episode_0017

Thud, thud―

Familiar footsteps.

Of course.

It’s natural.

Why wouldn’t one be accustomed to the sound of their own steps?

Yet today, Mahana felt unusually burdened by her own feet.

Was it due to accumulated fatigue and the creeping physical pain?

No, that couldn’t be it.

There have been days with worse injuries than today.

“…It’s cold.”

Mahana thought the night air was chilly.

As a Mysterious Race, she naturally had a higher body temperature and heat retention rate compared to ordinary people.

Still, she felt exceptionally cold even though she should have been warm like a living heater.

“…I miss him.”

She always did, but today the longing was particularly strong.

Once again, she took in the scent.

Her beloved father who had passed away… that’s who she meant.

“…Should I call him Father?”

It doesn’t feel quite right.

She had always just called out “Dad!”

Nevertheless, now that she wasn’t a child anymore, she decided to practice calling him Father.

Mahana quietly closed her eyes.

Slowly, she immersed herself in memories of her childhood.

The time as a newborn baby when she couldn’t remember anything.

With a mother whose face she didn’t know, she grew up under the care of her father, always looking up to him.

“…You were amazing.”

Her father was a recognized outstanding tank in the guild.

His class was [Mid Knight].

Although considered a minor class as a sub-branch of the top-rated [Guardian] main tank.

Despite not reaching the realm of S-rank, everyone trusted and admired her father.

Mahana also idolized him and wished to become someone who could protect everyone with a sturdy shield, just like him.

Therefore, it might have been only natural for her to receive the [Guardian] class from her father.

Mahana still remembers.

The moment she ran excitedly towards her father upon hearing the word “Guardian” at the ‘sanctuary’ and shouted happily.

“…And…”

Even if it was brief, she vividly recalls her father’s deeply saddened face.

He probably knew.

That she lacked the talent for tanking.

Years later, her father passed away due to illness.

After the funeral, Mahana held the shield her father had chosen for her and silently vowed to become a shield for her party members with her small, fern-like hands.

However, it didn’t take long for her to realize the harsh reality.

Thud, thud―

“…I was foolish.”

A foolish thought.

She knows it best.

The root of all her efforts until now was her admiration for her father.

Her wish and aspiration for tanking.

Even if a stroke of luck had brought forth a different path, it would have surely crumbled.

“Oh. Then it’s just the same.”

In the end, her fate was predetermined from the start.

Whether to die bitterly in the dungeon or to give up her dream and prolong her life.

Thud. Thud.

Unknowingly, tears streamed down Mahana’s face.

Stubbornness.

Long-held stubbornness.

“…Fool…Idiot…Worthless…”

Knowing it wasn’t true.

Knowing she lacked the talent.

She clung to others in any way possible for her dream alone.

Initially welcomed with smiles, the gazes of her party members turned from approval to disdain and anger, yet she persisted.

“…But…”

She can’t continue like this.

Moon Bora.

The woman she met today for the first time didn’t resort to insults or curses like the disappointed others.

However, her words hurt more than anyone else’s.

“I don’t think I can follow you anymore.”

“I won’t say mean things, Mahana.”

“Please…put down your shield.”

Just listening to it sounded like a criticism, but Mahana knew better than anyone.

The meaning contained in Moonbora’s eyes.

It was warmth that worried about her own life.

And that warmth painfully stirred her heart more than anything else.

She received sympathy from someone she met for the first time today.

That sympathy, not cheap sympathy at all, disqualified her as a tanker because it genuinely touched her heart.

‘…No…’

Disqualified as a hunter.

So, she decided to let go.

She made up her mind to shake off the desires that had clung to her like a ghost for a long time.

For that, she spoke to the employee sister.

Even though her public reputation rose and she could receive heroic treatment by preventing disasters like Breakout, she quietly left for the sake of something else.

‘…Not for my life.’

Moonbora.

And for the life of Yusehara, the man who followed her faithfully throughout the day without a hint of disappointment.

* * *

Jingle jangle―.

Along with the sound of bells hanging in the gap of the shop door, a cheerful voice resonated.

“Welcome~! A generous heart… huh?”

The owner of the voice was a woman with reddish hair well tanned in the sunlight.

Wearing an eyepatch over one eye, the woman put down the luggage she was carrying and immediately recognized the guest who entered.

“It’s Meonyangi!”

“…Hello. Master.”

The guest was none other than Mahana.

She, who was on her way home, changed direction towards this blacksmith shop.

Seeing Mahana, the woman took off the eyepatch she was wearing.

It wasn’t for any injury or unique pupils; it was simply worn as a fashion statement.

Even Mahana, watching her, thought, ‘This is a bit…,’ as she looked at her with a puzzled expression.

“…Master. Still sticking with that chuunibyou eyepatch?”

“Oh! Calling it a chuunibyou eyepatch! How cool is this? A whole truckload of guys followed me just because they thought it was cool!”

“……”

“Oh! Meonyang. If you make such a disgusted face, I can’t use it!”

The laughing woman soon rushed towards Mahana.

Seeing this, Mahana, startled, took a step back like a surprised cat, but it was already too late.

Whack!

Caught off guard, she ended up receiving cheek-pinching punishment.

“Oh, your cheeks are so squishy!”

“…M-Master… I-I can’t breathe…”

“Stop exaggerating! And call me Hyeeja Unni instead of Master!”

“Mweaaa…”

Letting out a short cry, Mahana sighed inwardly.

In front of her was a woman in her early thirties.

Her name was Im Hyeja.

She was the owner of this blacksmith shop.

At the same time, she was the only person left in Mahana’s life whom she could consider family.

Having been her father’s colleague, they had known each other since childhood, and even after his passing, she continued to take care of Mahana, a cherished connection.

Not only that, she was an exceptional person based on her skills alone. There were rumors that she might aim for the position of the next master.

Im Hyeja’s class was none other than a Blacksmith, a noble class among production jobs.

With her golden talent, it would be strange if she didn’t succeed.

‘…Like the starlight of today. Like Yusehara…’

But the gods are fair.

Due to Hyeja’s lack of business acumen, flies were always buzzing around the shop.

While she claimed that regular customers kept coming, sales were fine, but from Mahana’s perspective, there was more to worry about.

‘…Of course, I’m not in a position to say that.’

“Now, Meonyang. Unni! Try it! Quickly!”

“…U-Unni…”

“That’s right!!!”

Squeeze!

“Mweaa… Don’t pull my cheeks…”

“Oh, you’re cute. Oh wait! Let me get my senses together.”

In a hurry for some reason, Hyeja ran into the shop before Mahana could say anything.

Then she returned with a palm-sized round gem.

Mahana’s face turned to surprise as she looked at the transparent gem that resembled a giant pearl.

“M-Master… Th-This, could it be?!”

“Call me ‘Unni’! Anyway, right, Meonyang. That’s it, that’s it!”

The true identity of the gem was a socket gem called .

It was a precious artifact that was commonly inserted into equipment to grant special effects.

Among them, this had the option that Mahana desired so much.

It contained the attribute [Transparent Vision], which made the inside of the shield transparent, allowing her to survey and respond to enemies.

It only activated from Mahana’s perspective.

For her, who wore only a large shield as her body, being able to unilaterally survey enemies provided a tremendous advantage in combat, which is why she wanted it so badly.

Im Hyeja wiped her nose while looking at Mahana, who was swaying her two tails with a sigh.

Thinking it was a good idea to rescue her even if it was a stretch, she crossed her arms and said, “Hehe~.”

“I’ll lend you this for now. You can repay me slowly later. After all, the guild already rents out equipment to hunters in advance…?”

Im Hyeja couldn’t finish her sentence.

Clearly, Mahana, who should be excitedly bouncing around, was smiling bitterly.

“…Me…nyang?”

Instead of answering, she handed over the shield behind her.

“…Hm? Ah, repairs? Come to think of it, the shield has taken quite a beating… Wait. What on earth did it get hit by? Did you spar with another Awakener or something?”

“No… it’s not that… I was fighting with Kappa Rhino…”

“Ah, Kappa Rhin… what?!”

Im Hyeja was astonished.

She grabbed Mahana’s shoulders with a contemplative face and spoke rapidly like a machine gun.

“Are you crazy!? You faced a Grade C boss monster!?”

“Unni. Take a breath and speak.”

“Wh-where are you injured? Oh my… you’re covered in bruises!”

“…Meow… don’t sneakily touch my chest…”

Mahana took a deep breath.

Come to think of it, this Unni was also part of the same group as Yusehara.

That’s probably why she could overlook her actions.

It seemed like there might be more groups like this than just Yusehara being peculiar.

As much as she wished this lively atmosphere would continue, she had to say it now.

At least, she had to tell her, despite being family or somewhat hopeless.

“…Unni, I have something serious to say.”

“…Huh?”

“I didn’t hand you the shield to repair it.”

“…Huh? Then? Oh, to create a socket slot-”

“-No.”

Mahana hesitated for a moment.

When she tried to speak, it didn’t come out smoothly.

“Is it really okay like this?” A voice asking if everything was fine painfully stirred her heart.

And she knew that voice belonged to her inner self.

“…I don’t want to.”

She was tired now.

She didn’t want to get hurt anymore.

She didn’t want to cause trouble anymore.

“…I want to sell the shield.”

“……”

Im Hyeja froze like a statue at those words.

“…You, really?”

“Yeah…”

Mahana forced a smile.

“I… can’t do it anymore. It hurts… it’s hard… when I think about it… even the good… things…”

She couldn’t continue speaking.

Her vision began to blur before her eyes.

“…Wh-what?”

Why is this happening?

Unni’s figure wavered.

“Hu… huk.”

In the end, Mahana burst into tears.

Im Hyeja quietly embraced her, letting out a sigh.

Slowly patting her back, she thought, ‘So it finally happened…’

What she had feared had come to pass.