Zaren thought about teleporting back to his kingdom, but just as he was about to, he noticed a group of hunters returning from a dungeon raid. Among them was an S-rank hunter named Raiken, leading his team of nine hunters, who ranged from A to C-rank. If Zaren teleported now, they would witness his sudden disappearance, which could raise suspicion.
Raiken narrowed his eyes, noticing Zaren standing alone. "Who's this guy?" he muttered to himself.
Meanwhile, Zaren was panicking internally. Great. Just where the hell have I ended up?
The group approached him, and Raiken spoke first. "Hey, dude. Are you new here?"
Zaren quickly put on a fake smile. "Yeah, I'm just visiting the kingdom."
Raiken studied him for a moment, his instincts telling him something was off. "Are you a hunter or a knight from another kingdom? You seem different."
Zaren maintained his smile, but for a brief moment, his aura almost slipped out. Raiken, sensing something unusual, felt a flicker of power that made him uneasy. What was that? No… it can't be…
Trying to shake off his doubts, Raiken puffed out his chest and spoke with pride. "Well, whatever the case, I'm the only S-rank hunter in this kingdom. That makes me the strongest here."
Zaren thought for a moment and recalled something he had read in his guild's archives. If I remember correctly, this kingdom is called Ravaria. I read about it in the Arcunam Guild's map book and saved its details in Lumis's memory.
Zaren asked in his mind, Lumis, how many hunters does this kingdom have?
Lumis quickly responded, Sir, Ravaria is a poor kingdom. It has only one S-rank hunter—Raiken. The rest are A-rank or lower.
Zaren smirked slightly and looked at Raiken. "Can I go with you?"
Raiken raised an eyebrow. "Go with us? Sorry, but we're heading to clear an A-rank dungeon today. We don't have time to babysit."
Zaren thought quickly. "Sir, I've never seen a dungeon before. I'm just a citizen, and I'd love to witness one. See? Here's my citizen ID." He discreetly hid his hunter ID while showing a fake civilian pass.
Raiken nodded but then suddenly thought of something. "Hey, I've heard rumors that an SSS-rank hunter appeared recently. If you ever meet him, can you tell him to join our guild?"
Zaren chuckled internally and whispered to Lumis, What's the name of his guild?
Lumis answered, Sir, Raiken is the guild master of Karoro Guild. He's strong, but nowhere near your level.
Zaren grinned and turned back to Raiken. "So, can I come with you now? Please?"
Raiken sighed but smiled. "Alright, but it's at your own risk. If things get dangerous, don't expect us to protect you."
Zaren nodded eagerly, knowing full well he was in no danger at all.
(Chapter 28 Fin)