Akira thought of something and said.

Wait, will you stay here? Are you still going to go to the ruins again?

Even for me, I don't plan to go to the ruins again for the rest of the time. I'm going to be staying in nearby D

a

KAM facility. D

a

The KAM actually set up a makeshift base nearby so that their hunters didn't have to walk back and forth from the city. After all, it takes quite a long time to get back and forth from the city. Well, it's true that I can sleep inside the APC, but because there's a bed in that facility, it's a waste not to use it.

Sara continued.

Well, it is also possible to live somewhere nearby, more precisely, in one of the trailer houses. In other words, only Akira and Carol returned to the city, hehe

Ele

a、Sa

a and Shika

Abe turns to Aki

a and ca

ol。

Elena looked at Akira and thought for a moment.

[If he's alone, I don't mind inviting Aki either.]

a, and I believe in Sa

A will not object either, but]

Sara looked at Carol and thought for a moment.

[Of course, I don't know Carol very well, and I can't invite her, I think Ele.]

A wouldn't want it either. 】

Elena and Sarah glanced at each other, they both knew each other and had been together for a long time. It didn't take them much time to understand what the other was thinking.

Akira suddenly turned to Carol and asked her a question.

But I'm going back to the city, how about you, Carol?

Let's take a look

Carol glanced at the deer, who was visibly wary and frowned slightly. Then she said with a smile.

I'm going back to the city. Akira, can you give me a ride?

? Of course.

Shika

Abes's reaction makes Aki

A little bothered. Although he was convinced that there must be a reason for it, he decided to leave it alone. Then he bowed lightly to Elena and Sara.

Well, I'll go back now. Tomorrow I will be taken care of by you again.

Elena smiled softly.

Be careful on the way home and get a good rest when you get home.

Sara also smiled faintly and said.

Don't let your guard down until you get to the city, okay?

Aki

a and Ca

ol is back to Aki

as in the car. Then they waved to the other hunters who had stayed behind and left the place.

After Akira and Carol left, Elena turned to Hakube and asked.

Shika

ABE, do you have any free time after this?

Shikabe guessed the meaning of the question and said with a frown.

It depends. I'm really tired, so I want to take a break as soon as possible.

It's about Carol, and I want to know more about her. You're familiar with her, right?

Shika

Abes's face became stern, and his guess was correct. Elena and Sarah were a little surprised to see this scene.

Shikabe didn't say anything, thinking in his heart that some of his thoughts had already flowed to his face. He then carefully chose what he said.

Well, it does get into trouble if I try to dodge your questions about her without giving any good excuses or explanations, but I feel like it can also cause trouble if I explain everything about her clearly. So I only answer questions that won't cause any trouble among us, while also taking SOS rescue requests together. In short, she's not a good girl, but her bad character and habits are unlikely to have any ill effect on the currently ongoing SOS rescue request. Her ability as a hunter should not be underestimated, so I don't think she will slow us down either.

Hearing this answer, both Elena and Sarah showed distressed expressions. Elena then asked Hakube a question.

Uh, does she sound like nothing more than trouble?

I'll leave it to you how you want to interpret it. And even if she is indeed a problematic person, that doesn't mean that her problems may cause us any trouble in the short time we have been working together. It's true that I wouldn't invite her to join my own team, but if someone brought her along, I wouldn't kick her out because she was strong herself. That's what I can say as a team member. If you want to know more about her, I'll tell you, but only after we've completed this request. See you tomorrow then.

Shika

Abe then left Ele

a and sa

a。

Elena and Sara looked at each other. As you can see from their faces, they have absolutely no idea what to do with Carol right now. At first, they thought Carol was someone who wouldn't get into trouble, but now it doesn't seem to be the case.

Akira hitchhiked all the way to where they met, and then went to the Shamrock Ruins. Carol got out of the car, stretched, and turned her back to Akira. Then she turned and smiled at him.

So, see you tomorrow, and if you still have time, you can go to my house and have a look, you know? Even if you want to spend the night, I don't mind. I can also give you some simple food while you eat. In that case, we won't have to meet before we go to the wasteland tomorrow.

They plan to go to the Shamrock Ruins again tomorrow, and they plan to meet in the same place as before.

Akira shook her head.

No thanks, I'm going home. I can't really relax unless I'm in my own home, you see.

I see, it's so bad, even though a beautiful woman like me invited you, you still refused, you are not fun at all.

Carol smiled confidently at Akira, who returned with the same smile, full of confidence.

I'm sorry, I hope you have a good rest today.

Carol sent Akira away, muttering to herself.

No reaction at all now, hehe. Well, let's be patient here.

Carol felt like it had been a while, as she had a funny smile and the last time she was frustrated by trying to seduce someone.

Akira got home and went straight to the shower. While enjoying the warm water, he immersed himself in the bath up to his neck while letting the warm water heal his tired body. Before taking a shower, he had already packed up his gear. So he can get into his bed and sleep after taking a shower. In this way, I completely recovered my body and mind and met tomorrow.

Akira was more or less in a daze, one could even say in a daze. Although there was a beautiful girl whose figure had adapted to his preferences and bathed with him without even a piece of cloth on her body, he didn't care. This in itself can be described as an unhealthy condition.

Alpha dips his body near cleavage and suddenly stands up without showing any embarrassment and sits on the edge of the bath. Her beautiful figure, blurred by the shaking of the water, came into view at this moment. The only thing that hid her body above her knees was the steam of warm water and droplets of water that slid down her skin.

Alpha suddenly moved, and Crystal reacted, turning and walking in her direction. He locked his gaze on Alpha's extremely seductive body for a few seconds, then withdrew his gaze as if he had lost interest.

Seeing this, Alpha smiled at Akira and said.

Even you will have this reaction in front of this beautiful body. It seems that it will take some time for the priorities of the girl and food in your head to switch places, eh.

Akira was still a little dazed when he slammed back.

Save it for later, okay?

Akira was enjoying his bath, and he let the warm water take over his body while relaxing. So, he didn't have time to react to Alphas' teasing, and he even looked annoyed when he just told her to stop.

Alpha thinks Aki

a may be used to it

KD girl's body, she sees it as a necessary sacrifice. This may nullify her beauty, but it's much better than letting Akira be seduced by someone else. So to make up for this, she decided to step up her support for him.

Got it. I'll save it for later. So, putting those aside, I'd like to ask some questions that you're going to do with Ele

a and sa

A How long have you been working together?

Even if you ask me, I haven't really thought about it. I want to stop until I find a good spot, right? I'm sure that Miss Elena and Miss Sarah won't be in the ruins of Minami Park forever to accept SOS emergency requests.

In short, you're still planning to work with them at the moment, right?

Alpha's expression was to say that she didn't hate the idea and wasn't satisfied. When he asked her a question, Aki

a I think that's a bit weird.

Uh, what's the problem?

It's not that I have any problems, but to be honest, in order for you to do what I ask, I'd rather let you hone your skills in exploring the ruins than save people. If I could add more, you have to be alone when you go to the ruins I want you to explore. Because of this, I wish you were more skilled working alone rather than in a team.

Oh, I see.

Akira understood Alpha's reasoning and nodded deeply. In the end, Alpha only gave her support in order for him to fulfill her request. In fact, this is the exact required advance payment. Aki

A understood, with Ele

a and sa

a Cooperation was purely motivated by his selfishness. So he understands that working with Elena and Sara doesn't polish the skills he needs to complete the Alpha requirements, so it's no surprise that Alpha would be unhappy about it.

Then, Aki

a Answers as if making excuses.

W- Well, I got paid appropriately, and then I could use that money to buy the equipment I needed to explore the ruins. If you think of it as a period when I collect money, that's not bad, right?

Alpha smiled at Akira, but it felt like a reproach to him.

So be it. As a hunter, your main job is to explore the ruins, but don't forget that.

I know.

Akira replied firmly, and Alpha smiled with satisfaction. He then dipped himself in a warm tub and breathed a sigh of relief.

The next day. Akira picks up Carol and heads to the ruins of the beautiful leaf garden as planned.

When we arrived at the ruins of Miha-en, the sun had already risen and it was already past morning. Akira got a good rest yesterday, so he was back to perfect form.

Carol slept in the driver's assistant seat. Before going to bed, she laughs and tells Akira that he can do anything to her while she sleeps, but he just ignores her.

Akira felt that Carol looked so defenseless when she was sleeping, unlike when she was awake.

He looked at Carol as if he was interested in her. Seeing this, Alpha smiled at him and said as if he was scolding him.

Just because she's asleep and she agrees, doesn't mean you should do something about her, you know? If you only accept images, I don't mind helping you. So don't touch her, okay?

Akira frowned.

Like hell, I would do anything for her. I just think she looks so different from when she's awake.

Well, you're right. But it's the same for you, or at least, lately.

Is that so? Well, while I can't see my sleeping face, what about lately?

When I first met you, you always seemed to observe your surroundings with one eye open, and you never fell into a deep sleep. But lately, as long as I don't wake you up, you've slept so deeply defenselessly. So the way you look when you sleep is also very different from the way you woke up recently.

I get it.

When Akira said this, it sounded like she was deep in thought. When he slept in the back alleys of a slum city, he always wished he would wake up the next morning with his eyes closed. After all, it wouldn't be surprising if someone killed him while he was asleep and took everything he had.

But now, he can sleep in a comfortable bed in a house with an outer wall, and, if something happens, Alpha will definitely wake him up. That's why he's been able to sleep soundly lately.

[Now that I think about it, I now live a rather luxurious life. 】

Akira smiled wryly and realized once again how much her lifestyle had changed.

When the ruins of Miha-en finally appeared in his field of vision, Ming woke up Carol with a leisurely awakening.

Carol, it's time to get up.

Carol immediately woke up, she looked at Akira, muttering to herself.

Are we there?

Yes, the meeting point is right in front.

Well, I slept well, thanks.

Carol stretched slightly, woke herself up, and said with a smile.

So, did you do something to me?

No.

Oh my gosh, that's too bad. There's nothing to worry about, even if you do anything, I can at least pretend to be asleep.

Wait, you're pretending?

I fell asleep. What I'm saying is that of course, if you do something to me, I'll wake up, but I'll still pretend to be asleep. After all, I sometimes get such requests.

I get it.

Akira replied indifferently, as if completely uninterested. Seeing this scene, Carol thought for a moment.

[He doesn't do anything while I'm sleeping, showing him my defenseless side, huh.] He's a tough nut to crack. ]

Ca

ol thinks Aki

A is indeed a difficult person to seduce, he won't do anything to her even if she sleeps next to him, and has duly allowed him to flirt with her while she's asleep. In her experience, it was quite unthinkable.

[It seems that it will be faster for me to earn the trust of the hunter through his good work, hmm.] I think I'll be working harder than usual this time. ]

Carol thought that it seemed unlikely that she would seduce Akira in an understatement. When she has earned his trust, it may be quicker to seduce him. Just as she was thinking so, she made the necessary adjustments to her plans.

Akira and Carol finally arrive at the meeting place. They arrived earlier than the rendezvous time, but Elena and the other three hunters were already waiting. The extra hunter is a young hunter of Akira's age, standing next to Hakube.

Aki

a and ca

ol from Aki

As the car got on and down, with Ele

a et al. Elena opened the conversation first.

It seems like everyone is here. So, yes, let's work together again today but before that, Shika

ABE has something to say.

Shika

Abe said trying to hide her annoyance.

Due to my situation, I had to bring one more person. He's from D

a

Kam's hunter, his hunter level is hey, and what is your hunter level?

30 years old. My name is Togami, and you will take care of it today.

Togami introduced himself lightly. Shika

The young Hu that Abe brought

te

Boy, it's Aki

A The one who was with him while they were looking for the bounty monster.

Shika

Abe then said in a more lively voice, as if he was trying to hide his bad mood.

Shake. If you have anything to complain about bringing this guy, there's no need to back down. You can say whatever you want to say, and I'll think about it, you know?

Shika

Abe looked at Aki

alas, as if he was trying to send him some kind of message through telepathy. Akira was a little puzzled by this, and turned to Elena and asked.

Miss Elena and Miss Sarah, do you agree with him joining the team?

Sara answered Aquilas's question.

I actually left this kind of thing to Elena, who didn't think it was a problem, as long as the other hunters were okay with it. That's why, ultimately, it's up to you.

Elena then added Salas's explanation.

If you don't like him joining the team, please feel free to let us know. I didn't have a plan for a majority decision, so there was no pressure at all.

Even Shika

Abe recommended Togami, Sa

a and ele

A also doesn't plan to have Togami join the team if Aki

a What is there to complain about. After all, they've confirmed since yesterday that they'll have no problem using only 5 of them to fulfill the request.

But on the other hand, if Akira did not object, they had no intention of rejecting Togami. After all, it was Hakube who brought it himself, and Akira did bring Carol to the team yesterday. So Elena can't use this excuse to refuse Togami.

If it was the person who brought it to the head, although he didn't want to do that, that person was at least skilled enough not to slow down the team. What's more, they fought a tough battle yesterday, and it's good to get more help. So, after much deliberation, Elena decided to accept Togami into the team.

Aki

A understands that if he rejects the idea of letting Togami join the team, Togami may actually be kicked out of the team. So he thought about it and didn't say anything.

I don't mind having him on the team. After all, I also brought Carol to the team yesterday.

Carol then asked.

So is there a need to readjust the distribution of rewards?

Elena answered the question.

No. It's like you're from Aki

As well as being paid for the reward share, Togami will receive the same reward from Shika

ABES is paid for its share of the reward. Hell will also be Shika like you

Abes's order takes precedence over Aki

a。

Well, in that case, I don't have any complaints. After all, if I mess up, Aki

A will be in charge, so if he messes up, Shika

ABE will be responsible for that too, right?

Carol glanced at Hakube and smiled at him. Shika

Abe frowned, he was visibly upset.

Well, I guess that's the thing, right?

Shika

Abe looked at Aki

A, as if he was expecting something, but he eventually gave up and sighed.

Aki

a to Shika

Abe was a little bothered by how he behaved there, so he decided to ask Alpha.

Alpha, did I say anything strange here?

No, I think he wants you to object to having Togami on the team.

But he's the one who brought Togami here, right?

Hu

te

and Hu

te

It's not uncommon for people in your organization to have different opinions. Shika

Abe doesn't actually want to take Togami, but he can't refuse orders from his gang. So he hoped he would refuse the order, on the pretext that most of the other hunters on his team were against it.

Sounds really reasonable, I guess Shika

Abe is hard, huh.

Akira said so casually as if he had nothing to do with it. Well, strictly speaking, it's really none of his business. However, bypassing troubles such as these while reaping the benefits of the gang will certainly help as a hunter and increase your chances of survival in the wasteland. This is indeed one of the many important skills that a hunter can use to succeed.

Ming understands this, but he has a habit of looking down at this kind of thing. That's why he thinks that the problem of white edge has nothing to do with him. This is the extent to which Aquilas's ability to get along with others can be.

Ele

A also noted Shika

ABES's reaction, but she decided to ignore this and continue to talk about today's work.

It was decided then. Let's go with these 6 people today.

She didn't intend to get involved with D

a

Kam's infighting didn't do as Hakube made her reject Togami. Since the deer department is responsible for him, as long as it does not affect the distribution of rewards, it is a good thing to have another skilled hunter in the team. So, as the captain, she has no reason to refuse Togami. Elena tries not to include her personal feelings when deciding.

Then they accepted the SOS urgent request and went to Mihazo again as they had done the day before

o Ruins.

Sarah smiled bitterly, thinking that she didn't have much time to wait until Akira became stronger than her, and at that time, Akira would no longer rely on her and Elena, the senior, and felt a little lonely.

On the other side, Ca

ol confirmed Ele

a and sa

A noted Aki

A reacted when she let her guard down, and then she thought.

[They're discovering Aki.]

A let their guard down, but continued to explore the building without reacting, and in fact, they seemed to let their guard down as well. Judging by Elena's intelligence-gathering device, I don't think either of them would let their guard down because of something like this, does that mean they know why Akira is so good at spotting monsters? Or is it because they've known Akira for a long time and really trust him? Or is it because they've worked with Akira so many times that they're used to it? ]

Carol knew that Akira's ability to detect enemies was beyond the ordinary, but she didn't expect it to be because he might be someone who could connect to the realm of the Old World. Because she knows that being a connector of the old world does not mean having strong detection skills. Of course, it's not completely unrelated, but this doesn't give definite proof either. Carroll is well aware of this.

That's why Carol attributes Aquilas's ability to spot enemies to one of the rare talents possessed by the great hunters. She didn't even take into account the possibility that Akira would be connected to the realm of the Old World.

[Honestly, I want to ask a lot of questions about it.] But I guess I should do it later, not here. ]

If Carol is here trying to get this information from Elena and Sarah, of course, Aki

a can also hear her voice, and it can cause trouble later. If she wants to collect about Aki

a, she should at least do so where he could not hear her, and she should choose her words wisely, so as not to arouse any suspicion.

And, she should be able to infer from Elena and Sarah's reactions to her question if she can ask Akira directly. So now, Carroll tries to calm the curiosity that swells up in her heart and tries to keep a poker face.

After looking around the building, they came to the conclusion that no one was there. Elena then tells the rest of the team to stop the search and return to Hakube.

Akira listened carefully and understood Salas's explanation, but a question popped into his mind.

I see, however, I didn't expect Miss Elena to be so angry, is the reward really so bad?

Sara hesitated before answering.

Well, that's uh, you know. The rewards aren't that bad, I'm sure Ele

A is also trying to pull it higher. I don't have a problem with the rewards, and I don't think Ele either

a There are any questions. It's just, okay, they basically just chime in while we're doing another request, and they're making a request that we're having a hard time refusing. In addition, they even began to try to negotiate in the middle of the ruins, and we could be attacked by monsters at any moment. So it's no surprise that this makes Elena angry.

Now that you mention it, well, that's true.

Elena is also human. I'm afraid that she will get angry from time to time. And in this case, one request is pushed to her while she's in the middle of doing another, which can completely clutter up her schedule and preparations. Elena may also be angry because of her sense of responsibility as a team leader. If Aki

a From that point of view, things do make sense.

Sarah breathes a sigh of relief when she sees that Akira seems to accept her explanation, and then tries to change the subject before Akira brings it up again.

That's right, Aki

Alas, didn't you receive that notification? Shika

Don't you have the bounty monster of the ABES team either?

This time, it was Aquilas' turn to hesitate before answering.

Ah, well, you see, I'm basically not allowed to talk about it, so

I get it, and if that's the case, I'm not going to put pressure on you. It just makes me a little curious. I just wanted to know how you did during the bounty hunt.

I didn't do anything big, in fact, I'm not even sure if I deserve the reward I received.

Akira thinks that when he says that, it should be okay to tell Sarah so much.

Sarah didn't speak for a moment, as if she was thinking about something. Her face changed suddenly, as if she realized something, and then said to Akira with a smile.

Aha, so basically you accepted Shika without going through the hunter's office

Abe's request, as an extra person to help him hunt the bounty monster, and then you successfully killed the bounty monster, hehe.

Akira gasped, and Sarah guessed exactly what was going on. When he looked at Sara with a look of surprise, she looked at him with a smile on her face. Then he asked Sara a question.

Is that enough for Salasan to make such a guess?

Sarah smiled and answered Achillas's question.

Since you say that you are not sure about the reward you received and your contribution, it means that you received the correct reward, that is, you accepted the request. At that time, the only request Shikabe made to you was to help him hunt the bounty monster. Well, judging by the fact that you didn't receive a notification from the hunter's office, it means that the request is only between hunters and has nothing to do with the hunter's office. Since Shika

ABE hired you, which means he knows that you will at least take the burden off his own. That's why he didn't hire you just to be a driver. You said you didn't do anything big, basically because the main firepower of that fight against the bounty monster was Hakube and his friends. So as for you, in support of Hakube and his friends, I bet you used Shika

Abe gives you expendable equipment to attack bounty monsters and try to bring Shika

Abe's attention is from Shika

Abe moved away. When you say you're not sure if you deserve the reward you've received, I can guess it's not a small amount at least. Unless the bounty campaign is successful, Shika

Abe himself will not pay that much. That's why I can say with certainty that you were able to successfully kill the bounty monster and you can't confirm if I'm right, okay? After all, it would be a breach of your confidentiality obligations. Unless the bounty campaign is successful, Shika

Abe himself will not pay that much. That's why I can say with certainty that you were able to successfully kill the bounty monster and you can't confirm if I'm right, okay? After all, it would be a breach of your confidentiality obligations. Unless the bounty campaign is successful, Shika

Abe himself will not pay that much. That's why I can say with certainty that you were able to successfully kill the bounty monster and you can't confirm if I'm right, okay? After all, it would be a breach of your confidentiality obligations.

Akira lowered her head.

I'll keep my mouth shut.

That car wasn't the one you bought from Shizuka, right? Is it Hakube's reward? Although I don't know much about vehicles, that car is expensive, you know. Although you got that reward, you still said you don't know if it's worth it, hehe. Akira, this must be an uphill battle.

I can't say anything.

Akira, you're an honest kid, aren't you?

Seeing Akira's pouting, Sarah giggled.

Then she changed her mood and said.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry. By the way, you know, it's just me and Elena who can't refuse that request, so it's perfectly fine for you. After all, this request wasn't sent to you in the first place. I know you've been through some really bad things in the Seranthal, right? So if you don't want to come, you don't need to force yourself. After all, it wasn't in our plans at all when we invited you.

Achillas' expression returned to normal.

No, if Sala-san and Elena San are okay, I'll go with them.

Although it is true that the situation has changed a lot from their original plan. But for Akira, this is not the case at all. After all, he was originally there to help Elena and Sarah come to Miha's ruins.

Sarah asked Akira one more time.

It's nice to have you, but are you really sure it's okay?

Yes.

Salas's face turned serious and he said to Akira.

Is it because you know you can make some profit from it? Despite the dangers, you act for profit?

Huh? Yes. Yes, something like that. After all, I want to get better equipment, so I need money now.

Akira sounded a little surprised, but he immediately tried to match his excuse with what Sarah had said.

Sarah didn't reply for a few seconds, then said to Akira with a smile.

I see, I see. But there's no need to be reckless, okay?

I understand.

Akira replied firmly.

Listening to Achillas's answer, Sara thought for a moment.

[This kid is really not good at lying. Or rather, he's not good at deceiving ordinary people, right? ]

Sa

a Confirm Aki

A didn't decide to make money with her.

Moreover, she guessed that he decided to come here to help her. While this may just be wishful thinking on her part, she doesn't have any evidence to refute.

Sa

A thought of Aki

A decides to set foot again where he almost lost his life to help her and Ele

Alas, she was both happy and pitiful. But even so, since she felt more happy than sad, she didn't make a sad face.

Sarah decides to use this feeling as motivation to get stronger and smiles.

Aki

A is working with SA

A talk while waiting for Ele

a Returned from negotiations.

Akira then asks Sarah a question.

I wonder how long it will take Miss Elena to finish?

It depends on the difficulty of the negotiation, so I don't really know myself. But I'm sure the chengguan also don't want to spend too much time negotiating just to send the team late. So I think it will be over before the afternoon, even if it means that the negotiations fail.

Fail? But it's not a request you can decline, right?

Basically, yes. This also means that there are exceptions. If they can't agree to our conditions anyway, then refuse to accept the request, even if it means we need to move our base of operations to another city. If I take an extreme example, they may only pay us a small amount of money, just to be expendable pawns. Well, I believe Ele

a will do her job properly so that nothing like that happens unless something unexpected happens.

The person Elena wants to negotiate with must be someone who is used to difficult negotiations. If it's him, Aki

a will be swept away by the tide of negotiation and forced to accept a very bad deal. Thinking so, he made a contradictory expression and muttered to himself.

Sounds rough.

That's why most hunters will hire someone else to handle the negotiations for them. As far as I'm concerned, Ele

A will do it for me, which is why I don't have to. Aki

A you're not good at negotiating, are you? In that case, it might be a good idea to hire someone to do it for you.

Well, I see, I'll think about it.

Akira felt that he was not such a good hunter and would not be involved in such troublesome negotiations, and he did not need someone to negotiate in his place. But someday, he might need one, so he remembered that for the time being.

In fact, Akira is already a person who can easily get into trouble. The reason why he didn't realize it himself was only because he had no scruples about killing people and didn't care about the troubles that might come with killing people. In the worst-case scenario, killing is okay, and this kind of thinking is a normal thing in a slum city.

Often, people try to find a way to solve problems peacefully, but Akira just ignores this way of thinking. Achillas had already engraved in his heart that the other party would always promise to look down on himself and his life, that there would be no chance of negotiation, and that there would be no compromise. It could also be for this reason, Aki

a Too lax for some.

Although Ming had escaped from the slums, his mind was still stuck somewhere in the slums, and he had no other way to protect himself than to kill.

This did cause him trouble in the past, but Akira always blamed it on his bad luck, or at least, he understood that when that happened, he reaped his own seed.

Sara then turned her gaze to the hunter's office. Elena was still there negotiating. Elena still didn't call, which shows how difficult her negotiations were there.

[As I thought, I bet they were arguing there.] ]

Sarah was well aware of the difficulties Elena might have, and she sighed as she imagined the scene of Elena trying her best to negotiate in the hunter's office.

From Maeda's abrupt change, Carroll immediately noticed that Maeda had given up on negotiations. Then she said with a smile to Maeda.

It may not matter, but I think it's a bad idea not to do anything until the home team is formed. At the very least, you can send some smaller squads forward, can you?

Maeda was stunned for a moment, thought about what this sentence meant, and then replied.

You're saying that we should use you as a scout and send you there so that the chengguan doesn't bother us temporarily? Even if you say that to me, I have no right to say the tactics used in this operation. Even if I had that right, it would be D

a

KAM should make the decision as a whole, not me alone. I can't let your team do something like this, after all, we need you to join the main squad, because in D

a

There aren't many hunters who are skilled enough to be sent to SE

a

THAL Building. Not to mention, I'm sure only hunters who have any grievances with this chain of command would want to join that scout team. First of all, we don't have hunters to make room for that squad, or at least,

Carol smiled mischievously.

So basically, if we have someone who has a problem with D

a

The strategy used by kam has a say, or at least someone with D

a

There's some connections at the top of KAM and we can do that, right?

Well, that's true, but

Maeda looked a little lost.

Carol then pulls out her messaging terminal to call someone. The person she was calling answered her almost immediately.

Carol, and now? You should be well aware that I'm really busy, right?

It was Shikabe, and he sounded in a bad mood, but unlike him, Carol was in a good mood.

Oh my gosh, I called you thinking I could help you, and you know are you sure you can do this to me?

What do you mean?

I'm actually looking for more hunters so that we can take requests from the city administration as a separate team. I'm sure you're having tough negotiations over there too, right? I bet you're panicking right now, because at this rate, you're going to be assigned to work under that Katsuya, right?

Carol was followed by a few seconds of silence. From that silence, she confirmed that her guess was correct.

Shika came from the Carlos information terminal

Abes' calm voice.

Why do you think so?

Because you're talking to me right now.

Ha?

Shika

Abe couldn't help but express her true feelings in that reaction. Hearing this, Carol continued with a smile.

The request from the management of Kumayama City is basically sent to the hunter who successfully hunted the bounty monster not long ago. But I'm willing to bet that for some reason, the hunters who were in your squad when you hunted the bounty monster won't be able to come to Miha Ruins at this moment. After all, if this were not the case, you would have chosen those hunters and already formed a team with them. I bet you're trying to find a replacement for those hunters, but at the moment you still can't find enough of them, right? After all, if you did, you would have been sent to the Seranthal building by now. If you've already made your way to the Seranthal building, it means the action is already underway and you won't be swept up in D

a

Kam's internal infighting over who should lead the squad, which means you're not going to answer my calls, right? But you didn't ignore my call. Since you can't go with the same team you went with at the time of the bounty, D

a

KAM must be trying to bring you into another team, for example, another team that has also successfully hunted bounty monsters. Then, the team that is already in the ruins of Miha is the team led by Katsuya. Since Derrankham can't afford to put off the demands of the chengguan, I bet that the officials of Drawham are pressuring you to join the Katsuya team, right? Another team that also managed to hunt bounty monsters. Then, the team that is already in the ruins of Miha is the team led by Katsuya. Since Derrankham can't afford to put off the demands of the chengguan, I bet that the officials of Drawham are pressuring you to join the Katsuya team, right? Another team that also managed to hunt bounty monsters. Then, the team that is already in the ruins of Miha is the team led by Katsuya. Since Derrankham can't afford to put off the demands of the chengguan, I bet that the officials of Drawham are pressuring you to join the Katsuya team, right?

After Carol finished speaking, Shikabe fell silent again.

Carroll's guess was absolutely correct. D

a

The upper echelons of the kam are moving towards Shika

Abe pressured to join the Katsuyas team.

The only thing Carol got wrong was Shika

ABES's actual plan. Carroll believes that as this continues, Shikabe will eventually break through under pressure from Dramakham and join Katsuya's team.

But in reality, Hakube has no intention of joining Katsuya's team anyway. If his only option was to join the Katsuya team, he would rather accept the request of the chengguan and go to the Serranthal building alone. But of course, he wants to avoid this, if he can, and that's why Shika

Abe is looking for more people for his team.

Shika

Abe sighed, as if to give up just like that, and asked Ca angrily

ol a question.

Yes, yes, you read that right. I'm more or less in this situation right now. So, how are you going to help me? I'm super busy right now, so I'm not going to take any stupid ideas, okay? So, tell me what you think.

Carol didn't bring the topic to Hakube because she wanted to help him. Shika

Abe himself is well aware that he also knows that Ca is owed

How dangerous is the debt of the OL. But he thought it was much better than working under Katsuya, so he decided to accept Carrolls' offer.

Carol then explains to him what she thinks, Shika

Abe recorded the plan in his head and analyzed it. He wasn't thinking about whether to take her advice, but whether he could. Then he finally came to a conclusion.

All right. I'll relay it to D

a

An officer from KAM who may agree with your plan. Tell you about any negotiators you're talking to right now, and get you in touch with someone from D

a

Kam's officer named Arabe talks.

Okay, I'll talk about that later.

Elena at least didn't show any displeasure as she said.

Never mind. I have nothing to complain about your suggestion.

Ele

The main goal of as is actually to avoid being in D

a

Kam's subordinates work, as it could put her in the same situation as the last time she accepted a request to hunt bounty monsters. Back then, Ele

a and sa

A Not only did she have to cover for the whole team, but she was also verbally abused for her incompetence and her bonus was deducted. And, if it happens again this time, it will affect not only her and Sarah, but also Akira and Carol. That's why Elena refuses to back down.

Of course, D

a

KAM has its own metrics to evaluate SA

a and ele

a, and Ele

a and sa

As appears to be performing much lower than D during the request

a

What KAM expects from them. So from D

a

From the perspective of the kams, they have no choice but to do what they have to do.

However, if this difference is fatal, it would be better if both of them stopped working together. It would be better if Dolancam hired other hunters who could accept Dolancam's evaluation.

At the same time, although Carol pushed for negotiations without her permission, Elena did not feel anything, but it was precisely because of this that Elena was able to achieve her main purpose. So she doesn't have any complaints about it.

Carol said with a smug smile at Elena.

If I think it's worth it to bring me here?

Although Elena was a little troubled by the way Carol behaved, she continued.

? Well, you're right, you've done a great favor. Thanks to you, it seems that we can avoid getting into trouble.

Can you tell Akira too?

Of course you can, but can you tell me why you want me to do this?

Since he has hired me now, it is to increase my value in his eyes. Since I'm useful, I want it to be normal for my employer to know that I'm doing well, right? After all, if Aki

A knows that I am useful, and he may pay me a lot of money later. So, will you do it for me?

While there are some things that still bother Elena, she also understands that Carol has a point in this regard. Originally, it was precisely because Elena did not agree with Derankham's evaluation of her that she did not want to negotiate with Derankham this time.

Of course, I would rightly ask Aki

a Convey this.

Carol smiled, thinking that if it wasn't heard from Carol herself, but from Elena, it would have made a better impression on Akira.

Are we really going to be okay?

Akira skipped most of the details in his question, but Carol answered it immediately, looking relaxed.

I think it's going to be fine. As it stands, I'm sure the line will hold when we explore the interior of the Celerantal building, and I'm sure the road won't be filled with monsters on our way back from that building. Although it was difficult for the team sent by the city management to secure the road to the Serantal Mansion, once the supply line was secured, they should be able to hold out for the time being.

Most of the equipment used by the squad on the road leading to the Seranthal building was transported from the parking lot of the hunter's office via the road leading to the Seranthal building that they had just secured. As long as this path is secured, the Hunter's Office should be able to gain the upper hand for the time being.

What's more, they also plan to send out the main squad later, so I'm sure they'll keep the road safe. So as long as nothing bad happens, I'm sure they'll be able to scout SE in us

a

Thal building while ensuring the safety of the road.

Akira looked at the squad guarding the avenue and felt that they did indeed look incredibly strong. Then he muttered to himself.

Wouldn't it be faster if they just sent these people instead of waiting for a team of hunters?

Carol smiled wryly and looked at Akira, who found this kind of thing strange.

Cost?

Yes. The real problem is the cost, it's basically cheaper to hire us, hunters. It's just my guess, but I think that team is part of the city defense team. So I'm sure some of it comes from the interior walls. Those who came from the inner wall should have gone through a certain amount of education and additional training before being sent to the outside of the inner wall. Basically, they have spent a lot of money since the day they were born. So if the chengguan sent them to a dangerous place like the Seranthal Mansion and killed them, it would cause huge economic losses to the city. Not to mention, if they have a family, then the city administration needs to pay an annuity. If they have insurance, the city should pay for it as well.

Seeing Carol say this, Akira smiled slightly, sighed and said.

So basically that's because it's cheaper to send it to us, hehe. And the remuneration they paid for us is a lot of money in our opinion, which is too little compared to the money that the city management team may lose by sending out the city defense team.

Yes, basically that's the gist of it. If I were to add anything, it would probably be the reason why they have not paid so much attention to the construction of the Seranthal until now. Mihazo

o There are a lot of things in the ruins with Se

a

Ghost stories about thal building, and then many hunters died in this ruin, I bet it's also because of Se

a

Thal Architecture. This ruin might have become safer if they had just destroyed that building, but they wouldn't have done so because it would mean losing all the Old World relics inside that building. Understandably, they didn't intend to kill the goose that might lay golden eggs, and even if the goose turned into a monster that could kill everyone around it, as long as it kept laying golden eggs, they would be extremely unlikely to kill it.

Akira sighed, the expression on her face conflicted.

Well, hunters will risk their lives to go to the wasteland only when they know it's worth it.

Akira understands the reasoning and even agrees with some of it. If the corporate government decides to destroy that building, there will be opposition from the people who make the profits from there. But even so, there was a part of Akira that Akira couldn't help but care about, and it showed in his face.

Carol said with a giggle.

If you don't like the way they treat you as if your life is worthless, you should work on increasing the value of your life.

More precisely, what do you think I should do?

You can continue to make more money. This is the East End and we are hunters. If you're alive, you can make so much money that corporate government doesn't want to lose people like you, and if you're strong enough to make that much money, corporate government will be more careful. Dealing with you, for better or for worse.

Akira smiled wryly.

I still have a long way to go, hehe.

That's the way it is, especially for us hunters. Since we are risking our lives to work, it is not enough to make others respect us. We need to constantly show the results and get enough money to risk our lives. Of course, the more money we collect, the more valuable our lives become.

Akira understood what Carol was talking about. He agreed with her. But he can't laugh it off like Carol does.

Seriously, it sounds rough.

Alpha said with a smile.

Don't worry, it'll be fine. You have my back, and by the time you complete my request, you'll be strong enough that the corporate government won't be able to treat your life as worthless. Basically, you just have to be strong enough and everything will work out. So leave it to me.

You're right, I'll count on you.

Although Ming felt that what Alpha said was not exactly the same as what he said, he still calmly replied.

Se

a

The squad around the thal building is named after Se

a

The Thal building forms an encirclement around the center. They set up some sort of defense line to make sure that no monsters could enter that encirclement, and also to make sure that the monsters that came out of that building didn't escape the encirclement.

As Elena and her team approached one of the squads, a soldier waved at them for them to stop. As they did so, the soldier approached the vehicle at the front.

The vehicle at the front is Shika

abes。 This time Shika

Abe didn't take his APC with him, but with Aki

a and sa

A is driving another wasteland vehicle. Shika

The side of the abes vehicle is painted with a huge D

a

KAM tag.

Shika

ABE then said to the soldier.

If the reconnaissance team is sent to the Seranthal building, let's get over.

They have already introduced us to your team. Excuse me, can you continue with your legs? This defensive wall takes a lot of time to build, close, and open. You can park your car there.

After listening to the soldier's explanation, Shikabe looked serious. The defensive wall installed in that place was not the same as the one his team had worn through this morning. It was a solid defensive wall, and there were not even openings through which vehicles could pass.

This area is so dangerous, can you only use this defensive wall?

I don't know. But after the Seranthal building was secured, we were told to use the building as a second base for this ruin. So you can think of this wall as a defensive wall on second base.

There are so many people, isn't it faster for you to go first, at least hold the first floor of that building?

As he spoke, the soldier was visibly displeased.

Let's take a break, shall we? Even if it was an order from the Master, I wasn't going to go to a place where the chengguan or even sent hunters who had successfully killed bounty monsters in the past, you know. That's your job in the first place, isn't it? So don't throw it at us.

Those soldiers were actually sent by the civilian military contractors of Jiujiushan City, and they were not part of the city's defense team, nor were they hunters like Akira and Hakube who often hunted relics in the wasteland. They are basically people who are specifically responsible for guarding bases and similar facilities.

And those men looked at the hunter with fear and awe.

They were not wrong about the impression of the hunter. But in order to make such an impression on hunters, they must be educated enough, which means that they have lived a safe life until now and have spent a lot of money on education. Some people who cannot afford this luxury, become hunters, and then slowly get used to the dangers they face on a daily basis, distorting their sense of danger, which in turn gives them an excuse to face even greater dangers.

On the other hand, it would not be wrong to say that hunters are a gathering place for those with a broken sense of danger. Moreover, in the eyes of those soldiers, the hunter who hunts the bounty monster of his own will is the craziest of the madmen. So, in their opinion, Aki

a、Shika

abe、Ele

a、Sa

A, along with the other hunters, are basically the craziest of the mad hunters. Strictly speaking, they are not wrong to think that way.

Shika

Abe explained the situation to the other hunters, and then they decided to tell Se

a

Thal building to walk.

When they were ready, they passed through a small opening in the siege net, and one of the soldiers who saw them off said to the other.

They were carrying two boys, but they were both hunters who managed to kill bounty monsters, right?

I bet they're from D

a

kam。 I'm sure you've heard that there was a guy in that gang who was particularly skilled, and I heard that the guy managed to hunt down the bounty monster. So one of them could be the boy.

Ah, since you mentioned it, I did hear it too. I guess that must be the one with that gear that looks expensive, but who is the other boy?

I don't know. In any case, it doesn't matter. Other than that, I really want to come back to the city. Why were we sent to this place?

I heard that some bigwigs of the city management are going to negotiate with Seranta Mansion or something. So here is basically to make sure it's safe, and that's why they're going to do everything in their power to protect that building, and if possible, even make that building a second base.

Are they seriously considering doing something similar in this situation?

Yes, even in this case, they are thinking about doing something similar. So in order to ensure that their plan could go smoothly and not let the big man be killed, they sent more troops than usual, basically as part of the operation.

I don't know how good that big man is, but his neck really hurts. The ruins are more dangerous than usual now, and the guy should postpone his plans or something.

If I'm not mistaken, he is Yanagisawa, the head of the long-term strategy department? Well, from our case, he's basically a great guy, so the corporate government can't say no to him.

It's heartache, I really hope that those at the top can understand our suffering on the battlefield.

Then they continue to complain that the person is the main reason they were sent there, while being watched.

After passing through the encirclement, Team Elenus cautiously approached the Thranthal building. Everywhere they walked, the remains of dead monsters and the corpses of hunters were scattered. Once they reached the entrance of the building and made sure that no monsters had spawned from the entrance, they finally stepped into the building of Thranthal.

Se

a

The ground floor of the Thal building is basically a large atrium hall with some reception desks. Akira looked around the hall and tilted her head. The inside of the hall is unnaturally clean. Although there are some bullet holes in the ceiling and walls, and some rubble scattered throughout the hall, there are no dead monsters, and no dead hunters.

While exploring the interior of the building, Alpha suddenly said to Akira.

Aki

A, I'm sorry, I need to leave you for a while.

Huh?

Don't worry, I'll be back right away. I also didn't notice any monsters around, so there was nothing to worry about.

As soon as she finished speaking, the image of Alpha disappeared from Aquilas's vision.

Α？

Akira didn't respond when she called out to her. Akira could also feel that her reinforcement suit had suddenly become heavy, and the reading of the information collector had deteriorated slightly. Those two prove that he has lost the support of Alpha.

Akira could feel the tension creeping up inside him.

[Calm down.] She said there were no monsters around and that the shells would be back soon. It's okay, calm down. 】

Akira tried to take a slow, deep breath to calm herself. Akira now has the ability to analyze his current situation and calm his nerves.

The other hunters had noticed the subtle change, but now that they had heard that Akira had almost been killed on his last trip to the Seran Tower, they thought he was going to the Seran Tower again, so they were nervous.

Elena then gave orders to her team.

According to me from Aki

a and ca

ol What we hear there, the sensitivity of our information-gathering devices may decrease as we go deeper into the building. So be sure to keep an eye on your info-gathering device, check if the readings are starting to get worse, make sure it's still connected to my info-gathering device. Since I've also heard that even local connections can be affected, you may lose connection to other information-gathering devices if the signal becomes really bad. Finally, check if you can still see SE in your info-gathering device

a

Map of the Thal building as well as the location of other hunters.

Aki

A can see Se shown on his goggles

a

Map of the Thal building and the results of the surrounding scans. This is the data he received from Elena. They have set up their information-gathering devices to be in order to do so when they leave the HU

te

Office branches were previously able to exchange information with each other.

Akira then glanced at Carol, who didn't use any equipment to display additional information. Aki

A thinks it's strange and points to her goggles at Ca

ol asks a question.

Carol, are you sure you can do without using anything?

Carol replied with a confident smile on her face.

My body is actually an augmentation, so basically my two eyes are also groomed eyes. That's why I don't need to use something like this.

Is that so?

Akira stared deeply into one of Carol's eyes. Carol looked back at Akira and smiled smugly.

Does it look like normal eyes?

Well, that's because it's made of some kind of nanomaterial that mimics biological tissue. So what do you think? It's amazing, isn't it?

Like I said, it looks just like the average eye.

Don't you think it has a different sheen?

Since you mentioned it, there might be some no, I'm not so sure? Well.

Akira let out a long snort. From another angle, Akira and Carol seem to be looking deeply at each other.

Akira, are you done checking?

Ah, yes, I'm sorry. I haven't done it yet.

Akira replied in a panic, only then did he realize that Sarah also had a strengthened body like Carol. He noticed that she was also not wearing goggles, just like Carol.

and CA

ol the same, Aki

A also points to SA

a's goggles ask the same question.

Sarasan, don't you need to wear goggles either? Carol's eyes seemed to have changed.

Huh? Ah, about that, huh? Ele

A and I'm actually using it.

Sarah finally understood Achillas's problem, and then gestured to a hair ornament she was using. Seeing this, Akira tilted her head in confusion. Sara then explained with a smile.

It's basically a mini display device. The stereoscopic holograms it projected were just a few millimeters in front of my eyes.

Akira looked even more confused than she had been.

Put it in the sa

Is it really okay to have a hair on A? Does it really look unstable? Does it cause the image to move a lot and be difficult to see?

Never mind. The image itself doesn't wobble at all, so it's easy to read the information projected in that image. I can also simply move it out of my sight when it's blocking my view. It's really convenient because I can control it with my line of sight.

What kind of technology do they use to make something like this?

I don't know. To be honest, I don't know anything about this technology. But the manual says it's based on some kind of old-world technology. So I'm sure the researchers are doing their best to answer the same question.

I get it.

Achillas' expression changed from confusion to affirmation. More precisely, he has actually given up on asking the question. The technology of the old world can solve such problems in one go in one sentence.

There are others who ask the same questions as Akira, and that's perfectly understandable. Even the gifted people of the Eastern Side have been bred to spend time researching this kind of thing, but they still don't have enough knowledge to fully understand the mechanics behind it. That's what old-world technology means.

As soon as Jing heard the word holographic, it reminded him of the holographic girl he had seen the last time he came. He scanned the hall again, but still didn't find the hologram.

She's not here.

Sa

A asked Aki with a tilt of his head

a。

What's wrong?

It's just that when you mention the word holographic, I think of something.

Carol immediately understood what Akira was talking about, and glanced around.

You're right, she's not here.

Ele

A finally realizes Aki

a is looking for AI to manage the building. From the information she's gathered, a hologram would welcome anyone into the building. But she didn't see anything like that at the moment.

Se

a

Thal, the artificial intelligence that manages this building, eh? I was actually thinking that maybe we could gather some information from her about the current state of the ruins. But it seems like we can't, hehe. Aki

A, don't just stand there looking for that AI, is your check done?

J - a little more.

Akira panicked and returned her gaze to the information terminal. The alpha is gone, and it can only be adjusted manually. After testing a few settings, he knew it would only make the reading worse, so he dropped the settings and went back to them.

Shika

Abe was adjusting his information-gathering device when he suddenly turned to Ele

A asked a question.

By the way, how did you get this map of the interior of the Seranthal building? It's not from D

a

KAM's data, right? Did you get it yourself before you came?

Carol immediately interjected and answered Shika

ABES's problem.

That map is actually mine.

Shika

ABE looked a little surprised.

Are you sure you're okay? If it originally came from you, it means that it came from one of the pieces of information protected by a naming license, so you can't share it freely, right? Don't tell me you're going to use this to get everyone's rewards for yourself.

Carol replied with an expression of offense at the remark.

Oh my gosh, you say that while I'm providing this data for free for everyone's safety, it's rude for you to say that. Don't you think so, Akira?

When Carol suddenly pulls him into that conversation, Akira is surprised.

Huh? Ah, well, it's great to have this map. Thank you.

Shikabe said, still looking at Carol with distrustful eyes.

My fault, I didn't grow up in an environment where you could trust free things that were given purely out of kindness. Moreover, I know how precious the map of the architecture of the Seranthal is, not something that can be said to be cheap. When did you first become a kind person?

Akira also grew up in such an environment. So when Shika

When ABE pointed this out, he also began to be suspicious.

Carol noticed the subtle change and immediately tried to explain her reason to Shikabe.

Oops, you're so rude. You know, I'm going to do at least a lot to help the person who helped me out of my past fatal situation and the friends he trusted. Well, if I really need to say anything to convince you, it's basically a map when the ruins are still in their normal state. What's more, the remnants of the old world often change so abruptly in such a short period of time. And even if the interior of the Seranthal building hasn't changed that much, it's no surprise that after all the battles between hunters and monsters that have taken place in this building, you know. Because of this, the map before the ruins state change should have been significantly reduced by now. And, once we catch up with our main squad and hold the building, I'm sure they'll release the latest version of the map. And when that happens, the value of this map will be even lower. That's why I decided to share it for free, do you get the idea now?

Carol didn't try to convince him and Shika

abe speaks, even Shika

ABEs know this. On the other hand, Hakube also understood from there that no matter what she was up to, Carol would not cause any trouble in that request.

Shika

As long as the ABE doesn't get him in trouble, it's basically not interested. As a result, he signaled to Carroll that he had no plans to pursue the issue further.

I see, I understand now, I'm sorry to doubt you.

As long as you get it now, you're good to go.

Shika

ABE and CA

ol then smiles at each other as if they were talking to each other telepathically and ended their conversation there.

Carol shared the map data not only for her own safety, but also to sell favor to Elena and Sarah and win Achillas's trust. Therefore, she can't let Shika

Abe her plans. That's why she said that to Hakube.

Carol then glanced at Akira, who, according to her plan, seemed to no longer suspect her.

Ele

a then said to everyone, especially to Shika

abe。

If you're ready, should we go now? And, don't allow yourself to cause any unnecessary quarrels.

I'm sorry about that. I'm ready, let's go.

Elena then looked at the other hunters, and Akira nodded slightly, signaling that she was ready.

Akira regained her mind, her whole body tensed. Alpha wasn't there yet, so he had to rely on his own skills to follow behind Elena and the other old hunters. He reminded himself not to slow down the other hunters.

I'm back, do you miss me?

Aki

AS's determination was immediately wasted. Alpha reappeared in his field of vision, and she smiled mischievously at him.

If Aki

A must be honest and he will have to answer Alphas' question with a "yes". So to avoid this, he asked Alpha a question instead.

Where have you been?

No big deal, just a little thing I need to do. It's nothing to worry about.

If it's really not that important, don't do it anymore. Where do you think I am now?

That's not what I said. At least this thing requires me to leave you for a while just to do it. I don't mind telling you the details, but in order to do that, I need to tell you all the application conditions, which takes about 30 hours of verbal explanation, and then I need to make sure you understand it, and then I still need your permission afterward. So, what else do you want to know?

No, thanks.

Think so.

Alpha smiled happily after getting the reaction she had expected from Akira.

Silavian: Such a blatant lie. What conditions apply? Why do you need all this? He can turn it into a ping-pong conversation and just ask what he wants to know.