THE MASTER HUNTER’S LICENSE

THE MASTER HUNTER'S LICENSE

"Master Hunter Boris's five-year hunting license is due to expire today, and we ask for a resolution to renew it", a member of the Strout family proposed to the governor and the councilors in the Town Hall.

This was a routine meeting in the Town Hall for the renewal of hunting licenses and in the history of this town, there was never a situation where the renewal would be refused. Except perhaps today.

"I would like to apply for the hunting license, I'm a licensed hunter in Slowan village", Caelum suddenly stood up among those in the Town Hall and informed the governor who was surprised by him as the entire town council rose up in arguments and gossip.

"Who is this village hunter doing here asking for our Hunter's license?" Kedrix Strout asked.

"Master Hunter Caelum is sponsored by our Noten family", Amelia rose suddenly to speak to the Town Hall.

"The Hunter's licenses are usually the monopolies of the Strout family, why is the Noten family suddenly interested in the license?" Governo Strong asked Amelia.

"Well, it's time for some new blood and competition and we would increase the license fee from ten million silver to fifteen million, competition is good for the town's offers don't you think", Amelia replied to the governor.

Governor Strong listened to Amelia's argument, and he agreed with her in his mind. Monopolies were no good for the income of the town because without competition, it was impossible to raise the fees of licenses in the town.

"This is against the tradition of Antenne town", Boris argued with the governor strongly.

"Amelia does have a point, the hunting license fees of the town hasn't seen a rise in years despite the rise in the prices of hunted animals in the market", Governor Strong told him.

"We'll increase the license to fifteen million silvers then, if it's all about money", Boris replied to the governor.

"Twenty million silvers", Amelia offered to top up more.

Boris was about to up the offer again before another family member of the Strout stopped him.

"Think again, how many licenses do we have, if we increase the price of all our licenses how much would it cost?" Kedrix Strout asked Boris before facing Amelia.

"Perhaps we can solve this in another way instead of engaging in a bidding war", he spoke to Amelia.

"What do you propose?" Amelia asked Kedrix.

"As with the traditions of Antenne Town, we settle this in a duel", the Strout family patriarch suggested.

The Noten family was rich and influential in Antenne but they had few powerful Templar Knights, so the Strout family was confident of defeating the Noten family in a duel. Dueling the Strout family was the last thing that the Noten family would want to do.

"Does the Town Hall agree to this resolution then, a duel?" Amelia asked the governor to the surprise of Kedrix and his hunters.

"If both contenders decide it then we settle the matter of Master Hunter Boris' hunting license in a public duel", Governor Strong proclaimed, before he added, "though the hunting fee for the license will be revised upwards no matter who wins".

"I have a condition though, the dueling champion should not be higher than a Mercury Tier Templar", Amelia proposed to the governor.

"Huh, or course, that's the highest leveled Templar the Noten family could come out with, hahaha", Boris laughed out loud followed by the people in the Town Hall.

"Agreed", Kedix Stout agreed to the duel.

In the mind of the Strout family, even if the Noten family could field a top leveled Mercury tiered templar, they would lose to the Strout family's templar who were much better trained. 

The Noten family was never famed for the combat prowess of their templars.

-----

"Our family's champion is Master Hunter Boris who is a Mercury Level 10", the Strout family member announced to the Town council.

A temporary dueling arena was set up for the fight for the hunting license.

Then suddenly from behind Amelia's team, a boy walked out, addressed the referee and said, "I'm Orion, Noten's duelling champion, Mercury Tier 1".

The Strout family laughed out loud again at the sight of me. Even the witnesses and audiences in the Hall joined in the laughter while the governor looked on with amusement.

"Does the Noten family have no one else but to send a boy and a not particularly strong one to a duel? hahaha", Boris asked the people in the Hall as he laughed non-stop at the Noten's choice of a champion.

"Dear sir, please be kind to me, I'm still a boy", I told Boris as he laughed out loud again.

"Isn't he the Young Mages Competition Champion a year ago?" Governor Strong asked his advisors.

"Yes, he is the one. Amelia of the Noten family recommended him for the competition, the first time the Noten family nominated someone", the councilor replied to him.

"Things are going to change in this town, and it all started with this boy", Governor Strong told his advisor.

-----

"Duel begins"

When Boris was done laughing it was time to fight. 

Boris wasn't merely a student in Magic School or a young kid like most of my challengers before, so he was different and far more difficult to deal with. He was a professional hunter and would obviously have some powerful weapons and armor, even deadly ones. 

Boris was also a peak Mercury-tiered Templar who was just short of a step into Venus Tier, so he was a strong fighter and under normal circumstances, it was impossible for someone at my level of templar proficiency to defeat him. 

So, this wasn't a walk in the park for me.

"I'll give you three free punches since you are a boy, as a handicap, hahaha", Boris said to me while laughing.

"Thank you very much sir, I hope I don't break my hands", I told Boris as he laughed even louder.

I quickly walked toward him to throw my punch while he continued laughing.