Bear School Astartes

Chapter 14: 14. The Demon Hunter’s Dilemma

Lann did not respond to his own thoughts.

Not only did he stay silent, but he didn’t respond in his heart either.

The horse’s hooves continued to clatter, and Auridon was getting closer and closer.

The silence stretched so long that Mentos thought Lann was indeed reconsidering.

”Mentos, what do you think I should order to drink when I get into the village tavern? Mercenaries and Demon Hunters, when they go to a tavern, they all have to follow this routine, right? I found all the money on the teacher’s body; should I get a Royal Vizima? I saw it on their shelf last time. Honestly, apart from the few magic potions during the Demon Hunter transformation that use alcohol as a base, I haven’t properly drunk the alcohol of this world.”

Lann earnestly sought advice from Mentos.

The bio-intellect was momentarily at a loss to react.

”No matter how small, any alcohol entering the digestive system is not a good thing. For a Demon Hunter’s toxin resistance and job content, alcohol-containing magic potions are essential and understandable. However, I still suggest you stay away from alcohol in everyday life, and if you must drink, choose something produced with strict processes, that means expensive... no!”

Mentos realized after giving the advice.

”That’s not the topic we were discussing just now!”

Lann, on the other hand, seemed indifferent.

”There’s no need to talk about it, Mentos.”

”It’s very necessary!” The intelligent voice in his head was stern.

”The [Alien Survival Mode] requires me to prioritize your life safety to the greatest extent. I know why you came here. You think you have some responsibility toward the families of those two farmers and came to make amends.”

”That’s true, and my operational logic fully acknowledges your moral standards. But!”

The intelligent voice in Lann’s ear was like a thunderclap.

”But, sir!”

”You are already a Demon Hunter!”

The causal relationship between the two statements was not strong, making them seem disjointed. Even an ordinary person with basic education wouldn’t have such issues with wording.

Not to mention a bio-intellect based on [logic].

But understanding words requires context.

In this world, where racial conflicts are so severe that massacres could break out at any moment, becoming a Demon Hunter represents not just a ”career path.”

It signifies that Lann has entirely changed his race, becoming a creature not recognized by the mainstream intelligent races—namely, humans.

For the rest of your life, you can only be a Demon Hunter.

Those are the words Mentos wanted to say.

In the wild, you must live with monsters and beasts, because both cities and villages will treat Demon Hunters with rejection and hostility...

It is a dangerous world, and Lann is now trapped in a profession where the danger level is off the charts.

If you want to eat and live, you have to fight and earn money in this profession.

This is a cage built by society’s discrimination.

Being a Demon Hunter and wanting to do something else for a living?

Ha ha! Jewish people in Germany during World War II all wanted to do something else, but most of them ended up in concentration camps.

At that time, distinguishing a Jew from a crowd was much harder than distinguishing a Demon Hunter.

Mentos’s estimation of the future is always pessimistic.

Bordeaux’s courses, Mentos meticulously recorded each word and the tone of every sentence.

In the records, a qualified Demon Hunter should master excellent swordsmanship, proficient use of Magic Seal, skilled in concocting various alchemy products, and most importantly—superior tracking skills and knowledge of monsters.

The last two are particularly crucial, almost determining how long a Demon Hunter can survive on this continent.

Missions that can’t be completed can be avoided, but you first need to know what you’re confronting to make sensible conclusions.

Mentos, using Bordeaux as a standard, measured Lann’s current abilities as a Demon Hunter.

The conclusion reached was—above apprentice, not yet mastered.

Swordsmanship and Magic Seal, the tangible powers, progress with the help of a bio-intellect is expected.

However, the lack of various knowledge and experience is extremely dangerous, like originally having two legs but now only having one that can be used.

In the Demon Hunter’s schools, experience gained at the cost of the lives of hundreds of Demon Hunter Masters, alongside the Great Mages’ research on monsters and curses is available.

But Lann... has nothing.

He is now like a prisoner trapped on a cliff-edge one-way path, cautiously advancing in this precarious situation where a wrong step could lead to a deadly fall... using just one leg!

Mentos is somewhat anxious about this.

It wishes Lann could take out the savings Bordeaux hid straight away, to find a stable environment as the funding, and spend some time first to supplement the lacking abilities, regardless of the complications.

Then embed the genetic seeds from that glass jar into the thoracic cavity, never mind what the hell unknown effects there might be, it’s better than falling to his death inadvertently in the future, right?

After that, embark on the path of a Demon Hunter, seeking development.

This is a prudent and reasonable plan.

Additionally, the bio-intellect born in the Human Union, puts its owner’s life safety as the primary matter for analysis, resulting in the best path conclusion.

Anyone facing such a rational and sober, considering oneself’s situation plan, find it hard to come up with half a rebuttal reason.

”I refuse.”

Yet Lann didn’t hesitate even for half a second.

He decisively vetoed the bio-intellect’s proposal.

The steadiness and certainty in his voice were akin to his current [emotional curve].

Those graphs accumulated from hormone levels and brainwave activities by Mentos, now steady as if they were a dead person’s ECG.

Emotional highs and lows are supposed to be young people’s norm.

But in Lann’s case, even though just a moment ago, he was moved and thrilled for his freedom and life.

The next moment, two corpses were just like keys on a keychain, dangling before him, reminding him this is a hard world.

Yet he doesn’t lose control over such matters anymore.

This world has things worth being happy about and things that are disgusting.

Humans live in such a world.

”In the rest of my life, I will do what I think I should do. After surviving a close brush with death... I have made my decision.”

Although his words were impassioned, Lann’s tone was at this moment more like that of a ”bio-intellect” than Mentos.

Calm, steady, focused.

Not because of calculative data, but due to the determination stemming from being human and possessing morals.

Mentos had nothing more to add.

It didn’t know what else could be said.

”The bio-intellect is the[assistant]of human beings.”

Mentos suddenly realized a phrase left in its underlying logic.

In the definition of the Human Union, the bio-intellect with data capabilities far exceeding humans, nor the intelligent interaction interface within is neither rare nor important.

The important thing is humans.

Humans, who have clarified their determination and the value of life.

Under such a brilliant will, even the stars can be toyed with in the hands of tiny creatures.

The bio-intellect is to[assist]and select such people to become important for this reason.

Without Mentos’s control, the bio-intellect’s underlying logic was triggered.

After a series of precise condition searches, within the bio-intellect’s restriction lock, a [college-level course completion]was quietly unlocked.