Captain Franz worried far too much. No, Hugh thought to himself, perhaps I should be glad to have an opportunity so early in my career.
Hugh kept his excitement from rising to the surface, making his way to the First Steps clan house. The Zero Order was the only one of Zebrudia’s orders that answered directly to the emperor. They could be considered one of the more popular orders, and through good performance, their members could earn the attention of the emperor himself.
Hugh came from one of the lower noble houses. It was hardly anything grand, but with two older brothers, Hugh had no chance of inheriting his father’s title. For someone like him, the imperial guard was an ideal opportunity. In this order, a major accomplishment could very likely be rewarded with a noble title, or perhaps an offer to marry into a noble family that lacked a male heir.
Hugh was young. He didn’t have any capital to his name, but he was attractive and had received a good education at the academy. His ability to absorb mana material wasn’t bad either. What’s more, he was lucky.
Zebrudia was a true meritocracy. It’s why someone like Hugh, whose house was closer to the bottom of the hierarchy, was able to graduate as valedictorian. Making good use of a fine opportunity obtained so early after joining the order would make him stand out. He might be able to aim for the rank of vice captain before turning thirty.
Good or bad, there was no shortage of rumors about this Level 8 hunter, the Thousand Tricks, the preterhuman artificer. Even Captain Franz had been thrown for a loop by this man, but that just made it all the more worthwhile for Hugh to outsmart him.
Hugh’s rude remarks from earlier had all been a performance on his part. He knew the Thousand Tricks wasn’t to be underestimated. The Explorers’ Association was strict in its assignment of levels, and this was the treasure-hunting holy land. How could Hugh possibly belittle the man who had reached Level 8 at a younger age than anyone before?
Reaching such a high level without even being from an esteemed bloodline gave him something in common with Hugh. However, the young knight had a secret weapon that no noble would be likely to resort to.
When the clan house came into view, he slowed his pace, steadied his breath, and put on a serious expression. He could see reflected in the shiny glass windows a handsome young man clad in the armor of the Zero Order.
The captain had told him to wrench information out of the Thousand Tricks, then come back. Of course, if it were as simple as that, the captain wouldn’t have been so vexed. But he had something no other noble had. No, it was more accurate to say nobles had something that he didn’t: pride.
They were dealing with a man who couldn’t be moved by authority, money, or might. Misunderstanding that was why Captain Franz had been unable to glean anything, despite knowing that this man had information.
Hugh was different. He would temporarily cast aside his pride and take control of his future. If this task made him acquainted with a high-level hunter, that, too, would be a useful asset in the future. He proceeded onward. Though he wore a calm facade, he had the mentality of someone going to battle.
Suddenly, the door opened and out came a girl with pink hair and tan skin. Hugh’s eyes flew open. The long hair tied back, the healthy tan, the slender limbs that still showed a graceful strength. With all that and the skimpy gear of a Thief, there was no doubt in his mind—she was from the same party as the Thousand Tricks. This was Liz Smart, the Stifled Shadow, the one feared for her mercilessness.
It appeared luck really was on Hugh’s side. He would be much closer to accomplishing his goal if he earned the trust of one of the Thousand Tricks’s childhood friends and party members. It helped that Hugh had a bit of confidence when it came to dealing with women. There was, of course, his intellect and strength, but his handsome face was another of the advantages he had inherited from his parents. Most hunters were rugged men, so he figured a sweeter complexion would be a powerful weapon.
He could do this. He would be humble in the extreme, talk to her like a gentleman would. She was known for her intensity, but offering some excessive flattery for the Thousand Tricks should solve that problem. He put on a perfect smile and approached her. Liz came to a halt, then slowly turned his way.
Then Hugh abruptly lost consciousness.
He felt a strong impact, then slowly came to. When his brain was working again, he didn’t shout or open his eyes. He kept his eyes closed and tried to disguise the fact that he was awake. As elites, the knights of the Zero Order were trained in all sorts of skills. Hugh believed he could adapt to emergencies as well as any capable hunter.
He steadied his breath and tried to get a grasp of the situation. He could move his hands and legs, so he probably hadn’t been bound or anything. The dull pain at the base of his neck was probably from whatever had knocked him out. He hadn’t let his guard down, yet he hadn’t even been able to fight back.
It didn’t require any deduction to figure out who had done this. There were only so many people who would freely attack a knight on such a busy street. He had heard that that girl was fierce and quick to strike, but this exceeded his expectations. He had underestimated Grieving Souls.
Fortunately, the wound was a light one. It seemed not even the Stifled Shadow would abruptly kill someone after he’d approached her with a smile. He didn’t think he was in a bad situation. That sort of attack would enrage most knights, but Hugh could endure it. Seeing as no noble had managed to get along with the Thousand Tricks so far, this was about what he had expected. Hugh believed in himself. He told himself he could do it.
Then he heard some chatter. There was the harsh voice of Liz Smart, a relaxed male voice, and a befuddled female voice.
“This guy here, Krai Baby, he was looking at me with evil in his eyes! He’s definitely our enemy! Right?”
“Huh?! He was? He was looking at you?”
“Ps-Pseudo handsome dude number two...”
A swift kick sent Hugh to the floor, which was followed by the cold metal of her Relic boots trampling him. His armor, unique to his order and made of a special alloy, groaned. For someone so thin, she was incredibly strong. Even in the Zero Order, very few people were capable of bending this armor with sheer brute force.
As he endured the pain and went in and out of consciousness, Hugh heard a heated voice.
“Hey, he’s got the armor of the imperial guard, so he’s probably someone special, right? I don’t think he wants to kill us, but I saw the odd look in his eyes. He’s totally our enemy.”
“C-Calm down, Lizzy.”
What are these people talking about?
All Hugh did was look at her. Sure, he had hidden intentions, but he hadn’t even shown any hostility, much less any sort of intent to kill. She said he had an odd look in his eyes? He thought there might have been a reason he had been attacked, but this defied comprehension. Surely people looked at her all the time. Did she always respond like this? And he was wearing the armor of the imperial guard, so what else could he possibly be?!