So this chapter is quite long overdue, which is because of several reasons. Firstly, I have been incredibly busy with assignments and as such, had little time to write. Second, I have recently been working hard on my own original story which took up a lot of my creativity, which is tied to my third reason which is the fact that I have also recently begun into a hobby of drawing art.

That aside, I do hope you guys enjoy this chapter even if I am not 100% satisfied with it (got a bit burned out).

Chapter 20

…

Early morning in Dundorma…

It was odd for him to not be immediately ready for the upcoming mission. In all her years fighting by his side, Julius had never once been late to a pre-mission meet. He was a very punctual man, devoted to his job, and was often seen as a very strict man. Seras considered it odd that he was late, thus leading her to find him.

She later found him by the barracks, standing there with a hand around his chin. He looked deep in thought. "Julius?" she called out. The man jumped slightly and turned his head to her.

"Oh, Seras! You surprised me."

Seras's keen eyes – one that could easily spot even an invisible Chameleos – had not failed to register the worried look on his face. "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing of importance I assure y-" He stopped once Seras narrowed her eyes at him. He sighed, knowing how perceptive she was. "I just…I'll admit I have a bad feeling about this mission. And if worse comes to worst, I don't know how Aiden will react."

Seras walked over to him and rubbed his back reassuringly. "Don't worry about him. I'm sure he's doing fine over at the New World. I mean, weren't you the one who gave the voice of approval for him to join the Fifth Fleet? Mind you, a fleet that only the best of the best is allowed to join?"

Julius blinked twice before chuckling, rubbing his white hair. "Yeah, I guess I forgot. Still, I can't help but worry for him you know? He's still very young and impulsive. Remember when he just charged in towards the Kushala Daora and would have gotten himself killed if it weren't for him?"

Seras shuddered slightly at the memory. For a second, she wondered where he was now. "I'm sure you're aware that Aiden has grown these past few years. Plus, with the addition of a Handler, he definitely knows his limits. So just have faith in him alright?"

Though hesitant, Julius eventually acquiesces. "I suppose so."

Catherine's house…

It was very early in the morning and Catherine had been woken up by the rustling sound of armor. She stood by the doorway, covering her bare body with the duvet and watched him make preparations to leave by the foyer. "You're leaving already?"

"Unfortunately," Edmond replied, polishing his swords. "We were told to leave as soon as possible as to not attract too much attention."

"I see…"

The former Guild Knight noticed his lover's downcast expression. He approached her and held her cheek with one hand. She leaned into his touch. "I'll come back. I promise," he said softly, rubbing his thumb against her cheek.

"And if you break that promise? If you die and leave me- no, leave us?" Instinctively, she touched her stomach, hopeful that their activities from before would bear fruit.

Edmond lowered a hand to her waist and pulled her closer to a tight embrace. She didn't care how cold the metal felt against her bare skin. She couldn't bear to lose him, especially not after what they had just done. "This mission is not right. I hate how I can't join you and instead, I'm stuck here in the city. I for one would be glad to die by your side if the situation calls for it."

The man held her shoulders tightly. "Don't think like that. It's not right for someone like to lay down your life for a man like me. I want you to live, to continue on with your life. With or without me."

"But my life is meaningless without you!" cried out Catherine in renewed anguish.

The look she gave him began to create doubt within his mind. A part of him knew it wouldn't be right to leave a potentially pregnant woman behind, one that is unmarried no less! As soon as the thought popped into his mind, Edmond knew what to do next, even if it would further break her heart. He let go of her…and kneeled down onto one knee. Catherine's eyes widened. What is he-

"Then…I would like to marry you." He held her hand and kissed it lovingly. "Catherine Sawyer, it would make me the happiest man alive if you are to be my wife, and I your husband. I don't have a ring yet but once I come back, we'll marry. I swear to you on this." He held a fist against his chest. "Hunter's honor."

Catherine hated how he could make a woman like her feel so vulnerable. "W-Why?"

He chuckled sheepishly. "It wouldn't sit well with me if I didn't do it and…at the very least I'll go without regrets."

So, you've accepted the fact that you might die. "…Don't do this. This is not something you're obligated to do." The words died in her throat as she opened her mouth a fraction to speak more of her thoughts, of how cruel he would be to leave a pregnant woman alone.

"But I want to." He stood up and clasped his hands over hers. "Will you not give me the honor of marrying one of Dundorma's finest warriors?"

The more Catherine thought about, the more his proposal added more weight to her heart. In another life, she would have been glad to marry him, sire his children, and live out the rest of their lives in peace. But this wasn't such a peaceful world. They both had jobs and titles to keep and in a world full of danger like this, it wouldn't have been possible.

"You're a cruel bastard…" she finally muttered quietly.

"I know," he confessed.

That's supposed to be my line! Biting her lip, she stepped forward and tentatively rested her head against his shoulder. "…Alright. I accept your proposal," she said, her words muffled. She felt him wrap an arm around her.

"Thank you."

Later she watched with a heavy heart as Edmond bid her farewell and went to meet up with his new squad. They left Dundorma minutes later and she watched as their airship disappeared into the clouds.

Come back here safely…please.

Rowan never believed in fate. However, as of now, he seriously doubted whether or not the gods above were toying with him.

"H-Hey…" the hunter awkwardly greeted the three familiar faces he came across on his way to the Dundorma hall. Hanzo gave him a quick nod while Pip waved smiled brightly. Hilda on the other hand opted to keep quiet. It was equally as awkward for her as it was for him.

"Hey, you three." Romero looked around in confusion. "Where's glasses?"

Hanzo shook his head. "He had some urgent family business. With what happened last night, it would seem that all the surviving noble families are in a state of disarray."

"I see. And what are you three doing now?"

"We are just about to make our way to the hall to choose a quest."

Romero's eyes lit up and he grinned cheekily. "Well how about taking Rowan along with you!"

The aforementioned person turned to his brother, mortified. 'Are you insane!' he mouthed out wordlessly. Romero laughed.

"What do you say, Hilda? I think having my brother join you in this hunt would make an interesting experience don't you think?"

"Definitely!" Pip answered. Hanzo nodded as well. The Palico jumped onto Hilda's shoulder and playfully ruffled her hair. "C'mon! It will be fun!"

"Get off!" Hilda complained, a semblance of a grin forming around the edges of her mouth. She sighed and gently placed Pip onto the ground. "Fine, I guess we could go on one hunt."

"And you brother?"

Despite his initial hesitance, Rowan knew he couldn't pass up on this opportunity. "…That would be great."

Around the same time…

Eris was not in a good mood.

She had been on her way for another visit to Siegfried in his cell when a Guild official called her over to, citing that all the noble families are to attend under the orders of the Guild. As much as Eris wanted to protest, she knew refusing orders from the Guild is equivalent to escaping prison. So, when she sat there alongside the representatives of the surviving families (she also spotted Luca in the same room with an equally disinterested face) and Guild officials as they discussed the resulting economy, politics amongst other things, the huntress suppressed the urge to yawn as shouts, cries, and arguments filled the room. None of them bothered to ask for her opinion and frankly, she didn't care. Why even force me to attend if you're just going to ignore me?

In truth, she wouldn't bat an eye if any of the noble families, including hers, were to fall. As far as she knew, the Havencroft name died the moment disaster struck her family. The huntress never once believed in the privileges of being nobility. To her, a person's significance was never determined by status, rather their individual qualities. It was about time the nobility got what they deserved.

When the meeting ended, Eris immediately sat up and exited the room, ignoring the calls of the others. She couldn't stand being in the same room with those people for another minute.

The moment Eris found out visitation hours were over until the next few hours, Eris uncharacteristically muttered out a loud curse, attracting the attention of the nearby customers. She sighed and resumed her meal in silence. Damn it his behavior is rubbing off on me… The thought of her now locked up partner brought forth unfamiliar feelings within her. She clutched her chest, wondering why.

But the huntress wasn't a fool and she immediately knew what these feelings were.

I can't believe it…I actually care about that idiot. More than I can realize. But could she make the first move? Did she have the guts to outright tell him that she wanted to be more than just partners?

Cursing loudly once more, the huntress stood up abruptly and left to clear her mind, hoping that a quick hunt would rid her internal woes.

…

Dundorma hall, several minutes later…

"Well look who it is."

Eris audibly groaned, turning to face the two familiar hunters. "What is it?"

"We just want to talk to you," Amber said.

Eris rolled her eyes and rested her head against her arm on the table. "Hurry up then. I don't have all day."

They quickly settled themselves on the opposite side of the table as Jason called for the Felyne waiter to bring the alcohol.

Eris shook her head. "I don't drink sorry."

Once the drinks arrived, Amber leaned forward slightly, clasping her hands together. "I'll just cut to the chase…What is your relationship with Siegfried?"

For the umpteenth time, the huntress sighed in response to this same question. "We are just hunting partners. Nothing more, nothing less."

"I call bullshit." Jason quickly interjected.

"Oh, for the love of- Is this matter really important?

Amber shot a quick glare at her brother. "Look, we just want to know if you're the right person for him. After all the things that happened to him, we're afraid he'll get hurt again so we want to see if you're worthy of his attention."

Eris blinked twice, surprised at the woman's words. At that moment, her doubts vanished. They really do care about him. She smiled reassuringly at them. "Do not worry. I'll keep him in check."

At her words, Amber grinned appreciatively. She stood up and held her hand out. "As long as you keep your word, then I think we can get along. So, what do you say? Truce?"

I don't recall us being enemies but… Eris shook her hand. "Just don't get in my way."

Amber responded by gripping Eris's hand harder. "I won't."

"My sister may approve of you, but I don't," Jason said, crossing his arms. Amber groaned.

"Brother, I keep telling you! I'm over him already!" But her protests went ignored as Jason abruptly stood up and walked away.

"Did I do something to offend him?"

Amber sighed. "It's nothing…"

"Let me guess…it's because I supposedly 'stole' Siegfried from you?"

"…Something like that. The thing is I-I-I loved Siegfried and I still do until now." Amber confessed, swirling her drink, a wistful expression on her face. Eris wasn't surprised, seeing that she had overheard their conversation though she won't tell them that. "I'll admit, seeing him look so comfortable and happy around you made me very jealous. I wished he looked at me the same way he looks at you."

Look at me? Is she implying that- Eris remained silent as Amber continued to speak.

"It hurt when he left us, and it hurt even more after seeing him again after so long. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that maybe I should move on as well. It is not right to cling to the past. That's why I hope you'll be the one for him. I want you to fix what we failed to do all those years ago."

Eris knew exactly the meaning of her words. "I will." Just then, a hand slammed a piece of paper onto the table, startling the two women.

"Hunt with us."

Eris looked up at Jason, frowning. "Excuse me?"

"You will hunt with us on this quest. If you can prove yourself capable then I shall have no more problems with you."

"And if I refuse?" Eris challenged, standing up to equal their height difference. Surprisingly, Jason stood as tall as her compared to Siegfried who was a head taller.

"Then we're seriously going to have a problem," Jason threatened, clenching his fists.

Empty threats, Eris thought. She wasn't the slightest bit intimidated, not after all she had been through. She felt the urge to show him firsthand who the superior hunter was.

Luckily, before things could escalate, a figure pushed the two apart.

"Break it up you two! God, I walk in here, and the first thing I see you two about to go at each other's throats." To their surprise, it was none other than Romero who arrived.

"Oh, it's you."

"Hello, again Ice Queen."

"What did you just-"

"Anyway, what seems to be the problem?" Amber sighed and began explaining to him the issue. Romero hummed and nodded in understanding before turning his attention towards Eris and Jason, who continued to glare at each other. He picked up the quest paper and scrutinized it closely before quickly coming to a conclusion. "Alright, since this is a quest to slay a Seltas Queen how about this. If you're so adamant on Eris proving herself then how about having her fight the queen herself?"

"Hey, do I get a say in this?!" Eris protested.

"What are you scared? You? Puh-leeze! Even Siegfried was able to slay a Yian Garuga and with piss-weak gear no less!"

Me, lose to Siegfried?! No way in hell! Eris would never back down from a challenge, especially one with her pride on the line. "Fine!"

Somewhere in the desert…

Hilda opened her map as they arrived at a large area filled with sandhills and rocks. "According to my map and the Wyverian airship, the monster should be right around-"

Suddenly, the ground began to tremble and shake. The hunters knew immediately what to expect. Moments later, a massive shape shot out of the sand like a catapult before coming to a stop.

"-here."

The hunters quickly took cover behind the sandhill as the massive horned wyvern cautiously looked around the area before proceeding to munch on the cacti in front of it. Thankfully, the beast has poor eyesight, rendering it unable to spot the hunters lying in wait.

Hilda made several gestures with her hands, signaling the time to commence the plan they discussed back at camp. Pip nodded in confirmation and quietly sneaked on ahead. Taking care not to alert the creature, the Palico placed a Shock trap directly onto the sand before giving the signal. With the trap set, the remaining three moved to their respective positions. Their current lack of a gunner in their team meant they had to improvise.

The moment Hilda gave the signal, Hanzo ran forward and tossed a Sonic Bomb directly at the creature, releasing an ear-piercing sound into the Diablos's ear. The Diablos roared, stunned momentarily before recovering and turning to face Hanzo. Blood began to pump into the veins on its horns and frills and it let out an explosive shriek before immediately charging towards Hanzo. In response, the hunter broke into a sprint as he prepared to lead the Diablos straight into the trap.

Over on her position, Hilda watched as the Diablos closed in on the trap. She was about to make her eventual move when out of the corner of her eye, she saw a familiar shape rapidly approaching from the other side.

Oh shit! "HANZO LOOK OU-"

Out of nowhere, a Cephadrome catapulted itself out of the sand, latching onto the Diablos's neck with its mouth and body. Their ensuing struggle brought them directly towards Rowan's position.

"Oh crap!" The hunter quickly leaped out of the way of the battling giants as they continued to struggle against each other. The Diablos roared, thrashing its body around in an attempt to shake off the Cephadrome, who kept a firm bite on its neck and its body coiled around the bigger wyvern. However, that wasn't the end of their problems.

Hanzo pointed towards the distance. "There!" To their surprise, a pack of nearly a dozen of Cephadrome could be seen rushing towards them. Soon, the pack encircled the hunters, trapping them while their leader battled the Diablos.

The hunters grouped up together to face the incoming threat. "Well shit. This escalated quickly…" Rowan said in a frustrated tone.

"This is bad!" Pip whined.

"No kidding," Hilda replied, equally frustrated.

One of the Cephalos attacked, jumping onto Rowan in an attempt to bite him. The hunter stepped forward and swung his hammer, smacking the creature's jaw and causing it to retreat. Another one attacked, this time targeting the smaller Pip. But the Palico didn't falter, instead quickly dodging to the side and jumping on top of the creature, digging his small but sharp knife onto its back, causing it to squeal and retreat.

Suddenly, the Cephalos vanished into the ground, as the Diablos came charging in towards the hunters. Determined to stand his ground, Hanzo raised his Greatsword in front of him as a makeshift shield and took the hit directly.

"AAAAARGH!" he shouted as he and the Diablos engaged in a pushing match. Despite the Wyvern's strength, it found itself unable to prevail as Hanzo summoned every ounce of his strength in holding off the creature.

"GUYS!"

His comrades knew they couldn't leave him hanging. As Rowan and Hilda ran over to assist Hanzo-

"Woah!" Hilda just managed to duck under a Cephalos, who attacked her out of nowhere. She rolled out of the way of another one as she cursed under her breath. Pip rushed over to assist but soon found himself being attacked by the Cephalos as well. With Hilda and Pip occupied, it was up to Rowan to save Hanzo.

"I CAN'T HOLD ON FOR MUCH LONGER!"

"I'm coming Hanzo!"

Unsheathing his hammer, the hunter charged in at full speed. He reeled back, swinging the hammer before unleashing a powerful uppercut aimed at the creature's jaw, shattering its frill and breaking a tusk. The Diablos roared and staggered back, stunned as Hanzo dropped to his knees in exhaustion.

"You alright?"

Hanzo laughed through labored breaths. "Never better…"

Rowan reached into his pocket and handed the man one of his dash juices. Hanzo eagerly took the vial and dumped its contents down his throat, immediately feeling his energy restored. "Go help Hilda. I'll handle this," Rowan instructed, turning to face the Diablos. Hanzo complied without hesitation.

Letting out its signature ear-piercing roar, the brutish beast lowered its head and charged forward at full speed towards Rowan. The hunter stood his ground and held his hammer tightly.

"C'mon you son of a bitch!"

…

At the same time in the Jungle…

Eris saw the move coming. As soon as the giant pinchers moved to grab her, she rolled out of the way in time. But the creature attacked again, forcing her to dodge a second time. She knew that if that tail grabbed her, she was dead. Clicking her tongue, the huntress sheathed her weapon and swiftly dashed around the monster in a flanking maneuver. She closed in and pulled out her sword, slashing at one of the creature's legs, eliciting a pained cry from the beast as green blood flowed out. But the beast's armored exoskeleton was its saving grace as it quickly recovered and moved to retaliate with a tail swing. Eris jumped back and prepped herself for another attack when the familiar sound of buzzing came from behind her. In one swift maneuver, she dived out of the way, narrowly evading the twin scythe-like claws that descended onto her.

"Dammit…" she muttered as she poised herself once more, facing the two monsters in front of her.

It wasn't Eris's first time fighting a Seltas Queen and her Seltas mate, but she never enjoyed hunting them due to their tendency to stick close to one another. As a solo hunter, without someone else to draw the second monster's attention, it made taking down targets significantly more difficult. Normally, she wouldn't have a problem with this, but as of now, the situation is different. She took a quick glance at the Wyverian airship floating in the sky, watching her and she glared threateningly at the ship's direction.

"Let's just get this over with…"

The Seltas attacked first, lowering its head and dashing forward in an attempt to impale her with its horn. Eris swerved to the side, dodging the first hit, and immediately anticipated a second charge. Sure enough, the Seltas turned around and charged again, and this time Eris dodged to the side while slicing at the Seltas's torso, causing it to squeak and crash land onto the ground. She then turned her attention back to the slow and lumbering but armored Seltas Queen. It adopted a defensive posture, raising its pincer tail above its head, ready to snap at her should she approach.

"Tch." Wasting no more time, Eris charged forward. Deadly pinchers lunged forward to grab her, and Eris bobbed her body to the side with the edges of the pincher grazing her helmet. She continued her forward rush, closing in as quickly as she could before landing a slash to the creature's left front limb. It bellowed in pain, but Eris didn't stop there as she quickly moved around it and towards the other legs, crippling the monster one by one. With the Queen incapacitated, Eris seized the opportunity, jumping onto the monster and catapulting herself up into the air as she prepared to bring her blade down.

"Hyaaargh- ACK!" Before her blade could connect, the pinchers seized her mid-air, its serrated edges digging into her armor. Unable to move, Eris was helpless to resist as the Seltas Queen violently swung her around the air before hurling her a distance away.

Eris landed with a hard thud onto the ground, rolling briefly before coming to a stop. She coughed and sputtered as a nearly unbearable amount of pain seared through her body. She could have sworn she heard something crack the moment her body collided with the ground.

"U-Ughh…" She let out a pained groan and slowly and weakly rose up onto her feet. Clutching her sides, she looked down at her palm and saw red. Oh no… All of a sudden, that familiar feeling began to resurface within her. The sight of blood began to stimulate her nerves as her mind began to cloud. Screaming, she dug her fingers into the soil as her thoughts darkened.

Not like this! I cannot lose control now! Think happy thoughts, happy thoughts! I don't want to leave Siegfried alone! At the thought of her partner, she froze. Siegfried…Siegfried…Siegfried… She constantly played images of him inside her head, remembering all the times they spent together as partners. Then as if magic, she began to regain control of her body. The bloodlust began to dissipate as Eris shook her head to clear her mind. Taking a quick moment to get her bearings straight, the huntress got up onto her feet. Wincing she scanned the area for her weapon, spotting it lying a good distance from her. Before she could walk over to it, a pungent odor stopped her in her tracks. Jerking her head towards the source, Eris let out a curse.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me…" In the distance, green-colored gases began to blast out of the Queen's torso. The huntress immediately knew what it was.

Pheromones… designed to attract a Seltas.

Eris quickened her advances towards her weapon as the wounded Seltas forced itself onto the air and began to hover over to its mate. Summoning all its strength, it deposited itself on top of the Queen, letting out squeals and beating its wings rapidly as it proceeded to lift its mate onto her feet.

C'mon, c'mon, c'mon! As she closed in on her weapon, the Seltas, still carrying the Queen in its claws, lowered its horned head and charged through the air at high speeds towards Eris. A hit from that combined with added weight from the Queen would be fatal. Her eyes widened and she quickened her pace, even more, breaking into a run despite the immense pain on her body.

She was so close! Her sword was practically in her grasp!

Far away in the distance in the safety of the ship, the spectating hunters held their breaths as the Seltas got closer and closer to the huntress when-

"Holy shit!"

…

"AAARGH!"

Rowan found himself up in the air after the Diablos rammed him – hard. His hammer flew the other direction before firmly planting itself on the sand some meters away from him.

Rowan grunted in pain as he landed painfully on his back. No way that didn't break anything… He spat out blood and rose to a sitting position when suddenly-

"SHIT!" He rolled to the side as the Diablos shoved its horns onto the spot he had just been in, narrowly avoiding being skewered. Rowan got up onto his feet and ran as fast he could towards his hammer as the angry Wyvern gave chase.

Almost! And… In one swift maneuver, Rowan grabbed his hammer, spun around, and smashed his hammer against the Diablos's head, shattering one of its horns and causing the beast to stumble back and fall to the ground, knocked out completely.

"Gotcha!" Rowan exclaimed before letting out a brief cough. "Ughh still hurts…"

"Rowan!"

The hunter turned back to see Hilda, Hanzo, and Pip approaching him. They looked exhausted. "You guys alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, we managed to fend them off long enough until they gave up," answered Hanzo, planting his blade onto the ground. "Killed quite a few of them too though we don't know where their leader went. Must have run off after fighting the Diablos."

"Speaking of Diablos…" Hilda looked over his shoulder towards the incapacitated Wyvern. "Quite the amazing feat you did there. It takes balls to face an angry Diablos head-on like that."

Rowan chuckled. "Thanks." His expression fell when he saw Hilda sigh. "What's wrong?"

"It's just…my plan failed, and we didn't even get to use the trap. In the end, I didn't do anything." She scowled. "Some leader I am…"

Rowan stepped forward and held her shoulders. She looked up at him, seeing the tender smile on his face. "Hey, it's no problem. Things like this are normal right? After all, no matter how skilled we are, we can never truly dictate how a hunt will go on. So, it's not your fault. Believe me."

"Yeah but…"

Hanzo rubbed her back reassuringly. "Rowan's right. None of us could have predicted that a Cephadrome would interrupt our hunt. Despite that, we still succeeded right?"

"That's right!" Pip added.

"And besides, you were amazing out there too Hilda. Fending off the relentless attacks by the Cephalos for a long period of time? I don't think any normal hunter would have lasted that much longer. Let's also not forget your simple but effective plan. It may not have worked as intended, but without it, we wouldn't have known what to do. As a leader, you did your job well."

Hilda blushed at the compliments and huffed. "T-Thank you…"

After a brief session of restoring their energy, the hunters walked over to the downed Diablos. The horned Wyvern slowly stood up and let out a roar before proceeding to dig into the ground in an attempt to flee. However, the hunters were prepared.

"Don't let it escape!"

Pip ran forward and tossed a Sonic Bomb just as the Diablos burrowed underground. The piercing noise nearly shattered the creature's sensitive ears, forcing it to pop out of the ground and remain stuck in the sand, squirming and crying.

"Now!"

Hanzo rushed ahead, dragging his sword across the ground before unleashing a powerful upswing at the Diablos's throat, slicing through the soft flesh underneath and spraying blood everywhere. Hanzo moved out of the way as Rowan and Hilda moved in to deal the finishing blow.

Mustering all the strength they have, the two hammer users simultaneously leaped onto the air and smashed their hammers down onto the Diablos's head in an earth-shattering attack that completely pulverized its skull, instantly killing it. Its body twitched briefly before going completely still.

Quest complete! Rowan thought as he waved towards the ship in the distance, signaling the end of the hunt.

…

"Holy shit!"

Jason, Amber, and Rowan could only stare with their mouths wide open as they watched through the telescope.

Eris had grabbed her sword and with no time to dodge, landed on her backside and positioned the blade above her just as the Queen flew over her. Her katana ripped through the soft underbelly of the Seltas Queen, its forward momentum causing the blade to cut clean through the entirety of its body, drenching Eris in its green blood.

The Seltas squeaked as its mate's now lifeless corpse crashed forward onto the ground, crushing its smaller body underneath her weight.

Eris exhaled in relief, taking a moment to catch her breath. She grunted and walked over to her targets. The huntress could see the Queen's corpse, its insides leaking out from its underbelly, and lying underneath it was the Seltas, squirming helplessly.

Without another word, the huntress planted her blade onto the poor creature's face, and it writhed and squeaked before going completely still. She lifted her weapon up and wiped the blood off the tip before turning towards the ship in the distance.

The hunters on the ship could only laugh as the huntress gave them the finger.

Upon arriving back at Dundorma, Rowan saw Luca waiting by the gates. For a second, the hunter feared that Luca might have been upset when they left him behind, but to his surprise, the bespectacled man looked nothing but pleased.

"So? How did it go?" he asked, quirking his eyebrows, approaching the group.

"It was fun," Hilda answered quickly.

Rowan nudged her with his elbow. "Just fun?

"…Alright, it was great! Despite some setbacks, the hunt went pretty well."

Luca nodded approvingly. "Glad to hear it. It's good to know Hilda's in good hands," the hunter said, patting Rowan's shoulder. The hunter chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Hehe…"

However, a red-faced Hilda promptly elbowed Luca, huffing in embarrassment as the man uttered an oof. "Honestly!"

Moments later, a familiar voice called out to them. "Brother!"

Rowan turned around and saw Romero approaching from the distance, accompanied by three other hunters. "Romero? Where have you been?"

"Oh man, you should have seen it!"

"Seen what?

"Seen how helpful you people were!" Eris interrupted, crossing her arms in frustration. She had an irritated expression on her face, and Rowan couldn't help but notice the green splotches on her armor, coat, and hair. Even worse was the horrible smell seemingly coming from her. What happened? Rowan thought but decided to keep quiet, not keen on inciting Eris's temper.

"Anyway, I'm going to clean myself up. Goodbye!" They watched as the huntress stormed off in the direction of the nearby inn, her silvery-white hair stained with green fluttering behind her.

"We'll be going too," Amber said, and she and her brother bid farewell to the hunters and proceeded towards the Guild Hall to pick up another quest. "So? Did she prove herself?" the huntress asked her brother.

"…I guess she did," Jason admitted, sighing. I suppose he's in good hands now. He glanced at the direction Eris went. Keep him safe Eris. Make sure that asshole doesn't do things on his own again.

In an office somewhere in Dundorma, a woman dropped to her knees in shock, the letter she held in her hand falling to the ground.

"N-No…"

The man standing nearby slowly closed the door, knowing that she needed to be alone for now. He sighed and walked away. Though he had grown used to doing so, it never once made delivering news like this easier. I just hope she's able to go back to her duty after this…

Back behind the closed door, the woman hugged her knees, sitting against the door and unable to suppress her grief and anguish.

"Will you not give me the honor of marrying one of Dundorma's finest warriors?"

"I want you to live, to continue on with your life. With or without me."

"I'll come back. I promise."

Fighting through the tears, the woman buried her face into her knees. "You bastard…You broke your promise…"

...

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