episode_0129

Hours passed as I agonized over how to mentally prepare this friend. During that time, we only caught one Lascrin.

To eat lunch, we went down under the firing position we had dug in advance.

“What, students? There were already people here.”

After noon, the hunting ground was already filled with other hunter teams. I was worried because they all looked fierce, but thankfully, they didn’t even glance at the Lascrin corpse where we had planted our flag first.

“Honestly, I thought they’d take it, but this is unexpected. What a relief.”

Granite muttered as he cleaned the broad blade of his poleaxe. Irene, passing by, heard him and spoke.

“Unexpected?”

“Oh, it was Irene. Just talking to myself. What I meant was… I wondered if they’d ignore us and take it since we’re students.”

She shook her head. Irene had just returned from a reconnaissance mission with Radio Violet 6.

“You don’t have to worry about that. Taking prey that someone else caught first is one of the biggest taboos among hunters. This industry is surprisingly small. Maybe once or twice, but if you keep doing it, word spreads quickly, and people will avoid you. There’s also a chance of being challenged to a duel.”

Then Irene tapped the black box attached to her and my clothes.

“More importantly, these days it’s standard to carry portable recording devices. Clans use these to analyze who attacked whom and how to divide contributions. Do you think they can’t catch someone stealing prey?”

“I see…”

I, who was standing nearby, listened to Irene’s explanation with interest. I thought that this world prevents freeloading in such a way. It’s a world where strength is important, but even within it, there’s a certain order.

We set up a table near the anti-air position we had deployed on the hill earlier. Today’s lunch was freshly bought lasagna, french fries, salad, and large genetically modified chicken drumsticks.

“More importantly, how do you all feel about coordinating your efforts?”

Irene spoke while we ate the warm lunch that had been airlifted from the inventory.

“It feels like we’re only adjusting to that guy, but it can’t be helped. Anyway, let me ask one thing.”

“What is it?”

Lucian was about to speak but seemed to fall into thought, looking around. His gaze only rested on the Violets. Now that I looked, he seemed confused about which Violet to speak to.

“You can talk to anyone!”

“Ah, damn it… it’s confusing. Alright, I’ll say it. Is this really a chicken leg? It looks like a turkey leg.”

“Huh?”

He picked up one of the lunch drumsticks and put it on his plate. I bought it because it was sold at the supermarket, but it wasn’t a chicken leg after all. Now that I looked, the packaging clearly stated ‘turkey leg’. It’s my first time seeing a turkey, how interesting.

“Well, it’s tasty.”

Kalia bit into a leg. Everyone’s reaction was good, except for one person. Levi. He pecked at his lunch, watching my expression.

Hours later, we started fighting beasts again in a less crowded area. Since everyone and their dog was trying to catch wyverns, there was nothing left for us to catch.

“The ammo drum changed?”

Peculiarly, the form of the ballista Levi was holding had partly changed. Instead of the large square magazine holding huge bolts, a cylindrical magazine was attached.

“…That, earlier, it was a bombardment type, so it wasn’t very helpful. I changed the ammunition…”

“It had that kind of function?”

Surprisingly, the ballista Levi held could fire various types of bolts with just a few manipulations.

It primarily fired ordinary large steel bolts, but with a few adjustments to its mechanisms, it could also launch different bolts as needed. Instead of reduced power, it could fire in rapid succession with a high-capacity magazine loaded with medium-sized bolts.

“So, it can be a machine gun or a cannon depending on the need?”

“Uh, yeah. That’s right.”

We were amazed. It wasn’t just an artifact weapon.

A new group of Spartoi, drawn by the noise, was seen approaching.

“How about trying to shoot that?”

Levi hesitated, then pulled the trigger. The ballista’s bowstring reciprocated repeatedly. Bolts poured down like rain. But the bolts flew in the wrong direction. Looking beside her, I saw her trembling, head buried, just pulling the trigger.

“Ah, ah…ah!”

“Hey, what are you doing! You need to aim!”

Only after Lucian, unable to watch any longer, yelled at her, did she lift her head. Then the firing stopped. The remaining beasts were dealt with by me and another teammate.

“Levi? Are you sick?”

After the battle ended, Irene, with her arms crossed, calmly asked.

“I-I’m sorry. It’s not that, but it just doesn’t work well…”

Kalia, who had been silent, also spoke.

“Um, do you perhaps not want to do it?”

“N-No, it’s not like that!”

Lucian was the most actively irritated. Annoyed, he stepped forward to argue.

“Hey! If you’re going to be like this, just go back to the dorm! What have you been doing while everyone else was fighting? You’re just useless!”

As Levi helplessly lowered her head, Daphne, who was behind her, stepped forward.

“I don’t think there’s a need to press her so hard. I don’t think she did it maliciously. Could you give her a moment? I’ll talk to her.”

Hmm, Daphne seems to be right. Come to think of it, to reform her mindset, I need to know why she’s like this. And for that, we obviously need to talk.

As others stepped back, Daphne asked in a gentle manner.

“Schneider-ssi? No, Levi-ssi. I don’t believe you did that intentionally with malice. But if you haven’t been able to fight properly even once, there must be a clear reason. May I ask about it?”

Frightened, Levi initially kept her mouth shut, but as she gradually calmed down, she slowly began to speak. As she haltingly explained, we listened quietly. To summarize her long and detailed past, it was this:

“Actually, um, when I was little, I was attacked by a beast… and almost d-died…”

“So, you’re still scared when you see a beast.”

Daphne, perhaps feeling sorry for her, looked at the girl with a compassionate gaze.

“Oh dear…”

“But then, why did you come to the academy? If you’re scared of beasts, how did you plan to become a hunter?”

I asked out of curiosity. Levi’s face was filled with a tearful expression after hearing that.

“Th-That’s… I want to defeat beasts… Even though I’m scared, I don’t want other people to experience something as terrifying as I did..”

She stroked her weapon with a weak hand.

“And… I thought if I just had this, everything would be fine…”

“Why this ballista?”

“Th-This b-ballista was a-actually my grandfather’s possession… No one else could use it, but one day, when I-I grabbed it, mana flowed through it with a flash, and I was able to use it. When it’s beside me, it gives me c-courage…”

Levi smiled weakly. Ah, so that’s why she carries that ballista in that large bag every day.

“But when I really need it, the trigger won’t pull. It works fine at the shooting range though…”

“Then it’s not much help, is it?”

“Yes, I-I know that… I’m useless…”

I fell silent. After talking for a long time, there didn’t seem to be any sharp solution to fix that timid girl’s mindset. Should I give up on her like this?

***

I thought about it several times, but no. We Violets don’t give up on teammates.

While Daphne stepped back, I told her I had something to say and brought her to the position. I don’t know much about psychology, but I know that for a person to change their behavior, they need to change their existing way of thinking.

For now, I don’t know how to cure her trauma. However, in this harsh world, I need to at least make her able to attack aggressively.

“Here…”

As she looked around uneasily, I summoned the Violets and surrounded her.

“Eek!”

“Levi! Listen carefully. Offense is the best defense.”

“W-What do you mean?”

“Repeat after me: Offense is the best defense!”

“O-Offense is… the b-best… defense!”

While Levi repeated what I said, I thought. If I keep instilling a single proposition in her ear, won’t she internalize it without realizing it?

Coincidentally, since a Radio Violet was assigned to each teammate, I could keep a Violet attached to Levi for over 24 hours.

After making her do it for a while, I asked how much she had changed psychologically.

“How is it?”

“Uh… I don’t know.”

Is that so? Even I think it’s a stretch for her to change so quickly with just this. Moreover, a phrase like “offense is the best defense” is too innocent and common. I need a more aggressive yet persuasive phrase.

After putting several Violets’ heads together, I came up to a resolute and aggressive sentence.

“Levi, from now on, you’re going to repeat what I say. Ready?”

“O-Okay…”

I recited the sentence that had just come to mind.

“My weapon exists not for defense, but for offense. Now, repeat after me!”

“M-My weapon exists… not for defense, but for offense…”

Levi recited this phrase several times as I instructed. While she mulled over the phrase, another Violet began to persuade her from the side.

“Levi, how do you want to use that ballista?”

“Th-This?”

The girl’s black eyes darted around as if trying to avoid answering. I waited patiently for her reply.

“Th-This b-ballista was used by my grandfather. My grandfather was a h-hunter. S-So, I want to become a hunter and p-protect others…”

I nodded and asked again.

“You said that weapon exists to protect others, right? But how do you protect others?”

“…You have to k-kill the approaching enemies?”

The three Violets standing nearby shook their heads. The expression “kill” causes no small amount of aversion.

To change a person’s way of thinking, it’s best to change the words they use. Negative words create a negative outlook, and positive words create a positive outlook.

I attempted something to bring about a shift in her thinking here.

“Levi, listen carefully. From now on, when you think about fighting, don’t think ‘kill’. Instead, try saying ‘make disappear’ or ‘clear away’. How about that?”

“Make disappear..?”

“Yes! You clear away trash if there’s any in your house. Don’t think of what’s in front of you as dead. That’s not a living being. Think ‘clear away’ or ‘make disappear’.”

Using appropriate words would lessen the burden of engaging in violence. In this way, several Violets surrounded her and chattered diligently during the break. After eating dinner and talking until nightfall, a change occurred.

“Is that so…?”

Levi, who had initially been busy watching my expression as if oppressed, gradually began to show signs of acceptance.

“We’re not killing beasts. We’re clearing them away!”

“Clearing away beasts…?”

“Beasts are humanity’s enemies, no different from trash. They don’t have, human rights!”

I almost said, ‘Treat human enemies as having no human rights and clear them away,’ but stopped. Saying that much would surely backfire. It was still too radical for an innocent girl to accept.

“Now, repeat after me. Clear away the enemy.”

“C-Clear away the e-enemy…”

“Well done!”

“Uh, um…”

The instruction continued until the next day. While waiting for the appearance of a Lascrin for the request, I kept clinging to Levi.

Inside the newly dug position, Violet strenuously pulled the charging handle of the anti-materiel rifle. Behind the heavy, sharp metallic sound, the soft sound of a thick autocannon shell being inserted into the chamber followed.

“You’re helping us clear away the trash of the world. See there?”

I pointed outside the sandbags of the firing position. I could see the teammates resting.

“You just need to pull the trigger once. You don’t even need to use your body directly like the people below. Is this a difficult task, or an easy one?”

“…It’s an easy task.”

“Yes, we can just lift a finger to clear away the beasts and help our teammates!”

The Radio Violet whispered into Levi’s ear.

“Surely you can do this easy task, right? I believe in you!”

“N-No. I can do it! But, I feel a little dizzy…”

Perhaps it was because we had been sticking to her all day, whispering about offense and defense in her ear, but Levi felt dizzy.

Our attempt didn’t seem to have been much help.

***

Just as I gave up hope and looked forward to the next opportunity, another Lascrin appeared beyond the milky white sky.

“Everyone, prepare for battle!”

“Uh, why is it bigger…?”

We fired a flare into the sky, just like yesterday. With the successive flares, the beast’s gaze turned towards the ground.

The anti-air positions set up in various places poured fire again, and Lucian prepared his magic. The plan was to damage its wings to make it drop a bit, then trap it with Daphne’s shield and attack it.

Everything was going according to plan. That is, until the beast turned out to be bigger than expected and nearly shattered the deformed shield by sheer force!

-Crackle!

“Ah!”

While Daphne was surprised, the Lascrin flapped its wings once more and soared upwards.

Lucian’s magic and Kalia’s barrage struck it, followed by our small arms fire. Anti-materiel rifle shots from one position pierced holes in its wings, and a rocket launcher impacted its body.

-Roar!

The beast writhed in pain. But even all this was not enough to bring it down. The beast, soaring again, went berserk, spitting acidic breath in all directions.

“Everyone scatter! Shield!”

“Gyaah!”

If a creature with tank-level durability flew around like that, there was no immediate way to bring it down. Faced with the unexpected situation, Violet Command prepared for a prolonged battle. Company-level troops were hastily summoned, and an urgent debate ensued.

“This won’t do, deploy the air squadron immediately! Deploy V-1 rockets!”

“What are you going to do with powered hang gliders that only go 70km/h? The rockets aren’t even for anti-air use!”

“Let’s use guided aerial bombs! If we ram explosives into it, that thing will die too!”

Amidst the debate, the Radio Violet suddenly turned its gaze to Levi. The frightened girl had her head buried in the ground.

“Ah, ah… I-I don’t like it. I-I’m going to d-die…”

“What do you mean die! You’re not going to die.”

“Th-Those t-teeth! Th-Those e-eyes! I hate them… I hate them…”

Was she remembering old memories? I made her stand up.

“Listen carefully, you won’t die! I’ll get you out alive no matter what!”

“Ah, ugh…”

I looked into her eyes and shouted.

“But I’m not just going to take it here. So stand up! Whether you run or fight, it’s your choice!”

Outside, I could feel the Violet Company running around, pouring anti-air fire. It seemed it would take a long time to shoot it down with such small crossbows. The rockets weren’t even hitting.

I was about to go outside the position when Levi, who had been trembling, suddenly stopped moving. Levi, whose eyes met mine, mumbled something intently.

“O-Offense is the best defense, m-my weapon exists not for defense but for offense… Beasts are enemies, enemies are trash. Th-They have no r-rights…”

I stared blankly at her. What on earth was this change? It was sudden!

“I-I can do it!”

The girl, who had been bowing deeply, suddenly lifted her head. Levi grabbed the ballista without hesitation. The Radio Violet looked at her in surprise.

“I’ll, clear away the trash!”

At that moment, large bolts flew through the sky with a fierce tearing sound. One thick beam of light pierced the body of the Lascrin that was soaring into the sky.

-Roar!

Due to the unexpected impact, the beast plummeted to the ground.

“Disappear!”

Another large bolt struck the body of the fallen Lascrin. A huge hole, visible even from a distance, was torn into it.

“Vanish! Be cleared away! Disappear!”

As the prepared large bolts were depleted, Levi quickly manipulated the ballista’s internal mechanisms. With a creaking sound, parts of the ballista’s body transformed.

She eagerly swapped out the magazine, like a thirsty person burying their face in a puddle. The box-shaped magazine fell to the ground, and a cylindrical magazine containing medium-sized bolts for rapid-fire clicked into place.

The bowstring, operating with the power of mana, rapidly moved back and forth, swallowing bolts and spitting them out in quick succession. White beams of light imbued with mana poured out like machine gun bullets.

“Roar!”

The beast that had crashed to the ground struggled, but it couldn’t evade the pouring volleys. Bolts embedded themselves like rain into the Lascrin’s large body, riddling it with holes.

“Stay away from my, my teammates! Go away! Just leave!”

While the magazine’s bolts ran out, the Violet Company and the teammates swarmed the fallen beast. Like ants disassembling prey, we relentlessly dealt with the beast.

Levi, who had witnessed the entire scene, broke into a cold sweat, blinking her eyes erratically.

“I-I cleared it away! Violet, how is it…?”

I grinned broadly.

“Well done!”

Suddenly, a radio message came in.

“Irene to Levi. Well done. It was a bit violent, but we caught it thanks to you!”

The Radio Violet repeated the message and turned its gaze back to her.

She trembled again, just like before. However, anyone could tell that this wasn’t due to fear. The trembling now was from the excitement of victory. Adrenaline coursed through her veins like a high-speed train, sweeping through her entire body.

I had only gently nudged her to change her mindset, yet the transformation was this rapid. It was an unexpected situation, but the result was excellent.

This child had already gained enlightenment in a short time. She was incredibly commendable. I wouldn’t have thought she’d remember what I taught her.

“I did it, didn’t I? Right? Hahaha… I cleared it away!”

“Of course! Let’s high-five!”

For a moment, her manner of speech also changed. Her stuttering tone became noticeably faster, and the pauses disappeared, likely due to excitement. The Radio Violet celebrated its comrade’s growth and high-fived her.

She hesitated for a moment upon hearing my suggestion, but then nodded as if realizing something and slapped my palm.

Slowly, a glittering vitality could be felt in Levi’s eyes, which had been bogged down by guilt and self-blame. The heat of a fiercely burning flame was palpable.

As we descended, Levi instinctively recoiled when she saw her teammates. She must have thought she would be scolded. However, the situation unfolded differently than expected.

“Well done!”

“Hey! How great would it have been if you’d been like this back in the dungeon last time?”

Surrounded by others and praised, a flame briefly flickered in Levi’s eyes again. The flame soon died out, and she immediately returned to her usual hesitant and timid self.

“Th-Thank you…”

Embarrassed about something, Levi hugged her ballista, not knowing what to do. But she felt somehow different from yesterday.

For some reason, I was starting to like Levi. If she continued like this, we would work well together in the future.

Levi might even become the next-generation talent suitable for our Violet unit.

Now, there was only one mission left for Violet.

I saw Granite hesitantly approaching the beast’s corpse.

“How should I change that guy’s personality? Not as much as Levi, but his physique is a waste.”

“Difficult.”

I need to change that naive country lumberjack.

It would be good to change him to be as ferocious as the weapon he holds. That’s our goal.

***

The Radio Violet descended from the hill’s firing position with the Sniper Team Violet.

Levi, holding her ballista, followed Violet down. The teammate’s changed behavior in just one day was somewhat surprising, but it was true that she had performed well.

“Well done!”

Daphne smiled brightly first. Irene followed, approaching to praise the shy teammate’s actions, but involuntarily flinched.

It was a brief moment, but it felt like the person had changed 180 degrees.

‘Those eyes…?’

Even as she wondered if she had seen wrongly, she felt a slight unease.

That gaze, she had seen it before in some of the clan’s members when she was training at Helios.

Those members behaved no differently from their other comrades normally, but once they entered battle, their demeanor changed as if they were completely different people.

In their eyes, elation and a sense of omnipotence flickered like an unquenchable hellfire, and strange laughter never ceased.

And they had one thing in common: they got excited while wildly firing their guns. They acted as if what was in their hands was the very power of destruction.

Even as she thought, ‘No way,’ Irene hesitated.

‘I must have seen it wrong. That timid kid, suddenly like this in one day?’

It was nothing more than a temporary elevation of spirits. Irene concluded that and soon forgot it, then began preparing for withdrawal.

Meanwhile, as the Violets prepared for withdrawal, Levi stroked her ballista.

“Haha…”

From her lips, a slow but clear laugh bloomed.

‘I did it…!’

She felt proud of herself.

Until now, Levi had been ignored and teased daily at the academy. Everyone disregarded and mocked her because of her timid personality. Among them, no one supported or defended her.

Levi felt heartbroken and wronged. She hated her foolish self. She thought her neighbors and relatives would be greatly disappointed if they knew. It was her daily routine to blame herself, believing she wouldn’t be able to become a hunter like this.

To make matters worse, she was caught up in the academy’s murder case and was semi-forced to leave the academy. She was utterly helpless.

However, just now, she had done it. Although she had the help of her teammates, she had taken down a mid-level beast the size of a house!

‘I could do it too…!’

She felt exhilaration for the first time in her life. It was the first time she had been so excited while firing a ballista. It was a feeling she hadn’t experienced even during countless shooting practices and training sessions.

She even received praise. From brave and smart friends who fought better than her!

And all of this was thanks to one girl. A good girl who, despite their brief encounter, even stepped forward for a duel on her behalf. And now, she had taught her about courage.

‘Thank you, Violet…’

It was this simple, so why had I never known it before?

“…From now on, I’ll clear away everything. Haha…”

A small spark ignited in the girl’s chest. Levi herself wouldn’t know where that spark would lead.