CH 25

“Understood. Do you do that every day?”

“No, every time a newcomer registers. Unlike the Royal Capital or big cities, this is a small town in the middle of nowhere, so there aren’t that many newcomers registered here. So if I let them know, you can start the training after noon today. The training will be private, so if you have any questions, feel free to ask the instructor in charge. I’m told you’re not familiar with this place, and that would be a plus.”

“…That would be a great help.”

“We’ll be glad to have more people on board as well. I look forward to working with you in the future.”

“Yes…but I don’t know how long I will be in this town yet. Please understand that.”

“There is a possibility that you may move your base of operations…is that right? That is unfortunate, but it can’t be helped. Freedom is the greatest advantage of being a hunter. Fortunately, the Hunter Guild is an independent organization that transcends national borders. You can rest assured that your registration information will live on in other countries as well.”

(He doesn’t sound like a bad guy…but I think he’s trying to identify me as someone from another world. Or is it just a figure of speech, and he’s hoping I’ll be guided to what he wants to hear?)

As I was checking the flow of such exchanges, Jagov-san continued with two more.

As expected, he talks about a goblin with a sword.

“A goblin with a sword was chasing Zink and the other three. Loki defeated it, and now Zink has the sword. Is this correct?”

“Yes, there is no mistake. To be more precise, there is one goblin with a sword and two goblins with bare hands chasing them, and I have defeated two of them, one with a sword and one with only bare-hands.”

“‘Oh, I see… about 10 days ago, two hunters in this town went missing.”

“Eh?”

“Those two hunters usually spend their time in the Palmera Great Forest… They usually make their living gathering medicinal herbs and hunting there. One of them had also purchased a new sword, albeit a second-hand one, before his departure.”

“…”

“Have you seen these two people in the forest?”

“I don’t know if it was either of those two. But… I did see what could have been a human arm.”

“Hmm. I did send out an urgent search request, but now there is little hope of survival… do you know how far into the forest they are?”

“I don’t know exactly, but I think it’s about 3 or 4 days into the forest.”

“I see. So, even if there are any bodies left, it would be impossible to recover them.”

“That’s right. All I saw was the arm, but I witnessed the hand being eaten by goblins, so…”

I’m a little disappointed that I should have at least buried him if this is the story I’m going to tell. I don’t think I made a mistake in prioritizing getting away from that place to survive, but…

I guess for the relatives, they are very eager to recover even a part of the body.

That’s what I thought, but–

“By the way, changing the subject, why was Loki in the forest 4 days deep into the forest?”

“…”

“If you’re saying you’re a hunter, that’s understandable. No one goes that deep into the forest, but it’s still part of their job to be in the forest. But Loki is not a hunter yet, right?”

—I feel like I’ve made a mistake.

This is…I can’t think of a convenient excuse.

Would he claim to have been a trainee?

No. If you’ve been listening to Zink-kun and the others, you know that I didn’t have any camping gear with me.

I’ve been in this suit since yesterday. No one would train in the forest in such an uncomfortable outfit, even if it were common sense.

No matter…I’ll just let it go.

“The reason I was deep in the forest was because I had a purpose. But I will deny the possibility [that I killed the two men] that you may be concerned about. Because I have no motive and or merit to do so.”

“…I’m sorry. It’s an almost non-existent possibility, but when people die, there are people who get angry and aim at someone else by drawing simple conclusions.”

“The reason I was deep in the woods was because I had a purpose. I will not reveal that purpose because it would be personal. However, I will deny the possibility [that I killed the two men] that you may be concerned about. Because I have no motive and no merit.”

“…I’m sorry. It’s an almost non-existent possibility, but when people die, there are people who get angry if you draw simple conclusions.”

“Especially the bereaved families, I’m certain. That’s right. Why don’t you at least give that sword to the bereaved? I think it’s the last thing they have.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that. The two were a married couple, but they had no children. There are no survivors, so you can do whatever you want with them as your rightful keepsakes.”

“I see…”

(…what? What was all that talk earlier about recovering the bodies? Don’t tell me you got caught up in the sympathy? But it seems he really wants to recover the body if he can……ugh….ugh…..that’s why I don’t like his eyes!)

“Okay, end of story. If you still would like to take the course after lunch today, kindly let me know as soon as possible. There’s still time for a leisurely lunch, right? You look pretty hungry.”

With the Guild Master grinning at the end, I bow and leave the room.

Phew…

The air naturally leaked out of my lungs.

I thought this world was full of good people, but I stand corrected.

There are some people who seem nasty, of course.

That, of all people, was the master of the Hunter Guild, who will be taking care of me from now on.