"Whoa... So this is what they call difference in power..."
Witnessing true difference in power, all Zeeg could do was stare in awe.
If you ask what this is about- it"s the guest house.
Right now, Zeeg is staying at one of the "p.a.w.n" rooms, which no matter how you look at it, is no different from a pig"s coop.
All it had was a table, a chair, and a crudely made bed.
But earlier this morning, he was called by Elmeria, the girl saying that they need to discuss something.
After Zeeg finished his breakfast, Fradio guided him to Elmeria"s room.
The moment he opened the door, the boy"s breath was taken away by the elegant display.
He was then given a pat on the shoulder from Fradio as a signal to get inside.
Walking in, he had no words to describe how grand the decorations were.
Even though he has never seen one, he thought he walked into the royalty"s bedroom.
"Zeeg, do you know how much it costs to rent a "Queen" room like this one?"
Moving his eerie Gypceros cap close, Fradio whispered his question.
"1000 Zenny for one night."
Zeeg was taken aback, his eyes opened wide.
A thousand Zenny!
With some extra ores, one could order a basic Iron Sword with that amount of money.
Alternatively, it"s enough to buy 10 bottles of health-recovering Potions.
Spending that much just for one night... it"s an extravagant lifestyle that Zeeg never dreamed of.
("More importantly... What"s up with that? Is she supposed to be a princess?")
Looking to the middle of the room, Zeeg clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction.
For some reason, what irritated him more than the room"s elegance was Elmeria, who was relaxing on the enormous bed.
The girl was wearing thin, pink pajamas. She sat on the bed with her back against a fluffy-looking pillow.
On top of her laps was an overbed table, with beautifully decorated food divided into bite-sized portions.
Elmeria can be seen eating the food in a very proper manner, as if she was a completely different person from yesterday when she ate the Bullfango Steak.
Gannon, in a butler suit, stood next to her, brewing tea and collecting the empty plates.
Zeeg has only seen this kind of clothes when the village chief wore it during important ceremonies.
The two of them look accustomed to this lifestyle. There wasn"t any sign that it was just a show.
"Were you surprised?"
Zeeg heard Fradio"s question, but didn"t have the energy to answer. Right now, he feels like he has been tricked the whole time.
"At first, I was surprised as well. They"re like different people when they were out hunting, you see. But of course, the hunting occupation can"t exactly be picked up by the n.o.bles as a hobby, and the young lady"s skill is undeniable. You have seen her in action, so that should be obvious. At any rate, they are a strange pair indeed."
As Fradio said, Elmeria"s performance while fighting the Rathalos isn"t smoke and mirrors, and that"s a good thing.
Even so, Zeeg couldn"t understand how the thing he"s seeing now could be fun.
"...Elmeria!"
Intentionally raising his voice, Zeeg called out to the girl as he walked towards her bed.
The boy"s voice was so loud that Elmeria could drop her spoon and the soft-boiled egg yolk on it, but she seemed unfazed.
All she did was nonchalantly glance at Zeeg before carrying on with her meal.
Then, she put down her spoon and nodded to Gannon. The large man then took the overbed table away.
"You"re here early."
Elmeria didn"t seem to be embarra.s.sed to be seen in her pajamas. And for some reason, Zeeg felt annoyed at that as well.
The girl got up from bed and put on the slippers and coat that Gannon brought her.
Then, she led Zeeg and Fradio to the round table.
Still feeling an irritation in his mind, Zeeg sat down rudely.
The chair was welded together with thin metal, but it was surprisingly solid. Zeeg"s impact on it didn"t even cause a sound.
He would fit in with the atmosphere better if he was wearing armor, but all Zeeg wore this morning was some cheap linen clothing.
As for Fradio, he"s always happy to be wrapped in Gypceros armor, except on his chest.
Elmeria took her seat on a chair that Gannon prepared and narrowed her eyes.
"...? What"re you so angry about?"
Zeeg immediately knew that the question was directed at him, but-
"I"m not angry."
"Liar. You"re definitely in a bad mood. Did something happen- Ah, don"t tell me you have low blood pressure? You seem to be fine when we were out hunting though?"
"I said I"m not angry!"
Elmeria turned to Fradio, but he only shook his head in response.
Of course he doesn"t know. Even Zeeg himself doesn"t understand what got over him.
"Well, whatever."
Probably because she just finished her breakfast and is still in a good mood, Elmeria didn"t inquire any further.
Gannon served tea for everyone present. The aroma helped Zeeg calm his nerves a little.
Now that he thought about it, he never knew why Elmeria called him. However, it was probably not just to show off her room.
Even if the girl has a strict personality and can be mean at times, she doesn"t seem like the kind of person who likes to look down on others.
The fights they had when they first met were inevitable. Considering the risks of letting a rookie tag along, she had no choice but to be strict.
And during the battle with the Rathalos, Zeeg knew that he wasn"t actually that helpful.
The thought about the weight Elmeria had to put into the decision to let him handle the last move caused Zeeg to shudder.
If he weren"t able to break away at that last moment, the Rathalos would have set itself free.
Things would get ugly even if the others had countermeasures prepared.
Considering all the things she did for him, there was absolutely no reason for Zeeg to be angry.
The more he thought about it, the more irritated he became. In an attempt to calm himself down, Zeeg chugged down his tea.
"...Young mistress."
Not just Elmeria, but everyone present turned to Gannon in response to his voice.
He was standing at the window, looking outside.
"What is it, Gannon?"
"...The elders are here."
Crossing her eyes, Elmeria stood up and went to take a look.
Zeeg followed her, looking down from the other window.
("What"s up with them...?")
A group of elderly men with bent backs can be seen walking from the market area.
Their figures are awfully similar to the Guild Master. Each of them has a follower carrying their luggage.
They looked like some sort of tourists from the countryside taking a tour of the city.
Looking for something to drink, they walked into the gathering hall.
"What"s up with those geezers? Don"t tell me they"re actually hunters!"
Zeeg laughed, but it seems like everyone else doesn"t find his joke amusing. He scratched his head in an attempt to hide his embarra.s.sment.
("Right... I"m bad even at making jokes, dammit.")
He let out a sigh, but Elmeria and Gannon paid him no mind.
"...This isn"t normal."
Elmeria said to herself while crossing her arms, rubbing her chin with one hand.
Not wanting to interrupt her, Zeeg walked towards Fradio.
"Hey, what"s this all about?"
"Ah, it"s about the elders..."
"Who are they even supposed to be? Are they related to Elmeria?"
"If you put it that way, yes. They are related to not just her, but all of us."
"Me too?"
"They are masters of the other Hunter"s Guilds, you see... With them being here so suddenly, it seems like there"s going to be an emergency meeting..."
Under his Gypceros Cap, Fradio let out a mischievous laugh.
"Thank you for coming, all of you."
Lighting up a lamp and looking around at the people a.s.sembled at the round table, the master of this city"s guild spoke up in a firm voice.
The people seated around the table are leaders of the other Hunter"s Guilds throughout the regions.
The ones who aren"t interested in the topic at hand are seated away from the table so that they can listen without interrupting.
Even so, even getting on a chair is difficult due to their small size and old age. Their wrinkled faces don"t hide any dissatisfaction.
Each of the Guild Masters have one personal bodyguard following them.
The body guards aren"t heavily armed, with each of them having a short sword as their only weapon.
However, with their skills, a strike from their small weapons are as powerful as a normal person that uses the Rathalos Firesword, or so the rumor says.
They are the underground hunters- Guild Knights, a secret organization tasked with ensuring that the guilds" works go smoothly at any cost.
Their role is to gather information, negotiate with the land owners, and sort out and approve requests.
But that"s only on the surface.
If the negotiation ends in a failure, or if clients attempt to commit fraud by reporting false information or refusing to pay for the penalties, the Guild Knights will start using their real methods.
That is, to resolve the issue with force. Sometimes, the situation could end in an a.s.sa.s.sination.
Their roles also include eliminating anyone who would bring bad reputation to the hunters and those who refuse heed their warnings.
While they aren"t quite as good as normal hunters when it comes to dealing with monsters, they are unmatched when it comes to fighting humans.
If there was a ranking system equivalent to hunters, they would have access to the "King" rooms.
"I have read your letter."
A voice echoed out from the darkness, and the Guild Master turned his wrinkled sight to the source. Becky stood quietly behind him.
"But this is unbelievable. Up to this point, we have done our work thoroughly. If anything goes wrong now, the kingdom wouldn"t be so stupid to not realize that they will also be affected."
"That man is looking down on us."
Another voice spoke up.
"Thinking we would accept any job if enough money is offered... It"s like he thinks we"re jacks of all trades. But it is true that the Rathalos are being hunted in a large scale, even the infants are being kidnapped. We"ve caught about 10 of those hunters in our area alone."
"We got 5."
A weak, shivering voice came from another corner.
"Wait, no... Was it 8?"
"...9 people, master."
A young man"s voice came out, with the old man in front of him nodding.
"Hmm, yes. It was 9... Was it 9? Hmm..."
Whispers can be heard in the darkness, showing hopelessness.
Then, everyone present could feel the murderous intent emanating from the young man.
All of the Guild Knights, Becky included, prepared for battle.
"The problem is!"
This city"s Guild Master slammed his twiggy hand on the table, causing the murderous intent to disappear.
The young man calmed down, and the room"s heavy atmosphere was lifted.
The elder then let out a sigh in relief.
"...The problem is, the clients could be merchants, farmers, land owners... but they"re just proxies to hide the real mastermind. The real issue is that the one who hired the wandering hunters to hunt the Rathalos on a large scale is the Royal Armory."
"It"s the same over here."
"Here too."
Most of the elders gave the same opinion.
The Guild Master waited for the commotion to quiet down before speaking up again.
"...From our investigation, some of the approved hunts were requested by a chain of proxies, in an attempt to hide that they are actually all from the Royal Armory. Normally, it wouldn"t be a problem, since some clients would wish to not reveal their ident.i.ty. However, with the Rathalos being hunted on a large scale, we can"t let this slide. It is a betrayal to the philosophy of the Hunter"s Guild."
Everyone present agreed unanimously.
"In this case, I propose that the Hunter"s Guilds use force to eliminate the wandering hunters and make this poaching case known to the public. Additionally, we would demand compensation from the Royal Armory and the kingdom. Any objections?"
Several voices saying they have no objections echoed in the darkness.
And then-
"Compensation, you say? More like robbing us for your mistakes, b.a.s.t.a.r.ds!"
Immediately following that voice, a flash of light was emitted from the middle of the round table.
Everyone in the room was blinded by the light, the elders letting out loud screams.
Elmeria was the first to react to the sound of the explosion.
"Flash Bomb!"
Being able to distinguish just from the sound, she turned away from the window and rushed to the item box.
While opening it and taking out her Rathalos armor however-
"...Young mistress."
She turned to Gannon in response to his voice.
The door was kicked open, and a group of knights entered, each of them carrying a light bowgun.
They held everyone present at gunpoint.
"Freeze!"
As for this side, everyone is unarmed.
("What should I do?")
Glancing to the side, Zeeg and Gannon"s eyes met.
He straightened his large body and slowly raised his hands up. Seeing that, Elmeria
followed suit while still biting her lips.
In this situation, it would be wise that Zeeg did the same.
The bowguns carried by the knights seem to be a modified version of Spartacus Fire, since they look slightly different from the books.
This bowgun design, created from Rathalos scales and sh.e.l.ls, is considered a high ranking weapon among hunters.
Their shots are powerful enough to easily pierce normal armor and shields.
Right now, the party might as well be naked against this weapon.
("These people aren"t hunters!")
If they were, they wouldn"t easily point their weapons at humans so easily.
Moreover, this doesn"t seem to be just a threat. Their fingers are on the trigger, ready to shoot without any hesitation if someone were to make a move.
"Don"t even think about making a move!"
"What do you people want?"
Zeeg asked as calmly as he could.
"We are the knights of the kingdom! From today on, this city will be under direct control of His Majesty the King! The Hunter"s Guild is to be dissolved immediately! As for the hunters, each of you will be charged with first-degree crime of treason and will face the court!"
"First degree crime of treason!?"
Zeeg blinked in confusion. There isn"t even a need for trial- the only thing that awaits is execution.
"What"s up with that!? What did we ever do to you!?"
"I said freeze!"
With the bowgun raised at him, Zeeg stopped his foot.
"Good... Put your hands over your head and start walking! We"re taking you away!"
"Taking away... where to!?"
"Just shut up and start walking!"
Zeeg clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction before he started walking, with Elmeria and Gannon following him.
The three of them walked stiffly in a line.
("Three...?")
Zeeg quickly cast his sight around. Fradio was nowhere to be found inside the room.
No one noticed since when that he escaped.
"As always, he"s as quick as a Gypceros when it comes to escaping."
Even in this situation, Elmeria let out a smile.
"It seems luck is on our side. No matter how hard they tried, these people won"t be able to find Fradio."
"You sure about that?"
"I don"t care who these people are- they"ll soon know the true reason we hunters try not to point our weapons at fellow humans. Depending on how they treat us, that is."
While Elmeria was laughing mischievously-
"You! Be quiet!"
One of the knights approached and raised his bowgun up, preparing to swing.
Even though there was no need to since Gannon was here, Zeeg moved in reflex.
Before he could think about anything, his head was met with blunt force, the sharp pain following immediately.
"Zeeg!?"
It was after being hit that Zeeg realized his stupidity. His legs losing strength due to the pain, he collapsed.
It took him a few moments to notice that Elmeria grabbed him up before he hit the ground.
("How shameful...")
He tried to protect the girl, but instead had to be saved by her.
"I thought I told you not to make a move!"
His vision still blurry, Zeeg observed the situation.
Bowguns were pointed at Gannon, who had his arms raised up. He probably made a move to protect Elmeria as well.
"...Stop, Gannon."
Hearing the girl"s voice, the large man groaned menacingly like a Diablos before lowering his rock-hard fists.
"M...Move along!"
Commanded by the knights, Zeeg started walking while being supported by Elmeria.
Gannon followed the two, acting like a shield.
"You alright, Zeeg?"
"I"ll manage..."
"You idiot. I would have been able to dodge that."
"Right..."
Now that he thought about it, his last move was just foolish and unnecessary.
For a veteran hunter of Elmeria"s caliber, that attack should be easier to dodge than a Mosswine"s charge.
When the group reached the hallway, they could see other hunters walking along, each of them held at gunpoint.
There was on one at the reception counter.
Zeeg raised his hand to touch his forehead, which has swelled up quite a bit.
Not feeling any headaches, the conclusion was it"s just a flesh wound.
When he became a hunter, he has studied which kind of injuries and symptoms are fatal, and the proper procedures to promptly treat of them.
("It"s good that I"m hard-headed...")
If not, he could be dead as a result of his skull being fractured.
Reaching outside however, the bright sunlight made him dizzy. He gritted his teeth and endured it so that he wouldn"t put even more burden on Elmeria.
"What... is that...?"
Elmeria spoke up, and Zeeg opened his eyes.
At the plaza, strange carriages are being hauled in by Aptonoths.
Each of them carried something resembling the cannons installed on the city walls, but significantly larger in size.
They seem to give off an ominous vibe.
Zeeg couldn"t think of the design"s purpose, but it felt like they beheaded a Rathalos and placed its head on a platform.
Moreover, even more are being hauled in.
Each of the metallic Rathalos heads were pointed to the outside of the city.
The hunters, mostly unarmed, are being crowded into the gathering hall one by one.
It seemed like the shopkeepers were kept separately in another location.
"Move along!"
Being shouted at from behind, Zeeg started walking before he got smacked again.
But then-
"Wait- That large man!"
The voice came from another direction.
Zeeg, knowing that it was directed at Gannon, stopped his feet. Elmeria, noticing that, also stopped.
Turning to the source of the voice, they could see a knight slowly approaching. This one wasn"t carrying a light bowgun.
His armor isn"t any different from the others, but he has a mantle covering his upper body. He also seems to be quite arrogant.
Gannon stared at the knight in his usual expressionless face.
The knight stopped in front of the group and opened his visor.
Judging from his face, he"s significantly younger than Gannon- Should be about 35-36 years old.
"Oh dear... Just as I feared...."
The man became stiff as he looked at Gannon, his eyes clearly shivering.
"I never dreamed of meeting the famous Sir Gannon Denon in a place like this... It has been 12 or 13 years, I believe? But of course, you might not remember me from that time."
Lowering his voice, Zeeg asked Elmeria-
"You know him?"
The girl shook her head.
"I never thought that you would become a hunter here, sir. So that"s it... The Hunter"s Guild is an illegal organization that would take anyone in with open arms, even if they"re the worst criminals. A perfect place to go into hiding indeed."
Stirred up by the man"s words, Elmeria began to make a move.
("Just let it pa.s.s!")
Zeeg whispered to the girl. To prevent her from suddenly drop-kicking the knight, he put himself between the two.
"...I was originally a hunter."
Gannon muttered, and the man raised an eyebrow.
"Ah, yes... The great knight who was a former hunter! The criminal who has been shown kindness, but returned the favor by kidnapping the oldest daughter of his master! I am so glad that I met you here! You, who has a bounty of 500,000 Zenny on his head, being captured so easily! This is thanks to the heaven"s blessings, no doubt. By the way..."
The man narrowed his eyes and moved his face closer.
"How is Young Mistress Elbrenfort doing? The one you kidnapped?"
"She is dead."
"What was that?"
"I said she is dead. Succ.u.mbed to a disease."
"Hmm..."
The man rubbed his chin and looked at Elmeria over Zeeg"s shoulder.
"Dead, you say- Then let"s leave it at that for now. We"re in a hurry. I"ll have plenty of time to hear what your body has to say later. Ah, and the young lady as well."
As the knight finished speaking, Gannon was filled with rage.
Even though it wasn"t directed at him, the force was so intense that it gave Zeeg gooseb.u.mps and caused him to break into cold sweat.
To his back, Elmeria also felt it and has gone pale with worry, her lips quivering.
The man was overwhelmed by the murderous intent directed at him.
He took a few steps back, pushed away by an invisible force. Round sweat appeared on his nose and face.
"...Let us hear your name."
The voice was as mighty as a wyvern"s roar.
"T...The name is Mirion Brandar, sir. You"ll regret taking that tone with me."
While saying his name, the man tried his best to suppress his fear.
Not able to look at Gannon any longer, he turned away to a fellow knight wielding a light bowgun.
"Hey! Take these people away!"
That knight seems to also be intimidated by Gannon.
"W...where to...?"
"Where!? Isn"t that obvious!? Same as the others! Lock them up inside the gathering hall!"
"Sir! H...hey, please move- Wait, no... Move along."
The knight waved his bowgun in the direction of the gathering hall.
Even though he was commanding the party to move along, he has lost his arrogant tone.
Judging from the way the treats Elmeria now, one could see that he"s confused and undecided on the tone he should take in this situation.
Given a nudge on the back from Gannon, Zeeg continued walking, with Elmeria following him silently.
As Gannon followed the two, there was a clear sign of relief from the knights now that the heavy atmosphere around them has lifted.
("It looks like Gannon used to be a famous knight...")
Zeeg thought that was the case, judging from the knights" reactions.
("And I"m sure he was super strong back then, too.")
As soon as the knights heard Gannon"s name, they immediately lost their arrogant tone and looked at him in fear and respect.
Zeeg understood how they felt- It was like when he was looking at superior hunters and their wonderful equipment.
Walking past the carts carrying the metallic Rathalos heads, the group entered the gathering hall.
Probably because they were the last, the entrance that doesn"t have a door was sealed shut with a board, imprisoning everyone inside.
Inside, all of the hunters in this city are gathered. At a glance, there should be about 50 people.
All of them either got their equipment taken away, or were captured when they weren"t wearing any, leaving them in casual clothes.
Luckily, most did not get their hands and legs cuffed.
Maybe the knights didn"t prepare enough, or they didn"t want to use restraints unless met with opposition.
Either way, it helps the team keep calm in this situation.
Naturally, hunters adapt quickly to any situation and environment.
If they don"t, they wouldn"t be able to handle their quests, where unexpected changes can happen at any moment.
That also applies to the current event. Some of the hunters have already started drinking.
Vaulting over the counter and taking mugs from the shelf, they poured their beers and pa.s.sed them around.
"You"ll be killed by Becky later, you know!"
A voice was raised in a comical tone, but no one declined the beer when a mug was pa.s.sed to them.
Not before long, they reached Zeeg"s group.
"Here."
A gunner approached with mugs in hand, each of them filled to the brim with foamy beer.
The person didn"t seem to be angry at Gannon at all.
They must have heard the conversation earlier and understood that the current situation doesn"t have anything to do with Gannon"s past.
Everyone took a mug- Zeeg included, but reluctantly.
The three of them then moved to sit in a corner.
Some of the hunters got into the kitchen and started cooking, and some tables started to sing.
The atmosphere was so lighthearted, as if they weren"t being imprisoned at all.
Knowing full well that he didn"t like the taste, Zeeg took a drink anyway.
As expected, the boy flinched from the bitterness. He asked himself whether or not the day he will grow to like this thing will really come.
"...Hey, Gannon."
Elmeria, who has been only staring at her mug, spoke up in a low voice.
With all the commotion in the gathering hall, the only ones who could hear her were Zeeg and Gannon.
"It"s about what that guy said earlier... Did you really do it?"
"...Yes."
Gannon gave a brief but clear answer.
Elmeria gripped the handle of her mug tightly.
"Was it for money?"
"...No."
"Then why? Tell me the reason."
A moment of silence in the group made the atmosphere heavy.
Zeeg knew that at a time like this, he shouldn"t interrupt them. But that also means he couldn"t excuse himself and break away.
To be honest though- he was also curious.
Like a moving mountain, Gannon straightened his large body.
"I used to serve the n.o.ble house of Elbrenfort. Before then, I was a hunter like I am now. When the head of the family was attacked by a Velocidrome, I happened to be there to save him. As a reward, he took me in and granted me the honor to serve the family."
With his big thumb, Gannon rubbed the rim of his mug.
"The house of Elbrenfort is one of the candidates to ascend the throne. Despite that, my lord was a humble person, kind enough to put his trust in a commoner like myself. It was a rare case for a commoner to be made knight, but my lord is a firm believer of one"s own abilities, disregarding social status. He believed it was strange that a person more than capable of the task couldn"t become one due to his status. Knowing full well that criticisms would be directed at him, he made me a knight of the family."
"Then why did you...?"
Before the word "kidnap" was spoken, Elmeria gulped it down.
"Other than the lady, my lord was in love with another woman. That is due to his marriage being purely for political purposes that he had no influence over. Not able to move on from the mistress, my lord would make frequent trips to visit her. It was during one of his return trips when I saved him."
Elmeria frowned slightly, but Gannon pretended not to notice and continued.
"He had a daughter with the mistress. The child was intended to be the heir instead of a son he would later have with his wife. Part of the reason was because the lady"s body condition caused her difficulties in giving birth. However-"
"She ended up giving birth?"
Gannon nodded.
"By law, the master"s first child, even if born from another woman other than the lady, is to be the heir. My lord was already physically frail. When he was pressured about having a child, he had to force his body, causing his health to deteriorate further. While recovering from his illness, he entrusted me to take care of the child that he had with his beloved mistress. That is because he predicted that when it comes his time to leave this world, the young mistress would be in danger without anyone to protect her."
"So that"s why you let yourself be framed as a kidnapper?"
Gannon stayed silent. It was his way of saying "yes".
Elmeria let out a sigh and chugged down her beer in one go, not caring about the spill that got on her shirt.
She then slammed the mug on the floor as she finished.
"It was totally like you to do such a thing, but seriously? A bounty of 500,000 Zenny? Good grief... Then? What happened to the young mistress?"
"She has pa.s.sed away."
Elmeria stared into Gannon"s small eyes, and the large man took her sights head-on.
The moment lasted an eternity.
"Is that so..."
Elmeria let out another sigh. Without saying anything, she s.n.a.t.c.hed Zeeg"s mug and drank all of its contents.
"...Then let"s leave it at that."
Gannon stayed still, not even giving a nod.
("Could it be that...?")
A thought popped up in Zeeg"s head that the child in question could be Elmeria.
From the way she speaks and all those decorations in her room, it is entirely possible.
He could not think of anyone more fitting to the description.
("But if what that knight said was true, Elmeria should be about 2-3 years old when she and Gannon ran away, right? She shouldn"t have that kind of royal mannerisms... Or did Gannon teach her?")
Zeeg had another thought that she had it in her since birth, but that shouldn"t be possible.
The sight of her chugging down beer solidified his thought.
"Here!"
Suddenly, a piece of freshly grilled steak was placed in the middle of the three, steam evaporating from the hot metal plate.
It was clear from the smell that there wasn"t any special seasoning at all, with the meat being lightly salted and seasoned with common spices.
Looking up, they could see a man carrying 3 more plates. He let out a wide smile, showing his yellow teeth.
"We don"t know what will happen next, but it won"t hurt to fill up our stomachs!"
"Thanks."
As Zeeg expressed his grat.i.tude, the man let out a hearty laugh and told the boy to take the knives and forks that were slipped on his belt.
After taking some, the man took off to feed the other tables.
"That"s right... No matter what kind of situation, we can"t go on an empty stomach. Being prepared for any unexpected turn of events- That"s common sense for hunters."
Elmeria took a pair of knife and fork from Zeeg"s hand and rubbed them together, creating faint blue sparks.
("Master... Why did you stop me?")
Behind the Guild Master, Becky asked quietly so that only the old man could hear.
From the other side of the door, lively voices of the hunters can be heard.
It looks like they have been arbitrarily drinking and eating the gathering hall"s beer and meat.
("With our numbers, overturning the situation should be easy.")
Right now, there are only 5 knights keeping watch in the room.
Even though each of them were carrying light bowguns in their hands, taking them down before they get to fire wouldn"t be difficult.
The other side isn"t wary of the people they"re watching, thinking that they are just some elders and their followers.
Otherwise, they wouldn"t even think about posting just 5 people here.
Even if they had ten times of that amount, it still wouldn"t be enough.
("Having trouble with the royal court isn"t profitable.")
The elder"s tired voice could be heard.
("The spies should be back with information any moment now. If the intention is to destroy the Hunter"s Guild, I don"t see how they- the Royal Armory, would want to hunt all those Rathalos.")
("Could it be that they were developing new weapons for warfare?")
("That is possible... In any case, right now we wait. Hunters don"t lose morale just by being locked up.")
("If the Guild Master says so...")
The old man let out a laugh, his shoulders shaking slightly.
("Now, don"t make that face like you missed an opportunity to strike. Don"t worry... I"ll have some work for you soon... It won"t be long...")
("Yes.")
A smile appeared on Becky"s face.
The knights keeping watch in front of her blushed with embarra.s.sment, thinking that her smile was intended for them.
The metallic Rathalos heads have been installed on the city walls in place of the normal cannons, pointing outwards.
Watching over the weapons, Brandar smiled at his good fortune.
When he was ordered on this mission, he cursed his luck.
However, that was because he didn"t think he would meet Gannon Denon, who has such a high bounty on his head, in a place like this.
Moreover, even though Gannon said she was already dead, Brandar thought it is possible that the girl who was with him is actually the oldest daughter of the House of Elbrenfort, who was kidnapped 12 years ago.
Even if she"s not, no one would know.
The young mistress was kidnapped when she was 3 years old, so she shouldn"t have remembered herself from that time.
Some suitable excuses should be enough to convince Madam Elbrenfort to take the girl in.
Even though many people have attempted this method by bringing random girls, this time Brandar has credibility.
That is because, at any rate, the Gannon Denon he captured is undoubtedly the real deal.
"Sir Brandar!"
Turning to the source of the voice, he could see a knight rushing from the market.
The knight"s frustrated expression showed that he needed help to deal with something he can"t handle.
"What!?"
Brandar made no effort to hide his dissatisfaction of being interrupted.
The knight stopped in front of him and made a salute.
"...The truth is, we ran into a slight problem."
"Well, what is it?"
"The daughter of Lord Wimberly has arrived."
"Wha...what...?"
Brandar"s howled out like a hungry dog.
Lord Wimberly"s daughter, Narumi Wimberly. The face of a wyvern conservation organization, whose goal is to protect all monsters.
Naturally, they have an antagonistic relationship with the Royal Armory, which develop weapons from monster materials.
Moreover, her father has authority, so the girl has to be treated accordingly.
It was said that if she is dissatisfied with anything, the Royal Armory could be under quite a lot of questioning.
That is because she is the third candidate to ascend the throne.
Comparatively, the House of Elbrenfort is at a much lower rank, being the fifteenth.
If one were to think about the future of their career, they wouldn"t want to mistreat the girl.
("This is bad. Very bad.")
The plan has already been put in motion, so it is impossible to change the schedule.
The higher-ups have stated repeatedly that if they miss this chance, they would have to wait many years for another.
Waiting for an answer, the messenger eyes narrowed with worry.
("Are you telling me to make such a difficult decision!?")
But there was no time to falter.
"Sir Brandar!"
A cold voice was raised as a figure of a robed girl appears.
She headed straight to Brandar, ignoring the other knights who were trying to stop her.
The mark of a sword being crossed out is embroidered on her robe"s chest, symbolizing her organization"s protest against hunting.
("I don"t have time to play with this girl!")
Doing his best to hide his boiling anger, Brandar broke into a forced smile. He opened his arms as a gesture of friendliness.
However, Narumi kept her stern expression, not acknowledging the knight"s attempt at being friendly.
Realizing that it was no use, Brandar lowered his arms and bowed humbly.
"Hmm... For a royal daughter to come to a place like this is admirable indeed. However, if you"re here to protest against the Hunter"s Guild, I"m afraid you"re too late. All of the hunters have already been rounded up. They will never hunt monsters again."
Narumi glanced at the gathering hall"s entrance, which has been sealed shut. She slowly shook her head before turning back to Brandar.
"I have not come here for that reason. There are many other ways to discuss our philosophy with the hunters. Right now, stopping what you people are doing takes priority. Sir Brandar, we have investigated that the Royal Armory has been hiring wandering hunters to hunt the Rathalos on a large scale! In order to create this... Do you not know the consequences of your actions!?"
"Of course we do, milady."
Brandar bowed his head respectfully.
"If this plan succeeds, humanity will be liberated from the fear that has been haunting us for countless years. And what is wrong with that? It is what every single human in this world wish for! To end the age of being on the receiving end of pain and destruction without the ability to retaliate!"
Brandar raised his hands up to the sky, as if receiving praise and blessings from the heavens.
"For that goal, do you realize the significance of the sacrifices they have to make!?"
"Sacrifice? The ones who make sacrifices are us, not them."
Brandar sent an eye signal to one of the knights.
Two knights rushed ahead immediately, stopping right behind Narumi.
Realizing what was happening, the girl"s face stiffened with nervousness.
"...Escort her to the guest house. Make sure it"s the highest ranking King room. If it"s those rooms, there shouldn"t be anything to dissatisfy her. In fact, it"s such a waste that rooms as impressive as those are only for the hunters."
"Sir!"
"...You intend to confine me?"
Brandar shook his head in response to Narumi"s glare.
"This is for your safety. It"s dangerous to stay here, and we don"t have the time to escort you back to the capital. Now, please don"t worry. Our victory is all but a.s.sured."
"...You do realize that nature isn"t that weak, right?"
"Milady, do you not always tell the hunters to use humanity"s wisdom? We"ll show an example of doing so. Then hopefully they"ll come to their senses- Now, lead her away."
Narumi stopped the knight who was going to grab her arm with just a glare.
She then made her way to the guest houses on her own, her determination yet unbroken.
Looking at her go, Brandar let out a huge sigh in relief. Noticing that he was being watched by the other knights, he ordered them to go away with a hand wave.
"Get back to work! We don"t have much time!"
"Please have patience for a short while."
The knight said before making his exit, with Narumi keeping her eyes on him until he got out of sight.
The door, which looked like it came straight from a royal palace, was firmly shut behind him, seeming to not ever open again.
Locking it is only possible from the inside, but there should be guards posted right outside.
The girl opened a window and cast her eyes over all of the city.
The metallic Rathalos heads have been lined up on the city"s walls.
Each of them possessed an eerie sheen from the reflected sunlight.
Naturally, she couldn"t observe the state of affairs inside the gathering hall from up here.
Even though she does not approve of the hunters" activities, it is miles better compared to what the Royal Armory is doing right now.
("What should I do...")
All Narumi could do was pace around the room, biting her thumbnail.
Her people are all gathered outside of the city.
The transporter bridge- the only way of reaching the city, has been taken control by the Thirteenth Order, under the Royal Armory"s command.
The girl had to use her authority to make the knights let her in.
Met with this situation, she came to a realization that she was truly powerless, and that heritage will only take her so far.
After all, it was effectively just something she borrowed from her father.
("Will this thing really work...?")
The information was from a member who is also an employee of the Royal Armory.
She also received the weapon"s blueprints, but she couldn"t understand most of it.
However, she knew their objective.
Most of her followers" opinions were that they would never pull it off and to let them do what they want.
But even if the chance is just one out of ten thousand, the damage caused would be irreparable if it does succeed.
Although she rushed in bravely, her only achievement so far is being confined.
("How pathetic...")
Narumi tightly gripped the window"s frame and bit her lips.
"A good day to you, milady."
Hearing a voice from her side, Narumi instantly turned around. Seeing the person"s figure, she was on the verge of screaming.
"Uh-oh."
But couldn"t.
The person"s arm extended forward to cover the girl"s mouth.
She was pushed against the wall, with a rubbery smell entering her nose.
"If possible, could you please keep quiet? No, I don"t intend to do anything to you. If you promise to not make a ruckus, I"ll let go immediately. Of course, if you don"t go by your words-"
The hand tightened its grip.
Trebling with fear from the raw strength, Narumi nodded firmly. She promised to both herself and the other person that she would not raise her voice.
The hand quietly moved away.
While slowly catching her breath, the girl turned to the man, who has taken a few steps back.
His face is hidden behind a horned mask, and he wears nothing but a belt on his upper body.
The girl cringed from the pure eccentricity.
However, Narumi could remember this man.
"You are... the person who was with Elmeria...?"
The girl asked in a frightened tone, and the man nodded in response.
"Yes. We have met many times, milady."
Narumi let out a sigh in relief.
From the man"s attire, she initially thought he was an executioner sent by Brandar to a.s.sa.s.sinate her, but it looks like she was mistaken.
"If I remember correctly... you are the gunner...?"
"Yes."
"But how are you here? Brandar said all of the hunters have already been captured..."
The man narrowed the eyes under his mask, seemingly cracking smile.
"I"m extremely swift when it comes to escaping, you see... Yes- like a Gypceros!"
As if he was daydreaming, the man raised his voice, causing Narumi to blink repeatedly in confusion.
In her mind, she thought that the man"s personality perfectly matched his eccentric sense of fashion.
"Ah, pardon my rudeness."
The man coughed once to clear his throat.
"By the way... Judging from the fact that you"ve come up here alone, you must be aware of their objective?"
Narumi nodded.
"As I thought. And that objective has something to do with monsters rather than us hunters- am I correct? If not, there wouldn"t be any explanation for you taking action so aggressively. Ah, and it"s related to the metallic Rathalos heads that they hauled in as well... am I correct?"
"Precisely."
Reaching into her robe"s sleeve, Narumi took out the blueprints of the Rathalos-shaped cannons and pa.s.sed it to the man.
Among the weapons used by hunters, gunner weapons are closest in design to cannons.
Although she could not understand it, the man should be able to make the most out of the schematics- that is what Narumi thought.
("But that is also up to his status as a true hunter, of course...")
The man accepted the plans and skimmed them quickly.
"This is..."
The eyes under the mask opened wide. He raised his rubber-covered face and looked straight at Narumi.
"Milady, do you know what they intend to use this thing for?"
"I do."
Narumi nodded. The objective in question is the very reason why she has come to this place.
"With this, they will-"
"Preparations are complete!"
The voice of a messenger echoed throughout the wasteland.
Located to the south of the city, it takes about half a day on horseback to reach this barren land.
The weather is foggy, and the area is covered in silence, as if all living things here have died off.
There were only 50 humans moving about.
Usually, this area is inhabited by the small carnivores called Genprey, but right now not even their shadows can be seen.
Then, the sound of a field horn echoed.
Unlike hunters who blow the horns to draw monsters" attention, this time it is merely used for making a signal.
"I...It"s here!"
A young military engineer shivered as he pointed to the emptiness ahead.
A mountain emerged from the shadow shrouded in the fog- Not because the fog lifted.
It was the mountain that moved closer, making itself more visible. It approached as the humans watched on.
The mountain"s abnormal speed cast an optical illusion on the people, causing them to feel like they were being sucked in.
"Commander! Please give your orders!"
The voice caused the commander of the Fourth Order, Combat Engineer division of the Royal Armory, to come to his senses.
"I...Ignite!"
He shouted out in a panic, and his subordinate set fire to a fuse with his shivering hands.
A spark ran through and disappeared into the fog.
From this point on, all they can do is watch attentively.
There won"t be any problem if they succeed. But if not... all of them would be trampled to their deaths- effectively wiped off the face of the earth.
Everyone held their breaths, waiting nervously for the result.
In the moment of silence, even the sound of someone gulping down saliva can be heard clearly.
And then-
Along with numerous flashes of light, the silence was broken by thunderous explosions.
The explosions were from hundreds of Large Barrel Bombs, which have been lined up to be detonated all at once.
-RRRRROOOOOOOaaaaaRRRR!!
The roar that echoed throughout the land was as powerful as a storm.
Slowly, the mountain changed its direction and disappeared into the fog.
A field horn was sounded once more.
("It"s a success...")
Even so, no words of joy came out from anyone"s mouth.
All of them had the same thought lingering in their minds- That they messed with something that they never should have.
All men stood still, staring into the new direction the mountain has taken.