We may have been among friends and all, but Tino needed to stop biting people’s heads off. We should have trained her better.
I turned to the friendly chick magnet and answered him with a little bravado. “I was too excited, so I couldn’t get to sleep.”
I wasn’t lying about the sleep, at least. I’d been so anxious last night, I hadn’t caught a wink until dawn. If I weren’t also so afraid of the vice clan master, I never would have shown myself in front of so many short-fused freaks in the first place. As it was, though, strength was the only status that mattered in the world of hunters, putting me squarely on the bottom of the totem pole.
“I see. You disguised yourself as an applicant so you could take a better look from the shadows. But that’s not really fair, is it? The rules say we’ve gotta wear our uniforms, but you’re not—not even our insignia.”
“I overslept. Open your earholes.” I hadn’t had time to get ready.
Ark squinted, looking me up and down. As gorgeous and genius as he was, he was still a hunter. That meant, from time to time, he didn’t listen to others. In fact, hunters usually didn’t listen at all.
I wasn’t taking a better look at anybody. I had no hand in the recruitment of other parties, and our party wasn’t looking for anyone new. My appearance today was just supposed to be for show.
“Master, he’s too rude. Let’s kick him out of the clan.”
Ark guffawed. “You’re so funny, Tino. I love it!”
“If only everyone were as forgiving as you, Ark,” I said.
If the Great Greg or the boy who’d picked a fight with Tino had been in Ark’s shoes, at least three brawls would have broken out already.
Ark was currently trying to pet Tino’s head as she all but growled at him and dodged his hand. He had some nerve trying to tame that little freak. He could pet all he wanted, but this one would bite.
I rarely went out in public for fear of being spotted (I wore a disguise when I did), so Ark had to be the most recognizable hunter from our clan here. A number of hunters in the room, some in our clan and some not, were watching us closely without approaching, possibly because they didn’t want to interrupt Ark. It would be pretty great if he stuck around with me until the event was completely over.
“Did you find any gems?” I asked, which drew even more eyes to Ark.
Ark Brave was still in the process of evaluating prospective hunters; if Ark named a single one of the hopefuls, they’d be in their party in a heartbeat. Even if Ark didn’t go that far, his word alone would get them into anywhere they wanted.
Ark furrowed his brow for some time before shaking his head. “Not yet, to be honest. I’ve seen a few with potential, but if you were to ask me if they could carry their own weight in the kind of treasure vaults we’d be taking on...”
I should have known.
Freaks were wrought among kindred flames. With hunters’ strength correlating to past experience in vaults, finding a new member that could jump straight into Ark Brave off the bat was no easy feat. If there were such a hunter, they would have made a name for themself already.
This recruiting event was better designed for finding diamonds in the rough. I felt bad for the applicants being toyed with by the parties’ impossibly high standards.
A light flickered in Ark’s eyes as he calmly asked, “How about you, Krai?”
How am I supposed to know? I’m not even looking.
I took a look around the room. Every hunter whose eyes I met contorted their face into an awkward smile. My gaze met Rhuda’s as she stood awkwardly by a wall. Beside her, the Great Greg looked at me with wide eyes. The feisty redheaded boy, who was being held back by a pair of Steps hunters, bared his teeth at me. I glanced at Tino, and her shoulders twitched. It was the kind of attention that made me wanna barf.
“We’re all set right now, but if someone caught my eye, would you take them?” I said in jest.
Ark closed his eyes and pondered for a moment. “All right. I’ll take your word for it, Krai.”
The entire room burst into hurried whispers. No sane hunter would let an outsider decide who to take into their party, let alone into the most promising pack of youngsters in the capital.
“What the hell, Ark?!” a female Magus from his party blurted out.
I sat up straight, crossing my arms and legs in an overly exaggerated manner. “Oh, yeah? Anything goes?” I asked with a smirk.
Ark swallowed. “Just one, if you will. We can’t afford to train too many rookies at once.” His generosity knew no bounds.
Just one, huh? That’s an interesting thought. Good going, Ark.
It could work out. It would certainly stir up some buzz, and if word spread, the next recruitment drive would be an even bigger hit. I’d have to rent a larger room. The only problem was that I myself had no eye for scouting talent.
So far, I had only come across a piece of trash that had a little potential, a funny piece of trash with decent experience, and a fairly strong but reckless piece of trash. They were a far cry from the kind of talent I would recommend to Ark Brave, and I had no clue as to their hidden potential. Ark had given me a free pass, but if I didn’t take this seriously, tension would linger between us. The easy way out was to recommend a solo hunter from within the clan, since the status guaranteed a high floor of talent.
My eyes met Tino’s. She blushed. “I’m flattered, master. It really is an honor, but my heart belongs to your party. I can’t join the party of that poser. Please recommend your second choice.”
“I really ought to check up on what nonsense Liz has been feeding you,” I muttered.
My friends were long-standing rivals to Ark Brave. Unlike the Braves, though, Grievers were petty. Ark was definitely no fake, by the way. He was handsome to his very core.
I scanned the room for a while, checking out the potentials to no avail. It’d be a shame to retract the cool line I’d pulled off, but I considered telling Ark I’d had no luck after all. That said, seeing the freaks in the room look to me with bated breath, I couldn’t help but want to keep the charade going. I might have lost my drive as a treasure hunter, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t play the badass clan leader.
I pinched my brows together, putting on my best contemplative expression. “Let me see, then. I do have one in mind to pick up as a Griever when the time is right.”
“Hey!” yelled a hostile voice from across the room. The hot-blooded kid from earlier had escaped the hold of the hunters and was standing dramatically pointing his finger at me. He was a Level 4 hunter, after all. He’d be quite the match for most here. “Get on your knees and beg me, you schmucks!” he yelled through labored breaths. “Then maybe I’ll consider that lousy party of yours!”
This kid sure wasn’t shy.
“Don’t you already have a party?” I asked.
“What’s it to you?!”
Well, kid, it has to do with recruiting you.
I put a hand on my chin and examined the boy. He seemed talented, all right, and he had the guts. Manners could be taught if Ark were there to crack the whip. Having a strong arm in a specific field meant that he had potential. He’d get himself killed in a clash against the other Grievers, but I couldn’t care less how much headache he’d cause Ark.
I clapped my hands loudly and smiled at the boy. “What’s your name, kid?”
“It’s Gilbert Bush! Gilbert of the Purgatorial Sword!” he shouted, just barely keeping his emotions in check.
The Purgatorial Sword must have been the greatsword Relic on his back, since only a handful of hunters in the capital had earned a proper title.
Ark sized up Gilbert carefully. I doubted even his keen eye saw anything other than a twerp.
I clapped my hands again, ready to speak. “Very well, Gilbert. You have my recommendation, under one condition.”
“What condition?!”
I had no eye for talent. Rhuda looked like a piece of trash with a little potential, the Great Greg like a funny piece of trash, and Gilbert, a reckless piece of trash. But who knew if they really were trash? Since I was no expert, it would come down to pure chance, so it didn’t really matter who I picked.
“You heard me. My condition is...don’t lose. Winning’s the most important quality of a hunter. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Gilbert—no, the whole clan in fact—was hanging on my every word, all of which was complete bogus. Ugh, my stomach was acting up again.
“If you’re not strong enough to win, you’ll put your party in jeopardy, so show me that you won’t lose. Oh, and just so you know, since becoming a hunter, I’ve never lost a single fight.”
“What?!”
Of course I’d never lost a fight—I’d never even fought to begin with. I’d used every tactic at my disposal to flee from any and all conflict, from calling upon the perks of my position to using my friends as shields. Today’s challenge would be no exception.
I plucked a gold ring off my left pinkie and tossed it to Gilbert. It was a Shooting Ring—a common piece, but a Relic nonetheless. Though it was hardly the most powerful of Relics, it still fetched a hefty price.
With a beaming smile, I declared, “Attention, all hunters. As it stands, I will recommend this kid here to Ark Brave—that is, unless someone takes the ring. If you procure the ring, the recommendation is yours. While it’s not worth much, it is a Relic. Even if you don’t want my recommendation, you can keep the ring.”
Ark whistled, wide-eyed. Tino caught on to the challenge immediately; she closed the distance between her and Gilbert, and kicked him square in the face.
I stood up quietly, a smile on my face, ready to slip away without anyone noticing.
Time to run.
✦ ✦ ✦
This is a story of heroes—a tale of the golden age of treasure hunters when people strove for power, fame, fortune, and glory. This is the story of friends who shone like stars, of clan members who shared a common goal, and of a grieving soul, both in the midst of it all and who watched it all from the sidelines.