Haco has been given a place and time to meet the Elite Seven.
The details would be given when he arrives. The only thing he did know was the target's name and occupation.
Oarburgh: an assassination clan for hire. Known for their special techniques to control insects and remove the limiter on the body for a short duration.
From the minister's expression, they seemed to be a pain to deal with. But looking at Esdeath's reaction, they weren't enough to take her attention.
So he looked down on them—especially when he heard they could control insects.
'Seems like this will be easy.'
It killed some of the eagerness he was hiding. Fighting feeble people isn't enjoyable. Torturing them like Esdeath was not to his taste either.
Only removing threats Mother Nature can't solve herself felt like achievements worth pursuing.
'I'm gonna crush any obstacles in my way.'
Or, so he was thinking. The obstacles are many. Biggest might be himself.
As he left from the north's main gate, a pair of eyes noted his exit. As the kid walked around a desolate corner, the child became an old man going through a bar. From the backdoor, walked a young man out with arms full of empty bottles.
Another man was waiting in front of a wagon. It was loaded with bottles from other bars and had come here to pick up more.
This was his last stop before transporting them to a village known for its farming. For fermentation, they would buy used bottles made of sugar cane.
Unknown to everyone, they also had another purpose. On some of the labels, a hidden message was written. On its way to the recipient.
---
Tenacity. That's what Esdeath saw in Haco. While any general would welcome men that could ignore the pain screaming for them to give up, she was looking for the most extreme form of tenacity.
People that don't know how to quit. Those that cannot stop pushing the edge of life.
Haco was amusing to her because she knew, that no matter where he brought his people, they would be seen as monsters. Haco knew that himself, that's why he's pursuing the strength she has. Only with that would he be able to force the ideal image he's pursuing.
That's how it should be. But she has begun spotting a few cracks in character.
Esdeath was walking through the palace with a special destination in mind—the treasury.
She could now see it, Haco was nearing his full potential. The hellish training he was doing every day had next to no results anymore. It was time for him to get a Teigu when he comes back.
So she confiscated all the Teigu that had no owner. And more, she noted all the Teigu that had one in case none was to Haco's liking.
After dropping them off in her room and ordering Liver to guard them, she left the palace.
Eager to see what Haco had been building with his own eyes. She walked through the shadows of the slum until the new area appeared in sight.
Before Haco's new house, was a horse cart filled with food. Nenet was happily distributing it to Gravekeepers.
'Pathetic!'
The sight disgusted her. Weaklings that can't even feed themselves—she couldn't fathom why Haco would even bother with that.
A very surprising thought kept coming to mind lately, 'What if it's all a veil? Hiding his true goal behind a noble one.'
She kept dismissing it because it didn't fit, 'Only guilty people seek redemption.'
'But he's hiding something.'
Her thinking went deep. This actually made her want to know more about her subordinates.
If she took away the goal, the Gravekeepers, the slums, everything. Then his road seemed more or less identical to her, except,
'A man that's afraid of his beastly reflection.'
While she accepted being a monster that only seeks destruction. He seems somewhat lost somewhere between.
With a body that craves blood, but a mind that wants pumpkin seeds.
It was only a hypothesis she had. Countless struggles it took, to stop herself from tearing the curtain of the hinges.
Thinking the time wasn't right had saved her many times. It would be a shame to ruin the show before it could begin.
Haco was only 17 years old. She couldn't help but anticipate his future. One cannot hide his nature forever and the truth will reveal itself.
But a Teigu for his 18th seemed appropriate.
---
Haco took a big detour through the Rousei mountains.
He was sitting in the tree tops, watching the Danger Beasts. His usual tense frown had long disappeared, exchanged with a peaceful one.
He had felt suffocated a lot reasonably. Putting on a righteous front was consuming, even though by now, it felt natural.
It's just a shame that he can't enjoy this peace for much more.
Once again, humans—the most venomous being—will be the reason for pulling him out of the world he wants to stay in.
Hunting Oarburgh alone had to be the top priority.
Having to deal with so many problems with the Gravekeepers was honestly a bother. It only increased his impatience to sniff out the little rat—Mudi.
'With that bastard's cunningness, he has for sure learned of everything I've done.'
'He's properly out there devising a plan to take me down for real this time.'
'I've let my guard down twice to you, but that won't happen again.'
Long ago when they both were younglings. They were friends—best friends. It was the typical best friends turn enemies out of envy.
Mudi felt inferior. It was easy to see from Haco's father's perspective, and it made it much easier to sow discord.
After placing a stolen arm bracelet in Mudi's path, he picked it up and framed Haco. A great fight began despite only being cups.
But it was an important one for the elders. Sort of an amateur tournament to scout talent.
It was just, that things turned out not as they expected. The Bird Clan showed signs of a bright future. Because despite being outnumbered and having a broken wing, little Haco overcame the adversaries and gave Mudi the humiliation for life.
It was no wonder Mudi had waited years for an opportunity in the shadows.
And once again still is.
Nothing had changed between the two. If he'd to pick one thing that might be a change,
'I wish I could see Mudi's expression when he learned of his friends being killed by me. If he didn't already hate me to death, he sure does now.'
Haco was eagerly looking forward to the 3rd and last fight between the two.
But that comes later. He has a job to do first, so he left the mountains.
When he finally got outside the mountains, a warm welcome was waiting for him.
A young woman with long, black hair was sipping tea by a little white table. Two maids were serving her. One was shielding the sun with an umbrella.
'Destruction there, destruction here. Is that really all humanity can do?,' thought Haco when he saw the bones from a Dragon-type Danger Beast behind them.
He understood they properly were here for a casual hunt, so he did what he would have wanted himself—being left alone.
That decision took self-control. The deepest and darkest part of him was screaming to kill them.
But in the end, what would it amount to?
"What a rude man. Not even greeting three vulnerable ladies." His walking stopped as he looked weirdly at the lady erotically hugging herself. When she turned her face, a birthmark was clearly revealed under her left eye.
Vulnerable? From the meatless corpse, he could conclude they have been staying here for a while. That wouldn't be possible without considerable strength.
But if these fellow hunters wanted a hello then,
"Hello." They could get it. It wouldn't be against his pride to give them a simple greeting.
That was all as he continued moving along only to be stopped by temptation.
"Interested in the whereabouts of a rogue Gravekeeper?"