-Vol 6: Dusk of An Era-

-Friendship from being of the same generation, not same age-

“So, you are here to visit your sister, I presume,” Markus asked, getting comfortable on his stupidly comfortable chair, looking at Kenshin.

“Indeed, I am, aside from that, I have no reason to be here in the first place,” Kenshin said, seeping on his tea, finding it to be quite extraordinary, “Mmm, this is good!”

“I am happy that you have found it to be of your liking. I have specially ordered them from India. They say it can relive all your fatigue and laziness.” Markus smiled before seeping from his own cup. After placing the cup on the table, he asked, “I heard you were just a low-level hunter not a year ago, how did you grow this strong and this quick? If you don’t mind, can you please share the secret?”

“You did your homework on me, it seems. Well, indeed, you are correct, I was but a low-level hunter not long ago… but everything changed one day… I am what I am due to what happened that day.” Kenshin sighed, sipping the tea from his cup, “I was nearly killed in a Level 3 dungeon, but God gave me another chance. I awakened a very powerful skill, a magic type skill that I used to quickly climb through the ranks.”

“Oh, your fire type skill, I presume… indeed, Flames are best suited for offensive purposes, second only to lightning.” Markus agreed as he continued to sip on his tea, “but I didn’t get how you can mold your skill to the point of making an imitation of limbs out of it? If I am correct, rumors are going that you have conjured a ‘God’s Hand’ to squash these flies, right?”

“What? There’s such a rumor going on? Damn, I didn’t know that…” Kenshin felt a little embarrassed.

“Indeed, haha.” The old man looked Kenshin intently and nodded to himself at his lack of useless pride and arrogance. Hubris is the worst enemy of any warrior, he knew it too well.

“Well, we have not yet allowed the students to come out of their safe houses, so if you want to meet your sister, I can take you there.” The old man said.

“Well, I don’t want to intrude upon you. It will be best if you call her here. I don’t want to make other students uncomfortable.” Kenshin felt awkward, so he politely declined. He would feel weird to swagger about in a place filled with young teens with hormone levels going rampant.

“If you say so, let me give someone a call.” The old man, Markus replied, before dialing a number with the desk phone on his table.

After the call, he gave Kenshin another look before saying, “I have observed the growth of your sister and two of her friends after they returned from that one visit, I believe it was shortly after Mito experienced the Dungeon Break. What you taught them, do you think it can be replicated…?”

“That method? To be honest, sir, its’ nothing special. I just threw them in a harsh environment and left them to their own devices, intervening only when they can’t handle it anymore. It’s nothing great; actually, it’s just that, they are meant to be hunters, so I thought the best place for them to study is inside a dungeon, don’t you think so too, sir?” Kenshin laughed, replying to Markus’s question.

“Haha, indeed, a straightforward for an effective method to train hunters… and quite crude too.” The old man shook his head, “but, yeah, I don’t deny the growth it brought.”

“Exactly that’s why I am sending my sister to study here, ain’t I? if I can make her a hunter who tapped her full potential, what is the need for her to be here, away from her only family?” Kenshin smiled.

“Such a mature way of thinking. Mr. Muto, let me tell you more than 80% of hunters with a child didn’t think like that. in fact, they think they are enough to teach their children, making them skilled hunters. How can they be this unreasonable?” the old man sighed, “centuries of accumulation of knowledge, when will it come in handy if not helping the next generation? Can they guarantee that they knew everything that has to be known?”

“Exactly. I was pretty surprised when Akari recited the strength and weaknesses of monsters she saw for the first time? Would you believe it if I tell you, I have to encounter that same monster many times and to run for my life a dozen times, just to learn it’s strengths and weaknesses?”

“Same for me too. Mr. Muto, do you know what they call us, people like us who learn from experience, without any prior training?” Markus looked at Kenshin with a twinkle in his eyes, “they call us, First-generation hunters at best and cannon fodders at worst, ha… canon fodders… and these children who are graduating from this university and other specialized institutes are all second-generation hunters… how pretty. A few even call them Elites..”

“Elites, huh. Well, considering how adaptation to the dungeon is a hunter's top priority, and these so-called second-generation hunters are pretty quick to adapt to one from what I have seen, so well, I guess they might deserve the name of elites.” Kenshin also nodded in agreement. He saw how well Akari and her pals faired in a dungeon. It took what, two or maybe three days to work together and slay monsters left and right… Kenshin couldn’t even hope to catch up to this speed, even though he had the help of a skilled team back then.

“Elites… sigh, I just hope it doesn’t go to their heads, compelling them to make silly mistakes… this is a matter of life and death after all…” the old man sighed, as he calmly received the call that rang once. After keeping the receiver down, he smiled at Kenshin who was already walking towards the office door, “I guess this is it for us, I had a good time talking with you Mr. Muto, despite our age difference. Haha”

“What age difference are you talking about? In the end, aren’t we both from the same generation canon fodders? Anyway, do visit Mito sometimes, I also have two friends who would love to chat with you as well, see you Markus… and next time, please call me Kenshin. All my friends do so.” Kenshin smiled, then waved his hand to the old man before going out of the door.

“Sigh, such a capable young man… won’t you be proud of him, Mrs. Ayumi?” Markus mumbled to himself as he became comfortable in his chair, looking at a picture on his table, a small one with a young lady standing together with another man and beside them stood, a slightly younger version of himself.

If Kenshin was here, he would have instantly recognized those two young people who stood as a couple. They were none other than his parents.

…

“Brother, you have come…” Akari smiled sunnily, jumping into his embrace, disregarding everyone present… not that anyone there in the first place.

“Oof, careful Aki, you aren’t a little kid anymore…” Kenshin said with a smile and a frown. Smiling at her little sister, that later morphed into a frown because of her state of dress. She was wearing a short purple skirt and black stockings… really short skirt…

“Aki… isn’t that skirt a little too small? It literally comes to just above your midthighs…” as her brother, and the only family, he sometimes felt like a father figure to her… and seeing her in a short dress made him quite uncomfortable.