After the surprising visit from Carcel, the family continued their dinner. They then spent some time with him as the twins eagerly inquired about the dungeon.
Yet all they got in response was, "You will know tomorrow."
Be that as it may, it did nothing to diminish their enthusiasm for their first hunt.
When morning arrived, Jash got ready for his dungeon run, wearing his black combat outfit with straps to hold his sword and a pair of daggers, his storage ring, and a nano-armor bracelet.
'Hmm. This sure feels amazing,' mused Jash, feeling the nano-armor bracelet on his wrist, activating it with a small amount of mana.
The world was technologically advanced, and even though mana allowed people to create miracles, humans combined it with technology to create a better environment for the masses.
The Nano-Armor was one such invention.
It was made of tightly packed carbon atoms enhanced by mana. It spread throughout the body, covering the wearer and protecting them from harm.
Although thin and light, the mana-enhanced atoms made it sturdy as well.
While it was an expensive item, it safeguarded the wearer's life in crucial moments and did not hinder their movements as it adjusted its size to fit the wearer.
This was one of the rare inventions that reduced the casualty rate in dungeons. It was created by the Artisan's Association, known for major technological advancements in weapons and hunting.
The Artisan's Association was a dwarven association where other races were the minority, but it changed when humans succeeded in combining mana and technology, while elves revealed their own creations.
The best blacksmiths, forgers, artificers, technicians and almost every other profession requiring intricate work was a part of it, even architects, carpenters, designers and various similar professionals.
Shaking his head to get rid of the specifics he read last night, Jash deactivated the nano-armor after taking a good look around in it.
Feeling satisfied, he muttered to himself, "Let's go."
With a calm state of mind, he arrived at the main gate of the estate, finding Caera dressed in her combat outfit.
The moment their eyes met, sparks seemed to fly as they were eager to prove who was better despite the obvious difference in rank.
Just when it appeared the duo would start a round of bantering, Emma interrupted them, "Young Master, Young Miss!"
Hearing her, the twins turned to face her with a questioning gaze, prompting her to answer, "Everything is ready. We can depart anytime now."
"Let's go, then."
"Yeah, no one wants to waste time with him."
Despite Caera's taunt, Jash stayed calm and ignored her, further irritating her.
Observing the scene, a warm smile appeared on Emma's face before she cast a sidelong glance at Kesha, who remained unmoved despite everything.
"Just what's wrong with her?" Emma muttered before shaking her head and following behind Jash and Caera.
As they left the estate in one of the many hovering cars, a sizable security team followed them, observing everyone along the way.
Instead of feeling odd about it, the twins didn't feel anything, as if it wasn't the first time something like this had happened.
'This is one of the few perks of being a Duke's child,' Jash mused, smiling and ignoring the pouting Caera.
"Emma, where are we going?" Jash asked, out of the blue. Even Caera perked her ears, eager to glean some information.
As if on cue, the driver turned the car and Emma smiled. "It is one of the latest F-Rank dungeons near the outskirts of Kenton City, Young Master."
"Is it claimed?" Caera butted in the conversation and Emma nodded looking at her. "Yes, Young Miss."
Jash nodded and closed his eyes, falling back into his contemplative state, trying to make sense of how dungeons were managed in this world.
In the whole world, 60% of the dungeons were owned by the Hunter Association. It was obvious that they had the most hunters in the world.
Not to mention they easily had 3, maybe 4 SSS-Rank hunters and the main goal of the association was to make sure nobody could take advantage in this society where the strong eat the weak.
'Like cops or something? I mean, they are pretty much responsible for maintaining public order and implementing laws to keep the noble families in check.' mused Jash with interest.
Yet it brought another question to him, 'Just why would the Imperial Family allow such an organization to exist? Isn't it kind of vying for control?'
The answer to that lies in the fact that dungeons were quite numerous, and no one knew when another one might pop-up. Besides, even dungeons had ranks!
Naturally, no amount of hunters could protect even a single piece of land if the entire world was filled with dungeons.
'It makes sense,' accepted Jash as there could also be quite a few hidden dangers or SSS-Rank hunters in seclusion.
'Isn't that why neither the association nor the Imperial Family can enforce their words on the noble families carelessly?' wondered Jash, recalling the power dynamic in the Empire.
'6 of the SSS-Rank hunters are from noble families. 3 from the ducal families, then grandpa Inigo and the father of the current Empress. There's also the Archduke, and even the Royal Family has one, no?'
Jash felt a shiver run down his spine as he felt half the SSS-Rank hunters were from the noble families and the Hunters Association only had 3 confirmed SSS-Rank hunters?
It just didn't make any sense to him.
After all, all the SSS-Rank hunters were like the pillars of this world and they maintained an equal power distribution among the authorities.
'Maybe it has something to do with the remaining 3 or 4 SSS-Rank Hunters. Anyways, where are they again? The total should be 13, yeah?' Jash blinked his eyes in confusion and decided to ask Emma about it.
However, just as he was about to open his mouth to ask about it, the car stopped and his attention was stolen by the sight of trees and a forest-looking area.
The ride had gone quiet after Jash and Caera's questions, and Caera didn't bother Jash, noticing his rare contemplative expression, but it ended on a confusing note.
After taking a look outside and finding nothing magical, everyone got out of their cars, including the twins, who wore perplexed expressions.
Yet their confusion ended as they felt the difference in environment from the insides of their car to the outside air.
Jash took a deep breath before a surprised expression appeared on his face, "This... The air feels so fresh–"
"–and rich with mana." Caera completed his sentence.
Bringing them back to reality was the smiling Emma as she informed, "We need to walk from here, inside this forest to reach the dungeon entrance."
"Lead the way," Jash nodded at her.
With solemn expressions, the twins approached the dungeon entrance under her guidance.
Yet it failed to hide their excited, eager to prove themself, expressions.
The trio walked through the forest, surrounded by the security team to prevent any danger from approaching them. After a ten-minute walk, they arrived in the middle of a patch of grassland.
Stopping right behind Emma, Jash and Caera turned to look around as they finally spotted the dungeon gate, the mere sight of it leaving them with astonished expressions.