Becoming a Hunter in a Dark Fantasy

Chapter 12: Tutorial – Happy End (1)

[ The Silent Village Massacre Perpetrator “Molga”… Finally Captured!]

[“Slaughter Puppets Made from Corpses”… The Heinous Crimes of Molga Revealed!]

[Clocktower’s Former Master and Defector Molga Says, “Why should I care? I just wish he were dead”… Stirring Yet Another Personality Controversy]

The news of Molga’s arrest spread rapidly and widely through the media.

“They tore off his limbs? Serves him right!”

“Exactly! It’s already hard enough to live in this world… Criminals should suffer even more.”

“So who was it that caught the bastard? Any updates from Bluebird News?”

Every street and tavern buzzed with chatter about the incident.

Since Molga’s crimes were local and sporadic, many hadn’t even heard of him—but…

[It’s been revealed that among Molga’s new victims was a Hunter… The World in Shock!]

One of his victims had been a Hunter!

And what was a Hunter, if not a hero who fought off man-eating monsters?

That’s how the people of LAMPAS saw them.

—Saviors.

And now, such a savior had been murdered!

It was a shocking event that shook people to their core.

Even if the fallen Hunter had been a young man new to the role… a Hunter was still a Hunter.

For a mere criminal to dare strike down one from the heavens—it was an outrage.

“Hey, hey! There’s a new bulletin! The Hunter Association is stepping in!”

The fact that the Hunter Association had directly intervened in this case also played a big part.

The Association usually helped apprehend criminals, but rarely got involved in the administrative procedures afterward. This kind of direct action was extremely unusual.

The ripple effect was enormous.

“Uuuhuhuh… My father’s killer…!”

“I have no regrets anymore.”

“Oh, God of LAMPAS, thank you, thank you!”

From across the four continents and many nations, a wave of delegations arrived in Virga Village.

A total of 279 people—victims who had lost loved ones to Molga.

At the site of Molga’s last crime, and the place of his capture—Virga Village—the bereaved held a detailed public account of Molga’s horrific acts, and the media broadcasted it all at lightning speed.

[He murdered our mother right in front of me and my brother, then carved up her body… I was too scared to move… and I feel so guilty because of it…]

[Screaming ‘Mama, Mama, help me!’—I still hear my daughter’s cries. She called for me… and I wasn’t there. I should’ve been the one to die!]

[My beloved tried to kill me. I fled in betrayal and fury, but later… I learned that wasn’t my beloved. She was already dead by then… And I didn’t even know…]

People heard these stories—and were deeply moved.

“Oh no… I think I’m going to cry…”

“I can’t even imagine what the families must be feeling. Stay strong, everyone.”

“Officers, please! Deliver proper punishment to that monster!”

As public attention grew, the investigation became increasingly meticulous.

But one question still remained unresolved…

“So who the hell actually caught Molga?!”

The identity of the person who had taken him down was still unclear.

***

Above the clouds, drifting smoothly through the sky, atop an airship—

“Wow, it’s chaos out there. Absolute chaos!”

Gale, leaning lazily against the railing, whistled as he read the day’s paper.

[“Did They Ascend to the Sky, or Vanish into the Earth?”… The Hero’s Identity Remains a Mystery]

That headline took up the front page.

That’s right! It was referring to the incident from a few days ago—where Gale and the others had taken part!

“Heheheh! Who would’ve imagined the ones who caught Molga really did ascend into the sky! …Oww!”

At that moment, the giant bluebird quietly perched beside Gale couldn’t hold back anymore—it furiously pecked his head.

Chirp!

It spread its large wings in protest, letting out a grumbling cry.

This bluebird was curiously wearing a baker-boy hat and carrying a bag stuffed with newspapers.

Because it was, in fact, a newspaper delivery bird from the world-renowned Nuntiuth News.

Nicknamed the “Delivery Bird,” this magical creature could warp long distances and possessed incredibly high intelligence.

It could even recognize currency and distinguish between proper customers and cheapskate delinquents.

Cheep!

With an aggressive spread of its wings, the bird began pecking Gale’s head repeatedly.

“Ow ow ow—! I said it hurts! IT HURTS! You little feathery demon! I’ll roast you for dinner—AAACK!”

Peck peck peck peck!

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry, okay?! It was just a joke! I was going to pay! I swear I was!”

Defeated, Gale fumbled through his clothes.

“Alright, alright, I’ll pay! See? I’m getting the money—wait, huh?”

When he finally pulled out his wallet… there were no bills, no coins—nothing but air.

Not a single coin. Not even dust.

For a moment, both Gale and the bird fell into stunned silence.

“H-Huh? That’s weird… I swear I put money in here. Haha…”

As the bird’s eyes narrowed sharply and Gale tried to avoid its gaze while breaking into a cold sweat…

His savior appeared.

“I’ll cover it.”

It was Jaigo, stepping out from the cabin.

“How much is it? Still 3 Sycles?”

The bird’s eyes instantly softened as Jaigo handed over the coin.

It chirped sweetly and nuzzled its beak against Jaigo’s finger.

Chirp!

“Haha, yeah, yeah. Thanks for the good news, as always. Fly safe now.”

Before leaving, the bird shot one last glare at Gale, then vanished without a trace.

Had the bird been human, it probably would’ve muttered something like, “Ugh… Even birds avoid beggars. Ptooey!”

“Agh, my poor head. That damn bird’s temper…”

Gale groaned as he tried to fix his hair.

“Haha! That’s why you should carry some cash. The delivery bird’s just doing its job, you know.”

“Ugh. I thought I had some. Wonder when I spent it all…”

Jaigo no longer spoke to Gale with formal politeness.

He had realized he’d been mistaken about Gale’s identity.

Flick.

“Want a smoke?”

“Sure, thanks.”

The two stood in silence, quietly smoking. It was a comfortable kind of silence.

Hoooo.

Suddenly, Gale exhaled a long plume of smoke. The white wisps rode the wind skyward.

His eyes followed the trail before widening slightly.

“…Ah, the sun’s setting already.”

The world was bathed in crimson.

The twilight sky and reddish clouds created a mystical, enchanting scene.

It was breathtakingly beautiful.

In LAMPAS, sunset was usually a thing to be feared.

When the sun set, night fell. And when night came… there was no telling when a demonbeast might attack.

“Tch. Disgustingly beautiful.”

But up here on the airship, the sunset was just… beautiful.

—So unreal, it almost felt like a dream.

Even after spending days aboard the airship, he still hadn’t gotten used to it.

This surreal view, or the strange sensation of floating so high above.

“Why the hell am I in a place like this…?”

Riding an airship—a luxury even royalty or high nobility couldn’t easily afford.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

Jaigo exhaled smoke and smiled.

“Seems the man took quite a liking to you. You’ve used up all your life’s luck. You should be grateful.”

Gale snorted.

“Can’t say I care for the attention of a gloomy dude. Want it instead, Hunter man?”

“Kekeke! I’d love to, if I could! It’d be the greatest honor of my life!”

Even with Gale’s sarcastic jab, Jaigo chuckled it off.

“So who the hell is he, anyway? Come on, spill it already.”

“Hmm… He hasn’t said anything yet, and I wouldn’t dare spoil the surprise. But I think he’ll tell you soon enough. Just wait a little longer.”

Jaigo emptied his cigarette into a portable ashtray.

“You’ve figured it out already, haven’t you?”

“…”

Yeah.

…There was only one possibility.

Gale wasn’t stupid enough to miss something so obvious.

An overwhelmingly strong youth with transcendent skills.

Someone who could freely hand out precious artifacts, and owned an airship even royalty couldn’t dream of.

Not to mention, a person powerful enough to move the entire Hunter Association.

There was only one kind of person who fit all those criteria:

—The Sky Beyond the Sky, a Special-Class Hunter.

The identities of four such Hunters were already publicly known—names and appearances alike.

Which left only one possibility:

The Fifth Special-Class Hunter.

Gale let out another deep sigh.

“Damn it. I really thought he was just some old geezer…”

“Hmm? What was that?”

“…Nah, never mind. Just something on my end. Nothing important.”

“I see.”

Whoooosh…

A cold gust of wind swept past the two of them. Night was fast approaching.

Jaigo asked,

“So, when did he say he wanted to talk? I couldn’t help overhearing earlier… Something about a contract, discussing it together?”

Gale glanced at him.

Usually, mercenaries kept client info confidential—but since nothing had been formally accepted yet…

And Jaigo, who seemed like a zealot anyway, probably wasn’t a risk.

“Tomorrow.”

If Elwin had wanted to keep it from Jaigo, he would’ve made sure Jaigo never overheard in the first place.

The fact that he had? That meant Elwin had allowed it.

“Said he’s got a job for me or something.”

“That’s soon. Have you made up your mind?”

“…Not sure. I don’t know yet.”

Gale’s evasive answer earned a silent nod from Jaigo.

“Normally, I’d browbeat and pressure you into saying yes.”

“…Weren’t you a Hunter? Not some back-alley thug?!”

Gale recoiled, and Jaigo sheepishly replied,

“To us Hunters, he’s a godlike figure. We’d do anything he asked. Not just me—all of us feel that way.”

But his next words were different.

“…Still, just this once—I want to be on your side.”

“Huh? Why? I’ve got nothing. I’m just a poor mercenary, so…”

Gale was about to joke—then his eyes widened.

“…Thanks.”

Jaigo was kneeling.

Bowing deeply—

Toward Gale.