Norma POV
The conversation with Sandra was very entertaining. I almost forgot to eat my cake.
At the moment, Orion and I were on our way back home. The weather was very pleasant. Sunlight reflected off the large glass windows of the skyscrapers. Some of those rays reached the scattered trees along the roadside and made their brightly colored leaves shine beautifully. The wind was only a light breeze coming from behind, helping me push the stroller, and was nothing compared to the gusts created by passing cars.
Orion had already dozed off slightly after I placed him in the stroller when we left the café and parted ways with Sandra.
On the way home, I had plenty of time to think about the past few days. The days had been peaceful, and I was able to enjoy them with Orion. However, his mana sensitivity had risen to a level that no baby should have and was more comparable to that of an awakened hunter, even if he would be considered weak under that evaluation.
My thoughts drifted back to the conversation I had just had with Sandra, where we talked about Orion. When she asked whether he had already awakened, I had instinctively answered that he had not, but the truth was that I did not really know, since we had never tested it.
How could I even do that?
There are generally two ways to determine whether someone is an awakened hunter.
A hunter can have their mana measured by channeling it into special machines designed for that purpose. This proves that the person possesses the ability to use their own mana. This is the most reliable method, as it also allows the amount of mana and therefore the hunter's rank to be determined.
Another hunter can sense the mana of the individual. This method is very unreliable, as it only works under certain conditions. The hunter would need to possess a high amount of mana and must not have any ability that allows them to conceal it.
I can immediately rule out the second method, since I can barely sense any mana from Orion. In fact, it is only slightly more than the mana naturally present in the air. However, this issue will likely disappear with time, since he is still young and his body has not yet accumulated much mana over the years.
The first method can also be ruled out, as Orion is simply too young to understand what would be expected of him if I tried to have his mana measured. This is also why I can rule out the possibility that he possesses an ability to suppress his mana.
Because of this, the only thing that can currently be said is that if Orion is awakened, he will probably only have a low rank.
With these thoughts in mind, the walk home passed in the blink of an eye.
By the time we arrived, Orion had already woken up again, at least from what I could tell.
Let's hope he still sleeps through the night, I thought as I looked at his cute face.
By now, it was time for Orion and me to have dinner. During my pregnancy, I had read several times that it was better not to give babies fixed feeding schedules. However, if I did not have some form of schedule, he would probably never cry because of hunger.
For that reason, I decided to adjust his feeding times slightly. Throughout the day, Orion has several time windows during which he is supposed to eat. If he does not make any indication that he wants food by the end of one of those windows, I feed him myself.
The time windows are always different throughout the day so that he cannot become accustomed to a fixed schedule. Of course, if he wanted something in between, I would never refuse him.
I had just put Orion to bed and was now getting myself ready for sleep. I closed the door behind me and walked toward the bathroom.
As I did, my gaze wandered through my cozy apartment. It was not particularly large, but it was comfortable. While standing under the shower, my thoughts drifted to Orion, and I began imagining what the future would look like.
As these thoughts continued, I realized something.
"This apartment will become too small for the two of us in the future," I voiced my thoughts aloud as I finished my shower.
Frustration and embarrassment swirled through my mind at this realization. How could I have failed to notice this during the entire pregnancy?
Before going to bed, I checked on Orion one more time. He was sleeping in his crib beside my bed.
The search for a new apartment would begin tomorrow.
Norma's Apartment The next day, morning
My alarm clock began to ring and woke me up, allowing me to quickly turn it off. Waking up marked the beginning of my new routine. It consisted of making coffee while eating some toast. After that, I prepared some milk for Orion for the day before washing and getting dressed. I always kept my baby monitor with me so I could listen for Orion before beginning my work for the day and checking my schedule.
My work can be divided into two major categories. On one hand, there is normal administrative work, and then there are my special duties.
The majority of my work consists of administrative tasks, where I am responsible for assembling groups of hunters to clear Gates that were not purchased by guilds or private individuals. This also means that I have to deal with hunters' records in order to determine which hunters can be sent without expecting casualties.
I accomplish this by creating a good balance of classes and matching the hunters' ranks to the Gates. A different department is responsible for evaluating Gates. They measure a Gate's mana value and assess its stability to determine how long it will take before it breaks.
Once the data has been collected, it is passed on to the next department, where the Gates are offered for sale. The majority of the profits generated from Gates go directly to the country itself. Lower-ranked Gates, such as D-Rank or E-Rank Gates, are often not offered for sale and are instead used by private hunters managed by the Federal Bureau for Hunters.
Together with others, I am also responsible for ensuring that these private hunters receive their salaries.
The other part of my work consists of special duties that I can perform because of my unique class. My task is to recruit high-ranking hunters from other countries. This works by offering foreign hunters the opportunity to become stronger if they immigrate to the United States and sign a contract with one of the guilds.
Once everything has been arranged, an appointment is scheduled where I meet with the hunter and enhance their power. In this way, the United States can gather many powerful hunters and thereby increase its military strength.
For this reason, I am also an extremely important person for my country, and I am very proud to provide such support to it. This is also why I am kept away from dangerous situations. It is the reason why, despite my excellent mana perception, I do not work in the Gate Evaluation Department.
After spending some time working and feeding Orion in between, it was now just before noon, which meant it was lunchtime.
After finishing the last documents, I began preparing something nice for lunch. First, I peeled some potatoes and rinsed them in a small pot filled with water. Then I placed them on the stove and let them boil.
After that, I started preparing a roux-based sauce with peas and carrots before turning on a frying pan to cook some Jagdwurst that I had sliced beforehand. I added the excess fat left over from frying the Jagdwurst into the sauce to give it a stronger flavor.
After half an hour, the potatoes were done as well, allowing me to begin eating.
Orion, whom I had left in his playpen throughout the day, was now sitting beside me at the table in his high chair, with a bottle of milk next to him. I enjoyed my lunch while Orion sat there, repeatedly smiling in his direction because I simply could not help myself when faced with his cuteness.
It had become more cloudy outside, so no sunlight managed to shine through my window, leaving the kitchen illuminated only by a pleasant, soft daylight.
After eating, I portioned the leftovers and let them cool for a while as I washed the dishes and put Orion down for his midday nap. Afterward, I placed the food in the refrigerator and sat down at my computer to search for available apartments while also informing my supervisor.
Technically, where I live and any changes to my residence belong to my private life, meaning I would not normally have to inform my supervisor. However, my unique class comes with not only advantages but also several restrictions.
One of these restrictions is that I must actively report my permanent residence and any changes to it. Another restriction is that I am not allowed to leave the country, and if I do, it must be under strict supervision and only to countries with which the United States has alliance agreements.
In the message to my supervisor, I had to report my intention to move as well as the reasons behind it. They would certainly grant me permission and might even offer assistance, even if only to build goodwill with me.
By and large, the country is only interested in my abilities, and in this case, Orion is simply a baby like any other.
At the beginning, when the first hunters awakened, there was a theory that children could inherit the same classes and abilities as their parents. However, there is now partial evidence against that theory.
The only thing parents can pass on to their children is a potential mana capacity, and even that is not guaranteed since the child must first awaken. Children also do not always inherit the rank of their awakened parents; it is simply more likely that they will end up somewhere close to it.
Well, knowledge on the subject is still very limited, simply because hunters are a small minority within the world's population.
Because of this lack of knowledge, Orion is an uncertain case for the government, so they are not willing to invest their resources in him.
I was currently sitting at my computer, searching through apartment listings that might be suitable for me. The new apartment needed to be large enough so that we would not have to move again once Orion grew older, and another advantage would be its location. I would be happy if I could find an apartment near a kindergarten. Although, in the long run, it would be even better if there was a school nearby, so he could simply walk or ride a bicycle to and from school later on.
I pulled myself out of my daydreams and decided to finally get started. The housing market for larger apartments was quite limited, so there were not many options available. After some time, I selected a few apartments and contacted their landlords to arrange viewings.
The next few weeks passed as I visited apartments over time. So far, there had not been a single one where I could picture Orion and myself living. Time passed, and winter arrived.
On a crisp morning, frost had formed along the edges of the windows, and the plants were wrapped in a white blanket of ice. The sun occasionally shone its rays onto the frost, causing it to sparkle and glow like tiny diamonds.
Just as I had finished getting dressed, I received a message from my supervisor. He asked me to come to the office for a meeting. Afterward, I finished getting ready completely and made sure that Orion had something to eat and was prepared to go out.
When we arrived at the office, I was informed that Michael Connor was waiting for me in Meeting Room 03. Michael Connor is the Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Hunters and is primarily responsible for recruiting foreign hunters to work in the United States. He is a middle-aged man with green eyes and blonde hair, which he styles upward, exposing his forehead.
When I entered the room, Mr. Connor greeted me politely and offered me his hand. After exchanging pleasantries, Connor asked whether I could leave Orion with an employee for the duration of our conversation. Curious, I asked for the reason behind this request, as I had received very little information about this meeting in general.
Connor's answer, in summary, was that he wanted me to focus entirely on our discussion. His explanation left me uncertain about what exactly he wanted to talk about, but after a long hesitation, I reluctantly agreed. I left the room once more and searched for someone who could watch over Orion for an unspecified amount of time.
Once that was taken care of, the conversation with Connor began.
"Thank you for coming today."
"It is only natural that I would accept your summons, Mr. Deputy Director," I replied.
"The higher-ups have discussed the matter, and we all agree that we would like to maintain a good relationship with you."
"I am also very grateful for your approval of my recent relocation requests on such short notice."
"Oh, think nothing of it. We naturally understand your reasons. How is the search for a suitable new apartment progressing? The housing market is still rather strained at the moment, if I am not mistaken."
"Unfortunately, you are correct, Mr. Connor. It is difficult to find a suitable apartment. There are simply very few places that are appropriate for raising Orion properly."
As I spoke about my current problems, I slowly began to drift off topic.
"Mrs. Selner, I think you will be pleased with the reason I called you here today. The Federal Bureau of Hunters would like to make you an offer. We would like to provide you with one of the properties owned by the Bureau as a residence. In addition, we would be willing to assist with your child's education," Connor said in a friendly tone.
"Really!? You're making me such an offer? And what exactly do you mean by helping with my son's education?" I asked excitedly, while inwardly becoming somewhat suspicious.
"The Federal Bureau of Hunters would cover his educational expenses in the future and ensure that he receives a secure place in a prestigious kindergarten. Additionally, we would also cover his medical expenses."
"That sounds wonderful. However, I have to ask what the Federal Bureau of Hunters would gain from this. Surely you are not making me this offer for free."
"Of course you are correct, Mrs. Selner. However, our request is rather small compared to what you stand to gain from it. You would simply have to take on a few additional duties and accept a few more restrictions in your life. As for your son, we would like him to become an employee of the Federal Bureau of Hunters if he awakens in the future."
When I heard this, I became furious internally. I had expected that they would want something from me, but the fact that they were already reaching for Orion made me angry.
"I understand that I would need to provide more work in exchange for these privileges, but why do you want my son?"
"It is understandable that you are confused, but please try to see it from our perspective. The Federal Bureau has the fewest hunters of any organization in the country, and the ones we do have are at most C-Rank, because other organizations can simply offer better benefits. We only want your son as a possible safeguard should he awaken."
"And what if he awakens with only a low rank?"
"In that case, there is already a high probability that he would join us anyway. Naturally, we would continue covering his expenses if he wished to pursue his academic education alongside his work."
"What if I don't want him to become a hunter?"
"I understand your concerns as a mother. However, you must remember that awakened individuals are a rare minority and are necessary for a country's survival."
I began to think. Should I accept? There was no guarantee that Orion would awaken, and this would provide him with a secure future. It was a difficult decision and ultimately a huge gamble on whether Orion would awaken someday or not.
But in the end, I had to make a choice.
"I have two conditions! First, if Orion awakens, he is only obligated to work for the Federal Bureau of Hunters until he becomes an adult. Second, I am the only person who can authorize Orion for assignments!"
"I do not see any problem with the first condition. The second, however… I will need to discuss it with my superiors again, but it is very likely that, if we accept your demand, Orion will be required to complete a minimum number of assignments within a certain period. This would ensure that you could not simply refuse every assignment on his behalf."
"I expected as much."
We spent the rest of the meeting discussing further details. According to the plan, I would be called in again to discuss the final offer, and if we reached an agreement, I would sign the contract.
End of Chapter