Chapter 22

It was a magnificent deep blue eagle.

Placed in the guild's storage area, it inevitably drew the attention of the hunters who happened to be there at noon.

It was well preserved, firmly frozen, and its vivid blue color gave some superstitious female hunters a secret hope that something good might happen.

There was a superstition among hunters that seeing and hunting a deep blue eagle brought good luck.

The Trabock hunt was being purchased by the Hunter's Association, but in reality, it was a way for children to earn pocket money.

Naturally, it was common to see children, newcomers, or inexperienced hunters bring the catch to the association's purchasing office.

Wearing a worn-out work outfit, with messy hair, and of an unfamiliar race, but appearing to be over twenty years old, the other hunters saw him as an inexperienced hunter.

As Zangor handed over his dog tag and placed the green stones on the counter, he received a rude and mocking gaze.

While receiving the four rods as a reward for the green stones, Zangor, who showed no concern for the gazes, said,

"Also, I was attacked by a monster in the wilderness and retaliated."

It turned out that the staff member who had registered him yesterday was the one handling him.

"If that monster isn't part of a request, it will only be purchased as a physical item."

"Hmm, yeah, that's fine. I don't intend to sell it, but can you keep it for about an hour?"

"I don't mind, but if you don't come to collect it within half a day, ownership will transfer to the Hunter's Association. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, that's fine. Can I bring it over?"

With the staff member's approval, Zangor went outside and dragged the deep blue eagle over.

It could have been carried if it were reinforced, but it was as large as Zangor, so he had no choice but to drag it.

Seeing the deep blue eagle Zangor brought, the staff member was surprised.

It wasn't particularly strong, nor was it especially rare. It was difficult to hunt because it lived in the air, but with seven stars, it was possible to hunt one.

However, it was difficult to preserve its beautiful blue color. This alone increased the difficulty by one star.

If killed with magic, the color would change, and it often burned. If it died from a fall, the color would fade instantly. On the other hand, if attacked half-heartedly, it would fly away.

By skillfully disabling one wing and letting it fall slowly, and then finishing it off with a cutting weapon rather than a blunt one, it was possible to preserve the deep, pure blue color favored by upper-class ladies. However, there weren't many hunters skilled enough to do this.

"Then, it's already frozen, so please take care of it. Oh, do you have a receipt or something?"

"Uh, ah, yes. Please write your name here."

Zangor wrote his name in two places on the paper that served as a receipt and received one copy.

"Hmm, so it's called a deep blue eagle."

Zangor muttered this as he read the receipt and set off to do his shopping, which was his original purpose.

The staff member, left behind, stared at the frozen deep blue eagle for a while.

Zangor walked down a street lined with shops, opposite the gate, while thinking.

The deep blue eagle would be a good gift for Yukishiro, who would be in a bad mood for not being able to follow.

As for the rest, Zangor thought about the things he usually found inconvenient.

Most things could be done with magic, so he wondered what this world was like before he even went to the store.

Indeed, spirit magic had made many things convenient, but it was difficult to convey detailed tasks to spirits, and if someone like Zangor used up all their magic in daily life, they would inevitably run out and be unable to move.

To avoid this, people in this world used magic at key points and lived ordinary lives otherwise, a lifestyle that had become established.

There were hand axes, knives, shovels, whetstones, leather bags and burlap sacks of various sizes, needles, thread, leather clothes, pants, and boots, cotton and linen shirts and undergarments, ropes, and fur blankets. In other words, there were no entertainment items, and that's all the store had.

The money he paid was the reward for hiding Akari.

Zangor was trying to convince himself that taking on the trouble was a reward and a favor from Japan. Otherwise, he might have regretted it bitterly.

At the food store, there was salt mixed with impurities and cheap alcohol, but flour was a bit expensive, and lumps of brown sugar, pepper, and chili were a bit expensive in small quantities. There were no other seasonings.

The bread was dark and hard, and the cheap ones were cheap. There was a little white bread, but it cost more than twice as much as the dark bread.

Perhaps it was seasonal, but there were also seeds for food. He bought seeds for potatoes and something like onions and tomatoes. They weren't very expensive, but would they grow properly on that mountain?

The villagers who saw Zangor muttering to himself as he walked whispered to each other.

It was understandable. A stranger they had never seen before, with messy but not dirty hair, a tattered work outfit and shoes, and three weapons, was carrying a large load.

Even in a frontier area with many hunters, this appearance was bound to attract attention.

Gathering the villagers' gazes, Zangor returned to the Hunter's Association a little over an hour later.

Pushing open the swinging door with a creak, he headed for the counter, and the staff member rushed over as if relieved.

"Finally, you're back."

The staff member, who had been scolding him, said.

"Isn't it half a day?"

"…You—"

"—Did you hunt that deep blue eagle?"

Interrupting the staff member, a tall, blonde man of a certain race approached with a haughty gesture. Although tall, he wasn't as tall as Maxim, and it was within the range of his race.

Zangor, not knowing what was going on, nodded anyway.

"Give it to me."

"…I'm taking it home, so I refuse."

Not understanding, but to avoid misunderstanding, Zangor firmly refused.

The person in front of him seemed surprised by Zangor's words and frowned after a moment, stepping forward to intimidate Zangor.

"Do you know who I am?"

Zangor was puzzled.

"Who are you?"

The staff member, who had been watching the exchange next to Zangor, put a hand to his forehead and whispered in Zangor's ear.

"…This is Zaur Dometor Blagoy. Blagoy is a four-star hunter and the son of the old noble Blagoy family."

Zangor remembered the name Zaur. The one who had set up Akari.

"That's right. If you understand, give it to me. I'll give you some money."

"No, I have my reasons, so I can't give it to you."

"…You don't seem to have manners towards a four-star hunter."

Zaur, with his fair skin slightly flushed, looked down at Zangor and intimidated him.

Zangor, not meeting Zaur's eyes, asked the staff member next to him.

"Is there such a rule in the association?"

"…No."

While glaring at Zangor, who was indirectly asking if there was a rule that higher-starred hunters must be given prey, the staff member shook his head.

"Got it."

Zangor bowed and tried to head towards where the deep blue eagle was placed.

Paper money was thrown at his feet.

About ten 100-rod bills. Not even enough to cover Zangor's purchases for the day.

"That should be enough."

When Zaur Dometor Blagoy received the news that Maxim had returned from the mountain, he was at a brothel. He visited the Hunter's Association after a leisurely day and night, but Maxim was already gone.

Realizing that Maxim had stood him up, Zaur gritted his teeth.

He learned that the hero Akari hadn't been found, but Maxim had recommended a man named Krand, who had been quietly living in the mountains, as a hunter.

Wondering if there was some connection, Zaur tried to find out where the man was. When he entered the back of the association, he saw the magnificent deep blue eagle in the purchase and storage area.

He heard that the man had hunted it and would come to collect it soon.

By the way, his sister's wedding was approaching. It wouldn't be bad to decorate the wedding attire with the deep blue eagle, a symbol of happiness.

Thinking it was perfect, Zaur decided to wait for the man.

"So, I'm not selling it."

Zangor said to Zaur, who was blocking his way.

Zaur, standing in his way, had neatly styled wavy blonde hair and no beard. His Anglo-Saxon features were quite handsome, and he was more than a head taller than Zangor, with well-built muscles. He wore a fine silk shirt, pants, and a coat, with a short sword at his waist. He looked like a gentlemanly hunter.

However, his eyes were harsh and always looking down, and to Zangor, he seemed like a block of pride.

"Are you trying to raise the price? You can't hunt a ten-star monster. It's just a dying deep blue eagle that you found and killed. Greed won't end well."

Zangor didn't want to get involved but had no intention of selling.

It was a gift for Yukishiro. Without it, who knew how long she would be in a bad mood and how much she would protest with her tail.

"I'm not selling."

Zaur pressed, but Zangor didn't back down.

"Is that fine? You might not be able to be a hunter in this village, or even in this country."

For Zaur, it was probably a threat, but

"Do as you please. I don't need to be in this country, and I don't need to be a hunter."

This wasn't Japan. He had no attachment or obligation. There was no language barrier.

The language ability seemed to have been given by the voice's owner, and speaking and reading were apparently not a problem. When he first met Maxim, he was nervous about whether they would understand each other, but there was no problem. He would probably be fine in any country.

Although it was a half-baked calculation, Zangor's words were actually true in any country.

Zaur became even more hostile, his hand on the short sword at his waist.

Zangor put down his belongings, ready to respond at any time.

It wouldn't be something he could just walk away from now.

"Wait, please."