I walked quickly down the wide corridor, trying not to make a mess of my yukata.
It had been more than a week since I had arrived at the inn, so I knew the structure of the inn. Most of the staff at the inn were already familiar with me.

It was very difficult to run in the yukata, which reached all the way down to my feet, but I decided to think of this as training.

I can't imagine what benefit (other than happiness, of course) lounging on the tatami and eating tea and sweets together would bring to Tino, but I'll leave my doubts at that.
Tino is just a level 4 hunter. There's no way he can know Mastaa's deepest thoughts, and all he can do is follow his instructions to the letter.
That's what I've always done, and that's what I'll always do. Tino doesn't understand Mastaa's words, but he trusts Mastaa.

He walks through the empty wooden corridor to the front desk. In a corner of his mind, he keeps counting.
I was told that I had ten minutes, so I had to be back within ten minutes. Masutaa wouldn't scold him if he exceeded the time limit, but that was a matter of pride for Tino.

Just as he reached the lobby, a staff member in a yukata was coming out from behind the reception counter.
It was a female staff member wearing a special gray yukata. She wore heavy makeup and her hair was cut short. Tino's eyes widened for a moment at the unfamiliar face and appearance.
The staff member's eyebrows twitched, as if she was surprised by Tino's appearance.

There were no other guests in the lobby. There was no sign of the guards who always stood guard at the entrance, and none of the familiar staff members who had looked up to Tino with respect after he had killed the dragon.
The landscape itself was peaceful, but for some reason Tino felt something suspicious about the current situation.

A female staff member came up to him with a smile on her face.

'This is ...... sir. Can I help you?

'...... I'd like to share some sweets and tea. Sweet treats.'

'Yes, sir. I'll bring them to your room right away.'

'Thank you.

As a high-class inn, the quality of service is assured. I'm sure it will be delivered soon.
He breathed a sigh of relief and turned around.

--Then, without stopping, she checked behind her in a fluid motion.

Perhaps because of the unexpected movement, the face of the smiling female staff member tightened. In her right hand she was holding a small knife that had not been there before.

'Ah!

The knife was swung straight down, but Tino was not so slow as to take the blade that was lowered in front of him.

He takes a step backwards and easily avoids the knife, which has a blade about ten centimeters long. The blade is painted black, the handle is short, and it has little reach.
The weapon was clearly not intended to be used in close quarters combat. Although it was not intended to be used against illusions or demons, Tino and the other hunters called it the "Assassin's Knife" because of its small blade, portability, and the fact that it was not intended for throwing.
It is a weapon for assassination, not for defeating demons or phantoms, but for killing humans by surprise.

The woman's face contorts in astonishment.
I'm not upset. Just as she does in her training, she unconsciously puts in a burst of energy, steps forward and fires a fist at the same time.
The eyebrows of the staff who received it in the chest twisted for a moment. Tino bit his lip at his inexperience.

Shallow. I failed.

The "enemy," who has taken a step backward to cushion the impact, takes another stance, holding his chest.
Almost no damage. The yukata made it difficult for him to move, so his steps were lax. If it had been in its usual attire, it would have taken some damage. However, if Tino had been her sister, she would have been able to neutralize him in one breath, even if she had been in the same position.

The enemy in front of her hadn't changed since the beginning. You can't see any intent to kill or fight in his friendly face, but his demeanor is far more refined than most people would expect.

'...... Oh my god, how did you know?

'I've been told to come back in ten minutes. There's no time for idle chatter.'

I don't need to tell you how I figured it out. It's the result of education. Tino has always been taught to be ready to fight at any time and against any enemy.
And this was actually the experience of her sister, Liz Smart.
As you can imagine, I was surprised when the dragon appeared in the hot spring, but with invisible guards and unfamiliar staff, even an inexperienced Tino would be prepared if the sense of discomfort piled up so much.

Fortunately, the woman in front of him didn't seem to be that strong. At the very least, if she and Tino fought one-on-one, Tino's side would probably win, even if he couldn't use his usual strength.
His ability to kill is impressive, but assassins are not suited for head-to-head combat, even though they can defeat a superior opponent with a single blow. In the event you're a hunter who's not used to fighting against people, you might have a few eyes, but Tino is used to fighting against people, having been beaten up by his sister.

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'Oh my God, ...... I never thought I'd have such a small guard--if I hadn't noticed ......... ...I could have saved you a lot of unnecessary pain. ......'

'......'

'Hey, if you don't mind, I'd like to know. You're ............ the Ghost of Sorrows, right? Which one, Lies or Citri?'

'I'm not going to tell you my name.

I was more than a little shocked by the misguided words, but I didn't show it. You can't give someone unnecessary information without a reason.
The woman gave a small sigh to Tino, who stared at her sharply.

'............ Well, okay. This level is within the expected range. ...... Hey, you guys!

You'll be able to find a lot more than just a few.
There are ten of them. They are of varying ages and genders, but few of them have strong faces. Remove the hunters from the people walking the streets of the Imperial City, and take ten of them at random, and you'll have a lineup like the one you just saw.

It's a big organization. Tino suppressed his trembling and turned his head.

The abilities of each of them are not as high as Tino's, but their demeanor is very natural and refined. This would not have been possible without training.
Perhaps the reason why their abilities are not that high is to deceive people's eyes. He has narrowed down the amount of mana and materials he has and is using the rest for mimicry. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to achieve this level of mimicry. I don't think the people in front of me have mimicry of the level of "thousand changes".

Amateurs don't have ....... You can only get so many people who can blend into their surroundings without alarming others. But the way they mistook Tino for the Ghost of Sorrows suggests that their information was incomplete.

One of the reinforcements - a boy who looked younger than Tino - looked up at the woman with a surprising look.

'Is it a failure?

'As expected of the Ghost of Sorrows. You seem to have very good ...... instincts. It's not like the Knights of Peace. No, ............ come back in ten minutes, is that it?''



'I can't believe you knew the name of the Ghost of Sorrows and attacked me...'

What a daredevil.

Even Tino can defeat them, no matter how many there are, they'll be subdued by Mastaaa's little finger.
Sure, there's a lot of them. But compared to the despair I felt the moment I saw the castle of the demons, I wonder if it's only human.

Even Tino has gone through a thousand trials and tribulations before.

I'm prepared. He had never taken on this many people at once, but even if there were ten of them, not all ten would attack at once. Tino Shade can do it.

She's ready. He slipped his right hand through the laces of his yukata and drew his dagger from the belt that was wrapped around his torso. He hadn't carried it with him before, but the battle in the bathhouse had made Tino grow.
Tino was good at physical arts, but he had also mastered the art of daggers. Sharpness is a must if you're going up against numbers.

I'm not going to interrogate you. I'm not going to interrogate him. Masutaa will know who he is anyway. All Tino had to do was get some tea and snacks and be back in ten minutes.

The people who appeared in front of him were nothing more than obstacles to the ordeal he was about to face.

The unidentified "enemies" surrounding Tino did not change their color even when they saw the weapons. On the contrary, the woman who was pretending to be a staff member said to him as if she was mocking him.

'It's a pity that you don't know anything about it - at this rate, the foresight of the [Thousand Transformations] won't do you much good.

'......'

A petty provocation. I'm not going to listen to it.
The woman said something unbelievable to Tino, who lowered his eyebrows in annoyance but focused his mind.

'Look, we've already captured two of the Ghosts of Sorrows. No matter how prestigious your party is, you can't win if you don't have everyone--'


The extreme concentration sharpened my mind. I see the others behind the woman move their arms with very few, minimal movements.


'No.'

The word jolts Tino for a moment, but quickly turns to noise.
After evading four of the knives thrown at him from all sides by retreating and flicking one with his dagger, Tino stepped hard toward the rude people in front of him.







'Hey, hey, hey, ......, you dodged from that position--the surprise attack was perfect, but the hunters are monsters, aren't they? It's a good thing I targeted the strongest one.

'...... who are you?

The man's lips twisted into a smile. I glared at him, but his expression did not waver in the slightest.
He was a man of medium height. He had few possessions and did not look like a hunter, but the way he carried himself was not that of an ordinary man. Frowning at the pain in his back, he drew the sword at his back. The men's companions spread out, smiling as they surrounded the carriage of the Misty Thunder Dragon.

It's fortunate that Arnold was able to quickly twist and deflect the white blade from its vital point. The wound on his back is not a light one, but Arnold is a seasoned hunter. It would be bad if it bled for a long time, but this level will not hinder him in battle.

He already has the golden sword in his hand. His body language is certainly agile, but it is not enough to trouble a level 7 hunter.
The rays were already in a fighting stance. The man's aloof demeanor remained unchanged as he drew his weapon and readied himself for battle.

We don't know who he is. I don't recall him holding a grudge here in Zebrudia.

'You're not a changeling, are you? I've heard he's a good guy-- d*mn, that's lucky. ...... I didn't expect to find such a high-level hunter in this city, but unfortunately, we don't let them all out when they attack the city. I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I'm not the only one who has a problem with this. ......'

I'm not sure what to do. I'm not sure if this is another one of his schemes? The anger erases the dull pain.

But even in that anger, Arnold felt a strong sense of unease.
That's strange. The fact that they attacked him in broad daylight was strange, and the fact that they attacked Arnold and the others in the first place was an act of stupidity.
The man in front of me and his companions are certainly of a certain level of skill, but they are of a lower rank than the Misty Thunder Dragon. They must not be so inexperienced that they don't understand the difference in ability--.

When I was thinking to that extent, my vision suddenly shook greatly.
For a moment, I thought it was an earthquake, but it was not.
He thrust the greatsword he was holding downward and managed to withstand the fall. An inexplicable tremor struck my whole body, and all the strength drained from my body.

'Mr. Arnold!

'Hey, hey, hey, finally, it worked - you're really sturdy, even though it's a powerful one for phantoms.

It's poison. And it's an extremely powerful poison that will work on a level 7 Arnold.

I'm not sure if it's a good thing or not.
Arnold is still able to nullify all commercially available poison for humans, but the poison he receives is not something to be taken lightly.

The heat disappears from his body. It doesn't hurt, but it's just creepy.

What did you get? --Were you just waiting for the poison to work on me?
I grit my teeth, put all my strength into it, and raise my head. The man looks at me as if he were looking at a strange beast of prey.

Before I knew it, the tourists around Arnold's carriage had gathered around it.
There were not ten or twenty of them. Most of them were not carrying any conspicuous weapons, and some of them were dressed like merchants.
They were all looking at Arnold and the others with interest.

Why didn't anyone speak up? For a moment, such a question crossed my mind, but then I immediately thought of the answer.

It's not that they don't speak up. These people are all--

'I'll say my name. It's no use anyway, we live in the shadows, but sometimes we like to make a name for ourselves, like you hunters.

The man smiles, baring his teeth. His eyes looked down at Arnold arrogantly.
The people around him each pulled out a weapon from under their clothes. There was no sign of the guards who were supposed to be guarding the city.


'We're--barrels. We creep like shadows, stealing people, things, and everything like fire. We are the strongest bandits, and we are the ones who will kill the strongest.