'Well, I'm sorry. That Liz guy, he won't listen to me when I'm like that. ......'

I apologize and head back upstairs.

I'm a childhood friend of Lise's. She sells fights to everyone without thinking about her backbone, but the only thing she listens to is what the first members of the Ghosts of Sorrows say.
But she only listens and considers a few things. You can't give orders unilaterally.

There are several floors of training areas in the clan house, and each floor has different facilities.
The one Liz has taken over is the one for thieves. There is no substitute for it, as it is designed to test all the skills of a thief, from close combat training to throwing targets, traps to treasure chests.

You can't replace it. It's not really a place for one person to use, but once it's like that, you can't move it.
I guess we'll have to give up for now, or ask him to use another training ground.

At my apology, Sven snorted with a frown.

'd*mn it, I can't help it. This isn't the first time Master has been Spartan.

'No, I'm not going to--'

'Oh, there's no need to say anything. I know, I know. It's not a bad thing for us if Tino gets stronger.''



...... Well, you don't seem to understand at all, but whatever. If you're willing to tolerate Liz's outbursts, there's nothing more to say.

The rest of Sven's friends nodded their heads when they saw each other. This is the kind of cooperation I want Liz to learn from.
A lot of good hunters are crazy. Sven and the others are just as crazy as the average person, but compared to Liz and the others, they seem to be very sensible. Someone please do something about it.

There was a screeching roar coming from the training ground I had left behind, but I pretended not to hear it.

I want to forget everything and eat ice cream.


§


'Northern road blocked?

I rolled my eyes at the information Sven had given me while we were making small talk.

The Imperial Capital is also the trading base of the Empire.

In the event that you have any questions concerning where and how to use the internet, you can contact us at the web site.

'Ah, it seems that multiple Phantoms have been discovered. The details are still under investigation, but it seems that a few of the knights who went to check on ...... were killed.''

Sven shrugged his shoulders with a difficult expression.

It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're doing. If you have one encounter outside, you can chalk it up to coincidence, but if you have two or three in a short period of time, you should assume that something happened rather than coincidence.

Come to think of it, there was something strange about the "White Wolf's Den" too. .......

I have no idea what caused it, and it doesn't matter to me because I don't leave the safety of the Imperial City, but the safe streets that have been built by thinning out the demons in the area are the arteries of the Empire. A large number of merchants gather here on the premise that the roads are safe.
There is a possibility that we will be asked to help solve this problem.

Maybe that's what Mr. Gark was calling us for.

I twisted my head a little, but stopped to think and let out a small sigh.

There's no point in thinking about it. I have a trump card. Of course, I'm not talking about the useless Liz-chan who threw away her only companion and came back.

There's a man named Ark Rodin who can be useful in times like this.

Ark has popularity. He has power. He's smart and has a good name. His command skills are excellent.
And most importantly he is a good person. The members of the party are a few steps behind the leader, but they have enough ability.
He can act as a commander and a warrior as well, so he is a man who is good twice in one.

Most of the hunters in Footprints are proud, but there is no one who doesn't listen to Ark's words (except the members of our party).
Just give him command and throw him aside and everything will be fine. On the other hand, if that doesn't work, there's nothing he can do about it.

I can't wait for him to come back. ...... I have to buy some time until Ark comes back.
He always informs us in advance when he is going to be away from the capital for a long period of time, so I am sure he will not be away for that long this time.

As I was sitting there in a daze, Sven's grin twisted into a grimace, and he tapped me on the shoulder.

'Master is as relaxed as ever.

I smiled without saying a word.

I'm a complete stranger.

I'm not proud of it, but I'm pretty good at defending myself.
It's not self-protection, it's blame game, and I've been doing it all my life. And that's how I'm going to keep doing it. That's all I can do. Somebody please get me out of here before this turns deadly.

'I don't know what's going on, but we might get a request. I was going to make some adjustments in preparation for that, but ...... well, we'll do it tomorrow.'

I'm really sorry that my child caused you so much trouble.

But Sven's expression did not show any irritation. We've known them since we first came to the capital, so they're used to Ryz's outbursts.

Well, the Black Gold Cross is famous for its well-balanced structure and steady hand, and they have even defeated a dragon species.
They can probably handle a Phantom without any adjustments. At the very least, they are no match for the Wolf Knight we saw at the Treasure House the other day.

And that's when I got an idea.

If I sent Kurogane to Mr. Gark, wouldn't all the blame go to him?
Mr. Gark would not complain about a party of level 6. Unlike me, Sven doesn't mind defeating Phantoms, so he's perfect for this.

I'm ...... brilliant today.

I looked around at Sven and the other members of the Black Gold Cross and said with a smile.

'If you've got time, why don't you go on a quest? And tell Mr. Gark that I'm too busy to go.


§ § § §


Krai'andrich walked away with a wobbly step in a good mood.

I'm not sure if it's a good thing that I'm not the only one, but I think it's a good thing that I'm not the only one.

This is a great way to make sure that you don't end up in a situation where you're not the only one.

'......Well, hey,......, he's not a bad guy,......'

I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one who has a problem with this," said Sven, scratching his cheek with his fingers.

The Black Gold Cross is one of the founding parties of the First Step, and although their average age is a bit higher than the Ark Brave and Strange Grief, they are one of the younger parties that will lead this golden generation.
It is a rare party that all have the power to heal wounds, and while it has not made any spectacular achievements, it has made a name for itself with its well-balanced composition and steady approach.

Although they have not made any spectacular achievements, they have made a name for themselves with their well-balanced composition and solid performance. Unfortunately, they have not been able to stand out because there were two other parties of the same generation that looked like monsters, but they are a party that could have made it to the top even if they were of a different generation, and they are trusted by the Explorers Society and other parties.

Even though we are clan masters, we belong to different parties. We're on equal footing.
It doesn't feel good to be used for chores. Especially for hunters, face is important.



'......You should have said no. ...... I mean, what does that guy always do?'

There was a hint of dismay and frustration in his words.

I know the history of the Ghost of Sorrows.
I know the history of the Ghosts of Sorrows, and the way they conquer the Temple of Treasures is recklessly fierce, in contrast to the Black Gold Cross, which they have steadily completed step by step, and they are on the path to glory at the cost of their lives.
Henrik does not understand it, but he respects it. Who would not be afraid of that name?

But not their leader. Henrik had never seen the Thousand Transformations appear in the Treasure House. In fact, he had rarely even seen him outside the Clan House.

Sven, the leader of the clan, appeased the young man who had only recently joined.

'No, no, ...... we have time anyway. It's not a bad idea to make a loan.

Henrik frowned at the usually firm leader's answer.

'The leader is the only one who stays at home while the others are out exploring......? Don't the other members have any complaints?'

'Cry has always been like that. Henrik, you just joined recently, so you might not know this. That's how the party runs, and that's how this clan runs.'

His voice was light, but it was filled with a power that did not allow for further questioning.

Sensitive to this, Henrik kept his mouth shut. Although he was dissatisfied, it would certainly be wrong to speak ill of the Clan Master of his clan in public.

'......If you say so, Sven, then fine. ......'

I don't understand why you can't see the bottom of the barrel, if that's what you mean.
I can't believe it unless you tell me that you have two names, that you are level 8, that you are the master of a large clan, and that you are the leader of the famous Strange Glyphs. I wouldn't have believed it if you hadn't told me, and now that I know, I still find it hard to believe.

It is important for hunters to have a good eye for people.
It is the amount of mana and material accumulated that greatly determines one's power, and this is not necessarily reflected in one's appearance. In this world, it is quite possible for a large, strong man to be defeated by a small girl.
Although he had trained his eyes to look beyond appearances, Henrik could not help but notice that Krai did not appear to be a skilled hunter. He had too little dignity.

'I'm not complaining when you stop Riyz and Luke from fighting with everything in the first place.

With these words, he meditated and recalled the incident at the training ground earlier.

A burning aura and a will to fight that seemed like an intent to kill that should not be shown in the city and should not be shown.
The chilling voice of the man who was not training was so frightening that even hearing it through the door, I almost stopped breathing.

The problem child of the Ghost of Sorrows. I know the name Zekage. There are not that many level 6 certified hunters with two names.

It is true that ...... you can break into that group, so you can be recognized for your boldness.

'......It didn't stop, but ......'.

The leader, Sven, nodded broadly in satisfaction as Henrik's expression relaxed halfway through, though not all of his complaints were resolved.

'Besides, you may not understand it yet, but that man is definitely a ...... monster too. It is the only opponent that Ark Rodin, the descendant of the brave and expected to be the strongest, has admitted defeat to ....... It's the kind of thing that Leeds and Rooke follow quietly. It's easy to forget when you're in the same clan. ......'

Sven's eyes narrowed as he spoke, causing Henrik to gasp.

'I'm not asking you to follow orders, just ...... don't let your guard down by looking at the surface. Don't take his words at face value. Read the other side. That's what we always do, right?

'...... Yes!

Henrik bit his lip and replied in a loud voice, as if to break his hesitation.

I was caught off guard. He knew that he was dealing with a level 8 hunter, but the way Henrik had looked at Kry earlier was certainly not the way he would have looked at a much higher level hunter.

He wasn't even hiding his position. ...... This would never have happened.
And if it was the result of a thousand changes of thought guided by intention, how terrible it would be.

As if to reassure Henrik, whose cheeks were tightening, Sven smiled and said to cheer him up.

'Don't look like that. I didn't cause any problems. Besides, the ...... Ghost of Sorrows has that anthem. As long as he's around, Cry can't do anything strange.

Hearing that name, Henrik's expression finally relaxed.

The members of the Black Gold Cross are all dedicated to the Holy God and have the power to heal.
There are no healers in the Imperial Capital who do not know the name of Anthem Smart.

Even though they belong to the same clan, the best hunters are very busy.
As usual, Ansem rarely appears in the public eye, but his reputation is well known.

The Ghost of Sorrows is a party with a disturbing name, and not many good rumors have been heard about it, but I have not heard any bad rumors about Ansem.

He is said to be the conscience of the Ghosts of Sorrows.
He is a stern but benevolent man who specializes in protection and healing, and will lend a helping hand not only to his party members, but to anyone who asks for it.

Although it is not known how much of it is true, rumors abound that he healed a great nobleman of an incurable disease and was offered a decoration, or that he was recruited by a knightly order directly under the emperor.
He is also a very skilled hunter, and it is because of him that all the members of the Ghosts of Sorrows have been able to continue their arduous search and are still in good health.

You can find a lot more information on the web at .......

I'm not sure what to make of it. I'm not sure what to make of it, but it's a good idea. I'm sure you'll be pleased to hear that. ...... Now that we've got that out of the way, let's get to work. I'd like to know what's going on on the street.

Ignoring Henrik, who still wanted to talk, Sven ended the conversation.
At that time, the newcomer's somewhat dissatisfied expression had disappeared.

Now, even if something similar happens again in the future, he won't underestimate anyone just by looking at the surface.

It is true that the structure of Ghosts of Sorrows is out of the ordinary, and Sven did not approve of it from the beginning. Aside from the members, only the leader seems to be a mere human being.

Looking at Henrik, who was back on track, Sven remembered the time when he had made "First Step".