We are now in the golden era of hunters.
Across the capital of Sylvean, dungeons and relics defined power, and countless adventurers rose and fell chasing glory. Among these rising stars stood one man who despite his odd reputation outshone them all.
His name was Hiro Ludin, the Lazy Trickster. This is the tale of how the weakest man somehow became the leader of the top-ranked clan Blazing Dawn and the party that shook the capital.
[Chapter 08 Begins]
"Hey, Mia, are you ready to go out now with me?" I asked as I tightened my cloak and wore my hoodie.
"Yes, Master," she replied instantly without wasting a time she kept aside her stuffed and fit ready.
I sighed. There it is again.
Every day, I wondered why she always called me "master." She could probably defeat me in a fight with her eyes closed if she wanted to.
"Mia, can you stop calling me master?" I asked again, rubbing the back of my neck.
"Sorry, I can't do that," Never! she said with that same polite smile.
"...Fine. Let's just go meet the others before my sanity runs out."
We entered the restaurant that served as our meeting spot. The air was thick with chatter, the smell of grilled meat and spice filling the air. At one of the corner tables, three people were already seated. As soon as I walked in, all eyes turned toward me.
George was the first to speak, disbelief written all over his face."Wait! are you really the leader of Blazing Dawn Clan?"
"Yes," I said solemnly, clasping my hands together. "By the grace of God, I am the leader of that clan, Mr. George."
He blinked at me. "So… you're the one they call The Lazy Trickster?"
I froze. "What kind of name is that?" I muttered. "Who comes up with these ridiculous titles?"
Both Ruby and Billy turned to each other, whispering in disbelief."You're saying this guy is the Lazy Trickster?" Ruby asked.
"And he's really level 8-star?" Billy added.
Before I could answer, Mia puffed her chest proudly."Of course! You don't know how great and strong my master is!"
"Mia," I hissed under my breath. "Please don't make them angry again."
She blinked innocently. "But I'm just telling the truth to them."
I sighed deeply. This is why I can't take her anywhere with me.
The Lazy Trickster that's what the public called me. Why? Because I'm lazy, and I somehow convince people to do things for me. At least, that's how Eve described it when she started spreading that nickname behind my back. And somehow, it stuck.
As we continued chatting, Billy suddenly stood up and slammed his hand on the table, the plates rattling. "Wait a minute!"
Everyone looked his way.
"There's no way you can be the Trickster," he said, glaring at me. "You don't look like a level 8-star at all!"
Before I could answer, Mia leaned forward, her tone sharp."It's because you couldn't even handle his test. That's why you don't understand."
Billy's face flushed red. "I was just caught off guard that time!"
"Sure Sure," Mia said coolly. "Keep telling yourself that."
The tension rose between them again, and I quickly raised a hand. "Alright, alright let's calm down. I didn't gather you all here to watch you two kill each other."
They slowly sat back down, though the air between them still sizzled.
"So," I said, leaning back, "I already sent the details of the new mission to your house yesterday. What do you think?"
Just as I finished speaking, a familiar chime rang in my head.
> [Warning: Billy Gane is doubting you. Your life may be at risk.]
"What the hell…" I muttered under my breath. "Thanks for the update, I guess."
I looked around the table. "So, are you guys going to help me with this quest or not?"
Billy cut me off, slamming his hand down again. "I'm not doing anything you say! And who the hell are you to order me around? Level 8-star my ass you're a fake!"
"Well," I said with a shrug, "you're not entirely wrong. I'm not actually a level 8-star. I'm just… someone who got put in that spot because of certain people."
"What?"
Nothing!
"Hey!" George tried to calm Billy before he said something even dumber and get himself into trouble. "Billy, don't push it. You'll get yourself killed."
Billy glared at me, his fists trembling. "You expect me to believe someone like him leads a top clan? Look at him! He doesn't even look like he's trained a day in his life!"
I raised an eyebrow. "Well, that's not wrong. My body's pretty weak, and my stats don't go up no matter what I do."
> [System: He's calling you a weakling, Master.]
"Yeah, thanks for pointing that out, System-chan," I said dryly. "You're really helpful."
> [System: You're welcome. ♥]
"Don't use hearts with me," I muttered.
Billy slammed the table again.
"Wow, you're really on a roll today," I said with a sigh. "Do you yell this much at home?"
Ruby tried not to laugh, hiding behind her drink. "Maybe he kind of does."
George rubbed his temples. "Please, can we not get banned from this restaurant?"
I stood up, dusting off my cloak dramatically. "Well then, since you're so eager to prove yourself "
The familiar blue text appeared before my eyes.
> [Quest: Show Billy Gane Who Is Boss – Part 2]
[Reward: 1P]
I smiled faintly. "Looks like the system agrees with me."
Billy squinted. "What was that?"
"Oh, nothing," I said, stretching my neck. "Let's just say I've been waiting for a good warm-up."
Mia leaned forward, grinning. "Should I step in, Master?"
"No," I said, waving her off. "Let's give him a chance to see what a 'lazy trickster' can really do."