too strong. However, they tended to form large packs and if left alone they could even build a vast kingdom. Sizable towns had been destroyed by large packs of orcs and that was likely what Gula was worried about.

“A-And will the town be all right?” Sitri asked with a tinge of fear on her face. It was a laudable performance.

“We’re contacting neighboring towns for assistance,” the soldier answered with a wry smile. “Some cold-blooded folk are putting the town behind them but there shouldn’t be any problems for the duration of your stay. Enjoy your time in Gula.”

The town exuded the sort of tension you see during a war. All the armed hunters, presumably called over from other towns, didn’t help. But knowing the source of the fear let me relax a bit.

A fort of orcs. There wasn’t any need to worry. A pack containing higher-orcs was bad news but it seemed pretty mellow compared to a higher-elemental. I guess from a civilian’s perspective a wandering elemental wasn’t as scary as something that attacked on instinct.

To me, they were both beyond the realm of anything I could handle, but I stopped being afraid of them long ago. I couldn’t even remember how many packs of orcs I had fought. They always appeared in packs and they always attacked when I was already exhausted. I hated them.

Liz’s mood seemed to have soured when she heard the mention of orcs.

“Aaah, boring. I had gotten my hopes up, but I grew past orcs forever ago. I’m not a butcher, I’m a hunter,” she said.

“If Lucia were here she could roast them all in one go,” Sitri said.

Wide-range obliteration was the domain of Magi. No matter how many orcs banded together, it was all the same to Lucia. It seemed Tino didn’t have any experience with orcs; her eyes were darting this way and that with fear.

“Lizzy, how many packs of orcs have you defeated?” she asked timidly.

“Dunno. Luke and I were competing to see who could take out more but we got tired of keeping track.”

I didn’t know which battle that was but I knew that orcs did appear in swarms too big to count the individuals. Our first encounter happened before Lucia had learned any wide-range magic attacks and I thought I was going to die when we got swept up in a wave of them.

Of all monsters, goblins propagated the most rapidly but orcs weren’t far behind. They would teach you the difference numbers can make in a battle. They were the reason Lucia learned wide-range offensive spells.

Liz had sounded indifferent when she spoke of her competition but that made it all the more believable.

“That’s quite terrifying,” Tino said as her body trembled.

“Well, we won’t be fighting them this time around,” I said.

“Eh? We won’t?” Tino looked at me with wide eyes.

What did she think the fake ID’s were for? They were so nobody would realize we were hunters who didn’t want to work.

“It’s fine, other hunters will take care of it instead,” I said in a low voice so nobody would overhear us. “If we really have to, we might rely on Liz and Sitri but that probably won’t be necessary.”

What’s more, the town was preparing to withstand an attack; a pack of orcs wasn’t worth worrying about.

“Orcs are also far more delectable than you might expect, but most people don’t care for them,” Sitri mumbled. She sure had become a tough person.

Orcs aren’t much compared to a lightning elemental. Let’s just relax and focus on sweet delights. 

While trying to comfort Tino, I watched the sun set over the town and took in the faint sweet scent that drifted through its streets.

***

The battlefield was a place where weaknesses were exposed. 

Tino recalled these old words of Lizzy’s. They rang true to her. She had thought that she had developed an enduring spirit after overcoming her master’s various Thousand Trials, but it seemed she was mistaken.

Tino had barely gotten a minute of sleep since the night in Elan. Before that, she had also lost sleep due to her mentor’s whims and the matter of that mask. Her body was reaching its limits. The only time she hadn’t spent awake was after being knocked out during the lightning training.

She struggled just to walk straight and her vision wavered like she was having a dream. The rays of sun that came after the other day’s storm were blinding to her sleep-deprived eyes. Her guard was down but it wasn’t because of her master’s restrictions on training.

Her condition was dire.

It was unease and anxiety that were keeping her awake. Under these abnormal conditions, she was restless because she had no idea what might happen to her and she was nervous that she would embarrass herself in front of her master and her mentor. It was a struggle unlike any she had faced yet. Through sheer will, she somehow managed to maintain her composure and not let her eyes stray from her master.

She had heard of the red flag that meant to beware of monsters but this was the first time she had ever seen it. This was in part due to the fact that she rarely left the capital but more than that most cities avoided indicating that they were in trouble. It was a matter of pride but it also revealed a moment of weakness that other countries or criminals might try to take advantage of.

The larger a city, the less it tended to raise its flags. Tino had heard that in the long history of the Zebrudian capital, the city had only raised its flags a handful of times. Gula wasn’t nearly as large as the capital but it was still famous for its chocolate production, so it was possible something truly dire was threatening them.

Through the number of knights and Magi by the gates, Tino got a glimpse of how cautious the town was being. Employing so many people couldn’t have been cheap. This wasn’t the sort of caution you would take over a slight misgiving; there must be a very real fear of the orcs. She realized that the words from the guard at the gate were simply meant to dispel their worries.

Tino hadn’t believed a single word of her master since their vacation had begun. She didn’t think he was being dishonest but experience had taught her that “no big deal” for him was “no big deal” for the impervious Thousand Tricks. Tino was neither of these things so it was very much a big deal for her.

If they weren’t going to participate in any battles then there was no reason for them to come to Gula in the first place. Everyone in First Steps knew that the Thousand Tricks liked to get your hopes up before crushing them. Tino couldn’t even begin to guess as to when her master might’ve learned of a flag being raised here, but if he hadn’t known then why else would he have chosen to come to this town when there were so many alternatives?

Thoughts swirled about Tino’s mind.

I understand, Master. To you, a battle with an army of orcs isn’t even worthy of the name. But it’s too much for me.

She was certain that her master was going to send her after a band of orcs for the fun of it. In her usual state, Tino could wipe out a number of them with ease. She could manage even the tougher of the bunch as long as she took them on one at a time. But Tino was exhausted. It might have been her own lack of experience that prevented her from resting during the journey but it would still be suicidal for her to challenge a band of orcs in her current state.

Thieves weren’t suited for fighting multiple foes at a time. It was easy to forget this while watching Lizzy in action, but their main duties were tasks such as sneak attacks, reconnaissance, and disarming traps.

Master wants to teach me the secrets to multitarget combat—one of my weak points. I can’t do it.

Tino found herself jealous of the gleeful Smart sisters. Her sleep-deprived brain failed to keep her thoughts in order, preventing her from making any sound judgments. Her extravagant spartan training once again made her want to cling to that back she was always walking behind. In Elan, some hunters had defeated the lightning elemental but Tino didn’t think that same miracle would happen twice.

She had to fight. If her master was subjecting her to a Trial then it was because he thought she could overcome it, because he expected her to. Tino had undergone hellish training so she could live up to those expectations.

Her master had said he would protect her if it became necessary. That had let her forget her fatigue for an instant but she couldn’t depend on him forever. Her goal was to stand by his side as an equal, not be protected.

She didn’t know just how many orcs there were but, considering previous Trials, it would be a considerable number. It could very well be too many for her.

Maybe there are unlimited orcs. Possibly. Master, I can’t do it.

“Huh? You have another hideaway in Gula?” she heard Krai ask.

“But of course,” Sitri said with a hearty nod. “You never know what might happen.”

It was then that Tino felt she had an idea as to why Siddy was so overprepared. With a fuzzy feeling, she made up her mind: if she got the chance, she would prepare for any contingency. But first, she had to live to see the next day.

Tino had an idea. Unlike Lizzy, who brute-forced her way through everything, Siddy specialized in more underhanded methods. She might teach Tino how to fight multiple enemies at once. Tino had trouble interacting with Siddy but that didn’t mean they were on bad terms. Siddy required caution and awareness but the two of them had a common ally in Krai. Sometimes she could be a bit touchy but there seemed to be a line she wouldn’t cross.

She would probably help Tino if she asked. What Tino didn’t know was what sort of compensation Siddy might demand.

When would the battle with the orcs happen? Night? An hour from now? Would they attack? Or would Tino have to hunt them down? Would she get a chance to rest? Would she get time to prepare? Or would she have to manage in her current state? With the current training restrictions in place, this last possibility seemed feasible and also the most strenuous. With her master’s Trials, it was safe to assume the worst.

I can’t do it.

Tino desperately tried to work her tired sleep-deprived brain. Suddenly, her master turned around. His pitch-black eyes almost seemed to stare straight into her mind. Unlike Tino, he looked calm and without a single worry.

“Well, Tino’s also looking tired. Let’s have a good meal and relax for the rest of the day,” he said.

“M-My last supper?”

Perhaps the orcs would attack during the meal?

***

As if mocking Tino for her cowardice, no sign of trouble ever came.

Siddy’s hideaway in Gula was identical to the one in Elan. The supplies and the furniture were the same, you almost had to make an effort to notice the differences.

“Universal specifications make things easier,” Siddy had said with a bit of pride.

She handled the cooking and made an exceptional meal out of the stocked provisions. It was hard to believe she was related to Lizzy, who never cooked. Tino had some confidence in her culinary skills, but nothing she made compared to this. Siddy must’ve practiced so she could find her way to Krai’s heart through his stomach.

On the surface, this vacation really was just a vacation. Tino hadn’t fought any monsters and she hadn’t had to pay for her food or lodging. It would be so wonderful if the free ride was payment for her services as a bodyguard. The word “vacation” ate away at her, it was a word normally associated with fun.

She felt like she was falling apart. She was on edge. She just wanted to train, even if it was something so savage as to make her lose her lunch, it would still be better than the current situation.

Her head wobbled side to side, burdened with these thoughts, when she found herself interrupted by Krai clapping his hands together.

“Oh right,” he said. “Tino, why don’t we get chocolate parfaits tomorrow? There’s a famous place in town.”

Tino hadn’t expected this. Her response came after a brief delay.

“Huh?”

She liked sweet things and she had accompanied her master many times before on these sorts of outings. However, she hadn’t yet done anything warranting a reward. Both Lizzy and Siddy’s expressions clouded when they heard his suggestion. They didn’t care much for sweet things and so it was only Tino who got to enjoy these occasions.

As a sort of protest, Lizzy jumped on Krai’s back and wrapped her arms around him, but his expression didn’t change. Siddy’s smile returned to her face but the glare in her eyes made threats on Tino’s life.

Tino wanted to join her master but she couldn’t permit herself to agree.

“Master, I haven’t done anything to warrant a reward,” she said.

“That’s ridiculous, I think you’re working very hard. Besides, sweet things are good for when you’re tired,” he said.

Krai’s smile was genuine, he was always so kind. He wore that kind smile when he gave Tino challenges to overcome.

“But...”

“I don’t really care about accomplishments or whatever. But if it really bothers you...here, if something happens you can just do your best when the time comes. It’s important to rest every once in a while. Tino, you don’t look well.”

Tino vaguely looked towards Lizzy with a questioning glance. Her master’s words were sacrosanct but she had to show respect towards Lizzy if she didn’t want to be subjected to brutal training.

Lizzy noticed Tino’s glance and furrowed her brow as she collapsed on the sofa.

“Sounds like a good time,” she said.

“Huh?! Uh, Lizzy—”

“I’m not stupid. If I go along then I’ll just be in the way.”

Lizzy was known as the Stifled Shadow and was feared throughout the capital. Krai was perhaps the only person who might be able to think of her as “in the way.”

“Krai’s right, T,” said the other Smart sister. “It’s important to rest. I’ll plan out all the details for tomorrow so you can relax.”

In those pink eyes, the same color as Lizzy’s, there glimmered a light. It threatened to end Tino’s existence.

***

The sun began to set. With the bulwarks of Gula in the distance, Black, White, and Gray pitched a tent, moving quickly and silently. A sullen mood hung over them. They had a carriage, plenty of food, and the person who collared them was nowhere to be seen. Yet they still couldn’t make their escape.

A pair of eyes stared at them. They had seen a plethora of odd creatures but this one was entirely unlike the rest. The creature had bothered them ever since they first caught sight of it running alongside the carriage, but they made an effort to not think about it too much.

It had gray skin and a well-built body. It wore nothing but a red banana hammock and a brown paper bag with two eyeholes cut in it over its head, as if put there as a joke. It was unmistakably a monster, the loyal beast of that demonic Alchemist.

They didn’t think they could win it over to their side. To their attuned senses, an enormous amount of mana material radiated from it, its muscles clearly weren’t just for show. And then there was its gaze, devoid of any trace of emotion.

Apparently, its name was “Killiam,” but that didn’t really matter. Black tried to imagine what sort of methods that Alchemist must have employed to build such a beast, but she immediately stopped herself. She was certain that the Alchemist had dirtied her hands with much more heinous acts than she, White, or Gray had ever done. She was also certain that those hands might come at any time for her and her cohorts.

Sitting near Killiam was a white lion—a chimera—almost two meters long. It let out a growl. The chimera wasn’t nearly as bad as Killiam but it was still something they would generally avoid fighting, as the creature’s strength was an unknown quantity. All the monsters on the road had fled when they saw it. It probably wasn’t weak, she could see it catching up to them if they tried to flee with the carriage.

“She told us to look after this thing. How the hell are we supposed to do that?!” White asked with a ghostly pallor.

Gray didn’t say anything but he looked just as much at his wit’s end.

Black had done a variety of jobs in her career as a criminal but she didn’t know how to take care of a chimera. The Alchemist had said they should be able to handle everything on their own but she hadn’t even told them what to feed the thing. The provisions in the carriage didn’t seem like they would be enough to sustain such a large body. Sitri didn’t seem to be feeding it and they didn’t know how it had nourished itself during the journey so far.

Black made up her mind and approached Killiam and the chimera (Drink, was it?).

“What do you eat?” she asked.

Killiam slowly turned towards Drink.

“Kill, kill, kill...”

“Meow.”

“Kiiill.”

“Meow meow.”

Perhaps being monsters gave them a sense of camaraderie? Killiam had a very high-pitched voice for such a large creature, while Drink’s meow was quite endearing.

“What’s going on? Are they talking to each other?” Gray whispered with a tremble.

The conversation ended after only a few words. Killiam turned to Black and Drink lazily stood up.

“Kill.”

With that one word, Killiam leaped into the air. With surprising flexibility, it landed atop Drink. The chimera dashed off at extraordinary speed, the two silhouettes gradually grew smaller. Black didn’t know what to say. Neither did White or Gray.

“They ran off?” White whispered.

There was no reason for them to run, neither Black, White, or Gray had done anything. This wasn’t good.

“They ran. We gotta go after them!”

“B-But!”

“We were supposed to take care of those things! We’ll be killed if Sitri finds out that they got away.”

Proof wasn’t necessary. All Sitri needed to liquidate them was a hunch. There was no doubt in their minds. A cold, ominous wind suddenly blew over them. A black forest lay in the direction they had seen Drink and Killiam run off to.

“How are we gonna chase them? Where’d they go?”

“How should I know? Let’s just get a move on!”

***

The beast dashed through the forest. It was a chimera, an accursed creature born by warping the fundamentals of life. It resembled a lion but the wings on its back made it clear that it was something far less conventional. Someone with a good nose might notice the perverse scent it gave off.

It ran like the wind through a mountain road lined with dark trees, a berserker riding atop its back. The Rider’s gray skin and muscles were fortified, its body burning to the touch, in stark contrast to its dull color. It had the scent of a human but its monstrous form was the result of the profane. Chimeras usually only took a liking to their creators, but if it was running along with the berserker then it must have instinctively known that the two were, in a sense, kin.

“Kill, kill...”

“Grrr...”

They felt no fear. Even if they did, it wouldn’t show. Drink and Killiam were made to be exceptionally strong, to be a shield if necessary.

The smell of monsters was everywhere on the mountain path, it was the smell of orcs. Drink was a merging of the best parts of various mythical beasts, as far as it was concerned, this was the smell of food.

They were hungry. They were both designed so they could work even without eating for limited stretches, but that only meant they could endure the miserable pangs of hunger, not ignore the feeling entirely. They had caught and eaten monsters while traveling but those that got near the road didn’t amount to much. Drink and Killiam had empty stomachs and ever since arriving at Gula the smell of orcs had been nagging at them.

“Kill, kill, kill...”

“Meow.”

To interpret:

“Let’s get this over with quickly.”

“No need to tell me.”

Or something like that.

Drink caught a sign of their prey and sped up. A fort illuminated by torches came into view. The building was a simple construct, about what was typical of orcs. There were lookouts but Drink and Killiam had no cause for concern.

Killiam acted as the vanguard. Its muscles began to ripple and expand and Drink held its tail straight as a blade. Both creatures were amalgamations made to fight. Show no fear, kill, eat. The beasts of the Ignoble set upon the fort.

***

It was like a natural disaster.

The orc pack had been formed by multiple smaller packs joining together. On the slope of a mountain, they had built a sturdy fort atop the ruins of an abandoned village.

Reigning over the fort was King Schwarz, an aberrant orc born in a remote region rich in mana material. His strength and intelligence far exceeded normal orcs, he could comprehend the words of humans, and had the charisma to lead a coalition of multiple tribes. Cementing his status as unique among his peers was his weapon: a powerful sword he had stolen from a human he had slain.

However, the orc hero’s kingdom crumbled in an instant. The disaster came in the form of a bone-chilling monster. It had a scent that invited doubts that they were truly of this world. The vile creature jumped the outer walls with ease, ignored the lookout, and headed straight for the deepest reaches of the fort. This was where the orc women and orc children were kept.

By the time Schwarz realized what was happening, it was too late. The wretched beast had eaten the pack’s future—its children—and torn its beloved women to shreds. The orc king had seen many tragedies but he still couldn’t bear to look upon this travesty. The stench of blood permeated the air and screams layered atop more screams. The creature let out a feline cry.

It wasn’t even fit to call a battle. Against a human, the orc warriors would have bravely risked their lives if their king ordered it, but the wretched form and otherworldly scent of the creature had them frozen with fear.

Only Schwarz properly understood the situation, for he possessed the rationality to not be driven by instinct. This was a trap laid by the humans; they had realized they wouldn’t be able to take the fort head-on so they resorted to cowardly methods.

There was just one beast, and Schwarz had a thousand hardy warriors at his command. They couldn’t lose as long as they kept their composure. His instincts, rationality, and intelligence all gave him confidence.

However, his orders didn’t get through. He was the only one with the strength and intellect necessary to resist his instincts. Screams drowned out his commands and his soldiers and the remaining women turned their backs on him as they raced to abandon the fort. Only Schwarz understood how foolish that was. The beast’s objective wasn’t just to eat, it was to destroy. With wings and a lion’s head, its eyes displayed savage glee. It was the same sort of glee Schwarz felt when attacking a human settlement.

“Fight!” he yelled to no effect.

Like a zephyr, the beast charged after the appetizing backs of the fleeing orcs. It easily outpaced its prey and its claws tore through both armor and flesh in a single swipe. Every part of it was made to kill, even its whiplike tail and its roar.

Schwarz let out a howl of rage. He didn’t want any more of his pack to die. With thunderous footfalls, he charged at the beast, his black greatsword raised above his head. His foe was an abomination but he was a veteran of many battles.

With fierce determination, he was about to strike at the beast’s weak point, its flank, but suddenly something fell from the sky. He instinctively raised his blade and blocked it; despite his readiness, his arms grew numb from the immense weight pressing against his blade.

“Kill, kill...”

A large warrior, of comparable size to Schwarz, had fallen. It had an outline close to a human’s and it smelled like one, but it was no human. He could tell that its might exceeded that of any of orc under his command.

Reinforcements had arrived for the other beast. Schwarz bit his lip and took a step back. He couldn’t win this. In spite of his boiling rage, he accepted defeat.

The gray warrior bunched his fists and took a fighting stance. The beast stopped feasting on the orcs and moved around to surround Schwarz. He could handle one at a time but two at once was impossible. His death was certain.

Corpses of allies, warriors, and women were piled up throughout the fort. Even though the attackers had been only a single beast and humanoid, the bodies in the fort far outnumbered those who had successfully escaped.

As king, Schwarz couldn’t allow himself to give in to rage and perish here.

“You die...”

A beast and a fistfighter. Running away wouldn’t be difficult. Schwarz deflected an attack from the beast’s tail and fell back. The two attackers didn’t get any closer. They were eating the corpses, almost as if to say they already had what they came for.

And so the orc fort was decimated before it could ever attack the town of Gula.

***

The first thing she noticed was the repugnant scent. It was well into the night and Chloe and her companions were stopping to rest on the road to Gula. They wanted to avoid traveling at night as much as they could afford to. It was only common sense among hunters.

They had been in a hurry and the tough, equine monsters pulling Chloe and Scorching Whirlwind’s carriage had reached their limit. Falling Fog, on the other hand, seemed to have energy to spare.

Even still, they hadn’t stopped to set up camp, only to take a brief rest. Arnold was clearly willing to do whatever it took to catch his prey.

They built a roaring fire and sat around it. This was something most monsters wouldn’t get close to, even the least intelligent of them could still sense danger from a concentration of mana material.

The sight of hunters sitting around a fire and passing the time by sharing tales of adventure was exactly how Chloe had always pictured it. Naturally, she shared a story about the Thousand Tricks. Treasure hunters valued their pride. Fights between them were inevitable but the Explorers’ Association did what they could to lessen the resulting damage. She figured Falling Fog’s anger might subside a tad if they knew of Krai’s accomplishments.

He had resolved a number of incidents, slain fiends that had killed champions, and was feared by his contemporaries. His name struck fear in the hearts of criminals. Some had even turned themselves in simply because it was rumored that the Thousand Tricks was after them. He was a mysterious hunter who rarely took quests or showed up at Association branches and nobody knew what it was that he did instead.

Chloe tried to tell her stories in a way that wouldn’t agitate Arnold but he still looked displeased. However, he could be calculating when the time called for it and probably didn’t stop her because her tales contained useful information.

“He rarely accepts quests? What does he do instead?” he asked.

“We don’t infringe upon hunters’ privacy,” she said. “However, there are rumors of him training his clanmates.”

“You mean those ‘Thousand Trials’? Total nonsense,” Eigh said.

Treasure hunting was something that required constant self-improvement, hunters didn’t have time to do things like take on apprentices. The only people who taught the trade were those who retired from it.

However, plenty of people had taken on the Thousand Trials, even people from outside First Steps. The bitter expressions worn by Rhuda and Gilbert were likely due to their experience at White Wolf’s Den.

Even though it wasn’t the sort of thing the Association would permit, there was something Chloe was trying not to think about too much. It was within the realm of possibility that the troubles with the lightning elemental in Elan were incited for reasons similar to that of the White Wolf’s Den incident.

“You mean it’s possible the Thousand Tricks might have been manipulating that elemental?”

“What?! Not at all! He’s not a criminal,” Chloe protested.

“If you say so,” Arnold said with a furrowed brow.

A sudden wind swept over them. The mustangs whinnied and Arnold stood up. The members of Scorching Whirlwind all gripped their weapons and checked their surroundings. The wind was warm and carried a repulsive stench. It was a common scent even at the Explorers’ Association: the smell of a beast.

“What’s that stench?”

“Damn, I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

Eigh, a Thief, looked in the direction of the wind and narrowed his eyes. This was a scent more common to closed rooms than the open plains.

“It’s the scent of an excited beast—and it’s getting closer.”

The ground rumbled minutely. The members of Scorching Whirlwind wore tense expressions. Chloe remembered something she had heard in Elan: apparently, Gula was busy figuring out how to deal with a pack of orcs. The monsters had built a fort near the town and quite a number of them were inhabiting it.

Gula is still some distance away. There’s no reason orcs holed up in a fort would come all the way out here, Chloe thought. But she immediately found her expectations betrayed.

“It’s a pack of orcs!” Eigh yelled. “There’s a ton of them and they’re coming straight for us. There’s nowhere to run!”

The thundering got closer, they realized it was the sound of footsteps. A black wave moved across the moonlit road. Chloe drew her weapon. It was a shortsword her uncle had given her, and the light of the fire reflected off it.

Arnold yelled and his sword began to crackle with lightning. He showed no signs of his earlier fatigue.

“Get ready! Stoke the fire and prepare offensive spells,” he said. “Chloe, if you can’t fight then get back.”

“I’ll fight.”

“Very well. These aren’t much smarter than wild animals. They should turn tail if we show them who’s stronger.”

This was a high-level hunter. He didn’t even seem to waver in the face of a horde of monsters.

“Tear them to shreds!” Arnold ordered.

The rest of Falling Fog responded with a roar and they took the horde of orcs head-on.

***

A new day began. Just like the previous one, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. It seemed the storm had passed. Well rested, I got up and stretched when I heard a banging sound from the other bedroom.

“Well, it’s not like Krai Baby’s gonna have any interest in a kid like T. And this isn’t a date, she’s just his protection. I don’t think I need to tell you this, T, but don’t get any funny ideas just because he’s nice to you. When you get back, I’ll train you body and soul so that you never feel that way ever again.”

“I’ll manage your outfit, T. Even though you’re going as his bodyguard, your usual outfit will be a hindrance. If you and Krai contrast too much then it will make him look bad. For both yours and his sake, you can’t show too much leg. Regardless of how you might feel, the people around you...”

Why are they causing such a fuss when we’re just going out for parfaits? If those two care so much they should just go with us...

When Tino exited the bedroom, she looked quite different from her usual self. She wore a long gray coat that concealed the dagger at her waist. Her normal outfit made it clear she was a Thief, but I wasn’t sure how to describe this look. For some reason, her red ribbons had been swapped out for white ones and the circles under her eyes had disappeared.

Sitri made a troubled smile when she noticed me staring.

“This was the best I could do while ensuring she could be an effective guard and hide her identity. If I let her go in a skirt and casual clothes then it would almost seem like you two were on a date. My apologies, Krai, I don’t have many inconspicuous Relics like you do. She’s equipped with the bare minimum, if you could do your best to compensate...”

“No worries, if trouble arises then we’ll just come back here.”

Unlike Tino, I was in my usual clothes and thus fully kitted out. From head to toe, I was equipped with Relics that Kris and the other First Steps Magi had worked themselves to the bone charging. I was still useless but I could at least serve as a wall.

“I don’t think I need to worry, but keep your hands off of T, no matter how cute she is,” Sitri jokingly warned me.

What kind of person does she think I am? Even if she’s joking, Tino might not see it that way.

I was about to protest but Sitri shifted her gaze to Tino.

“Listen well, T,” she said with a smile. “If you lay a hand on Krai, I’ll make sure such deviant thoughts never again cross your mind.”

Sitri’s convincing performance caused Tino to take a step back, her face a deathly pallor. There was no way I was going to lay a hand on her, so it was even harder to think she would do anything to me.

“Come back the instant you finish your food, okay, Krai Baby? Then we can have our date after that,” Liz said.

“I’ll make preparations for the next leg of our trip, including ensuring that T can sleep very well,” Sitri said. “Don’t be gone long, you two.”

For reasons unknown to me, the two sisters looked restless as they saw us off. I had never seen Tino so uncertain as I led her through the vaguely solemn town.

***

As you might expect for a town famous for its chocolates, the streets of Gula were filled with shops offering sweet treats. There were some with signs brightly proclaiming that they specialized in chocolate. I specialized in eating.

Even though I kept it a secret, I loved sweet things. Heavy cream, sweet beans, chocolate, I loved it all, I loved it more than anything else. I made sure I always had a chocolate bar handy. I wanted to take my time and check out all the shops, but unfortunately, that wasn’t in the cards.

The raised flag had the town a tad on edge, but I was relatively used to it. In my early days as a hunter chocolate would have been the last thing on my mind at a time like this. However, I was a prime example of how sheer experience could allow even the most incompetent of us to grow accustomed to something.

On the other hand, Tino seemed to be making herself small. She liked sweets just as much as I did, but she didn’t keep it hidden. Usually when we went out for sweets her joy was infectious, but maybe she wasn’t used to walking around a town when a warning flag was raised.

“Don’t worry, Tino. I know you haven’t left the capital much, but you see those flags all the time if you travel around enough,” I said and then began to chuckle. “I can’t even remember how many of those flags I’ve seen.”

“Huh?! You can’t...”

And once we saw the flag, Luke or someone would dive straight into trouble. I would just sit in the back and wear Safety Rings so I always came out unscathed, but it wasn’t easy to watch my friends get roughed up. But Tino wasn’t the type to run headlong into danger so I had nothing to worry about.

Her eyes were darting around nervously, which was a bit different from her usual manner. I was, technically, the more experienced hunter so I figured I should provide a good example.

“If you’re still bothered by it then, hmmm. Here, close your eyes and cover your ears, take deep breaths, and think about something fun,” I suggested.

And if someone’s speaking to you, fold your arms, nod your head, and pretend to be deep in contemplation.

This was a technique I used to avoid reality. There was only so much a man could do on his own. There were plenty of other excellent hunters out there so I let them take care of anything that I wasn’t responsible for.

Tino wasn’t saying a word, so I got a bit ahead of myself and kept on rambling.

Right, I’ve been thinking about this a lot. Tino overthinks things, she takes things too seriously. She’s a talented hunter but there are also plenty who surpass her. If she takes on too much by herself, then she’ll just be crushed under the weight.

“You’ve still got a long road ahead of you and I don’t think there’s any use overthinking things,” I told her. “And now Liz and Sitri are with us so you should relax a bit. You haven’t looked well today or yesterday and it’s got me worried.”

“I-I see, thank you very much.”

The rings under her eyes had disappeared but she couldn’t hide her fatigue. I pointed this out to her and she looked away bashfully.

A little bit of pep returned to her step as we strolled through the town. Our destination was along a major street and had a fashionable exterior. There were plenty of people passing through the street but, under the current circumstances, there weren’t any other customers. How convenient.

This wasn’t just an outing to get a parfait, this was also a chance for Tino to mentally recuperate. Liz’s treatment of her had been bothering me. I didn’t think she was subjecting Tino to anything too awful, but I figured that whatever it was, Tino would find it easier to talk about while enjoying something sweet.

Good grief, sweets aren’t my thing but I guess I can go along if it’s for her sake. 

We were offered seats with a good view of the street and ample sunlight. Just like the exterior, the interior was furnished quite stylishly. This clearly wasn’t a place you’d frequently see hunters at. I was familiar with all of the confectioneries of the capital, but this still seemed like a place I could have high hopes for.

Tino’s eyes glimmered as she looked around. Bringing her along appeared to have paid off. I was letting myself bask in the cheery scene when she looked at me with upturned eyes.

“Master,” she began. “Um, Siddy gave me some money. She said to use it however I wanted.”

I didn’t respond.

Does Sitri think she’s my guardian or something? I wish she’d at least let me pretend to be a cool master for Tino.

Sitri’s meddling took some of the wind out of my sails but that didn’t make me any less excited for the parfait I was about to enjoy. I made sure to conceal my excitement as I placed my order. The sweet scent wafting through the café made me so glad I chose to leave the capital. This had all started because I was running away from that conference but things turned out pretty well.

Am I actually having a lucky day? Whatever’s waiting for me at the capital can wait until I get back.

“Master, thank you so much,” Tino said. “I believe I’ve embarrassed you.”

“I don’t mind. It’s no trouble for me and, besides, I’m always causing trouble for you.”

“Oh no, not all.”

There was nobody better than me when it came to depending on others, but it felt nice to be depended on once in a while. Particularly Tino, since my influence was part of what drove her to become a hunter. I couldn’t understand why she was so unwilling to rely on me. Really, I thought it would be perfectly fine if she did.

We waited for our parfaits and, to little surprise, mostly talked about things related to treasure hunting. It wasn’t really the sort of thing you’d talk about on a date but Tino took things seriously. She was aiming to become a first-rate hunter and I had experience, if nothing else, as a hunter so telling her about my experiences was the least I could do.

“Huh? You’ve never been wounded in combat before?” she asked wide-eyed and surprised.

“It’s just because the rest of Grieving Souls are all so strong.”

Ansem would put up barriers, I had Safety Rings, and not many attacks came my way in the first place. My mana material was a step below everyone else’s so I didn’t stand out much in a battle. With nothing to do, I would sometimes just sit down and watch.

In the wide world of treasure hunting, I was probably the only hunter who had ever done such a thing.

“I shouldn’t have expected anything less, Master. I could never hope to emulate you.”

I didn’t know why, but Tino’s eyes shined with admiration as she spoke. I hadn’t done anything that warranted admiration or was worth emulating. Her misdirected admiration made me feel bad so I tried to shift some of it towards Liz.

“There’s nothing praiseworthy about being unscathed. Instead, you should strive for the strength to keep going even when you’re hurt. With enough effort, you’ll even be able to master Evolve Greed.”

“I’m not so sure...”

“No, no, that Relic is really strong and valuable. Just by putting it on it almost made you as strong as Liz. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen. It’s just a shame that I can’t use it.”

Just how weak am I if that mask rejected me even after I put it on...ah, no, no, no.

Tino shrank back when she saw I was getting worked up.

“So, what I’m trying to say is that Liz’s training might be brutal but I think it’s to your benefit,” I said in an attempt to quickly change the subject. “She can be strict but I don’t think she does it to bully you—”

“Huh? Oh, mmm. Lizzy’s doing the right thing. I’m very happy to have met you and her.”

“Sitri’s not a bad person either, she’s just a bit odd. Most Alchemists are. I don’t think she intends to bully you—”

“Hm? It embarrasses me when she touches me in front of you but I don’t she’s bul— Er, it’s not like she does it all the time.”

Tino’s responses were more relaxed than I had expected. I thought Liz’s pressure had been driving her to the edge but that didn’t seem to be the case given her current attitude, and she wasn’t the type to lie.

Huh? Was I wrong to think there was a problem?

“Is there anything bothering you?” I asked just to be sure. “If there is something, tell me and I’ll handle it.”

“I’m quite fine. If anything, it’s your requests that hurt the most—” Tino mumbled as she looked at the floor. “Ah, but I understand that you’re looking out for me.”

Did I do something? Did I do something worse than make her drink a liquid lightning rod and run through a storm?

Sure, I had shown poor leadership in the past but I never did anything out of malice. I hadn’t meant to make her uncomfortable when I put Evolve Greed on her and I didn’t plan to make her wear it ever again unless she wanted to.

Wait. Then what’s been causing Tino to feel so down? I haven’t asked anything of her during this trip. As far as I can recall, I’ve been particularly harmless lately.

I tilted my head, when Tino’s expression suddenly shifted. She stood up, noticed I was looking at her, and sat back down.

“S-Sorry, Master. There were voices outside, I wasn’t listening for them or anything but they were loud and Lizzy teaches me to always pay attention.”

“What’s the matter?”

How good were her ears if she was hearing things outside? I was next to the window and I didn’t hear a thing.

Tino became red in the face and a flurry of words began to spill out from her mouth.

“I haven’t been able to believe your words entirely. But that’s because of everything that’s happened and something easy to you is life-threatening to me, and you were supposed to always be with me—I’m sorry. I just did something very embarrassing.”

Her hands were clenched into fists and pressed against her knees as she tried to make herself seem smaller. Considering her embarrassment, I was really sorry that I had no idea what she was talking about. What I could tell was that her faith in me was abysmally low and that she looked really cute when red in the face.

With Tino so worked up, the waiter lost their chance to bring our parfaits.

Tino looked up with determination and declared: “I’ve made up my mind. I’ll never doubt your words ever again!”

Except I didn’t remember doing anything to deserve such trust. Really, I was such a bumbling fool I didn’t think I could handle all the trust. More than anything, this wasn’t the first time she had said this to me.

I’m sorry I’ve betrayed you so many times. It’s all my fault.

“I don’t think that’s the first time I’ve heard that,” I said.

“Th-This time for sure. If you say a crow’s white then it’s white! Your will is my own!”

I think there’s too much of a gap in our excitement levels. Well, as long as she’s happy. 

I pushed back any doubts in the back of my mind and was about to give my usual “Yeah, uh-huh,” but Tino cut me off.

“Also, Master,” she said while fidgeting with her fingers. “I know it’s not my place and I might not understand even if you told me, but I’d like to ask for the sake of education. It’s about what those hunters were discussing. How did you drive those orcs out of the fort?”

What’s she talking about?

***

“It’s delicious,” Tino said with a blissful smile.

The chocolate parfait was even better than I had been led to believe. A glass about thirty centimeters tall had been filled with ice cream, chocolate, flaky cookies, and then topped off with an almost gratuitous amount of cream. At the tip-top of it was a piece of chocolate shaped, very fittingly, like a crown.

The quality of the chocolate was what you might expect from a place famous for its chocolate production, but the sheer volume was also extraordinary. I was sure Liz or Sitri would’ve grimaced at the sight of it.

However, what really elevated the taste was the information Tino had overheard. The orcs had gone somewhere. Even the best sweets were hard to enjoy when something was on your mind. I couldn’t be sure why, but I felt really lucky knowing that trouble had left in the same direction it had come from. I had proof that I could avoid a tumult as long as I kept my childhood friends under control.

Good job, me!

Tino smiled, I smiled, everything was going well. I wanted to do a little dance, but I didn’t because I was hard-boiled. Instead, I just smiled silently. I didn’t feel like I was going to barf.

There’s one issue, however. I don’t think I’ll be able to finish this parfait.

I looked down at the dessert. I had a hidden sweet tooth, but unlike most hunters, I wasn’t a big eater. I had moved my spoon at a considerable pace but the pretty glass was still half full.

Meanwhile, Tino, who ordered the same thing, had finished hers and watched me without saying a peep. Hunters tended to both eat a lot and quickly. I wondered just how she stored it all in that small body of hers.

I’d feel bad leaving it unfinished. Maybe Tino will finish it for me? No, hold on, it might be okay with Liz or Sitri, but I can’t have my junior finishing off a guy’s food.

Traversing the harsh world made hunters resilient to many things a normal person might balk at. Tino might not necessarily mind finishing my parfait, but it might damage my hard-boiled image. Unless it was already too late to be worrying about that.

Tino’s black eyes stared at me, they still glimmered with genuine respect.

Hmm, if she’s still hungry then she’d just place another order.

After giving it some thought, I tried removing one of the rolled cookies from the parfait and thrust it before Tino. My mouth hadn’t touched it so I figured this was more or less fine. Her eyes bulged and she looked around.

“Uh?! Um, huh?” She looked puzzled. “Th-Thank you,” she eventually said and bit on the cookie. Her face became red all the way to her ears. This was a side of her I didn’t often see and I somehow felt like I was feeding a wild animal. But I, too, would be embarrassed if I was in her position.

“Is it good?” I asked.

“Yes, it’s very sweet,” she said in a small voice as she nibbled on the cookie. She really liked sweet things.

I need to earn what favor with her I can on this vacation and then make sure not to lose it. 

I was beginning to relax when a man with a large white hat and a white apron wrapped around his rotund body appeared from the far end of the café. He seemed nice enough, but I was also used to being surrounded by stern-faced hunters.

He headed straight for us, his gaze never leaving us. Tino seemed a bit apprehensive.

“Pardon me,” he said in a hushed voice. “I might have the wrong person but would you happen to be the Thousand Tricks?”

I had used a fake ID and yet my cover still ended up blown. I didn’t let my surprise show as I looked at his face—just as I expected, I had no idea who he was. Hiding my shock seemed to work against me because the man smiled and nodded with satisfaction.

“I knew it! I’ve waited so long for this day! I’m the manager of this café.”

He sounded excited. He asked to shake my hand and I just let it happen. He must have been the chef as well as the manager because his hands smelled of sugar. I had been recognized by hunters before, but never had a civilian identified me because I was enjoying something sweet. Not to mention he was so impassioned for reasons I couldn’t figure out.

Tino looked at him with wide eyes.

“You’re very famous in this industry,” the excellent pastry chef said in a fast voice. “You’re the legendary treasure hunter who’s been to confectioneries all over the map! They say that a shop visited by you will be prosperous and happy! You get the moniker Thousand Tricks because you try every last item on the menu!”

“As expected of Master...”

I did a double take; this was all news to me.

My identity was supposed to be hidden, why is it so obvious to this guy? I don’t get why he’s treating me like some sort of lucky fairy. This isn’t hard-boiled at all. With this reputation, maybe I should stop going outside unless I have a very good reason to. I want to crawl into a hole. What did Tino mean “As expected”? What did he mean my moniker comes from trying every item on a menu?

“I could tell it was you by your black eyes and hair, as well as the young lady with you,” the chef continued. “I was looking forward to the day you graced our establishment with your presence, but to think it would happen under such circumstances...”

“Don’t worry. Master’s already dealt with the orcs, you can relax,” Tino said unprompted. “The chocolate parfait was delicious, sir.”

“Wait, I haven’t done anything!” I interjected.

I could live with this guy being grateful for my visit but I couldn’t let him be grateful for something I hadn’t even done. That would put a responsibility on my shoulders.

“It was other hunters who fought the orcs, not me. Don’t forget that,” I said. “It’s, uh, just a coincidence that they left their fort. See, Tino? I haven’t done anything.”

“If you say it’s a coincidence, then it’s a coincidence. My apologies, sir, forget what I just said,” Tino said, proudly twisting my words.

“I-I see. Understood. If you say it’s a coincidence,” the chef said with a knowing nod.

In a mood that words fail to describe, I returned to the hideaway with Tino. I opened the door and Liz sprung on me, almost as if she had been waiting for that exact moment.

“Welcome back, Krai!” Sitri said with a smile. “We’ve been waiting so long. Lizzy wanted to tail you, but I put a stop to that idea.”

“Excuse me?! You were considering it too!” Liz yelled. “Welcome back, Krai Baby! What’s that, did you bring us a gift?”

What a sudden shift in atmosphere it was. I put an arm around Liz and handed Sitri the box we received from the pastry chef. It was packed to the brim with famous chocolates produced in Gula. If I had to accept gifts, I might as well accept the throne of the chocolate fairy.

Tino’s grin was replaced with a look both vague and expressionless. I had known Liz longer, but Tino had still been around her for a few years. You’d think she would know how Liz is around her friends.

Liz grabbed my arm and rubbed her cheek against mine.

“I was so bored I thought I might go after those orcs,” she said. “I heard they caused some real damage and it seems they’ve got that fort locked down.”

“Ah, apparently it’s been emptied out.”

“What?! How?”

Just in case, Tino and I had asked around after leaving the café. We’d feel pretty bad if the pastry chef got hurt because he had been given bad info. In the end, we found that what Tino had heard was true. The orcs had indeed abandoned their fort. Apparently, they were seen scrambling across the plains near the town, but not attacking it. The cause was unknown, but it sure was a lucky break for Gula.

If an orc pack started rampaging along a highway, then the empire’s highest authorities would get involved. That would dramatically increase the funds and manpower poured into resolving the problem, not to mention more hunters would gather to help. Attacking a fort nestled in a forest was grueling, but on the plains wide-area magic attacks could be utilized.

Our only misgiving was that a number of battered corpses had been found in the fort, almost as if it had been attacked by something. These sorts of unknowns always caused trouble for our party and my gut told me this might be another one of those times.

Will we be okay? Gula seems like a well-fortified town, but even still...

Sitri listened to our explanation with a grin and then clapped her hands as though she remembered something. Without saying anything, she looked at Tino and gestured towards a potion placed on the table.

“Here, T, I’ve prepared a sleeping potion for you,” she said.

A potion to usher someone into a deep sleep. Sitri’s concoctions were synthesized with the intent of being used on monsters who were resistant to potions. They were far too dangerous for a human to consume. Surely that wasn’t the sort of potion she was planning on giving to Tino?

“Sitri, let’s leave. Is everything ready?” I asked.

“Oh? So soon?”

“We’ve done what we needed to.”

And that was eating the chocolate parfaits. There were still confectioneries I wanted to visit, but that was hard to do when the name Thousand Tricks was so well-known in the area. The matter of the orcs was also bothering me and I was worried about Sitri’s hired hands.

“Agreed! Without the fort, there’s nothing for us to do here,” Liz said with her hands pressed together. Not that we ever planned on getting involved with the fort and the orcs in the first place.

Our luggage was all ready, but we hadn’t fought any monsters so it wasn’t like we had much to restock anyway. Together we all headed for the exit. News of the orcs must have spread because the town was oddly abuzz.

“Sounds like the orcs were pushed out by hunters. Lame. I thought we might get a chance to fight,” Liz grumbled while carrying a large case next to me. It seemed she had been listening to the nearby chatter. She had completely forgotten about my restrictions on training, but I decided it was fine as long as we stayed out of trouble.

“Excitement was indeed the intended result,” Sitri mumbled to herself. “But it must have been insufficient if they were so quickly driven off by mere hunters. I’ll have to make a note of it. As I expected, making it easier to disperse negatively affects the efficacy.”

I, for one, was happy. With the orcs gone, we could leave the town without worry. I just wished the issue could’ve been resolved before we arrived. We passed through the gate right as the warning flag was being lowered. It must have been a rare occurrence because there was a crowd gathered. I chose to ignore it and focus on the proceedings necessary to leave but I suddenly heard a crowd cheering nearby. The soldier processing me looked up with shining eyes.

“They were the main exterminators of the orc pack,” he explained. “The rampaging orcs happened to run in the direction of some high-level hunters and they wiped them out. They’re heroes to Gula.”

My eyes widened. This was unexpected. Sitri seemed to share the sentiment. There weren’t many high-level hunters in Zebrudia, these might have been people we knew.

“That’s, uh, amazing,” I said.

“Isn’t it?! It was a pack of orcs and, nobody knows why, but there were other monsters too. Like an elemental, a fire one even. What a feat,” the soldier said. He seemed awfully excited.

The hunters were amazing too. It was no small accomplishment to take down a surprise pack of orcs but you also needed terrible luck to run into one. It was bad enough to be traveling on a collision course with a swarm of monsters, but it was almost hard to believe that they also ran into an elemental. I wondered what they did to get such rotten luck. It was almost as bad as mine.

Within me, I felt both admiration, pity, and empathy. The orc pack wasn’t my fault, so it didn’t go any further than that.

Sitri nudged me with her elbow and whispered into my ear: “The fire elemental couldn’t have anything to do with Danger Effect. Is this according to plan?”

“Huh? Uh, mmm, I guess so?”

I wondered what she was talking about. I wasn’t the type to plan things out and even if I made one it would always fall apart. Needless to say, I hadn’t made a plan for this vacation.

While I puzzled over what Sitri had said to me, the crowd around the heroes parted for just a moment, giving me a brief glimpse of them. I did a double take.

It seemed like it had been a tough battle. The champions were roughed up, their armor covered in scratches and dents, blood soaked into their coats. Their expressions were exhausted, their gazes vague. Some were leaning against each other. However, they also had that special look you only see in people who had just fought with all their might. They were the spitting image of champions.

But the most surprising thing was that they were hunters I knew. In and of itself, that wasn’t too strange; being one myself, I knew many high-level hunters. But standing at the head of the group, looking as though he might collapse at any minute, was Arnold, leader of Falling Fog. His imposing, to put it nicely, figure was battered and drenched in blood making him look like a seasoned warrior.

I was certain, it was Arnold. Arnold, who had caused nothing but trouble in the capital. Arnold, who was one of my reasons for leaving the capital. I didn’t know why he was here, but what a coincidence it was.

Behind him was Rhuda and her party, all looking like they might keel over at any minute. Just what was going on?

“Aaah, I get it,” Liz said with a click of her fingers. It seemed she had figured something out. “I thought it was strange that we weren’t attacking the orcs, so I figured—”

“Let’s hurry up and get going. Nothing good will come from being seen. I’d like to renew old bonds but it seems they’ve got their hands full,” I said.

“Okaaay!”

I held my breath and waited for our processing to finish. It seemed like some bigwig was about to lead Arnold and his band somewhere. I kept glancing his way, checking to see if he had noticed us. Then his cloudy eyes suddenly seemed to catch sight of us. He looked dumbfounded for a moment and his mouth twitched. I quickly looked the other way.

Did he see us? Maybe not? He did, didn’t he?

I was too scared to turn around and check. Luckily, our paperwork was finished and we were able to pass through the gate. He was tired, he probably didn’t have time to be worrying about us. Just as I was letting myself relax, Liz gracefully turned around. She blew a kiss to Arnold’s back and, before I had a chance to stop her, shouted in a cheery voice.

“Okaaay, good job out there! Must’ve really worked hard if you’re still kicking! Sure, it was just an orc pack but that’s pretty good for a bunch of rustics! I hate to say it, but we’re real busy right now. We’ll see you around though!”

“H-Hey, Liz, don’t antagonize him,” I said. “Sitri, let’s hurry up and get going.”

A couple of seconds later we heard what sounded like an animal’s roar from the other side of the gate.

I hurried off to our carriage, which awaited us just outside the town.