Perhaps Maki and Master Utsushi's special training had been so harsh that it triggered a stress response in Nymera. Whatever the reason, when she left Kamura Village this time, she showed none of the melancholy or reluctance of her previous departure, nor did she compose a haiku to express her feelings.
She chased after Hibiki and hopped aboard the Airship, looking quite cheerful as she turned back to wave goodbye to the crowd seeing them off.
Altaïr, on the other hand, was a little reluctant to leave.
Kamura Village was home to countless powerful people. Maki, Ayame, Master Utsushi, and even Guild Master Hojo and Fugen, both long retired from active hunting, were formidable seniors well worth consulting.
If Altaïr could remain in Kamura Village for a few more months and seek guidance from each of them in turn, he would surely learn a great deal.
Unfortunately, the group had already stayed in Kamura Village for quite some time.
High Rank Hunters did not enjoy the same freedom as Low Rank Hunters; the Guild assigned them quests periodically.
Morgan was still within the grace period following his promotion to High Rank. Nymera was fine as well, since her registered base of operations was Kamura Village and she could remain there indefinitely.
Altaïr and Isis, however, were registered with Hunter's Guild headquarters in Dundorma. Barring special circumstances, they had to return and report to headquarters at regular intervals.
Altaïr had originally planned to take everyone to soak in the hot springs at Yukumo Village once the quest was over, but there was no longer time for that either.
Fortunately, the trip to Kamura had been highly rewarding, so there was little to regret.
After once more expressing their thanks and saying heartfelt goodbyes to everyone in Kamura Village, the Airship rose into the sky. Following several days of smooth flight, the group returned to Dundorma.
—--
It was midsummer in Dundorma, and the blazing sun made the city sweltering.
Altaïr and Isis first went home to drop off their luggage, then rejoined their companions and headed for the People's Tavern inside Hunter's Guild headquarters. They needed to settle their quests, file their reports, and rent a small room for Nymera.
Like Morgan, Nymera flatly refused to stay at Isis's home, even though there were still rooms to spare.
When the group pushed open the doors and entered the Guild Hall, Altaïr sensed something "peculiar."
The People's Tavern was as noisy and crowded as ever, but as Altaïr made his way through the dense throng, he distinctly felt more than one intent gaze settle on him.
Altaïr sighed inwardly. Was his new armor really that conspicuous?
He had flatly rejected Hibasa's proposal to add decorative wings and dye the armor to make it "flashier."
He had retained the armor's original colors and asked Hibasa to turn the Gore Magala wing membranes meant for the wings into a cape, a pitch-black cloak with a metallic sheen.
That had only taken the Chaotic armor's appearance from "eye-searing" to merely "eye-catching."
The matte-black armor reflected no light. From the gaps between its plates, platinum and purplish-red glimmers pulsed slowly like breaths.
Even if nobody in the Guild Hall could identify the Monster materials used to craft the set, its silhouette alone made clear that the Monster the armor represented was no ordinary foe.
What Altaïr had not expected was that this was far from the only reason everyone was staring at him...
Altaïr did his best to ignore the strange looks and approached the Quest Counter.
The quest settlement went smoothly; the report had been submitted nearly a month ago, so this was merely a formality.
The Guild Manager personally stamped each of the four Hunter's Notes with the "Quest Complete" seal. After returning them, the elderly Wyverian looked Altaïr up and down, then chuckled and teased, "New equipment, huh? Looks like you've already heard your nickname. The armor's silhouette is moving in that direction too, isn't it?"
Altaïr was taken aback.
For once, Isis reacted faster than he did and blurted out, "Altaïr has a title? What is it? What is it?"
"I wouldn't call it a title yet. It's only chatter in certain circles, something that began spreading after the last Arena Challenge."
The Guild Manager smiled. "Every match you fought back then ended in a bloody mess, didn't it? Someone recognized the Devouring Demon Hunter Art you were using and muttered about it. The people nearby overheard, and some of them began calling you the 'Demon Blade.'"
Altaïr had no reply.
"The 'Demon Blade,' huh... It sounds a little strange," Isis said, rubbing her chin as though she were dissatisfied with the nickname on Altaïr's behalf.
"You weren't the only one. Some people also thought 'Demon Blade' didn't roll off the tongue. Then someone pointed out that 'Rakshasa,' part of the technique's Shiki name, roughly means 'devil' in the common tongue. That prompted another suggestion. Why not just call him 'Devil'?
"Later, others decided that 'Devil' lacked a certain... gravitas, so another suggestion followed. How about 'Demon King'? That was the nickname that eventually spread through a small circle.
"You may not be renowned enough yet to bear a nickname like that and turn it into a title in the truest sense. But someday..."
"..."
"Please, wait a moment."
Altaïr did not care much about nicknames, but he had noticed that the Guild Manager kept referring to what "someone" thought. Nicknames were usually like rumors; tracing their exact origin was difficult.
Why, then, was the chain of events so perfectly clear this time? It almost felt as though someone had deliberately set him up.
"Who exactly is this 'someone' you keep mentioning?" Altaïr asked warily.
"Miss Sterling," the Guild Manager replied with a chuckle. "This old man has seen her in the People's Tavern more than once, actively promoting 'Demon King' as your nickname."
Altaïr fell silent again.
"..."
Though the Guild Manager had mentioned only her surname, Altaïr knew he meant Senior Francesca. If he had meant Lady Gael, he would have simply called her Gael or Lady Sterling.
Altaïr let out a heavy sigh.
With Senior Francesca behind it, Altaïr was not surprised at all. She loved stirring things up. He would let her have her fun.
Demon Blade, Devil, Demon King... Apparently, he was not destined to receive a nickname with any positive connotations.
"All right, enough joking. Your return happens to be well timed. There is a serious matter to discuss." The Guild Manager's expression turned stern. "About ten days ago, a mysterious Monster attacked in Metapetatto Bay. A fishing village and every resident vanished without a trace overnight.
"Guild leadership is treating the incident with the utmost seriousness and sent an elite force to investigate immediately.
"A proposal was also made to send a team of scholars alongside the Hunters, forming an investigation team that could identify the attacker and locate it as quickly as possible.
"The Royal Academy's Knowledge Seeker set sail two days ago for Metapetatto to assist with the investigation."
"So the Guild is sending us to follow up?" Altaïr asked, seeking confirmation.
"The Guild has already assigned two High Rank Hunters to the preliminary investigation. I'm telling you this not because of a Guild directive, but because Miss Sterling asked this old man to pass on a message.
"She has gone ahead with the Knowledge Seeker. If you're free after returning, she hopes you can join the investigation and help. She will compensate you through a Royal Academy commission."
"What's the Guild's stance on this?" Altaïr pressed.
Deploying four High Rank Hunters together was no small matter; the Guild would certainly take notice. The Guild Manager's willingness to pass along the message meant the Guild was at least not opposed, but it was still best to confirm.
The Guild Manager gave Altaïr an approving nod. "The Guild supports it, of course. Only two High Rank Hunters were assigned to the initial investigation because headquarters had to use its personnel efficiently. We hardly have people to spare, and the original plan was to send reinforcements once the investigation progressed further.
"If the four of you are willing to go, that settles the reinforcement issue in one stroke.
"I seem to recall that you've worked with the Knowledge Seeker team before. Your cooperation should make the operation run more smoothly, so the Guild has no reason to object."
"What do you all think?" Altaïr turned to ask his companions.
"Of course I'm going!" Isis nodded emphatically.
"I have no objections."
"Nor do I."
* * *
This chapter was translated through YourTL.app, which can also translate novels for readers when no English version exists.