HideLand

🟠 Chapter 20 :

Four more months had passed.

I had now spent nearly eight months in this city.

Eight months in Valoris... and I'm still alive. That alone feels like an achievement.

Thanks to my work at the forge, my Factory skill had leveled up to 10.

Honestly? It's way too slow.

Six months of hammering, melting, fire, and smoke... and all I've got to show for it is ten lousy levels?!

[Like I told you before: jobs give fewer experience points.]

"Yeah, I know, you piece of junk. No need to repeat yourself."

And still, I was dead set on not becoming an adventurer.

I'd just go… take the test, get my card, and maybe come back here to continue working like nothing ever happened.

[You're hopeless. As long as you stay like this, the skill will remain flawed—just like you.]

"…Hah? What's this thing rambling about now? Whatever."

I boarded the carriage heading toward the city of Osmara.

During the ride, I stared out at the road... thinking. Who knows… what is Ren doing now?

Maybe he left this kingdom. Maybe he's become the leader of a party… or maybe he's still trying.

Now that a few months have passed, I've come to understand more about the geography of this place.

The city of Valoris is located in the eastern region of a kingdom called Azmarin.

Azmarin is a large kingdom, divided into three main provinces:

1. The Eastern Province – where Valoris is located, a major hub for trade and land transport.

2. The Southern Province – a mountainous land, home to most of the heavy industries and mines.

3. The Northern Province – home to the city of Osmara, well-known as the city of guilds and hunters.

As for the kingdom's capital, it's a massive city called Ferenta, located right at the heart of the country. It was built on the banks of the Elan River, and it's said that the first king of Azmarin was crowned on its central bridge.

Osmara is about three days away from Valoris by a moderately paced carriage, and people say that anyone who fails to find their way there… will remain a nameless laborer forever.

Me? I'm not looking for fame.

I'm just… looking for a card with social benefits.

After three days of sitting in a wooden carriage that shook every ten seconds like it was on the verge of collapsing, I finally arrived at the city of Osmara.

At first, I wasn't sure if it was really a "city"… or just an oversized version of Valoris' market.

But the moment I passed through the gate… I realized the difference.

The buildings here were designed completely differently. Tall, orderly, with sharp angles—like every brick had gone through a strict inspection before being placed.

The streets were wide, and the people moved quickly… their gazes focused, their faces showing no signs of fatigue.

Everything in Osmara screamed: Efficiency.

Guild banners hung on every corner.

I didn't understand their meanings, but the designs were intriguing:

A black spear crossing a golden eye—possibly an assassins' guild… or conspiracy theorists.

An open hand holding a blue spark—I couldn't tell if it symbolized healing… or lightning.

A guild called "Deep Echo"? I have no idea what they do… but the name makes it sound like they play sad music in caves.

Most importantly—No one here looked… lazy.

And that alone made me stand out like a sore thumb.

I stopped one of the guards at the gate and asked:

"Uh… where can I register for a Hunter Card?"

He looked me up and down—from my boots to the tips of my hair—then said coldly:

"The guild's in the center of the city. Walk straight.

If you get lost… go back to Valoris."

Thanks for the warm welcome.

I walked through the streets, trying not to look like someone who didn't belong.

Equipment shops, contract brokers, cafés packed with loud discussions about monsters I'd only seen in nightmares.

People wore their Hunter Cards around their necks like badges of honor.

And me?

I'm Takeru… the guy chasing social benefits.

I looked ahead and saw a large building topped with a blue dome. Above its door hung a sign that read:

"Hunter Guild."

I took a deep breath and said to myself:

"Well… let's see if there's a card waiting for me inside."

I stepped into the building.

The hall inside was more spacious than it looked from outside, with a domed ceiling and black stone columns.

The walls were decorated with guild banners, and everything inside either sparkled… or echoed the sound of determined footsteps.

There were lots of people going in and out—some dressed in traditional fantasy gear, others in formal suits, most likely employees of the building.

There were several sections: the card issuance counter, the main guild hall—which was probably for official hunters taking on missions—and then I found the registration section, with a sign below it reading: "Autumn Course."

I entered that section. It looked like any standard bureaucratic office: a wooden desk, and behind it, a bored-looking clerk who seemed like she'd been forcefully transferred here from the tax department.

I walked up to her. Without even looking up from her papers, she said:

"Fill this out."

She handed me the form.

"Name, age, occupation, skill, medical condition, male or female, agree to the terms?"

I filled everything out quickly… I was pretty excited about the benefits, obviously.

Then I handed her the form and asked:

"Alright, so what now? Where's the test?"

She looked up at me for the first time, her eyes full of disbelief—as if I'd just asked if trees could fly—then said:

"You came to register and don't even know where the place is?"

"Well, I'm new here, so obviously I wouldn't know."

She gave me a long, thoughtful look and asked:

"…Don't tell me you came from Valoris?"

"Yeah, why?"

Her expression shifted, as if she pitied me.

"People from that city are the most ignorant in the kingdom. They always get information late."

Her words started to make me uneasy.

"Excuse me… what do you mean by that?"

She continued speaking:

"From what you're saying, it sounds like you're asking about the testing section that used to be inside the guild. And yes, people did take the Hunter Exam right here… but that was discontinued last year."

Discontinued last year? If that's the case, how is the exam conducted now?

The clerk went on:

"The Hunter Exam… it used to be way too easy to pass. That's because people weren't facing real monsters—they were just hacking away at pathetic training dummies. It didn't even represent 10% of what it's like to face a real creature."

"And because everyone was getting their cards too easily… well, there were a lot of deaths over the past few years."

Deaths?

Well, if you think about it, it makes sense. Anyone could get the card—even those without the strength to actually hunt monsters. They'd end up risking their lives… and the consequences were often fatal.

I asked the clerk what happened after that, and she continued:

"The king decided to look into the matter and change the nature of the exam, so the title of 'Hunter' would actually mean something—and hopefully, the death rate would go down. Now, the exam involves real monster encounters. He also added social benefits for hunters. All of this started last year. Still, the number of applicants has dropped drastically. Most other kingdoms already use live combat in their exams… we just realized it late."

Whaaaat?

Real monster encounters?

So those benefits weren't just handed out for free—they were rewards for those who truly earned the title.

Damn it… the least they could do is change the rule after this round.

The clerk added:

"The ranking test is held in the Kraice Forest. It begins tomorrow. A guide will escort you to the starting point."

Then she went quiet.

I stared at her in silence.

Then I took one step back.

Two steps.

And turned around calmly, walking toward the door.

"It's fine... I'll come back later. Looks like I came to the wrong place. Clearly, I'm an idiot. Sorry for the trouble."

But before I could reach the door… two towering guards stepped in front of me, like they had just graduated from a minotaur training program.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Ah… me? I just… decided not to register after all."

One of the guards raised an eyebrow.

"But… you signed the form."

"Yeah… but I thought I was signing up for a card, not for death."

"Sorry… we don't cancel applications once they're submitted. Be at the gate tomorrow. Five a.m."

"...Five a.m.?!"

The other guard chuckled.

"Or die in your sleep. Your choice."

I slowly walked out of the building.

Sat down on a curb, staring up at the sky.

[I think you just got yourself into serious trouble.]

"You know what? This time… I don't even have a comeback."

And just like that…

My adventure began.

By accident.

What am I supposed to do now?

How do I survive this test?

I've never fought a monster in my life.

Maybe the best option… is just to hide.

These thoughts kept spinning in my head as I wandered around the city—until I noticed a few banners hanging around.

They read:

"Hunter Test Day – Honor Your Family and Be a Hero!"

What is this… some kind of annual wedding ceremony for the city?

Well… semi-annual, I guess.

They must be encouraging people to take the test because

of the sharp drop in participants.

"Hunter Test... huh. Next time, I'll read the fine print before chasing social benefits."