Chapter 71: Someday Again

It was the moment Aeroblast shot toward Kim Jihyeok.

CRUNCH!

Kim Jihyeok broke free of the ice that had been restraining him. I watched the sight with a hollow expression.

‘Crazy…’

The bastard dispelled the tonfas in both hands. Instead, this time he created a massive shield.

…A shield I’d seen before. That shield had saved my life from the claws of Demon Beasts more than once.

Kim Jihyeok blocked the Aeroblast with that shield. For a moment it looked like he’d be pushed back, but he held out until the vacuum bomb dissipated.

“That was close, Ms. Verdi. You… are you really my senior’s disciple?”

That question made me flinch for a moment.

“This doesn’t feel like a disciple… it’s to the point where I could believe the real person had come.”

“I’m the disciple of a great mage, so I ought to be at least this good.”

I said that, but a wry laugh slipped out. Calling myself a great mage. I know I’ve got a bit of a self-absorbed streak, but saying it so casually to someone else feels a little weird.

“…Do you really not know where Senior is?”

“I told you, I don’t. Why can’t you believe what people say? Hey, Mr. Jihyeok. If you back off quietly right now, I won’t say a word to Master.”

In my heart I wanted to beat him to a pulp, but for now, I’m holding back.

“Didn’t you say you didn’t know where he was?”

“…When he comes back.”

“Do you know when he’ll be back?”

“Well…”

I felt my voice getting quieter with every answer. Honestly, I don’t know either. Whether I can even go back to my original body.

“…Hah.”

Kim Jihyeok let out a sigh. That expression is the face he makes when he’s given up. I know because I spent a long time with him.

His gaze turned elsewhere. I also turned my head toward where Jihyeok was looking.

‘The Gate… is it about time?’

There was meaning in holding out for so long. The Gate’s size had shrunk noticeably from the beginning. That means the dungeon would close soon.

“Vasquez.”

“Ugh…”

Vasquez, who had been quietly in the corner, flinched at Jihyeok’s call.

“We’re pulling back.”

“R-right…”

At Jihyeok’s words, Vasquez tried to get up but collapsed again. The reason he couldn’t interfere in my fight with Jihyeok was probably because his stamina had run out.

“Ms. Verdi.”

“…What.”

“I hope we don’t meet as enemies next time.”

“…”

I wish the same.

“Well then, I’ll be—”

“Wait a moment.”

I called out to Jihyeok before he turned around.

“…Have you ever killed anyone?”

Even I thought it was ridiculous as I said it.

These guys had already done that kind of thing.

I hadn’t seen it, but judging by Vasquez, his current comrade Jihyeok must have—

“I don’t know about this man, but I haven’t.”

But at my words, Jihyeok answered bluntly.

“That’s not a lie, is it?”

“Why would I lie?”

“Then why is someone like you with them?”

“Didn’t I tell you?”

Jihyeok turned to face me.

“If your master hadn’t suddenly disappeared without a word, I would never have joined hands with these people.”

“What do you mean?”

“They said they knew where Senior, Mr. Verdiol, is. They said if I worked with them, they’d tell me. So I’m just temporarily with them.”

“Then attacking me was…”

“I never intended to harm you, his disciple, from the start. I just thought it would help me find Master, so I planned to bring you to them.”

“…What if they tried to hurt me?”

“Then I intended to take responsibility.”

“Responsibility?”

“If they tried to harm you, my senior’s disciple, I would protect you with everything I had.”

…Oh ho, it felt like we were fighting to the death just a moment ago.

“How am I supposed to believe that?”

“Whether you believe it or not is your freedom… I should get going now.”

Jihyeok turned around and helped Vasquez up. In that sight, I saw an overlap of me and that bastard from before. There was a time when I overdid it and Jihyeok helped me up, and the two of them looked just like that now.

I was watching Jihyeok and Vasquez’s backs slowly disappear with complicated feelings.

“Ms. Verdi! Where are you!”

‘Marcel…!’

From a distance, I heard Marcel’s voice.

“How about you head back too? Your companions seem worried.”

Jihyeok, who had stopped mid-step, turned his head and said.

“…I know.”

Letting him go like this left a bad taste in my mouth. I knew Jihyeok hadn’t committed murder, but that didn’t mean my mind was completely at ease.

Was it okay to just let him go like this?

Now that we’d been hostile once, we probably wouldn’t be able to meet in private anymore.

I didn’t even know when we’d meet again. What if he got punished for letting me go here?

That anxiety crept in, but.

‘…Well, it’ll be fine.’

It faded surprisingly quickly. With Jihyeok’s skill, he’d easily beat guys like that.

Unlike with Marcel and Deneb, I’d never worried about that guy when she was my comrade.

Jihyeok was strong. Hadn’t he fought me on equal footing just moments ago?

‘…Though I feel like I was slightly pushed back.’

No matter how many of them ganged up on him, Jihyeok wasn’t the type to just take it. So it’d be fine.

“Ms. Verdi!”

As I stood there blankly alone, I heard my name. I turned my head and saw Marcel rushing over this way.

“Are you alright?!”

“I’m fine. You look worse for wear, Marcel.”

As Marcel approached, his whole body drenched in Snow Giant blood, the stench of it stabbed my nose.

“…Now that you mention it, I suppose so. Ah, that’s not the point. Mr. Hames is looking for you, Ms. Verdi.”

“Why’s that old man looking for me?”

“He was worried about your safety. I told him you were fine, but you’re a D-Rank Hunter on paper, aren’t you? He looked suspicious, so I said I’d come find you myself.”

“Ah, right.”

If a Hunter brought in as a mercenary died, the guild would be held responsible. And I was a D-Rank Hunter. They’d allowed a D-Rank Hunter into an A-Rank Gate, so they’d definitely be held accountable.

‘So that bastard can get anxious too.’

Hames’s face, worried about me, came to mind. The sight was so amusing that I let out a snort without meaning to.

“Let’s go back.”

“Yes.”

As I trudged a few steps through the snowfield, I turned my head back toward the direction Jihyeok had gone.

We once walked in the same direction. But now we were walking different paths.

Still.

‘Someday, again…’

When I became an S-Rank Hunter and revealed my identity, then surely, like before…

‘So until then, I absolutely won’t lose.’

I recalled the name of the person Vasquez had mentioned.

Karelin.

The name of the figure behind Vasquez’s group, presumed to be a Transfer Mage.

I’d been able to gather some information through Vasquez, but I still didn’t have enough on Karelin.

I knew the names of almost all the outstanding mage Hunters.

Unless a mage Hunter had become a High-Rank Hunter while I was away.

Besides, to become a High-Rank Hunter, no matter how talented, you needed experience.

Even Moonlight, the world’s strongest Hunter, didn’t rise to that position overnight.

If someone was strong enough to wipe out the dragon race, there was no way I wouldn’t know them.

‘…Just who the hell are they.’

And what were they plotting?

“Miss Verdi!”

Lost in thought, I arrived in front of the Gate and heard a familiar voice.

“Where the hell did you go, I was worried sick!”

It was Hames.

‘…What a fuss.’

When he was calling me a genius or whatever, he was all high and mighty, and now he’s pretending to be worried.

“I’m sorry for causing you concern.”

That’s what I wanted to say, but I was aware of the eyes around us, so I apologized politely for now.

“Fortunately, there were no casualties.”

Hames, who had arrived at the Gate, looked around and said.

As he said, there were quite a few injured, but it seemed no Hunters had died.

“The Gate will close soon! Let’s get out quickly!”

Quite a bit of time had passed. The Gate would close soon, so we had to hurry out.

“Mr. Marcel, and Miss Verdi.”

Right before we stepped into the Gate following the other Hunters, Hames spoke to us.

“…I’ve got a lot I want to ask right now, but I’ll let it slide for the moment.”

“…”

Neither of us responded to his words. Marcel seemed to be checking my reaction…

‘…He caught on.’

It seemed Hames had noticed that I was the one who took down this Gate’s boss.

‘Troublesome bastard…’

But I didn’t want to think about Hames right now. I was at my limit. Maybe it was because so much had happened today and I’d pushed myself harder than usual, but I felt exhausted. I just wanted to throw myself onto a bed.

…Unfortunately, it seemed I wasn’t going to get any rest just yet.

When I stepped out of the Gate, I felt something strange.

Before entering the Gate, I’d clearly seen not only the Crescent guild Hunters but also Hunters from other guilds who’d come as mercenaries standing guard. There were quite a lot of them.

Since the place we’d entered was an A-Rank Gate — the most dangerous after an S-Rank Gate — Association agents were also on standby in case of an unexpected situation.

More than anything, I’d had Hames assign Crescent Hunters to guard Deneb.

But.

“What the hell, why’s no one here?”

Hames asked, looking around. He was right.

‘What the hell?’

We’d come out, but there was no one. I couldn’t even sense a presence.

I’d thought Deneb would be the first to greet me when I came out of the Gate.

But not a single person was in sight, including Deneb.

Not the Hunter Association agents, not the Crescent Hunters, not the mercenaries.

“…Mr. Marcel.”

“Yes…”

I called Marcel, who was beside me. I grabbed his collar and pulled him as close to me as possible.

“I don’t like this feeling. Something’s happened—”

Before I could even finish my sentence.

“Kyaaah!”

Someone’s scream pierced my ears.

Startled by the voice, I turned my head, and what I saw there was… a crowd in white holy robes.

“We meet again, Saintess.”

“Fuck…”

Mateo and his followers had personally come to welcome us as we just stepped out of the Gate.