'No, it may be bad luck for Mister Arnold, but it's the greatest luck for this town. I didn't expect a level 7 certified hunter to visit us by chance. ......'

'............'

The fat mayor spoke with a cheerful expression, and Arnold nodded humbly, not revealing his inner thoughts.

The guest room of the city hall in the center of the city of Gula. There, Arnold and his group were welcomed as hunters who had saved the city.

The mayor's face and the faces of his subordinates around him were all cheerful.
The mayor praised Arnold with open arms as he sat down on a luxurious-looking sofa.

I've heard that you've recently arrived from overseas, but you are truly a messenger of salvation for this city!

'Mayor, I thought it wasn't just the Orc pack that showed up.

'Oh, that's right...'

After surviving the fierce battle, the bloody clothes he wore when he arrived in the city have already been cleaned and the wounds he suffered have already been healed with potions.
However, inside Arnold, there was still an unrelieved fighting spirit and a simmering anger. The mayor is unaware of this, but his companions are aware of the energy that seems to be about to explode behind Arnold's eyes.

He does not lash out at the mayor, who speaks in front of him without knowing anything, because he understands that there is no point in lashing out at a powerful man for nothing.

A good hunter is good at everything. That includes patience.

But even so, when I thought back to what happened at the gate - what Zekage had done to the stunned Arnold - I felt my guts churning.
Whenever I am distracted, I feel like throwing everything away and going into pursuit. What holds me back is not only the injuries of my companions and my lack of preparation, but also the fact that my opponent is the most troublesome prey of all.
A first-class hunter never forgets the difference in strength between his team and his opponent at any time.

The mayor's eyes widened, and he shuddered as if he were facing a raging hero.

'I heard that the Spirit of Fire has appeared.

'Yes. Arnold narrowed his eyes.

A living flame descending from the heavens, shining like a second sun.
As Arnold and the others fought to the death against the Orc pack and other angry demons, they were confronted by a being of the same rank as the spirit they had fought in Elan just two days ago.

If this is a coincidence, then Arnold is probably the unluckiest person in his life right now.

The fact that Arnold and the others had survived in good health was nothing more than luck.
The glowing spirit of fire playfully burned the orc pack, the demon pack, and Arnold and the others, and then flew away.

The power of a superior spirit in full force exceeds the offensive magic of a top-notch mage. The only reason why Arnold and a part of the demon horde were left burned was because the spirits' attack was just a joke.

Even so, the entire area, including the streets, was burned to the ground. If anyone were to walk along the road to the city of Gura now, they would marvel at the devastation - the mass of demon corpses covering the burnt earth.

Perhaps remembering the battle, the ray standing next to me frowned and complained.

'...... d*mn it. We don't know much about this place, but ...... are there any elemental spirits living around here? It's the first time we've run into spirits twice in such a short period of time.

It's not possible... even here in Zebrudia, spirits can only be found in the wilderness where no one can touch them. I don't remember them ever appearing in a town like this.

I know. I know. If spirits like that kept popping up, we'd be out of business. Hey, Mr. Arnold?

Arnold nodded gravely at Aei's words. But Arnold's attention had long since left the mayor.

The genie and the powerful orc king were all over. It had been a fight to the death, but it was the Foreign Mist that had defeated and survived. There's no point in thinking about what's done.

But apart from that, we can't allow Thousands of Changes to take advantage of us.

It was obvious from the events of the past that the Thousand Transformations was taunting Arnold and the others with the demon.
I don't know what he's up to or how he detected the incident, but it's clearly an act against the Treasure Hunter Code. No, even if he hadn't - if he didn't say anything, the name "Thunderbolt Flash" would be ruined.

My teeth grind together from overexertion. The mayor said with a big smile that made me hate him.

'At any rate, it is certain that the orc pack that was threatening the town of Gura has disappeared. The damage to the knights and hunters we called in was also minimal. It's a small price to pay, but the whole town will be happy to welcome you. And of course, the reward--'

'...... No, ......, we'll be out in a minute.'

'!

At Arnold's words, the mayor, the other citizens in the crowd, and the other members of the team behind him all rolled their eyes.

It's not every day that a town the size of Gla, let alone a small town or village, gives a town-wide welcome. It would be a great honor for a hunter.
In normal times, Arnold would have accepted the offer, but with the Zekage's agitation, he wouldn't feel at ease even if he were receiving hospitality.

Judging from the Zekage's attitude, it's likely that the Thousand Transformations aren't wary of pursuing Arnold and the others. He's aware of it, but he's not on guard.
That's what we call carelessness. Arnold will have to make the Foreign Mist regret underestimating him.

But even if he hadn't taken care of the trail, tracking it would be more difficult the longer it took.

Giving the bewildered mayor another boost, Arnold said.

'I'm sorry, ...... but I've got things to do. I can't stay long.'

The mayor's eyes widen in surprise, and he looks at Arnold, who manages to stifle his anger with a frown.

'I see. ...... As a level 7 hunter, you don't have time to rest. I'm not sure if you're in the middle of a request?

'A...... Mr. Arnold, it's not a good idea to push too hard with the current situation of the party. Three of us almost died, we need to rest for at least a day or two--we're out of supplies and our equipment is in shambles. Even the safe members aren't exhausted.

Stingray reports in a hushed voice.

The Orc hordes and the fire spirits had taken a heavy toll on Arnold's party, who were still exhausted from the battle in Elan.
The carriage they had just purchased upon arriving in the Imperial Capital was half destroyed, and the horse they were pulling was already dead. Their armor was in ruins, and it was difficult for them to even travel, let alone fight strong enemies.

Perhaps misunderstanding the purpose of Arnold and the others, the mayor said with a serious expression.

'We will help you as much as we can. If there's anything you need, I'll arrange it.

I pondered.
I appreciate the mayor's words, but aside from replenishing the supplies, repairing the armor is a pain. The carriage we just bought in the imperial capital is completely damaged, and the horse we used as a decoy in the fight to the death needs to be bought again.
Complete maintenance would be difficult and time-consuming in a town of this size. The deceptions we used in Elan will no longer work.

Arnold was silent for a while, then he clucked his tongue and looked back at his friends. They stepped back at the pained look on his face.

'........................ d*mn it. I'll take care of it in three days, no, two days. A, make the arrangements. Load more supplies. Get bigger wagons and higher-ranking horses. We'll decide ............ next.

'Oh, yes!

Wherever you run, I'll hunt you down and make you pay for everything you've done.



Despite the fact that they were eye-to-eye, "Thousand Transformations" turned its back as if to say it was not interested.
In the midst of the crowd, Zekage unleashed an insult on Arnold and the others who were exhausted.

Even after two fierce battles, Arnold Hale's will to fight has not diminished.





"The Master is a god. The Master does not overlook trouble or the weak. So if you follow the trouble, you'll find the Master. Do you understand?

I don't get it at all. That's what Luda thought at the time, when his friend spoke so calmly, but with an extraordinary amount of passion.

But now, Luda somehow understands the meaning.

'Lightning ...... ......? What the hell is going on here?

'The cause is currently under investigation. But that person went out about two days ago.

The young soldier who was in charge of the entrance to the town looked at Luda with a strange expression.

He's real. A real troublemaker. And according to him, a nasty one who passes it on to others.
I was surprised when I heard of the Thousand Trials, but it's bad. When I first met him at the recruitment site of the First Step, I was surprised at how out of character he was, but if this was intentional - even if the purpose was to train him --Krei Andrich must have been a demon in human skin.

'So ...... did you ask where we're going or anything?'

'It's not registered. ...... Well, it's not unusual for hunters to not register.'

It's a mistake. ...... And the destination is unknown. It's easy to catch them in the first town, but it doesn't work that way.

It was just as Luda was examining the request that he received the letter from the branch chief.

She was given the letter because she was at least competent and trustworthy, knew Krai's face, and had some experience adventuring with him.

At first, he wondered why he should be given the job, but the reward was unbelievably high for delivering letters, and he had no reason not to accept.
Originally, letter delivery was a request that was issued from time to time. Since it required a certain level of trust on the part of the hunter receiving the letter, Luda had never accepted it, but if you thought of it as a request to travel, it was incredibly rewarding.

But if you're also looking for people, you'll have a hard time, but this time, you know where you're going. Count Gladys' territory. All we need to do is contact the department that controls the comings and goings of the town in between and trace their steps.

It was supposed to be a simple request. But things were already looking suspicious at the first town.
Spirits, which rarely appear in human settlements, have attacked the town. Even though it's already over, it's not a pleasant story.

I have a bad feeling about this.
I'm not sure if it's a warning bell that my intuition as a bandit is ringing or if it's just an illusion, but as I frowned and thought about it seriously, a voice called out from behind me.

'............ Oh, I must have switched places. Where did you go?'

'...... I don't know.'

The voice was rather high pitched, and I sighed deeply.
Luda was not the only one who received the request this time. A party that happened to be looking at the board at the same time also received the request.
Even though Luda is always a soloist, he has occasionally joined a party, but when the members of that party are the ones who were with him the last time he had a bad experience at the Lair of the White Wolf, it is understandable that he feels overwhelmed.

Gilbert Busch, without seeming particularly offended, stepped in front of Ruda and asked the young soldier in a loud voice: 'I see.

'I see,......, but hey, do you know of any nearby towns that have been in trouble lately? It's a place where level 8 hunters might stop by.'

'Hey, don't do anything you don't want to.'

'Tino told you that, didn't he? I don't have any tracking abilities. Our party's specialty is to conquer the treasure house!

I said I was good enough on my own, so why is this guy following me?
Seeing Gilbert's party members approaching apologetically, Luda sighed deeply.