Morning sunlight illuminated the battlefield outside Blackwood Village.
Although three days had passed since the monster horde was defeated, the scars of the battle remained.
Trees lay uprooted.
The earth was split apart by enormous craters.
Thousands of monster corpses had already been gathered into piles by Hunter Association personnel.
Elite investigators moved throughout the battlefield, carefully documenting every detail.
"This area alone contains over three thousand monster corpses."
Another investigator nodded while recording the information.
"Mostly goblins, orcs, ogres, wyverns, and mutated beasts."
"What about the king?"
The investigators turned toward the enormous corpse lying at the center of the battlefield.
The Triple Head Ogre King.
Even in death, its overwhelming aura lingered.
One investigator swallowed nervously.
"I still can't believe someone actually killed it."
---
Nearby, Kael Draven stood beside Emil.
The Guild Master himself approached them.
He was an elderly man with silver hair, sharp eyes, and a calm yet commanding presence.
The crest on his black cloak identified him immediately.
Gareth Thorne.
Guild Master of the Galant Hunter Association.
The strongest authority within the Association.
He stopped before Emil.
"So..."
"You're Emil Myers."
Emil bowed respectfully.
"Yes, Guild Master."
Gareth studied the young hunter from head to toe.
"You registered less than a month ago."
"You deliberately concealed your true strength during the entrance examination."
Emil remained silent.
"I wished to avoid unnecessary attention."
A faint smile appeared on Gareth's face.
"A wise decision."
"But after this..."
He glanced toward the corpse of the Triple Head Ogre King.
"...remaining unnoticed is no longer possible."
---
Several investigators returned carrying stacks of reports.
One spoke first.
"Guild Master."
"Everything has been confirmed."
"The wounds on the Ogre King perfectly match Sir Emil's sword techniques."
"The witnesses' testimonies are consistent."
"There is no evidence of outside assistance during the final battle."
Another investigator added,
"Veteran Hunter Kael only evacuated civilians and eliminated ordinary monsters."
"The S-Rank Ogre King was defeated solely by Emil Myers."
The surrounding hunters exchanged stunned looks.
Even after seeing the battlefield, hearing the official confirmation made the achievement feel even more unbelievable.
---
Two days later...
The headquarters of the Galant Hunter Association.
An emergency council had been convened.
Every senior executive was present.
The atmosphere was unusually tense.
Guild Master Gareth sat at the head of the circular chamber.
"The purpose of today's meeting is straightforward."
He placed Emil's file on the table.
"Hunter Emil Myers."
"Current registered rank..."
"E-Rank."
Several council members sighed.
One elderly executive immediately objected.
"This is absurd."
"No matter how talented he is, he is still too young."
"We cannot promote a teenager directly to S-Rank."
Another nodded.
"It would destroy the credibility of the ranking system."
Across the table, an elderly woman calmly adjusted her glasses.
"Would denying his accomplishments preserve that credibility?"
Silence followed.
She continued,
"Our ranking system exists to measure capability."
"Not age."
She projected the investigation reports onto a magical screen.
The battlefield.
The monster corpses.
The Ogre King's remains.
Witness statements.
Combat analysis.
Everything pointed to one conclusion.
She looked around the chamber.
"Tell me."
"If defeating an S-Rank monster while protecting an entire village does not qualify someone for S-Rank..."
"...what does?"
No one answered.
---
Another executive spoke.
"We also verified his previous records."
"He cleared dangerous requests far beyond E-Rank standards."
"He concealed his strength intentionally."
"He has shown excellent judgment."
Another nodded.
"And despite possessing overwhelming power..."
"He has abused neither authority nor civilians."
"He has displayed remarkable character."
Guild Master Gareth listened quietly.
After several hours of discussion, he finally stood.
"The debate ends here."
Everyone became silent.
He looked at every council member before speaking.
"Our duty is to recognize ability honestly."
"If we refuse to acknowledge undeniable achievements..."
"...then this Association no longer deserves the trust of hunters."
He raised Emil's file.
"I hereby invoke my authority as Guild Master."
"Hunter Emil Myers..."
"...shall immediately be promoted..."
He paused.
"...to S-Rank Hunter."
The decision echoed throughout the chamber.
For a brief moment, absolute silence followed.
Then every executive stood.
One after another.
No objections remained.
The motion passed unanimously.
---
The Guild Master continued.
"Record this carefully."
"Today, Galant welcomes its fifteenth S-Rank Hunter."
A secretary quickly wrote the updated records.
Kingdom of Galant
SSS-Rank Hunters: 2
SS-Rank Hunters: 5
S-Rank Hunters: 15
The newest name appeared at the bottom.
Sir Emil Myers.
Age: 13.
The youngest S-Rank Hunter in the history of the kingdom.
---
By sunset, magical communication crystals across the kingdom lit up simultaneously.
Every Hunter Association branch received the same announcement.
«Official Notice
By unanimous decision of the Hunter Council, Hunter Emil Myers has been promoted from E-Rank directly to S-Rank after independently defeating the S-Rank Triple Head Ogre King and protecting Blackwood Village.
Effective immediately, Sir Emil Myers is recognized as the Fifteenth S-Rank Hunter of the Kingdom of Galant.»
Across the kingdom, hunters stared at the announcement in disbelief.
"T-Thirteen years old?"
"From E-Rank... straight to S-Rank?"
"Impossible."
"No... if the Guild Master approved it personally..."
"It must be true."
Some were inspired.
Some were skeptical.
Others viewed him as a rival.
But one thing became certain.
The name Emil Myers was no longer known only in Blackwood Village.
From this day forward, every hunter in Galant would remember the blind swordsman who had accomplished the impossible.
And deep within the royal capital, after reading the report, King Aldric Valen smiled.
"It seems..."
"I must meet this remarkable young knight myself."