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One's Own Hunting Grounds
| category | story | ending | Body | bond level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ein's Story | One's Own Hunting Grounds | One's Own Hunting Grounds |
It is the second month since Ein embarked on a journey to find his own hunting grounds, and he has arrived at One Han City with lots of expectations. Although the cost of living is high here, there are many generous employers who are willing to hire temporary workers with good pay, which makes Ein's life fairly content even though he isn't wealthy. Moreover, this is a surprising city for a fox. The tall buildings and bustling traffic are sights that he has never seen before in the tribe. He makes his way through various streets quickly every day, thinking about how he can make life convenient like this in the tribe. Of course, he hasn't forgotten to search for his own hunting grounds hidden in One Han City. On this day, after completing his moving work for the day, he is sitting at the same table with his most generous employers—a cat, a dog, and a girl who claims to be a god, playing a game called mahjong. From the elderly to the children, everyone in One Han City is obsessed with this game, and the most popular shop on the street is always a mahjong dojo. In this environment, Ein has learned a lot about mahjong even though he is new to the city. Ein had also paused and paced back and forth in front of a mahjong dojo before, but he could only watch others play from the side because he was put off by the playing fee. As a result, because he is so strapped for cash, this is his first time playing mahjong personally. "Just take it easy. You can ask me if there's anything you don't understand, woof." "It's okay even if you don't know how to play. This shorty will finish last for sure." "Don't just brag, you bad rabbit. Hurry up and sit down, nyaa. I'm going to advance bravely and win, nyaa." His three employers all have different personalities, and Ein blends naturally into their noisy exchanges. The mahjong room becomes more lively with the tile-shuffling sounds of the mahjong table. Sunlight shines on Ein through the glass of the window, and a breeze blows through his hair. The battles Jyanshi fight for points are similar to the battles between warriors for prey. Even the crisp sound of mahjong tiles banging into each other is like the pleasing sound of a wild animal triggering a trap, which puts Ein in a trance and makes him feel like he has returned to a hunting ground where he can roam freely. Caution and patience are required when facing prey. This is also true at a mahjong table. "Pon." Ein acts without hesitation after confirming what hand he wants to build, and places three 8 Man in the corner of the table. After completing three calls, he calls for Kan with the last 8 Man in his hand. Making it impossible to win with an 8 Man after the Kan to trick his opponents into dealing in with a 9 Man might not necessarily succeed since it's obvious that he's aiming for All Triplets, but... Ein looks down—he is a beginner, and his three opponents might lower their guard because of this. To a hunter, this is a rational display of weakness. His bold move does manage to attract the attention of his three opponents. After thinking for a long time, the priestess with the cat ears decides to play a safe tile, 9 Man, which also happens to be the Terminals tile she dislikes keeping in her hand the most, and ends up falling into the trap Ein had set a long time ago and giving him 2,600 points. Compared to the other players' Ron with Mangan or Haneman, winning 2,600 points with All Triplets is a negligible small hand, so the priestess who just dealt into Ein's hand ended up handing over some points generously without realizing the seriousness of the problem. Only warriors who have hunted before would understand that killing a beast with one blow isn't necessarily the only way to attack. The best way to hunt is to slowly deplete the opponent's energy. 1,000 points, 2,000 points, 1,500 points... Although Ein isn't winning a lot of points each time, the trap attacks that he has been making continuously keep his opponents busy playing defensively. The hunting atmosphere attracts Ein wildly. Unknowingly, he becomes addicted to this small mahjong table, and his eyes are sharp and ready to go. "Ron, 32,000, Big Three Dragons! You've still got a long way to go, shorty!" Even the best hunter will come across unexpected situations. Just as his prey is about to be dealt a fatal blow for 3,000 points, the player who moves before him calls Ron, snatching first place from him. A good hunter never complains and learns from their hunting failures. Ein reviews the situation carefully after relaxing and easing out of the hunting atmosphere, only to realize that his three employers are staring closely at him. He remains silent. He has gotten a little carried away after experiencing the feeling of hunting again after a long time and can understand if his employers are afraid of an employee who is good at using cunning tricks. But... this time, this outstanding hunter has misjudged the situation. A furry dog paw touches Ein's hand as his employer's eyes shine brightly: "I didn't expect a beginner like you to be so capable, woof. Setting up traps with Kan is a clever idea, woof." "Huh?!" The girl beside them nods lazily: "I reluctantly admit that you're an excellent Jyanshi, but you're still a long way from being able to defeat me." "You're amazing, nyaa." The innocent cat-eared priestess jumps up: "I want to know how you did that, nyaa. Can you teach me, nyaa?" The unexpected situation stuns the hunter for a moment. After hesitating, he says, "Don't you... think I'm being insidious, cunning, or vicious?" "What are you saying, woof?!" A huge dog's head appears in front of Ein's eyes. "It's a free-for-all battle at the mahjong table. Just bring it on, woof! Hurry up, let's not waste any time. Let's play another game before it gets too late, woof." The other party's matter-of-fact answer relieves the gloominess that has been lingering in Ein's heart for many days. This outstanding hunter no longer needs to hide his claws and can devote himself wholeheartedly to a new round of hunting. "Okay, let's play another game then." Ein suddenly smiles as he looks at the mahjong tiles stacked on the table. He seems to have found his own hunting grounds. Now he just needs to fight with all his strength to become the final king and win his father's approval. |
絆レベル3 |
