episode_0005

“…”

“Um, excuse me…?”

Ah, get a hold of yourself.

‘I’m not doing this right. Am I being charming?!’

My favorite character is right in front of me!

As it was our first meeting, I took a deep breath, thinking I should present myself well.

Yes, just right… Let’s start with a handshake at least, without making it too awkward—

-Smack!

“I’ll be counting on you today. My name is Yuseha!”

“Uh… yes, sure…”

Oh, darn it.

I still can’t control myself.

Mahana withdrew her head as if she saw me holding hands with an odd expression of emotion.

Hmm, I did get too close.

I understand.

If a stranger saw someone like this, they would definitely be flustered.

‘…But I can’t help it.’

Five years with the “Gonys Archive Life.”

Even though party members were occasionally changed or adjusted according to specific ‘gates,’ Mahana had never been excluded from my main party lineup.

We’ve spent that much time together.

I know everything about her—her voice, personality, likes, dislikes, even her minor habits.

And now, she’s here in front of me, alive and moving.

With warmth and breath.

Not just bits of data, but as a real person in reality.

‘How touching this is!’

I wanted to burst into tears right away, but I had to hold back.

“…Um, are you okay?”

“I’m fine!”

As you can see, Mahana is a charming felinoid with cat ears. A member of the feline race.

Since her intuition was often praised in-game, if she realizes I have strange feelings, she might become wary.

‘Let’s focus on opening up a conversation about the gate we’re entering today.’

She seems like a senior who has experienced the life of a hunter before me, so if I talk about the monsters we might encounter or safety precautions, we could quickly become friends.

“Excuse me, you two?”

The staff member, who had been diligently typing on the keyboard, raised their hand with a bright smile.

“We’ve found the last person. They’re waiting at the gate right now.”

If we leave now, it should be perfect.

* * *

10 minutes later.

We chatted as we made our way to the entrance of the ‘gate.’

“…So, Mahana, you’ve been a hunter for about a year?”

“Yes… even though… I couldn’t get out of the E-rank.”

Mahana scratched her cheek as if embarrassed.

Even she seemed slightly embarrassed by her own actions, sticking out her tongue ever so slightly… It was incredibly cute.

“Still, if you’ve been active for a year, that’s impressive. Should I call you senpai?”

“S-Senpai?”

Startled by my sudden address, Mahana fidgeted with her cheeks shyly with both hands.

Her two long tails wrapped around her waist unraveled, gracefully tracing curves as they moved.

And the unmistakable blush that couldn’t be hidden by dark circles…

‘Wow, this is…’

Is it because there’s something in my eye?

Each of her actions, seemingly insignificant, was incredibly adorable.

No, it’s not something in my eye.

It’s just pure cuteness in itself!

‘This is the benefit of being possessed!’

Are you watching, you ‘guides’ who couldn’t even possess?

It felt like my heart was full just by looking at her, satisfied in some way.

Anyway, it was a warm, indescribable feeling that welled up inside me.

And it didn’t end there!

The unique onomatopoeia that followed!

At that one word with no special meaning, my heart throbbed painfully.

“M-Meow… I-I’m embarrassed.”

There it is.

Mahana’s signature sound.

Also known as ‘Meow.’

I couldn’t help but exclaim at her most defining habit.

‘…To think I’d witness this with my own eyes…’

As a loyal guide to ‘Gosla,’ I felt like I could die happy in such a blissful moment.

If only every moment could be this joyful.

As if finding this sight distasteful, a murmuring voice directed towards this side could be heard.

―Wow, look at that guy over there. He’s incredibly handsome… Wait, is he standing next to… that loser girl?

―Judging by his fussy appearance, it seems like a match, doesn’t it?

Two women with green and orange hair stared intently in this direction.

Their attire suggested they were cold, and the dagger at their waist hinted at a class lineage.

―Ugh… that damn trash is still wandering around here.

―Didn’t Mijin unni get hurt because of that guy this time?

―With no talent and a weak body, why would she try to be a tanker… She should just quietly do some grunt work or quit altogether. I don’t understand what she believes in to endure like that.

―But… who is the guy next to her? I’ve never seen him before…

―Forget it. Birds of a feather flock together, right? What kind of guy wears a sword on his waist in the first place?

They spoke as if inviting others to listen openly.

Although my expression involuntarily soured,

what hurt more was Mahana’s lack of response.

“…”

Silently bowing her head, she remained silent.

Unable to even refute the truth, I could roughly grasp the current situation.

‘I see.’

Mahana receives the same treatment even here.

In “Gosla,” Mahana is a common, mundane 1★ tanker that appears frequently when spinning gachas.

She is a typical mine character, and few users welcome her with open arms when she appears.

Her image is already greatly diminished here, and her performance is quite lacking.

Despite having a notable main tanker class called 【Guardian】, her small stature and almost non-existent weight make it difficult to utilize properly.

Perhaps due to her innate 1★ limit,

she couldn’t acquire the most important [Provocation] skill for tanks through natural means.

To learn it, one had to use premium currency.

It required a certain amount of effort.

‘…Yet she couldn’t even change her class.’

Attempting a forced change results in a mental debuff known as ‘Broken Spirit.’

Hence, even with her high-speed-based attacker advantage, she couldn’t be utilized.

This aspect can be fully understood by delving into her personal story.

Regardless, from the perspective of most “Maple Guides,” she was invaluable.

Therefore, it was common for her to be initially used and then discarded… falling into the role of a warehouse keeper character.

‘Wasn’t there a survey once?’

A survey to find out what characters often say.

I still remember the words spoken by most Mahanas.

〔Um, it’s been a while, Maple Guide… Um, sorry to bother you. When will my turn come?〕

“…”

Without a word, I watched Mahana walk away.

It felt almost like fate.

At that moment, my wish to raise her, Meonyangi, as the main tank resurfaced.

‘I want to help her stand tall with those slumped shoulders!’

It was a memory from back then when I reached out to her with just that intention.

*

Mahana.

Now 19 years old and an adult, she walked silently enduring the surrounding warm gazes.

Normally, she wouldn’t feel this way, even if it were painful and agonizing.

The feeling she experienced when she first joined a party, failed, and heard the leader’s rebuke.

‘…Embarrassing.’

Feeling embarrassed.

Shameful.

Behind her now was a man following closely.

A male party member she met today.

His name was Yuseha… or something like that?

Upon first seeing him, Mahana barely contained pure admiration deep within her heart.

‘…He’s good-looking.’

Arguably the most handsome man she had ever seen, it was no exaggeration.

His age seemed to lie between youth and adulthood, making it hard to believe they were peers.

To the point where she could mistakenly think, ‘Is he here to devour me?’

However, soon he found it ridiculous even to think about.

Because he didn’t see any value in himself.

“What could someone like me possibly…”

With looks like his, there were plenty of parties eager to recruit him just for the role of a “porter.”

Especially in the guild, there was an unofficial system of special porters that operated discreetly.

Known as “love hunters,” targeting young and attractive men and women… with such a system in place.

If he set his mind to it, he could easily charm a better female hunter and hitch a ride on her coattails.

Therefore, he was cautious at first.

His gaze upon himself was unsettling.

“…Like seeing family after decades of separation… That kind of feeling?”

Anyway, it was a fact that he was bewildered by the atmosphere that was hard to describe.

But as they conversed openly, his guard gradually dropped amidst a surprisingly comfortable conversation.

“Could it be that I actually enjoy conversing with people?”

Perhaps… he was commonly referred to as a ‘loser.’

Despite having a good class called 【Guardian】, he couldn’t make use of its advantages at all—a failure, trash, a loser.

It’s not a derogatory term but a simple fact.

He lacked talent.

He always believed his father was wrong when he praised him saying, “Hana, you have talent!”

A year ago, he boldly stepped into the world of “hunters” for the first time.

It didn’t take long for him to realize he was nothing special.

He couldn’t properly defend against enemy attacks or even draw aggro using [Provocation].

A tank is supposed to lead the party upfront, breaking through the enemy lines.

He lacked the ability to carry out such a crucial responsibility.

As a result, before long, he became someone avoided by any party… a kind of blacklist.

“…So even if I heard such words a little while ago… it’s probably pointless.”

It’s frustrating and painful, but it’s the truth.

What those two women said.

There was nothing incorrect about it.

However, resist.

For the first time in his life, he didn’t want to reveal his flaws so early to the person who called him “senior.”

“…Just a little…”

Is it okay to live in this fantasy for a bit?

Just… can I act as a more impressive senior for a bit?

Even if it’s a delusion that will vanish like foam as soon as I step into the dungeon.

Thwack!

“Meow! Snap out of it, Hana!”

Having thought that far, she firmly slapped her own cheek with both hands.

After all, this is the last chance.

Recall the words the employee quietly spoke to her ten minutes ago with a worried expression.

“Hana, word has come down from above… If this operation fails, they won’t give us credit.”

“If… that means…”

“…Yes. If we don’t achieve good results…”

It’s expulsion from the guild.

“…I hate it.”

I hate it.

At least if she’s going to leave the guild.

If she’s going to quit being a hunter, she wants to do it on her own terms.

Exhaling deeply, Hana turned around with a slightly apologetic look.

“…I’m sorry. Because of me, you had to hear such things from the first meeting-”

“-Hey, did you just… slap your cheek?”

“Oh, yes? Oh, yes. It’s an action I often do to snap myself out-”

“-No!”

“Oh, yes?”

A bewildered word slipped out from Hana.

In front of her eyes, Yuseha looked perplexed, not knowing what to do, staring at Hana’s reddened cheeks.

“Y-You’re hitting my soft and squishy cheek that hasn’t lost its baby fat!”

“Uh, excuse me?”

“Don’t ever do it again. It’s precious!”

“…”

Retract.

Yes, retract.

Hana held her hand, looking at Yuseha, who was trying to console her, and reflected on her foolishness in dropping her guard.

Indeed, Yuseha…

Was a dangerous person in many ways.