Chapter 175

After Miyaga was thrown into complete chaos.

Regardless of the outside situation, the Edelweiss mana stone mine was being developed ceaselessly.

And at its center, So Yeri was continuing her research as well.

…While securing a bit of personal gain.

“If only we had mana stones like this on our side.”

How great it would be if she could take these along!

So Yeri pouted regretfully as she gazed at the sparkling mana stones lined up before her.

Though a bit low in hardness, their iridescent shine—if handed to skilled artisans with processing skills and polished well, they could become excellent accessories.

Plus, infused with mana, just carrying them would recover the hunter’s mana!

The era of power banks is gone! It’s the age of mana stone batteries now!

…She was confident she could make a killing with that business idea, but the problem was.

“Huh.”

The mana stones couldn’t be placed in the inventory.

In other words, she couldn’t take them out of the country to Korea.

“They’re really pretty.”

So Yeri turned the mana stone this way and that.

The Edelweiss mana stones, emitting a brilliant blue glow, boasted patterns overwhelmingly more beautiful than those from other regions So Yeri had seen.

Memorable enough to sketch right away, yet not monotonous.

It was such a shame she couldn’t collect them.

—Tap.

She touched the mana stone with her fingertip.

Just ten years ago, she had no interest in things like this.

She narrowed her eyes.

Now her inventory and dressing room overflowed with sparkly, flashy items, but once that hadn’t been the case.

What was the point of buying accessories or clothes when she didn’t know when she’d die?

She’d only feel more miserable knowing she couldn’t use them for long.

Seeing them stay the same while she was dying.

“Eeeeng.”

She shoved the mana stone aside and stretched.

Every time she couldn’t take something shiny, old memories surfaced unavoidably.

But now, no need to regret!

Shaking off the sinking mood, she glanced at the clock.

“It’s about time~”

Recently, Count Edelweiss had been holding formal meetings with the Mage Tower Lord frequently.

Nominally, to renegotiate development terms due to the mana stone mine’s unexpectedly vast scale.

But the real reason was, of course, Shin Yuri’s training.

—Crackle! Crash!

Recalling Shin Yuri training with a serious expression brought a pretty smile to So Yeri’s face.

‘Thank you every time. Must hurt your head adjusting skills one by one.’

‘I’m happier to be helping!’

Shin Yuri seemed to think it was just polite talk.

But So Yeri meant it.

Really, I’m glad I can help you.

The day she awakened to S-rank.

The day her aching body healed as if cleansed.

The day she hid her embarrassing old self—despite knowing there was no need to be embarrassed—and gained vibrant red hair and golden eyes.

Her very first thoughts were to survive.

And to help the one who had shown her kindness.

“So whenever you need anything, just tell me.”

It was then that So Yeri smiled prettily.

“Mage Tower Lord, Count Edelweiss has arrived.”

“Have them come in right away.”

Speak of the devil. So Yeri turned to the mirror.

She wanted only pretty looks in front of Shin Yuri.

Not like her old…

Irritable patient self.

She wanted to leave only good impressions.

Gazing at the passive skill invisible to others, So Yeri shook her head.

No time to get lost in thought.

“Mage Tower Lord, we meet quite often these days.”

Since Hunter Shin Yuri had entered.

“Indeed. Thanks to you, this villa feels brighter.”

While exchanging pleasantries, So Yeri quickly composed her expression.

The moment the Mage Tower staff left the room, she activated her pre-prepared soundproof barrier skill.

And after that?

“You came early today~?”

Erasing the “Clona Eisen” smile, So Yeri pulled Shin Yuri into a hug.

On Shin Yuri’s face appeared a smile that looked infinitely pretty and vibrant to So Yeri.

“Gotta put in the effort.”

Strong even without effort.

Pretty even without. So Yeri smiled silently.

“The Edelweiss mana stones are pretty, you say?”

So Yeri Hunter often chatted about all sorts of random things on the way to the training site.

I wondered where she got so many topics bubbling up, coming here so frequently.

Well, back in Korea, we gossiped nonstop too.

“Totally! Think about Forlang mana stones. Ugh, complete old-school nautilus swirls etched in.”

Was that… a nautilus?

If anything, they were elongated sideways shapes.

“But these are different. Look.”

With that, So Yeri Hunter pulled out a fist-sized mana stone from her bosom.

“Whoa, you brought something this big? Doesn’t it go in your inventory?”

“Brought it out just to show you, Hunter Shin Yuri.”

S-rank strength put to strange use.

Thanks to the secluded spot where no one would hear even noisy training, we could talk freely without a soundproof barrier.

—Tap tap.

So Yeri Hunter sat on the wide rock ahead and patted the seat beside her.

“Even prettier with the sky. Hurry, hurry!”

As I sat next to the excited So Yeri Hunter, she placed the fist-sized mana stone in her hands.

“See? Edelweiss mana stones naturally point west, so from right here…”

Her hands sparkled.

Reacting to So Yeri Hunter’s mana, the mana stone gave off a soft blue glow.

The mana flow, normally invisible, became visible from reacting to her mana.

“The light shoots straight toward the sunlight pouring in, so pre…tty…?”

So Yeri Hunter trailed off mid-sentence. I stared at the stone.

It was shining prettily, just as she said.

But it was glowing in the exact same direction as the incoming sunlight?

That didn’t match her explanation…

So Yeri Hunter looked flustered too.

“Wasn’t like this in the mine.”

Maybe because she hadn’t tried amplification magic there? Or some other magic’s influence…

Muttering rapidly to herself, So Yeri Hunter peered in the direction the mana was pointing.

“What does that direction look like to you?”

“Hm…”

Shouldn’t we figure out our position first?

I recalled the path we’d taken roughly.

Due to the noisy nature of my training leaving obvious traces, we couldn’t stick to one spot.

Fortunately, the mountain range we used was vast enough that impromptu location changes were no issue.

The problem was needing to think hard to find the way home in situations like this.

“Not that way?”

We hadn’t veered much today…

So Yeri Hunter raised an eyebrow at the direction I pointed.

The mana stone’s light headed somewhere completely different.

“Mana flow in stones is normally influenced by the mine.”

So Yeri Hunter tilted her head.

“So Edelweiss Mountain’s vein runs deep west, so it should point west naturally, but…”

Why the different direction?

Tilting her head, she pulled out another mana stone from her bosom.

Different pattern—not an Edelweiss one.

—Hum!

But even that mana stone pointed the same way as the Edelweiss one.

“This one’s supposed to point east.”

So Yeri Hunter tilted her head again. All five other mana stones she pulled out did the same.

“These are all from different regions, right?”

“Yes.”

I scratched my head at her words.

Didn’t it look like they were all pointing one way?

“Let’s go check it out!”

Sure enough, So Yeri Hunter had the same thought and jumped to her feet.

Unlike her researcher spirit, I looked up at her reluctantly.

“I’ve got training to do today—”

“This counts as training.”

Cutting me off, So Yeri Hunter’s eyes already gleamed with fervor(?).

Those curiosity-filled eyes…!

That… that’s the unstoppable kind!

“All good life experience. And experience is training, right?”

As expected, her eyes sparkling as she spouted nonsense logic.

I’m no fool, so I shot back.

“I’m a dealer—research doesn’t count as training for me, Hunter-nim.”

But she didn’t blink.

“Ahem, it does.”

Then she abruptly hugged me from behind.

Eh? Kidnapped like this?

“Then you swing a sword with me later, So Yeri Hunter. That’ll be training, right?”

Experience counts too, doesn’t it?

—Whoosh!

But instead of answering, So Yeri Hunter gained altitude.

We were already soaring swiftly through the sky.

No worries about people below spotting us.

Way too high—impossible to tell human from bird with the naked eye.

Of course, at A-rank, talking from this height was no issue.

And at S-rank, hearing was fine too.

“That doesn’t train me. I’m support.”

As expected, deciding we’d gone high enough, So Yeri Hunter replied to my words with shameless confidence.

Have you ever seen such brazenness!

“Then maybe it won’t for me either?”

Take that, general principle!

“Should I drop you here, then?”

So Yeri Hunter peeked her head over my shoulder.

Even as an A-rank, falling from this height would be dangerous, no?

“Went high on purpose!”

Not to avoid sight, but to threaten!?

“So we won’t be seen~”

Liar! Total liar!

My shout got swallowed by the wind whipping as we streaked across the sky.

And so we flew swiftly toward the direction the mana stones indicated.

Without imagining what might lie at the end.