Lisa looked at Tyler's confused face and said, "Three. She's three years old. Why did you ask?"

  "You become an F-rank when you reach level 10, right?" Tyler asked.

  "Yes," Lisa answered.

  "Well... it's just, Heather has reached level nine." Lisa's eyes widened in surprise. "Level nine? Why do you say that? She can't be level nine" she asked, a concerned expression on her face.

  "Oh, you might not know this, but I have the Uncover skill, and I can read people's levels. Your level is... 141!?" Tyler exclaimed, his voice laced with surprise. "What's going on? How are you this high level?"

  Lisa sat down, holding Heather. Heather, in Lisa's arms, began chewing on the fabric of Lisa's shirt. Heather's low, unintelligible babbling was the only sound.

  Lisa sighed, covering her mouth. "I didn't think anyone would see through the spell. I just… I can't tell you about it yet."

  Tyler knelt in front of them. "You can tell me anything. I'm willing to help, no matter what the problem is."

  Lisa hesitated. "No, I can't! I don't really know you!! You're just a young man my husband brought to our house. He told me he was helping you get on your feet until you could take your own steps, but you started living here and—" She stopped, realizing she was about to say something hurtful. "Oh, I'm sorry," she whispered, looking down at Heather.

  Tyler, surprised at first, softened his expression. "Don't worry about it," he said quietly, standing up.

  "I'm sorry, it's just that I can't share this with you at the moment. So please forget about the other things I've said," Lisa said.

  Tyler nodded, a small, strained smile touching his lips. "I'm gonna go outside for a bit," he said, heading for the door. He opened it and stepped out, the fresh air doing little to calm the turmoil in his mind. *Stupid, stupid, stupid. How could I forget something like that? I just started living here and started leeching off them again, didn't I? And I promised I would repay Grone for helping me get on my feet, just like she said.*

  He clenched his fists, frustration building. *But what am I doing? I'm just living in their house, eating their food, but right now I have the money to buy my own. It's almost like I forgot who I am and became part of their little family. Was it that much of a burden that it became second nature?* He released his grip, a slow exhale escaping his lips. *That's right. I don't know anyone here. I came here by myself. He helped me become a hunter and reach this level, and that's enough. From now on, I can rise up on my own. I need to become fully independent—something I haven't done even once in my life. That's right. She didn't mean to hurt my feelings, but in a way, she just helped me remember.*

  Lost in thought, he didn't notice Grone approaching until the man spoke. He recognized the familiar eye patch and short black hair. Grone entered the yard and said, "I'm back." Tyler noticed that Grone's voice sounded a lot like Hector's.

  "What's wrong?" Grone asked, noticing Tyler's troubled expression.

  Tyler forced a smile. "Oh, no, no, it's nothing. I was just thinking of something, but it's not that important. Anyways, you wanted me to show you my skills, right?"

  "Yeah, yes, of course," Grone replied. "Let me just see Lisa and Heather first, and then we can go."

  "Yeah, right," Tyler said, letting Grone enter the house while he remained outside. He checked his inventory, considering crafting options. He had enough copper for daggers and a surplus of other materials. Suddenly, he remembered something. "Oh, I totally forgot about the potions! I want to make a lot of potions and drink them to increase my HP. Oh, and I want to show them to Grone so I can hear what he thinks about them. I wonder if people know about potions in this world," he mused.

  Meanwhile, inside, Grone met Heather. Lisa, seeing Grone, said, "Oh honey, you're back. How was your hunt?"

  "It was alright," Grone replied. "I managed to take down some monsters from the quest, but I decided to just come back earlier to help Tyler with something. So I'm about to leave again. How is Heather?"

  "Oh, she's fine as usual," Lisa said. "She's been sleeping a lot today."

  "Aren't you going to eat first before you go?" Lisa asked.

  Grone chuckled. "I know, I already ate before I came here. I'll eat once I come back," he said.

  "Oh, really?" Lisa said. "Oh, I forgot to tell you something. Tyler brought some lucky meat with him today."

  "What?" Grone said, surprised.

  "Yes, I was quite surprised too," Lisa replied. "I wonder how he got it. Anyways, I'm just happy about it. I don't know if he bought it or caught it himself."

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  "He probably bought it," Grone said. "I mean, that meat itself is expensive. Plus, it's pretty rare to see someone selling it. If someone *did* sell it, they would make it expensive. This is the type of animal that's eaten by nobles."

  Lisa looked at Grone and said, "Yeah," then rested her face in her hand, her elbow on the table. "I wonder when was the last time we shared those kinds of meals together."

  Grone smiled. "It was a pretty long time ago. Too bad, we can't afford those meals now. I guess we could be thankful to Tyler. Speaking of which, I guess I have to go now. I don't want to keep him waiting."

  "Yes, you're starting to depart," Lisa said. "Don't take too long, okay?"

  "Don't worry, we'll be back before you know it," Grone said, closing the door behind him as he went outside. He looked at Tyler and said, "All right, let's go."

  Tyler nodded. "All right," he said, and started to walk beside Grone, heading for the marketplace.

  "Lisa tells me you caught some lurker meat," Grone said.

  "Yeah, I did," Tyler replied.

  "How did you do that? And where did you find one?" Grone asked, intrigued.

  "When I was crossing the river, I got attacked," Tyler explained. "I fought it underwater, and luckily I was able to win."

  "Really?" Grone said, surprised. "You were able to fight a sea beast monster underwater and survive? Kid, how strong have you gotten?"

  "Oh, I'm pretty sure I was just lucky," Tyler said modestly. "It's probably because of one of my skills. If I didn't use it, I could have drowned, or it could have eaten me. All I know is it was all because of luck."

  "I don't think so," Grone countered. "I told you, when you fight something strong and get out of it alive, it's not because of luck; it's because of… it just shows how far you've come. Just like how you defeated that shadow walker. I need to hear that story. Tell me how you defeated it."

  "Oh, okay," Tyler said, and as they walked through the marketplace, he recounted the story of how he and Rebecca had defeated the shadow walker.

  Meanwhile, at the Guildhall, Bernardo nervously chewed his fingernails and tapped the heels of his boots against the floor. *What the hell am I going to do now?* he thought. *If I don't pay those bastards tomorrow, they're going to kill me. Even if I try running away, those fucking bastards will track me down.* He overheard a hunter at the next table speaking.

  "I can't believe that bastard did that to me," Steven spat, slamming his fist on the table. Gary smirked from across the table. "Did he piss you off that much?"

  "You have no idea," Steven said, his voice tight. Gary leaned in, steepling his fingers. "Did you really kneel? It's hard to believe."

  "Are you kidding me? I don't even know what happened," Steven said, his voice rising. "I wanted to fight, but he had… a different aura. We're both E-Ranks, but it felt like I was facing someone much higher. That's what pisses me off. I felt like a coward, begging for my life."

  Gary slapped him. "Why did you—" Steven started, only to receive another slap, this time to his left cheek. Some in the guild hall glanced their way; others ignored them. Bernardo, at a nearby table, watched in surprise.

  "I don't have a weak brother," Gary said, his voice low and hard. "Remember when you wanted to become a hunter? I told you to wait for me, didn't I?"

  "I'm sorry, big brother, but—" Steven began, but Gary raised a hand, and Steven flinched, raising his hands defensively.

  Gary sighed, dropping his hand. "What the hell's his name?"

  Steven blinked. "What?"

  "Are you freaking kidding me? You're telling me about this hunter, and you don't even know his name?" Steven shook his head. "No, I know his name. It's… what was it again? Yeah, Tyler. I got his name because he was wearing different armor. Seemed like an assassin hunter. Some kind of blue, long armor, almost like a robe. I don't know what it's called, but the kind you see high-level assassin hunters wearing. And he was fast."

  Bernardo's heart quickened. *Are they talking about that hunter?* he thought.

  "Blue armor, huh? What else was he wearing?" Gary asked.

  "Ah, leather pants and… an old shirt underneath," Steven said. "His shoes were… unusual. Short, black hair, too."

  "You said all this happened at night, too?" Gary asked.

  "Yes," Steven replied. "I think he's an assassin hunter. His speed… he was really fast."

  "Or maybe he's a false ranker," Gary mused.

  "A false ranker?" Steven frowned. "I don't think anyone would want to be an E-rank false ranker. Why would they do that?"

  "Who knows," Gary shrugged. "Anyways, even if he is a false ranker, I'm definitely gonna kill him."

  "Oh, really? Thank you, big brother. I didn't think I…" Steven began, but Gary cut him off.

  "Don't think I'm letting you off the hook that easily," Gary said. "You're going to land the final blow."

  "What?" Steven asked.

  "Yes," Gary said. "If you kill this hunter, you'll level up easily, won't you? You'll skip a lot of levels. Remember when you said you needed help getting stronger? Well, I'm planning on doing that now. This feels like the right time. I don't want to bring shame upon our family. So, Father forcefully told me to help you out. It's probably because a brat like you told him I refused to help you level up, isn't it?"

  "Yes," Steven admitted. "I knew that was the only way to make you do it."

  Gary raised his hand. "What? You want me to hit you again?"

  Steven lifted his hands defensively. "Oh, I'm sorry," he mumbled, closing his eyes.

  "Oh man, you're a freaking coward, aren't you?" Gary said, but his tone lacked real anger.

  Steven lowered his hands. "I'm not. It's just that you're my brother, and you're very strong, so…"

  Bernardo interrupted. "Excuse me, but I think I heard you two talking about someone I'm looking for."

  Gary frowned. "Huh? What the hell do you want?"

  "I heard you talking about a hunter who was wearing blue-colored armor, E-Rank, and moves very fast," Bernardo said. "I'm looking for that person, and what I heard in your conversation fits the description."

  "So, you were just eavesdropping," Steven said.

  "I'm sorry, I just couldn't help but overhear," Bernardo replied.

  "Why are you looking for this person?" Gary asked.

  "This person stole something from me," Bernardo said. "They stole gold from me."

  "How much?" Gary asked.

  "Yeah, how much?" Steven asked, a grin spreading across his face.

  Gary glared at Steven, and the grin instantly vanished, replaced by a look of fear.

  "Forty gold coins," Bernardo answered.

  "Whoa! Forty gold coins?" Gary exclaimed. "That's a lot. Why were you just carrying forty gold coins around?"

  "I was going to buy something worth that much, but he stole it from me," Bernardo explained. "So, I have a proposition for you guys. What if I help you?"

  "Help us?" Steven scoffed. "We don't need any help from a freaking stranger."

  Gary shot Steven an annoyed look. "Why do you think we need your help?" Gary said. " As you said, he might be a false ranker. I mean, I was surprised he was so fast, and I'm at E-rank level. But that young man was way faster—unbelievably fast. So, he might be faking his rank to make people think he's weak, so he can take you by surprise." Gary looked from Bernardo to Steven. "Do you really think he's as fast as me, Steve?"

  "No, not really," Steven said. "Well, slightly, I think. I mean, I don't know how strong you've grown, so…"

  "Well then, this is getting interesting. Alright, we'll let you join us. We'll go to the crossroads base. That's where you say he was, right?" Gary said.

  "Yes, he was there," Steven replied. "But what if we don't find him?"

  "We might just find him," Gary said. "If he's pretending to be an E-Rank, then we might really find him."

  "Alright then, I guess he's joining us?" Steven said.

  Gary folded his arms. "Alright. Don't let us down, old man."

  Bernardo thought, *Yes, I may have a way with this. And if everything works in my favor, I might be able to even take care of these two.*

  Meanwhile, in the wagon, Grone chuckled. "I don't believe it. You actually took all the spoils?"

  "Yeah," Tyler said. "She had to pay for what she did to us back then, didn't she?"

  Grone chuckled again. "Yeah, that's definitely right. I would have done the same thing. You've actually managed to make me laugh this hard. Anyways, it seems like we're getting close."

  "Hey, we're stopping here," Grone said.

  "Really? Alright," the wagon driver said, pulling the horses to a stop.

  Grone and Tyler paid the driver and walked off toward the training grounds in the vast green plains. They arrived at their usual spot. Grone stopped. "Wait a minute… what happened to the tree?"

  Tyler stared at the fallen, square, box-shaped leaf tree. He scratched his head. "Yeah, I did that."

  "When? And how?" Grone asked.

  "I came here training by myself, right?" Tyler said. "When I crafted the bashing hammer, I used its scale, and it broke the tree."

  "Wait," Grone said, "you once crafted a hammer?"

  "Yes, I can do that." Tyler replied.

  "Alright," Grone said as he walked away, until they were only a few feet apart. He unsheathed his blade, pointing it at Tyler with a grin. "I want to see those skills of yours."