One-Eyed Monster

Baharo's sudden appearance filled this unique group of prisoners with vigor, although Hustace still couldn't manage to pull himself together.

Hustace wasn't as simple-minded as Igor, who was willing to believe what was right before his eyes. He also wasn't like the beast Kadi, who could focus on one thing, nor was he like the big man Baharo, who could laugh off everything.

It seemed that nobody in the team was like him. In the end, he was still alone. This loneliness silenced Young Master Hustace, who slowly followed behind the big man, Baharo.

His steps were heavy. His physique wasn't strong to begin with, and he had shivered from the cold all night. At this point, just keeping up with the group was already a great accomplishment for Young Master Hustace.

Baharo followed behind Stan Sol. Although his upper body was bound, as a High Rank Hunter, his keen sense of smell alerted him to something unusual. He sensed Hustace, who was behind him, starting to sway. So, he twisted his upper body and said, "Hey! I say you'd better rest. The one behind is looking tired. At this rate, I don't think he'll make it to the foot of the mountain."

Baharo's struggle tightened the Binding Beast Rope around him, and Sol, who was in front, halted his steps.

"'Time, waits, for no one. Perhaps, we need to, find another, way,' Stan Sol muttered to himself, gazing at Hustace's haggard face.

"What's wrong with Hustace?" Igor approached and asked.

"Weak. Low stamina. Difficult."

"So, shall we rest here for a while?" Baharo proposed.

"Rest, won't, solve, the fundamental, problem."

"It's getting dark soon. We should find a place to stay for the night. After such a trying day, I'm about to fall apart too," Igor said.

Kadi was still focused on that knot and didn't join the discussion. For him, resting or not made little difference; his mind was entirely consumed with the tying and untying of this knot. He hadn't managed to deal with the Binding Beast Rope earlier. Now, bound with an ordinary rope, if he still couldn't break free, it would be truly inexcusable. After all, on Guru Mountain, he, Kadi, was the escape king! Other than in the Slumber Room, Kevin and those old cronies couldn't keep him contained.

"I know you're concerned about the situation on the mountain. Those Alchemists... who knows what they're up to. But this fellow behind you must be your most important bargaining chip, right? If anything untoward happens to him, well, things could get difficult," Baharo rattled on. Igor didn't understand a single word, but Stan Sol's brow furrowed deeply.

"He, seems, to be, your, bargaining chip, too?"

"No. I can't tell you the reason, but to some extent, our current objectives should be aligned." Baharo shrugged. Clearly, he thinks he can strike a deal with Stan Sol. Although I haven't fully figured out why Stan Sol captured Hustace, I can see that, for now, he won't let Hustace come to any harm. This aligns perfectly with my commission.

Given the current situation, I'll just take it one step at a time. If I encounter a similar scenario in the future, I mustn't act so recklessly. At the very least, I should try to communicate with the other party first. This was Baharo's internal summary of this failure.

"Oh?" Stan Sol's frown deepened. "Why, do you, think, so."

"What are you two discussing? Either we keep moving, or we find a place to rest! We can't waste time like this," Igor urged, clearly anxious.

"Little brother, I truly admire your composure. Though I can't tell if that composure comes from inner strength or just sheer... uh, I mean, naivety. If I were the one who caught you, you certainly wouldn't be receiving this kind of treatment," Baharo said, interrupting Igor while also addressing Stan Sol.

"Huh?" Igor was baffled. Hustace, feeling just as isolated, also looked up in confusion.

"Hunters generally have two ways of dealing with captured prey," Baharo explained. "One method is quite direct: possession. After the hunt, the prey is killed immediately."

Stan Sol fed Hustace a little food and nodded at Baharo's statement, saying, "Go on."

"The other method is more subtle, aimed at exchange. After capture, the prey is kept as bait, in order to lure even more prey."

"Just like bait for fishing?" Hustace asked.

"It shouldn't be. I think its scope is wider than fishing bait," Igor said.

"HEHEHE, the little brother's understanding is quite good, indeed. A Hunter's bait is different from a Hunter's bait. A Hunter's bait has a much wider scope. The bait a Hunter sets out could be a beast they've tamed—like your flame just now, brother, which successfully captured me. Though, I still don't understand how a flame can leap about like a wild beast."

"I, am an ancient, Hunter. This is, a family, secret technique." Stan Sol wasn't very secretive about it.

"HEHEHE, I can ask for your insights on these matters later, brother. What I'm really saying is, right now, we are all your captives. If we weren't bait, our little lives would have been forfeit long ago."

"Correct," Stan Sol said. This reply made Hustace draw a sharp breath. Igor, however, had little reaction; after all, he had heard Sol's story before and knew what Sol intended to do.

"However, brother, you seem a bit too merciful. If it were me, I would definitely prepare the bait more meticulously. For example, I might chop off a finger from one, or cut off an ear from another, and send it to the next target."

"That's not right!" Igor suddenly interjected. "You said there are only two ways of handling things. So, what category does selling captured prey fall into? For instance, if I capture a Mountain Monster and sell it to the Mantai Empire, which way is that?"

"Bait. Purpose, exchange, Gold Coins. However, that is, a low-rank, Hunter's, choice," Stan Sol answered Igor's question.

"Using my methods, brother, your plan would be closer to success, but you haven't done so. I believe you must have another objective, one that, for now, aligns with my commission: ensuring the prey remains unharmed and intact."

"You Hunters are always so cryptic, speaking in riddles. It's really hard to understand," Hustace lamented.

"Hunters are merely skilled at concealment; there's nothing inherently mysterious about it," Baharo picked up where Hustace left off. "Take this one right here, for example. You think he always cloaks himself in that purple robe to maintain a Hunter's mystique?"

"Isn't that the reason?" Igor asked, looking at Stan Sol.

"HEHEHE, that's to cover up the dust and the bloodstains from prey that accumulate on him. Hunters are constantly on the move outdoors, getting covered in all sorts of dust and blood. If they don't hide it well, they can't even get close to people."

"Is that so?" Igor sought confirmation from Stan Sol.

"Yes. A Hunter, needs, to conceal."

"So, you'd really chop off my finger?" Hustace's face turned deathly pale.

"I, can. But, I must not."

"Why?" Baharo asked. As a Hunter, he found this very difficult to comprehend.

"Because of, an oath."

...

Stan Sol's answer silenced Baharo. This brief reply plunged Baharo into deep thought. After all, he was a member of 'Dog,' a unit within the Hunter Organization. He, too, had an oath—a promise to his clients, loyalty to 'Dog,' and reverence for the Hunter profession!

And now, Baharo's oath... it seemed to be merely a formality.