Chapter 552: Integrated Management of the Abandoned Village (2)

「B-class Dungeon. Abandoned Village.」

“Those assigned to Area B will be the first to move to their designated locations~.”

One of the dungeons shared by the company, the union, and the foundation, the Abandoned Village. Among the groups of company-affiliated hunters gathered huddled together in front of the warp gate leading to the company, the hunter group heading to the closest Area B began to move first. Hunters who possessed bodies strong enough to face Treralodons, or who could launch attacks effective enough even against such large monsters. In our Sky Blue Shield, Hye-eun and Cheon Jihee were the two people in that group.

“Taekyung, I told you not to wander around dangerous places! I really warned you?!”

“Yes, yes. Hye-eun, you be careful too.”

“I, you can’t say anything else later!”

“I get it already. Anyway, you worry too much.”

Right before moving into the Area B formation with the other company hunters, Hye-eun gave you a cute warning. I quietly waved goodbye to her. Honestly, it felt like I had a slightly overprotective girlfriend. …Actually, it wasn’t just a feeling; it was the reality. When I first joined Sky Blue Shield before, she showed me this kind of attitude, and I actually had a big fight with Cha Yuri, who called it overprotectiveness. But seeing her still worrying even after almost four or five months have passed since that day, I really had no choice but to describe it as overprotectiveness. I understand that she must be even more worried now because, unlike when we go on expeditions together with Sky Blue Shield, we inevitably have to fight separately. Or perhaps she doesn’t want to see what happens to me when I’m out of her sight. Well, I suppose anyone would feel that way.

While thinking that, I offered a farewell greeting to another colleague, Cheon Jihee, this time. “Cheon Jihee-ssi, please go and come back safely without getting hurt.”

“…You don’t need to worry about me, so you just focus on yourself.”

“I’m a healer anyway. There’s no way anything dangerous will happen to me in the first place.”

“…Okay.”

True to her personality, Cheon Jihee finished her brief conversation and moved to Area B with Hye-eun. Although it was a blunt answer, it didn’t matter much. I could still feel that she was worried in her own way. It certainly feels like we’ve gotten quite close since we slept together once. It’s the same with Do Yehee too; I guess physical interactions are the most efficient way to increase intimacy.

After the Area B hunters, including Hye-eun and Jihee, disappeared from sight like that, the guidance from the Area C staff followed. “Those assigned to Area C, let’s move~.” Hearing the staff member’s voice, the Area C hunters moved. Perhaps because I heard the explanation that this was a group where hunters with good mobility but relatively lower combat power gathered, consciously looking, it certainly felt like there were a particularly high number of beast-kin hunters compared to other groups. Of course, there were some hunters who weren’t beast-kin, but overall, the ratio was quite high compared to other groups. Among those hunters, a beast-kin hunter with gray cat ears and a tail approached me and offered words similar to worry.

“Uh, be careful…? Considering your personality, I know you won’t listen to me even if I say it, but still, like Hye-eun said, don’t just shove your head into dangerous places for no reason.”

“I’m not! Why are you even trying so hard to be overprotective?”

“……”

“You just be careful and don’t overexert yourself. From what I see, you’re the one who’ll be running around the most trying to get results.”

“…Whatever, I’m going anyway.”

“Okay, you be careful too.”

Han Min-ah mumbled evasively without particularly denying it and followed the Area C group. Seeing her like that, I could already vividly picture the scene of her returning with an armful of monster cores in her material pouch. Who on earth is telling whom not to overexert themselves? Who is it that’s been overworking their body for the past few years?

Confirming the group Han Min-ah belonged to disappear along with those thoughts, this time I heard a voice calling the group moving to Area A. “Area A participants, this way! Those going to Area A, please receive two antidote potions per person. Please wear the special masks immediately after receiving them!” It seems that because Area A is inhabited by monsters with toxic properties, the company is providing several necessary items in advance. The hunters heading to Area A, moving while receiving items one by one along the rather long line, certainly seemed to include many mage-type hunters. The mage from our Sky Blue Shield who belonged to the Area A group also offered a final greeting before parting ways with me.

“Keep your schedule free soon.”

“What?”

“…We’ve been busy lately and couldn’t do it. I’ve even booked a dungeon for the two of us to go into.”

“……”

“…Why are you looking at me like that?”

…Well, it’s because I didn’t expect to have this kind of conversation. While everyone else disappeared after having conversations worrying about me, who was participating in the Abandoned Village Integrated Management Day for the first time, telling me to be careful or not… Cha Yuri was shamelessly making plans for a date with me next, so it was unavoidable that I couldn’t manage my facial expression for a moment.

“Everyone else was worrying about me, but Cha Yuri-ssi suddenly said something else, so I was a bit flustered.”

“…Would you have preferred me to worry?”

“Not particularly. A date appointment is, of course, an important matter too.”

“I know well that your skills aren’t the kind that would get you hurt or knocked down anywhere. The Abandoned Village is a B-class dungeon at best. It would be more surprising if you, who can even use recovery spells, came back injured.”

“That’s also true, but…”

“Since it’s a pointless worry even if you do it anyway, is there a need to?”

“…That’s certainly true.”

As Cha Yuri said, it would actually be strange if I got hurt or my life was endangered during this activity. A situation where even I, who have self-preservation means, would be in danger would only occur if monsters of a level that not only I but most of the hunters here couldn’t handle appeared. It was difficult to easily assume a case where such monsters would appear in a B-class level Abandoned Village. If it were a situation where I, participating as a healer, would be in danger in the first place, it would make much more sense for them to worry about themselves rather than me. From that perspective, Cha Yuri’s words about not worrying unnecessarily had sufficient logic.

…Of course, I never expected the conversation itself to be about making plans for sex, no, a date, instead. While having such a conversation, the line for Area A, where masks and antidote potions were being distributed, was almost finished. Cha Yuri also said her final goodbye to me before it got too late and moved towards the Area A group.

“I’m going. See you later.”

“Yes. See you after it’s over.”

After seeing Cha Yuri off as well, who was moving to Area A while receiving her mask and antidote potion like that. The company-affiliated hunters, who had gathered numbering over 100, were now less than five remaining. It seemed that this small number of people, including myself, were the company’s recovery-type hunters.

“The remaining individuals are all recovery-type hunters, correct?”

“…Yes, it seems so.”

“Yes, yeees….”

-Nod.

“……”

One woman nervously looking around quickly. One woman standing with one leg crossed, frowning as if she’d been bitten by a bug. And one woman fiddling with her smartphone, earphones plugged into both ears. …And even me, a male hunter hiding my identity behind an unknown mask. I really couldn’t deny that this was a combination of uniquely strong personalities in many ways.

“Since the recovery-type hunters will be working in an alliance with members from other guilds, we will first move to the safe zone in the center of the dungeon~.”

“Okay.”

“…D-do I really have to go…? If I just stay around here….”

“This area won’t be very safe once the full-scale subjugation operation begins. We will ensure your protection in the designated safe zone, so we’ll just move there.”

“I was told I just had to participate quietly… Ugh….”

“…Ah, this is annoying.”

“Uh, excuse me, Hunter~? We need to move, so could you please take out your earphones~?”

“……”

…How should I put it, this isn’t the atmosphere I imagined for hunters. It was completely different from the general image I had imagined for recovery-type hunters. It’s like… rather than recovery-type hunters, it’s like…

‘It seems like they just gathered a bunch of useless attention-seekers.’

I never expected to be suddenly reminded of memories from my previous life here. Seeing the other members, who inevitably caused anxiety in many ways, even I couldn’t help but feel a little doubtful. Can the lives of hunters really be entrusted to people like these? Although this is my first time meeting other recovery-type hunters affiliated with the company, I never expected them to be this kind of people. I wore the mysterious mask beforehand just in case, and for now, among the judgments I’ve made so far, it was the most sensible one. Even for me, I didn’t want to unnecessarily make acquaintances with people like these.