The Return of the Iron-blood Sword Hound
chapter-227

Chapter 227 Tuition Fees (3)

Hunter guild ‘Sherpa,’ an outsourcing agency that dispatches hunters and guides necessary for monster hunting. This guild, while not possessing exceptional mercenaries, was renowned for having guides well-versed in the ecosystems and geography of monsters.

All the guides here, comprising the entire guild and originating from at least three local residents, were well-informed about the whereabouts of various rare monsters, their habitats, and even shortcuts or covert escape routes.

The guild, however, struggled to escape its financially precarious situation due to the limited classes available for dispatch, such as guides or carriers. Even after completing punitive quests, members frequently received insufficient recognition or were subjected to unjust treatment, forcing them to endure these hardships.

Even in these difficult times, the presence of the Sherpa Guild’s leader has been a constant source of support for the guild’s members.

TarakTarak…

The guild’s main entrance swung open.

Guild members, who were training in the training ground, turned towards the guild office entrance and shouted in unison.

“Guild Master is here!”

“Attention! Salute!”

A man, receiving the respect of all guild members, stood tall. Standing at a height of 2 meters and 30 centimeters, weighing close to 180 kilograms. Shaved sports head, facial scars crossing horizontally and vertically, muscles resembling armor covering his entire body, topped with a gladiator on his shoulder.

This man, like a giant beast, was known as the ‘Miniature Pincher,’ or ‘MiniPin’ for short!

How many people could negotiate his appearance and discuss payment terms?

Sherpa Guild, led by the formidable MiniPin, could persist and thrive even in the toughest situations.

Moreover, MiniPin was a Mid-Tier Graduator, reaching a level that could belong to a high-tier mercenary guild. He was so skilled that even the Imperial Army’s training instructor was scouting him.

However, MiniPin rejected all these proposals.

“I love hunting. Fighting monsters is my calling.”

If he were to nitpick, there was a small wish deep down in his heart… to be affiliated with the Baskerville Clan, guarding the distant western front, but there was no way they would send a scout proposal first, making his desire futile.

Therefore, MiniPin’s main goal was to preserve and protect the current guild.

“To achieve that, we need to work hard and pick good employers.”

After arriving at the office, MiniPin glanced over the newly received requests.

“Let’s see, this one is a carrier dispatch request from another mercenary guild. Capturing a research venompion… but the number of personnel is too small. They might get overwhelmed and the carriers could die. Rejected. Is this a guidance request from a merchant? Well, the combat capability of the mercenaries escorting is too low. We might lose our guides. Rejected…”

Requests from these inexperienced individuals were not accepted. Among the stack of request documents that looked like a pile, almost 90% were filtered out.

MiniPin clicked his tongue.

“… How many of these will still be alive by next year?”

Many adventurers underestimated their capabilities and boasted about tackling powerful monsters. Assigning carriers and guides to them would likely result in total annihilation.

“Carriers and guides, due to their weak combat skills and slow escape speed, end up being the first line of defense in times of crisis. I cannot afford to lose my guild members, who are like family.”

That’s why MiniPin used interviews to weed out clients who were weak or reckless. He prioritized clients with military service experience over those who could demonstrate their strength as mercenaries with a mercenary badge or identification. Careers at lower levels were turned down, even for seemingly minor requests.

… The current situation was no different.

“What? Academy student? A first-year, too?”

MiniPin scrutinized the last submitted request document before him.

A new student from the academy had come forward with a request to hire a guide.

[Request Document]

Name: Vikir

Affiliation: Colosseo Academy

Request: Hire one guide

Purpose: Monster extermination

Usually, students affiliated with academies seldom visited such places, being mostly children of wealthy families. However, occasionally, eccentric individuals visited such places out of mild curiosity or a desire to experience life outside their privileged upbringing.

From the perspective of a hunting guild, indulging in the mundane pleasures of these sheltered individuals could lead to losing valuable comrades who had been together for decades.

“Hmm. What’s up with an academy prodigy coming to a place like this? You suddenly want to enjoy some excitement?”

Moreover, there was no information about which monster he wanted to hunt. Just a vague request to hire a guide.

It was undoubtedly a request not worth considering.

MiniPin crumpled the request document and threw it into the trash.

“Give the kid a glass of milk and send him back. Did he think monster-hunting quests are some kind of joke?”

MiniPin completely ignored Vikir’s request document.

…

…And that was the beginning of all the tragedies that followed that night.

* * *

Night time.

MiniPin returned home after finishing overtime. Upon entering, he saw his wife, who resembled a dozing rabbit, and his bear-like child already asleep in bed. Passing through the living room, MiniPin entered the kitchen, feeling hungry. He rummaged through the pantry for a late-night snack, considering boiling a few potatoes.

Then, MiniPin discovered something on the kitchen table.

Eggs, bacon, toasted cornbread, and more were laid out. Though cold, it still looked appetizing.

“…Honey.”

MiniPin looked at his sleeping wife and whispered softly. She had been through a lot since they married when they were young, and he hadn’t done much for her, but he was always grateful and apologetic towards her and his child.

“Just bear with it a little longer. I’ll solve a big request someday and make things prosperous for us.”

Thinking that he needed to work even harder as the head of the family, MiniPin headed to the bedroom.

His wife seemed to have fallen asleep while putting their child to sleep, so today he’d have the large bed to himself.

Gradually, as MiniPin lay down with his arms crossed and closed his eyes…

Creak…

A small noise began to come from the second-floor window in the bedroom.

“…What is it?”

MiniPin yawned as he slowly got up. As he did, a silhouette appeared, crossing over the windowsill.

Wearing a black mask, a man entered through the second-floor window.

MiniPin stifled a chuckle. Clearly, it was a burglar, and an unlucky one at that.

“Why bother coming in…”

The leader of the Sherpa Guild, commanding all the guides and Mid-Tier Graduator.

The poor burglar had chosen to rob the house of such a terrifying person.

“I might consider going easy on you. After subduing you, should I report to Tyler, or should I hand you over to the Imperial Guard?”

In reality, MiniPin had encountered such thieves a few times before. Starving burglars who couldn’t resist crossing the fence had been sternly reprimanded by MiniPin, and he had even helped them out, leading to them becoming his subordinates.

So, after hearing the circumstances of this thief who had come to rob after being subdued, MiniPin might have considered closing an eye if the situation was dire.

“Hey, hold on there. If you surrender now, I might…”

However, the one who truly closed his eyes was MiniPin.

Thud!

The man in the black mask threw a punch with lightning speed. It grazed MiniPin’s ear, cut a few strands of hair, and shot past him towards the wall.

As MiniPin swallowed the empty air, a hole appeared in the wall beside him.

…Thunk!

A fist-shaped hole was punched into the sturdy wooden wall.

“This is a fucking warning.”

A chilling voice emanated from behind the mask.

A bead of cold sweat trickled down MiniPin’s spine.

‘If that had hit me…’

If that fist had hit him squarely in the face, his skull might have shattered like grains of sand.

A level of strength beyond human capabilities. Was he using aura? There was no other explanation.

“You! Do you know who I am to dare—”

MiniPin realized the opponent was far from ordinary and quickly drew upon his aura.

As a graduator, a gooey honey-like aura enveloped MiniPin’s fist.

However…

Crack!

The opponent also raised his fist. Surprisingly, there was no trace of mana in it.

It was then that MiniPin realized the punch that had flown moments ago was purely powered by physical strength.

‘What kind of strength is this…’

A shiver ran down his spine. If that kind of strength could be unleashed without using aura, what would happen if he did utilize it?

‘Thankfully, it seems he can’t use mana.’

It had been years since MiniPin had felt the thrill of someone’s pure physical strength.

As MiniPin let out a relieved sigh…

Snap!

Surprisingly, mana began to emanate from the intruder’s fists.

…!?

But MiniPin didn’t have time to be surprised.

Thud!

The intruder’s fist seemed to connect with his chin…

And from that moment on, MiniPin’s memory was cut off.