The Price of the Two Beasts

When Shiba walked towards the woman in the corner, the latter also recognized Shiba, but she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Due to her job, she could easily recognize the beasts that Shiba hunted.

It was difficult to believe that Shiba alone managed to hunt those two. After all, she knew that Shiba was a Level 3 Mortal, and those two were difficult even for Level 4 Mortals. In fact, due to their extreme attributes, they were troublesome even for Level 5 Mortals.

"I brought these two today."

Shiba left the big beast on the ground and gave the small one to the woman in front of him.

"You really went hunting these two? Do you know that they are among the most difficult Level 4 Beasts?"

Although it wasn't impossible to hunt a beast stronger than oneself, usually, that would be limited to one and then return. It was abnormal to return with two that surpassed one's level when hunting without help.

"Really? I didn't know. These two grouped together to attack me, so I went all out to battle them."

Those were the first two beasts of that level that Shiba had seen, so he considered that all beasts of that level were the same.

"Together? You aren't joking, right?"

If it weren't because Shiba looked too tired to be joking, she would have thought that the other party was lying.

"It is true. Is that strange?"

Shiba didn't expect that two beasts would collaborate. Even if he met several beasts, he expected that they would be competing, but those two were clearly working together.

"Strange? No, these two are known for collaborating whenever they can. It doesn't happen too much, but it isn't strange. However, even a Level 6 Mortal will choose to flee due to being unable to beat them when they are collaborating. You are just a Level 3 Mortal and killed both of them... Are you really just a Level 3 Mortal?"

The woman felt it difficult to believe. If Shiba were to say that he advanced to level 4 Mortal, she would believe it, but there was no way she would believe something like having advanced to Level 7 Mortal in one go.

To hunt those two beasts when they were collaborating, one needed to be at least a Level 7 Mortal.

"I am still at the same level, but I developed a new skill and reached the expert stage in swordsmanship, which allowed me to win."

Shiba felt that what he did wasn't that exceptional, so he just spoke about it without thinking too much.

"Developed a new skill? Expert stage in swordsmanship?"

The woman felt that she had heard something unbelievable.

After all, for someone like Lina, Shiba's age to reach the expert stage in swordsmanship wasn't something exceptional, but in Border Town, reaching the expert stage in swordsmanship at thirteen was something that only a monster could do.

As for developing a new skill, she had only heard that the Lord of the town had accomplished it, and he was still boasting of it.

Moreover, it didn't seem that Shiba was bragging at all. He spoke of it as if it were something normal. It was easy to see that he didn't consider it something exceptional, nor he knew what implied what he had done.

"Yes. Is there any problem with it?"

That wasn't the first time that Shiba developed a skill, so he really believed that everyone could do the same without too much difficulty as long as they put some effort into it.

The same applied to the expert stage in swordsmanship. He had only met one person with it, but it was in a town that was extremely poor, and without a single person knowing a skill, so he considered that in a big town it should be far easier to reach.

If Shiba was in a big city, reaching the expert stage in swordsmanship at his age wouldn't be surprising, but for people at Border Town, it was an unbelievable feat.

"Problem? No, there isn't any problem. Let me appraise the beasts first."

She believed that Shiba was exceptionally talented but lacked knowledge. Thus, she was making plans to aid him.

She felt that Shiba had the potential to become as strong as the Lord of the town, and it was always good being on the good side of someone with potential.

"Although the deaths aren't as smooth as that of the previous beast you hunted, these two are exceptionally difficult, and they aren't in that bad state either, so I can still give you the max price for them. Ten silver coins."

For strange and difficult to hunt beasts, the Beast Hunter Guild was more lenient towards the state of the deceased beasts.

"Ten silver coins for both?"

Shiba felt that it was a lot of money. He couldn't believe he made that much money at once.

"What? Of course not, I am not a scammer. Ten silver coins for each one."

The woman felt that if the one attending Shiba had a bit of malice, he would be easily scammed. Of course, if someone working inside the Beast Hunter Guild dared to scam a Beast Hunter, their only fate would be to die once they were discovered.

"For each one... Twenty silver coins for both?"

Shiba was already happy with the ten silver coins, but then he discovered that it was double, so he was incredibly excited.

"Take the money, you deserve it."

If the hunted beasts weren't well-paid, no one would be willing to risk their lives to be a Beast Hunter. If it were a Level 3 Beast, a silver coin would be the limit, but it increased ten times for a Level 4 Beast.

"Thank you."

Shiba received the money while thinking about how to use it properly.

He felt that it would be good to find swords of better quality, but at the same time, he didn't want to use the money too quickly.

"May I ask if there is a method to carry the deceased beasts in an easier way?"

Shiba wanted to ask that from the start. It was problematic carrying big beasts with him.

"An easier way? You can group with more people to carry it together or even buy a carriage, but this also needs more people. If you are alone, the only answer is a spatial artifact like a spatial ring, but as far as I know, only the Lord of the town has one."

That was quite a typical worry for beast hunters, but they could only group together to solve it. Departing in big groups meant less money for each of them, but they could hunt more and transport it without that much difficulty. Moreover, they were also safer. Of course, that was only assuming that no one would betray the rest of the group.

"The Lord of the town?"

If it were a matter of money, Shiba planned to save it until having enough, but he didn't think that he could meet the Lord of the town, even less buy that spatial ring from him.

"Yes, he has a spatial ring. If you want, I will bring you to meet him. Since he is also the guild master of the Beast Hunter Guild, I am sure that he would be glad to meet a young talent like you."

She wanted to bring Shiba to the Lord of the town from the moment she noticed his talent, so she felt that it was a good chance.

As for the Lord of the town selling his spatial ring, she didn't think something like that was possible, and Shiba's money wouldn't be enough to afford it anyway.

However, she felt that it would be great if the Lord of the town could accept Shiba as a disciple. She believed that it would be good for Shiba and that she would also be rewarded for it.

Of course, there was no way she knew that Shiba wouldn't accept to be the disciple of someone else since he already acknowledged Master Liye. It didn't matter the benefits he would get; he was absolutely loyal to Master Liye for saving his life.

No matter what others could offer him, no one would be able to match Master Liye, who saved his life without any obligation to do it.

Since Master Liye said that it was fate, Shiba believed it. Thus, he wouldn't accept becoming the disciple of someone else.

Of course, Shiba had no idea about what the woman was planning, so he accepted the offer without hesitation.

"It will be my honor to meet the Lord of the town."

Seeing that Shiba accepted, the woman felt relieved. She feared that Shiba would be too scared to meet someone that important. After all, although he was a beast hunter, he was still too young, and the Lord of the town was someone all the young ones venerated.

Of course, Shiba knew almost nothing of that Lord of the town, so he didn't have any veneration towards him. He respected the Lord of the town for his job of protecting the town, but nothing else.

"Follow me. I will bring you there right now. Bring someone to pick this big beast and inform the others that I am going to see the guild master."

Leading Shiba to the guild master could also be considered a part of her job since it would benefit the guild if Shiba became stronger, given what he accomplished being just a Level 3 Mortal.

The others didn't know her reasons, but no one had the guts to disturb the guild master without a proper reason, so no one tried to stop her.

As she left the Beast Hunter Guild, Shiba followed her.

He was really curious to see how that Lord of the town looked.