ALL NOVEL chapter 66 - Divine Cat Mii-chan delivers the sentence.
66 Divine Cat Mii-chan delivers the sentence.
First, let’s start with a verification. I laid out the stolen goods for everyone to see.
“Yan-kun, is this the item that was stolen from you?”
“Yes, no doubt about it.”
“Ebo-san, this is the package you requested, right?”
“Yes… that’s correct.”
“Ebo-san, what exactly is inside? I’ve heard it’s a very valuable item.”
“Of course it is. It’s a rare plate.”
“Is that so? May I take a look to confirm?”
“N-no! What gives you the right to do that?!”
This man, who resembles a frog, is clearly panicking. Let’s rattle him a bit more.
“But it’s a valuable plate, isn’t it? We need to make sure it hasn’t been switched out.”
“The package is here! That should be enough!”
“But what if it’s damaged or replaced with something else after you take it home? That would be a problem.”
“I won’t say that! I absolutely won’t!”
“Come now, don’t be so stubborn. Why don’t you show everyone here this precious plate of yours?”
“No, stop it!”
I unwrapped the box, removing the ropes and cloth, and opened it. Inside were five wooden plates. I appraised them, and as expected, they were just low-quality wooden plates. Just as I thought.
Mii-chan looks disappointed. Wait, were you actually expecting something better?
“Mii…”
“Is this what you call a precious plate?”
I tossed the plate to Ebo, the guild master, and Jin. Ebo’s face turned beet red, and he began trembling. Do you need to use the bathroom? Sorry, but you’ll have to wait.
Jin spun the plate on his finger, while the guild master shook his head and handed it over to Sertio. Sertio took it, but he looks like he’s struggling just to stand.
“Well, value is subjective, so maybe these plates hold some significance to Ebo.”
“That’s right! Exactly!”
Sigh… You really have no idea, do you? You’re already cornered, Ebo. I’ve lost interest in you. The real court will deal with you from here.
“Now then, Sertio-san.”
Sertio flinched as I turned to him.
“You demanded Yan-kun pay the full amount for the requested item, didn’t you? After seeing this plate, do you still think he should pay one million ret?”
“Well, it’s true that the rules are the rules… and Ebo-san insists it’s valuable…”
In a way, Sertio-san is something else. He’s completely fixated on rules, to the point where he’s essentially stripped himself of any personal judgment. It’s almost like he’s a machine, though as a person, he’s utterly failing. I don’t even look at Sertio-san as I continue, locking eyes with the guild master.
“I see. So that’s how you perceive value, Sertio-san. Understood. In that case, Sertio-san, if you were to buy this plate from Ebo-san for one million ret, don’t you think that would convince everyone here of its true worth?”
I never once broke eye contact with the guild master during this exchange.
Sertio-san is hesitating, not realizing that his very hesitation is a mistake… and after much deliberation:
“Alright, I’ll buy it.”
Ah, he said it… I gave him a chance, but Sertio-san has chosen to heed the devil’s whisper.
Even Mii-chan shakes her head, clearly recognizing the mistake, which is more than I can say for Sertio-san.
“Mii…”
“You fool!!”
“Eek…”
The guild master’s furious roar echoed through the area, plunging everything into silence. Sertio-san, overwhelmed, collapses onto the spot, completely losing his nerve.
“To think you were this foolish… Falling for such an obvious leading question, and arriving at the most idiotic conclusion… I must have been blind to not see it.”
The guild master closed his eyes and shook his head.
“The guild has been utterly defeated, without any room for argument… So, what do you intend to do now, Nero?”
“I have four demands. First, make the details of this incident public to all guilds. Second, investigate whether similar incidents have occurred in the past and provide compensation where necessary. Third, improve the current negligent culture of the Hunter Guild. Lastly, establish a Hunter Support System.”
“Mii~”
Mii-chan tapped the carrier bag like a judge delivering a verdict. So dignified and cute.
“The first one will likely spread on its own, even without an official announcement. The second and third, we’ll handle as best we can. But what exactly is this Hunter Support System?”
“The reason for making it public is that it carries more weight when it comes directly from the guild. As for the Hunter Support System, hunters constantly face danger, yet the guild’s response has been far too lacking. There are countless cases, like failed requests or injuries during assignments, where the guild should share the risk. So, I propose a system for low-interest loans for hunters. This would cover living expenses while a hunter is recovering from an injury, repairs or replacements for damaged weapons and armor, and compensation for failed assignments. The guild would assess each case and provide loans accordingly.”
“But if we do that, some might take the money and run.”
“Which is why I’m saying the guild needs to take on some of the risk. Right now, the guild is making profits without bearing much risk. You’d assess the hunter’s character, track record, and situation to determine loan amounts and repayment periods. It’s just an extension of what you already do when assigning requests. The difference is that the guild also shares the risk.”
“I can’t make that decision on my own.”
“I understand. Please convene a meeting, whether with the headquarters or the guild master council, and make your decision. While this is a request that you can choose to decline…”
“But what?”
“As you mentioned earlier, even if the guild doesn’t make this public, word will naturally spread. When hunters hear that these four demands were rejected by the guild, how do you think they will react?”
“Mii~”
“Nero, that’s a rather cunning approach.”
“Is it? Or is it the fault of the headquarters for not addressing this issue sooner? Do you expect hunters to trust people who might be living comfortably off the commissions earned through the blood and sweat of hunters? This is a rightful demand, guild master. If you were once a hunter yourself, you should understand this—or have you forgotten?”
“Mii…”
“You’re a devil with a sweet face…”
“Guild master! Let me make it clear: what Nero said here reflects the sentiments of all hunters. Consider this a declaration from Sigmund of the Dragon Claw!”
A roar of agreement erupted from the hunters.
Is it possible that Jin-san is actually a big deal?
“Mii?”