Arcane Innovator

Shortly after the Guild swept the northern forest and found nothing, life slowly returned to normal.

In two days, those who successfully completed their task were therefore promoted to Fledglings and received their badges, signifying their new status as official members of the Beast Hunter Guild.

"Wow, you really managed to pull it off?" Ram looked at me with stars in his eyes.

Thanks to my grand feat of slaying a Warrhog, I received the best possible score despite finishing my task among the last.

"Mhmh..." I replied to him while busily examining the simple wooden badge in my hands.

The badge was a simple plaque of wood with the Guild insignia on one side and our names on the other that we could hang around our necks so we wouldn't lose it.

The badge's material also signified which rank you were, and you would receive better ones as you moved through the ranks.

As Gramps previously explained to me, there were, in total, five ranks a beast hunter could achieve.

Starting from the bottom, there was the more than familiar Recruit, followed by Fledgling, Tracker, Hunter, and Master Hunter - the highest rank one can achieve through their feats alone.

Apart from that, there was also the council of elders comprised of the most prominent Master Hunters and branch leaders who then selected one of their members to become the Grandmaster of the Guild.

However, that was more of an administrative role focusing primarily on politics and bootlicking than anything involving an actual skill.

Not that I was interested in climbing the ladder; I was fine with being a Fledling for the time being as it allowed me to travel unimpeded across the Kingdom, which was more than enough.

"So what are you going to do now?" Ram asked, disturbing my current train of thought.

As I turned my head toward him and saw his expectant look, I couldn't help but chuckle. 'He probably thinks I will join his party, but I must disappoint him...'

"I want to travel and see the land... so I will be going on my own from now on..." I said firmly.

"What a coincidence! Vixen and I were just thinking the same! So why won't we go together?"

"Huh?" Hearing this, I grimaced. 'Oh, no... I don't like where this is going.'

Noting my apparent hesitation, Ram pushed further. "We were all so impressed by your sword skills on the hunt the other day! You're, like, super strong! And we would be honored if you could join us."

Seeing his determined look, I sighed quickly, realizing that he wouldn't stop pestering me about this. "But I need to get to Weisberg as soon as possible!"

"Weisberg? I have no idea where that is, but why not? We hadn't thought much about where we go yet, so we might as well join you!"

In the end, I was forced to dejectedly accept his offer since he so carefreely destroyed my every argument, and before long, I didn't have the mental strength to keep refuting him.

'Ugh, great, now I will have to babysit two rookies who want to play hunters...'

Well, it's not like this arrangement was without benefits. As Ram so vehemently pointed out, in a party, we could, for example, take on much bigger jobs that nobody in their right mind would dare to entrust to a solo hunter.

Plus, as they say, there was a strength in numbers, and traveling in the group would allow me to seamlessly blend in the crowds without any issues, as right now, everyone was looking for a sole witch, Darian.

Therefore, nobody would give a second thought to a wandering party of beast hunters.

Having decided on the course of action, it was time to prepare for a long journey ahead.

I was aware that I promised Wolf I would continue my training even after my promotion, but since I was no longer subjected to him as my instructor, he had no way to hold me to my promise.

But I didn't want to part ways on bad terms as he had been more than helpful to me so far, so I agreed to come to one last training session after explaining to him that I would be joining a party.

As I walked through the familiar path to the training grounds the following morning, my thoughts drifted back to the first time I had come here.

I smiled wistfully, remembering the nervous anticipation as we crossed swords with Wolf for the very first time.

When I arrived at the fenced-out area used for practice, Wolf was already waiting for me, his tall, stacked figure silhouetted against the rising sun. His piercing eyes met mine, eager as always, yet his expression had a touch of sadness.

"Hey there, lad!" He greeted me, "So this is the last lesson, eh?"

I simply nodded. "That's right, sir! I'm grateful for all you've taught me so far; it helped me a lot."

A small smile tugged at the corners of my mouth as I positioned myself, sword at the ready.

"Then what are ya waiting for? Show me what ya got!" Wolf shouted as he sprung forward.

***

'Ugh, that was intense...' I was still reeling from the morning training session as I slowly walked across Ostengard's main street.

It was a lovely summer afternoon, not a cloud in the sky, meaning it was a bloody scorcher. So I quickly escaped into the shadow of a sizable building a short distance from the Guild.

Looking up, I took note of the large, worn-out sign of two crossed swords. It was time to finally visit an equipment shop to buy myself a proper sword.

So far, I have gotten by with the Guild-issued training weapons, but I was well aware that going forward, I would need to buy a sword of my own.

Thus, I eagerly entered the local equipment shop before me. Stepping inside, I was immediately enveloped by a pleasant, cool air that carried a sharp scent of polished metal.

The shop was well-lit, with every wall lined to the brim with countless shelves bearing various weapons and many types of armor.

This particular shop was recommended to me by both Wolf and Ram, as it was apparently the best weapon shop in the whole of Ostengard.

Not that I could tell, as till now, I focused solely on magic and didn't need any weapon.

Theoretically, all I needed was some cheap sword to keep up appearances, but since I had already put so much effort into training, I might as well get myself something good as I wasn't lacking for money.

Looking around, I noticed that the armor racks were filled with many different types, ranging from light leather all the way to heavy steel plate.

Continuing with my observation, I turned toward the weapons section, which had everything from swords to axes, maces, and even bows, all neatly arranged on various shelves.

Soon, a burly shopkeeper approached me, his bushy mustache twitching as he sized me up. "Ah, a young hunter, I see," he said with a gruff voice. "Looking for a weapon, are ya?"

"Good day, sir. Yes, I'm looking for a weapon."

"What kind of weapon are ya using? We got swords, spears, maces, and plenty of others to choose from."

"Ehm, a sword." I blurted out, overwhelmed by the man's outgoing personality, then quickly added. "Something sturdy and reliable."

The shopkeeper let out a hearty chuckle, revealing a missing tooth. "Well, you've come to the right place, lad. We've got a fine selection of swords for hunters like yourself. Follow me, follow me."

As he took me toward a section dedicated solely to swords, the shopkeeper paused and gestured toward a display stand. "Here we have some of our finest blades," he said, his voice filled with pride.

At first, I eagerly followed him, but as I laid my eyes on the price tags, I couldn't help but take a step back and widen my eyes.

Even the cheapest sword here cost at least ten silver marks, more than a whole year's worth of income for most commoners.

Not to mention, this was just a poor provincial Town shop catered toward beast hunters. I couldn't even begin to imagine the price of the finest noble swords in the Kingdom's capital.

I instantly realized that if I wanted something better than a rusty iron rod, I would have to reach into my precious gold reserves.

With a sigh, I began trying one sword after another, and at the same time, my brain was frantically trying to come up with a believable story.

"Ah, what a fine weapons you have here, mister! They are a bit pricey for my liking, but thanks to that rare drop our party sold to the nobles in Ereneth the other day, I can finally upgrade my sword!" I exclaimed, pretending to be overflowing with happiness.

"Eh, is that so? Good for ya, lad..." The shopkeeper blinked, not sure how to respond.

Ultimately, I selected a sturdy-looking steel broadsword. I should have no problems swinging it around with my current strength, and it would provide me with a much better reach when fighting monsters.

The price tag was a whopping 150 silver marks, so I took out two shiny gold coins, prompting the shopkeeper to exclaim in surprise. "Whoa! A real gold!"

But thanks to my previous story, he accepted it without much fuss while mumbling something about a lucky bastard. I even got a 50 silver back, so I will have plenty of coins going forward.

Equipped with my new sword, I promptly left the shop, eager to finally hit the road once again.