Once again, Luda, dressed in a bathrobe, hands me an envelope containing the coat of arms of the Explorers Society. Gilbert and his fellow party members (the Crimson Flame) are relieved.

I took the envelope and handed it to Sitri, who was standing next to me, without opening it. Since the purpose of Luda and the others was to deliver the request form entrusted to them by Mr. Gark, their mission was now complete.

Luda's eyes widened and she stared at me.

'Why aren't you looking at me?

'Because I don't need to look.

I have no intention of accepting the nomination request.
Receipt of the request form does not mean that I have received the request. I would have preferred not to accept it, but the reason I didn't run from Luda was because it would have affected their reputation.
Well, even if they don't receive it, they won't make a mistake, but they won't leave a mark on the reputation of the future hunters, even if it's only a small one.

After receiving the envelope, Citry took out a paper knife from his pocket and smilingly cut the seal of the request form.
Sitri's position towards me as a hunter is similar to Eva's position towards me as a clan master.

I looked away from Sitri, who was checking the request form, and Tino, who was glancing at it, and said to Luda.

'Thank you for your time. I'm sorry, but I'm not going to accept this request.

''What? What? What? Why not?

Of course, because it's too much trouble.
I can't clear it by myself, and even if I did, it would only make it easier for me to get trouble from the nobles, and there's not a single advantage for me who wants to retire right now.
But I know very well that if I say it as it is, it will not be accepted.

I'm in trouble. ...... You get the idea. I'm not a shiny hunter like you guys.

'What is it? What's that expression?

Luda's cheeks tighten as I appeal to her with my expression, and then Citri puts the request form on the table.
When he saw me, he nodded his head as if to say he knew what he was talking about, and said.

'I see,......, I understand. You don't need to follow him.

'......What?'

Luda raised his voice in question. I almost raised my voice too, but I managed to hold it back. Hardboiled people don't talk much.
Citri put away his paper knife and explained with a smile.

'This is a request for the joint defeat of the Barrel Thieves. They are a large, powerful, cunning, and troublesome bandit group. They come from the East, and with nearly a hundred members, they are said to be highly coordinated and play with even the regular army. Their members are strong, but their leaders are particularly talented--they've only recently arrived in Zebrudia, but they've been raiding other countries and are on the Explorers' Association's bounty list. That's the top of the list.

That's not good, is it?

Hunters are basically a party of six. No matter how strong you are, it's hard to make up the difference when you're up against nearly a hundred of them.
And if you're fighting off a regular army, you must be pretty good. If their names are listed at the top of the Explorers Society's bounty list, they must be much stronger than ordinary hunters.

We don't need to go after him. Yeah, we don't need to chase him. Defeating bandits is a national responsibility. What's this nasty business you're trying to throw at us?
but I hate the thought of working with the hunter-hating Knights of Gladys.

I'll complain to Mr. Gark later. You've paid your dues, so you should refuse this horrible request.

As I was swearing to myself, the boy Gilbert asked me with a quizzical expression.

'So, why is it that you don't have to chase it?

'It's simple. The reason why they are still alive after ravaging various countries until now, and the reason why even the Knights of Gladys cannot defeat them, is not simply because they are strong. It's because their minds are so brilliant that they won't fight an opponent they can't beat.

I didn't recognize the name at all, but Citri seemed to have all the information in his head, from his name to his history.
The main activity of the Ghosts of Sorrows is to conquer the Treasure House, but they have also experienced hunting bounty hunters many times. Because of that, the bounty hunter database that Citry has is quite large.

Sitri's words are clear. Perhaps it's his confident tone, but his words have a strange persuasiveness to them.

'They've been raiding all over the place, and when they were dispatched with someone they couldn't beat, they ran away and came here. They're not brave enough to stay here when they hear that a level 8 hunter is being dispatched.

'Oh, I see. ......'

'They are sensitive to the presence of strongmen. I think they were already preparing to retreat when they received the information that we were going to call for them, and I don't think they are already in Gladys' territory.

Sitri's story was so clear and logical that it entered my mind easily. The leader of the Gilbert boy's party gave a roar of approval.

I cheered inwardly. My unnecessarily high level had come in handy. I had no intention of accepting the request in the first place, but now that the enemy had escaped, I would be free of any flaws. I'm sure Count Gladys won't ask you to chase them outside your territory.

I've solved the last conundrum. I'll thank Citri later.
I crossed my arms confidently and said something appropriate.

'So, that's it. You can go after him, but you won't have to. I've got my own way of doing things.'

'Yeah, yeah, .......'

'Oh, don't worry about it too much. It was inevitable that the bandits would run away as soon as Count Gladys made the request. Well, that happens when you're a hunter for a long time. I'm sure Count Gladys will understand. Thanks for the explanation, Citri.

'I'm sorry about that ......, Mr. Cry.

Sitri's words were laced with speculation, but her words were rarely wrong. Even if she was wrong, it doesn't matter because we have no obligation to accept her request.

Now we can stall for time until the Gathering of the White Swords without worry.
You can also take a hot spring bath, eat hot spring dragon eggs and buns, and browse the souvenir shops.

Yes, we can take Tino with us to the sweet shops in this town. It would be a good substitute for a bodyguard, and even I don't know all the sweet shops in this town.
While I was smiling and thinking, Tino said in a slightly panicked voice.

'Mastaa. Are you sure the ordeal is over?'

'Yeah, yeah, it's over. I'm serious, I'm serious.'

'Mastaa ............'

Tino's voice is somewhat wistful. There are no more trials. There's only paradise left.



I covered my mouth with my hand, but I couldn't stop myself from smiling.
The Gilbert boys looked at me as if they were looking at something creepy as I struggled to keep my voice down.





d*mn, a level 7... what a mess.

Arnold was at the bottom of his disappointment. He didn't know what to do anymore.
His body was heavy, and he wasn't in the best of shape. But more serious was his mental state.

The moment he woke up from his fainting spell and realized that he had fainted the moment he saw the face of the "Thousand Transformations", Arnold felt a deep disappointment in his heart. It was disappointment in himself, not in anyone else.

Even though the other party was a level 8, and even though he had almost been traumatized by the horrible things that had happened to him, it was outrageous that he would faint at the mere sight of their faces. If the Arnold of a month ago had heard such words, he would have snickered.
But what shocked Arnold more than anything were the words of the party members, the rays.

'Mr. Arnold was a little tired. We've been in a lot of trouble for a while now, and Arnold's been pulling us along. The strain must've taken its toll. Now you should take a hot spring bath and get some rest.

He was being considerate. Of course, Arnold is the party leader. In the past, the rays would always listen to Arnold's words and be considerate.
But so far, not once had his words been laced with sympathy. Not once did he speak to me in a caring way. And that was a sign that Arnold was a strong leader.

He fainted at the mere sight of his natural enemy. The party members showed no signs of leaving, even after such a display. Even Juster, the youngest of the party and the one who had been dragged along by the powerful hunter Arnold, did not show any dissatisfaction. This was undoubtedly due to the trust that Arnold had built up in him.

I understand that. But even with that understanding, Arnold can't forgive himself for being so weak that he faints when he sees his natural enemy.

His fighting ability has not changed.
Although he is heavily fatigued, his physical abilities have not decreased, and his beloved sword is still in good condition. In fact, the amount of mana and material he has absorbed has even increased after passing through the [Castle of the Demon].
But to Arnold, he felt as if he had become very weak.

The pillar of strength is absolute confidence in oneself. If that is shaken, no matter how good you are physically, you become weak.
You have to get it back. But there's nothing I can do.

He heeded Ray's advice and went to the bathhouse alone to relieve himself and reflect on himself.
But even though he saw the spacious bathhouse filled with steam and heat, he felt nothing.

This is a wound. Arnold thinks.
It is a wound that could be fatal to Arnold, who has made strength his supreme goal. There's a crack in his soul as a hunter. If he can't regain his confidence, he may have to retire as a treasure hunter.

You must use this humiliation as a springboard. I thought about it over and over again, but my emotions never really got the better of me. As soon as I lost consciousness, it was as if I had turned into a different creature.
I don't know how I was fighting. I don't know how I was angry. I can reason, but my emotions don't work.

He clicks his tongue like he used to do, walks with his chest out like he used to do. But it's just a sham.
For now, he is still able to mend his ways, but sooner or later, Arnold will become just a weak man, like the plating peeling off.

There were no other guests in the bathhouse. Come to think of it, it's been a long time since I've walked alone.
Ever since I became a hunter, there was usually one of my party members nearby.

It makes me feel somewhat desolate. It was also a sentiment that the Arnold of old could not have had.

Everything he did felt unlike himself. Everything was falling apart.
I dread the next time I swing a sword. Fear that the stingrays' concern would turn to disappointment. And most of all, I was afraid of not knowing what would happen to me the next time I encountered the Thousand Transformations.

After thinking that far, he suddenly realized his big mistake.

Apparently, Aei had apologized to Arnold while he was unconscious. I thanked him when I heard the report, but was he really the kind of person who would approve of that?

No. The answer is a resounding no.
Arnold has always made the final decision on his own, even though he has taken Ei's advice into account. The responsibility has always been Arnold's to bear.
Even if Ei had apologized, he would have gone to settle the matter himself. That's what Arnold thinks a strong hunter should look like. That's the man who is the Thunderbolt.

I never thought I'd spend this much time even realizing such a simple thing...

Once again, a deep despair struck Arnold.
And even though he knew that much, he was disgusted with himself for not being able to move his body immediately.

He sighs heavily. It's a sigh that drains all the strength he's built up so far.

I'm screwed. There's no need to worry about it. I can't bear the lives of my party members in this state.
The Misty Thunder Dragon has no choice but to disband. I'll have to talk to the rays when I get out of the bath. That's my responsibility to the party members who've followed the Thunderbolt so far.

Dragging his heavy body, he slowly made his way to the bathtub as if he were trying to buy time.
And just as he was about to sink into the spacious bathtub, something strange crossed Arnold's vision.



His consciousness involuntarily went blank, and with slow movements he rubbed his eyes and stared into them.
Unlike what I expected, I did not panic. I did not faint, nor did my body tremble.



The "Thousand Transformations" was doing the breaststroke in the hot spring.
With graceful motions, it was shoveling hot water, and its not-so-small body was moving noiselessly on the surface of the water.

There was only shock. I just asked in a squeezed voice.


'? ......, ......, ............, ............, ............... ...... What are you doing? What are you doing?


It's no illusion. I'm not sure what you're talking about.
There was a huge splash and a dumb face looked at Arnold.