****(POV)

What the actual fuck. This is madness! What are the odds that a random guy I decide to talk with and tease turns out to be some high bounty target?! What am I supposed to do now?

He said something about being chased by assassins. There is no way anyone normal would have that happen to them!

No, relax! There is a chance he was just messing with me. Yes! Perhaps he was just trying to get back at me for my little joke about my pet.

Or was he faking looking naïve? What if it was all an act?!

This is so troublesome. Usually, I wouldn't have to think much about it. I would tell myself that I'll deal even with the worst cases scenarios somehow. Not this time.

What was with the way he said goodbye to me? Acting as if someone might have been listening to our conversation? Either he is a lunatic, or I am in way deeper than I ever intended.

Wait this should be easy to figure out. I just need to check the place he told me about. If he was just kidding it will turn out to be some normal outpost. Otherwise, there should be clues is my guess.

Alright, time to go! What if the place itself is a trap? I don't think I actually have any enemy that would go to such lengths to ambush me. I did mess with many people, but I always run a background check before. I know who I can and cannot afford to offend.

It takes me a little while to reach there. Finding one camp like this one is actually harder than it seems. There are many small forests around the area. This particular one is half razed.

They must have been at work in this area for a long while already. I come upon a group of burly men …that are all resting?

What is up with them? Right now is almost the middle of the day. It is possible they are taking a food break, but this scene still appears weird. They show no trace of having worked in the morning.

Their clothes are all clean and proper. There are no tools in sight. It seems that all of them are resting. Right now it doesn't seem like they have noticed my presence yet.

So I wait and then wait some more. No matter what they show no sign of wanting to work at all.

This is extremely worrying. This is no normal lumberjack camp. They are not doing anything but wait. What are they waiting for?

Are these guys spies? Is this some rebel group in hiding?

"How long are you going to stand there hiding?"

Who is that?! It is coming from my back! Gotta relax and take a poised voice.

"Oh, I'm just looking for a friend don't worry about it."

"A friend is it? Why would you stay here instead of going in to say hi then?"

He seems suspicious of me whoever that is.

I slowly turn around and there is some man that clearly seems to be a soldier. At his hips is a longsword. The way he carries it makes me believe he definitively knows how to use it.

Right now I am a beastless tamer. I should not tick him off no matter what.

"I was looking for my friend, but he doesn't seem to be in the group after careful observation so I was wondering if I should wait for him or look for him in the city."

"Understandable, who is that friend of yours? Perhaps I do know him."

He gives me a small smile. Wait didn't that guy say something about some people that would torture and kill me for interacting with him? Something about scouts?!

Could this guy right here be one?! No matter what I cannot tell him I know the guy!

"Oh, he is a new lumberjack here. Actually, he might have quit I'm not sure."

"So you DO know him. Of course, that makes sense."

What?! What is he thinking now?!

"I truly don't know who you are talking about!"

"You do not? Strange there has only ever been one newcomer in the last months in this group. Joining is not only troublesome but also not very appealing. You can only be talking about that man."

"Is it? Haha. Actually, I don't know him personally I was just trying to see if he was interested in a job at the beast tamer guild since he recently joined it and all."

"He did? Hum makes sense now that I think about it. You guys do have that last option of a duel to the death don't you?"

What is he talking about now?

"T-that yes we do, why?"

He starts laughing.

"Hahaha, truly smart. I was expecting him to retaliate but not that hard."

"What did I miss?"

"Oh, let's just say I was coming here to tell him some bad news, but it seems he already knows about it. Actually, it seems he is taking steps to deal with our common enemy too. That is great. I can't wait to see the face of these old stubborn fools when their precious star tamer gets killed hahaha."

"Star tamer?!"

"Not for long."

This can only mean …oh god. That would explain how he referred to that powerful tamer by such a casual title. A rank 4 tamer with a big fire-lizard. There is no way anyone sane would call such a being like that! Still, that is madness!

"Do you think he has a chance?"

"Who?"

"The one I came here to see."

"It seems you do not know him yet haha. If anything I would bet on his enemy's demise. After all, I saw him eat a rank 4 monster with my own eyes. The worst is that he casually did it too. Without any emotion fluctuation whatsoever. This man is used to killing legendary creatures for sure. This should be nothing else than a big lizard and a dead man to him hahaha."

Holy fucking shit! That is really how he called it!

Wait, if he is that powerful…how fucking strong are the assassins he is running away from?!!