The events at the hotel concluded with the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association declaring war on all other associations, and this major development was immediately front-page news across the entire city.
Elsewhere...
Ed, who was practicing swordplay, remained completely unaware.
In the forest, he had been training for nearly two hours, yet there was no sign of him stopping.
Iris, who was watching from the sidelines, had no idea when she had become so entranced by the scene.
Ed's swordsmanship was so precise and methodical; every movement seemed to flow with the grace of a master! And, most importantly, sword training was an extremely physically demanding activity. Yet, after all this time, Ed didn't seem the least bit tired. On the contrary, he appeared steadier and faster than ever before!
Soon enough, Ed finished, and it was only then that Iris snapped out of her reverie. Worried about being noticed, she quickly turned to leave, but Ed called out to her:
"Come out, I've seen you for a while now."
Iris froze for a moment, and with no choice, she stepped out. Still unsure of herself, she cautiously asked, "Are you really a Hunter?"
Ed didn't answer. Having just expended his physical energy, he was thinking about how much his training speed had increased tonight. Perhaps, by tomorrow at the latest, he would break through to the high-tier Black Iron Hunter level. The thought put him at ease.
In a chaotic world like this, strength was the only true form of security.
"Let's go," Ed said as he started walking out of the woods.
"Hey, aren't you going to wait for me?" Iris, feeling completely ignored, pouted but quickly caught up with him.
After witnessing Ed's sword practice, Iris's curiosity about him grew exponentially.
"Now I finally understand why you're a guest of my father's. You really do have some skill."
Iris, walking behind Ed, added, "I can believe now that you're really a Hunter. I'm sorry about what happened before."
Ed responded flatly, "I've said that from the beginning."
Iris asked, "I have one more question. I'm curious, what level of Hunter are you?"
Ed replied, "Mid-tier Black Iron."
Iris was left speechless for a moment. The guilt she had just felt vanished in an instant.
A mid-tier Black Iron Hunter was incredibly powerful to Iris. It typically took decades of training to reach that level!
But Ed looked to be only in his teens, about the same age as her!
Iris furrowed her brow. "Can you be serious for once?"
"I am being serious," Ed answered expressionlessly.
Iris snorted in annoyance and decided to stop talking to him. Ed had some skill, but he loved to boast, just like the boys in her school class.
"Really, are all boys this age like this? Do they not realize that acting all cool just makes them look low?"
On the street, the two of them remained silent, walking together towards the inn.
Suddenly, a voice rang out:
"Iris! I can't believe I'd run into you here!"
It was the voice of a girl, and the moment Iris heard it, she immediately tensed up and turned around. A young girl with pink hair was running towards them.
"Phirna?" Iris called out the pink-haired girl's name, her expression sour, as if she didn't want to see Phirna here.
Phirna grinned mischievously. "Why are you acting so cold? We're classmates, you know."
"Iris, have you heard? There's a hot rumor going around town. Apparently, a very young and mysterious Hunter is making a huge splash!"
Phirna said, enthusiastically diving into the gossip that girls her age were known for.
Iris, however, remained indifferent.
"I already know," she said flatly. "But I don't want to talk about it with you unless you stop talking about your uncle."
Phirna immediately laughed. "Haha, you don't look very happy. What's wrong with talking about my uncle?"
"After all, he's a real Hunter. Isn't that what you always brag about, how your dad is a Hunter?"
Hearing Phirna bragging again, Iris was visibly annoyed, a vein throbbing on her forehead.
Meanwhile, Ed, noticing that Iris had been stopped by someone, paused and waited for her to catch up.
He found the situation a bit familiar, having been a normal student before his journey to this world.
Boys and girls of this age always loved to compare themselves to one another, didn't they?
The only difference was that the things they compared in this world were different from what Ed had experienced back in his previous world.
Iris snorted. "So what? What's so impressive about it?"
"Your uncle is a Hunter, not you."
Phirna gave a light laugh. "I'm not bragging, I'm just stating the facts."
"And my brother is a very powerful Hunter, unlike you, who doesn't even get the chance to meet one."
Iris immediately retorted, "Who says I haven't?"
In her frustration, she pointed a finger at Ed, who was standing a short distance away.
"See? The guy standing right next to me is a Hunter!"
Phirna froze for a moment. "This young guy is a Hunter?"
Iris replied, "Of course he is! Didn't you notice the armor he's wearing, or the twin scabbards? That's standard Hunter gear."
"I just don't think having a Hunter by your side is something to brag about. Not like you, who's so childish."
Phirna's words made Iris pause for a moment, but soon enough, a smug look appeared on her face as she thought of something else:
"Hmph, you know about the Hunter competition tomorrow, right? My uncle will be participating in it."
"Doesn't seem like your friend here has even grown a full beard—do you really think he can join such a competition?"
Upon hearing this, Iris was at a loss for words. The Hunter competition was exclusive to the city's most elite Hunters, and it was clear that Ed wasn't quite there yet.
Having won this little exchange, Phirna walked away, grinning and waving as she spoke to Iris:
"Alright, I've got things to do, so I won't continue this little chat with you."
"You'll probably go watch the competition, right? See you at the arena."
With that, Phirna left, and Iris was left standing there, angry and deflated.
Ed, having noticed the situation, thought to himself that at least she was Uncle Du's daughter. He spoke up:
"I'll be participating in that competition too."
However, his words did nothing to lift Iris's spirits. She glanced at him and said:
"Stop joking around. The competition has extremely high standards. Only the city's most elite Hunters can compete."
"Sigh, that damn Phirna... her uncle will definitely be in it. If I run into her at the competition, she'll do everything she can to put me down."
"I'm so annoyed. All my excitement for the competition has been ruined!"
Ed raised an eyebrow slightly. "Really? So, her uncle is an elite Hunter?"
Iris nodded immediately. "Of course. Her uncle is with the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association."
Ed widened his eyes slightly. "Oh? The Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association?"
Iris said, "Yeah, and he's a high-ranking member of the association."
Ed couldn't help but ask, "Do you know a lot about the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association?"
Iris looked at him as if he were joking. "Are you kidding? It's the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association. Anyone who's even remotely interested in Hunters in this city knows all about it."
"Oh? Then can you tell me, just how strong are the high-ranking members of that association?"
This was something Ed was very interested in.
However, in her current state of frustration, Iris wasn't in the mood to explain much. She simply muttered:
"Unbelievable, you don't even know something so basic, and you still have the nerve to call yourself a Black Iron-level Hunter?"
"All you need to know is that this Demon Hunter Association is extremely powerful. Several of their high-ranking members are at the Silver level."
"I've heard their leader even reached the Gold level. They're terrifyingly strong!"
"Gold level?" Ed's mind stirred as he finally understood Arya's strength.
Suddenly, the urgency inside him grew.
With his current strength, he was still far from being able to defeat her. He had to hurry up and train!
"So, your classmate's uncle is also at the Silver level?" Ed asked.
Iris nodded. "Yeah, that's why I'm so frustrated. My dad was just a Black Iron-level Hunter, and he's retired now."
"Damn it. Maybe I should just stay home and not go to the competition, so I don't run into Phirna."
Ed nodded, not asking any more questions. He had gotten the information he needed, and now, after realizing the gap in strength, all he wanted to do was train hard and get stronger.