Gourmet Hunter - Chapter 161 (Patreon)

Chapter 161: The Tomb of Stajy

Chrollo Lucilfer had no opportunity to refuse when he received the complete content from Luo, a densely packed page of obscure text filling an A4 sheet.

“I need some time, hanging up now.”

Chrollo glanced briefly at the content. Unfamiliar with the language, it was not something he could understand immediately, especially since it was an obscure form of ancient text, requiring meticulous effort to decipher.

“Okay,” Luo responded.

After hanging up Luo’s call, Chrollo walked to the entryway of the suite, grabbed a pen and a notebook, and then sat down in the living room to start translating the text.

Chrollo had a fondness for ancient books. In Meteor City, where formal education was non-existent, such a hobby was quite extraordinary.

The vast collection of books at home was not just for show; Chrollo had read each one, and thus, despite his young age, his knowledge was extensive.

To understand ancient books, one must know ancient texts, a fundamental requirement.

Chrollo’s proficiency in ancient texts, while not on par with experts, was decent for more common texts, and he had some knowledge of less common ones, including the one Luo had sent.

His interest in this area was why he didn’t refuse Luo’s request.

After sitting down, Chrollo began translating the content on the paper, jotting down nouns as he understood them. Unable to fully grasp the meaning, he could only note the nouns he understood and then connect them in sequence to approximate the overall message.

“Where did he get this letter from?”

After some time, Chrollo had translated the text to the end, roughly understanding the letter's contents, and was curious about how Luo came into possession of such a letter.

The letter, written by a man named Fringe, was addressed to a woman named Stajy.

From the letter's content, it was a first-person narrative from the man’s perspective. Although unable to translate the complete content, the fragments conveyed deep affection from the man, and the woman was already deceased.

This was a fairly ordinary letter expressing love, but the content near the end made this letter unusual.

The final words roughly meant: To sleep with you in the same place after death.

Before writing this letter, the woman had already passed away, making the content seem like a monologue and, effectively, a special last will.

Chrollo cared about this letter because of Stajy and the place of shared rest.

He picked up his phone and dialed Luo’s number.

Bab Town, lakeside cabin.

Luo, sitting in a chair, answered the call, “Translated already?”

“Yes,” Chrollo replied calmly.

“Is it a letter?”

“Hmm.”

“What’s it about?”

“A man named Fringe wrote it to Stajy. Most of the content is trivial expressions of love, but at the end, Fringe mentioned wanting to rest together with Stajy after death, and he specified a location.”

Chrollo glanced at the notebook on the table, his expression serene, and asked, “Where did you get this letter?”

Luo pondered for a moment and answered without hiding anything, “From the ruins of Parlo City.”

From Chrollo’s account, Luo didn’t hear any information about the Dark Sonata he was looking for, and it also involved Stajy.

“If this letter isn’t just Fringe’s delusion, then the location mentioned might likely be the site of Stajy’s tomb.” Hearing about the ruins of Parlo City, Chrollo confirmed Stajy’s identity.

Unexpectedly, Stajy was historically a very famous ruler of Parlo City.

In an era when female leadership was rare, her prominence in history was precisely because she held the position of city ruler.

Such a well-known figure as Stajy, yet her tomb had never been found. Moreover, according to ancient records, many rare treasures were included in Stajy’s burial goods, including a very famous gemstone.

After Stajy’s death, Parlo City was destroyed in a war a few years later. Invaders who breached the city tried everything to find Stajy’s treasures, but ultimately failed. In frustration, they destroyed Parlo City.

“Stajy’s tomb, huh…” Luo squinted.

“This is just my speculation,” Chrollo reminded.

“Hmm, send me the translated content.”

“Okay.”

“Thanks,” Luo said, pausing briefly, then added, “If it really is the location of Stajy’s tomb, are you interested in coming along?”

Chrollo was silent for a while before declining, “I can’t go.”

To be honest, he was interested, but now was the time for a group activity in the Troupe, and he couldn’t leave.

“Understood, we’ll leave it at that then.”

Luo decided to look for Stajy’s tomb, as it was the only clue. If Chrollo,

 who understood ancient texts, could come along, it might save some trouble, but since he couldn’t, there was nothing to be done.

“If you find any ancient books, keep them for me,” Chrollo requested as he prepared to hang up the call. Some of the burial goods included books, but most people only cared about the treasures.

“OK.”

Luo replied and then hung up.

Chrollo wanted the ancient books, provided Luo could find Stajy’s tomb and that there were indeed books in the tomb, although burial goods seldom included books, and if they did, they were usually decayed.

Some time later, Luo received the translated content Chrollo had sent.

“Mount Grul, huh…” Luo muttered to himself.

With no leads on the Dark Sonata for now, he decided to see if he could find Stajy’s tomb.

More than the tomb, Luo was interested in finding the Dark Sonata, a relic he believed could enhance abilities significantly once absorbed.

However, following clues to a place others hadn’t reached was also quite an interesting task, and the tomb likely contained many ancient artifacts.

Artisans of that era pursued the ultimate craftsmanship, and with their spirit, they might have left many ancient artifacts imbued with Nen.

In the days that followed, Luo had Sanbica help gather detailed information about Parlo City, Stajy, Fringe, and Mount Grul.

Mount Grul was forty kilometers south of the ruins of Parlo City and was one of three mountains within a hundred kilometers.

While Sanbica helped with the research, Luo also made several trips around Mount Grul but found nothing special, although he encountered many people along the way to Mount Grul, all “fully equipped.”

These individuals, carrying backpacks, shovels, ropes, and metal detectors, clearly sought Stajy’s tomb. Since the tomb’s location was unknown, they were mostly wandering near Parlo City, hoping to get lucky, similar to those hoping to hit a jackpot.

Even Mount Grul, far enough from Parlo City, occasionally saw such visitors.

A dead person’s tomb could bring wealth to the living for several generations, naturally attracting many.

The government had also searched for Stajy’s tomb, investing considerable manpower and money, but ultimately found nothing and gave up on Stajy’s tomb, focusing instead on profiting from the ruins of Parlo City.

The government gave up, but it didn’t restrict others from searching for Stajy’s tomb, so over the years, many people inspired by its legend had been a common sight in Bab Forest, including some amateur archaeologists.

Luo went to Mount Grul almost every day, each time without finding anything, but he noticed several people also lingering near Mount Grul, seemingly convinced that Stajy’s tomb was nearby.

Luo silently took note of these people, commuting daily between the lakeside cabin and Mount Grul, while Sanbica helped organize the information he found.

As days passed, the tomb remained unfound, but Luo remembered much of the data.

Hunter Association headquarters, chairman’s office.

Netero listened as Bean reported Luo’s recent activities around the ruins of Parlo City, seemingly very interested in the elusive tomb of Stajy.

“Calculate the time, she should be there by now.”

Netero held a drink-filled cup between his feet, a long straw sticking into his mouth.

“Chairman, are you sure it’s okay to send her there?” Bean worriedly asked.

Slurp…!

Netero sucked the drink dry and smiled, “It’s fine, she’s a good fit for this.”

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