One night had passed since the hellish banquet, and I was in the Clan Master's room listening to Eva's report.
Generally speaking, Clans formed by Treasure Hunters are pretty haphazard organizations.
They were originally created by parties of Treasure Hunters for mutual aid. Since the procedures and requirements for establishing them are minimal, some nominally called Clans don't even have any real function.
And yet, that doesn't mean such organizations are without value.
For Treasure Hunters, who are essentially self-employed, simply being part of an 'organization' provides a certain advantage. After all, strong-willed Hunters gathering together could never produce a proper organization.
《Beginning Footprint》, on the other hand, was different.
When I formed the Clan, I hired Eva and the other professional office workers from various fields, and dumped everything on them.
Even now I'm full of the desire to retire from being a Hunter, but back then I was practically desperate to quit. That was around the time the Treasure Halls being cleared by Mourning Specter started exceeding Level 5, and each expedition left everyone more and more battered—I began to feel keenly both the danger to our lives and the fact that I was an enormous burden.
Honestly, I never thought I could build such a large Clan in one go.
I'd put out the word, but I didn't expect Black Gold Cross or Holy Spirit's Children to side with us, and frankly, I'd have been fine even if we failed.
If you ask me what went right, I honestly still don't really understand. Maybe it was actually for the best that I—the most useless member of the founding party by far—didn't do any work.
While I was absentmindedly nodding along, thanks to the capable office staff, 《Beginning Footprint》 had become (scale aside) one of the most well-organized Clans in the Imperial Capital.
A clean, prominent Clan House, welfare benefits including lounge dining, item restocking and Treasure Weapon sales handled on our behalf, and even our own dedicated training facility.
We'd gained functionality rivaling the Explorer's Guild itself, and among those was—a highly trusted information network.
I don't remember giving any such order, but Eva probably made it happen somehow.
I have absolutely no idea what principle it operates on, but 《Footprint》 had come to gather fresh, high-quality intelligence.
"He seems to be the real deal... Arnold Hale, Level 7. A Hunter who earned his promotion by slaying a Thunder Dragon. His Level was certified by the Explorer's Guild in the Mist Country—Nebulnes. As a branch, they're a minor one, so there may be some bias, but..."
And whenever I had something I wanted to know, I'd just ask Eva and she'd more or less tell me. There are way too many good people around me.
What one should possess is an excellent secretary. She's more like my brain than a secretary—if she disappeared, I'm confident I'd die instantly. I couldn't rest easy without her. On top of that, she's beautiful. I couldn't ask for more.
She can skim from the membership fees for all I care—just don't leave until I retire.
"The real deal, huh... this is going to be trouble."
At Eva's calmly delivered words, I let out a deep sigh.
I'd been wondering if there was a chance his level was faked, but it seemed that wasn't the case.
That meant Liliz had unceremoniously beaten down a seasoned Hunter from out of town. My worries had just multiplied.
Liliz's certified Level is 6, but the members of 《Mourning Specter》 clear Treasure Halls with inappropriately high Levels, so they're stronger than that number suggests.
So it wasn't strange that Level 7 Arnold lost one-sidedly. The problem was that it was a complete ambush.
As for who was at fault, that's a pointless argument, so I'll leave it aside.
A Hunter who'd reached Level 7 wouldn't just sit down and take it. Arnold would be seething right about now. If he'd lost in a straight fight, he might have accepted it, but being ambushed like that would only deepen the grudge.
And with the exception of a few special cases like Guardian Knights, Hunters generally have higher offense than defense.
No matter how Peerless Shadow you are, getting ambushed by a high-Level Hunter gives you a real chance of losing. Liliz always tries to stay battle-ready, but her guard can't be at zero.
"The Thunder Dragon is insanely strong, right... if he got a title from beating one, he's no pushover."
What to do.
Dragons are synonymous with the most powerful of Monsters.
Even calling them just 'dragons' encompasses a huge variety—subdragons, pure dragons, ancient dragons, and more. They can be classified by type, or by habitat: flying dragons, land dragons, sea dragons.
Well, they're all formidable foes for Hunters, but among them, the Thunder Dragon is a particularly troublesome breed—it wreathes itself in lightning and manipulates it freely.
Actually, lightning is absurdly powerful in virtually every field.
Its speed makes evasion nearly impossible, and the sound and shock easily overwhelm even the heightened consciousness of reinforced Hunters. Since it conducts, blocking it with metal armor is practically impossible, and even among Mages, only the most advanced can wield lightning magic.
If lightning alone makes even a rabbit a deadly foe, then a dragon wielding it becomes absolutely terrifying. I'd die.
Seeing me cross my arms and furrow my brow, Eva asked with a worried look.
"Have you fought one before?"
"What I can tell you is... well, grilling it teriyaki-style with a sweet and savory sauce makes it incredibly delicious."
"I-I see..."
"Now I'm kind of hungry..."
I'd encountered one, but the only ones who fought were Liliz and the others—I played hide-behind-something. They're definitely stronger than me, but I don't know how it was for them. Their equipment was trashed, but they shouldn't have taken any serious injuries.
I vividly remember Citry cooking it afterwards—it was juicy and insanely delicious. Though maybe that was just because the special sauce was amazing. Citry really is a girl who can do anything.
"I'd love to have it again sometime..."
"R-Right, well... even in the Imperial Capital, there probably isn't a restaurant that serves Thunder Dragon meat. It's an extremely rare and expensive ingredient, and I've never even heard of it being used for food—"
"I know. Hmm..."
What to do...
I definitely needed to file a complaint with Gaark, but fights between Hunters are tacitly tolerated unless there's a serious reason.
I'd known Gaark for a long time, so he'd probably at least give them a talking-to, but from what I'd seen, that wasn't the type of matter that would be settled so easily.
I'd gladly prostrate myself in private if that would fix things, but doing it after that whole scene would be strange. They wouldn't accept it either.
I thought about it for a while, but my empty stomach wasn't helping me think straight.
I kept my expression neutral for a bit, but eventually gave up trying to figure it out.
Even if Liliz got ambushed, she'd be fine... she's used to it, and this isn't the first time she's drawn the ire of other Hunters.
I'd get Gaark to give them a warning and tell Liliz to stay on guard... that was probably all I could do.
Just then, I noticed Eva silently waiting for my words.
Her sharp, pale violet eyes were watching me. Having known her for so long, I could tell what she was thinking.
Unlike me, she's meticulous. I'm grateful that she works so hard for me—mere employer that I am—but she's a bit too thorough.
It'd be fine if she relaxed a little.
I shrugged and let out a long sigh.
"Ugh... it's your fault for bringing up teriyaki, Eva. Now I'm hungry and can't think straight."
"!? I didn't bring it up!"
Eva exaggeratedly widened her eyes and shot back.
It was just a joke. No need to raise your voice like that...
"I think peace is best, but anyway—if I talk to Gaark about this, it should sort itself out somehow. Alright, let's go get some teriyaki."
"I'll reach out to him. ...The Thunder Dragon?"
Eva asked hesitantly, and I couldn't help but crack a small smile.
"Well, let's save that for another time. Thunder Dragon is good, but chicken isn't bad either."
She'd just said herself that no restaurant in the Imperial Capital would serve it, but capable people really do have first-rate sense of humor.
Something I could stand to learn.
§ § § It had been a while since they'd taken such a beating.
In Nebulnes, the Mist Country that had served as their base, no one had defied them for a long time.
The highest Level among Hunters operating out of the small country of Nebulnes was 7.
Among them, Arnold Hale and his party, 《Thunder Dragon of the Mist》, were known as the most powerful—they had faced the calamity that struck the country, the Thunder Dragon, and after a desperate battle, succeeded in slaying it.
Arnold's group was held in high regard even by Nebulnes's upper echelons, as they were truly the strongest in both name and reality.
The reason Arnold decided to leave such a comfortable country was to aim higher.
In the Mist Country, with only five Treasure Halls existing in the surrounding area, there was a ceiling on how far one could progress as a Hunter.
To conquer higher-Level Treasure Halls, you needed to gradually increase the Level of the Halls you cleared and absorb Mana Material to grow stronger.
Nebulnes was severely lacking in battlefields.
Arnold had been confident.
Even in a small country, Hunters certified at Level 7 were exceedingly rare. Arnold in particular was a Hunter who specialized in combat ability.
As a party, the leader Arnold stood head and shoulders above the rest in strength, but the other members were all confident fighters as well. With more members than a typical party on top of that, they would almost certainly never lose in a Hunter brawl.
Arnold knew that the Zebuldia Empire was a Hunter superpower that made even Nebulnes look pathetic by comparison. He understood that there were likely many Hunters there with higher Levels than his own.
But he had absolutely no intention of losing.
"Damn that woman... catching me off guard like that... I won't forgive her."
Ei, the man at Arnold's side, snarled with flared nostrils. He'd used stored-up expensive Potions to heal his wounds enough to move.
Their equipment had changed from the armor they'd originally worn upon arrival to cloth clothing—the bar brawl had destroyed it.
One night after the bar brawl, 《Thunder Dragon of the Mist》 had barely managed to regroup and, suppressing their fury and a sliver of fear, visited the Explorer's Guild's Imperial Capital branch.
《Thunder Dragon of the Mist》 was a party with a high-Level certification. The Explorer's Guild gives preferential treatment to high-Level Hunters.
They could expect various accommodations, so making contact when changing your base of operations was standard practice.
The Imperial Capital branch of the Explorer's Guild was a far larger building than the one in their homeland.
The number of Hunters coming and going was incomparably greater. Just sitting in the lobby, watching party after party pass by the counter—the armament and races were diverse, a bustling atmosphere inconceivable in Nebulnes.
But despite the numbers, there were hardly any who stood out as truly powerful. No one approached the new faces who'd claimed a corner of the lobby.
Gritting his teeth against the persistent throbbing in his head, surrounded by his party members, Arnold clenched his jaw.
The image that flashed through his mind was yesterday's scene. The woman's unguarded smile as she launched her attack, the impact that rattled his skull.
What he harbored in his chest wasn't simple anger.
Being wary of ambushes is natural for Hunters. Especially here in the Imperial Capital, which they'd just arrived at—not their well-known hometown.
He hadn't expected to be ambushed in the middle of town, but he'd been mentally prepared. With Arnold's strength, even if caught off guard, he should have been able to counterattack against an ordinary Hunter.
Instead, he'd been pummeled and beaten one-sidedly. Eight against one. His side may have been careless, but they hadn't even been drinking yet.
His confidence in his own ability was precisely what allowed him to understand that his opponent was no ordinary fighter.
Fighting Phantoms and Monsters is different from Hunter brawls.
But that woman was clearly experienced at striking people. A perfect ambush without a moment's hesitation—a devastating blow delivered in the brief instant when his consciousness blanked from having alcohol thrown in his face.
Even if the Imperial Capital's Hunter pool was deep, it was hard to imagine there were many Hunters who could knock out Arnold, reinforced by Mana Material, in a single strike. She was probably a well-known Hunter even here.
He couldn't let this slide. The bar scene had been witnessed by many Hunters.
If he was ambushed and beaten one-sidedly and then backed down, the name 《Thunder Dragon of the Mist》 would be tarnished. Arnold intended to make a name for himself in this Hunter mecca. He couldn't afford to be looked down on.
"In a one-on-one... face to face, there's no way Arnold would lose!"
Jaster, the youngest member, said with reddened cheeks, putting force into his words.
But you could hear a trace of fear in his voice.
The Hunter who'd beaten Arnold unconscious had apparently continued punching him while laughing, even after he'd lost consciousness.
Jaster had joined 《Thunder Dragon of the Mist》 after Arnold and the others had already become the most well-known party in Nebulnes.
For this young Hunter who'd always been part of a top-tier party, seeing his party overwhelmed by a single Hunter was an experience that shattered his confidence.
Up until now, Arnold had been admired for his fighting prowess. One loss wouldn't erode the members' trust, but the small crack it created could one day lead to something fatal.
He couldn't afford to make a mortal enemy. He couldn't become a defeated man with no recourse.
"I don't know who it is, but she'll pay for this."
At Arnold's declaration, the members swallowed hard.
He looked at the massive, dull golden blade resting beside him—the weapon he hadn't even had time to draw at the bar.
A sword forged from the materials of the Thunder Dragon that had attacked the Mist Country, imbued with the power of lightning. The origin of Arnold's title—《Mighty Thunder Flash》.
He licked his lips. The wound on his head that should have healed throbbed with a dull ache.
He'd used the high-quality Potions with strong healing power on the seriously wounded members, so he'd only healed his own wounds with a mid-grade one. As a result, a lump-like swelling remained on his forehead.
He wasn't about to complain about a scar or two at this point.
The pain he felt was phantom. The wound had already healed thanks to the Potion and his enhanced natural recovery.
Arnold understood. What the phantom pain craved was one thing—a rematch with the Hunter who'd inflicted it.
And only when he achieved victory would this pain finally disappear.
"This is a chance. That woman—she's probably a well-known Hunter even in this capital. Beat her fair and square, and it adds to my reputation. At the very least, no one will look down on me. No one challenged me back in Nebulnes—this is just what I need to get my edge back."
"I see. When you put it that way, this might have been lucky in a sense."
Ei, who had been wearing an expression of seething frustration, shuddered and broke into a deep grin.
What Arnold craved wasn't a simple increase in his certified Level. Not surface-level glory either.
Strength. And to obtain it, he needed powerful enemies.
The bar incident was unexpected and the worst possible outcome, but it proved the rumors were true—there were strong fighters in the capital.
Then all he had to do was conquer everything and surpass it.
Once things settled down, he'd need to investigate that enemy's name.
With that explosive temperament, a quick word from the local Hunters would surely turn something up.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. So you're the Level 7 from Nebulnes—《Mighty Thunder Flash》."
He looked up. The one who'd addressed him was a giant who rivaled Arnold in stature.
Ei's eyes went wide, and Jaster took an involuntary step back, as if overwhelmed.
Even through his uniform, his massively muscled physique was unmistakable, his arms and legs covered in countless deep scars. A large tattoo was carved into his face, and sharp eyes looked down at Arnold and his companions.
He appeared to be about a generation older than Arnold—but from his bearing, a tremendous coiled energy radiated outward.
The Imperial Capital branch chief was apparently a former top-tier Hunter. Arnold had heard the rumors, but the appearance of someone who exceeded his expectations made him twist his lips into a grin.
He rose from the sofa. Their heights were roughly equal—and sharp gazes collided.
The branch chief back in the Mist Country had been a rotund man resembling a fattened pig. Competent enough as an administrator, but worthless as a warrior.
Every time Arnold met him, there had always been a flicker of fear in the man's eyes. But what about the man before him now?
Gaark gripped the extended hand. Arnold tested by squeezing, but the grip that returned was even stronger.
Powerful. Even though he'd supposedly retired from the front lines—this strength!
"Yeah. You must be—Branch Chief Gaark. Arnold Hale, Level 7. I'll be in your care for a while."
"You've come a long way. I hear you slew a Thunder Dragon? High-Level Hunters are always welcome here."
It seemed he already had the information.
At Gaark's words, the members visibly relaxed. Then, as if it had just occurred to him, Gaark added: "Though—only if you don't cause too much trouble."
A loaded statement.
Arnold furrowed his brow, and Branch Chief Gaark's thick lips twisted into a grin that showed no sign of easing.
"Ah, don't misunderstand. I'm not talking about you. The capital has all sorts of troublesome people."
"Troublesome people?"
Ei, standing beside him, put on a suspicious expression.
Brawls were part of daily life for Treasure Hunters. Some even skirted the line of criminal activity.
For a branch chief who knew all that to specifically call out 'troublesome people'—just how formidable must they be?
"Yeah, that's right. You've met her already, haven't you? Word reached me. You got beaten by Peerless Shadow at the bar."
"!?"
"Sorry about that—shocking, I know. Liliz is—Level 6, but she's a psycho who'd even come after me, the branch chief—"
Before Arnold's widened eyes, Gaark gave a bitter smile and shrugged.
He was saying "sorry," but there was no hint of apology in his expression. Quite the opposite—Arnold could even sense a measure of contempt.
A bumpkin from the sticks who'd gotten cocky at the bar, only to be one-sidedly beaten by a woman with a lower Level.
In the world of Treasure Hunters, strength was everything. As an Explorer's Guild employee, Gaark should have maintained some degree of fairness, but his gaze was ruthlessly blunt.
Was the branch chief from a small country playing favorites? Did this woman really have the skill to hold up in the Imperial Capital?
It might have been his imagination, but it was humiliating.
Arnold and his companions ground their teeth and glared, but Gaark continued without further comment.
"Yeah, her owner sent an apology. Said he got a bit excited hearing 'Level 7,' but it won't happen again—let's call it even. Well, she was probably on edge in the capital for the first time, but apparently you all were making quite a ruckus too. Let's call this one a draw this time."
"Her... owner?"
The apology alone was shocking, but the word "owner" was even more so.
Her fearless ambush did give off a beast-like impression, but she didn't seem like the kind of woman who'd belong to anyone. Still, Branch Chief Gaark had no reason to lie.
"You can trust it. She's not the type to bully the weak. As long as you behave, she shouldn't come after you again."
It was almost a consoling tone.
In that tone, Arnold felt not anger, but an indescribable chill.
She was Level 6, but that woman was a true powerhouse.
Her fierce temperament that allowed her to attack without hesitation against a Hunter who'd declared a higher Level than her own—and the exceptional strength that supported it.
She didn't look like someone who'd follow anyone. What would it take to tame a beast like that?
If a Hunter was the one who'd tamed her, the answer was singular—strength.
The kind of overwhelming strength that could subdue a beast so ferocious it would attack even a branch chief.
How much strength did that imply? Liliz had attacked Arnold directly. That meant she had to be above his level—it was self-evident.
Ei had gone slightly pale as he listened. He'd probably reached the same conclusion as Arnold.
Whether Gaark noticed this or not, he clapped his hands together loudly.
"Oh, right. That owner—Thousand Transformations—apparently wants to ask something of you. She's one of the top five Hunters in the capital—wouldn't hurt to build a relationship."
"Ask us... for something?"
Thousand Transformations. Arnold carved the name deep into his mind as Gaark continued with a smile: "She'll cover the costs, but she wants you to bring her a Thunder Dragon. She heard you beat one and says she's been wanting to eat one again after so long. No deadline, so just keep it in the back of your mind. Good luck, Dragon Slayers."