"Forgive him, Krai. He may have been rude to you, but he saved us multiple times!"
Ruda's voice trembled as she approached, practically pleading.
Her thief's outfit, supposedly sturdy, was frayed in places, and her complexion was terrible. Dark circles hung beneath her large green eyes—better than Arnold's, but she clearly looked like she'd been through a lot.
She'd probably been in a survival situation. It happened all the time. When I was participating as a member of a Party, I got stranded constantly too.
In forests, mountains, deserts, the ocean—I was always getting lost. To be honest, Elisa Beck, the only new member currently in the Mourning Specter, is a former comrade from when we were stranded together. We nearly died side by side in the desert.
But putting that aside, I didn't understand what Ruda was saying.
I hadn't done anything to Arnold, nor did I intend to. If anything, from my perspective, I was the one trying to escape.
I had no grudge, really. He'd slashed at me with his sword several times, but thanks to the Barrier Ring, I was completely unscathed. If I hadn't had the ring, I would have died—but based on my experience, getting angry over something like that would make it impossible to work as a Hunter. You'd be better off forgetting about it before the stress eats you alive.
"Huh...? I haven't done anything yet, nor do I intend to..."
More importantly, why was I even here?
Arnold had collapsed right before my eyes and been carried back to the inn by his companions. The only people here now were Ruda, Gilbert, and a few others. Now was my chance to hear what happened.
Tino watched me and Ruda with a stiff expression. We'd been guided here by Citry, presumably, but there seemed to be a disconnect in perception between Ruda and me.
At my words, spoken straight from the heart, Gilbert went pale and stumbled back several steps. The color drained from Ruda's face too.
The other members, whose names I didn't even know, were all staring at me like I was some kind of monster.
"P-p-p-p-possibly, even after everything—still—"
"This is... that famous—"
Not this pattern again...
Being a Level 8 Hunter was a burden for me. Everyone expected things of me, and everyone feared me. And I couldn't live up to either.
But I couldn't just leave this alone. I doubted they'd actually do it, but if they launched a surprise attack while I was in the hot springs, it would be ugly.
"...Well, I don't think it's anything for you to worry about, but I'll hear you out for now."
Ruda and the others exchanged glances. With Liliz and Citry backing me, I was feeling confident.
I was also curious about why a Level 7 Hunter looked so terrible.
From over her shoulder, one of the companions who'd carried Arnold away—probably the vice-leader—approached with the expression of someone who'd steeled himself.
I waved with a smile to show I meant no hostility.
--- I listened to their story in the restaurant attached to the inn. The adventure recounted by Ruda, young Gilbert, and the vice-leader of the Thunder Dragon of the Mist was nothing short of harrowing.
It seemed they'd followed us all the way to the City of Ten Thousand Demons. I'd confirmed there were no carriages outside and turned back, but Arnold and the others had gone inside.
Even the Mourning Specter, a Party with two name-holders, was outside the appropriate level—and they'd entered with a mixed Party of Level 3s and 4s? Did they have a death wish?
"—So somehow, we got past it by hiding in a mountain of corpses."
"It was life or death. If Arnold-san hadn't given the right orders, we'd have all been wiped out."
Gilbert's companions nodded desperately.
Though I thought it was Arnold's orders that got them into the mess in the first place... but I kept that to myself.
Liliz, who'd been listening with a disinterested expression, blinked and said: "Hang on, so what—you guys camped where we'd already had our campfire?"
"We did not!"
"In high-level Treasure Halls, the Mana Material that constitutes the Phantoms is so dense that corpses can remain for a very long time... It might be wise to clean up properly afterward. What do you think?"
Citry put on a thoughtful expression, but my only thought was that I never expected our Party to go camping without me.
We used to do it in the old days, sure—but I never imagined they'd still be doing it in Treasure Halls beyond the appropriate level... I was happy to hear they were having fun, at least.
The key part—what Ruda and the others were actually saying—was completely incomprehensible from start to finish.
I understood the individual words, and I nodded along saying "yeah, yeah, that's right," but I couldn't follow their reasoning at all.
After hiding in a mountain of corpses and somehow getting past the horde, Ruda and the others barely escaped the City of Ten Thousand Demons and retreated to a nearby town. Injured from repeated encounters with Phantoms during the retreat and thoroughly exhausted, Arnold's group headed toward Surus—famous for its therapeutic hot springs—as both an evacuation and a rest. The fact that Gradius territory was on the route was apparently a deciding factor. Ruda had thought we were heading for Gradius territory.
I'd never go somewhere I had a bountied quest for...
The more enthusiastically they talked, the harder it was for me to hide my confusion.
The only thing I understood was that Arnold and the others no longer intended to fight me. I didn't know how Citry had guided their actions, or why they were so terrified of me—but that was enough.
Vice-leader Ei Laria pressed both hands to the table and bowed his head deeply.
"We were completely in the wrong. We underestimated a Level 8. We're sorry. We'll pay reparations too. Arnold-san is at his limit. Please, let's call it even here."
"What would you like to do, Krai-san?"
...I was being apologized to despite having done nothing. While I was used to doing the apologizing myself, being on the receiving end was a rare experience.
Citry looked up at me. The fact that Liliz didn't interject meant she was leaving it to my judgment.
Nervous expressions watched me from every direction. Reconciliation was what I wanted. This couldn't be some ploy to lower my guard.
Without thinking, I answered with a broad smile: "Sure! Well, there seems to be some kind of misunderstanding, but I have no grudge against Arnold-san. As long as nobody comes after me, I won't do anything either. Since you've come all this way, why not enjoy the hot springs?"
"...! ...Th-thank you."
Ei trembled with his head still lowered for a long time after my words, then squeezed out another apology in a strained voice.
I was too afraid to ask, but what exactly did they think I'd done?
--- I couldn't tell what he was thinking. The way Krai spoke with the carefree smile of someone who'd had a weight lifted off his shoulders made Ruda feel a sense of alienation.
To Ruda, the City of Ten Thousand Demons had been a death trap. If she'd been alone, she never would have chosen to bury herself in a mountain of grotesque corpses to hide. She might have chosen the quicker option of fleeing into the castle instead. If she had, who knew what would have happened.
But Krai's expression held no trace of concern for Ruda and the others. That only proved he was accustomed to imposing such trials on those around him.
There was more, too—the foresight that had read Arnold's thoughts and known his spirit would break, that he would choose to flee. It was demonic, and if this was the standard for Level 8, Ruda felt she would never reach that level. And beyond Hunter levels lay still further heights.
In any case, the trial was over. For now, that should be enough to be satisfied with.
Compared to the Thunder Dragon of the Mist—battered and bruised, having barely escaped the Treasure Hall with their lives, fleeing in a forced march for fear of encountering Krai—the color on Krai's group's faces was remarkably good.
Even Tino, whom Ruda had been worried about, looked healthier than the last time they'd met and was wearing a yukata.
Ruda's group had a mission. Originally, they'd planned to part ways with Arnold at Surus, enter Gradius territory, and wait for Krai there—but encountering them here might have been unfortunate for Arnold's group, but a stroke of luck for Ruda's.
After days of forced marches, Ruda was utterly exhausted. The hot springs of Surus were like heaven.
The blood and flesh that had clung to her from hiding in the mountain of corpses had vanished shortly after leaving the Treasure Hall, but the mud and grime hadn't. She'd heard the springs were therapeutic, and this was the perfect place to recover from her fatigue.
Taking Krai at his word, they deferred the detailed discussion of the quest and headed into the hot springs for the first time in ages.
Tino came along. Ruda knew about yukata as a concept, but had never actually seen one before.
The contrast with their own ragged appearance was—though Ruda admitted it was unreasonable—somewhat irritating.
The hot spring she'd chosen at random turned out to have an impressively spacious bath.
The faint steam touched her skin, and just that alone was so pleasant that drowsiness threatened to overwhelm her. She held it off and took her time washing her body properly.
She knew that long journeys meant few opportunities to bathe, but as a young woman, it was hard to stomach.
"Ah... I'm so exhausted... I thought I was going to die again."
The White Wolf's Den had been tough, but this time was equally lethal. The Phantoms were stronger this time, but having the Thunder Dragon of the Mist around had eased Ruda's mental burden somewhat.
It had been a good experience, but she never wanted to go through it again.
"Trusting the Master's judgment was one thing—but I'm glad we're alive."
Tino, who'd sat beside her and was carefully scrubbing her palm across her own skin, said in a small voice. She'd apparently been to the hot springs a few times already; her pale skin was polished to a shine.
The brief words carried deep conviction. Hearing them, Ruda felt a tickle of warmth—this normally quiet girl recognized her as a friend.
"How about you?"
"...A dragon hunt. Inside the hot springs."
"????"
Ruda sank into the large bath and listened to Tino's story. By the time she heard the full contents, she was past exasperation—she could only sigh.
It seemed Tino had her own harrowing experience. A Hunter forced to fight a dragon while completely naked—there was probably only one Tino in the entire world.
With powerful Hunters like Krai and Citry around, putting Tino through that was spartan to the extreme.
Tino spoke with great embarrassment, and even from Ruda's perspective as a fellow woman, she was quite endearing.
If Ruda had been in the same position, she wouldn't have had the composure to feel embarrassed. Even if someone pointed it out afterward, she would have held her head high and said there was nothing she could do about it.
The girl before her was a skilled Hunter, but retained a strange vestige of modesty.
Then Ruda remembered something and looked at Tino.
"...Wait. Didn't you say something about positions to Krai before?"
"? ...I did?"
Tino looked at Ruda with a puzzled expression.
It was during the training grounds, when she'd been fighting Gilbert. At the time, Ruda had assumed that was just how Tino was, but for a girl who turned crimson at having a little skin exposed, it didn't seem like something she could say so casually.
As Ruda frowned, Tino spoke in a voice slightly colder than the one she used for Mastaa.
"That was... something I picked up from big sis. Sometimes you need to get into tight spaces, and joint flexibility is important. It's natural for a Thief. I was just demonstrating it for my master, but... did I say something wrong?"
"!? ...N-no, I don't think your teacher meant—"
"? What do you mean?"
So she'd just been mimicking big sis. Liliz Smart certainly had the vibe to say something like that without batting an eye.
Normally, having flexible joints wasn't described as "being able to do any position."
"...Anyway, I don't think those are words you should use in front of everyone."
Ruda dodged the topic and sank up to her mouth in the hot water to change the subject.
The warm soak felt so good it made her soul tremble. It was as if the accumulated fatigue from all their trials was melting away.
Maybe staying here a while longer after handing the quest card to Krai wouldn't be so bad. They'd been through near-death experiences so many times...
"I think it was a good experience, but... I don't want to go through another trial again. Hey, Tino—could you pass that along to Krai?"
Half-dozing, she said in a teasing tone to Tino, who was sitting beside her.
Tino was silent for a moment, then said something unexpected.
"...I think... this trial isn't over yet."
"...What?"
--- "Hey, Thousand Transformations! Is this really training?"
"For real, for real. Luke got stronger doing this too. It's my recommended training method."
"R-really... Something feels off about it, but I guess it must be right! I never thought there'd be training you could do in a hot spring... So this is Level 8. Oooooooooooooh—*splash splash splash!*"
Young Gilbert stood in the bath with his arms raised, being pummeled by the hot spring's waterfall. Members of his Party watched on with a mix of exasperation and bewilderment.
I turned away to keep from laughing. Gilbert seemed to be about as simple as Luke.