Bark for Me (4)
"Yes! Leave it to me! I'll stick right behind you like a piece of gum, Senior!"
Mirae thumped her chest with both fists, her face set in fierce determination. Her confidence was charming, but unfortunately her figure was just as meticulously maintained as mine, so instead of looking dependable she simply appeared soft and squishy. Still, that spirited vigor of hers was genuinely admirable.
Sirius let out an amused chuckle, as if entertained by the arrival of a fledgling from the same dog... no, the same department. The rest of the team members were grinning as they watched her too.
At that moment, Belphe—with her golden fox ears—stepped forward, swishing her fluffy tail like she was directing traffic.
"Um... newbie? I think you might be misunderstanding something. Mama doesn't command from the rear. She deploys her shield and stands at the very front..."
"Huh? Did you catch that? Belphe... your position was sniper, right?"
"Yes, Mama."
I nodded at Belphe's explanation and kindly elaborated for Mirae, who was steadily freezing up.
"So when you say you'll stick to me like glue from behind, it means you'll be standing on the front lines with me. You'll need to stay glued to my back, provide covering fire, and administer shots to the people I drag out by the collar."
"Eh...?"
Mirae's mouth fell open in a daze. It seemed she had finally realized the weight on her shoulders wasn't that of a supporter offering aid from a safe distance. The light in her eyes slowly drained away, her focus growing hazy.
"You... didn't know that when you came here?"
"Ah, aha ha... Well... I only heard they urgently needed a medic, so..."
"Hmm... Did the rest of you hear the same thing?"
When I looked at the other team members in disbelief, they all averted their eyes and pretended to be busy. Seriously? I knew this wasn't a place that handpicked special-forces-level elites, but I at least assumed it only hired veterans with solid track records. How on earth did such a clueless puppy wander in on her own two feet?
'Is she a parachute hire? No... who drops a parachute into hell?'
Normally, people who get in through connections head for comfortable, high-paying posts. Planting one in a dangerous, poorly paid outfit like the Mobile Rescue Team was basically contract killing.
'Well... I suppose even my life gets a tackle thrown at it sometimes.'
I tapped the dazed Mirae's cheek to snap her out of it. My usual personality was to dodge or shatter any tackle that came my way, but when the tackle came from someone this cute and obedient, I could choose to take the hit instead of avoiding it. After all, I have a soft spot for pretty things.
"Mmm~!"
I stretched my clasped hands high overhead in a refreshing yawn. The pleasant crack of my stiff joints loosening drew an involuntary moan from my lips.
The moment I sprang up from my seat, Mirae reflexively jumped to her feet like a new recruit standing at attention.
"Right, that's enough introductions. I'll take this kid to the PX for a bit. Need to put a gun in her hands."
"PX...? What is that?"
Mirae tilted her head with sparkling, genuinely curious eyes. The instant that innocent question left her mouth, the Team 1 guys on the sofa desperately covered their mouths to stifle the laughter bursting out of them. Sirius whined and flattened his ears, while Felis shook with silent laughter, tail covering her mouth.
'...Ah.'
A chilly realization swept through my mind. That reaction wasn't because my humor was funny. They were laughing at how outdated I sounded.
'Damn...'
It meant my sense of humor was older than those fossils in upper management. But I was still in my prime? With the skin of someone in her twenties? I could almost hear the sound of my pride cracking down the middle.
"Never mind, forget it... Just follow me."
"Yes! Understood!"
Unlike my usual Big Mama self, I trudged out of the Team 1 waiting room with slumped shoulders. For some reason my heart felt chilled, and this time I didn't have the heart to scold them.
As I stepped into the corridor, the passing staff froze again and pressed themselves flat against the wall at the sight of me. Normally I would have hit them with a laser glare and ordered them to "Smile," but right now I didn't even have the energy.
'Yeah... You probably hate having an old team leader too...'
I passed them without any threats or coercion. Mirae, following behind, bowed politely to each staff member and greeted them with bright energy.
"Hello! Thank you for your hard work!"
"Have you eaten? I hope you have a wonderful day!"
Her bright, cheerful voice tickled the back of my head.
'Hmm... I'm supposed to be the mood maker here.'
But for now, I'd leave it to someone of the same species. When mom was going through menopause... no, when she was feeling down, it was always the youngest daughter who cheered up the house with her antics.
I rode the elevator, leaving the staff's sighs of relief behind me.
Ding. The moment the doors closed and we had the space to ourselves, I dropped the melancholy act completely.
'Depression mode, off.'
I straightened my slightly hunched back, reclaimed my haughty expression, and pressed the button for the underground armory.
"Right, shall we go shopping?"
"Shopping? Is there something I need?"
Mirae, who had been fixing her hair in the elevator mirror, asked.
"What else? Were you planning to throw rocks at monsters in the field?"
"Ah! You mean my equipment!"
She clapped her hands together as realization dawned.
"But don't get your hopes up too high. The gear people like us get is pretty standard. There won't be any flashy high-end equipment."
"Hehe~ I know. There's no way something that expensive would be in my fate~"
When Mirae answered so energetically, I felt a pang of sympathy and tossed out a comment.
"Dreams are good when they're realistic, but they don't need to be that small."
"Yes! Understood! I'll keep it in mind!"
Mirae answered with perfect military crispness. Even though I'd said it, the line had come out a bit... pretentious. Dealing with Mirae—being swept up in her pure energy—made me unconsciously slip into lecturing teacher mode.
Ding. Basement Level 3. The moment the doors opened, the scent of metal, oil, and human sweat washed over me. Unlike the refined office interior upstairs, this place was packed wall-to-wall with weapons, bustling with rough-looking armed hunters. This was the true domain of awakened. The Hunter Association's underground armory.
"Whew... I like it down here. They call me Healer Charon instead of Big Mama~"
I walked out leisurely with both hands clasped behind my head.
"Is that true?"
"Yeah~ Not only does our Mobile Rescue Team use this place, but regular registered hunters do too~"
Unlike the office workers or Team 1 guys upstairs, no one here shrank back in fear or avoided me. At most, a few armory staff recognized me and offered slight bows. I loved this free-spirited atmosphere.
However, the state of Mirae following me was rather strange.
"Whoa..."
She was looking around with sparkling eyes like a country mouse visiting the big city. This was a place every hunter visited at least once after getting their license and rank, right?
"Don't tell me... this is your first time here?"
"Yes! It's my first time!"
"Eh...?"
Seriously? Not even an academy tour?
"Then what about guns? You've at least fired one before, right?"
I asked, suddenly anxious.
"Guns? Yes! I lived in the countryside, so I've used low-grade weapons!"
"Whew... That's a relief."
I let out a sigh. After all, in this day and age, even an E-class awakened could get a handgun more easily than a normal person could buy a tool from a hardware store.
"Good. Then let's go pick out something useful for you."
I didn't take the country puppy who was stuck to me like glue to the refined, expensive European weapons section I usually favored. Instead, I brought her to the area displaying crude, oil-scented weapons from a nation that would still fire after being rolled in mud or sandstorms—as long as you pulled the trigger.
As we approached the counter, the staff member wiping a rifle with a towel looked up. When he saw me, he approached with a very businesslike smile.
"Welcome. Charon, have you finally decided to abandon style? What brings you to this section?"
"Ha. As if? My aesthetic sense isn't dead yet. I'm here to get one for our youngest."
When I jerked my thumb behind me, Mirae hesitantly bowed to the staff member.
"Ah, hello! I'm the new medic, Kang Mirae!"
"Hoo... A newbie, huh."
The staff member rested his hand on his chin, scanning Mirae's physique up and down. Once he seemed to have taken her measure, he nodded and walked behind the counter.
Watching his back, I whispered to Mirae.
"His way of speaking is a little sleazy, but he's a real professional when it comes to skill, so don't worry."
"I can hear you, Miss Charon."
The staff member answered without even turning around as he retrieved the weapons.
"I said it so you could hear."
I snorted in reply. Consider it an honor to trade banter with a beauty like me, mister. In this dreary armory, chatting with someone like me was practically a welfare benefit.
A moment later, the staff member opened a heavy bag and began laying out various rifles in front of Mirae. They were crude but sturdy-looking, clearly made for real combat.
"This is an Israeli-made rifle. International standard caliber, fully compatible with special anti-monster ammunition."
I crossed my arms and signaled Mirae.
"Alright, youngest. Pick it up and get into position. Target is that uncle's head over there."
"Excuse me? H-his head?"
"You know it's bad luck even with blanks, right..."
When the staff member spoke with clear distaste, I scoffed.
"Such a baby~ Would an awakened like us collapse from a mere rifle round?"
"Pfft... Understood. Then, newbie, please aim for the neck instead of the head. That's the weak point on bipedal monsters."
"Eh? O-okay!"
Though hesitant, Mirae shouldered the rifle as instructed and aimed the muzzle at the staff member's nape.
'Oh...?'
Steady muzzle, stable posture. The way she precisely targeted the neck area was decent enough to pass. I had been worried I'd have to teach her from scratch if she couldn't even shoot, but it seemed her claim about using low-grade weapons back in the countryside wasn't a lie.
Confirming that my expression had relaxed, the staff member smiled faintly and added to his explanation.
"We've lightened it for the current era and modified the grip and handle for rescue team use. Honestly... in both performance and design, it doesn't lose out to those expensive Italian models you favor, Charon."
To slip in a subtle jab at my tastes at the very end. As expected, shopping at the armory was far more fun than shopping at a department store~