đźź Chapter 27:
The next morning, I headed to the guild headquarters to receive my Hunter Card.
When I arrived, I found a crowd gathered around the building.
Well, after everything that happened, it made sense people would gather here.
I pushed my way through the crowd and entered, heading straight to the card distribution area.
Of course, everyone had already arrived before me—even Haizen, who greeted me with his usual smirk.
"Sleep well last night?"
"Not really—especially compared to someone who lies about where he sleeps."
"Are you upset I didn't book you a room at that hotel?"
"No, I'm not."
[Stop lying. You screamed half the night because he didn't get you a room.]
Please, be quiet. Fine, I'm upset—let's just forget it.
[You're such a complainer.]
The guild staff stepped forward to thank all participants, and then the guild master offered his congratulations to everyone who took the test.
After that, the card distribution began.
They started with the A-rank, and the top two were the sisters Flora and Liliana.
Most of the participants were shocked—but not me or Haizen. He seemed to understand how strong they truly were.
A few others also received A-rank cards—seven in total.
Next came the B-rank, with thirteen people in it.
Haizen was fifth among them.
Then the C-rank, which had fifteen people, including Oriana, who placed tenth, and Terastius, who came in twelfth—despite catching more monsters than her, his prey were apparently weaker.
After that came D-rank, my rank.
There were eleven participants, and somehow, I ranked fourth.
Well, that's thanks to the monster heart Haizen gave me.
Then came the E-rank, which had only five people, the weakest having just two ordinary monster hearts.
That means if it weren't for Haizen, I would've ended up dead last in E-rank.
As for the rest—they failed. And of course, Dintro was among them.
Once the ceremony ended, everyone—including those who failed—received rewards.
I got twenty gold coins, while Haizen earned one hundred eighty.
If I paid the "Little Hotel" for two nights, I'd have only five gold coins left.
A blatant scam. I'd have to pay ten gold for the first night because of their ridiculous "rule," and five more for the second.
At least I still had some money left from my work in Valoris.
Haizen, however, looked a bit disappointed about getting only a B-rank.
He muttered,
"Just thinking that I'm not even in the top ten… makes me realize how arrogant I was. I thought I'd at least make the top three."
I tried to cheer him up.
"Hey, it happens. Lots of people find out they're not as great as they thought. But rankings aren't permanent—you can always improve with more missions."
"You're right. No point in getting worked up about it."
"Hey, Takeru!"
A small, familiar voice called out—it was Flora.
"Oh, Flora—it's you. Congratulations on taking first place!"
"Thanks! And congrats to you too, um… C-rank?"
"It's D."
"Oh—sorry!"
"No worries. It's not a big deal."
"Pffft… hahahaha."
Haizen burst out laughing—more at me than her mistake.
Well, at least his mood improved.
[Hehehh…]
Oh no, not you too…
"So, are you going back to your homeland now?"
"Huh? My homeland?"
I didn't expect that question. No one had ever asked me that before.
"The country I came from is… really far away, so I can't return right now."
"Oh, you're from Japan, right?"
Wait—what? How does she know that? Has she met people like me?
"You know about Japan?"
"Oh, so you really are from there! You totally look like them."
"Look like them?"
"Yeah! Your features are just like theirs. There are plenty of people in my country who work and say they're from 'another world. Hehehe, I don't really know what they mean-probably just faraway lands, right?"
So she doesn't actually believe it.
"Yeah, like I said, my homeland's just… very far away."
"I see! Well, I hope I see you again someday!"
"See me?"
"Yeah—since I consider you a friend."
"Oh right... what she said back in the carriage.
I guess she actually meant it.
After that short chat, she waved goodbye."
"Well then, Takeru, I have to go. See you later—I hope we meet again."
"Of course. See you."
And just like that, she left.
Didn't expect her to actually see me as a friend… what a strange, sweet girl.
We soon left the guild as well.
The townspeople were everywhere, congratulating the participants.
Haizen, of course, was already annoyed.
"How long are they going to celebrate this?"
"Who knows?"
After that, we headed to the Little Hotel so I could settle my payment.
When I arrived…
"Welcome back, sir. Are you here to pay your dues?"
The hotel clerk had a chest full of gold beside him.
He must've made a fortune off the participants.
"Is that—"
"Oh, yes! The other guests already came by. Each paid half of their reward."
What a cunning man.
And now he's swimming in gold.
I handed him fifteen coins, and before I left, he asked,
"Sir, won't you be staying tonight?"
"I'm leaving the city today, so unfortunately, no."
"Oh, that's a shame. Well then, goodbye—and we hope to see you again!"
"Goodbye!"
When I stepped outside, Haizen was waiting for me.
"Well then, time to leave this crazy town."
"So, where to next?"
"Let's see… I heard there's a small village on the way to the capital. They say there's a dungeon full of monsters near it. I'm thinking we head there first."
"Fine by me—as long as I'm still alive, I'm in."
"Then it's settled. Let's go."
"By the way, what's the village called?"
"No idea. We'll find out when we get there."
We took the carriage bound for Ferenta, the capital.
There weren't many passengers, so we found seats quickly and departed not long after.
The city of Osmara…
This place changed the course of my life.
What started as a simple trip to get a Hunter Card turned into something far greater—troubles I never expected, and new goals I never knew I'd have.
Improving the Factory skill has become essential, and through this test, I found the person who can help me do it.
I'm not doing this out of a thirst for adventure, but if I have a chance to grow stronger faster, why not take it?
Maybe my goals will change in the future-but for now, I don't have any grand ambitions. Everything I do is just to handle this world a little better.
In the end, my skill lets me create anything.
The more I grow, the greater my potential becomes.
As long as there's a path forward, I'll never waste it.
I don't want to live with regret.
Monster hunting in dungeons—it's such a classic move.
But right now, it's exactly what I need.
I just hope everything goes smoothly… and that we don't end up in another mess.