What the hell is wrong with you today? One after the other. .......

The fact that I knew so much about the main coffee shops in the capital paid off. I struggled to get out through the large window in the bathroom and took a breath.

I didn't know what the hell was going on.

If it was a surprise that the Misty Thunder Dragon was trying to make things difficult, it was also unexpected that the Hidden Curse was trying to contact me.
Moreover, only at times like this, there are no guards. I should have brought someone with me who could handle the situation as peacefully as possible--Ark or Sitri.

What did I do? ...... I want to go home now.

I'm sure that the Misty Thunder Dragon and the Hidden Curse are having a standoff inside the coffee shop right now.
As a hunter myself, I keep in mind the information of high-level hunters living in the Imperial Capital ...... who are certified level 7 or higher. Marie and Arun's level should be lower than Arnold's.

But I wasn't too worried about them.

The Hidden Curse is a special clan made up of only mages with special talents. Its activities are mainly academic in nature, and it has strong connections with mage training schools and armies that seek powerful mages. It is a name that every mage hunter has heard at least once.

And because of the clan's activity policy, the members of the Magic Staff tended to have a lower certification level compared to their abilities.
Since I said that I would deal with them right in front of me, there should be no problem even if I'm gone. In the first place, it was beyond presumptuous for me to be worried about Marie and Arun, the elite mages who belonged to such a clan.

But, do hunters not have any sense of reason, to try to bully them in the middle of the day in a coffee shop where ordinary citizens are present?

I remembered Arun's cold gaze, and my body trembled with fear.

The Misty Thunder Dragon was terrifying, but the Hidden Curse was even more terrifying.
I'm sure you've heard of it, but I've never heard of it.

Calming my breathing, I hurried back to the clan house.
I didn't notice anything around me anymore. I had only one thing on my mind, and that was to get back to safety as quickly as possible.

Clan Master of the Staff. The Abyssal Annihilation is said to be the strongest annihilator in all of Zebrudia.
His temper was as rough as a blazing fire, and unlike Liz, he was cunning, and he was one of the people I was afraid of.

He was one of the people I was afraid of. In addition, we even had a little feud in the past. The fact that I had forgotten the faces of Arun and the others was probably a form of escape from reality.

It was the founding of the Footprints of the Beginning that led to our quarrel with the mage, who had been at level 8 since before I became a hunter.

One of the parties I had randomly picked out to start a clan was a party that had been recruited by the Magic Staff. And somehow, I won that scouting war. And I didn't even know it.

Legally, there was no problem, but there is a very troublesome element of masks among hunters.

That time was rough. There was no way that a new clan master who was level 6 at the time could compete with a level 8 hunter who was known to be one of the strongest.
There was no way I could say I didn't want it, and I felt like throwing up every day.

Fortunately, the ruckus itself somehow subsided, and I'm still alive and well, but the fear of the "magic staff" burned into my memory is not going to disappear that easily.

I'm really glad I didn't ignore Arun and the others' request. If there were more conflicts, the Abyssal Fire could burn down the clan house.

We managed to reach the familiar clan house without being attacked.

My tired expression was reflected in the shiny polished windowpanes.
I don't feel like leaving the clan house for a while longer.

There's so much to do, my head hurts.
Quotas, requests from Lord Gladys. I also need to confirm what Arun and the others have told me, and I'm still halfway through the miniature imperial city.
The first two will be taken care of by someone else, but the first thing to do is to check with Lise and the others to see if they've done anything about Akasha.

I missed my friends so much.
How reassuring it would have been if Anthem or Lucia had been there. No, even if it had been Luke, it would have been a distraction. What on earth would they be doing now?

I walked up the stairs and sat down on a chair in the Clan Master's office.

Now, before we look for Lies and the others, let's continue with the miniature imperial city.
The door to the room opened with a bang, as if I'd been waiting for it.

The one who came in gasping for air was Eva. In her hand she held an opulent white envelope with the Zebrudia coat of arms on it.
Unusually, her cheeks were flushed with excitement.

Eva looked straight at me without dropping her gaze to the miniature imperial city I was about to build, and shouted in an elated voice.

'Mr. Cry! An invitation to the 'Gathering of the White Swords' has finally arrived for you! Congratulations!

'............?'

All the commotion of the day was instantly blown out of my mind.

I had no idea what was being said.

The Gathering of the White Swords is the most famous gathering among the hunters of Zebrudia.
Only a small number of hunters who have contributed to the empire are allowed to attend, and receiving an invitation is a sign that you are recognized as one of the best hunters in Zebrudia.

Above all, the host of the event is the Emperor of this country.

''I've heard that the Ghost of Sorrows has a bad reputation and is avoided, but the other day--''

Eva is explaining it to me quickly, but I can't get it into my head at all.

Rumor has it that high-ranking hunters from outside the country may or may not be invited as guests, that they may or may not be allowed to test their skills against super elite knights and other hunters, and that there may or may not be delicious desserts.
I definitely don't want to attend. I don't even want to face the other high-ranking hunters. I'm a little concerned about the dessert, but I can't turn my back on it.

Why am I the only one who's going through this? Let Ark go! Let Ark go!
What the hell did I do to deserve this? I didn't do anything? No, I'm not being modest or anything... but seriously, I didn't do... anything!

It's not that big of a deal, I know.

The quota and Lord Gladys's request. I've got a problem with a magic wand and a gathering of white swords. I'm too down on my luck.
I didn't hesitate. I made my decision in an instant.

'............ and ...... What's wrong? Mr. Cry?'

Eva stared up at me. I gave a small cough and said with all my might.

'Oh, I'm sorry. I have some important business that requires me to leave the Imperial Capital. It's a great honor to be invited to the Gathering of the White Swords, but I don't think I can attend. And the other invitations. I'm sorry, but can you arrange something like that for me? I'll be home as soon as I can.' ............

'......What?

I'll run. I'll show you my brilliant escaping skills.