Chapter 30

As soon as he saw the skin, Eirida's expression changed.

She gripped the hand of the warehouse man, who was trying to take the skin out of the bag with his rough but surprisingly long fingers.

"Where did you get such a skin?"

Holding his arm, Eirida said with a serious face.

"I can't tell you the source."

The warehouse man said without averting his eyes from Eirida, as if to say he had nothing to hide.

Eirida sighed and let go of his arm.

"I don't think you stole it or anything. But it's not good for a temporary Ten-Star to bring in such a skin. It doesn't seem like you're very welcome, and at worst, you might be suspected of the source and treated as stolen goods."

The skin the warehouse man was trying to take out of the leather bag was from the coiled-horned giant lizard left behind by the parent demon beast.

After the severe injury, Akari suggested it, Yuki-shiro agreed, and it was given to the warehouse man.

Although the relationship between the two seemed to be that of master and servant, he didn't mind. It was just that kind of relationship.

Of course, the warehouse man couldn't skin it, so Akari skinned it after thawing the coiled-horned giant lizard. During that time, he also learned various skinning and dissection techniques, but it was quite gruesome and would take some time to get used to.

Naturally, a barbecue party was held, as suggested by Yuki-shiro.

The coiled-horned giant lizard had a slight mutton-like flavor but was as bland and delicious as chicken.

"Besides, this kind of lizard doesn't live around here. It would be very noticeable."

"Is that so?"

"Along the Aldoria Mountains, all the way to the desert in the west."

"Wow, there's a desert?"

The warehouse man's sense of romance was rekindled.

Sandstorms, oases, camels, secretly living nomads, dancers...

"It's said to be the coldest desert in the northern part of Elips, but I've never been there. Next time, I might go there—"

The romance collapsed with a sound.

"Don't make such a hurt face, you're a strange one. ...But leaving the untreated skin as it is would be a waste."

"Then, I'll freeze it."

"No, no. If you freeze it after skinning, it will deteriorate quickly. Say, if you don't mind, I can take it and have it tanned in a big city and make it into armor?"

It would be a waste to ruin the skin.

Then, it all came down to whether Eirida was trustworthy.

Although she hadn't accepted the request yet, she had done him a favor by offering to be a guide.

"Anyway, I have a request tomorrow, and you're coming with me, right? Then it's fine after that."

Eirida smiled meaningfully.

"Hehe, if you're okay with it, I don't mind. I was planning to go there anyway, along with the Tansku request. How about we buy some armor for now?"

"Sure," the warehouse man said, and the two stood up.

The warehouse man's foot stumbled, and he fell.

Plop.

The warehouse man's face was firmly pressed into Eirida's deep cleavage.

"Ah, sorry. I must be a bit tipsy."

He said, and moved his body away.

Eirida, who was casually pushed away, felt a bit let down.

She thought he would react in some way since he was looking at her chest and buttocks.

She had planned to tease him if he blushed, but it was completely off the mark.

"If you're weak, you shouldn't drink like that."

"I'm not that weak, but I can't say anything with this state."

"Come on, let's go."

The warehouse man and Eirida said and left the guild.

After that, they bought a simple leather armor at the armor shop and returned to the inn for the day.

Eirida was at the same inn, but it was natural since this was the only decent inn in the village.

During the period of the White Phantom extermination, it seemed that the villagers' houses served as inns.

When the morning sun shone on the single road in front of the guild, the warehouse man and Eirida were in the guild's lobby.

The warehouse man was wearing a simple brown leather armor over his usual clothes, finally looking like a hunter.

Eirida had tied her curly lion-like hair in a ponytail at the back. She wore a corset-type leather armor, leather pants, a large bow and quiver on her back, two spears, and a large hand axe at her waist.

Her chest created a deep cleavage, and her shoulders and arms were exposed.

The early morning guild was bustling with hunters seeking requests.

The warehouse man saw Zaur coming out from the back of the guild.

Eirida, following the warehouse man's gaze, said something else.

"That's... a central government investigator? Hmm, so that's the story."

The men who came out behind Zaur had a red and white double-headed horse embroidered on their chests, holding a spear.

"What story?"

"Hmm, ah, the hero of the United Kingdom, eager for credit in the White Phantom extermination, framed local hunters to take all the credit. The hero himself was attacked by the giant thorned ground spider used in the trap and went missing, his fate unknown. What, you didn't know about this big story from a while ago?"

It seemed to be a neat story. When the warehouse man heard it from Maxim, it was a bit vague.

"I usually live in the mountains. I'm not familiar with such rumors."

"...The mountains, you mean?"

"Considering how solid the rumor is, it's strange that an investigator is only coming now."

"That's a recent central government regional investigator. Not a Dorgon Council investigator, so it's a bit late. Still, it seems quite late. ...But the dark rumors about this story might not be entirely baseless."

"Dark rumors?"

"Try to gather information regularly. It's necessary for a hunter. Well, the dark rumors are vague, but it's said that the hero was framed by the central government and the Dorgon Council. It's the story of those who like to feed the defeated wolf."

"I see."

With that, the two headed for the bulletin board as planned.

"—It's not there."

"Perfectly not there. How can it be that the only Ten-Star request is a Trabock hunt?"

The two went to an empty reception desk.

The clerk there was the same unsmiling one. The warehouse man suspected that this clerk was always available because hunters avoided him.

"Is that so? Eirida, you just arrived yesterday, so it's understandable that you don't know, but this village is on the frontier, and there are almost no Ten-Star requests other than Trabock hunts."

There's no way. Eirida knew several frontier areas of the Salehad class and even more remote frontiers, but there were always requests for beginners. If there were no external requests, the guild would create them.

Eirida, with a blank face, asked the clerk.

"Then, what do the beginners living in this village do?"

"They join parties with acquaintances or relatives to raise their stars."

"Meaning, if Kuro is alone, there are no requests he can take?"

"That's right. If you can't find a party, I recommend going elsewhere. This is indeed a frontier, but because it's a frontier, strength is essential. A hindrance without teamwork harms other hunters."

The unsmiling clerk was as cold as ever.

The warehouse man didn't mind going elsewhere, but it would mean leaving the mountain for a long time, and he knew Yuki-shiro would wag her tail and turn into a Marukajiri.

Eirida thought for a moment and said casually,

"I understand. If that's the case, I'll form a party with Kuro."

"Y-You, Eirida?"

"Is there something wrong with me? Well, just until he raises his stars."

"S-Such a thing—"

"Does it violate guild rules?"

"…No, there's no—"

"—I recognize you as 'Bee Strike' Eirida Bargain. May I have a moment?"

Zaur interrupted the clerk with a formal tone.

Without waiting for Eirida's response, Zaur casually introduced himself.

"I'm Zaur Dmitri Bregoi, a Four-Star, and the leader of the 'Giant Wolf' party, the top party in this area."

Eirida slightly frowned.

"I don't like that nickname. What's the matter?"

Zaur's cheek twitched at Eirida's indifferent words.

"Nothing, I heard you're in the 'Duty of the Kingdom' to become a Three-Star. The best way to finish it quickly is to complete a big request. How about joining us to hunt the giant thorned ground spider?"

"If my memory serves, that was a Three-Star request, wasn't it?"

"Nothing, we can treat it as a pending request. This guild is flexible."

Zaur glanced at the warehouse man and smiled thinly.

The warehouse man realized that the clarification of the pending request was probably due to Zaur, or rather, his father, a Dorgan Council member, applying pressure.

Eirida said uninterestedly.

"Look elsewhere. I'm currently a guide."

"Hey, you took on the guide for those refugees or something. It's a waste of time."

"Whether they're refugees or not, once they become guild hunters, it's the duty of a hunter to guide them. Didn't you have a guide?"

"Hmph, who would do that for someone who's not even from this country? These people have their own lives, you know."

Zaur looked at his companions behind him.

The hunters behind Zaur lowered their eyes but did not deny his words.

High-ranking hunters like Eirida, who hunted monsters and beasts that they couldn't, were welcome, but if they were of a rank that competed with their prey, they could threaten their livelihood and were not welcomed.

The guild naturally sided with the local hunters. Local hunters were always there and could be flexible in emergencies.

"I see. Then, I'm an outsider, so it's fine."

"You're different. It's natural to want to share a drink with 'Bee Strike' coming to Salehad, who is close to becoming a Three-Star."

Eirida Bargain had served as a guide for many hunters in the towns and villages she visited, shared drinks with local hunters, and even offered advice and helped with hunts. When it came to hunting, she led the charge with her spear, capable of felling a man-eating bird with one thrust, and her leadership and command were impeccable.

She was called 'Bee Strike' for her expertise in group hunting and her bee-like strikes.

That's why Zaur said, "With 'Bee Strike' here, it's perfect."

"I can't neglect my duties as a guide. Look elsewhere."

The worship of the ancestors of the giant race was well-known.

No one could criticize Eirida when this was brought up.

"Che, do as you please. 'Queen Bee' and the refugees are a perfect match. ...Move."

Zaur pushed the hunters aside and went up to the second floor of the guild.

The other hunters hurriedly followed.

'Queen Bee' was a term used to describe Eirida, who was envied by hunters for her success, implying that she basked in the attention of other hunters.

Eirida turned back to the clerk as if nothing had happened.

"Then, register me."

Unsatisfactory.

Zaur sat down roughly on the sofa in the branch manager's office on the second floor.

He didn't care about that man, but the fact that he was Maxim's recommendation bothered him.

He didn't like Maxim, who protected the hero, and he didn't like his seemingly righteous attempt to uncover the truth. Most of all, he didn't like that he was a Rolana.

He had reported the man as a suspicious person to the central government investigator, but when it was revealed that his guardian was Maxim, the issue was quickly dismissed.

The central government seemed to be in line with the hero's scandal, conducting a simple investigation and leaving.

It was convenient for him, but they were foolish.

Thus, the immediate problem was that man.

A trivial fly, but all the more annoying and bothersome.

Not only did he refuse to give up his prey, but he also accepted the Four-Star pending request as a challenge and tried to ingratiate himself with Eirida Bargain, showing no attempt to hide his base nature.

Damn, how annoying.

Zaur clicked his tongue again.

"You seem to be in a bad mood, Zaur. Hmm, how about this request?"

The branch manager, who had been silently watching Zaur, smiled slyly.