After Yuan and his wives exited the Hunter Association building, the hunters in the reception hall let out a collective sigh of relief.
“Finally, I can breathe freely without that pressure,” one of the hunters remarked, visibly relieved that Yuan and his wives had left.
“That kid is a real enigma to me,” a seasoned swordsman commented, gripping his liquor with trembling hands. “As someone who’s been around the block, I’m not eager to cross swords with him at all. I sense that he’s truly powerful.”
“Master Liam, you’re really not considering a fight? Is he truly that formidable?” a female hunter chimed in, wearing light armor and seemingly skeptical that a renowned sword master like Liam wouldn’t be able to best a young boy.
“Formidable?” Master Liam furrowed his brow at the female hunter. “Jean, are you doubting my ability to judge people? Didn’t you witness what he did to Joe? He didn’t even tap into his mana, and look at Joe now, flat on his back.”
“This is…” Jean struggled for words after hearing Master Liam’s assessment. She had seen with her own eyes how Joe was sent flying by Yuan.
‘If even Master Liam hesitates to face him, just how powerful can that kid be?’ Jean pondered inwardly, clearly in disbelief.
The other hunters gasped upon hearing Master Liam’s words. They couldn’t fathom that a former general like him wouldn’t want to take on a mere youngster. It was simply unbelievable.
A minute later, Master Liam stole a few glances at the unconscious Joe, sprawled on the ground with a pronounced mark on his chest. He couldn’t help but feel a twinge of pity.
“No matter how much of a nuisance this bastard is, we can’t just leave him to perish like this,” Master Liam sighed, turning to the other hunters. “Someone fetch a stretcher, or this half-dead idiot will truly meet his end if we don’t attend to him properly.”
The other hunters exchanged uncertain glances. They were hesitant to rush to the aid of someone like Joe, a local tyrant who had a reputation for abusing his status as an A-rank hunter.
“What’s all this commotion I hear? What’s happened here?”
Suddenly, a commanding voice echoed through the entire reception hall. All heads turned towards the source of the voice, where a middle-aged man stood with a stern expression.
“Association Head Anthony!” The exclamation went up from various hunters in the hall, recognizing the man who had just arrived.
Anthony’s brows furrowed as he took in the sight of Joe, an A-rank hunter, sprawled on the ground with deep fist marks on his chest. It was clear that several of Joe’s ribs had been broken from the impact.
‘Who could have done this to him? I’m well aware of Joe’s vile character, but for someone to inflict such damage, they must be truly formidable,’ Anthony pondered, studying the unconscious figure of Joe.
“Can anyone provide an explanation of what transpired here? How did Joe end up in this state?” Anthony addressed the hunters in the reception hall, but they all remained silent, avoiding eye contact.
‘Sigh! It seems nobody is eager to speak up, likely due to Joe’s unsavory reputation and lecherous tendencies,’ Anthony sighed inwardly.
Finding no response from the hunters, Anthony turned to the receptionists, hoping they might shed some light on the situation.
“Association Head, this is what happened,” the receptionist with animal ears stood up and began. “A short while ago, a young C-rank hunter arrived to trade skins of the Greater Flame wolves. He was accompanied by eight exceptionally stunning women.”
“Hmm? Did you say skins of the Greater Flame wolves?” Anthony interjected, his expression growing more serious, making sure he understood correctly.
“Yes, that’s correct,” the receptionist affirmed, continuing. “As you’re well aware, Association Head, of Hunter Joe’s tendencies when it comes to beautiful women, you can likely imagine what occurred next.”
Anthony nodded, piecing together the sequence of events. “It appears that Joe couldn’t restrain himself in the presence of these women, and as a consequence, he was dealt a severe blow by their spouse. Am I correct, Elle?”
“Indeed, that’s precisely what happened,” the receptionist confirmed.
“Sigh! I suspected that something like this might befall him sooner or later. It’s his own doing, a lesson he’s brought upon himself. Perhaps it will serve as a catalyst for him to reevaluate his behavior towards women.”
Turning his attention back to the hunters, Anthony addressed them after a momentary pause.
“I understand that many of you harbor strong reservations about Joe’s character and actions. He has undoubtedly caused numerous individuals considerable trouble and distress.” Anthony paused again before concluding, “However, we must remember that Joe is an A-rank Hunter of Monbrook City. We cannot allow him to meet his demise, even if there may be animosity between us. His survival is crucial for the overall strength of our hunter community in Monbrook City.”
“And since we can’t afford to lose a strong hunter like Joe who can go against a group of monsters alone, I ask some of you to take him to the infirmary and give him immediate treatment, his condition is not good many of his ribs are broken and his chest bone is heavily fractured from the impact,” Anthony instructed, his tone serious as he assessed Joe’s injuries.
“Quick, bring a stretcher and take him to the infirmary as fast as possible, his body is losing heat,” he ordered, noting Joe’s deteriorating state.
“It seems we’ve no choice but to save this idiotic bastard,” one of the hunters grumbled, rising from his seat.
Another hunter nodded in agreement. “Let’s save this bastard for now, but if he repeats this behavior, I’m not going to save his ass twice.”
They swiftly fetched a stretcher and gently loaded Joe’s unconscious form onto it, taking him to the infirmary for urgent care.
“I hope he learns a lesson from this and refrains from acting on his impulses for revenge,” Anthony muttered to himself once Joe was taken away by the two hunters.
‘But who is this C-rank hunter who inflicted such serious injuries on him? There don’t appear to be any other wounds on his body aside from the deep fist mark on his chest… It implies the C-rank hunter did this in a single strike… This is a grave matter requiring utmost attention,’ Anthony contemplated, glancing at receptionist Elle before posing his question.
“Elle, do you have any information on the C-rank hunter you told me about? The one responsible for Joe’s current condition.”
Elle nodded and proceeded to share what she had gathered from Yuan’s Hunter ID and their brief conversation during the trade.
—
Meanwhile, Yuan and his wives entered the inn recommended by receptionist Elle. As they stepped inside, they were warmly greeted by a woman in her early fifties, her face lighting up with a genuine, welcoming smile.
“Welcome to the Dandelion Inn, esteemed guests,” she greeted, her initial surprise at the beauty of the women accompanying the handsome young man quickly replaced with genuine hospitality.
“Esteemed guests, what kind of room would you like to book? Single bed or double bed?” the innkeeper inquired, regaining her composure.
“Two double bed rooms with large beds, please,” Yuan promptly replied.
“That will be one gold coin, 40 silver per room, and 20 silver for the food.”
Yuan retrieved a gold coin from his system storage and placed it on the reception desk, prompting the innkeeper to marvel at how the coin seemed to appear out of thin air.
“Room 13 and 14, here are the keys,” the innkeeper said, taking the gold coin and handing Yuan the keys. She added, “Don’t lose the keys, or you’ll have to pay a fine of 5 gold coins for each key.”
“Are you going to have your meal at the dining area or should I send it directly to your rooms?” she inquired.
“Please send it to our rooms,” Anna replied before Yuan could respond.
“In that case, I’ll deliver your meal to your rooms at dinner time.”
“That would be wonderful,” Anna nodded, turning to Yuan. “Dear, let’s go and take a look at the room. I’m feeling quite tired after the carriage ride.”
“Have a great stay, esteemed guests,” the innkeeper bid them farewell as Yuan and his wives made their way to their rooms.
In a matter of moments, Yuan entered room number 13 along with Xi Meili, his two mothers Anna and Grace, and Emma. Meanwhile, Lily and the Monroe sisters headed to room number 14. Lily, exhausted from handling the carriage for weeks, was eager to rest.
Once inside, Anna settled beside Yuan, having changed into more comfortable attire. She looked at her son and asked, “Dear, what’s your plan for tomorrow?”
Yuan considered for a moment before replying, “I plan to first claim the bounty rewards at the soldier’s camp at the west gate. After that, I intend to register Rose, Julie, and Ava as Hunters. Over the next two or three days, I’ll assist them in increasing their hunter ranks.”
“That’s a thoughtful plan, dear,” Anna remarked. “Having Rose and her sisters as registered hunters will undoubtedly facilitate our travels across kingdoms and entry into cities.”
As they prepared for rest, Yuan noticed the bed wasn’t particularly suited for accommodating four people comfortably. He suggested, “Mom Anna and Mom Grace, how about you two merge once again? This way, we can all sleep together in the same bed.”
“Sure, if that’s what you wish for, darling,” Grace replied playfully, giving a nod to Anna after a quick exchange of glances.
Suddenly, a radiant golden light enveloped Anna and Grace, forming them into spheres of golden light. The two spheres drew nearer and merged, the golden light taking on the shape of a woman.
In mere seconds, the transformation was complete, revealing a stunning woman with a captivating figure. One side of her hair was entirely white, while the other side was jet black.
“How do I look, darling?” his mother asked, her expression mischievous.