A Sudden Introduction
A sudden introduction.
At Fiore's words, the first thing I did was look around.
People who had recognized her were steadily flocking toward us. Master Hunters were figures of envy — the light hunters aspired to, their idols — and the attention they drew was anything but ordinary.
"Fiore, that…"
"I'm sorry for keeping it hidden."
"That's not it."
Look around, I gestured to her.
Fiore, who had been watching me with a solemn expression, swept her gaze over the surroundings — then stared back at me, thoroughly flustered. Clearly she had pulled off her hood to reveal herself to me without a thought for what would follow.
"…Uh, Alice, shall we head back for now?"
"Looks like the sightseeing's over."
"I'm sorry. I acted far too rashly."
Fiore bowed her head to me again and again, then took the lead and walked on with composure — as if she had no intention of dodging any of the trouble she herself had invited.
Just as I expected, she answered every greeting from the people around her one by one, nodding as she went.
"You're Lady Fiore… right?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"Kyaa, I'm a fan!"
"Thank you."
"You're so pretty, sis!"
"You look older than me, though… thank you."
So this is a celebrity's life…?
I had drawn a fair share of eyes myself as the New Light, but next to Fiore I was nothing more than a civilian. Not that I envied her. Living like that looked exhausting.
In fact, a subtle shadow hung over Fiore's professional smile.
Master Hunter… maybe I should think about that a little more…
Before more people could gather, Fiore and I hurried back to the lodging. Fortunately, no one followed us further. They seemed to respect a certain degree of privacy.
"I wore the hood precisely because I expected this, but we've ended up right back where we started."
Fiore said it as she plopped down onto the bed. She tossed off her hood and hung it on the chair by the table. Fending people off one by one had clearly drained her.
I set the bag of bread and vegetables I'd bought outside onto the table. Then I transferred the vegetables into a container, took out the bread, and set it on a plate. From the cupboard I fetched a tub of butter, scooped a thin layer with a butter knife, and spread it generously over the surface of the bread. Finally I took out a cup, lifted the pot of coffee Fiore had made yesterday, and filled it.
"Fiore, here."
"Ah, thank you."
Fiore set the plate on her lap. After taking a whiff of the coffee, she took a bite of the bread and then sipped from her cup. The elegant way she drank suited her perfectly.
I claimed my own share of bread and coffee and spoke.
"Fiore, so you were a Master Hunter."
"…Yes. Well, for my part, Alice, I found it a little surprising that you didn't recognize me. Not that I'm full of myself — but as you just saw, whenever I show my face in public, it's always like this."
Well, of course.
She was beautiful, and on top of that her skills were outstanding — a complete beauty with a kind personality to match. There was nothing to hate about her. Who could dislike Fiore? You'd be lucky if people didn't just get jealous.
"Sorry. I'm not really up on that kind of thing."
"Not at all. I wasn't hoping you'd recognize me. If anything, the fault is mine for hiding it. I suspected you might be a poacher, you see."
"…Hmm."
It's not like I was selling byproducts to anyone, so it shouldn't matter, right?
"Still, I'm glad we were able to get close. The misunderstanding's cleared up too. If I'd revealed I was a Master Hunter from the start and come at you forcefully, we wouldn't have been able to talk this comfortably."
Fiore said it with a touch of self-deprecation. I could say with certainty that she was wrong.
"No, it's fine. And Fiore is Fiore. Even if I'd known you were a Master Hunter, I would've treated you the same."
"……Thank you."
Being a Master Hunter didn't make someone fundamentally different from anyone else. They were just people with more talent for hunting monsters than others. That went for me too. Talent… I wasn't sure about that, but what I had was the result of countless efforts.
I sat down beside Fiore. A faint floral scent rose from the soft bed. It was hers. Was Primavera filled with scents like this?
I glanced at her. She was looking at me with a faintly flushed face.
"Y-you have a way of making people feel warm, Alice."
"Do I?"
I've never particularly felt that way myself.
After holding her gaze for maybe ten seconds, I lowered my eyes and sipped my coffee. A bitter taste lingered thickly in my mouth. To neutralize it, I bit into the bread. The bread was rougher in texture and taste than I'd expected, but with butter spread on it, it was decent enough — a flavor that went well with the coffee.
"The coffee's good."
"It's bean coffee I brought from Primavera. Not the highest quality, but not bad either. I'll treat you to something better when we get to Primavera."
Fiore smiled faintly and set her cup down on the plate.
We sat on the bed and exchanged all sorts of trivial talk — how she'd been surprised the room was cleaner than expected when she first arrived at the lodging, how Antico was so hot she'd holed up inside for three straight days, how she preferred the cold to the heat and liked cold regions better. Idle chatter, but it was clear she was treating me more comfortably than before.
Listening to her, I stretched once and worked my shoulders and neck.
"Are you tired?"
"Nah. Just stiff."
It was always like this when I didn't move my body enough. Stiff and itchy, I guess you'd call it. Did this body want to hunt monsters that badly?
…Ah.
A question suddenly came to mind, and I sat bolt upright. I blinked, sorted my thoughts, then looked at Fiore again.
"Fiore."
"What is it?"
"I heard an Anomaly happened recently."
The story of Hunter Land progressing without me. The thing that had made me feel pressed for time. At its center were the Anomalies.
"What was that about?"
"……Has the rumor already spread this far. Alice, wherever you heard it, information regarding Anomalies is classified."
Classified, she said — but I already knew everything. No: I might know even more than they did.
"I'd like to tell you as well…. But the situation is so unknown and dangerous that information is being controlled. To prevent unnecessary chaos."
"I see."
"Even without being a Master Hunter, hunters selected by the Association can be briefed. But you're still a rookie hunter, Alice. Work like this is left to people like us. Please work hard and become a Master Hunter — surpass even the New Light."
"Mm…"
Fiore's words were gentle and soft. I answered slowly, composing myself.
Well — I was still a rookie of barely a month. Maybe I'd hoped for too much. Still, the fact that Fiore had come to Antico instead of busily exploring Anomalies suggested there was still some leeway.
Anomalies were distortions of time. In other words, Anomalies caused by me. The power of Miteraos, the Time Dragon that had flung me from the future into the past, had weakened, and cracks had formed in time. As a result, ancient and future species had flowed in, the ecosystem had warped, and things had come under the Association's observation as they were now.
Every problem had arisen because of me — more precisely, because of this body — and yet I still couldn't take part. That was frustrating.
"I'll join the Anomaly exploration soon too."
"Then we might get to work together even before you become a Master Hunter."
Fiore smiled brightly.
"The conditions are simple. The Association is currently secretly recruiting mid-tier hunters with at least five years of experience and rank 60 or higher. After that, the Association will review their records and extend invitations."
Rank 60 was still a long way off. But I didn't feel hopeless about it. Rank was something I could force up if I had to. The experience requirement, though — that was the daunting part for me. It meant waiting out the dull passage of years.
"Five years of experience…"
"It would take quite a while, yes. But if a Master Hunter recommends you, wouldn't they overlook the experience requirement?"
"…Fiore!"
I looked at her, moved. At my reaction, Fiore cleared her throat two or three times, then raised a finger.
"That said, I can't simply recommend you as things stand. If something were to happen to you, Alice, the responsibility would fall on me for recommending you. I wouldn't be able to rest easy either. It would mean I'd ruined a fruit that hadn't even ripened yet through my own hasty judgment."
"Then what do I need to do?"
"Hmm…"
Fiore fretted, touching her lips.
"Would you take on a request with me?"
"A request?"
"Sparring with weapons against me wouldn't mean much, would it? We fight large, powerful monsters — not people of similar size."
Fiore was right. Comparing skills against each other held little meaning in this world. Unless dealing with bad people or illegal poachers, a hunter had no reason to turn a blade on another person. Hunters were blades that protected people from monsters and aided their lives.
"So — a request. Watching you fight monsters, I'll get a rough sense of your skill level."
At Fiore's words, I nodded. Whatever else, hunting was my specialty.
…Ah, of course hunting was Fiore's specialty too, as a Master Hunter. Not that I was dismissing her. As a Master Hunter, she was someone who deserved respect.
I'd find out through this opportunity — whether I was suited to be a Master Hunter, or not.