It has been a long while since I have stepped foot in that guild.

  It seems the staff I knew before have retired. Which is reasonable.

  How old am I currently… fifty-one? Fifty-two?

  It doesn't matter...

  Same with ranks.

  In the end, every hunter dies by the same cause:

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  The Maws.

  …

  “The air is cold today.”

  I whispered, looking down at my breath, visible from the cold air around as I continued to walk on the thin snow.

  The cold winter is coming to an end in a few weeks.

  I recall that Maws are more active in warm weather, which, frankly, isn’t pleasant for me. A few weeks from now…

  It is my decision, however, to continue.

  I'd rather do something before I go senile.

  …

  I feel that I was also a bit stubborn.

  Currently, I have nothing but this short sword that had rusted in my attic since I first retired. Laying there for decades…

  I sighed before reading the quest again.

  It was for Stannum rank.

  I groan in my mind.

  Forgetting I became Lapis again at the guild.

  “Muscle memory…”

  I sighed to myself again, thinking of the young woman behind the counter.

  I did hear her shout something, but I thought it was for someone else.

  But, going back to the quest—

  Stannum Rank. Two Natum Maws. While they may not be the strongest, it's still a nuisance regardless.

  I hummed lightly.

  “Let's see what this retired Aurum bag of bones can do after all these years.”