A new life

Gordon was shocked to learn that the legendary Kokoto Hero was actually the old Village Chief himself, but that was all. Just shocked.

What else could he do?

He could hardly turn around, return to Kokoto Village, grab the old Village Chief by the collar, and demand to hear about his glorious past, could he?

"Um, Chairwoman."

Deciding to be practical and focus on the present, Gordon cautiously asked, "May I register with the Minegarde Gathering Hall?"

The Chairwoman smiled and nodded at him. As she handed back his Hunter's Notes, she said calmly, "Of course. Even without the Kokoto Hero's handwritten recommendation, the fact that you reached two-star rank at such a young age would give us no reason to refuse you."

Then she offered Gordon her hand. "On behalf of the Minegarde Hunter Gathering Hall, I welcome you."

Gordon gently shook her hand, inwardly breathing a sigh of relief.

With that, his official affiliation transferred from Kokoto Village to Minegarde City. He could now enjoy the same benefits as the local hunters, while also having to fulfill the corresponding duties.

The remaining matters did not require the Chairwoman's personal attention. After giving Tiji a few quiet instructions, she nodded to everyone in farewell, then turned and left.

Amos had other business to attend to and did not stay long either. Before long, only the three of them remained at the counter.

Oshura and Tiji stared at each other, though another argument seemed unlikely. Tiji stuck out her tongue and made a face at Oshura, then turned to Gordon before Oshura could lose her temper.

"Mr. Gordon, could I trouble you to let me have your Hunter's Notes again?"

Gordon handed the Hunter's Notes over in puzzlement, waving his other hand. "Please, no need to be so formal. Just call me Gordon."

Tiji took the notes, then retrieved a metal seal from a locked drawer beneath the counter. She heated it over charcoal and pressed it firmly against the cover, leaving a hollow Star-Shaped Brand.

Gordon and Oshura watched curiously as the "★★" on the hide cover, which indicated his hunter rank, became "★★☆".

"What's that mean? He's three-star now? Or is that two and a half stars?" Oshura bluntly voiced her confusion.

Tiji ignored her and explained to Gordon with a smile, "You're still a two-star hunter, but this mark allows you to participate in three-star quests under certain special conditions."

Gordon immediately perked up. This was clearly special treatment the Chairwoman had granted him out of consideration for the Village Chief's letter of introduction.

And what tempting special treatment it was!

"Could you explain exactly what those 'special conditions' are?" Gordon asked.

"Of course!"

Tiji puffed out her small chest. "First, the quest must be accepted by a hunter of three-star rank or higher. You can only participate as a member of their party.

"Second, your participation in a three-star quest must receive the Chairwoman's approval!"

Gordon paused at that. There were only two conditions, which did not sound like much, but they were actually quite strict. The second alone ruled out any chance of gaming the system.

On further thought, though, those restrictions were perfectly reasonable and necessary. Otherwise, the mark would not be a privilege, but a special permit to get himself killed.

"Impressive, little brother!"

Oshura punched Gordon on the shoulder. "You're not even an adult yet, and you already have a chance to take on three-star quests. Good grief, makes me feel like I've spent all these years growing backward into the womb."

Gordon smiled bashfully. He took back his Hunter's Notes and carefully ran his fingers over the hollow star before putting them away with equal care.

Afterward, with Tiji and Oshura's help, he rented a small room of his own on the second floor of the Gathering Hub.

These rental rooms were intended for young, single hunters who did not own a home in Minegarde.

The room was small, only twenty or thirty square meters, and simply furnished. Still, it had all the essentials: a bed, a table and chairs, a storage chest, an armor stand, and a weapon rack.

Most importantly, the rent was very cheap. This was another benefit the Gathering Hub offered its young hunters, and Gordon was thoroughly satisfied.

In high spirits, he planned to treat Oshura and Tiji to a big meal to thank them, but to his surprise, Tiji refused outright.

"Just doing my job, just doing my job! If the Chairwoman found out I let you buy me a meal over something this small, she'd dock my pay!"

Oshura was more straightforward. She did not refuse, but she had no intention of taking advantage of her junior either. She merely ordered the most ordinary set meal, which cost around 30z.

The Hunter Gathering Hall in Minegarde doubled as both a tavern and a restaurant, and the prices on the menu surprised Gordon.

Not because they were expensive, but because they were so affordable.

He had already prepared himself for a higher cost of living in Minegarde, yet similar dishes were actually a little cheaper here than at the restaurant in Kokoto Village.

Only after Oshura explained did he understand. Minegarde's cost of living was indeed high; the food and drink at the Gathering Hub were cheap simply because subsidized meals were another benefit offered to its affiliated hunters.

The effect was immediate.

With cheap housing provided by the Gathering Hub and inexpensive food and drink served there, Gordon almost instantly developed a basic sense of belonging to the Minegarde Hunter Gathering Hall.

The Chairwoman's a wonderful person!

After eating and drinking his fill and saying goodbye to the easygoing huntress Oshura, Gordon and Porkchop spent half an hour in the sauna at the Gathering Hub's communal bathhouse before returning to their room, thoroughly relaxed.

Lying on the soft bed, Gordon gave a contented yawn.

"The Hunter Gathering Hall in Minegarde is pretty nice!"

On his second day in Minegarde, Gordon still rose early.

More precisely, getting up early to exercise had become as much a habit as brushing his teeth and washing his face. Missing even a single day would leave him feeling distinctly out of sorts.

The Minegarde Hunter Gathering Hall was exceptionally well equipped. It even had a sauna, so naturally it had a training ground as well.

After sweating through more than an hour of exercise in the training facilities and taking a cold shower, Gordon felt fully refreshed.

The Gathering Hub's tavern was open all day, with cooks on duty almost around the clock, so even early in the morning, a hearty breakfast was available.

Rather than greasy meat, Gordon bought a large bowl of thick vegetable stew and filled his stomach with that and some dry bread.

The stew had been cooked just right, apparently with plenty of onions and pepper. It left him feeling warm all over; he could order it more often.

Porkchop ordered his favorite dried bonito. Sitting cross-legged on a round stool, he held the dried fish in his little paws and crunched away so loudly that Gordon's teeth almost ached just listening.

Gordon had originally planned to spend a few days taking a good look around Minegarde City.

For some reason-perhaps the particular atmosphere inside the Hunter Gathering Hall-he changed his mind.

He wanted to begin his new life in this city with a thoroughly satisfying hunt.