CHAPTER 356: WHISPERS OF THE HUNTERS

The carriage came to a halt in front of the hunter guild building, its grand structure standing tall amidst the busy morning street.

Coco emerged from the carriage, her footsteps light and measured as she stepped onto the solid ground.

Her gaze took in the surroundings, her eyes drinking in the sights and sounds of the busy street that are bustling with both carriages and people.

She felt the tension and nervousness slowly building within her, her thoughts swirling with anticipation for the upcoming examination, making the voices around her become distant and muffled, her focus narrowing on the entrance of the building.

First and foremost, Coco turned her gaze towards the coachman, her expression softening.

"Thank you for dropping me off." She said, her voice holding a note of appreciation, her words were simple, but sincere, making her gratitude evident.

The coachman nodded in acknowledgment, offering a smile in return.

"No problem, Mrs. Hughes. It was a pleasure to be dropping off the strongest hunter of all time." He replied, his voice gruff, but kind and playful. "But you be careful in there."

Coco blinked and couldn’t help, but laugh at the coachman’s well-intentioned concern.

"You be careful out there, too, sir." She said, her voice filled with lightheartedness, her words were accompanied by a warm smile, a gesture of reassurance.

The coachman chuckled in response, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

"Don’t you worry about me, miss. I’ve been in this business for a long time." He said, a hint of pride in his voice as he nodded his head towards the door. "Now, don’t let me keep you out here for too long. You have a big day ahead of you, miss."

"Thank you again." Coco flashed a smile at the coachman once more before turning away and strolling towards the double doors of the Hunter Guild.

The early morning sun bathed the path to the entrance in soft, natural light; her footsteps were light and quick, the click of her boots against the ground was the only sound in the surrounding area.

The double doors loomed large in front of Coco, her smile remained fixed on her face as she reached the doors.

Coco stepped into the building, the door creaking close as she did so— the noise the door made attracted some attention, causing the loitering hunters inside shift their gaze towards her.

The conversations they were having just a second prior came into a halt and the shuffling of feet seemed to quiet down as the hunters took notice of her entrance.

Coco immediately felt the pressure of their gazes and had no choice, but to swallow down her anxiety.

Their eyes followed her every movement, a mix of curiosity and recognition flickering across their faces when they realized who had just entered through the door.

The air soon felt heavy with scrutiny, each hunter observing Coco with a different degree of interest.

"That’s the one who managed to beat a tough crocodile with just a hoe? With no magic stone imbued on it? Did the instructors check her before they let her inside the arena?"

"Unbelievable, right? She probably did something and cheated to beat a monster that tough."

"A woman with a farming tool? Are you kidding me?"

"I didn’t know that our guild master would be gullible with this month’s examinees."

Some hunters looked at Coco with a hint of disdain, their gazes condescending and critical as they muttered to themselves, their comments laced with mockery and contempt.

However, a few others eyed her with different intentions, their expressions filled with curiosity and disbelief.

"Look at the way she dressed.. Simple, but practical."

"From her stance and appearance alone, I could tell that she is indeed strong and reliable.. But the question is, how reliable can she be?"

"Is that the hoe she used to defeat the goleter that the master caught himself?"

"I heard that she broke the monster’s head with a couple of hit— can you believe that? I heard that she even saved the other examinees that day!"

Their whispers were tinged with doubt, skepticism, amazement, and approval as they watched her, sizing her up from head to toe.

Coco paid no attention to the whispers and stares from the hunters around her, and instead, she fixed her gaze intently on the staircase to the side, her mind focused on the upcoming exam.

She maneuvered through the crowd, her steps swift, her path steady and unhindered.

The whispers of the hunters faded into the background, their presence of no concern as she headed towards the staircase.

"I know your familiar said that you were a topic, I just didn’t expect it to be this bad." The garden fairy commented from her spot out on top of Coco’s head, her voice tinged with awe and disbelief.

"Meow." Konoha mewled, as if agreeing with Lala’s words, rubbing her head on Coco’s cheeks.

While Coco was in the carriage, Konoha perched herself on Coco’s shoulders and made herself shrunk in size so she would be able to get herself comfortable.

Fortunately, she found the perfect size and the perfect spot to balance herself, draping herself across Coco’s shoulders.

Despite the pressure of the stares she received, the weight of the white feline and the garden fairy on her body became grounding— comforting and assuring her with their presence that she’s not alone.

Coco stepped on the stairs, slowly ascending towards the second floor.

Her footsteps faltered for a moment once she arrived at the second floor, her eyes quickly sweeping across the area to find that there were a few hunters and examinees who were already looking at her.

"Can’t they mind their business?" Lala grumbled, voicing out her discontentment at how much stares Coco was receiving.

Again, Coco ignored them and walked across the hall, her feet carrying her to the room where she was staying at with Sinclair and Alithe since last week.

She was about to turn left, but she heard someone call out to her.