Chapter 24: Dealing With Suspicions

Luke sighed and rolled his shoulders as he stared at the last paper that needed to be filled out in front of him.

It had taken ages for him to fill out everything.

They demanded so many details like time, place, number of monsters, number of people, etc. He couldn’t say they were anything but thorough, which was good at ensuring nothing would be missed. The same couldn’t be said for his sore hands.

He looked over the last page and finished writing the details before setting the pen down. Luke stretched his arms out, relieved that he was finally done with it.

If he had to fill out another paper, it would be a moment too soon.

Rather than immediately gather up the papers and turn them in, he relaxed in his seat, choosing to take a breather. His eyes scanned the room, observing the other monster hunters as he recalled the last time he had gone to a monster hunter base.

The monster hunter base back at Waldbron had been closed because of instances of monster hunters being killed.

Why hadn’t this place been closed down temporarily?

Maybe they had, and he hadn’t been there to witness it, though it was curious that people weren’t more panicked about the news of many monster hunters dying.

After thinking about it, he decided not to think too deeply about it and gathered up the papers. Once he made sure he had everything and that everything was in order, he stood up and walked towards the counter.

The woman who helped him was in the middle of a conversation with another monster hunter, forcing him to wait.

The moment she finished with the monster hunter, she signaled for him to step forward and asked, “Have you finished everything? Do you have any questions or concerns?”

Luke nodded and turned the papers in as he said, “Yes, I was wondering where I turn in the pieces of the monsters I hunted.”

She nodded and turned her gaze to her computer as she said, “Alright, please give me your ID. I’ll look up your mission in the system and confirm you completed it.”

“Actually, these monster pieces aren’t from the mission. They’re from the incidents I reported,” he clarified.

The woman froze and glanced at him. Then, without a word, she picked up the papers she had set down to skim their contents. As she read, her eyes widened until they were practically popping out of their sockets.

She looked back at him and said, “Excuse me, I’ll need to grab the manager. Please wait here.”

Without giving him a chance to respond, she bolted. Her actions didn’t go unnoticed as several people nearby glanced at her retreating figure and at him. He acted like it didn’t bother him and waited patiently for her return.

It didn’t take long before she returned with her manager.

“Sir, I think we should conduct further business in private if you don’t mind,” the manager said with a smile.

That worked better for Luke.

He nodded, and the manager opened up the counter, signaling for him to go through. Luke walked through it, ignoring the looks and whispers he received as he followed the two away from the area. They traveled for quite a bit before entering a room.

Inside looked like a simple conference room with the basic necessities like a table and some chairs.

All three took a seat with the woman and manager sitting on one side while Luke sat on the other as the manager asked, “I’ve learned a little bit about the situation from my employee, but can you please tell me in detail about the two incidents you described?”

“I already filled out the paperwork,” Luke pointed out.

“I understand, but there might be some details you might have missed when writing it down,” the manager said.

Luke immediately understood that the manager was probing him, trying to determine how much of what he wrote was true. It seemed that the manager had a hard time believing what he wrote down was true.

Rather than call the manager out on it, Luke went along with it and reported everything in detail.

He made sure to keep certain details a secret, like how the monsters had run from him, but otherwise everything else was exactly as it was.

By the time he finished, both the manager and woman had complicated expressions.

Finally, the manager broke the silence and said, “I see. In that case, you have really done us a great service.”

The woman snapped her head towards the manager and demanded, “Do you seriously believe him? He claimed to take out fifteen monsters without a scratch on him when they killed a group of monster hunters.”

“Enough,” the manager snapped, cowing her into silence.

Luke shifted uncomfortably as he never intended for her to get in trouble.

The manager cleared their throat as if to dispel the awkward atmosphere and said, “I apologize for my employee’s behavior. I will discipline her.”

“There’s no need. I just want to get this over with,” Luke said quickly.

“I understand. Based on what you reported, you should have dealt with sixteen monsters. Do you have proof?” the manager said without a hint of accusation in his voice or face.

They were certainly professional. Luke could give them that.

As Luke went through the bag he was carrying, he said, “Yes, here they are.”

The woman’s eyes widened as he set sixteen pieces down on the table in front of them. The manager calmly studied them, making sure to authenticate them.

Once the manager was sure they were legitimate, they said, “I’ll report this to the higher-ups and have you paid for slaying sixteen monsters. You’ll also be given a bonus for handling a dangerous mission you weren’t responsible for.”

“Thank you,” Luke said, happy to have the whole thing dealt with.

However, before he could get up and leave, the manager asked, “By the way, you also mentioned that there were a few monsters killed by the previous monster hunters. Why didn’t you claim them for yourself?”

“Shouldn’t it be obvious? I have no right to claim them. The money they should have earned should go to their families,” Luke said as if it was the most natural thing.

The manager silently stared into Luke’s eyes for several moments before saying, “That will be all. Thank you for your time. We will get back to you as soon as possible regarding your payment.”