episode_0108

“Grandpa. I came to consult about my concerns.”

『You’ve come a long way.』

After finishing the cafe, embracing my complicated feelings.

Eunha turned her steps toward Saetbyul Apartments and came to [Euncheon Park].

It’s just… my mind was too busy to go back home.

Because I realized this time that my blood can be transformed into a great potion.

For the past three years, I have lived as an F-class hunter. Where did all the blood I donated go?

Is this really the [Galaxy Potion] released by the Association?

So… how much does Ban Harin know?

Once doubt begins, it grows like weeds.

In my current state of mind, I felt like I would just be lying in bed when I got home, so I came to the park to take a walk.

『Have you come to seek wisdom?』

“I came to see my grandfather. Didn’t you miss me?”

『A bold young lady logo.』

A mountainside shrouded in thick fog, a vacant lot that appears along a dark trail.

In the center, there is a sculpture of a blue dragon, the symbol of the [Blue Dragon Guild], and wooden benches are placed in a circle around the statue.

And, in a place where you can see the foggy scenery at a glance…

A gaunt old man, carrying the weight of time, is sitting.

An old man who reminds me of a huge tree rooted deep in the ground. Those turquoise eyes must contain unfathomable wisdom.

Eunha walked to the old man unsteadily, clutching his shoulder where the animal’s teeth marks were clearly visible.

A wise old man.

You can borrow his wisdom just by coming to see him. He is truly a good person(?).

The last two promotion exams would have been impossible without the help of the old man. Honestly, I’ve received so much help that it’s scary.

Wouldn’t it be great if I go to my wise grandfather every time I have a problem in the future?

‘Let’s finish what we have to do and go back. I just have to leave the park before the sun sets.’

The only memories I had at the park were painful ones, but I decided to think that the good things were good things.

I was planning on stopping by the park soon anyway. Thanks to the old man in the park, I learned about ‘mana’, and with that momentum, I even passed the D-level exam.

Eunha likes the word ‘simsa-sa-gyeom-sa’.

As a side note… I give a thank you gift and share my concerns.

Grumbling…

Eunha’s hand pulling the carrier is shaking slightly.

『We all set out on a journey to find answers. Even though the answer was already with us, hesitation and regret pushed us back. because…”

“Please be quiet. I’m hurt.”

Eunha took off her T-shirt, which was tattered with the marks of the beast’s teeth, and grunted at the old man.

It was none other than the fact that he was bitten by a wild animal on the way to the vacant lot.

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3. Always watch your footsteps.

– Humans have two legs.

– The beast probably has four legs. Maybe five.

​

– I believe that there is no human being who does not know the sound of their own footsteps.

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Following me on a dark walkway,

A monster that moves closer when you move forward, and gradually moves away when you step back.

If Eunha walked 2 steps, ‘that’ came 4 steps closer.

If you take two steps back, ‘that’ also takes four steps back.

The only way to avoid that guy is to backtrack and leave the park…

It was as if he was preventing us from reaching the old man in the park.

However, since there is no way to meet the wise old man, Eunha runs forward and exits the trail, regardless of whether or not she is bitten by a mountain animal.

Thanks to you, I feel like I’m dying of pain.

“Grandpa. Can’t you clean up that guy on the walkway? He looks like he’s going to get bitten every time he comes to see him.”

『Someone said it. There is a reason for everything.』

“You mean you won’t clean it up.”

Eunha, who was pressing her fingers into the healing teeth marks, took out some extra clothes from her suitcase.

After changing into a box tee that I had recently ordered in bulk from home shopping, I plopped down on the seat next to the old man.

The twilight light hanging on the horizon lengthened the shadows of the two people.

“……Grandpa, aren’t you bored being alone in a place like this?”

『I realized it one day. Loneliness is the process of mulling over memories.』

“What can I say… take this, thanks to you I got promoted again.”

『It’s a ramp.』

Eunha took out a piece of cake from her carrier and presented it to the old man.

She looked around the quiet clearing and took a deep breath.

The world seen from the mountainside is frustratingly narrow. Outside the vacant lot, you can’t see an inch in front of you because of the thick fog, and the weather is so chilly that your skin gets prickly.

There was only one structure so huge that it reached the heavens and the earth, revealing its majestic silhouette beyond the fog.

Excited. Excited.

Looking at the huge structure reminds me of the pain I experienced back then. I said hello to the [Black Person] several times to awaken Mana.

Eunha took a deep breath, clutching her painful chest as if it was about to burst.

“Ang! Aang!”

At that time, a small puppy hiding under the bench jumped out and rubbed its cheek against Eunha’s leg.

Is this cute little girl also a weirdo?

An ugly potato screeched and attacked Eunha with its short front paws, but because it couldn’t even maintain its center of gravity properly, it fell over on its own and flipped over.

It looks like he ate a lot for dinner tonight because his stomach is full.

Eunha raised the corner of her mouth as she was hit by the guy’s cotton ball attack.

『So, what kind of worries did you have in mind?』

“Oh, you’re asking this time. Until now, you’ve only said what you wanted to say.”

『There are concerns that can be resolved by bringing them out.』

How long did you hug the potato puppy and play with it?

After putting the puppy down on the floor and smoothing out the teeth marks that only left scars, Eunha seemed to take a moment… and began to unravel the worries she had experienced today one by one.

… … .

Potion made by Nari Kang, Banharin, Hunter Association, Galaxy Potion.

What you heard, what you saw, what you learned…

From the information created in this way, the doubts that grow like weeds are pulled out.

My first thought was…

It was a bit of a feeling of betrayal and sadness.

“……The person I like the second time in the world has been deceiving me for three years. What should I do?”

『What did I do wrong to you?』

“I don’t know that.”

Eunha showed the old man the weeds she had pulled out.

Due to poor workmanship, the weeds could not be pulled out by the roots, and the palms of the hands where the weeds were torn were torn and bleeding.

“The Hunter Association is probably the bad guys, but I don’t know about that person.”

Eunha stroked her chin with a puzzled expression, recalling Ban Harin, a regular customer who always joked around with an expressionless face.

(But Eunha. Are you still donating blood these days?)

(If you don’t want to donate blood to the point of collapsing from anemia, I’d rather not do it.)

It probably has nothing to do with potions.

She didn’t say a single word about donating blood, and instead nagged and nagging me that the blood donation cycle was too short.

However, it is clear that she is hiding something,

I’m hesitating whether I should hate it for squaring off with the Hunter Association, or just treat it like normal.

“I feel like asking this to his face. But if Banharin is hiding it from me, isn’t there a reason?”

『Huh…what should we do with this young lady…』

Hearing Eunha’s concerns, the old man let out a low exclamation.

A voice full of pity.

It’s like looking at a granddaughter crying because she feels sorry for the ants crawling around the playground.

Eunha blinked at the unexpected reaction.

Was it a strange concern in the eyes of others?

Meanwhile, the old man, who was smoothing the back of his wrinkled hand, slowly chose to speak.

『Are those who deceived you a threat to you?』

“Hmm… specifically?”

The question the old man asked in a light tone was unfamiliar yet natural,

Eunha answered without thinking and tapped her cheek with a confused look on her face.

Is the Hunter Association a threat?… Not really?

There is [Self-Healing] and [Black Book].

There is also a young girl who comes running to me whenever I pick a children’s song.

Is there a need to worry?

Just carry on as usual, and if someone starts an argument, think about it.

Just like the [Blue Dragon Energy] employees who came to visit the apartment the other day.

‘[Galaxy Potion] is the same. Let’s just stay still. If I stop donating blood and just eat popcorn, won’t I kill myself?’

[Galaxy Potion] sales dropped like a ghost around the time Eunha stopped donating blood.

Of course, there is no certainty that her blood was actually used.

So stay still. No matter where it goes, there is no loss for her.

It’s not too late to think about it slowly, since it’s still just a feeling.

『I realized it one day. If the ants feel sorry for the lump of sugar they are carrying, their feelings will be no different from those of the ants.』

The old man pointed to the carrier parked next to Eunha.

The carrier containing the [Black Book] glows red in the setting sun.

The thick fog covering the mountainside approaches Eunha like tentacles.

『If there are ants that bother you, some will kill them by stepping on them on the spot, some will catch them and raise them, and some will burn them with fire…』

『Isn’t everything an experience and a piece of wisdom?』

The old man’s words were more extreme than usual.

But it’s nice because it’s refreshing.

To put it simply, does this mean that if you fail, you should step on it and kill it with the [Black Book]?

He is also a wise person.

Ugh.

Feeling glad that she had come to visit the old man, a few strands of Eunha’s hair colored with sunset light began to glow slightly.

『Someone said it. Wisdom is like a package containing someone’s experience.』

『And… it means finding the answer you want from a bundle of countless experiences.』

He nodded, glancing at the old man’s wisdom.

There is nothing wrong with it.

‘… … is not it? There’s something strange…’

Eunha brushed aside her sunset-glowing hair.

I feel like I have become wiser because I am with an old man.

Minor concerns disappear, and the answer appears before her eyes, guiding her.

Deengㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡ.

The sound of a bell heard from afar feels familiar today.

Eunha gently closed her eyes while listening to the sound of the bell ringing through time.

‘Ban Harin… it wouldn’t be a big deal if he said he was hiding it. Should we really care about humans who live for only a moment and then die? ‘

I’m not very good at using my brain anyway.

Let’s think easy and easy.

Eunha had confidence.

『I said it one day. There is a reason for everything.』

Ang! Oh my!

Potato Puppy, who was walking around near the bench, taps Eunha on the top of her foot.

Biting the shoes with his cute teeth… he tries his best to chase Eunha out of the clearing.

The old man who was watching this looked at the huge bell tower beyond the fog with a kind smile.

『Someone once said, wisdom is like paint, mixing together to create new colors.』

『The man wanted to be wise. I wanted to become the wisest person in the world.』

Deengㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡ.

So, the bell rings,

The old man grabbed Eunha’s wrist.

『Don’t get too close to someone who holds a grudge.』

Dusk ends.

… … .

… … .

… … .

“Mr. Ban Harin~ Hello!”

“……? Good morning, Eunha.”

next day.

Eunha greeted Ban Harin warmly as she entered the cafe early in the morning.

A beautiful woman with two moles under her left eye and a few strands of hair dyed in sunset color.

Ban Harin looked at Eunha, who was more excited than usual, with a strange look and said good morning.

“Do you seem to be in a good mood today?”

“Oh, really?… I had a lot of concerns yesterday, but they were all resolved.”

“That’s good news.”

The two started working at the cafe, chatting as usual.