An active hunter from Hokkaido was thrown into another world - Chapter 14

An active hunter from Hokkaido was thrown into another world

Chapter 14   Can you become a hunter?

“Are all of these buildings shops?”

“It seems so.”

All the buildings facing the street are shops, right?

They have pictures painted on their signs, so you can tell what kind of shops they are.

It’s a society where even people who can’t read or write can manage to some extent.

As we approach the east exit, people pulling heavily loaded carts are bustling about, and the shops become more focused on food, such as vegetables, fruits, butcher shops, grain stores, wheat shops, and seasonings.

The most prominent shop located closest to the eastern gate of the fortress is a hunting goods wholesaler.

They bring in whole deer and wild boars on carts and take them into the shop.

“Alright, let’s try selling something here.”

“I’m so nervous!”

We turn our backs to the street, squat down, and take out the magic bag.

Well, it’s because saran is quite big. Just by having this, we can avoid attracting too much attention.

From the yellow bag, I took out a piece of deer skin and hand it to Saran.

“Welcome! Are you here to sell something?”

As I enter, the old man behind the counter greets me.

He seems friendly and kind-hearted. It reminds me of my own grandfather.

“Yes.”

“Please show me your Hunter Card.”

…My Pest Control Operator’s Certificate probably won’t work, huh? It’s issued by the municipal office after all.

“Actually, I just arrived in this town, so I don’t have one yet.”

“Well, in that case, the purchase price will be halved.”

“How can I obtain a Hunter Card?”

“In that case, it’s better to ask around. Is that a deer skin?”

“Yes.”

“Your sister has a raccoon on her head. That hat looks nice. It seems like it would sell well. Can you also hunt raccoons? They’re not very common around here.”

“We also have foxes, crows, pigeons, and various birds.”

“Bears, buffaloes, coyotes, wolves. And even a few monsters.”

…You hunt even those kinds of things, Saran-san…

“That’s impressive. You’re welcome here. We have a Hunter Guild in the back, so go talk to them.”

“Understood.”

“And, please make sure to sell that later!”

“Of course. Except for the hat.”

“That’s a shame. It would be great to see people wearing it around the town. It would surely become a trend.”

“Hmm.”

“What’s wrong?”

“If that hat becomes popular, it could become a profitable trade as an Elven specialty.”

“Really? Then I’ll keep wearing it.”

“I’ll wear one too.”

As we walk along the backstreets of the town, I take out a raccoon hat from my magic bag and put it on.

“We’re matching.”

“Hahaha!”

Saran looks so happy.

It would be nice if the Raccoon couple became famous among hunters.

In a small corner of the town, there was the Hunter’s Guild.

It had an office-like atmosphere.

“Hello. Um, we’re aspiring hunters. Is this where we should register?”

“That’s right. Do you want to become hunters?”

The old man at the reception seemed to be a tough-looking active hunter…

“Yes.”

“Hmm… That’s a deer skin. So, you can at least catch deer?”

“Well, yes.”

“Where are you from?”

I have to be honest about this. There’s no reason to lie, and there’s no point in pretending.

“We’re from Kopori Village.”

“…Kopori Village? When you say Kopori Village, it’s… an Elven village, right?”

“Yes.”

“Are you both elves?”

“Well, yes. Saran, take off your hat.”

Saran removes the hat, and her ears pop out.

“…I’ve never seen an elf this big before.”

Could you please leave us alone?

“I’m human, but I’ve been taken care of in an Elven village.”

I took my hat off.

“…I’ve never seen such an ugly elf. Yeah.”

Please leave us alone.

“Stop glaring at us. Sorry about that.”

He waves his hand, and the old man smiles.

“From the way you both carry yourselves, I can tell that you can at least catch deer and raccoons. And with your origins being Elven, there’s no doubt you’re from Kopori Village. That’s enough for your background. Well, since you want to become hunters, I’ll have to see your skills. What weapon do you use?”

“I use a bow. I also have some skill with a sword. And for large beasts, I use a spear.”

“I… am her assistant.”

“What do you mean, ‘assistant’?”

“Well, I help her.”

“You’re a freeloader, huh? Quite useless.”

“My husband is a top-notch hunter. Don’t underestimate him.”

“Wait, you two are married?!”

“Yes, we are.”

The old man seems surprised.

“Hmm… Well, let’s just forget I asked. It doesn’t matter. And it’s not like elves becoming hunters is unheard of. There were a few when I was a kid, though that’s a thing of the past… It’s not prohibited now either. There’s no reason to refuse.”

He turns back to me.

“Husband, honestly, what do you use? Don’t want to say?”

“I don’t want to show it.”

“Are you a mage?”

“…Well, it’s not exactly like that. I do hunting in a slightly unconventional way, using traps and unique tools.”

“Hmm, if you can use magic, you’d make much more money and have a better career as a mage. Mages wouldn’t become hunters. Even if they did, they’d be quite eccentric. Well, fine. As for your wife… if she passes the hunter exam, I’ll recognize you as well. Since an elf as proud as her fell in love and married you, you must have greater skills than her, naturally.”

“Wife…”

Saran responds to that. She’s grinning. Can’t be helped, I suppose…

“Do you have your bow? We have loaner bows too.”

“Yes, I have it. I’ll go get it.”

“Alright, prepare it. Go out through that door to the backyard. We’ll test you there.”

We leave the guild for a moment and I retrieve Saran’s longbow and quiver from the magic bag.

“I wonder what they’re going to make us do.”

“Well, probably some target practice…”

When obtaining a firearm permit, you need to undergo training and a practical test at an approved shooting range. After practicing shooting with a real shotgun, you have to shoot a certain number of clay pigeons as they fly towards you. If you fail to hit the required number, you won’t pass the test and won’t be granted the permit. Well, they’ll make you practice as many times as necessary until you can hit them consistently.

It’s similar to getting a driver’s license.

Gun ownership permits in Japan are strict. It’s probably the strictest in the world.

“Wow… That’s a huge bow! Weren’t you stopped for carrying something like that?”

The old man seems surprised.

Well, it’s because Saran’s using a specially made longbow, which is even bigger and bulkier than the ones considered large worldwide.

“Aim for that”

A wooden board measuring 30 cm square, 30 meters away.

…

Saran squints her eyes.

That’s right…

“Take your stance!”

“Release!”

Bam!

The board on the target shatters into pieces and flies away.

“…Finished. There’s no point in doing any more. As expected of an elf.”

We return to the office, and he hands me a piece of paper.

“Alright, your name and village of origin.”

He wants me to write it down. There are plenty of hunters who can’t read or write…

“I’m Shin. From Kopori Village.”

“‘Shin,’ huh? And your occupation… Well, let’s go with ‘trap hunter’ for now. How about your wife?”

“Saran.”

“…Saran?”

The old man looks at Saran intently.

“So you’re Saran…”

“Is she famous?”

The old man nods.

“I can’t say it out loud, but there’s a rumor going around, ‘Don’t get close to Kopori Village. Saran is there.’ They say she’s a giantess of an elf who impales and slices up slave-raiding bandits, crushes heads with her bare hands…”

“I’ve never done anything like that!!”

“I know, I know! It’s just rumors spread by merchants to scare away bandits. The stories have been exaggerated. Nobody really believes it! They just didn’t expect you to be such an adorable sister!”

“You better not believe it!”

“Well, well, I mean, uh, anyway, here, take the cards.”

He hands us two cards.

“There are ranks from 1st to 6th. Both of you will start at 6th rank. I’ll promote you based on your performance. And there’s a fee of two gold coins per person, so four coins for both of you.”

…Suddenly, my wallet feels a lot lighter.

“…You’ll need to renew it every year. Come back after a year, it doesn’t matter which Hunter’s Guild in the town. If you haven’t done any hunting jobs throughout the year, you’ll be removed, so make sure to work properly. The job postings are displayed on the notice board at the front shops. You can either bring in your catch or take up a job. Taxes and guild fees are deducted from the start. If you’ve already paid the application fee and fees, you can receive your reward directly from the client.”

“Understood.”

“For escort jobs or bandit extermination, you’ll need to be at least 3rd rank. Pay attention to the rank requirements listed on the paper. Well, if you’re attacked by bandits, feel free to fight back.”

“Yes.”

“When entering or leaving the town, show it to the guards at the East Gate. You’ll be exempt from the entrance fee. You’ll also need to show it when buying weapons at the weapon shop. They don’t sell weapons to ordinary citizens. Always carry it when walking around the town with weapons. Show it if stopped by the guards. And when bringing in your catch, show it at the counter. You’ll be able to sell it at the official purchase price.”

“Yes, um…”

“What is it?”

“Are there any laws that hunters must abide by?”

“Don’t say strange things. What’s forbidden for civilians is also forbidden for hunters. What’s allowed for civilians is allowed for hunters. Robbery, murder, fraud, kidnapping, fighting, dueling—there are plenty of things you can’t do, regardless of being a hunter. What’s the question? Just because you’re in an Elven village doesn’t mean you can go stealing.”

That’s not what I meant. Um, it’s about things like wildlife protection laws and firearms regulations.

“If there are animals or plants that shouldn’t be hunted due to the risk of extinction.”

“There are plenty of animals and monsters that we wouldn’t mind if they went extinct. There’s no animal that would cause trouble if it became extinct. Hunt as much as you like.”

…Such thinking has pushed many species of animals and plants to the brink of extinction.

“Well, Elves might have their own rules about what not to hunt.”

I wonder if that’s true?

Well, I can ask Saran about it.

“Thank you for the information.”

“By the way, I’m Buffalo Bal, the Guild Master here. Remember that.”

“…Is the Guild Master bored or something?”

“The girl who usually handles the office work is on maternity leave! Everyone’s out and we’re short-staffed! Don’t say rude things!”

I apologize.

“May I ask you a question?”

“What is it?”

Saran narrows her eyes, places both hands on the counter, and glares at Bal-san.

“The other day, an elven child was almost kidnapped by human bandits.”

“…Is that so?”

“Is there any involvement from the Guild?”

“Absolutely not.”

“You knew about me, didn’t you?”

“I did. Gathering information is part of the Guild’s job.”

“…Anyone who dares to try and kidnap an elf, I’ll kill them all.”

“Go ahead and do it.”

…

“In this country, is it a crime to kidnap people and sell them as slaves, including elves?”

“Slave trafficking is a serious crime, regardless of who the victim is.”

“Then why does such a crime continue to exist?”

“…Because it’s profitable.”

“Who profits from it?”

“The underground slave traders.”

“Who buys them?”

“The nobles.”

Those in power, huh…

“Are there any legal slaves?”

“All forms of slavery are illegal, without exception.”

“What about enforcement?”

“It’s not well enforced.”

“Why is that?”

“…Because it’s connected to the nobles.”

I see…

“If there were hunters involved in lending a hand, what would happen?”

“They would tarnish the reputation of hunters.”

…Thud.

Saran takes out a card from her pocket and places it in front of Bal-san.

“One of the bandits from the kidnapping gang had this.”

“…It’s Aran’s.”

Bal-san widens his eyes.

“What did you do to them?”

“I don’t know.”

“…I figured as much.”

Phew…

Bal-san exhales, plops down onto the seat, and tosses the card into the drawer.

“Don’t tell anyone about this. I won’t either. Aran is missing.”

“Wait!”

“You were the one who said you didn’t know.”

That’s right, I did. Yes.

“If this becomes public, there may be people who will become your enemies. Let’s keep it a secret for now. I’ll see what I can find out.”

…

“You two.”

“Yes?”

“Get to 3rd rank quickly. Once you do, I’ll ask for your help. I’m counting on you.”

“Understood.”