SS1 4.3 - A Fake Hunt

The thought about the sibling kids who became Old Jack’s dinner and the threat from Silva Family’s young knight kept plaguing my mind for the whole night. As the result, I barely got any sleep.

With heavy eyes, I got up from the bed. Then, I was about to enter bathroom when I heard someone knocked the front door. When I went to check it, I found Torrak looked at me straight in the eyes with a drop dead serious gaze.

“Morning,” I casually said.

Torrak nodded, and then he used his tablet to show me a face of a handsome young man. He had chiseled jaw line, brown curly hair, green eyes, and fair skin.

“Do you remember him?” Torrak asked me, and he sounded like a detective who interrogated a suspect.

“I do,” I replied. “He is a young knight from Silva Family.”

“His name is Edwark de Silva. He is not a full knight yet, only at the level of A-rank hunter at most. He is also only a fifth child of Silva Family,” Torrak explained. “In summary, his influence and power is the weakest among the young generations from Silva Family. However, he possesses unmatched arrogance.”

“And I have become his scape goat,” I added.

“Yeah,” Torrak said in a regretful tone. “And because the matter is tightly related to Silva Family’s image, he has some leverage to use Silva Family’s influence.”

“In short, I have shit coming for me.”

“Yeah.”

“Even though it’s clearly visible I have nothing to do with his failure?” I asked.

“Yeah.”

“Can I bring this case to the court?” I asked out of curiosity. “Maybe, I will find a way to defend myself and clear my name."

“I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“Why?”

“Everyone who was present in the event fully knew it was not your fault that Edwark missed his throw,” Torrak said. “But no one will step forward to help you with your case.”

“In that case,” I casually said. “Tell me the shit I have to face.”

“You will join a hunt for Old Jack. The party will depart this evening.”

“What is the level of strongest hunter in this party?”

“A D-rank shooter, his name is Sam Ting Wong, leader of Jie Ten Bie.”

“How many hunters will join this hunt?”

“Nine hunters from Jie Ten Bie, two demi-humans, and you.”

“Only twelve dudes and the strongest is only D-rank shooter.”

“Yeah.”

Big red flag instantly popped up in my mind. “You know. This hunt sound like a one way ticket to the next world. Why don’t you just execute me here?

It will be far simpler and no one will say a thing about it anyway.”

“In this hunt, the things you should worry the most is not your life,” Torrak calmly said. “It’s Hou Lie Fuk and Hou Lie Sie. They are senior member of Jie Ten Bie and Edwark have specifically asked them to use this hunt as an opportunity to mess around with you.”

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“So, we won’t go after Old Jack actually?”

“Yeah.”

“How long this fake hunt will take place?”

“Three nights and four days.”

“Can you guess what kind of shit that Hou Lie Fuk and Hou Lie Sie will throw at me?”

Torrak immediately showed me a picture of two demi humans using his tablet. One is female with long and dark brown hair, and wolf ears. The other one was a girl, about 12-year-old, and other than her long black hair she also had wolf ears.

Other than their wolf ears, one thing that was very striking about the female demi-humans in the picture was their facial feature. Without their wolf ears, I would definitely think they were mixed blood between easterner and westerner. And honestly, the female was beautiful and had nice figure and curve, while the girl had cute face and bright smile.

“This is W 0-1 and W 0-2. They are demi-humans who will go to the hunt with you,” Torrak calmly explained. “Hou Lie Fuk and Hou Lie Sie will definitely use W 0-2, the demi-humans girl to agitate and provoke you.”

“What kind of provocation,” I curiously asked. “I have no relation or sentiment to this young demi-human.”

“Here in farewell, demi-human is being treated as slave hunter without civil right or protection like a normal citizen. Whatever they do, it will be a very nasty.” After having a sigh Torrak continued, “So, make sure you don’t lose your cool until your return to Karmen. Even if Hou Lie Fuk and Hou Lie Sie beat the demi-humans girl until she is half-dead, don’t do anything and just look away. That way you will be fine.”

I curiously asked, “How can you are so sure everything will be fine as long as I look away?”

“I have used every single means in my disposal to ensure it, and Silva Family’s representative in this town has agreed. This event will be a mere warning for you.”

“Why do you go that far for me, a new E-rank hunter?”

After a short silence Torrak replied, “Yesterday, when everyone were chicken out in a corner and waiting for the sun to set, you took initiative to evacuate the poor woman who just lost her kids. You even brought her to nearby healer and paid the nursing fee.

Twenty odds year I works with outsider hunters and I have met many kinds. Some are decent, some other are lowlifes, with most of them are in between, but this is the first time I meet a hunter who put so much care to locals like you.

I think it’s a shame to lose you in a circumstance where you become a scape goat because you try to do the right thing.”

“I see.” After taking a deep breath I added. “I will do my best to hold back my temper.”

After a smile Torrak said, “Good.”

I then took a glance to the picture one more time. “But, are you sure you want to send a kid to a hunt? Even though it’s a fake hunt, shit still can happen out of nowhere. I hope she won’t become a burden.”

“She maybe is only a kid, but her hunting skill and physical fitness are no less than a decent E-rank hunter.”

“Yeah, but both of them only have leather armor, short sword, dagger, and hunting bow as their hunting equipment.”

“That’s hunting equipment are plenty enough for them, and they are really good at using it to sneak on their target and kill it silently.”

“I see.”

“They are also very good at tracking Old Jack, even though in this hunt I specifically order them to avoid this sly wyvern,” Torrak added.

I nodded and after a moment of silence I curiously asked, “Yesterday, may I know why you didn’t prepare multiple spear throwers?”

“No one thought the plan would work, so when Edwark refuse my suggestion to deploy multiple spear throwers, I didn’t argue,” Torrak casually replied.

“Was that the reason why he drinks while waiting for Old Jack to show up?”

“Edwark will drink whenever he has the chance, even in the middle of a hunt.” After a light snort Torrak added, “Yesterday, at first he just drinks lightly, but once dusk came and Old Jack still showed no sign to show up, he started drinking unreservedly.”

“What a cluster fuck fellow.”

“Yeah, but unfortunately he comes from family with strong influence.” After a short pause Torrak asked me in a drop dead serious tone. “If you have the chance to take your first shoot, will you hit Old Jack?”

“I will definitely hit him.”

“Damn!” Regret and frustration instantly became visible in Torrak’s eyes. “Yesterday, it was the first time Old Jack flew so low and so close to city wall. Yet we have let a go a golden opportunity to kill him for good.”

“Yeah, what a shame,” I said in regretful tone.

Torrak then gave me the personal data about W 0-1, W 0-2, and Jie Ten Bie. After that, he left while I went to read the data from him. The demi-humans overall circumstance was very bleak, but the thing that drew my attention the most was the behavior and conduct from Jie Ten Bie’s member.

These people were epitome of trash, but they were really good at provoke their prey, both human and monster, to fall into their trap. Unfortunately, this time they met with a wrong opponent. They wouldn’t be able to provoke me. Not to mention, they all had committed an act that made them a mortal enemy of Shimon lineage.

‘I won’t lose to these disgusting people, and actually they should avoid me,’ I muttered as I strengthened my resolve.

A moment later, I took morning bath, ate breakfast, and then made preparation for the hunt.

*****