On the land of Terra, there are many Hunters; some hunt beasts, others are bounty hunters who hunt humans, all of them living dangerous lives, with their heads on the line.
Of course, Goki is also a Hunter, a Hunter who hunts beasts—it's just that the beasts he hunts are a tiny bit larger.
On the edge of the cold, damp moving city, the sound of crashing waves echoed in everyone's ears.
"No need for swords and guns, it'll only spoil the mood."
Standing in front of Hearth, who wasn't as innocent as he seemed, Goki reached out and pinched the thin, sharp rapier.
The young Liberi Inquisitor tried to exert force, but Goki, with his kind smile, slowly pulled the sword down.
"This guy, he's so strong." The Inquisitor tried to pull away several times but couldn't.
After spending more than a week with Little Orca, Goki had even lost his judgment of other people's strength.
Today, quite rarely, Goki encountered a Liberi, whose strength, while not small, was considered to be from a race without much strength talent in Terra.
"I am a Hunter; the citizens hired me to hunt for them. They were just coming out to greet me—after all, they've been hungry for too long, and the food brought by the Inquisitors… wasn't that much, was it?"
Releasing the rapier's blade, Goki clapped his hands on the weapon box, opened a small slit, and took out the Saw Cleaver, still stained with congealed blood.
"Iberia law doesn't prohibit carrying weapons, does it, Inquisitor Sir?"
Of course, he deliberately placed his hunter's pistol at his waist—carrying a gun in Terra required a license issued by Laterano. Illegally carrying a gun, especially large firearms, would lead to being hunted down by Laterano's Inquisition.
Although he didn't know if the Inquisitions of Laterano and Iberia had any connection, since both worshipped the same God, it was better to be careful.
Inquisitors did occasionally come to Saltwind City, but that meager supply of provisions would be devoured by hundreds of mouths in a few meals.
Moreover, with no food in the sea for the past few years, the Inquisitors came less and less frequently.
Although the populace feared the Inquisitors, they did not believe the Inquisitors could save them.
"You—yes, but fighting is forbidden within the town, and weapons must not be drawn in the streets. Please ensure your weapons are put away."
Clearly sensing the hint of sarcasm in Goki's words, the young Inquisitor was momentarily choked but continued to conduct business as usual.
And when that giant, rust-stained weapon appeared before the Inquisitor, the chilling aura emanating from it immediately made him wary of this man, even causing him to involuntarily take a step back.
From the man's actions and posture, the Inquisitor could tell that this man in a black trench coat and tricorn hat was a formidable individual.
But conversely, this also proved that these weak citizens indeed had no ability to rob him.
"Iberia law strictly forbids lies and spreading rumors. You should understand what kind of punishment deceiving an Inquisitor will incur, Hunter Sir?"
With his hands still resting on his weapons at his waist, the Inquisitor warned Goki.
"Of course, Inquisitor Sir. I will be staying in Saltwind City for a while. If there's an opportunity, you are welcome to taste the prey I've hunted."
Goki nodded.
He was very glad that Iberia had already experienced a great decline and simply couldn't establish a complete household registration system.
Otherwise, no matter how good his and Skadi's acting was, a simple ID check would have immediately exposed them.
"Well then, citizens, you may temporarily return home, but remember, we will continue our investigation and will not let any violation of the law go unpunished."
He glanced questioningly at the masked Grand Inquisitor behind him, and seeing him nod, the young Inquisitor made up his mind, waved his hand, and decided to let the matter rest for now.
—Hunter Sir, thank you for contributing to Saltwind City. The Inquisitors' power is limited, and with the current crisis, we need to stand united."
"He's quite honest, truly a greenhorn."
Raising an eyebrow, Goki unexpectedly had a good impression of this business-like Inquisitor—he didn't seem like the type to sign extermination orders.
As long as no laws were broken, Inquisitors were actually quite easy to get along with.
At least, that's what Hearth said. This poor fellow struggled psychologically for over a month, only daring to drag people out to rob when he was starving, which showed how supreme the Inquisitors and the law were in their hearts.
"Then, this Nona… is she also a Hunter?"
Afterward, the Inquisitor looked at the beautiful woman who had been standing quietly by his side, appearing exceptionally demure.
Somehow, the Inquisitor felt that this white-haired girl in a red dress seemed to pose the same threat as this Hunter Sir.
"What is he babbling about? I need to study foreign languages properly in the future, sigh… the school didn't teach this."
She couldn't help but glance a few times at the back of her hand, which Goki's warm hand had just patted. Listening to him converse eloquently with others, Skadi decided to study Iberia language properly afterward.
There was nothing she could do; Aegir people generally thought they were the best in the world and disdained to learn the languages of the monkeys on land, so Skadi naturally hadn't bothered to learn.
"Ah, you mean her? Of course, she's not a Hunter. She's a wandering Skadi the Singer. When I go hunting, she sings in the city."
Looking at the dazed Little Orca, whose attention was somewhat scattered, Goki suddenly curled his lips into a smile.
"She is my, ahem, wife. She's been singing a lot lately, so her voice is a bit hoarse and she doesn't talk much."
Taking advantage of Titi not having learned a foreign language yet, Goki decided… to take some liberties with his words.
"Kind Hunter."
In his mind, the Nona's voice sent a shiver down Goki's spine.
"Oh, come on, Nona, it's just to better conceal our tracks—if you could come out of the dream, I'd say you were my wife!"
Goki's old face flushed, and he offered a forced explanation that he himself didn't believe.
Theoretically, since everything in Hunter's Dream could be brought into reality from the dream using blood as energy, then the Nona should also be able to come out.
However, blood echoes are an exceptionally precious resource now. Aside from the blood of that Seaborn Abyssal Hunter, hunting a wild boar only yields twenty to thirty blood echoes, so they naturally couldn't be spent carelessly.
Goki could only hope that the blood of inland Originium Slugs or Rockcrabs would be a bit more valuable.
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"Ah, I apologize, how rude of me."
Upon learning that the beautiful woman before him was the Hunter's "wife," the young Inquisitor immediately felt that his direct gaze had been disrespectful, and he quickly stepped back awkwardly, apologizing profusely.
And then, with a swiftness that Goki could barely perceive, the masked Grand Inquisitor seemed to take only one step to cover several meters and stood before Goki, extending his palm.
He was also a Liberi, with graying curly hair and old hands full of calluses and scars from countless battles, no doubt.
Clearly, this Grand Inquisitor was also a swordsman who mastered that precise and powerful sword art, "Supreme Technique"—the same sword art used by that head-swapping Thorns.
The most authentic Supreme Technique must be mastered by Liberi who use rapiers.
"Hunter Sir, may I inquire about your esteemed name?"
"You flatter me, I'm just an ordinary Hunter. Just call me Goki."
Goki maintained a smile, his palm grasping the Grand Inquisitor's hand from bottom to top. He had specifically asked Hearth about some related customs and etiquette; this was how Iberia people showed respect to those of higher status, different from the handshake he knew.
Immediately following, a tremendous force came, and Goki did not resist, being directly pulled over by the Grand Inquisitor, their shoulders colliding.
"Mister Goki, I bear you no ill will, but I hope you will take good care of your wife. Aegir are not welcome in this country—you know, hunger and poverty easily lead people to find excuses for violence, and an Aegir is the best target."
The Grand Inquisitor's voice emerged from behind his mask. Goki didn't know if this was a kind reminder or a stern warning.
"Thank you for your reminder, I won't be staying in this city for too long."
But regardless, Goki understood that over these past few decades, the status of the Aegir people in Iberia had steadily declined.
"Retreat."
The Grand Inquisitor gently waved his hand, and the Inquisitors immediately stood at attention, then jogged away into the distance, quickly disappearing from everyone's sight.
As he left, the young Inquisitor turned his head and looked at Goki.
Immediately, Skadi quickly ran to Goki's side.
"I was almost ready to draw my sword. At this distance, taking out a few of them wouldn't be a problem for me."
Although she felt a threat from that Grand Inquisitor, Skadi didn't believe she would lose to him.
"I'm not that weak, Skadi. Have a little confidence in me, and you can worry less—but thanks."
Goki smiled helplessly, but the feeling of being cared for by Skadi was very nice.
"But your Physique is indeed very weak. I was afraid that person would crush you."
But the next second, the honest words that came out of Skadi's mouth made Goki feel disappointed again.
"His strength is miles away from yours, Skadi. Don't judge others by your immense strength, alright—Hearth, don't forget what you promised us."
Upon hearing this, Hearth immediately nodded vigorously.
"Of course, I won't forget. You are our savior. Aunt Petra will be happy to have guests, and little Anita will be happy too—I will find you the biggest house."
Seeing the Inquisitors leave, the citizens finally breathed a sigh of relief. Some even sat directly on the damp ground.
After this ordeal, their last bit of rebellious courage was completely exhausted, and they would never dare to do such a thing again in their lives.
And so, two outsiders arrived in Saltwind City.
—
"Sorry, sir, I didn't perform well."
Jogging behind the Grand Inquisitor, the young Inquisitor's face was a bit red. Today was his first time performing a task as an Inquisitor without assistance, and the result… wasn't very good.
"No, everyone is nervous on their first deployment. Only Inquisitors who have witnessed countless disasters and despair become numb. If possible, I hope all Inquisitors can remain innocent forever."
The Grand Inquisitor's voice remained calm and steady. Although he was only walking quickly, the few people behind him could barely keep up.
"You only did one thing not well enough. That Hunter is very strong, but no matter how strong he is, you must not retreat a single step when facing him."
"I understand, sir! However, the characteristics of these two people should be—"
Before the young Inquisitor could finish speaking, the Grand Inquisitor's steps halted, and his subordinates behind him immediately managed to stop abruptly.
Before them, a handsome middle-aged man holding a scepter, dressed in a light green robe, was elegantly smiling and greeting them.
"How was today's work, Your Excellency Grand Inquisitor? If those who violate the law are caught, I will listen to their confessions in the church."
"No, that was merely a drunken jest. The citizens had another purpose for going out—to welcome the foreign Hunter and Skadi the Singer. The accuser also had no intention of slandering. All's well that ends well, Priest."
The Grand Inquisitor replied indifferently to this religious figure. Although both sides worshipped the same God, their connection was not close.
"That's excellent then. A Hunter and a Skadi the Singer? It caters to both material needs and enriches the spirit. The citizens are more optimistic than I imagined, exactly so. Emergency medical equipment can only alleviate pain. Only by uniting and seeing each other as siblings can our connections become stronger and our race more robust."
With a spring-like smile, the Priest nodded, seemingly delighted for the future of Saltwind City.
"Race… You are right,"
The Grand Inquisitor frowned, finding the Priest's words a bit awkward, but didn't dwell on it.
"Forgive me, I have work to do. I wish you ever-increasing steadfastness on your path of faith… Cleric Quintus."
After the Inquisitors left, Cleric Quintus curled his lips in disdain.
"Stupid and blind lackeys, they don't understand reverence for the ocean… But, it's not all bad news. She is not just an ordinary Aegir."
The Priest then looked into the distance at the tiny red figure, his lips curling into an involuntary smile.
"The experiment hadn't even begun, and another sample arrived… It just fell into my lap."