Finally, the cycle after Metello gained his new blessing, another good news came. Monster hunters were once more authorized to hunt the mines. The Lux follower hadn't known, but the [Crafters] and the [Merchants] sided with the House for the mayor to authorize monster hunters to do their jobs. Hunting products were too much important for the economy of the city.

It was a relief for Metello and Jeffrey as they had a rent to pay. They went back to their old routine with a hunt before lunch and another before dinner, with weapon training when they had enough time. These hunts went even better than before as the new Prayer of Beam let them see far better than before. It had needed some adjustment at the start, but after that, Metello and Jeffrey had no problem in the mines as long as they took the safe and slow way. In the next eleven cycles, they could bring back fourteen monster bodies a day as Jeffrey could take four of them back to the city now. They found a good amount of moss and mushrooms too. With all that, Metello now had 780 coppers, who would have been enough to pay his rent even alone, but his weapon was showing signs of weariness.

At the end of the 2nd cycle of Calors, the Lux follower reluctantly asked Jeffrey to buy him another slightly better rapier for 400 coppers. It had not the fancy handle he liked, but it was a better-made one. Metello wanted to be ready for the next cycle as it was already time for the new squad meeting at the House. It would be a special one.

Since some cycles ago, many foreign monster hunters arrived in Ironholes, and a good chunk of them were copper ranked. Some came in squads, but many came alone or with their family. It would even seem that some of them came first when the city was in lockdown. The important thing for Metello was that they would maybe be less hostile to the idea to group up with a black-haired [Acolyte].

After dinner, Metello chanted a complete Prayer of Status to reassure himself before the next cycle meeting.

Status : Metello Level : 2,69 (↑0.51) Ether : 619 Class : Lux Acolyte (basic) Stamina 39,3/62,7 4,1/h (regeneration) Divine energy 82,4/92,5 6/h (regeneration) Statistics Base Effective Class bonus Strength Upper 7,9 8,8 4% Lower 8 8,9 4% Agility Body 8,9 9,9 4% Hand 10,6 12,3 4% Resilience Body 8,3 9,2 4% Mind 11,1 14,1 10% Mind Intelligence 8,7 9,6 4% Imagination 12,8 16,2 10% Faith Power 10,5 14,2 10% Control 11,7 15,8 (Lux: 16,6) 10% Perception Sense 10,1 11,7 4% Memory 10,6 11,7 4% Social Comprehension 8,7 9,6 4% Expression 8,5 9,4 4% Blessings Bestower tier level Lux Blessings Lux Lux devotee 2 1 passive Lux Prayer of Beam 2 1 active Lux Light artist 2 1 passive Lux Prayer to Lux 1 5 (↑1) active Lux Sight sense 1 2 passive Lux Hiding 1 2 passive Lux Graphic arts 1 2 passive Lux Rapier Handling 1 1 passive Lux Spear Handling 1 1 passive Lux Light resist 1 1 passive Lux Identify Art Quality 1 2 active Battle and prayer support blessing Fulgur Ranged Prayer 2 1 passive Petrus Shield Handling 1 1 passive Other Prayers Fulgur Prayer of Thanks 1 3 active/passive Nihil Prayer of Status 1 3 active Aqua Prayer to Aqua 1 1 active Aeris Prayer to Aeris 1 1 active Calor Prayer to Calor 1 1 active Vegeta Prayer to Vegeta 1 1 active Anima Prayer to Anima 1 1 active Other Petrus Resting 1 3 passive Aqua Cleaning 1 1 passive Menta Reading 1 4 passive Menta Counting 1 3 passive Menta Writing 1 1 passive Menta Focus 1 2 passive Nihil Absorb core 1 2 (↑1) active

Metello had absorbed a lot of cores, gaining a level in Absorb Core, and almost 0,5 class level. Almost as important, he had reached the 100 kills with his light prayers and earned a level up in Prayer to Lux for that.

After examining his status for enough time, the [Lux Acolyte] fell asleep.

In the next cycle, Metello and Jeffrey went to try and recruit more people. They were not the only ones. There, they found the squad which had refused to take him into their group the last time. Sadly, only three members of the five were left. Metello had heard that one warrior had died and that the [Acolyte] had been crippled in the mines. While his body had been healed, his mind had not. Another squad that had lost a member was here too.

Ultimately, despite the foreigners and the number of new monster hunters being higher than usual, the meeting unfolded nearly the same way as the first time. Metello was even accused of stealing his low-special quality [Acolyte] robe and his medium-special quality golden top hat. Yes, he had used his Identify Art Quality on a bunch of things, and his robe and hat were far from the weirder things he used it on. He even tried it on beans, who identified as medium-poor quality.

As Jeffrey and his squad-mate didn't mind too much fighting monsters with only the two of them, it was not that serious. Their hunts were slow but fruitful enough, so they were only a bit disappointed. For the [Lux Acolyte], it was only one more rejection to bear. With the new squad reunion taking time from their usual hunting, for once, they decided to take the cycle off and wait for the next one to book a new mine. So, they went to visit the orphanage.

Unlike what Mrs Richardson would have wanted, Maria had managed to learn about the [Apostle] problem a few cycles ago. Her eavesdropping habit once more caused difficulties for the headmistress. As Maria learned about the prophecy, the young girl wanted to get her class as soon as possible. She had been depressed for some time when Mrs Richardson explained to her for an hour it was impossible to move her coming of age forward. Thankfully for her, Metello told her about upgraded classes. After that, she had worked with renewed vigor on her blessings. She told Metello she had planned to be able to evolve her class the same cycle she would get her basic one.

The girl had already been training to get or level up Running, Acrobatics, Sonic Arts, and Prayer to Aeris before. After knowing what was ahead, she pressured Mrs Richardson into letting her accompany Carl to practice daggers and bows with Jeffrey every cycle after breakfast. Naturally, she succeeded.

As the two monster hunters arrived at the orphanage, Carl and Maria had already finished their morning training. The young girl was there to spot them as soon as they walked through the door and to kidnap Metello to practice prayers.

When she had to stay at the orphanage, Maria mainly worked with Aeria, her Prayer's nickname. She could not play a tune with it yet, but now she could produce simple sounds, the same way Metello generated colors.

And there they were since two hours ago, Maria, her praying teacher, Aeria, and Lucco in the shadow of the orphanage, bickering.

“Quieter, please! I'm sure if I identified its art quality, it would have to use a new tier under poor. Try another thing for now.”

“Yes, wimp teacher. What can I try then ?”

“I don't know. Find something by yourself a bit.”

“You're my teacher, so teach me!”

“You're the one who decided it all by yourself I had to teach you! You can't blame me now!”

“Why not? You're just failing your responsibilities. Not that it is unusual for a rat sucker.”

Mettelo took a heavy breath and went into teacher mode.

“Okay. Then, how did we find you could produce sound ?”

“You thought that if air could produce sound in my flute, I could do it with air alone ?”

“Well, we thought about it. Then, what air or wind can do other than produce sound ?”

“Dunno, you are the teacher.”

“Argh! Don't think like that. Try to find things by yourself a bit.”

“Can a birdbrain do that ?”

“Okay, okay. We'll stop now. The food smells make me hungry and it will be lunchtime soon. Try to think about it, even as a birdbrain. I have to work on my blessings too.”

“See you tomorrow!”

“I don't think I will come tomorrow. I'll look for Jeffrey. Enjoy your meal.”

Metello and Jeffrey went to the House at the beginning of the next cycle as they needed to get a new mine to hunt. Mr Morton had returned to his desk for some cycles now. After waiting for the previous squad to finish their business with him, it was their turn to ask for a key.

“For you two, I have two options. It has been twelve days since the hunts had been restored, so the first mines cleared should have new level 1 and 2 monsters inside. But you could go on with a mine cleared before the lockdown, twenty-two cycles ago. There shouldn't be level 4 in it for two more cycles. Do you have some preferences ?”

Metello looked at Jeffrey before he replied.

“Can we just hunt for the two cycles and give back the key?”

“Given the circumstances, it is doable.”

“We'll take the second one then, please. Thank you, Mr Morton. On another subject, do you have some news from Brorne ?”

The receptionist wrote in his ledger and went to get the key while talking back.

“Yes, we have. We received a report last cycle. It is nothing specific on Brorne like always, but the convoy finally went out of the Saint John Desert. They should reach the Walls in a couple of cycles now. They will see the state of things then. They haven't met any undead horde yet, only stray monsters and orcs or goblin packs, so that's a good sign.”

As they were talking, a group of three monster hunters entered the House. The new party arrived unseen by Metello and Jeffrey. They could only hear the voices behind them as evidence of the new presence. Suddenly, the [Acolyte] felt someone grip his shoulder.

Metello turned around defensively to find himself face to face with a young woman. At the desk, Mr Morton and Jeffrey stopped talking. She had long curly brown hair and big blue eyes. Her skin wore the same tanned complexion as most of the folk of Ironholes. She wore a shining iron plate reinforced leather armor that could make her pass as a local [Warrior], but she wore a large conic straw hat, marking her as a probable foreigner from the north. The recent wave of incoming monster hunters from FarPort and other places out of the city made this possibility more credible.

Behind her, two young men followed her, but Metello couldn't look at them much before the foreigner asked him with a faint accent under the surprised gaze of Mr Morton and Jeffrey.

“Are you a Lux [Acolyte] ?”

Caught off guard and not knowing what to do, he simply answered affirmatively.

“And, this is a [Rogue] you are teamed with?”

“Yes ?”

“Nice, with you two, we have a better team now. I see you already have a mine's key. Guide us to its location.”

The [Acolyte] was disturbed. He was used to Maria imposing her point of view on him, a nice way to say she ordered him most of the time, but the monster hunter was a stranger. He didn't know her or her motivations. He sputtered.

“No. But. Why? Who are you ?”

Showing a spiked mace even shinier than her leather armor, she replied.

“Let's talk on the road. I'm eager to try this new weapon.”

Torn between being forced into an unknown squad and the possibility to have found a team, he looked back at Mr Morton, who smiled and nodded to him, then to Jeffrey, who shrugged. Not too sure, he replied timidly.

“Okay”.

The mace wielder was already walking toward the door when Mr Morton said.

“Young people, I'll need to write your names and classes if you want to hunt with Metello and Jeffrey.”

The young woman turned back.

“Oh, sorry, sir. I'm Ianina Silverstar, I'm an [Anima Priestess].”

Metello's eyes went wide. She didn't look like one at all. He understood better now the guys who hadn't believed he was a [ Lux Acolyte] as he had made the same mistake.

Next to her, the tall young man was the first to speak again. He had short blond hair, barely coming out of his iron helmet, and elongated brown eyes. He wore a thick gambeson, with sturdy-looking leather boots, and two swords were hanging from his belt. He announced confidently.

“I'm Roger Farmer, son of Brad Farmer, and I'm a [Swordman] like was my father.”

“Thank you, Roger. You know that we know each other. I was addressing more to your two squadmates.” He turned his gaze toward the last one who was almost hiding near the door. “What would be your name, sir?”

The tiny young man looked like a ten-year-old child. He had medium-long red hair covering partially his puffy cheeks. He had the same kind of used leather armor Metello wore and held a long spear in his two hands. He voiced himself timidly.

“I'm Francis Bridgestone, and I'm a new [Warrior]. I missed the meeting yesterday, sorry.”

The childish [Warrior] had not finished bowing to Mr Morton when the young woman called excitedly.

“Now, we can go!”

A few seconds later, the five monster hunters were walking on the streets, Ianina and Roger talking to each other at the front and the other three moving silently behind. Metello's legs were moving on their own. His face wore a frozen expression of surprise while his eyes seemed lost. His mind had blanked even before walking out of the House.

When they walked through the city gate, Metello finally came to his senses. He looked around, seeing the four young people with who he would hunt. He stressed a little, not knowing how things were going to turn out.

He reminded himself of the composition of the squad: two [Warriors], two [Acolytes], and a [Rogue]. But looking again at the spiked mace strapped at the woman's belt, he wasn't sure she would stay at the back with him.

“Which battle formation will we use? Jeffrey and I have never hunted with anybody else. Will we use some particular tactic ?”

Ianina, turned her head to Roger as if waiting for an answer, which he gave.

“In the tunnels, it will be me with Ianina at the front, Jeffrey and Francis in the second line with you at the far back. In the larger rooms, I'll be at the tip, Ianina, and Francis at the sides, with Jeffrey offering support where needed and you at the back. It's the simplest way to do things. It's only level three monsters in the open zone of the mine, so don't worry too much. I could get them all by myself.”

“Okay.”

Roger seemed to know what he was doing, and it was enough to reassure Metello. He didn't ask for more. A smile crept onto the Lux follower's face. Even if it wasn't how he imagined it, he was now part of a real hunting squad with two seemingly experienced hunters. He just had to hope that it would last a long time.