Thud!
The skiff nudged the shore and two figures stepped off.
"So this is Tenrou Island?"
"The air's so fresh—maybe I should just live here..."
A tall man with thick hair and bare, brawny shoulders inhaled deeply, eyes closed in bliss.
The cloaked, stern-faced man beside him couldn't help reminding, "We're not here to sightsee, Warrod."
The tall man laughed. "Just kidding, just kidding..."
At that moment—
—the skiff flipped with a clatter.
The last man vaulted off, half-soaked but ecstatic, shouting skyward.
"We made it!!"
"Listen up, guys!!"
"It's definitely on this island—no doubt about it."
"The legendary treasure—the tenrou jade—is ours!"
The three arrivals were young Treasure Hunters from the guild Sylph Labyrinth—
Yuri Dreyar!
Precht Gaebolg!
Warrod Sequen!
Three minutes later a campfire crackled on the beach.
Precht and Warrod stared glumly at the trouser-less Yuri.
"Couldn't you have stepped off the boat like normal people?"
"You had to jump, soak your pants, and now we're stuck waiting for them to dry..."
Yuri beamed, holding his trousers to the flames. "Sorry, sorry..."
"Got too excited. Anyway, let's plan while we wait."
Precht and Warrod, used to his antics, sighed and went along.
"Intel says this island's called Tenrou—same as the tenrou jade. They're linked."
"But it's huge; where do we start?"
"Split up?"
Precht shook his head. "Normally yes, but I've another idea."
"What idea?"
"Before we landed I saw someone on the island."
"People?"
Yuri blinked. "Never heard of settlers here. You sure?"
"Positive."
"You doubt my eyes?"
Yuri fell silent.
Years of teamwork left no doubts about each other's skills.
Precht fought with chain-blades—demanding phenomenal vision, wrist, and arm strength.
Since forming their team he'd never missed; his sight was unquestionable.
"But why didn't I spot them?"
Warrod deadpanned, "Because you were asleep."
"I want to check where I saw movement; might learn something."
Precht rose and headed off; Yuri and Warrod traded glances and followed.
Soon they reached the spot where Sword and Hughde had hunted the boar.
"Look—hunting signs!"
"Yeah!"
"Two attackers, front and rear."
All three were veteran trackers; they could reconstruct fights at a glance.
"Huge paw prints—five metres long. Tough even for us."
"But the hunters' prints are small and close—probably kids."
Yuri balked. "No way kids took down a beast that size!"
"Must be a short-statured race then..."
Precht glanced at Yuri and sighed inwardly: He's blinded by greed again.
Yuri was a fine Treasure Hunter—except for one flaw: he was money-mad.
That flaw skewed his judgment whenever easy loot looked less easy.
Right now his assessment slipped for exactly that reason.
"Look at this mark!"
Warrod called out. They hurried over to a deep Sword gouge cleaving the earth.
"Brutal strength!"
Precht remained calm. "One of the hunters did this; with power like that, the kill makes sense."
"But what weapon could leave this?"
"Maybe not a weapon—magic."
They'd dealt with Mages before; most excelled at magic yet feared close combat.
Only potent spells could carve such a scar.
"If island kids wield magic this strong,"
Precht murmured, "our bid for the tenrou jade just got complicated."
"Damn it!!"
Yuri clenched his fist. "I won't back down!"
A true Treasure Hunter never quits on treasure!"
"I'll claim the tenrou jade!"
Precht warned, "Starting a fight without knowing their numbers is stupid."
Yuri's eyes sparkled; a grin crept across his face.
"I've got a better plan."
"Gather 'round..."