Chapter 15: The Sword Demon of Ravianglily (2)

The Republic of Korea Hunter Association, located in Yongsangu, Seoul.

Inside the association, the hunter rank evaluations for new awakeners were in full swing.

At that moment, outside the association, about a dozen or so people were waiting for the evaluation results.

Local newspaper reporters and scouts from small to medium guilds.

They were people who gathered as a custom on the day of the Hunter Association’s rank evaluations.

In hopes that a major rookie might emerge.

And in the hope that they could scout that rookie under cheap conditions.

Of course, nine times out of ten, it’s a dud.

Because 99% of hunters receive D-rank or lower in the hunter rank evaluation process.

If even one or two C-rank or C+ rank hunters come out, it’s considered quite an upset for the day.

At that moment.

“What? They say someone got A+ in this rank evaluation?!”

Starting with a scout’s astonished shout, the atmosphere began to change rapidly.

“An A+ rank hunter?! Our country finally has the twelfth A+ rank hunter……!”

“What type is that person? Combat type? Or healer? No info, who is it?”

“They say they completely wrecked the test golem? With bare fists!”

“Definitely. We absolutely scout them to our guild!”

“It’s a scoop! We have to post the article first! What are you doing! Hurry up!”

Reporters and scouts began rushing toward the main entrance of the Hunter Association.

And at that instant.

Kkiiik!

The emergency exit on the side of the Hunter Association building opened cautiously.

It was the exact spot where the reporters and scouts had been standing just moments ago.

“……Are they gone?”

I peeked my head out and looked around.

No one.

Not even an ant was passing by.

Only then did I step out of the emergency exit.

“As expected, coming out the back door was the right choice. You can come out now.”

Then, a familiar voice came from beyond the emergency exit.

[Understood, Master.]

Soon after, Jeanne walked out.

Suddenly, the hunter qualification certificate hanging around her neck caught my eye.

[Hunter Qualification Certificate]

Name: Ravianglily Mu Jeanne d’Arc

Hunter Name: Dark Knight

Rank: A+

This individual is an officially recognized hunter by the Republic of Korea Hunter Association.

Hunter names are granted to B-rank and above hunters.

Hunter names can be changed at any time upon the party’s request.

-ED-

….To think she’d be registered as an A+ rank hunter right away.

A crane among chickens.

The A+ rank was a grade to distinguish hunters with unparalleled strength even among A-ranks.

The Republic of Korea possesses only 11 A+ rank hunters.

The International Hunter Federation has officially stated that ‘The combat power of an A+ rank hunter is equivalent to 10 A-rank hunters, 100 B+ rank hunters, or 1,000 B-rank hunters.’

In other words, A+ rank hunters are tactical weapons capable of shaking national power rankings just by existing.

Therefore, the birth of the twelfth A+ rank hunter inevitably draws everyone’s attention.

Meanwhile. 

Jeanne looked at the result sheet and muttered softly.

[……Dark Knight.]

A hunter name is like a medal granted only to high-rank hunters.

It means that giving a name to weak hunters is a luxury.

The hunter name attached to Jeanne is Dark Knight.

Honestly, I think it’s a bit cheesy.

Isn’t it the same naming sense as Darkness of Dark, Wind of Wind, or Flame of Blazing Heat?

Sure enough.

[I do not like it.]

Jeanne doesn’t like it either. See.

[It is an epithet that is utterly plain. A name or title must contain power.]

“Right, Dark Knight is too pla…… What?”

Jeanne furrowed her brow and muttered.

[The Jet-Black Judge who Punishes the Original Sins of the Abyss from the Depths of the Netherworld, The Ghostblade of Ravianglily. It should at least be something like this…….]

I ended up facepalming.

But Jeanne continued with a still serious expression.

[I have already given instructions to change it accordingly. Master.]

“What? You already applied for a change? That, what was it, Yellow Nether Lily? With that……?”

[Precisely, ‘The Jet-Black Judge who Punishes the Original Sins of the Abyss from the Depths of the Netherworld, The Ghostblade of Ravianglily’. Master.]

“Hmm. It could be misunderstood as changing your name because you lost a penalty game. How about just ‘Sword Demon of Ravianglily’? It’s easy to remember too.”

[Understood. I will do as you command.]

Immediate response.

Thank goodness she accepted without being stubborn.

At that moment.

Ding dong!

<Morgue Mu Featherback conveys regret.>

<Morgue Mu Featherback conveys discomfort.>

‘……What is this? Suddenly why?’

Ding dong!

<Morgue Mu Featherback conveys regret.>

<Morgue Mu Featherback conveys discomfort.>

Suddenly, Featherback is lavishly expressing discomfort and regret through the system window.

Soon, system windows explaining the reason popped up one after another.

<System: Warning!>

<If the warehouse keeper’s reputation is extremely low, restrictions may occur in using the warehouse.>

‘…… Usage restrictions!?’

This was information I’d never heard before.

At that moment, explanation windows popped up in succession.

Ding dong!

<Morgue’s Magical Warehouse is the possession of the great Sorcerer Emperor ‘T’. The warehouse keeper who manages that possession must naturally maintain dignity and reputation befitting it.>

<If reputation rises, changes may occur in the warehouse keeper’s title.>

“Hmm”

Is it a concept similar to how civil servants must maintain dignity even in daily life?

From now on, it’s better to pay attention to reputation management.

Anyway, there’s one thing I can guess as to why this warning message appeared.

……It must be because of my evaluation results.

I sneakily took out my hunter qualification certificate.

[Hunter Qualification Certificate]

– Name: Cha Hasang

– Hunter Name: –

– Rank: F

This individual is an officially recognized hunter by the Republic of Korea Hunter Association.

Hunter names are granted to B-rank and above hunters.

Hunter names can be changed at any time upon the party’s request.

-ED-

F. That’s the hunter rank I received.

It means the weakest hunter at the very bottom of the food chain.

Well, it can’t be helped.

Because I couldn’t bring out the undying pseudo-dragon in the exam hall.

If I had done that, the exam hall would have turned into a battlefield.

Moreover, if information about Morgue’s Magical Warehouse were revealed by any chance, it would become troublesome in many ways.

“Even so, F-rank…….”

It’s too much.

Well, I didn’t plan to be satisfied with F-rank anyway.

I immediately took out my smartphone and launched the Hunter Association app.

[Republic of Korea Hunter Association]

-Cha Hasang hunter-nim, welcome. Your hunter rank is F.

Hunters can accept missions anytime, anywhere through the Hunter Association app.

Of course, the missions registered in the app are only relatively easy missions B-rank and below.

From A-rank and above, the association unit, or even the national unit, often intervenes.

Therefore, the structure is that the Hunter Association directly designates hunters and issues the missions.

Anyway, if I steadily clear missions, my hunter rank will gradually rise too.

Even becoming a B-rank hunter would get mentions among hunters like ‘Ah, that person……?’

If I become A-rank or above, not only the media but citizens would remember my name too.

Then, reputation would naturally increase as well.

“Now, let’s see what missions there are?”

Soon, two missions were displayed on the smartphone screen.

[1. Capture Mission – C-rank]

An experimental magical beast from Deus Ex Machina Inc. 

escaped during transport and is roaming the Bupyeong Station underground shopping mall. 

The individual is danger rank C and must be captured alive and submitted to the Republic of Korea Hunter Association.

Hunter Cha Hasang-nim cannot yet accept this mission.

[2. Miscellaneous Mission ─ F-rank]

The pet dog ‘Choco’ of high-ranking official A (anonymous) from the Republic of Korea Hunter Association has gone missing. 

Last sighting is near Bupyeong Station underground shopping mall. 

Secure ‘Choco’ and submit to the Republic of Korea Hunter Association.

This is an acceptable mission.

….So the only thing I can do now is an F-rank miscellaneous mission.’

The International Hunter Federation defines five types of hunter missions in total.

1. Hunting Mission

The most common mission befitting the name hunter.

The main objective is to subjugate magical beasts, with difficulty varying wildly from lowest-grade beasts like slimes to highest-grade like dragons.

2. Purification Mission

The main objective is to clear a dungeon and make it disappear.

Since it requires subjugating the powerful beast that is the dungeon boss, it is more dangerous than hunting missions.

As it is a high-difficulty mission where multiple hunters cooperate, the rewards are the best.

3. Capture Mission

The main objective is to capture a specific magical beast alive.

Because of the condition to capture alive, difficulty and rewards are measured higher than general hunting missions.

The captured beasts are used for research and experimental subjects, and occasionally there are clients who request beast capture for pets.

4. Delivery Mission

Mission to deliver materials from beasts or special materials from inside dungeons.

The delivered beast materials and ores are used in crafting various weapons and armor.

Up to here, they can somehow be called hunter-like missions.

In contrast, the last fifth mission feels a bit different.

5. Miscellaneous Mission

Missions that do not fall under the above four.

Generally low-danger missions, variously composed like unclogging drains, catching wild boars, carrying luggage, snow removal, etc.

……In simple terms, odd jobs.

Tough errands given to F-rank hunters who are only slightly better than ordinary people.

“Well, now’s not the time to be picky about cold rice or hot rice.”

As an F-rank, the only missions I can proceed with are F-rank requests.

But Jeanne, an A+ rank hunter, can take C-rank missions as much as she wants.

Then, we just say we cleared it as a party.

“Okay. I’ve accepted both missions. Shall we go then? To Bupyeong Station underground shopping mall!”

***

The mission management department of the Republic of Korea Hunter Association is busy today as well.

Assigning grades to requested missions and delivering them to hunters is their main task.

At that moment, an employee in the management department checking documents jumped up in surprise.

He shouted straight at the clueless intern.

“Hold on, come here! This is about the Bupyeong underground shopping mall mission I said to process this morning, why no,did you post it with a different grade from what’s on the documents and what’s on the mission acceptance board?”

“Huh? Me? Uh?! N-No way…….”

“Then what is this? The documents and the board have different grades? No, I just need to input it as is and post it. How do you mess up something like this.. Everything organized was genuine…….”

Sigh, real Then the intern answered with an awkward smile.

“Ah, that……. The documents were overlapping, so I must have seen wrong……. Oh no…… Sorry……. What to do?”

“Haa……. Contact the hunter who accepted the mission right now. Tell them there was a mistake in the mission.grade setting. And quickly fix the board content and repost it. What are you doing, hurry!”

“Yes, yep……. Understood!”

As the management department employee stormed out of his seat, the intern flusteredly picked up the receiver.

However.

The customer’s phone is turned off. After the beep, it will connect to voicemail.

“The phone’s off…….”

The intern looked around and sneakily put down the receiver.

“Well, what could go wrong? First, I need to fix the content on the board.”