Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Who in their right mind talks about teamwork on a quest literally called a “Group Assignment”? No sane person would or should. Of course, the Librarian isn’t sane.

“They definitely want things to fall apart and go to hell, just like a real group project.”

Especially since they put a C-Rank hunter—of all ranks—into an A-Rank dungeon raid party. The Librarian’s goal couldn’t be clearer.

Stick a burden into the party—something that’s nothing more than an obstacle—make it so they can’t abandon that burden, and then slowly watch the party fall apart.

Honestly, that twisted personality of theirs is something else. Do they really enjoy watching people clash like that?

‘But the problem is, I’m about to be that burden.’

Given the quest conditions, they won’t abandon me or let me die. Hunters with that kind of personality usually get filtered out by the government in mandatory quests like this anyway.

‘I’m just a C-Rank hunter. If I try to act tough and not cause trouble, I’ll only make things worse…’

Whether I swing a sword or a spear, against an A-Rank Dungeon monster, I won’t even leave a scratch. The only thing I can do… hmm. I really can’t think of anything.

No matter how I look at it, I’m completely useless. If I at least had a healing skill, I could patch up a scratch or two… but even though my mana is holy attribute, I don’t have any healing or purification skills.

As I let out a deep sigh, lamenting my situation, Mr. Yoon Juyeong, who had been cutting fruit, spoke to me.

“Are you worried about the dungeon?”

“Well, I am worried about the dungeon… but more than that, I think I’m more afraid of the inevitable trouble I’ll cause.”

Honestly, if you think about it, none of this is my fault. No, there’s nothing to even think about. The quest conditions are what they are, and I just joined the party to meet them.

So really, I don’t need to feel this intimidated. Yeah, that’s true, but…

‘I just hate being a burden to others.’

Maybe it’s because I’ve been used to doing most things alone since I was young, but I’m especially sensitive to situations where I inconvenience others.

Even though I know rationally that it’s not my fault and I didn’t make a mistake, I absolutely hate the situation where others suffer inconvenience purely because of me.

“If that’s the case, don’t worry, Seohee. I’ll do my best to make sure you never feel like a burden.”

“Thanks, but don’t overdo it… Ah.”

Wait, before that, I think there’s something I need to address here. I accepted the slice of pear Mr. Yoon Juyeong offered and opened my mouth.

“Um, Mr. Yoon Juyeong.”

“Yes, Seohee.”

“Could you… outside, I mean, in the dungeon, just call me Seohee, or Seohee? And if possible, drop the formal speech.”

In the hunter industry, ‘rank’ is an absolute standard. Of course, that doesn’t mean an A-Rank gets the right to boss around B-Ranks and C-Ranks however they want.

But at the very least, an S-Rank using formal speech and adding ‘-nim’ to a C-Rank’s name is unheard of, and in a way, it shouldn’t happen.

‘Because S-Ranks are special.’

S-Ranks are different from other hunters. S-Ranks are… just S-Ranks. I don’t know how to describe it, but if I had to say what I personally feel, S-Ranks have something almost inhuman about them.

‘It’s hard to treat people who can casually demolish a building as the same kind of human.’

Anyway, S-Ranks are special in many ways, and they’re treated specially. But for an S-Rank to use ‘-nim’ when speaking to an ordinary C-Rank with nothing to their name?

Even setting aside how the trash journalists would jump on that, it wouldn’t sit well within the hunter industry either. After all, the industry runs on the logic of power.

“So far, I haven’t had to meet other hunters, but this dungeon trip is different. There might be hunters, and even reporters in front of the dungeon. If that happens…”

“I understand what you’re saying, Seohee.”

“Ah, so then—”

“But I cannot bring myself to speak informally to you, Seohee.”

As he said this, Mr. Yoon Juyeong had a solemn, serious expression like an independence fighter. It seemed that, to him, speaking informally felt like some kind of treasonous, shameless act.

“And Seohee, I use formal speech with everyone I meet anyway.”

“Ah, then it’s fine to keep using formal speech.”

“Yes. And… about the title issue…”

Mr. Juyeong trailed off and lowered his gaze with an expression that seemed deeply contemplative. I said nothing and waited for his deliberation to end.

Even though he was stubbornly treating me like his master because of my skill’s influence, he was still a fairly rational and reasonable person. At least, that’s how it seemed to me after living together for nearly a week.

As I expected, when Mr. Yoon Juyeong finished his thoughts and lifted his head, he gave me the answer I wanted, even if his face was somewhat gloomy.

“In situations where I come into contact with hunters or reporters, like now, I’ll do as Seohee wishes.”

“……!! Mr. Yoon Juyeong, thank you!”

Honestly, I couldn’t help but wonder if asking him to drop that damn ‘nim’ from how he addressed me was really something to be this moved about, but still, the fact that I’d be called by a normal title from Mr. Yoon Juyeong made me very happy.

I grabbed Mr. Juyeong’s hand without hiding the smile that filled my face at all.

“In front of others, please, I’m begging you, do it that way. Got it? It’s a promise?”

“How could I ever lie to you, Seohee? I swear it on my heart.”

“No, don’t make such a heavy oath.”

I was afraid he might actually spout nonsense about ripping out his own heart. I lightly refused Mr. Yoon Juyeong’s absurd vow and finally bit into the pear still in my hand.

‘Now that the title issue is resolved, it’s really just…’

Only the problems after entering the dungeon remained. I chewed the pear in my mouth combatively and clenched both fists tightly.

‘Let’s go as quietly and unnoticed as possible, like a black hairpin that no one would miss even if it disappeared.’

* * *

―What are you planning to do?

A voice suddenly settled through the thick darkness where not even an inch ahead was visible. The woman stopped the hand that had been flipping through a book for a while, lifted her head slightly, and stared toward the direction the voice came from.

“I was about to greet you warmly since you contacted me after such a long time, but you jump straight to the point?”

―Don’t act like it’s just me. You did the same every time you contacted me.

A voice tinged with laughter answered with a faint sigh. Instead of replying to the voice’s words, the woman dropped her gaze back to the book she had been reading.

―So, what are you really going to do? I heard the news. They say a Master Key has appeared.

“…Who on earth spread the rumor to you? Honestly, why are there so many loose-lipped people?”

―It’s not that people have loose lips; it’s because the fact that a Master Key has appeared is so extraordinary.

As is typical of people who look into fascinating stories, the voice from beyond the darkness was thick with interest and curiosity.

In the end, the woman closed the book she had been reading for a while. It was an acknowledgment that the plan to enjoy a leisurely read for the first time in ages had long since gone out the window the moment that voice was heard.

“I’ll follow the rules.”

―By the rules? You’ll eliminate it?

“Yes. I’ll get rid of it through trials within the possible scope. If I act rashly, it’ll bounce back in a bad direction.”

―That’s boring. I thought you’d handle the Master Key in a more interesting way.

“You sound as if you want me to break the rules.”

―How could that be? I just thought you’d do something interesting within the bounds of following the rules.

The woman let out a breath close to a sigh as she inserted the closed book into the bookshelf right in front of her. That hedonist always poked at people on that razor-thin edge like this, so the woman was quite reluctant to converse with the owner of the voice.

“If you’re done talking, just get lost. Don’t get on my nerves.”

―Aww, that’s too harsh between us. Who’s been watching you from before you became the Administrator all the way until after you became one?

“Ah, so is that why you enjoyed watching the previous manager end up like that?”

The moment the woman threw out an outright sneer, the voice coming from beyond the darkness suddenly cut off. The woman knew that the topic she had brought up was nothing short of a sore spot for that guy.

Well, of course it was. No matter how much of a hedonist he was, that guy genuinely cherished the previous manager. Though, of course, the way he cherished them wasn’t exactly in a good form, as if representing his broken personality.

―Fine, let’s stop here. What good would it do for both of us to keep poking at sore spots like a death game?

“Yeah, thanks for finally giving me a sensible reaction.”

―Not at all, Princess, the Librarian of Earth.

The woman called “Librarian,” whose striking rough brown hair stood out, casually pushed up the glasses on the bridge of her nose and replied to the Owner of the Voice once more.

“Say people’s names right, you son of a bitch. It’s ‘Princeps.’”

* * *

And so, only the shadow remained.

Without a star to write poetry to, without a sun to praise, without a moon to adore.

Only the shadow.

* * *

At eight-thirty on a spring morning, when the first hints of summer were beginning to creep in, Yoon Juyeong and I met up with the party members at the meeting place we’d agreed on by text before the dungeon raid.

“I’m Kim Seongmyeong, an A-Rank hunter. I can do defense and self-heal. A bit embarrassing, but I go by the alias ‘Fortress.’”

“I’m Jeong Soyeon, a B-Rank hunter. I have a barrier skill for area defense, and I can do a little healing, though it’s not very strong.”