Chapter 4

Hey guys! Chirith here and I am back with a new chapter of the hunt is eternal.

It has been a couple of days and both Aela and Ren had now returned to the surface.

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Inside the home of the companions of Ysgramor, Jorravaskr, the hunters or Hircine found themselves with a hearty meal. Several of them, namely Torvar and old Vignar were already red from the number of drinks they had. Aela, with a tankard in hand, laughed loudly while Ren covered his face.

"So Nine Hells comes and saves our little whelp here and he's like 'You're pretty good!'" Said the red-haired werewolf. "He even had a blush and that crazy grin on like she was his next prey!"

Ignoring the laughter of his shield siblings, the young man buried his burning face deeper into his hands. Sadly, it got even more embarrassing when Kodlak let out a soft chuckle. Even old Tilma!

"Not bad, Nine Hells is one of the best first-class adventurers in Orario. Hunting her would be a worthwhile and fruitful endeavor." The calm voice of Hircine entered the ears of the companions. "Although, it would not be an easy hunt."

"Well, brother! Our lord has deemed her a worthy quarry!" Vilkas said, standing up with a shit-eating grin. "To our brother and his endeavor for the high elf, Nine Hells!"

"Fuck you, Vil!" Whispered Ren as he took a tankard full of mead, downing it in one go.

"So that's why you spoil the daughter, hoping she would call you father?" Asked Aela with a grin. Meanwhile, Torvar stood up and reenacted the time when the sword princess went to the mead hall, dragging Athis with him.

"Oh, can you give me some money, father," Torvar said, trying his best to sound like a little girl,

"Why not just let me treat you to some food." Athis, the dark elf, continued with a shit-eating grin, confidently walking towards Torvar, copying the way Ren walked with a hand on his pockets.

"Oh, that would be lovely father!" Torvar said as he kept his grin on, enjoying how the whelp of the companions wilted more and more. "But it would be lovely if mother was here."

"You should take her with us, so we can be one big family," Athis said with a grin that made everyone laugh except-

"THAT'S NOT WHAT HAPPENED!" Ren shouted, face burning as he glared at Torvar and Athis. This only made everyone laugh even more and had Torvar roll on the floor while laughing.

"Peace, brother." Farkas, the blunter of the twins cut in. Ren immediately gave him a look of thanks. "We are just letting you know that we approve of your decision to try and court Nine Hells."

The young man wilted even more and found his head hitting the table, repeating the words 'even you,' over and over.

"But, in all seriousness." Standing up, Aela the Huntress raised her tankard towards Ren. "This whelp has proven himself by helping slay an infant dragon that transformed into a black adolescent dragon."

Her words made almost every member of the companions cheer and congratulate Ren. All except Kodlak and Skjor, who both looked at each other with frowns on their faces. They looked at Hircine who nodded at them.

The Harbinger of the companions stood up and raised his tankard of mead. As soon as he did, all members of the companions looked at him with utmost attention from Torvar's flushed red face, Ren's embarrassed yet proud smile, and Skjor's blank and grim look.

"Brothers and Sisters of the Circle, today we welcome a new soul into our mortal fold. This man/woman has endured, has challenged, and has showed his valor. Who will speak for him/her?" His words were clear and powerful, echoing throughout the mead hall.

The members of the companions looked at each other until Aela stood up.

"I stand witness for the courage of the soul before us." The red-haired werewolf said seriously, looking at Ren with a proud smile.

"Would you raise your shield in his defense?" Kodlak asked once more as Farkas and Vilkas both stood up at the same time.

"I would stand at his/her back, that the world might never overtake us." The twins said at the same time as they raised their tankards at the whelp.

"And would you raise your sword in his/her honor?" Kodlal asked as Athis, Torvar, and Njada stood up to raise their tankards at him.

"It stands ready to meet the blood of his/her foes." The three older people said sincerely as they smiled at him.

"And would you raise a mug in his name?" Kodlak saw the veterans stand up from their seats.

"I would lead the song in triumph as our mead hall reveled in his stories." Vignar, Skjor, Eorlund, and Tilma answered at the same time, raising their mead tankards at the no embarrassed young man.

"Then this judgment of companions is complete. His heart beats with fury and courage that have united the Companions since the days of the distant green summers. Let it beat with ours, so the mountains may echo and our enemies may tremble at the call." Kodlak said as he raised his mead with Aela.

"It shall be so." All members of the companions, including their leader, Hircine, said at the same time.

Too overwhelmed by what was happening, the young man from another world felt a sting in his eyes as several warm streaks fell from his face.

"Hey," Aela's gentle voice entered the young man's ears.

"Aw, He's crying..." Teased Torvar as he rushed over and carried the boy over his shoulders.

"I just have dirt in my eyes!" Replied the young man as he wiped his eyes, causing everyone to smile or chuckle at him. "SHUT UP! STOP THAT! IT'S MY PARTY SO LET'S GET DRUNK!" His words made everyone cheer and the party continued once more.

Kodlak entered Hircine's quarters followed by Skjor and Eorlund. The old men of the companions entered the under forge, a site found under the skyforge by the mead hall.

"Kodlak, Skjor, Eorlund." Greeted Hircine as he remove his deer mask, revealing his face to the oldest members of the companions.

"Milord." Kodlak greeted, "I have decided to take most of the companions for the wild hunt." Kodlak said, earning him a look from both Skjor and Eorlund. "I will be going after them once I have finished with the contract we received from Alf's royal forest."

"Very well, it has been almost fourteen years since Zeus and Hera left Orario. I do not know if these things are just mere coincidences, however, I have a feeling that something big will happen soon." The leader of the companions said as he looked at the bow on the weapons rack. "Sheogorath probably knows what will happen, after all, he was the one that told me to look after the kid."

Kodlak said nothing as he thought about the young man that was now a part of their family. Before joining the companions half a year ago, Ren had joined a certain organization to get by and he had done remarkably well. In Fact, he was scouted by a certain someone to add to the small family as a testament to his skills.

Scoffing, Skjor looked at Hircine. Sheogorath was probably one of the most troublesome beings he knew, more than a lot. "As one of the veterans, I will be going with the wild hunt. The rest of the circle would probably join."

"Torvar and Athis have a contract at the Beol mountains, monsters there are getting agitated." Vignar Graymane.

"Ren has contacts with the thieves guild. I can have him investigate something strange in Daedalus street. Some clients of mine found a lot of my signature steel underground." Eorlund said as he held his chin.

"I will tell Ren to keep an ear out in Daedalus Street," Kodlak said as he formed plans in his head. "Ren is a human, unlike the werewolves of the circle. He will need to train a lot in a way that will take care of his skills. If only Chiron was still alive..." Hearing that name, all members inside the under forge fell silent. Chiron, a member of the Zeus Familia and an honorary shield sibling of the companions, was a renowned trainer that died during the battle against the one-eyed black dragon.

"Speaking of Chiron." Hircine cut in, "Apparently, dragons have been added to the fixation our young whelp's beast blood had. The thrill of seeing a monster evolve in front of him has given him a boost." Taking out several pieces of paper, the deity set them on the table for the companions to pick.

Skjor looked at the paper and read its contents before letting out a bark of laughter. "That kid would love your hunting grounds. While at a disadvantage at first, I would not have it past him to develop ways to hunt more effectively and efficiently."

Around 5:30 in the morning, a hooded figure dressed in leather over some clothes with a lot of pouches strapped in the vest he wore. A dagger holstered on his waist as he walked in the shadows and jumped over a wall and landed on the ground with a noiseless roll. Dark eyes glinted under the darkness of the hood he wore and before he knew it, the man stopped and leaned on the side of a wall and looked at a young woman around 14 years old striking at a wooden dummy by herself.

"Is it dead yet?" The man asked, enjoying how the girl flinched and raised her sword to attack. Chuckling to himself, the young man pulled a cylinder from his pocket and threw it at her. The golden-haired young woman caught the item and tilted her head while looking at him. "It's coffee. Modified some things and it will not run out... Aela would probably force me to make one for mead." The young man said, whispering the last part.

Copying what the young man did, the young woman poured the liquid into her mouth before coughing it out.

"Watch it!" The man whisper shouted with a hiss. "I had to track that caravan for a month before manipulating some events so I can get a steady and affordable source."

"But it's bitter..." The young woman complained while giving the cylinder a stink eye.

"Wait... bitter?" Taking a good look, the young man chuckled and approached the young woman before handing the container to her. After wiping it of course. "Here, mixed it up."

Warily putting the contents of the cylinder in her mouth, the duo let out a content sigh as they finished taking their sips on their respective containers.

"Ren," Called the young woman. "Thank you for helping Riveria and Lefiya,"

"No sweat, besides, I was the one that needed to be helped," Ren said with a smile as his gloved hand patted her head. "Come on, I promised I'll enchant your sword and I have to beat it in your head to always be careful of draining the enchantments quickly."

Hearing those words made the stoic blonde find something highly interesting on the ground while playing with the ground using her foot.

"The payment will be paid in information this time." The young man said with a grin as he knew just what enchantments he should put on the young woman's equipment. "That is if you have the magic cores."

Nodding at the young man, the blonde showed him a small sack filled with monster crystals and the young man nodded.

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Oh my! What is this!? Our main character having an interest in elves? How does he know Ainz? What will happen next? What is Hircine planning? Stay tuned and find out.

Omake: The enchanter and princess.

Ren stared at Ainz Wallenstein. Rubbing his forehead to ease the headache as he looked at the broken sword on the table.

"Ainz... I enchanted this sword to be unbreaking, but that does not mean you can abuse it." The young man said a he grimaced at how the sword cried in his mind. "What did you use it for?"

Keeping her mouth shut, the images of how she used the sword carelessly and abusing it until the sword gave up and died. While it had holes and rust on some parts, it was still as sharp as ever. Also, she might or might now have panicked and used the sword as a paddle when she got separated with her Familia members. Also, she might have gotten lazy and used her freshly clean sword to take out the pie he was baking that one time.

"You know what, I don't care. Go and stand in the corner while I fix this." Silently, the young woman glumly walked and pressed her forehead on the corner.

"I said stand, Ainz." Ren reminded her and just in time, the troublesome one arrived.

"Ooh, seems like someone made her father-"

"Shut it, Sis!" Ren shouted, cutting off Aela, who was barely holding her laughter back.

"Oh, Ainz." Torvar greeted with a grin. "Don't listen to him, he's just pissed he can't hunt."

Nodding at Torvar, Ainz stood in the corner for almost an hour until Ren came back and gave her the sword, now fixed. "Enchanted it to be more powerful the more you move." Hearing this, Ainz eagerly held the sword like a kid in a toy store. Shaking his head, Ren let a small mile creep on his face as one of his gloved hands gently ruffled her head. "Don't ruin it. A hunter is only as good as the weapon and skills they have.

Ainz nodded at his words before leaning in at the touch of his palm.

In the entrance of Ren's enchantment room, Aela and the rest of the companions smiled at the scene.

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"So... Elves? Didn't the companions once caused an elven massacre that caused that extinction of an entire Elven forest?"

"Yes, but trust me, Ren. Those assholes deserved it. Besides, they ere just a group of bitter old crones."

"So, a tactician? What are you doing here in this knife-eared political hellhole? Personally, I would rather hunt something in the nearby forest than stay here."

"It's not that bad. I am Reflet from the Hecate Familia."

"Its a dragon." The dark elf said as he looked at the dragon soaring in the skies. "Ren, no."

"He's already gone, Athis."

"Die, dragon! I will bathe in your blood, eat your flesh, wear your scales and bones, and make you my trophy for you are a worthy prey!"

"That adventurer is insane."