Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 447

Chapter 447

“……Huh, I see. That explains it. I thought it was strange how both I and this alleyway, which were definitely filthy, had become so clean. I wondered what happened, but it was a spirit master. And even a high-level one, so passing the exam is a given.”

“Yes, but joining an existing guild is too much of a hassle.”

“Hmm, I get what you mean. In short, you need a sign [license or permit] you can use as you please, right?”

“Yes, that’s right. I won’t cause any trouble.”

Chris’s expression soon turned serious. His contemplation didn’t last long.

“Okay.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, but let me be properly involved too.”

“Involved how?”

“I’ll give you the real power, but let me handle the operations. From naming the guild to managing the members. If a guild is going to be under my name, I want to do it right.”

“Well, I don’t mind as long as I can use the guild name……”

“Then it’s settled.”

Thus, an unexpected partnership was formed. I would provide the initial capital, and Chris would handle the operations, with the condition that we both have joint management rights. As an Axis-class hunter [a high-ranking hunter], he could earn money quickly, so in reality, he was unilaterally helping me. Chris said it was only natural since having a high-level spirit master in the guild would be a significant promotion.

“Ah, but as I said, I need a preparation period. Especially since I haven’t had any achievements in the past few years, so I’ll have to undergo a re-evaluation. It’ll probably take a few months.”

“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind.”

I took out a money pouch from my pocket and handed it to him. Chris, who received it in a daze, opened it and looked surprised.

“What’s this?”

“Use it as initial capital. Is it not enough?”

“Uh, no. It’s enough, but…… You’re just giving it to me without any notarization? Aren’t you trusting me too much?”

“It’s the same for me. How can you readily lend your name without knowing where I’ll use the guild sign?”

“Haha, you’re more interesting the more I see you. Alright, I’ll gladly accept it.”

“Yes, contact me anytime if you need more.”

I told him my name and the inn where I was staying. After that, we set some simple rules: to inform each other of the situation at least once a week, to contact each other in advance when leaving our posts, not to commit dangerous or illegal acts, etc. Very basic things.

“I feel like I’m bewitched by something.”

After the discussion, Chris muttered blankly.

“It’s okay to back out now if you regret it.”

“No, that’s not what I mean. I’m just too happy.”

“Is that so?”

“You…… No, El, right? Thank you so much. Thanks to you, I found out about my friend’s survival, whom I thought was dead, and I have something to do. I don’t know how long it’s been since I felt this happy.”

“I’m glad then. I’m happy to have found a good partner too.”

“Let me formally introduce myself again. I’m Lakin Chris.”

His eyes, smiling as he offered a handshake, were full of vigor. The gloomy shadow that had been cast when I first saw him was nowhere to be found on his bright face. I smiled and shook his hand.

“I’m El.”

* * *

“Now you’re using it without any hesitation.”

My shoulders flinched at the muttering that followed after parting with Chris. Um, did I give it too casually like it was my own money? But it’s not like this is the first time. I awkwardly smiled, and Eluien stared at me intently. Seeing that he didn’t look particularly displeased, it seems he wasn’t trying to scold me. It’s just that he seemed a bit dumbfounded that I had completely abandoned my shame.

“Didn’t you say you wouldn’t get involved with documents? What’s the point of keeping the recipient by your side?”

“Well, you know. That’s just how things are, right? Ahaha. I’m glad I can borrow the name on this occasion, and there’s no guarantee that I’ll be involved.”

“You just want to believe that.”

I decided to pretend I didn’t hear Troel’s addition. Still, recalling Chris’s delighted face, I didn’t regret making this decision. Of course, he would have come to his senses even if we had just parted ways, but I felt that he probably wouldn’t have even thought about creating a guild for the rest of his life if it wasn’t for my suggestion. And I had a feeling that he would have held onto that fact with regret. Recalling the sparkle in his eyes when we were discussing it, it wasn’t just a feeling.

I went to the Hunter Association again that day to take the qualification exam while the iron was hot. Whether it was thanks to my efforts of carrying around the encyclopedia, I easily passed the written exam this time. Thanks to that, the practical exam I finally took was a method of fighting artificial monsters created by magic in a sealed room.

Starting from the lowest stage, stronger and stronger monsters appeared sequentially, and you had to pass at least stage 3 to pass the final exam. After that, the grade was determined based on the last monster you caught. Fortunately, the judging process was conducted privately, so I could participate without pressure. Of course, I had to have the nagging and interference of the two prickly Spirit Kings as background music.

“Applicant, El-nim, congratulations on passing the final exam.”

As I came out after taking the exam, an employee who had been waiting in front of the door handed me a small card. It was a card with the examination results of the successful applicant, and it seemed that if I handed this to the reception desk, the official certificate would be issued. People who were waiting outside for their turn sent envious glances.

“Wow, he passed. Lucky.”

“Did the judging take a long time? Did he go to a pretty high stage?”

“Who knows? There’s no time limit for each stage, so it might have taken him a long time to catch one.”

“Ah, I guess.”

Leaving the murmuring behind, I went to the reception desk, and another employee greeted me with a smile. The employee inserted the card I handed him into the entrance of an object with a crystal ball attached. Then, with a buzzing sound, the black color of the crystal began to change.

“El-nim, congratulations on passing. I’ll help you issue your certificate now. El-nim’s grade is…… Huh.”

The final color that changed was red. The employee looked back and forth between me and the crystal ball with a look of disbelief for a moment.

“Ah, you’re an Axis grade.”

The surrounding murmurs grew louder. I had heard from Eluien and had already expected it while going through the screening, so I wasn’t very surprised. I had summoned and caught every monster that Ciel could catch. Eventually, I stopped when I reached the limit, but I was sure that it was the final stage. Frankly, it was the final boss that everyone had to acknowledge.

‘Even so, isn’t it cheating to have a dragon come out?’

Since it was a magical creation, it was much weaker than the real thing. Still, it was an existence that Ciel alone could not handle. At this point, it was a declaration that they would not create a Regia-class hunter [the highest hunter rank].

“It’s not easy to get an Axis grade in the system, you’re really amazing. We’ll issue you a certificate of passing today. It’ll take about two days to issue your hunter’s license, and you can come pick it up anytime after that.”

“Yes, thank you.”

I carefully tucked the received certificate into my pocket and left the building. There were many people following me for some reason, so I had to work hard to shake them off.

When I visited the association again a few days later, the inside was buzzing with one rumor: Hunter Chris had tentatively contracted the building that used to be the Dawn’s Bow Guild office. It was a moment where I could easily guess what the guild name he would build in the future would be.

* * *

As expected, the guild name Chris chose was ‘Dawn.’ I heard that the original Dawn’s Bow Guild didn’t only have archers, but he said he only took the first word to give it a more comprehensive feel. In effect, the Dawn’s Bow Guild was being revived.

Thanks to that, these days, wherever I went, it was buzzing with stories about him. Some said he had finally come to his senses, while others wondered if it would be possible for him to get back on his feet after the time he had wasted. It was a mix of half expectation and half worry. There were already rumors that he was working with someone. It wasn’t known that it was me, but thanks to that, I was keenly aware that Chris was more famous than I thought.

However, it didn’t seem like there were many people interested in joining the guild. It wasn’t the recruitment period yet, so I didn’t know what would happen if they officially announced it. Anyway, Chris’s re-evaluation was first, so I decided not to worry about that.

“A dragon came out?”

In the meantime, Chris and I became quite close. He was twenty-seven this year, from the South, and had come to the capital alone at the age of fifteen. He had been working as a porter in a trading company when he realized that being a hunter was a way to make money, and he switched careers, where he discovered an unexpected talent.

His main weapons were a bow and a dagger. He was also a hard worker who had steadily upgraded his grade from the lowest stage, Arma, to Axis. Whether that disposition had changed, he, who only had soft flesh when I first saw him, began to train his body in earnest, and his skills improved day by day. It seemed like his physique was changing every time I met him.

“The last stage is a dragon, that was true. I thought it was a lie.”

“Didn’t you know? Chris is also an Axis [class hunter].”

“Didn’t you know? There are upper, middle, and lower levels in one grade. Of course, it’s not marked on the certificate. Anyway, you take the exam in three stages for each grade. I stopped at the second stage of Axis.”

Huh, I didn’t know that. There were three stages for each grade. No wonder they kept coming out endlessly. I took a sip of the tea in front of me, belatedly realizing. The warm milk tea that Chris had brewed himself had a sweet taste.

Once a week was the day of our regular meeting. Chris usually came to where I was, but occasionally I would go to see him, and today was one of those days. His house was surprisingly in a clean residential area in District 3. He had left it almost empty for the past few years while he was living in alcohol, but he said he had started living there again since he came to his senses. But he lived so quietly that the neighbors still thought of it as an empty house.

Despite his fame, Chris didn’t do any external activities at all. He only went to the association once to check the validity of his license and apply for re-evaluation, and he rarely went out otherwise. He didn’t seem to have any friends he knew or hung out with. Considering his past activities, it was a bit incomprehensible, but I didn’t bother asking because it seemed like there was a story behind it. I was also curious about what his relationship with Davian was and how he had handled the classified documents he had given him, but I didn’t ask about that either.

“But then does that mean there’s something after the dragon?”

“No, the Regia exam is just that one. There’s no need to divide the final grade into stages.”

“Hmm, that’s true.”

“Anyway, you’re really amazing. There were several high-level spirit masters I knew in the past, but none of them went up to Axis Upper. Especially since the magic bodies in the capital are more elaborate and stronger, so it’s known to be difficult to raise the stage. If you took the exam elsewhere with that skill, you might have been able to get a Regia grade.”

“Ciel is the amazing one, not me.”

“Wow, that’s a very spirit master-like answer.”

No, it’s not humility, that’s the truth. Honestly, later on, I was too lazy, so I just told Ciel to do it himself, and I just sat and watched. But seeing Chris admiring me, I didn’t think I should tell the truth.

“But do you know what?”

“What?”

As I was about to look at him without thinking, Chris suddenly smiled mischievously. I had an ominous feeling and tried to step back, but before that, a cold feeling touched my wrist. When I checked that a metal bracelet was on my wrist, I heard the sound of the lock closing.

“……? What’s this bracelet?”

“A mana sealing magic tool.”

“Huh?”

“You can’t use spirits anymore.”

“……Huh?”

Ah, right. Come to think of it, there was something like this? I’ve seen it before, but it’s the first time I’ve worn it myself. I tried to summon Naias out of curiosity, but there was really no response. The mana tried to move, but it only took a step in place as if it was blocked by something. No way, it’s blocked so easily? I was dumbfounded and just blinked my eyes, and Chris smiled contentedly.

“It means that magic systems can be easily suppressed, no matter how strong they are. I’m teaching you not to be complacent just because you trust spirits.”

“……These aren’t easy to get, are they?”

“It’s a bit expensive, but it’s not impossible to get. Especially the bracelet of the grade you’re wearing now, most hunters have it. It’s useful when catching criminals with bounties.”

Umm, hunters do that too. Well, bounty hunters are hunters too. Following the anesthetic, there was a second thing to be careful about. If this is the case, it seemed better to be wary of anyone approaching me. As I realized the inconvenience of the human body, a sigh flowed out.

“How do I unlock this?”

“Ah, wait. It only opens with a key made as a set. I’ll unlock it right now.”

Chris’s face, who was smiling and rummaging through his pockets, stopped the next moment. Feeling an ominous feeling again, I also hardened my face and looked at him. Chris started rummaging around, turning everything upside down. And after a long time, he raised his head with a frozen face.

“Oh, what should I do, El? The key is gone.”

“……Are you kidding me?”

“Sorry. I wish it was a joke, but unfortunately, it’s not.”

Seeing his apologetic face, it didn’t seem like a joke. I had no choice but to grab the bracelet and apply force, intending to break it first. But what was this? It didn’t break, and it didn’t even crack. It was a power that could crush tree branches, but it didn’t have any effect. I was very embarrassed.

“It doesn’t break?”

“Oh, sorry. It’s also enchanted with magic that resists pressure. It won’t break by force unless it’s a really extraordinary force.”

“……Are you doing this to trick me?”

“No, really not! Really!”

I smiled with the thought of making him regret this moment for the rest of his life if that was the case, and Chris shook his head with a pale face. Seeing the desperate sincerity in his desperately shouting face, I decided to stop the retaliation.