Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest

Chapter 716 162.2 - You will get it

"If you pay attention, with a mind like yours......you will naturally get better at it. You are one of the smartest after all."

Irina felt a small spark of pride bloom in her chest at Astron's words. She tried to keep her expression composed, but the corners of her lips twitched upward despite herself. 'One of the smartest, huh?' she thought, a mix of satisfaction and determination bubbling within her. 'Well, if he thinks I can do it, then I'm going to prove it!

She straightened her posture, her hazel eyes glinting with renewed energy as she glanced around the market. "Alright," she said decisively. "Let's see if I can put what I've learned to use."

Astron tilted his head slightly, watching her with his usual calm demeanor. "You're going to test yourself already?"

"Why not?" Irina replied, folding her arms with a confident smirk. "I've already booked the hotel for two nights. We're not in a rush, and the market's still bustling. I might as well use the time to practice."

Astron gave her a small nod, his sharp gray eyes studying her as if gauging her resolve. "Fair enough. Where do you want to start?"

Irina scanned the stalls, her gaze flitting over colorful displays and eager vendors. Her attention landed on a booth selling intricately beaded necklaces, each one strung with vibrant stones and small, metal charms. The vendor, a cheerful older woman with a warm smile, was already calling out to potential customers.

"That one," Irina said, nodding toward the booth. "Let's see how much I can get one of those necklaces for."

Astron stepped aside, gesturing for her to take the lead. "Go ahead. I'll observe."

Irina took a deep breath, adjusting her posture as she approached the stall, 'Alright, Irina. Focus. Don't get distracted by the sales pitch. Look for the details that matter!

Just like that, Irina's little adventure did start....

*********

The city's market district was abuzz with the hum of activity, filled with people from all walks of life-travelers, merchants, and locals creating a vibrant tapestry of motion and sound.

Among the crowd, the operatives moved with careful precision, scanning every face, every movement, every interaction. They had narrowed down the possibilities, but nothing was confirmed yet.

The foreknowledge from Reginald Hawkins had provided critical hints, but disguises

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made confirmation challenging. Astron and Irina had altered their appearances- Astron now had ashen hair and gray eyes, while Irina's fiery red locks were replaced with deep chestnut brown, her amber eyes masked behind a hazel hue. Their disguises were strong enough to blend them into the sea of people, but the operatives knew to look deeper.

From multiple vantage points, the team observed several couples fitting the general profile provided. Each operative had been assigned to shadow a different pair, employing their high-grade detection artifacts to search for any signs of hidden enchantments or mana flows indicative of disguises.

"Target spread confirmed," one operative reported quietly through the communication network. "Five couples matching the descriptions across the district. Assigning resources to all pairs."

The team leader, stationed on a rooftop overlooking the central square, issued commands with calculated precision. "Maintain observation distance. Activate enchantment analyzers, but keep the fields low-don't risk tipping them off. We're searching for any anomalies."

The operatives moved to comply. One, stationed near a café, adjusted his enchanted goggles. The lenses shimmered faintly as he scanned a couple sitting by a window. Their features matched the descriptions loosely, but the lack of any detectable enchantment dismissed them as a possibility.

"Negative," the operative murmured. "No signs of disguise artifacts on this pair. Moving to the next."

Another team member, trailing a couple walking through a quieter alley, activated a mana-detection artifact. The artifact pulsed faintly, sending out a subtle wave of mana to probe for hidden enchantments. The couple glanced around briefly but continued on their way, seemingly unaware of the observation.

"Negative," the second operative confirmed. "No response from the probe. Moving to new targets."

******

In the market, there was a man named Jihan. He came from the rather eastern side of the Federation, up to this city on the west side after hearing about the fact that there were many quick bucks that were to be made here.

Jihan adjusted the display of trinkets and small enchanted charms on his stall, his movements automatic as he tried to keep his mind from wandering. The bustling marketplace surrounded him, vibrant and noisy, yet he felt strangely detached. His thoughts kept drifting back to the strange encounter from the day before.

The man who had approached him in the shadows of his stall had been unremarkable at first glance, but his demeanor was unnervingly calm, his voice carrying an edge that left no room for argument. The artifact he handed Jihan was small, nondescript- a smooth, flat stone with a faint shimmer of mana coursing through it. "Use this if you see a couple that stands out," the man had said. "The girl will act haughty, angry, or overbearing. The man will be calm, quiet. That's all you need to know. Press the button on the artifact if you spot them. One-time use. Don't ask questions."

At the time, Jihan had laughed it off. What kind of nonsense is this? he'd thought. The marketplace was full of all sorts of people, but finding such a specific pair seemed absurd. He had pocketed the artifact anyway, more for the decent sum of coin the man had offered than any intention of actually using it.

But now... now, he wasn't so sure.

His gaze flicked to a couple browsing a nearby stall. The woman, her chestnut brown hair glinting faintly in the sun, was speaking to the vendor with a tone that was sharp and impatient, her words laced with a subtle authority. Beside her stood a man with ashen hair and gray eyes, his demeanor calm and composed, as though he were entirely unaffected by her mood.

It was uncanny, like watching a scene from one of the adventure tales his son loved so much-where an unsuspecting market vendor stumbled into something far larger than

himself.

'Is this... them?" Jihan's heart began to race, his hands growing clammy. No, it's probably nothing. Just a coincidence. But... what if it isn't?

The memory of the strange man's words came rushing back. A couple that stands out. The girl, haughty or angry. The man, calm and quiet. The description fit too well. His hand hovered over his pocket, where the artifact lay. It felt heavier than it should, its presence a silent reminder of the choice he had to make. Am I really doing this? he wondered, his chest tightening with a mix of anxiety and curiosity. What if it's just some kind of prank? Or worse... what if it isn't?

The couple moved closer to his stall, their quiet interaction drawing his attention. The woman was gesturing to a trinket with a faint scowl, her body language radiating irritation. The man beside her simply nodded, his expression calm as he listened to her, occasionally offering a soft word or two.

Jihan's pulse quickened. It's them. It has to be.

His fingers closed around the artifact, the cool surface tingling faintly against his palm. He hesitated, glancing around the marketplace as if expecting someone to leap out and stop him. No one did. The bustling market continued on, oblivious to his

internal struggle.

With a deep breath, Jihan pressed the button.

The artifact pulsed once, a faint glow emanating from its surface before it faded, leaving no trace of its activation. Jihan slipped it back into his pocket, his heart.

hammering in his chest as he tried to act normal.

That's it? he thought, a wave of anticlimactic relief washing over him. Nothing happened. Maybe it really was a joke.

Jihan's breath hitched as the couple drifted closer to his stall. He busied his hands, arranging trinkets on the display to feign nonchalance, but his heart was hammering in his chest, louder than the chatter of the bustling marketplace. He had pressed the button, and done what he was told, but now he couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted.

He risked a glance at the pair, and that was when it happened.

The young man's gray eyes locked onto his, steady and unblinking. Jihan froze, his fingers trembling as they hovered over a small amulet. Those eyes... There was something about them, something unnatural. They weren't just gray; they seemed to pierce through him, reaching beyond the surface, as if peeling back layers he didn't even know he had.

A shiver ran down his spine. What the hell? Why is he looking at me like that?

Jihan quickly averted his gaze, his throat tightening as he struggled to swallow. His palms grew slick with sweat, and he felt an unfamiliar, unsettling pressure weighing down on him. It wasn't just fear-it was as if the young man's gaze carried a weight that bore into his very soul.

The woman beside the young man appeared oblivious, her attention still focused on the trinkets at the next stall. She spoke to the vendor in a clipped tone, her impatience evident, but Jihan barely registered her voice. His focus was entirely on the gray-eyed man, who, mercifully, had shifted his gaze back to the woman.

Jihan exhaled shakily, his pulse still racing. He glanced around the marketplace again, half-expecting someone to appear and confront him, to call him out for what he'd done. But no one did. The world carried on as if nothing had happened.

The couple moved away from the stall, the woman leading with a purposeful stride while the man followed close behind, his calm demeanor unchanged. Jihan watched them go, his shoulders slumping as a wave of relief washed over him.

That was weird. Way too weird. He rubbed his sweaty palms against his tunic, trying

to steady himself. Maybe it wasn't them. Maybe I'm overthinking this. But those eyes... He shook his head, trying to push the thought away. The artifact had been activated, and whatever it was supposed to do, it wasn't his concern anymore. He had done his

part, and collected his payment. That was all.

********

Irina's sharp tone cut through the buzz of the marketplace. "What are you looking at?"

she demanded, her hazel eyes narrowing as she turned toward Astron. Her arms were crossed, her stance radiating irritation.

Astron's gaze lingered in the direction of the stall they'd just passed, his gray eyes unreadable. "Nothing," he said calmly, though his tone carried a faint edge of caution. "I just... felt something"

Irina harrumphed, her frustration evident as she stomped forward a few steps before

turning back to face him. "Felt something? You're just saying that to sound mysterious,

aren't you?"

Astron didn't respond immediately, his expression as impassive as ever. Instead, he continued walking, his calm demeanor only fueling Irina's growing irritation. She caught up to him quickly, her words tumbling out in a stream of complaints. "This isn't easy at all," she grumbled, throwing her hands in the air. "You said I'd learn

fast, didn't you? Well, I've been trying, and all I've done is embarrass myself in front of half the market!"

Astron glanced at her, one brow lifting slightly. "You've improved," he said simply. "But

if learning observation were something you could master in a single day, everyone would be a detective."

Irina opened her mouth to retort, but no words came out. She closed it again, her cheeks warming slightly as she realized she had no counterargument. "Still," she muttered, crossing her arms and looking away. "I hate feeling clumsy at anything. It's

annoying."

"Being annoyed is part of the process," Astron said, his tone calm but firm. "Mistakes

are how you learn. The more you fail, the more you'll start to notice what you missed."

Irina frowned, her hazel eyes darting to the bustling marketplace around them. Despite his frustratingly logical words, she couldn't shake her lingering embarrassment. "Fine," she said abruptly, as if making a decision. "Let's take a break. I've had enough of this market."

Astron tilted his head slightly, studying her for a moment.

"The museum," Irina said, her tone firm. "I've been wanting to go there anyway. It's better than staying here and humiliating myself more." Astron gave a small nod, his expression unreadable. "Alright. Lead the way." Without waiting for him to respond further, Irina turned on her heel and marched

toward the museum district, her steps quick and purposeful. She could still feel the weight of the market's bustling atmosphere behind her, but the thought of exploring the museum-a place where she could shift her focus-lifted her spirits slightly.