There was a heat inside the building that was incomparable to the heat outside, as if it were a tavern.

There was a hint of alcohol in the air. The tables that are usually set up in the bar have been cleared and moved to the left and right, and there is a line of prospective members inside the spacious bar.

The air was white with the heat of the people. The air was white with the heat of the people, and Luda, who had been ushered in with me, opened her eyes at the sight.
Apparently, she had completely forgotten about the trouble she had gotten into outside.

'Wow ...... are these all hunters?

There were tables scattered throughout the restaurant, each with several members in white uniforms seated at them. They are members of a party belonging to the clan 'First Step'.

There is a wide range of parties belonging to the clan "First Step". Some parties have many famous members, while others are known only by their leaders. Some parties are looking for attackers, while others are looking for skill.
Each prospective member goes to the table of the party he or she wants to join and takes a test. The content of the test varies from party to party, from interviews to practical tests, and some parties seem to place more emphasis on inspiration than others.

I ask Luda, who is not hiding her confusion.

'Is this your first time doing this?

'Is ...... Cry different?

'......This is my fifth time, I think.

'Five ...... times, so many times--I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

I'm not sure, but Luda apologized to me.

'No, it's just ...... probably not the first time many of you have been here today.

Hunter is a meritocracy. Those with talent are quickly snatched up, but that doesn't mean those without talent don't have a chance.
There are those, like me, who have given up on their talents and are still hanging on to what little chance they have. That kind of resignation is one of your talents.

For now, let's check. I walked away from the line of tables, and moved to a corner near the entrance to look around.

There seemed to be more parties than usual recruiting members this time.
Not all of the parties that belong to the Footprints are recruiting members, but this time almost all of them are. The number of people who wanted to join naturally increased.
I guess that's why there was a line outside.

Luda spoke to me in a friendly manner, even though I was only standing in line a short distance away.

'Cry, if you don't mind, can you tell me some things? I don't know much about this stuff at all.'

'...... is fine. It's not a bad idea to ingratiate yourself with a good hunter.

At least she's not just a level 3. That is, if she doesn't die.
Luda's expression relaxed slightly at my words.

'I've been in the Imperial City for a long time. I know most of the famous hunters. I think this is a good opportunity.

First of all, even if you join a party, you should not join a random party.

Each party has its own recruitment role and its own activity policy. It is not wrong to say that you will be safe if you can join a good party, but even if you can join a good party, you may not fit in.
If there is too much of a difference in talent between you and the other members, you will have a very hard time. I think Luda is on the right track, but the Imperial City is filled with hunters from all over the world who are confident in their own talents.

They may look human on the surface, but they are undoubtedly a completely different life form. My friends were like that.

'I don't know what Luda wants or can do. I don't know what she wants to do, or if she can do it. She's got a dagger, so she's probably more skilled at other things than fighting...'

I looked at her outfit and equipment. In addition to the dagger, there is a small leather bag around his waist that does not hinder his movement. It probably contains tools for picking.

The easiest way for a solo hunter to join a party is as a fighter.

If you have been a solo hunter, it means that you have been able to survive the demons and illusions that come at you alone, and you tend to have high combat skills.

On the other hand, if you don't have a good track record, you will be shunned for joining a role that requires special skills. Soloists must be able to perform a full range of tasks, from trap spotting to enemy spotting, unlocking to combat, and their individual skills are often inferior to those who have mastered them in a party.

However, I'm sure he knows that, and I don't think he'll hold a grudge against me for telling him that.

As Luda waited for me to speak with a serious expression, I pointed to the back of the room and continued.

'First of all, there is a rule in this room. The further back the party is, the higher the level.

Just as hunters have their certification levels, clans and parties have their own levels set by the search committee. Even among parties belonging to the same clan, there are differences.

He points to a large table at the far end of the room, where a large number of hunters are crowded.

'That's the strongest party we're recruiting for this time, the Ark Brave. Have you ever heard of them? With an average age of 21, they are the most elite of the elite who conquered the level 7 treasure hall with only six members.

A monster that stands out from all the other monsters in the Imperial City. All of the members of the group have abilities that can only be thought of as having been favored by the gods, and the leader of the group is widely regarded as a brave man.
Incidentally, the Lair of the White Wolf, which Luda was about to challenge, is a level 3 treasure hall. The difficulty level of the treasure hall differs tenfold when the certification level is raised by one level, so there is a heaven and earth gap between her and the current level.

'If you can get into the party there, you're guaranteed success. Even if you don't get in, ...... you'll probably be scouted by other parties even if the members there praise you a little.

Even if you're a soloist and inexperienced, you've probably heard of them. Luda, as expected, seemed a little taken aback, and asked quietly.

'...... By the way, just for the record, ...... do you think it's possible?'

'That depends on Ruda. In the event that you have any questions regarding where and how to use the internet, please do not hesitate to contact us.

He is one of the biggest names in the Imperial Capital. If you're young, they're definitely one of the top two parties.

The members have already been completely solidified, and the hunters who are flocking to the recruitment probably don't think that they can get in. The people who are flocking there are there because they want to get a glimpse of you, or they want to make a connection.

Luda sighed deeply without complaining as he looked at the crowd of people.
When she heard that it was a level 7 treasure house, she must have realized that it would be difficult for her.

He went on to introduce more and more of the other parties. Most of them are names you've heard before if you've been a hunter in the Imperial Capital for several months.
Luda only didn't know them because he was a soloist, but the information was easy to find if you tried to look it up.

I counted the names, pointing to them one by one. There were some rare parties that wouldn't have participated in previous years.
It seemed that most of the footprints were participating in the recruitment of members this time.

After listening to the long story, Luda said in disgust.

'...... Cry, you know so much. I'm tired just listening to you.

'This is as it should be.

'I don't know if this is the right ...... question to ask, but where do you want to go?'

'I don't really have any ............ aspirations ...... because I can't do ...... anything.

I'm not good at anything. I'm not all things to all people, I can't do everything well. I'm less than handy. That was me.



I have no courage, no passion for hunting. The little passion I had when I still believed in my talents has faded away.
Hunter is a dangerous job with great returns. There is even a statistic that 70% of hunters lose their lives in the treasure house. I didn't have the guts to take that risk.

I've always made excuses for my lack of talent, but perhaps that was my biggest problem. I'm going to vomit.

'So ............, if you want, would you like to party with me?

In response to my weak words, Luda suggested in a deliberately cheerful voice.
She's probably serious. My heart clenches and my breathing becomes labored.

Luda is a good person among the hunters who are all bastards. I'm sure she wasn't joking when she said that.
But for me, it was excruciating pain to know that I was dragging my feet.

'I appreciate the suggestion, but I don't want your pity. For the sake of the future, Luda should join a party that suits him properly.

'......So,......'

With a jerk, I touch the silver chain on my belt. The cold touch calms me down a bit.

Then suddenly, as if to change the air, Luda said.

The recruitment table for the Ark Brave. She looked at the large table at the back of the room, where no one was seated, and exaggeratedly pointed to it.

'Oh, that? Hey, come to think of it, why haven't they cleared that empty table over there?

'Hey, hey, you guys really came here without knowing anything, didn't you?

'!

The big guy who'd tangled with us when we were standing in line outside approached us, smirking.
His face was red, probably from the heat. His large, well-developed biceps and riveted armor made him look even more fierce in the light.

The results may have been good, but he was in a much better mood than before.

You'll be able to find a lot more than just a few of them.

'...... What do you want from us? You'll get angry again.

'Don't be boring. I'm a senior hunter, and I'm going to show you the way.

I've never heard of Master Greg ....... I've never heard of him, but I only know a few of the top hunters - the ones that any hunter who knows a little about the industry knows.
There are plenty of strong hunters out there that I don't know, and it's possible that they haven't even made their mark yet.

'That table over there is the table of a party that started this Footprints with the Ark Brave. But it looks like he hasn't come today after all.

'The ...... party that started it?

Luda blinks, and Greg continues in a hushed voice.

'We've been recruiting members for the trail many times, but today there are more people than usual. In the event that you've got a lot of time, you'll be able to take a look at the most effective way to get the most out of your business. And ...... you see, besides the party, there are also people standing here and there with footprints marked on them, right?

Greg glanced at the hunter man who was standing by the wall with his arms crossed, looking unhappy.

His clothes are not the uniform of a hunter recruiting for a party, but if you look closely, you can see buttons and accessories that resemble footprints hanging from his collar and sleeves in inconspicuous places.
There is a rule that all members of the clan must wear the symbol somewhere visible.

'There is little reason for members who already belong to a clan to come here without the purpose of recruitment. There's a reason for that.

I interrupted him with an implication.

'Master Greg seems to have done a lot of research, but I know a little more.

'...... They're hunters who belong to the footprint solo.'

'? Solo affiliation...... is that possible?'

'A party is at least one person. ...... You can only join a clan as a party, but if you apply to join a solo party and register with the search committee, you can join. You need to be very good at it. ......'

It's a little bit of luck and a little bit of talent.

She averted her gaze from the man and pointed towards the girl who was wandering boredly near an empty table.
She was dressed in a black leather combat suit that seemed to constrict her body surface. A dagger hung from her belt, and a girl with short-cut black hair dressed for ease of movement. Her age is probably younger than Luda's.

'Tino Shade. Level four, solo member of the Footprints. She's a well-known member.'

'Such a little girl. ......'

'...... It's best not to say anything else. Age and appearance have nothing to do with temperament.

Her role is that of a thief.
They don't steal anything, but they are called thieves because of their ability to search for enemies, block out their presence, and open traps and locks. He is a more advanced version of Luda, capable of conquering the White Wolf's lair by himself. He is one of the monsters of the footprints.
Master Gregg turns his attention to me for the first time. A curious look.

'...... You didn't look like much of a hunter, but you've done a lot of research.

'It's important to gather information. Besides, she's actually the apprentice of a ...... friend of mine.'

He pulled down the hood he had been wearing to hide his face. More specifically, she's my friend's apprentice.
In other words, my friend was a monster of a higher order than monsters. What a surprise.

'You know him?

'I don't know why you're here when you're solo, but ......'.

Perhaps he had stopped soloing and was looking for a new party to join. Recruiting members is not necessarily only for the outside world.
Master Greg laughed, crossing his arms pompously as I tilted my head.

'There. That's it. There were ...... rumors as to why they were gathering. Today, for the first time in years, one of First Step's founding parties, Stogli, is recruiting new members.