Hunter Academy’s Battle God

Sophia liked analyzing people.

More entertaining than analyzing someone was categorizing the person she was analyzing.

Although Adela didn't seem to show any emotions, she did show little microexpressions.

One of those microexpressions?

Her eyebrows moved slightly.

If Adela's eyebrows moved even slightly, then that meant she was feeling good.

What if she lowered them?

'That means something is bothering her.'

Adela's eyebrows were pointing toward the sky.

'That means she's feeling really good!'

That wasn't the biggest signal that Adela was sending.

She held a cup of tea in her long, porcelain-like fingers, but Sophia was looking at her little finger.

'Today… she's lifting her little finger!'

Adela drinking tea while her little finger was up meant her mood was great.

What made Adela so happy?

Knock, knock.

At that moment, someone knocked on the clubroom door. Sophia walked over to see who it was.

"Oh! So you're Sophia!"

Sophia, who wasn't very tall, turned her head. In front of her was a very tall man with silver hair similar to Adela's.

He was Italy's legend…

The Silver wind, Arden Ortensia.

"Hello, little miss. Haha, so you're Adela's party member?"

"M-Mr. Ortensia!"

Sophia's eyes widened. To think she'd meet one of the hunters that was known as a Tower Legend.

For a student who wasn't an active hunter yet, it was a great honor.

"Oh, so you know me?"

"A-Arden Ortensia. Birthday, March 1st, 1965. Born in Milano, Italy. You were called the Silver-haired Holy Knight at the beginning of your career, but after successfully clearing the 40th floor of the Tower, you got the nickname of ‘Silver Wind’… Your constellation…" As Sophia began reciting his information without taking a breath, Arden laughed and scratched the back of his head.

"To think that you'd know so much about me… I've also heard a lot about you. Is your name Leon?"

"The party leader talked about me? Also, my name is Sophia…"

"I see…"

It seemed like Arden was embarrassed. He was trying to avoid looking at her.

'Party leader…'

How could he mistake them? She wasn't even 160 cm tall. Leon was blonde, and he was 180 cm tall. Not only that, but Leon was a man, and she was a woman.

'She really hasn't talked about us at all.'

Sophia knew that she wasn't interested in them, but still, she couldn't help but be shocked.

"Then, please enter… The temperature of the room is 22 degrees. The humidity is at 50%. If it's uncomfortable…"

"It's okay! Thank you. That's more than enough."

Arden smiled at her and then walked toward Adela.

"Adela, long time no see."

Arden sat on the table in front of Adela.

"Yes…"

Sophia took a notepad from the corner of the room, so that was why Adela seemed happier than usual.

Sophia liked analyzing people, so there was no better scene than that…

The meeting between the legendary hunter, Arden, and the greatest rising star, Adela!

'And it’s in a non-formal situation! They're just… a grandfather and a granddaughter!'

What kind of look would Arden show toward his granddaughter? As expected, even if he was a legendary hunter, wouldn't he be a normal grandfather before his granddaughter?

'But what I'm most interested in is Adela!'

Arden was Adela's only remaining family member.

Was she going to talk about the hardships she'd gone through recently and show her weak side for the first time?

'Recently, we've been through one battle after the other. It was a bit tiring.'

Sophia was ready to understand if Adela showed her weak side for the first time.

What Adela said next broke all of Sophia's predictions.

"Sophia…? Could you leave us alone for a moment!"

"What?! But… this is a historical moment when both of you talk about your honest feelings now that the International Competition is reaching the finals!"

Adela didn't say anything else—she just looked at Sophia. As their eyes met, Adela subconsciously moved her eyebrows down.

"U-understood…"

You could feel the disappointment in Sophia's voice. Adela was a person not even Sophia could fully figure out. That's why, for her, there was no better opportunity than that.

Slide. Tap, tap.

Sophia silently walked out of the room. As expected, it seemed like she was afraid of Adela.

'That's too bad. I wonder what they’re going to talk about.'

* * *

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* * *

"Haha! What a fun kid," Arden laughed as Sophia walked out.

Adela once again took a sip of tea. Her little finger was up. "You came today… because of Castellana's Cave, right?"

"To think that you'd bring out the main topic this quickly. It seems like you've also heard the rumors. Although it's been publicly said that it's because ruins have been found…"

Adela had seen that Italy's Hunter Association was trying to gather hunters to go to Castellana's Cave.

Of course, the requisite was that they had to be at least rank 6.

Such a search wasn't normal, even if they were searching worldwide.

"Listen well. This is something that only very few hunters know."

Tap!

Arden lowered his finger. Mana shining with a silver light poured in all directions. It was a technique that blocked sound by increasing the density of mana.

Of course, he hadn't used his Trait—he'd simply moved mana.

It was a technique that most hunters couldn't even dream of, but Arden was called a legend, so it was easy for someone like him.

"Hunters are gathering in the Castellana Cave for a raid."

A raid was when dozens of Hunters gathered to clear a dungeon or catch a boss.

Just like when King's Aura appeared in London, the government organized that kind of thing when a rank 7 boss or higher appeared.

"Then to Castellana's Cave…"

"Not only that, but the one that will appear this time isn't a normal boss."

Arden smiled at Adela. After losing against YuSung, Adela had become obsessed with wanting to become stronger.

Since that’s how things were, a raid party was something Adela would be interested in no matter what.

After all, the raid boss was a 'named'.

"Species: Emperor Red Dragon. Name: Sardonyx."

All of the named bosses were at least rank 6, but there were huge differences between them.

For example, the strength of the Demon World’s rated 72, rank 6 boss, Demon King Andromalius, and the Demon World’s rated 1, rank 8 boss, Demon King Amon, couldn’t even be compared.

"Sardonyx…"

Adela put down the cup of tea.

An average dragon was a rank 6 boss, but Sardonyx wasn't a normal dragon—she was the one who led the red dragon's tribe in another dimension.

She was the lord of red dragons.

Even among the masters of mana, she was one of the most dangerous.

"Adela, don't you want to see how a rank 7 boss is dispatched?" Arden asked, a smile on his face.

Just seeing how people dealt with a rank 7 boss was a huge opportunity, but Adela fell into thought. Just like she was getting stronger, there was someone she wanted to get stronger too.

She wanted to face that person with both in their best conditions, after all.

"Then… could I ask you to bring someone else as well?"

Arden smiled at the unexpected petition.

* * * *

It was the weekend in Gaon Academy.

SiWoo talked to YuSung while looking around the club room.

"As expected. The weekend is the best. Right, YuSung?"

They had Sumire's delicious food, and Amy, who carried the food while showing tricks to everyone. Spending time with his party members made him feel relaxed.

YuSung couldn't help but be happy.

"Woah, I prepared a lot of food… but everyone has wiped all of the plates clean."

They had eaten an amount of food that was for about 10 people. Sumire proudly smiled while looking at YuSung, who had eaten the most.

"YuSung… what food did you like the most?" Sumire asked while moving her ears as if she were a rabbit.

She wanted to make the food YuSung chose later on and be praised by him.

YuSung fell into thought and then replied, "It was all delicious."

For Sumire, that answer was happiness itself.

"Yes? E-everything?" Sumire did her best to keep from smiling, but YuSung added more pressure.

"All of the food that you make is delicious."

"E-even the karage?"

"Yes."

"Th-then…! Is it better than delivery chicken…?"

It seemed like Sumire had been wondering about that for a while. Instead of replying, YuSung nodded and smiled.

Sumire was feeling real happiness when someone opened the club room door.

"What's this?" It was EunAh.

It seemed like she'd been freed from Lorelei's skill and had returned to her usual self.

"Ah! EunAh?!"

"When did you come back? I thought you weren't able to return today."

"EunAh!"

Sumire, Amy, and SiWoo all greeted EunAh, but she looked around and seemed disappointed.

"You didn't wait for me, left me alone, and didn't leave any food."

No one knew that EunAh was going to return that day. Before EunAh could get angry, Sumire made her sit on the chair.

"Th-there are a lot of ingredients! I've also thought of a special menu for you, EunAh!"

"No one knew I would return today… Don't worry, I can eat anything that's in the fridge."

As EunAh turned her head, Sumire massaged her shoulders to make her feel better.

"Don't be like that~! It's a really delicious special menu."

"Well… Then bring it here."

Sumire had learned how to deal with EunAh.

'A special menu for EunAh…'

YuSung smiled at the two of them.

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