Chapter 43
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 43 - How to Adapt to a New Environment (5)
I walked around and around back alleys, up and down stairs, up and down hills.
When I began to suspect that Yggdrasil was trying to make fun of me, I saw a shabby blacksmith shop in a very corner, blocked by walls and barely exposed to sunlight.
…Is this right here?
I walked up to the blacksmith shop and knocked on the door.
“Anybody here?”
Silence followed. However, the sound of something hitting something continued to be heard from inside.
I thought for a moment and then knocked harshly on the door.
“Anybody here!”
Then a loud voice was heard from inside.
“I’m here, you brat!”
The gruff voice coming from inside didn’t seem to welcome the guests very much.
“I’m busy! If you have business, come in, if not, turn around and leave!”
From his harsh response, I knew that dealing with this meister wouldn’t be easy.
“I’m going in!”
I vigorously opened the old door and entered. The door opened with difficulty and a squeak.
“I came here through the introduction of Miss Yggdrasil!”
A muscular woman with brown skin stopped her hammering and turned her head towards me.
“Really? Ah, you’re the one she referred to? What, you’re more human than I thought?”
Of course, I am a human. What on earth did she think I was?
“You know who I am. Then you know how I receive requests, right?”
I don’t know. Who are you in the first place? All I know is that this person is a great meister.
The moment he swallowed his saliva and tensed, a serious air enveloped the meister.
“Your name?”
“I’m Kang Nahyun.”
“Okay. What is your job given by the system?”
“It’s a sniper.”
“Right. Then what do you want to have a weapon for?”
Wow, that’s too easy of a question. I decided to just answer honestly.
“It’s to protect my precious people.”
If I increase my strength, I will be able to better protect my precious people and their precious things.
The meister, who was staring at me in silence, chuckled.
“That’s an incredibly plain answer.”
Did I do something wrong!
“But there is no lie in your answer, so it’s not bad.”
She laughed and led me to the table.
“These days, the world is full of people who can’t even give such simple answers.”
She roughly took out a chair in front of a table piled with various blueprints and miscellaneous items and tapped her chair.
“Sit down. What do you need?”
Uh… I don’t know what it is, but I think I passed? I carefully sat down on the chair.
“…“Long-range sniper rifles and guns that can cover short to medium distances.”
“It’s been a while since I made a gun. This is the first time since I made equipment for that guy during Savior.”
“Savior?”
“Hmm? Didn’t you know? I’m Michael, the blacksmith of the Savior International Attack Force.”
I closed my mouth that was about to open in shock.
She said she would introduce me to a great craftsman, but didn’t she send me too far to a big guy.
Anyway, I don’t have to worry about the quality of the weapon. Isn’t that Savior’s blacksmith the one who created the legendary weapons?
Seeing that she still looks young even though it has been a long time since Savior was disbanded, she must be a traitor of a different race like Yggdrasil or a mixed race.
Rather, if she’s the Savior’s blacksmith… Do you think she can fix that sword too?
An image of an old sword that Calmy always carries appeared in my mind.
It wouldn’t hurt to try. I cautiously opened my mouth.
“Excuse me, if so, is it possible for you to fix the broken ‘Blue Twilight’?”
I know this is a presumptuous request.
However, sometimes the face of Calmy, sweeping away the broken sword with a sad face, never left my mind.
I have to make this the gift I promised to give Calmy earlier.
“…Blue Twilight. It’s a nostalgic name.”
Michael slowly closed her eyes, then smiled.
“Great. Bring it. However, I will only fix it if the owner wants to.”
In fact, it meant consent.
Because I was half-convinced that there was no way Calmy wouldn’t like this person.
I wish I could comfort you just as you comforted me. That’s what I thought.
***
“Hmm… The magic attribute is non-attribute. Of course you plan to install the GAH filter, right?”
“…Ah, yes. I think it would be good if you could allow me to use multi-attribute mana.”
“Okay, so you haven’t thought about any design?”
“Just make it strong.”
“Don’t worry. I’m confident in that one thing!”
Michael, like a skilled craftsman, asked about this and that, and she seemed to come up with an estimate.
“Hmm… The gun barrel should be made of mithril-based metal to ensure durability. hey. “You don’t really plan on changing your weapon, do you?”
“Yes. If possible, I want to continue using it even after I debut as a hunter.”
“Alright. In that case, I’ll install an S-class filter to enable stronger output and mana conversion.”
“Thank you.”
After discussing with Michael, I finished ordering and came out of the blacksmith shop.
My pace got faster and I headed towards a place I missed, that is, our orphanage.
At the thought of going to see my family for the first time in a long time, my already brisk steps became even lighter.
How long has it really been like this? This is my first time since entering the Guardian Academy. A pleasant sense of anticipation and exhilaration enveloped my entire body.
Before I knew it, I could see the familiar sight of an orphanage in the distance.
The current orphanage building was given by Black Libra in exchange for a deal. With its straight and neat appearance, it at least ensured that the orphanage children didn’t suffer from drafts.
I ran with excited steps and stopped in front of the gate.
In front of the orphanage, a teacher and two people wearing suspicious robes were talking.
Who is it?
I frowned at the suspicious-looking appearance. It’s not a scammer or a cult, right?
At that time, I heard Teacher say something.
“Thank you for your support. This will be of great help.”
Are they sponsors? How rare.
The moment I thought so, I heard a low, rough voice that I felt like I had heard before somewhere.
“Orphanages that support mixed-race orphans are rare. You’re truly doing something helpful to society.”
“No. Regardless of their origins, all children are precious beings.”
Before I could even think about it, a chill ran down my spine. My stomach, which had already healed, was throbbing.
That voice is definitely the one that suddenly broke in during the midterm exam…!
A chill and a sense of crisis rose up along with goosebumps.
“Teacher!”
I immediately ran towards Teacher and blocked his path.
“Nahyun?”
“Hmm?”
When I ran like crazy and blocked the path without saying hello, Teacher looked at me in surprise, but I didn’t pay any attention to him.
The two people wearing robes looked at me and seemed to pause for a moment.
One of them is either a beastman or a mixed beastman, judging by the silhouette of his ears sticking up above the robe and the shadow of a tail looming beneath him. The other one… Is it human?
What on earth is going on here? Are they here to harm us? Threat?
My mind was spinning. My teeth clenched.
These people are ‘Wild Hunters’.
This is a villain group that appears in the novel, and they’re people who deceive people of different races and mixed races into becoming their allies and commit crimes.
However, this is an orphanage with a particularly large number of mixed race people. So, a very dangerous situation.
I stopped Teacher and quickly pulled out a gun from my inventory and pointed it at the two of them.
“Nahyun, what’s going on!”
“Teacher, step back!”
Teacher looked embarrassed, yet obediently backed away as I said.
Until he went out of a certain radius, I kept my guard up and confronted them sharply.
This is just a small orphanage. It’s not a space where people who want to kill and hurt people can invade.
It’s my precious home!
“For what purpose did you come here? Did you at least do a background check on me?”
“You were at the gym back then… Right. Are you from here?”
“Answer me!”
The man didn’t respond even once to me, who was scolding me, but just stared at me.
“If you lived in this orphanage, at least you wouldn’t be the type of person who discriminates against mixed race people.”
“What?”
The moment I frowned at those words, another man opened his mouth.
“Isn’t a crisis an opportunity? So, since it’s like this, how about using this kid? We just needed a spy to infiltrate the Academy, right?”
“That’s right. Since she’s from here, it will be easy for her to naturally contact us as sponsors.”
“Besides, since she’s a pureblood human, she won’t be suspected. Now, let’s go.”
He grinned and made a motion to grab something inside his robe.
As soon as he threw something into the air, ominous dark mana poured into me.
It was so fast that I couldn’t react.
I grabbed my gun again, yet my hand immediately became numb and I couldn’t even tell if I was holding the weapon properly.
The sinking mana made my body limp.
My vision was shaking and turning black. I felt black mana engulfing me.
Although I tried to shoot at them somehow through the blind spot, my five senses became dull and I couldn’t tell if the bullet was fired properly.
“Tsk…!”
I bit my lip, but soon I couldn’t even feel the pain.
Through my dulled senses, I vaguely felt one of the two men coming towards me.
Damn it, I have to protect my family…!
I tried to resist by releasing as much mana as possible, but the black mana swallowed me up harshly and ravenously.
Finally, after a glimpse of golden light, my vision turned completely black.