On the fifth day, Welnar and Kali are awoken by the sound of a bell ringing, shortly followed by a knock on their door. “Land-ho!” The voice calls, footsteps moving away. Welnar and Kali quickly get themselves in order and make their way outside the boat, now docked. People walk in a semi-orderly line off the boat, the two following behind. Welnar thanks what he presumes to be the captain standing by as they make their way off the boat… Then looks ahead to the town before them, caught off guard by its looks. It’s vastly different from the Western Continent, as Monarch had said, with the town looking rather colourful, locals wearing beautifully decorated long robes and rather intricately tied looking hair…

  In modern terms; It’s just Japan. But Welnar of course doesn’t know what that is.

  “Woah…” Welnar says. Kali is utterly speechless.

  {“I wonder what this Heart is going to look like.”} Welnar thinks.

  {“Only one way to find out! Onwards!”} Monarch responds. Welnar chuckles, closing his eyes and focusing on the heartbeat… “The Heart seems to be… Northeast, I think?” He says after a few seconds. Kali nods. “Well, let’s get moving.”

  “I mean… Shouldn’t we at least take a look around?” Welnar asks sheepishly. Kali looks at him, smirking.

  “I thought you’d never ask.” For the next hour, Kali and Welnar would indulge themselves, exploring the town at their own pace… At one point they come across a shrine of some kind, with a bell hanging from the ceiling and a small grate that leads into some water. Welnar decides to just ask the first person that comes along, and they tell him that it’s a shrine for luck. You drop a coin in, pray and ring the bell and you can get a blessing of luck for the day.

  Welnar and Kali look at each other. They shrug… Sounds like a way for someone to make a cheap coin or two to them. Not impressed, they decide to not bother with the shrine, and a few minutes later find a small hidden, family run shop that seems to serve soup. Except it has… A whole lot more noodles. And an egg?

  {“It’s called Ramen.”} Monarch informs. Welnar takes a careful bite, Kali waiting for him to try it first… But once she sees Welnar’s caution quickly fade, she joins in on the eating. It tastes delicious! Halfway through their food binge, someone would sit down next to them and order their own food. It’s a young looking man, bald and wearing a deep blue robe that exposes the left side of their chest.

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  “You that new S-grade bounty hunter making waves in this continent?” The man asks. Welnar looks around for a second, startled… How does news travel so far?! “I guess? I mean I only-” Welnar is cut off as he only narrowly shifts his head to the side, avoiding the bowl thrown right at his head! It crashes against the back wall, noodles and broth spilling everywhere and properly startling everyone. “What the hell?!” Welnar yells. The man does not answer, leaping from his seat in a sudden flying kick! Welnar is sent off his seat and to the floor, dropping his own bowl in the process. Momentarily dazed, Welnar is barely able to scramble back as an axe kick flies for his stomach, the man’s heel slamming to the floor as Welnar gets to his feet. “Damn it, we just got here…” Welnar grumbles.

  “You young’ins take your gosh darn fightin outside! Ya hear?!” A short old lady waddles over, a cane held in her right hand. Welnar doesn’t glance her way, expecting this asshole to not care…

  “Oh. I apologize, ma’am.” He says unexpectedly, bowing deeply towards the old lady. He walks past Welnar to the door, giving him a shove on the shoulder. “Now.” He simply says as he exits. Welnar looks around, experiencing one hell of a mental whiplash from the events that just occurred. Kali looks at him with a vague look of “What the fuck?” That Welnar just responds to with a shrug and a sigh. “Don’t worry Kali, I’ll handle it… Without weapons.” He says, exiting the shop. The blue robed man is waiting for him. Upon sighting Welnar, he steps forward, taking on a low and wide fighting stance… It’s not something Welnar recognizes, especially with the man’s hands held open, instead of clenched into fists.

  {“He’s a Normal… Maybe go easy on him Welnar?”} Monarch says.

  {“Yeah yeah…”}

  Welnar isn’t sure what this guy’s problem is, but he sure as hell isn’t going to put up with it! He waves his hands, his two Scarlet Weapons embedding themselves into the floor which seems to surprise the man. Then, he puts up his fists. “You want a fight… Well you got one.”

  Then Welnar dashes in! He throws a quick left straight, but the man blocks with his forearm, pushing Welnar’s fist aside. Welnar readies a second right straight, but is caught off guard by the man using the same hand he blocked with to slap him with a backhand! It didn’t hurt, but it surprised him enough to take a step back.

  The man steps forward as Welnar steps back, thrusting his open hand up to Welnar’s chin! He pivots and steps to the side to avoid it, throwing a left hook that lands cleanly on the man’s face, staggering him for a moment. He tries to follow up with a right cross, and while not interrupted this blow is deflected… This guy is admittedly, quite tough Welnar concludes. The man throws a kick to the body, Welnar preparing to block it… But before the kick connects, the man twists to the side with his lead foot, his kicking leg rising higher in a semi-circle motion and coming down on Welnar’s face! He stumbles, yet again caught totally off guard. He’s not just tough, he’s damn slick!

  {“What was that about going easy on him?”} Welnar grumbles mentally, Monarch giving a nervous laugh in response.

  “How pathetic… Taking out swordsmen all across the area, yet you’re losing to a mere monk?” The man scoffs. Now Welnar is confused. “Taking out swords- Dude, I just got here!” Welnar yells. The man pauses, looking at him suspiciously.

  “You… Just got here?”

  “Yeah! By boat!”

  “So then you are… Not, the armored S-grade hunter?”

  Welnar sighs. “Armored? Dude. Look at me! I have NO ARMOR! You’ve got the wrong guy!”

  The man seems to think for a moment… Before slowly, he gets down on his knees, putting his head to the ground. “I deeply apologize, sir…”

  Welnar… Is utterly baffled.