Sunlight spilled upon the roofs of Aurelis.

The city was awake.

Traders shouted from colorful stalls.

Airships sailed overhead like airborne castles.

Hunters wielding large weapons crowded the streets.

Jennie, Snow and Roxy walked down the busy avenue.

Roxy scanned the area excitedly.

"I still can’t believe we’re really here!"

She pointed in front of her.

"There!"

Jennie followed her finger.

In front of them was the building that she had never seen before.

It wasn’t simply big.

It looked like a fort.

Continental Hunter Guild.

A wide staircase led up to giant white doors adorned with the insignia of a silver sword crossing two wings.

Hundreds of hunters entered and left every few minutes.

Some were wearing fancy armor.

Others were holding staffs that were longer than themselves.

Several hunters looked exhausted, covered in monster blood after completing their quests.

Everyone was hurrying somewhere.

Jennie was admiring the structure quietly.

"So this is the Largest Hunter Guild..."

Snow nodded.

"The largest guild branch on the continent."

"The main base of every registered hunter."

Roxy smiled proudly.

"My teacher used to say that if the guild collapsed..."

"...half the continent would collapse along with it."

Jennie blinked.

"That important?"

Snow answered calmly.

"Guild protects trade routes."

"Hunts dangerous monsters."

"Explores ancient ruins."

"Guards merchants."

"Investigates magical disasters."

"Keeps record on every monster known to man."

Jennie looked at the gigantic building one more time.

"I get it now."

The three climbed the staircase.

As the huge doors opened...

Jennie stopped yet again.

The inside was even more amazing than the outside.

The entrance hall extended up to almost six stories.

Giant crystal chandeliers were floating in the air.

Golden runes circles were slowly spinning underneath them, casting the hall into the soft white glow.

Thousands of hunters filled the gigantic hall.

Some were talking about their quests.

Others were celebrating their successes.

Hunters were forming groups around wooden tables while preparing for dangerous expeditions.

Rows and rows of reception counters took up almost an entire wall.

More than fifty receptionists were working non-stop, everyone using glowing runes crystals instead of paper.

Jennie watched as one of the receptionists gently touched a crystal.

List of quests was appearing above the counter in shimmering blue runes.

"...Magic."

Snow smiled.

"Rune archives."

"They update instantly in every branch of the guild."

Jennie was staring in awe.

"So if somebody accepts a quest here..."

"It vanishes in all other places?"

"Exactly."

Roxy puffed her chest proudly.

"I actually knew that."

Jennie smiled.

"I wasn’t surprised.

Inside the guild there was something even more amazing.

Gigantic board was floating in the air.

Instead of wooden notices...

Hundreds of glowing magical screens displayed quests.

All were changing every few seconds.

New quests were appearing.

Old quests were disappearing.

Most urgent missions were flashing in red.

Jennie was slowly approaching.

At the very top...

She saw a bright gold-colored section.

Jennie quietly read the title.

SSS-Rank Requests

Every hunter nearby was instinctively looking at those quests with respect.

Jennie quietly asked,

"Does anybody complete those?"

Snow nodded.

"Very few."

"Sometimes years pass until somebody accepts one."

"They are disasters capable of destroying cities."

Jennie silently remembered the location.

Not for the sake of glory.

But just in case innocent people were in danger.

She couldn’t ignore that.

Loud metallic sound rang near by.

Jennie turned around.

Instead of stairs...

Several gigantic circular platforms were slowly rising through the building.

Hunters were climbing them.

Several moments later...

Platfroms were floating upwards to the upper floors.

Jennie’s eyes widened.

"...These are elevators."

Snow nodded.

"Possibly powered by condensed mana."

Roxy happily got on one of them.

"We must try it!"

Platform was rising several meters.

Roxy immediately freaked out.

"Too high!"

She was jumping down before it even got to the second floor.

Jennie was covering her mouth, trying not to laugh.

Snow looked completely unsurprised.

"I expected that."

"So did I."

After checking the entrance hall, Jennie started moving towards one of the reception counters.

Young receptionist was greeting her with a pleasant smile.

"Welcome to the Continental Hunter Guild."

"How may I help you today?"

Jennie politely bowed.

"I want to register for quests."

The receptionist nodded.

"Of course."

"Could you please tell me your hunter name?"

"Raven."

The receptionist touched her bronze badged.

Blue light appeared above the desk.

Hunter profile was appearing slowly.

Hunter Name:

Raven

Rank:

F

Registered Branch:

Seraiya Kingdom

The receptionist was looking at the profile with a pleasant surprise.

"So you’re transferring from another branch."

Jennie nodded.

"Yes."

"I’ll be staying in Aurelis for some time."

"Understood."

The receptionist was continuing examining the profile.

Then...

Her expression slowly turned puzzled.

"Hm..."

Jennie patiently waited.

"Is there anything wrong?"

The receptionist was looking at the glowing crystal.

"Your profile is..."

"...quite unusual."

Jennie tilted her head.

"How come?"

The receptionist read aloud the information.

No permanent residence.

No registered party.

No noble affiliation.

No guild sponsor.

No mentor.

She looked up.

"You travel entirely alone?"

Jennie smiled.

"Not anymore."

She pointed at Snow and Roxy.

"Companions joined me after my first registration."

The receptionist smiled.

"I’ll change that."

She was adding Snow to Raven’s companions officially.

Roxy was leaning over the counter eagerly.

"What about me?"

The receptionist was looking at Jennie.

"Should I add Miss Roxy to your party?"

Jennie was looking at Roxy.

Roxy was looking back with sparkling emerald eyes.

"...Please?"

Jennie sighed.

"I thought you already felt yourself as a part of the group."

"I do!"

"Then why do you need to ask?"

"I just wanted it to become official."

Jennie couldn’t resist smiling.

"Very well."

The receptionist happily modified the information.

Party Members:

Raven

Snow

Roxy.

Roxy was jumping in excitement.

"We are official team mates!"

Jennie chuckled.

"I suppose we are."

The receptionist finished filling the data.

Before returning the crystal badge...

She was pausing one last time.

She quietly looked at Jennie.

"You completed over fifty quests."

"Your success rate is one hundred percent."

"You’ve never failed a mission."

Jennie blinked.

"...Really?"

"Didn’t you know that?"

Jennie shook her head.

"I never bothered to count."

The receptionist was smiling with sincere admiration.

"That’s... quite unusual."

Several hunters nearby heard the conversation.

Some of them curiously looked at the quiet young woman in simple white clothes.

None of them could guess that the modest hunter called Raven possessed the power of the famous Sword King.

And none of them could guess...

That by the end of the day...

Name of Raven would become well-known among the hunters again.

Jennie carefully put the hunter badge in the traveling pouch.

The young receptionist gave a warm smile.

"Miss Raven, your registration has been updated."

"You may now accept quests from any board within Aurelis."

Jennie politely bowed.

"Thank you."

But before she could leave, Roxy rushed toward the giant floating boards with quests.

"So many!"

"There are thousands!"

Her emerald eyes gleamed, looking at the glowing magic boards.

New quests appeared every few seconds, as the old quests vanished.

Around the displays the crowd of hunters discussed rewards and difficulties of quests.

Jennie silently approached.

The quests on the board were organized by rank.

F-Rank.

E-Rank.

D-Rank.

C-Rank.

B-Rank.

A-Rank.

S-Rank.

Above them floated separate golden board with bright runes.

SSS-Rank Emergency Requests

Jennie looked at it.

Only three quests were on the display.

Each carrying fortune rewards.

Each requiring many elite hunting parties.

Snow saw where she was looking.

"You aren’t thinking about taking one... are you?"

Jennie quietly smiled.

"No."

"Just wanted to know what kinds of danger lurk in the lands."

Snow nodded.

"Good decision."

Roxy let out a sigh of relief.

"...Was having a heart attack."

Jennie dropped her gaze down to the A-Rank section.

Several quests caught her attention.

Guard merchant caravan in Blackfang Pass.

Eliminate colony of Iron Shell Basilisks.

Find the reason behind disappearances in Mistwood Forest.

Collect Moonlit Orchids from Crimson Cliffs.

She silently read them in details.

And then...

She chose four quests.

Hunters around her stared.

A muscular hunter frowned.

"Four A-Rank quests?"

Another hunter burst out laughing.

"Either brave..."

"...Or crazy."

Woman in red armor crossed her arms.

"Alone."

"No heavy equipment."

"Not returning."

Jennie ignored the murmurs.

She silently handed the crystals with quests to the receptionist.

"I take these."

Receptionist blinked.

"All four?"

"Yes."

"In different directions."

"I know."

"Usually separate teams."

Jennie politely smiled.

"I will try my best."

The receptionist hesitated a bit.

And then nodded.

"The quests are yours."

The glowing crystals vanished from the board.

Instantly, whispers began filling the guild.

Outside the guild...

Roxy hurried to catch up with her.

"Jennie!"

"Four A-Rank quests?"

"Isn’t that a little too much?"

Jennie adjusted the belt of her sword.

"Not really."

Snow chuckled.

"For her..."

"This is just a workout."

Roxy looked at him.

"...Sometimes I forget how terrifying you two are."

Jennie awkwardly laughed.

"I’m not that incredible."

Snow and Excalibur remained completely silent.

They did not believe a word of this for a second.

Many hours passed.

The sun climbed high above Aurelis.

Inside the Hunter Guild...

The hunters kept drinking, talking and accepting quests.

The same muscular hunter laughed.

"Giving her two days."

Another hunter shook his head.

"Too generous."

"Giving a day after failing the first quest."

Several hunters nodded in agreement.

Receptionist kept working quietly.

But still...

Occasionally she glanced at the entrance.

Could not explain why.

For some reason the calm young hunter called Raven made an impression on her.

Then...

The great doors opened.

Jennie entered.

Entirely unharmed.

White cloak was perfectly clean, as if she had just come in.

Snow proudly marched beside her.

Roxy happily carried a basket with collected Moonlit Orchids.

Jennie approached the counter.

"I completed the quests."

Receptionist gave a polite smile.

"Welcome ba..."

Her words died in the throat.

"...Already?"

Jennie silently nodded.

"Yes."

She placed several items on the counter.

Horn of Iron Shell Basilisk.

Merchant Escort Certificate.

Report about the disappearances in Mistwood Forest.

Basket of perfect Moonlit Orchids.

All requested.

Perfectly preserved.

Receptionist stared at her.

Quickly checking the quest crystals.

One after another...

Green runes began glowing.

Quest Complete.

Quest Complete.

Quest Complete.

Quest Complete.

Silence filled the area of the counters.

Hunters slowly turned towards them.

Muscular hunter blinked.

"...Impossible."

Red-armored woman narrowed her eyes.

"...She was out only a few hours."

Hunter whispered.

"Has someone helped her?"

Receptionist looked at Jennie.

"You... completed everything exactly as was instructed."

Jennie silently nodded.

"Tried to cause no damage."

She seemed thoughtful.

"The basilisks were protecting eggs."

"So I only killed the adults that attacked first."

"Moved the nest somewhere safer."

Several veteran hunters gave surprised glances to each other.

Most hunters would have exterminated the whole colony of the monsters.

But Jennie solved this problem...

Without unnecessary deaths.

Receptionist handed her a heavy pouch of gold.

"These are your rewards."

Jennie politely took the reward with both hands.

"Thank you."

Without counting the money...

She silently put the pouch in the bag.

Roxy stared.

"You did not even look."

Jennie smiled.

"Trusting the guild."

Receptionist blinked.

And smiled warmly.

"And we greatly appreciate this trust."

The guild was buzzing with silent conversation.

Everywhere she went...

People were watching.

Not hostilely.

With interest.

Elderly hunter rubbed his beard.

"Have seen such composure before."

His companion asked.

"Where?"

"...Among legends."

Across the hall, two young hunters whispered.

"Who exactly is Raven?"

"Have never heard of her."

"Someone so skilled should not be unknown."

Snow silently looked at Jennie.

"The rumors have started."

Jennie sighed.

"Wanted to keep under the radar."

Snow smiled.

"But that became impossible the moment you took four A-Rank quests."

Roxy laughed.

"Think you got talent to unintentionally become famous."

Jennie looked truly confused.

"Am only doing my job."

Snow chuckled.

"And that is exactly the reason people remember you."

High above the busy hall of the guild...

On the top floor...

In the spacious office filled with maps, monster records and ancient weapons...

Silver-haired elderly man was reading some documents.

He was the Guild Master of the Aurelis Branch.

One of the most powerful hunters on the continent.

Knock was heard at the door.

"Enter."

Assistant entered the office.

"Guild Master..."

"There is a new hunter who received considerable attention today."

Guild Master did not raise his head.

"What is his name?"

"Raven."

This word made him pause.

He slowly put down his pen.

"Raven..."

Assistant silently nodded.

"Completed four A-Rank quests alone."

"No injuries."

"No collateral damage."

"Perfect reports."

Guild Master was silent for several minutes.

And then calmly said.

"...Bring me Raven’s file."

Assistant bowed.

"At once."

As the door of the office closed...

Guild Master was looking outside the window at the city below.

There was a slight smile on his weathered face.

"...Interesting."

Far below...

Unaware that she gained attention of one of the most influential persons on the continent...

Jennie quietly left the guild with Snow and Roxy.

For her...

It was an ordinary day of hunting.

For others...

The legend of the White Hunter, Raven...

Just took another step towards being unforgettable.