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The cottage Kayne was staying in was very close to the Gathering Hall, and Ethan was led to the door in less than two minutes.
Seeing that Ethan had indeed come, Kayne looked quite excited and immediately ushered Ethan into the house.
Konoha, although curious, knew it wasn't appropriate for her to stay and observe, so she nodded politely and excused herself.
As soon as Ethan entered the room, he saw Kayne pull a booklet from a shelf and hand it to Ethan.
"This is the rulebook set by the Guild. If you want to become a Hunter, you must memorize the contents of this. Some of the things in here might seem strange, but they are all lessons summarized from the blood of those who came before."
"Hmm…"
Ethan hesitated before taking the booklet. He had thought this veteran Hunter would start teaching him basic weapon moves, just like he did by the lake yesterday.
He opened it, and a red, prominent sentence on the title page immediately caught his eye.
"In a single hunting party, absolutely! absolutely! absolutely! Do not exceed four people!"
Kayne stood beside him, arms crossed, and elaborated: "Hunting with a group of more than four people is an ironclad rule that has been around since the very birth of the Hunter profession."
"I haven't looked into the specific reason much. It seems like it was set by the very first Hunter in the world, the Hero of Kokoto. And every recorded instance of a hunting party exceeding four people since then has, without exception, met with misfortune. The best outcome was reduced numbers, but complete casualties were far from rare… So, you must remember this point!"
Ethan nodded repeatedly to show he had memorized it and continued to flip through the pages. Kayne stood beside him like a teacher, patiently explaining with every turn of the page.
"A Hunter's weapon is the greatest guarantee of their safety. Weapons with special properties are forged with specialized materials and must never be tampered with. There was once a rookie Hunter who encountered a Great Jaggi during a hunt. He disregarded the rules and tried to poison his Sword and Shield with the juice of a poisonous mushroom. The result was irreversible damage to the weapon, causing it to snap during a fierce battle…"
"Excluding the Sword and Shield, users of other weapons are not allowed to use items while their weapon is drawn, because it makes them lose their grip. In a life-and-death battle, if your weapon slips, the result is absolutely fatal!"
"Don't worry about the rule of conveying safety to teammates by doing the 'Flex' gesture during a group hunt, as too many Hunters have been knocked flying by monsters because they didn't react in time after posing. The Guild is already considering abolishing that rule."
"In principle, except for Urgent Quests, Hunters are only allowed to hunt quests no higher than their own star rating, and they are only permitted to hunt the target specified in the quest contract. Fighting a non-target monster is only allowed for the purpose of self-defense if it actively initiates an attack on the Hunter. Some people tried to exploit a loophole before, taking a simple exploration quest and running up to a high-danger monster to 'self-defend' and counterattack. Not only did they receive a severe beating, but they were also heavily penalized upon return. Learn from that lesson!"
…
The thin booklet contained many rules, and Kayne spoke for a long time. Although these were just a few basic hunting regulations, the classic case studies Kayne provided quickly imprinted these "common sense" rules into Ethan's mind.
In the game, he could indulge in any reckless behavior, but in reality, staying alive was paramount. He wouldn't dare challenge the rules marked in red by the blood of his predecessors.
Suddenly, a knock on the door interrupted the lesson inside the room.
Opening the door, the blue-clad receptionist Sasayu walked in with a serious expression.
"Mr. Kayne, I apologize for the interruption, but I'm afraid your holiday must end early."
Saying this, Sasayu handed him an envelope sealed with wax.
Kayne's eyes narrowed. "An urgent Guild dispatch?"
He hastily tore open the envelope, quickly scanned the contents of the letter, and his face visibly darkened.
"Lunastra…"
Muttering the name so low it was almost inaudible, Kayne's expression became grave. "I understand. Please arrange an airship for me. I need to leave immediately."
Sasayu nodded and turned to leave, without any fuss.
Kayne rubbed his face, letting out a helpless sigh. "Why now, of all times…"
He gently patted Ethan's shoulder. "What terrible luck. I had planned to take you on as my disciple, keep you by my side, and mentor you into an outstanding Hunter… But now I can't."
Ethan scratched his head. Using the few words he had in his mind, he painstakingly pieced together a short sentence.
"Me… follow… Teacher… leave?"
The man had freely given him gear and taught him without charge. For Ethan, who was new to this world, calling him "Teacher" carried no psychological burden whatsoever.
Although the sentence was fragmented, Kayne thought for a moment and understood Ethan's meaning, then quickly stopped him.
"I am honored you are willing to call me Teacher, but this mission is very dangerous. I wouldn't be able to look out for you at all."
He took a deep breath, and as he slowly exhaled, his expression had returned to normal.
"If I can return safely after this mission is over, then we will continue this teacher-student relationship then!"
"I'll leave these books in my room for you. While they aren't as effective as direct instruction, they won't leave you completely in the dark."
…
A week later.
The Gathering Hall.
A figure wearing a straw hat and carrying a Sword and Shield on his back stood before the counter. Konoha, the receptionist in her crimson uniform, shook her head helplessly.
"It's not that I'm deliberately giving you a hard time. You can't accept quests until you become an official Hunter."
The figure with the Sword and Shield spoke slowly, enunciating each word: "Gathering quest?"
"Gathering quests aren't allowed either! That's a firm Guild regulation!"
Ethan rubbed his forehead. He urgently needed to earn money on his own to escape the predicament of having to rely on others.
It wasn't that the Iwata family treated him poorly; on the contrary, they were too kind to him, providing him with good food and lodging. The farm work was also very light, almost making it feel no different from living there for free. This made his conscience very uneasy.
"How… become… official Hunter?"
Konoha thought for a moment. "Typically, an apprentice Hunter needs to pass the training camp courses first, then take a certification quest, and only after passing the assessment can they become a true Hunter."
"For an apprentice Hunter like you, who is introduced by a senior and hasn't entered the training camp, you need your teacher to certify that you have the ability to complete quests solo, and then apply to the Guild for a certification quest."
"Since Kayne is currently away… why don't you try the first route?"
Training camp… Ethan rubbed his forehead in frustration. Although the training camp, an institution for cultivating newcomers, was set up by the Guild and was similar to a public school, it wasn't completely tuition-free. While the required amount wasn't huge, for Ethan, who was currently penniless, this path was completely blocked.
No money means no entry to the training camp. No entry means no certification quest. No certification quest means no becoming a Hunter. No becoming a Hunter means no money…
Ethan looked up and sighed. Ugh. He had a brand-new set of gear, but no way to use it!
"Eeeh, young man, there is actually a third way to get a certification quest, you know!"
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