Chapter 160: The First Challenge
People still talked about the announcement everywhere Kai went. Groups of hunters had the quality of groups that had been discussing the same thing for a day and had not finished discussing it.
More people recognized him now.
Not because he was Rank One.
Because he was an Authority Candidate.
He ignored it and continued walking towards the Titan Forge compound. The compound was busy when he arrived as he saw supplies being moved, and equipment being repaired and restocked.
Titan Forge never seemed to slow down.
Someone was always repairing equipment.
Moving supplies.
Preparing for the next operation.
The guard at the entrance was a broad-shouldered woman who had probably been standing at this post for a month. She looked at Kai the way someone looked at a name they recognized appearing in an unexpected place.
She looked at the candidate list on her wrist display. Back at Kai. "You’re here to see Mira," she said. Not a question.
"Yes," Kai said.
She considered this for a moment. "She’s at lunch."
"That’s fine."
The guard looked past him at the compound. At the hunters moving between buildings. At the operational rhythm of a guild that did not stop for announcements. "You know you’re the third candidate who’s shown up somewhere since yesterday," she said.
"I didn’t know that," Kai said.
"City’s moving fast," she said. She looked at him once more. Then she nodded at the east building. "Cafeteria."
Kai went.
Behind him, the guard pulled out her phone. She sent one message.
He’s here.
By the time Kai reached the cafeteria, half the guild knew.
...
Kai went through the door and found Mira carrying two trays at once, moving between tables with the ease of someone who had done this enough times that it required no thought.
She was talking to a young hunter who looked like he had been at Titan Forge for about two weeks, and the conversation was about something the younger hunter found funny based on his expression.
She noticed Kai when she turned toward the service counter.
"Give me an hour," she said. She did not seem surprised to see him. She nodded toward the room. "Lunch rush."
Kai looked at the cafeteria.
The line was still moving. Four people behind the counter managed a queue that had not fully emptied. Trays going out, dishes coming back, the continuous cycling of a mid-day meal for a guild that ran at significant headcount.
He picked up a tray from the return stack and started moving dishes to the cleaning area.
The person beside him stopped.
Then went back to work.
He moved to the service line and started handing out portions when the person ahead of him stepped back to replenish something. The rhythm was not complicated. He followed it.
...
The first person who noticed was the woman managing the soup station. She was mid-ladle when she registered that the person beside her was not a
Titan Forge staff member and was not wearing anything with the guild insignia and was, in fact, Rank One.
She stared.
She kept ladling.
Then stopped and stared again.
The Titan Forge member receiving the soup looked at Kai. Then at the woman with the ladle. Then at Kai again.
He took the soup.
He sat down.
He looked at the person next to him at the table. "Is that," he said, and then he stopped because he had answered his own question.
At the table near the window, the young hunter leaned toward the older craftsman beside him.
"Should we do something?"
The craftsman was watching Kai hand out portions with the matter-of-fact ease of someone who had helped in a cafeteria before.
"Like what?" the craftsman said.
"I don’t know," the young hunter said. "Something."
"And lose a helping hand? Don’t be silly," the craftsman said. "Let him continue serving lunch."
Bol picked up a tray.
Joined the line.
Started helping. Two more Titan Forge hunters did the same within sixty seconds. The line moved noticeably faster.
Mira came back through with empty trays.
She stopped.
She looked at Kai behind the counter. At Bol and the other hunters who had joined. At the line, which was nearly finished. She looked at this for a moment. Then she laughed with a look of absurdity before she got back to work.
The young hunter at the table was still watching.
"He just," the young hunter said.
"Yes," the craftsman said.
"He came to talk to Mira about the Authority and started by helping with lunch."
"That’s what happened."
"Why."
The craftsman looked at Kai for a moment. "Because the line was long and he had hands," he said. "That’s probably all it was."
"That’s kind of terrifying," the younger hunter said.
"Yes," the craftsman said.
"It is."
Thirty minutes later, the line was gone. The cafeteria noise dropped to the quieter atmosphere of a room that was mostly done.
Mira stretched her shoulders. She rolled the left one twice, the specific rotation of someone managing recurring tension in a particular point.
She looked at Kai. "Thanks."
"You’re welcome," he said.
A short pause.
"You didn’t come here for lunch," she said.
"No."
She nodded.
"Authority," she said.
"Yes."
He said, "Let’s fight."
She blinked once.
Every sound in the cafeteria stopped.
The person washing up had a half-second delay before the words reached her. Then her hands went still. The young hunter at the table put down his cup. The craftsman looked up from the table. The nineteen-year-old counter staff held a tray and did not move it anywhere.
Kai continued. "You already know the loser will withdraw from this."
Mira blinked once and then she laughed. "You really picked the most direct solution," she said.
"Isn’t it the right one?" he said. "This will determine who wants it really badly but also not damage the relationship we have."
Bol quietly went back to drying dishes.
She folded her arms. "So you do care about our friendships?"
"That day you kidnapped me—"
"I did not kidnap you!"
"It was one of the funniest days I have. I want to have more of those."
Mira blinked before she gave him a beaming smile and said. "But you don’t trust me with authority?"
"I do trust you but I also believe you would be suited for something better."
"And what’s that?"
"Being the city’s hope."
Mira froze.
"I’m sure you already notice most of the city loves you. In fact, when you say something that matters, people believe you and want to support you. "Not because of your rank but because you’ve always put people first."
"You know it’s embarrassing when you say it like that! Also you did too much research."
"It was obvious." Kai tilted his head. "If anyone can unite this city... It’s you."
Mira scoffed before sighing and saying. "You think gaining authority will limit that?"
"I know it will."
Mira gave him a peculiar look before glancing around the cafeteria to see everyone watching and holding their weapons.
"I can see where you’re coming from but I still want authority." Mira clenched her fist. "Not for me but for everyone outside this cafeteria.I want to help this city without asking permission every step of the way. I’m sure you understand that making the life of the people better will also be helpful for future hunters, right?"
Kai closed his eyes but nodded.
He understood. This was especially helpful for his younger sibling Mina and Leo. And yet he recalls the images of what the candidate showed him and Sera.
He still couldn’t follow Mira’s path.
"Then we will decide everything in a duel. Are you in?"
Mira looked at him and then grinned. "Of course. When I beat you, it will further help me gain more support. Especially since you will be supporting me."
"I will?"
"Of course, I am definitely recruiting you. Mr. No guild."
Kai chuckled and said. "Fine, if you win. I will join your guild."
Mira’s eyes lit up before she held out her hand.
He shook it.
The cafeteria went completely silent.
Mira looked at him. "When."
"Now," he said.
She raised an eyebrow.
"There’s an E-rank gate two districts south," he said. "Low level. Clean interior. Nobody gets hurt from the environment."
"You want to livestream it as well?" she said.
"The city is already asking what happens next," he said. "Better they see it than hear about it after."
She looked at him for a moment. "Okay."
She turned to one of the Titan Forge members at the entrance. "Get my gear."
The member moved immediately.
The news spread through Titan Forge almost instantly. Hunters had appeared from the training areas and the equipment rooms and the upper floors. They stood along the path and were lining it.
Mira walked through them.
Nobody cheered. Nobody performed anything. They simply stood there watching her leave with the specific quality of people who wanted their presence to be understood as what it was.
One of the senior members fell into step behind her.
Then another.
Then several more.
More hunters joined them.
One after another.
By the time Kai and Mira reached the compound gate, twelve Titan Forge hunters were following at a respectful distance. The young hunter from the cafeteria was in the back, still holding a dish towel from the cleanup.
Mira did not look back at them.
But she knew they were there.
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