Chapter 20 - Poacher
Tiss... I got mad because you said I was cute... No, wait?
Right? Dorothy is there so I don't say it, right?
Tiss... But it was cute, really. Say something, will you?
Shan was pleading, but Tiss pretended to be mad and stayed silent.
Shan was getting more and more restless, starting to talk to her again.
I wasn't that petty, and I wasn't really angry.
Of course, it was embarrassing, but I could laugh it off.
It was only once I laughed.
But... who was calling who cute?
A fluffy one-tail rice bug lump like that.
Thinking about it made my head hotter again.
While Shan was left to simmer in her anxiety, we were riding in the car Emily brought, speeding out of the city and onto the unpaved road leading to the outskirts.
“Thanks to Hunter Emily, we'll get there quickly. I thought we'd have to walk, but with this, we'll arrive soon.”
Dorothy's pure praise made Emily shrug and smile relaxedly.
“I'm still a famous hunter, after all. This is nothing for me.”
“Wow, amazing! If we had something like this, going to the city would be so much easier. I'm envious.”
Emily was trying to look nonchalant, but she couldn't hide the twitch at the corner of her mouth.
She must have been thrilled inside.
She started boasting about herself, pretending not to win, as if nothing special.
Glance.
“How is it, Tiss?”
I sighed and said.
“Emily, I don't know what you're expecting, but while driving, could you stop staring at me all the time...?”
Uwaaa! Ah, tree ahead! Tree! Tiss, say something! Uggayak!
Emily turned her head and casually steered the wheel to avoid the fallen tree lightly.
“Seriously, I know your driving skills are top-notch for an armored car, so look ahead!”
“Huhu, what a thing to say.”
Only after I gave her that one compliment did Emily focus back on driving with a satisfied face.
Honestly, to me, Emily's slit eyes and the fact that she was driving properly was more surprising than the armored car.
Clank clank.
Emily seemed to have started safe driving, but soon the roads got rougher as we went further out.
Dududu.
Uggak! Uek ngak wek ugak!
Inside the armored car speeding without slowing, Shan was bouncing wildly in my chest with each jolt, rolling around.
Tiss, I'm dying... I'm dying... Uwb!
Shan, feeling her stomach turn,
Ueeeeek
No, her stomach was completely flipped.
She couldn't hold back the heavy rainbow and vomited it into me again.
Uigoo.
I swept my chest like in the monorail and comforted Shan's stomach.
“Wow, I didn't know this rough road would be so nostalgic.”
On the other hand, Dorothy was fine even on the rough road.
Instead, she seemed happy, enjoying the bumps as if riding a roller coaster.
“Are you okay, Dorothy?”
“Yes! I travel these roads often with noona Mary. Of course, it's not as sturdy as this car, but...”
Jealous... Uwb....
Shan let out a jealous groan and flipped her stomach again.
As expected, Dorothy was used to these rough roads, being Mary's little sister.
As Shan was completely exhausted and slumped like a drooping mochi, we finally passed the barren zone that looked uninhabitable in the deep forest, and an open area touched by human hands appeared.
At the far end of that open area stood a huge building.
“That's the poacher colony over there.”
Colony? It's almost like a castle?
“Thanks to an ability user related to architecture.”
After the gate incident, the groups that survived outside the city were only those who had established some power.
Communities that couldn't prepare for monster attacks had long collapsed, and the surviving groups had developed systems to operate the group beyond mere strength and acquired all essential abilities.
Only these people could survive in this harsh world until now.
“Stop!”
A person standing on the distant lookout tower shone a searchlight towards us and shouted in a rough voice.
The man's attire was made of roughly processed monster bones and leather.
To modern eyes, it was ironic that the poacher's primitive equipment was more sturdy and efficient than the military's latest armament guarding the outskirts of the city area.
“Stop! Hands up! If you move, I'll shoot! Flash... Who are you!”
“A-rank wandering hunter affiliated with the Hunter Management Bureau, Emily Sinclair. I came to see your leader Mary.”
“...What? A central hunter?”
The man on the tower reported through the terminal device.
Crackle.
Soon, sound started from the entrance speaker.
“Em... ily? It's really Emily?”
“Hello, Emma, long time no see. How have you been?”
“That lively voice...! It's Emily. Wow, how long has it been!”
A middle-aged woman's voice welcoming Emily came from the speaker.
“I'm just living by extending my tough life somehow. Came to see our leader?”
“Yes. I brought something important.”
“Got it. I'll contact the boss right away. Wait a moment.”
It seems she knew her.
From the lookout too, they heard our conversation and lowered their guard.
While we waited, the speaker turned on again, saying to come in after confirming, and the tightly closed iron door began to open.
While we were parking in the prepared parking lot inside, the inside visible was fully equipped like a large colony, but the situation didn't look good.
Emily was right, it is messy.
“Indeed, it's disorganized.”
Whether it was true that an upper-grade hazard had invaded or abandoned garbage and untidy materials were strewn about, or facilities destroyed and left abandoned, the inside of the poacher colony was quite chaotic.
Shan, sniffing, frowned slightly.
Tiss... it smells like blood here. Hah, not just one or two.
There were many injured or Mary's power overuse, or both.
With her silencing ability and excellent stealth, she could kidnap Dorothy even in this messy situation.
As expected, it was good that I had dealt with that pervert in advance.
“Emily.”
“Mary.”
They glared at each other with hot eyes.
No, since they know each other.
What is that fierce gaze like she's about to eat right now.
“...We know each other. Not the good kind, though.”
“What, how can you say that now!”
The appearance of that villain I knew was smaller, but the flickering with killing intent was pure sura.
“Emily, what business did you come for. I'm not in the mood to deal with a sneaky snake like you right now? I took precious time out.”
Mary spat coldly.
“If you're trying to bother me with something trivial... you won't be able to go back.”
Perhaps because of bad blood or fate, Mary still gave a warning before attacking.
That person... is he a living human? His state is... zombie-like.
Conversation was still possible, but Mary's condition looked visibly precarious.
Thick dark circles under her eyes, eyes red from overuse of ability, bleeding.
She hadn't slept in a long time, body exhausted, but it was more than fatigue.
The colony was constantly under monster attacks, New Order ignored it.
In the meantime, the most precious being, her only family, the younger sister, was gone.
Kidnapped.
By a villain.
Mary wanted to abandon the colony and run to the city, but couldn't.
Because hundreds of lives in the colony depended on her shoulders.
She took a deep breath, bared her teeth like a beast starving for blood and growled.
Swoop.
Instead of responding to Mary's action, Emily elegantly pointed to me.
“What, that white little one is...”
At that moment, Dorothy, who had been hiding behind me, cautiously peeked out and called Mary in a bright voice.
“Sister!”
“...That voice.”
An earthquake occurred in Mary's pupils, and the killing intent dispersed instantly.
Mary approached Dorothy with heavy steps, looking at her younger sister with unfocused eyes as if hoping not to wake from a dream.
“Dorothy... Dorothy, right?”
When her fingertips touched Dorothy's cheek, Mary swallowed.
Thud.
The warm warmth transmitted by fingertips. Feeling that warmth she had longed for in dreams, she knelt unsteadily.
“Sister, I came.”
“Dorothy!!!”
Mary, unable to hold back anymore, hugged her sister with a cry mixed with tears.
With a clattering sound, muddy water stained Mary's skirt.
Mary didn't care about her clothes getting dirty, sat on the floor as is, and hugged Dorothy tightly as if never letting go again.
“Are you okay? No injuries anywhere?”
Mary checked Dorothy's face and arms with trembling hands.
“Sister, I'm fine. Thanks to these people, I'm in good shape.”
Dorothy smiled gently and hugged Mary.
“Really, I'm glad... I'm really glad you're safe.”
Mary couldn't continue speaking, buried in Dorothy's arms, sobbing, pouring out guilt and relief at once.
The tension string that was barely holding broke, Mary sobbed desperately as if spilling the long-held guilt for not being able to save Dorothy.
Dorothy hugged the trembling Mary's head tightly in her arms.
“Ugh, our sister got half her face. Really worked hard. Now it's okay. Okay.”
Pat pat.
Small hands slowly stroked Mary's back, gently comforting.
“Good. Good.”
Dorothy comforted the big sister like a baby with gentle touch.
[...Oh.]
Shan was sparkling her eyes while watching Dorothy and Mary's appearance.
Tiss, something, something feels...
“Really? You find it touching?”
“More than that... um... I guess so. As expected... there is a difference.”
Shan, looking at Dorothy and Mary, turned her head and seemed to be observing my body.
Ah, it seems still okay. Hehe.
Then suddenly she said something incomprehensible and laughed.
What is this?
Since there are many ears to hear each question, I decided to ignore it, thinking maybe the nausea hasn't gone away yet.
.
.
“Thanks.”
Mary bowed her head without wiping the tear marks, expressing sincere gratitude.
“You saved Dorothy.”
“I didn't do much. The angel over there did it all.”
“Emily!”
Emily poked my shoulder playfully and laughed.
That kid, she definitely came following me with the intention of teasing me, black villain or whatever.
“Yes! If it wasn't for the angel, I would have been in real trouble!”
Dorothy nodded her head and added with an excited voice.
Dorothy, even you.
I sighed, rubbing my face with my hand, Mary smiled and approached, extending her hand to me.
“Thanks for saving my sister, angel.”
“Call me Tiss.”
“Thanks, Tiss.”
When we shook hands, Mary showed a refreshing smile.
At this moment, Mary was the happiest person in the world.
“Ah, I was distracted. I can't leave guests outside like this. Come inside first.”
Following her invitation, we headed to Mary's house inside the colony.
“It's a bit messy, but understand. It hasn't been peaceful for a few days.”
“I saw it on the news. Because of the monsters, right? Are you okay?”
“Thanks for understanding. Just a moment, drink something...”
As Mary tried to stand up, Dorothy reacted first.
“I'll prepare the drinks!”
Dorothy ran to the kitchen with light footsteps, making a clinking sound.
“I said it many times, but thank you sincerely again.”
The fierce momentum from earlier disappeared from Mary's face, replaced by soft, full of goodwill eyes.
There were still traces of fatigue in the corners of her eyes, but inside them were relief and gratitude intact.
“If there's anything I can help with, tell me. For the benefactor who saved my sister, I'll do my best to help as much as I can.”
So, what should I bring up first.
If I could absorb the essence after hunting with her, it would be perfect, but it's not simple.
The gaze is also like that, the value of the monster whose essence is absorbed is almost 0, so there's the issue of me having to monopolize it.
Against poachers whose hunting is survival, I have to ask for the whole monster.
What line of compromise?
Rather, it might be better to receive help for the low-grade monsters I can't collect alone.
While pondering Mary's suggestion,
Dang! Dang! Dang!
Suddenly, a bell rang loudly from the outpost of the colony outside.
“Who dares! While talking to precious guests, what is it?”
Mary's brows were firmly furrowed.
The warm and soft atmosphere changed instantly, and the sura from before appeared again.
Bam!
One of the hunters running breathlessly opened the door and rushed in urgently.
“Sister Mary! Big trouble!”
“What is it!”
“New... New Order is approaching this way!”
“What?”
Mary turned her gaze to us, left a message to wait here for a moment, and rushed out.
Tiss, it seems the timing of us coming is not good.
“No.”
Rather, it came at the perfect time.
It's an opportunity to see the conflict between New Order and poachers.
“Emily.”
“Don't worry here. Dorothy will take care of it. Tiss can move as you like.”
“Thanks.”
I used my mimic ability to blend naturally into the surroundings and went out to observe the sudden New Order visit site.
“Sister, I brought the angel's car! Eh...?”
“Hard work, Dorothy. Want to sit and drink with me for a moment?”
“Um... yes!”
Dorothy saw Emily sitting alone in the living room and tilted her head, then accepted the offer and sat next to her.