The Bounty Hunter

June 1st, 2088

Far to the south of the desolate mining town, there was a large bustling city called Obsidia.  It was the capital of the Darkmoon Queendom, which was ruled by dark elves.  Personally, I feel the naming scheme in this world is lackluster but I guess I have no right to criticize.  The Darkmoon Queendom was by far the largest country and the only “civilized” country in the world, which was founded by the surviving dark elves who had weathered the destruction of the old world.  This destruction was caused by the Treacherous Deities, the gods who had previously been worshipped before they betrayed their duties and turned the world to ash.  

The queendom dominates most of the continent and is always fighting with its “uncivilized” neighbors in an attempt to conquer or even exterminate them.  There was a non-descript building located in the northern district of this city that I reappeared in.  I looked around the empty room and sighed in admiration “No matter how many times I use it; magic is truly amazing.” 

Magic exists in this world and it is an integral part of everyday life.  Magic energy, commonly known as mana, permeates everything in this world.  People create magic tools and magic items from various ores, plants and monster parts.  These magic tools allow people to cast magic by drawing in mana from the environment and channeling it for them.

However, people who can use magic innately without tools or items, wizards, are very rare.  They possess a sixth sense which allows them to sense and manipulate mana directly.  Wizards are not limited by their equipment and the magic they use is far more potent.  Using magic for wizards is almost instinctual, so there is no major learning curve.  This instinct also means that wizards’ magic is very subjective and it could be influenced by a wizard’s emotions along with other factors.  The magic itself is the combination of willpower, focus and imagination with mana used as fuel. 

Wizards can generate and store mana naturally and can even take it in from their environment.  The presence of mana in their bodies allows wizards to live far longer than non-wizard members of their race.  Incantations, rituals, hand seals, magic circles, catalysts etc. are not necessary to use magic, but can be added to aide with casting.  They vary from wizard to wizard, and can be used to help with one of the three components of magic to reduce the overall mana cost or to strengthen the magic. 

Wizards can also create their own magic items and tools, which are collectively called magic artifacts, and these are far more powerful than anything made by a magic crafter because of the enchantments being added onto the magic crafting material.  Thus, wizards are feared and respected throughout this world. 

Wizards are also highly desired by the nobility as retainers.  So for someone like me who does not want any attention, I have to hide my ability to use magic.  One of the two reasons why I do not want any attention would become apparent by looking out into the bustling streets of Obsidia:  in all the throngs of people bustling about there were all kinds of varieties of elves, dwarves and beast-kin.  These were the three dominant civilized races in this world.  They were also a variety of other minor civilized races such as pixies, asurans, gnomes, lamias and tallboys. And if you were observant enough you could note the cloaked figures of the uncivilized races such as hobgoblins, orcs and harpies skulking in the crowds.  Yet not a single human could be seen. 

This world has all manner of races, but the human is not one of them.  In fact, humans are a creature of legend in this world, much like how elves and the like are in ours.  I even once overheard someone fantasizing about what it would be like to meet a human and touch their round ears.  Elves have pointed ears, dwarves have square tipped ears, and beast-kin only have their animal ears, so humans’ round ears are considered cool and exotic which I find odd to think about. 

The fallout from a human being discovered would be tremendous and something I want to avoid at any cost.  The second reason for hiding my magic ability is simply because I do not want to expose all of my strength.  It is important to always have a hidden ace.  This is something that I factored into my threat level system:  all my evaluations are based on the assumption that I am not using magic.  With magic most threat levels are reduced by 3.

I double checked to ensure my face was covered and stepped out into the street.  It was a cobblestone road and the buildings were highly reminiscent of Medieval Europe.  I avoided the piles of garbage festering here in the slums and the starving beggars who would soon be rounded up by the guards and sold as slaves.  I broke the hand of a pickpocket who tried to steal my purse and I ignored the brothel criers advertising their pleasure slaves. 

My destination was the Northern Guard Station in order to report the collected bounty.  There is no adventurer’s guild in this world unfortunately, so I have to hunt bounties instead.  These bounties are usually issued by either nobles or wealthy merchants and posted in various government offices.  The targets are criminals or monsters and if a bounty was collected from a client it had to be reported in.

I always checked for new bounties and reported in collected bounties at the northern guard station, so when I stepped into the building the beast-kin at the counter looked up and smiled.  “Hello Terra, are you here to report a collected bounty?”  The dog-eared guardsman asked.  His cheerful demeanor made it obvious he was still a newbie.  Give it time and he’ll become a cold, indifferent bastard or a corrupt scumbag.  I responded to his question by handing over a proof of completion signed by the dwarven mine owner. 

The guardsman’s eyes widened in shock as he saw the document “Wow, you took down a troll alone!  I suppose I should say as expected of the one they call the Peerless!”  I ignored his praise and simply turned to leave.  Terra the Peerless, that’s what I’m known as in this world.  I choose the name Terra at random since my normal name would stand out too much.  The title Peerless was received for two reasons:  I work alone and I have no equal in the business, supposedly.  Bounty hunters always work in groups due to the danger of the job, but I have never bothered to make comrades to work with.

I have no interest in making friends here and if it wasn’t for an obligation I cannot abandon I would never return to this horrid world.  As such, I don’t even speak to people unless absolutely necessary.  Being a bounty hunter allows me to minimize my interactions with others while being able to make money on my own time, which is invaluable for me who still has to go to school and study.  The guardsman meanwhile, was unoffended by my behavior.  I had over the years become well known for my anti-socialness here at the northern station, so my rudeness was ignored. 

I was quick out the door and returned to my hideout.  Once I was in a room with no windows, I started turning and was greeted by the view of my bedroom door back in Tokyo when I finished.  “I’m home.”  I murmured out of habit.  I proceeded to strip off my gear and store it in a corner of my closet where I applied a charm to make it invisible after I used magic to clean it thoroughly. 

My ability to use magic is not limited to the other world, although I have a self-imposed rule to not use it casually in my everyday life.  Unless my life or someone who I cared about is at risk, I will not use magic.  If it is someone I don’t know, I will not risk exposure in order to save their life.  I’m sure it seems heartless to most, but I don’t care.  I have learned through bitter experience that I am not a hero who can save everybody, so I don’t bother trying.  “I should get started on the summer homework I suppose.”  I said aloud as I headed out the room. 

After eating a light lunch, I was soaking my sore muscles in the bath as I was thinking about what bounty I should try and take next.  I shifted a bit and winced at my aching muscles.  Those 25 minutes of fighting a troll with endless stamina had really taken a toll.  Unlike in the stories, I had no unique super cheat when I arrived in the other world.  I had an above average ability to use magic and that was it.  “Tch, if only I had never discovered that damned world” I complained to myself as I started thinking back to how it all started.